# Official random question/nonsense rant thread



## Blueduck1105

I think every forum needs a thread dedicated to the other things going on in life! This is dedicated just like the title shows ask a random question (about anything) or just rant about something that has happened/happening.

Enjoy


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## GrinningDog

I've actually really wanted a thread like this. I keep having mini rants and raves about Gyp that don't warrant a whole thread.

*Rave*

Yesterday, Gyp and I took a leashed walk in our neighborhood. We have these ponds at the neighborhood entrance, so I let her off leash there to frolic around a bit. She dove in and _swam _to the center to play in the huge fountain. This is a dog that, a year ago, was uncomfortable stepping in a puddle. Sometime this summer she discovered a love of swimming. I don't know how! She's been swimming in our creek, but this is the first time I've seen her swim elsewhere. Over and over yesterday, she dove in and swam around in the pond. I didn't even have to throw a ball.


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## Blueduck1105

Haha that gives me hope! Our puppy doesn't handle being wet so well either! Some lab mix he is. Hopefully he will do better next summer. 


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## packetsmom

*Rave*

We're meeting our foster dog this evening. I'm equal parts excited and nervous. It's kind of ironic that we're fostering exactly the sort of dog I was looking for when we found Sam. Talk about karma! I'm hoping we love him, but not so much that we foster fail. I'm also hoping that he and Sam get along great and have fun playing together. Mostly, I'm just hoping we all survive the experience of two 100lb+ dogs (Sam is at 73 now, so it's not that far off) in our house!


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## Blueduck1105

Ok, I saw Gravity this weekend and feel I am In the minority when I say....I thought it kind of sucked. I just don't understand what the hype was about! I am such an easy pleaser in movies and this just wasn't all that good of a movie. For those who saw it and thought it was good could you explain what it was hat made it so wonderful? It seems like everyone is claiming this is the greatest movie ever and I just can't understand why. 


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## Blueduck1105

I'm going to get a new lens for my camera. Just looking at the 35mm 1.8 since I am new to photography is there a good time of year when camera stuff goes on sale? Does Black Friday have deals or anything or most usually the same year round?

On B&H they are out of domestic and only have imported (short warranty) is there a wAy on amazon to tell which one you are buying?

Thanks


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## Abbylynn

Blueduck1105 said:


> Haha that gives me hope! Our puppy doesn't handle being wet so well either! Some lab mix he is. Hopefully he will do better next summer.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Lol! Don't feel so all alone .... Cookie won't go out in the rain to go potty. I have to keep her under the overhang of the garage in the drive. :/


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## schmikry

*Random Story*

Yesterday we took Atlas to the park earlier than usual for a weekday, because we wanted to give him some exercise before his vet appointment (annual check up/renewing vaccinations). He is scared of strangers and we thought exercising him beforehand would help calm his anxiety. 

We met a large dog while we were there and they played for a few minutes, and the other dog led Atlas over to a HUGE mud puddle over by the baseball dugout. Atlas proceeded to dig in the puddle, splash around, get full-on zoomies around the entire baseball field, and then frolic back to the puddle. He was covered in mud and we had about 25 minutes to walk home and get him in an acceptable state of cleanliness to go to the vet. It was really funny, and we were able to clean him up in time, so no harm done. 

Of course he freaked out at the vet having random people touching/holding him. Didn't react at all to the temperature taking or the shots, but HATED the vet in his face looking at his teeth/eyes/ears. He was panicked, which makes me feel bad. Good think it's only once a year (good health permitting).


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## OwnedbyACDs

My parents husky / shepherd mix, Yumi keeps trying to pick fights with Josefina and only Josefina ... but she is being very good at avoiding confrontation and problems. 

While my parents were caring for my then ill grandma, I stayed here a lot by myself, I separated them when I couldn't be out there to watch them. But now that my parents are back, they won't allow me to separate them now, they say its cruel to Yumi (Ok, so having to break up fights isn't?) and that she likes the company of the other dogs (she doesn't) but they wont listen to me and then end up blaming Josefina for any squabbles that might occur, because Yumi isn't good at fighting (she's good at _starting_ fights though :/ ) and usually ends up being the victim.

I need to find another home for her soon ... I have been dragging my arse too long (years LOL LOL) she was taken in as a puppy and was originally supposed to be a foster.


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## Blueduck1105

Bought the lens.













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## OwnedbyACDs

This needs to be a sticky


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## BubbaMoose

Rant.

Tonight at the dog park some old hag hit Moose in the face with a cigarette. I found this out because I saw this person chasing after him with her hands that I'm sure wreaked of smoke thrashing around in an attempt to grab his face. When I approached her to see what her deal was she explained that his face ran straight into her cigarette.

Great. Because the dog park seems like a really suitable place to be walking around with a lit cigarette hanging at your waist. 


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## JuliaRose

BubbaMoose said:


> Rant.
> 
> Tonight at the dog park some old hag hit Moose in the face with a cigarette. I found this out because I saw this person chasing after him with her hands that I'm sure wreaked of smoke thrashing around in an attempt to grab his face. When I approached her to see what her deal was she explained that his face ran straight into her cigarette.
> 
> Great. Because the dog park seems like a really suitable place to be walking around with a lit cigarette hanging at your waist.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Shoot!  I would have been pretty mad about that one. You're not even allowed to smoke near the dog park where I live and for good reason... though sometimes I see the butts on the ground and shake my head. I'm sorry that happened to your dog!


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## BubbaMoose

JuliaRose said:


> Shoot!  I would have been pretty mad about that one. You're not even allowed to smoke near the dog park where I live and for good reason... though sometimes I see the butts on the ground and shake my head. I'm sorry that happened to your dog!


Thank you. Yeah it sucked, but he seemed most bothered by the after math of her chasing after him trying to grab his face with her hands. 


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## JuliaRose

People should mind their own business. I'm brushing it off assuming they maybe "meant well" rather than taking as them just being rude... That and they were like 70 years old. Today we were at Petsmart with our dog who was neutered a couple of days ago. He had a cone on his head to stop him from licking. So we're in line to check out and this lady behind me says to her husband, "That dog is wearing a cone. That means he JUST got out of surgery. He's not supposed to be here." Her husband proceeds to squeak a toy at my dog because he 'feels sorry for him because I brought him into the store.' They then SWITCHED LINES to get away from us and continued to bitch about how I brought him in. I'm still irritated at that bullshit because my dog is not in pain, he is also in full control by me and not going to hurt himself or be hurt by another animal. Also we had him in the store for maybe five minutes to grab a couple of things, we didn't run him hard for an hour. Not to mention, he could have been wearing the cone for a million other reasons so it was ignorant to make assumptions. Rude much. Besides this our dog is a BALL of energy. Need I remind you all that a neuter is NOT a major surgery and if the dog is in NO pain and wants to run around, then he obviously isn't suffering due to us taking him to the store for five minutes.


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## Dog Person

Blueduck1105 said:


> Bought the lens.
> 
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


If you didn't open those rocketfish items - send them back ... you need to install quality filters on your lenses ... some may even say you don't need UV filters on your lenses but I find it much easier to clean the UV filters then the lens itself.


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## Blueduck1105

Dog Person said:


> If you didn't open those rocketfish items - send them back ... you need to install quality filters on your lenses ... some may even say you don't need UV filters on your lenses but I find it much easier to clean the UV filters then the lens itself.


What is wrong with them? And the uv is more protective because of easier cleaning than functionality like you mentioned.


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## Dog Person

Blueduck1105 said:


> What is wrong with them? And the uv is more protective because of easier cleaning than functionality like you mentioned.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


My Nikon Lenses have Canon UV filters on them (hows that for an oxymoron) but I never got around to putting a UV on my Tokina lens.

In general, the more "stuff" you have between your lenses and the object, the more the image is degraded. Higher quality filters degrade the image less or not at all. I have no experience with rocketfish products but they may be a decent product. Typically Hoya and Tiffen are the "entry level" filters where B&W and Heliopan are considered "upper level".

I don't know how much you paid for them but if they were cheap then stick with them and if you need to upgrade them do so at a later date. If you paid a lot for them my advice would be to buy a better quality filter so you don't have to buy them twice IF they don't last.


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## Blueduck1105

I'll probably just hold on to them for now. Thanks for the heads up though! 

I'm super beginner but they seem to be decently built. Didn't know rocketfish went to camera gear though. I am excited to try out the new lens. Need to get used to the infinity turning on manual focus! Hopefully will be able to walk around with it this weekend and get some shots. 

Tips welcome! Have a thread around that is mainly for tips and stuff for me so let me know! It's jolts photography adventure or domething


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## DJEtzel

Blueduck1105 said:


> Bought the lens.


Aaaaah! Wanna buy me one for Christmas!? XD

...Or just give me that one?

_but srsly, can I ask how much that cost?


_


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## Blueduck1105

I'm excited about it! Wish I could get more primes. Wouldn't have gotten the kit 55-200 when I got my camera originally but you live and learn. 

I got it from best buy because I impulse buy a lot and didn't want to wait for shipping. It was $200. On most websites it is right along those lines anyways B&H was 196 so was worth getting it same day to me.

B&H has a domestic and imported one though. They are the exact same thing as far as the lens but the domestic comes with a longer warranty?? That is on back order though. I think the best buy must be the imported one as we ll think its only a year warranty but lenses are made pretty well even though they do feel plastic...y


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For a prime lens it is super cheap. I would go for it if you can. Only took a few shots with it but it is fast and great in low light. I'll throw some pictures up in my thread and on Flickr this weekend 


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## smk5495

Blueduck1105 said:


> Haha that gives me hope! Our puppy doesn't handle being wet so well either! Some lab mix he is. Hopefully he will do better next summer.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


This was Tucker too, then one day he decided he liked water. And BAM, now I can't keep him out of it.
Don't worry, it'll come!


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## Blueduck1105

smk5495 said:


> This was Tucker too, then one day he decided he liked water. And BAM, now I can't keep him out of it.
> Don't worry, it'll come!


It snowed this week and he was pouncing around in it so that was kind of a relief or else would have been a rough winter. Might need to invest in snow pants for the first time in awhile If he wants to play outside


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## DJEtzel

Blueduck1105 said:


> I'm excited about it! Wish I could get more primes. Wouldn't have gotten the kit 55-200 when I got my camera originally but you live and learn.
> 
> I got it from best buy because I impulse buy a lot and didn't want to wait for shipping. It was $200. On most websites it is right along those lines anyways B&H was 196 so was worth getting it same day to me.
> 
> B&H has a domestic and imported one though. They are the exact same thing as far as the lens but the domestic comes with a longer warranty?? That is on back order though. I think the best buy must be the imported one as we ll think its only a year warranty but lenses are made pretty well even though they do feel plastic...y
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App
> 
> For a prime lens it is super cheap. I would go for it if you can. Only took a few shots with it but it is fast and great in low light. I'll throw some pictures up in my thread and on Flickr this weekend
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Am I following you on Flickr? I can't remember... lol but I know I've been meaning to. Looking forward to seeing what you get! I may have to splurge after the holidays!


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## Blueduck1105

I don't know if you are. I followed you but not sure if you are or not. I don't have anything good your shots are far better than anything I have! 


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## Greater Swiss

*Rant!*

Why on earth do people put up an ad saying they are looking for a dog, and then, when you email them with exactly the type of dog they describe that they want, they don't email back, not even to say "not interested" and their ad stays up for weeks! I've emailed about half a dozen people and gotten no answer at all. I've looked over the emails and there has been nothing rude, nothing that would turn people off. The absolute worst thing I've said so far is that he is untested around children. 

The reason I've run into this is that rather than posting an ad for adopting Dexter (yes, time for foster time to be over), I figured I would watch for wanted dog ads, since the people are interested enough in having a dog that they took the time to post an ad (and I'm only answering ones where the people seem decent....and there would be a lot of "interviewing" before handing him over). I hate this process of adopting him out! If I ever foster again it will be a formal arrangement! After the last person who adopted him turned out to be an idiot, I'm SO freaked out by the entire thing and kind of terrified!

On the up side, I did get an answer from someone I emailed last night who lost her long time family dog to old age, and was looking for a new puppy, they miss the companionship and the time they spend with the dog (etc etc). Sounded like someone worth considering anyway. I asked how stuck she was on having a puppy or if she is interested in an adult dog. She emailed back and asked for pictures this morning....a start anyway. Rather than have her come here to meet him I'm going to see if we can take him to meet her at her home for the first meeting. Rather than having to say we want to do a "home visit" we can go under the guise of making things convenient for her (as it so happens she is in a similar area to my parents, so it isn't bad for us either), but also get a small scoping out of the kind of situation where he would be living. All I can say is I do plan on giving a fair chance but if I see an old stake in the ground with a chain tethered to it waiting for a new living lawn ornament I'll just be turning around. 

Overall, I'm just frustrated about the whole thing, so many things to cause stress in the whole situation.


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## Dog Person

Greater Swiss said:


> *Rant!*
> 
> Why on earth do people put up an ad saying they are looking for a dog, and then, when you email them with exactly the type of dog they describe that they want, they don't email back, not even to say "not interested" and their ad stays up for weeks! I've emailed about half a dozen people and gotten no answer at all. I've looked over the emails and there has been nothing rude, nothing that would turn people off. The absolute worst thing I've said so far is that he is untested around children.
> 
> The reason I've run into this is that rather than posting an ad for adopting Dexter (yes, time for foster time to be over), I figured I would watch for wanted dog ads, since the people are interested enough in having a dog that they took the time to post an ad (and I'm only answering ones where the people seem decent....and there would be a lot of "interviewing" before handing him over). I hate this process of adopting him out! If I ever foster again it will be a formal arrangement! After the last person who adopted him turned out to be an idiot, I'm SO freaked out by the entire thing and kind of terrified!
> 
> On the up side, I did get an answer from someone I emailed last night who lost her long time family dog to old age, and was looking for a new puppy, they miss the companionship and the time they spend with the dog (etc etc). Sounded like someone worth considering anyway. I asked how stuck she was on having a puppy or if she is interested in an adult dog. She emailed back and asked for pictures this morning....a start anyway. Rather than have her come here to meet him I'm going to see if we can take him to meet her at her home for the first meeting. Rather than having to say we want to do a "home visit" we can go under the guise of making things convenient for her (as it so happens she is in a similar area to my parents, so it isn't bad for us either), but also get a small scoping out of the kind of situation where he would be living. All I can say is I do plan on giving a fair chance but if I see an old stake in the ground with a chain tethered to it waiting for a new living lawn ornament I'll just be turning around.
> 
> Overall, I'm just frustrated about the whole thing, so many things to cause stress in the whole situation.


I think being courteous is out the window and people just don't care. A lot of people don't know how to say "please" and "thank you"; will step in front of you without hesitation and basically are rude. I try to treat others as I like to be treated but I see more and more people just are out for themselves. Don't be stressed, unfortunately it seems it's the way of the world these days.


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## lforrest0913

Where does everybody get those signatures that show how old their dog is?


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## KodiBarracuda

If you just click one of them it takes you to the website that makes them.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Yeah it's a site called pita pata I think. I used to have one but I opted to show case my dragons instead


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## lforrest0913

> If you just click one of them it takes you to the website that makes them.





> Yeah it's a site called pita pata I think. I used to have one but I opted to show case my dragons instead


Thanks! I found the site and got one of my own (as you can see from my sig:wink

It's kinda lame how that website has such limited icons for dogs. There are no short-haired black and white dog options so I went with the all black one that had ears the most similar to my Argus's.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Josefina has this cute (albeit sometimes annoying ) habit of standing reeeaaaally close to me and touching my legs with her cold wet nose ... ESP when I am wearing shorts

Why Josefina ... Why?


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## Kyndall54

Blueduck1105 said:


> Bought the lens.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


My fiancee used to have this lens, it's a good lens. Congrats on the purchase!! I've never heard of rocketfish UV filters but I have had experience with cheap UV filters, whenever the light hits them it decreases contrast alllooott. I have a b&w filter on my 35, but still experienced that problem to some extent so I will probably switch again .


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## Kyndall54

Blueduck1105 said:


> I'm excited about it! Wish I could get more primes. Wouldn't have gotten the kit 55-200 when I got my camera originally but you live and learn.
> 
> I got it from best buy because I impulse buy a lot and didn't want to wait for shipping. It was $200. On most websites it is right along those lines anyways B&H was 196 so was worth getting it same day to me.
> 
> B&H has a domestic and imported one though. They are the exact same thing as far as the lens but the domestic comes with a longer warranty?? That is on back order though. I think the best buy must be the imported one as we ll think its only a year warranty but lenses are made pretty well even though they do feel plastic...y
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App
> 
> For a prime lens it is super cheap. I would go for it if you can. Only took a few shots with it but it is fast and great in low light. I'll throw some pictures up in my thread and on Flickr this weekend
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


i've had metal lenses and they get SUPER heavy throughout the day, you'll get sticklers about the plastic but i'll take the lightness of the plastic any day . the imported ones are made in japan and sent over. i think they're technically "grey" market lenses but it really doesn't matter. they're pretty much the same thing .


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## Equinox

Blueduck1105 said:


> Bought the lens.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Awesome! Loved your pictures in the other thread, and very jealous of your new purchase. Will be my next lens for sure, just have to wait a little. Might drop some heavy hints now that we're approaching Christmas LOL


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## Blueduck1105

Yea it works well but just has that cheap feel. Since I have never had a heavy lens in sure I would like the plastic but from a feel perspective it does have that semi cheap feel.

It's a super cheap lens for what you get (in the camera world) would for sure recommend it. The storms this weekend prevented me from going outside with it but I'll get some more soon. I'm not great with a flash so not sure the rule of thumb when it comes to using the flash and when I am inside there isn't always enough light and would like to get some shots that aren't all at 1.8 aperture! 




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## Blueduck1105

Now that snow and salt is on the ground when Holt goes out he favors his paws and tried not to touch then or have then on the ground after about a half block to a full block. Is this most likely a salt issue or a cold issue? It is hard to tell. He usually start by holding his back leg up and then slowly the rest of them so he walks super awkward (kind of funny to watch) and/or takes several steps on three legs then switches. Just trying to figure out what it is. 

Thanks


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## jade5280

I was at the park yesterday and was playing ball with the puppy in the far corner of the field so no one would bother me. I was the only one there until a couple adults and four small children probably all under 8 years old start walking down the path past the field. Anyways I'm watching them to make sure they don't get too close because my puppy gets too excited.

Sure enough all four kids start running my way all the way across the entire field. Now I have to leash him up so he doesn't run towards them. Of course they all want to pet Ryker and I'm not going to tell them "no" since they ran all this way. Long story short he tries jumping all over them and barks at them and now they're scared of him. Whatever. WHY would their parents let them run all the way across the field to a complete stranger! I obviously didn't want to be bothered.


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## Abbylynn

Blueduck1105 said:


> Now that snow and salt is on the ground when Holt goes out he favors his paws and tried not to touch then or have then on the ground after about a half block to a full block. Is this most likely a salt issue or a cold issue? It is hard to tell. He usually start by holding his back leg up and then slowly the rest of them so he walks super awkward (kind of funny to watch) and/or takes several steps on three legs then switches. Just trying to figure out what it is.
> 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


My dogs hold their paws up when they are getting too cold. Maybe he needs boots. Also the folks with their sled dogs use "Mushers Secret" on their dogs paws. 

http://musherssecret.net/


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## Blueduck1105

Abbylynn said:


> My dogs hold their paws up when they are getting too cold. Maybe he needs boots. Also the folks with their sled dogs use "Mushers Secret" on their dogs paws.
> 
> http://musherssecret.net/


Do you use anything? I bought a small size of mushers secret and boots the other day. Hopefully will be here early next week.


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## Abbylynn

Blueduck1105 said:


> Do you use anything? I bought a small size of mushers secret and boots the other day. Hopefully will be here early next week.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


No .... I generally try and stay out of deep snow and we don't have regular roads with salt here at the lake. They use grit. My dogs refuse boots. :/ If they get too cold we just go back home and do something inside. In fact Abbylynn was just outside with me and she was running and playing for all she was worth in the snow ... and it is only 27 degrees right now. It didn't bother her in the least today.


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## DJEtzel

Why did I never consider owning Dobermans before?

Seriously. I have always been leery of them for some reason, probably lack of exposure. Significant other has two and I love them!

They have a little goofier of a personality with their owners (much like a pittie!) than GSDs do, same work ethic and personality with other people and dogs that GSDs have, but they have a short coat like a Pittie! They're like... my current two favorite breeds put together! What's wrong with me?


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## d_ray

DJEtzel said:


> Why did I never consider owning Dobermans before?
> 
> Seriously. I have always been leery of them for some reason, probably lack of exposure. Significant other has two and I love them!
> 
> They have a little goofier of a personality with their owners (much like a pittie!) than GSDs do, same work ethic and personality with other people and dogs that GSDs have, but they have a short coat like a Pittie! They're like... my current two favorite breeds put together! What's wrong with me?


One of my neighbours has a dobbie and she is the sweetest thing ever. She is so smart and has amazing recall. She's also very aloof which I love. She is chocolate and doesn't have her ears clipped. She is stunning. Makes me want one too!

On a rant, why do strangers feel like it's okay to approach me to tell me that my dog looks like a Hyena? It's happened 3 times now. My poor Jewel is going to get a complex!


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## Kayota

People told me Faxon looked part coyote all the time... I was like okay?? lol


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## OwnedbyACDs

Lol dobermans always remind me of a houndour / houndoom (Pokemon), in fact, if I ever got one I would consider namin it either houndour or houndoom xD. I had a rescue dobie years back, I always told myself I would have another one ... But the ear cropping care (natural eared dobie don't appeal to me) kind of side me nervous lol.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Random fact of the day: I learned a lot about dogs through a virtual pet computer game called Dogz years ago. I learned most of what I know about conformation and breeds from the Petz Kennel Club, which is where people would "show" their virtual Dogz. I spent a lot of time on their forum, which is how I ended up here.

I've always wanted to ask if anyone else here has played that game/showed at the PKC before? Or am I the only lameness?


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## Miss Bugs

> Random fact of the day: I learned a lot about dogs through a virtual pet computer game called Dogz years ago. I learned most of what I know about conformation and breeds from the Petz Kennel Club, which is where people would "show" their virtual Dogz. I spent a lot of time on their forum, which is how I ended up here.
> 
> I've always wanted to ask if anyone else here has played that game/showed at the PKC before? Or am I the only lameness?


haha I remember it, but only vaguely! pretty sure I played a little, but I don't remember much  


my random rant: stupid dog owners. ok so we had these 2 dogs come in together at the kennel yesterday, well a few hours later, 1 started attacking the other(as they were coming in from their exercise time) it a Husky and a Pittie, the Husky attacked the pit. he put a tiny bit on the pitties ear, a bite on his nose and the main one, a big cut on the inside of his lower eyelid, this was concerning for obvious reasons! so I call the dogs owner, and the response I get is this " oh ya, they do that all the time, thats what all those whites scars on him are from! doe he need stitches?" me-he doesn't need stitches, my primary concern is his eye, the damage appears primarily to his lower inner eyelid, but because of the location his eye could have been damaged, and should really be checked out. him-"eh, he's fine, just leave it, they go at it all the time! long as he doesn't need stitches, just leave it!" all of us were just flabbergasted..like seriously? there are so many things wrong with that! first of all, they go at it like that "all the time"? to the point that asking if he needs STITCHES as a result is a casual question? second, its his EYE!!!! like good grief, I am casual about minor injuries too, but a cut that close to the eyeball ain't something to mess with, its only yours dogs SIGHT for heavens sake!


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## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Random fact of the day: I learned a lot about dogs through a virtual pet computer game called Dogz years ago. I learned most of what I know about conformation and breeds from the Petz Kennel Club, which is where people would "show" their virtual Dogz. I spent a lot of time on their forum, which is how I ended up here.
> 
> I've always wanted to ask if anyone else here has played that game/showed at the PKC before? Or am I the only lameness?


I loved that game! They also made one called babyz. I liked that one too!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Random fact of the day: I learned a lot about dogs through a virtual pet computer game called Dogz years ago. I learned most of what I know about conformation and breeds from the Petz Kennel Club, which is where people would "show" their virtual Dogz. I spent a lot of time on their forum, which is how I ended up here.
> 
> I've always wanted to ask if anyone else here has played that game/showed at the PKC before? Or am I the only lameness?


Is it related to the Dog Dayzz game? I played that for a hot minute!


----------



## Kayota

^No it's not at all! haha! I played Petz, been thinking about getting back into it. I showed in the PKC, specialized in Chihuahuas. I had some real winners  I learned a lot about showing from PKC too!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Yay I'm not alone! 

TWAB - Never heard of that, don't believe it is related.

That's awesome Kayota! I was all over the place with breeds. I eventually landed on Tosas (the one in the pic was my favorite Ch.) and stuck with them until the end of my career there. I also hexed a few breeds in my day. They are super outdated now, but most in the PKC world knew my Hurricane Aussie file the best I think. Obviously, Aussies have always been my favorite breed.  There were plenty of times I wanted to return, but I no longer have the e-mail that had my password.


----------



## ThoseWordsAtBest

Ha! It sounds like a similar game/forum. I actually logged into my old account and apparently I haven't touched it in years anyway.


----------



## Foresthund

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Random fact of the day: I learned a lot about dogs through a virtual pet computer game called Dogz years ago. I learned most of what I know about conformation and breeds from the Petz Kennel Club, which is where people would "show" their virtual Dogz. I spent a lot of time on their forum, which is how I ended up here.
> 
> I've always wanted to ask if anyone else here has played that game/showed at the PKC before? Or am I the only lameness?


I still own the disc of Dogz 5,played it a little even recently. I played catz 1,catz gameboy,catz 2,oddballz,dogz 3,dogz 4,and catz 5 as well. I didn't hex,but did to a tiny bit of showing.


----------



## Miss Bugs

had the best phone call ever at work today! it was so ridiculous it made my day lol 

ok so I work in a boarding kennel, this morning this guy calls and he tells me is story, first he tells be about his dogs, TEN Mastiffs! 6 are 5 month old puppies, 2 of the adults are "kinda sketchy", he says he needs boarding for 7 nights for all 10 mastiffs...at this point I am already guessing the next part, he goes "so here is my dilemma..I don't have any money, can I write you a post dated cheque?" :laugh: *cue historical laughter in my head* I tell him, no I cannot accept a post dated cheque, he asks what he would need, so with the sketchiness of this whole situation I tell him I would need payment in full up front, he asked what that would be, I quoted him $192/night and that was being NICE by allowing him to do 2 adults per kennel and 3 puppies per kennel, which is iffy enough on its own, but he obviously wasn't gonna take it anyway. he balks at the price and asks if he could get a "package deal" I said not that I can personally do, he could talk to the owner, but he's not in right now.. so the guy asks for the owners CELL number.. I said no...and he hung up on me lol.


----------



## ThoseWordsAtBest

Miss Bugs said:


> had the best phone call ever at work today! it was so ridiculous it made my day lol
> 
> ok so I work in a boarding kennel, this morning this guy calls and he tells me is story, first he tells be about his dogs, TEN Mastiffs! 6 are 5 month old puppies, 2 of the adults are "kinda sketchy", he says he needs boarding for 7 nights for all 10 mastiffs...at this point I am already guessing the next part, he goes "so here is my dilemma..I don't have any money, can I write you a post dated cheque?" :laugh: *cue historical laughter in my head* I tell him, no I cannot accept a post dated cheque, he asks what he would need, so with the sketchiness of this whole situation I tell him I would need payment in full up front, he asked what that would be, I quoted him $192/night and that was being NICE by allowing him to do 2 adults per kennel and 3 puppies per kennel, which is iffy enough on its own, but he obviously wasn't gonna take it anyway. he balks at the price and asks if he could get a "package deal" I said not that I can personally do, he could talk to the owner, but he's not in right now.. so the guy asks for the owners CELL number.. I said no...and he hung up on me lol.


Hahaha I get a kick out of the weird/entitled. I process applications for a huge rescue transport group and I get some really bizarre requests and then demands to make requests priority. Sure, I'll just delete the whole transport calender and add you first, because you are a special, special snow flake.


----------



## GrinningDog

I played Petz too! I even showed with the PKC briefly. Ivory Kennels & Cattery, I think. I had Munchkins (catz) mostly, a couple champions. Ha! Is PKC still active? 

So tomorrow AM I have a biochemistry final exam. Gypsy has been an angel all day long, despite absolutely no exercise because of me studying. Tonight, to get us out of the house, we drove to Starbucks. It occurred to me that Gyp likes that place as much as I do. She suckered up to the baristas, and they gave her a 'puppy whip,' basically whipped cream in a cup. Haha.


----------



## momtolabs

What a night!!

Got home from school and find the banged up cat who is now stealing the heat from the vent,lol. Then have to rush my brother to his basketball game,right infront of the school is a wreck. So it takes an extra 5 minutes. Have to drive back into town(my schools in the country) have to take back roads to miss the wreck and pick up pizzas for the basketball game. When I get into town I about hit a fox. After that mink heart attack I get pizzas take back roads again back to the school and work the game. Ask my teacher about his finals(I'm in 2 of his classes), get home and fix the cat up a better bed. Seperate one of my 2 visitor cats from him. My dad needed sprite(he's sick) so back up to the gas station I go. Finally come.home and relax. I'm now watching how the grinch stole Christmas,waiting for my mom to get home from work.

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## Blueduck1105

I can't get the dogforum app to work? Anyone else experiencing this? Both ipad or iPhone.


----------



## Kayota

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Yay I'm not alone!
> 
> TWAB - Never heard of that, don't believe it is related.
> 
> That's awesome Kayota! I was all over the place with breeds. I eventually landed on Tosas (the one in the pic was my favorite Ch.) and stuck with them until the end of my career there. I also hexed a few breeds in my day. They are super outdated now, but most in the PKC world knew my Hurricane Aussie file the best I think. Obviously, Aussies have always been my favorite breed.  There were plenty of times I wanted to return, but I no longer have the e-mail that had my password.


OH MY GOSH you made the Hurricane Aussie? AHHHHH I'm gonna faint... That's one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE files! <3!!! People still use it ya know! It's actually rather hard to find these days 

Kirsten&Gypsy--Last I checked it's fairly active and they even get new members semi-regularly. I think it really says something about the game that it has maintained a fairly large fanbase this long. There really isn't anything like it.

edit: Here are some of my Chihuahuas... I hexed or bred all of these except the first one. I also had an extreme piebald merle but his pic isn't on my photobucket for some reason.


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## KodiBarracuda

Blueduck1105 said:


> I can't get the dogforum app to work? Anyone else experiencing this? Both ipad or iPhone.


Dogforum has an app?


----------



## Blueduck1105

KodiBarracuda said:


> Dogforum has an app?


Haha yes it does and currently not working! It's brought petguide pgfree or so,etching like that.


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## packetsmom

Random rant - Floogies. (For those who don't know, these are concentrated strings of dog drool that some breeds get.) I thought we'd get out of these since Sam is a mix, but no, he is developing jowls, which are really pretty cute, but the floogies? I don't mind the leaking after drinking, but any time he runs outside, he gets a string of something hanging from a jowl. Invariably, this will either end up smeared across his fur in the least attractive way, preferably right before company comes over OR rubbed on a family member's clean clothes, extra points if this happens on our way out the door.

I love the guy, but he has some mad skills at timing those floogies!


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## OwnedbyACDs

Rant: people who drag their poor kids along Christmas shopping with them ALL DAY then get mad at them when they act up or do normal kid things to amuse themselves ... uh ... hello they are BORED, shoot I'm almost 32 years old and Christmas shopping is tedious for me, I cant imagine what it feels like for a young child. GET A BABYSITTER people!


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## PatriciafromCO

Rant - people who come out to back road rural areas and think their Mini Van is a 4X4... and quickly realize they only have a mini van... stuck...


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## littlesoprano

Rant-My BF has been feeding Cosmo table scraps and he isn't eating his food as much. I finally told him he really needs to stop cause Cosmo ISN'T eating his food as much as he was. He said he will stop doing it, but I just know it's going to be an annoying process getting Cosmo to EAT his food. I even mixed in peanut butter with it, and he won't eat. It's driving me crazy T_T.


----------



## RabbleFox

Random- Merlin has taken to pushing his buster cube around even when it's completely empty. He is the most aggressive buster cuber I've ever met. He can fling it across the living with one swing of his tiny head. The issue with him playing with an empty cube is that it makes quite the racket. It thuds across the wood and linoleum like a ton of bricks. I also can't figure out why he'd want to play with an empty buster cube. Mer is like some kind of hopeful beggar or he absolutely is in love with this joyless, non-treat giving toy. 

What the heck, dog.


----------



## Blueduck1105

RabbleFox said:


> Random- Merlin has taken to pushing his buster cube around even when it's completely empty. He is the most aggressive buster cuber I've ever met. He can fling it across the living with one swing of his tiny head. The issue with him playing with an empty cube is that it makes quite the racket. It thuds across the wood and linoleum like a ton of bricks. I also can't figure out why he'd want to play with an empty buster cube. Mer is like some kind of hopeful beggar or he absolutely is in love with this joyless, non-treat giving toy.
> 
> What the heck, dog.


Haha Holt does this with random stuff too. He always throws his bones around but occasionally he will play with a treat specific toy when nothing is in it and throw it. But hey whatever keeps him busy I'm all for! Throw away puppy! If it's a noise issue...you may be in trouble!


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## RabbleFox

Lol. I don't mind it really. It's a minor annoyance. If he is occupied for a couple minutes by himself then I can't hardly complain!


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## Blueduck1105

RabbleFox said:


> Lol. I don't mind it really. It's a minor annoyance. If he is occupied for a couple minutes by himself then I can't hardly complain!


Exactly how I feel. I encourage him when he's doing it. Wish I got that amount of joy doing something so minuscule 


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## Blueduck1105

Ended up seeing a dog running down the street today so 4 of us in cars including a police car were following this dog trying to catch it for some time. It was an older male GSD. He had been running for numerous miles the cop had told us for a long time. We were finally able to corner him and catch him. He was freezing had a little bloody paw and maybe another cut somewhere else. They brought it to the local paws and the owners did come get him.


Good story of the day I suppose! 


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----------



## Miss Bugs

woke up at 230am this morning to this obnoxious BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP and my dogs barking.. confused and trying to make the sound stop I turn on my light, look around, beeping stops... hear my brother and mom in the furnace room which is literally a paper thin wall from my bed(the "wall" is peices of wood so thin you can see through the wall) figured it my brothers cellnphone for some reason, tell my dogs to shut up and go back to sleep. so get up this AM, I ask my brother what the noise was... he goes "oh that was my carbon monoxide detector, the 4 shrill beeps mean "get the heck outa the house and call 911" but it was only within 2 feet of the furnace" im was like...uhh and it occurred to nobody to I dunno maybe TELL the person sleeping 10 friggen feet from the thing?! he said he wanted to tell me, but my mom was like eh, shes fine, besides I told her something was wrong with the furnace, im sure she knows the danger" (a story my mom confirmed) um ya what my mom told me was "the furnace is making odd sounds, I cleaned it out, seems to have helped" yup..clear carbon monoxide warning right there! *problem is being fixed now* but come on! at least a warning that if I hear the beeping again, get up and get out not set up the detector for warning if it spreads and then go to bed 2 floors away with no warning to the oblivious person who'd be the first affected!


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## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> Rant - people who come out to back road rural areas and think their Mini Van is a 4X4... and quickly realize they only have a mini van... stuck...


Oh yeah I hate that ... or go like 55 on a rural hwy where the speed limit is 70! look people ... if your car can't do the speed limit then maybe you should stick to the back roads because you are going to either cause an accident or worse, get flattened by one of the many 18 wheelers that run these roads. 

dog rant from today: Yumi and Buddy were very very naughty, so I tied them up for time out, Yumi took her time out time like a champ while buddy decided to spend his running fighting the tie like a puppy whose experiencing their first time on a leash. I hate that he is such a drama queen  when he doesn't like something he throws a fit about it, so I just wait him out until he stops fighting and excepts that he did wrong and that he is in time out. which took about an hour :/

Yumi (slow as she is) got released in about thirty minutes because she was good.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Rant-It is freezing here, & it is only going to get worse. Monday is suppose to be -10, & up 30 mph winds, which means windchill up -40 degree wind chills. I want summer back, or at least warmer weather than this...


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## OwnedbyACDs

Yes its supposed to be cold here too (highs in the 40's lows in the 20's maybe rain for a few days and wind) I hate northern air and artic fronts, the north can keep them, thank you!


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## Kayota

It's about 21 degrees here right now. And that brings me to my rant: Roxie still has her coat on but she hides under the bed every time I approach her. What gives, dog?

Also lately she's gotten into this habit of barking at any slightly unusual sound so if I tap my finger on the table or my chair squeaks she starts freaking out :doh:


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## Greater Swiss

Two rants!
Sidewalks have disappeared! They are underneath several feet of snow/ice that the plow pushed off of the road. It is bad enough there isn't one on my side of the road, but that there isn't one at all now Grrrr. Walks just aren't in the books right now, there are NO safe sidewalks even within driving distance (unless I want to walk a busy road...not my idea of a good time, doesn't help I have to walk the dogs separately, which means driving them somewhere separately....SO much time). Of course the -37 windchill this morning removed all walking possibility today...and another storm is coming, so no sidewalks returning any time soon!

Snow banks on the side of my driveway that have hardened into Ice Banks, which are apparently hard enough to make the entire corner of the bumper cover on our truck (which we were trying to sell because we can't afford it, and might have had a buyer for!) to explode...ok not explode but crack in enough places that the whole corner pretty much fell off. We didn't even feel it hit the bank....just got out of the car and went WHAT THE!!!!!! and found a small chunk of the cover sitting in the driveway. 

I think perhaps the cold weather is making me cranky.....this stuff is making me want to bang my head on the wall.


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## OwnedbyACDs

I hate cold ... I always say each winter that I'm going to follow the birds south ha ha


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## Foresthund

There's no sidewalks where I live,you have to either walk on the side of the road or in peoples yards. I guess its part of living in a rural area.

My heater keeps going out,I`m getting sick of its crap.

I hate how hard it is to find dog sports,especially outdoor dog sports around here.


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## Blueduck1105

The car said 0 this morning! Ugh going to be a cold walk to work from the train. Chicago out for a cold little stretch here


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----------



## Miss Bugs

totally had the most annoying person pick up his dogs yesterday. so he had these 4 labs, nice conditioned hunting dogs. now during the stay they lost weight on the requested amount of food, like all bones were visable lost weight, so obviously I upped their food, within a few days they looked good again. so he picks up snd I tell him his dogs were getting too thin so we upped the food, he launches into me with "what YOU people call too thin.." I was so pissed off by his attitude that I cut him off there with "I have working dogs too, I know the difference between too thin and conditioned, they looked great when they came in, they look good again now, they got TOO THIN" lol. then he starts arguing with me over the "alone" fee(he requested private yard time) said he was not told of this charge, now I checked him in and I didn't go over that with him, I wrongly assumed he knew as he had gotten several quotes prior to the stay, my bad. so started to say "I apologize I didn't realize" and he cuts me off with "bullshit you didn't know, you checked me in!" umm.. ya I know if you let me finish what I was saying was "I apologize I didn't realize you were not aware, I can remove the fee for you this time and you'll know next time" lol I was shaking and couldn't think straight i was so worked up by the time he left lol


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## Kayota

Blueduck1105 said:


> The car said 0 this morning! Ugh going to be a cold walk to work from the train. Chicago out for a cold little stretch here
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


lol I feel you, we're supposed to have the coldest day on record Monday! Roxie is too thin furred to walk in cold weather even with a coat so we have been hibernating so to speak lol


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## Damon'sMom

There is already about an inch of snow outside and there is a snow storm on the way. Its suppose to start with rain and then move on to just snowing Sunday and we are suppose to accumulate around 8" or so. Temps will not be too bad in the 30's during the day and 20's at night. Until monday and Tuesday that is, its going to be 0 for the high and -6 for the low with a windchill of -30. Jasper will love it like always, Luna looks at me like I am crazy as it is.  And oh my at the people rushing the stores around here. They are all stocking up as if it is the apocalypse that is coming. 

I MISS MY CHEVY BLAZER 4X4!!! I forget winters suck with a car that has no 4X4. After my SUV broke down on me a few months ago I decided to go with something more fuel economic. UGHHHHH!!!!! Sure I am saving $120 every 2 weeks but I can barely get anywhere once it snows. Useless! If I have to go up a hill in the snow, forget it.  I am so screwed! Not to mention I can't haul dog crates in my Mini Cooper. lol I do love my car don't get me wrong, but gosh how I wish I would have through about the winter season before signing that contract. lol


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## OwnedbyACDs

Oh I hate the cold ... Hate hate HATE!!! I can't wait for the long hot Texas summer like ... Seriously!


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## Miss Bugs

try -40 cold with no heat. remember that furnace issue? ya we need a new one but can't get one till monday, in the meantime we have to use the furnace as little as possible and only on really low cuz of the whole spitting out carbon monoxide problem... yay.


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## llillio

Blueduck1105 said:


> The car said 0 this morning! Ugh going to be a cold walk to work from the train. Chicago out for a cold little stretch here


Heh yeah, we just got out of few days of -17 deep freeze. It took both my 13lb ball of fur and me alot of bundling up and coaxing to get out... also, having no access to the backyard didn't help as the slide door out to the back froze shut (the fence door to the backyard froze shut over a month ago). Let's just say my front yard is a beautiful mosaic of yellow and brown patches...


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## LittleFr0g

llillio said:


> Heh yeah, we just got out of few days of -17 deep freeze. It took both my 13lb ball of fur and me alot of bundling up and coaxing to get out... also, having no access to the backyard didn't help as the slide door out to the back froze shut (the fence door to the backyard froze shut over a month ago). Let's just say my front yard is a beautiful mosaic of yellow and brown patches...


I would kill for those temps right now, lol. We've had temps of -30 to -50 C all winter, with only a handful of days warmer! That's -22 to -58 in Fahrenheit! We've been colder than the North Pole all week, and our daytime high on New Year's Day was COLDER than the daytime high on freaking Mars! SO glad I'm going away to Honduras next week! I can't take this any more, it's been the coldest December since 1890!


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## OwnedbyACDs

It makes me wonder why anyone would want to live that far north :/ not me ... I am having enough trouble dealing with the cold we have here.


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## LittleFr0g

OwnedbyACDs said:


> It makes me wonder why anyone would want to live that far north :/ not me ... I am having enough trouble dealing with the cold we have here.


We're not even that far North, lol, we're at the south end of the province.  It's not usually THIS bad, but this winter has just been brutal!


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## Miss Bugs

boo had to turn furnace completely off cuz CM detector kept going off..so naturally its -53!


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## BubbaMoose

Miss Bugs said:


> boo had to turn furnace completely off cuz CM detector kept going off..so naturally its -53!


What does that even feel like?! I can't imagine. Our highs are in the 70's all week as it's been all winter, though we've had a pretty mild one. I'm sorry you're going through this! I imagine it to be painful. I think if I were in that situation and I HAD to move - say for food or to use the rest room, I would be transporting myself dressed in layers upon layers of clothes through the house in a sleeping bag. Sending warm sunny rays your way from Arizona! Only a short time away until everything gets fixed for you tomorrow. 


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## 3doglady

Miss Bugs said:


> boo had to turn furnace completely off cuz CM detector kept going off..so naturally its -53!


I wouldnt be able to handle that at all. Can you go to a hotel or stay with family/friends until Monday?


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## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> There is already about an inch of snow outside and there is a snow storm on the way. Its suppose to start with rain and then move on to just snowing Sunday and we are suppose to accumulate around 8" or so. Temps will not be too bad in the 30's during the day and 20's at night. Until monday and Tuesday that is, its going to be 0 for the high and -6 for the low with a windchill of -30. Jasper will love it like always, Luna looks at me like I am crazy as it is.  And oh my at the people rushing the stores around here. They are all stocking up as if it is the apocalypse that is coming.
> 
> I MISS MY CHEVY BLAZER 4X4!!! I forget winters suck with a car that has no 4X4. After my SUV broke down on me a few months ago I decided to go with something more fuel economic. UGHHHHH!!!!! Sure I am saving $120 every 2 weeks but I can barely get anywhere once it snows. Useless! If I have to go up a hill in the snow, forget it.  I am so screwed! Not to mention I can't haul dog crates in my Mini Cooper. lol I do love my car don't get me wrong, but gosh how I wish I would have through about the winter season before signing that contract. lol


LOL maybe its time to move south? We'd welcome you here in Texas , the closest thing we usually get to snow is frost on the ground every once and a while ha ha.


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## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> boo had to turn furnace completely off cuz CM detector kept going off..so naturally its -53!


Oh god. I can only imagine. What are you going to do about the pipes?

ETA: I mentioned this to my hubby. He says to call a different plumber/gas fitter... in temps like that no furnace is an emergency.


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## Miss Bugs

gingerkid- ya the pipes are a worry, after a few hours I was able to turn the furnace on without the Carbon Monoxide issue, but I gotta keep it around 60. its chilly but hopefully that will keep the pipes from freezing at least. 

calling a different company is not that easy for us, my mom is on disability which means the government pays for the fix and new furnace, but they have strict rules you have to follow or they wont pay for it.

3doglady-we have 200 Gerbils, 2 Birds, 1 Hamster, 2 Rabbits, 2 Snakes and 8 dogs..we cant just abandon the animals to the freezing house while we just leave, and we cant take them anywhere lol we have space heaters turned on the gerbils, blankets over bird and bunny cages, and we are just dressed warm lol


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kuma'sMom said:


> We're not even that far North, lol, we're at the south end of the province.  It's not usually THIS bad, but this winter has just been brutal!


heh heh, you have to understand, that as a Texan ... anything north of Dixie is considered "far north" to us xD. Still ... how do you brave souls cope? I couldn't ... I just couldn't. the next couple of days are supposed to be highs in the 40's (maybe), clouds, damp and rain with lows in the low to mid 20's and I am wondering how I am going to cope with that. I have already been ill once from the cold ... I don't handle the cold very well and it seems that the older I get, the less I handle it.


----------



## LittleFr0g

OwnedbyACDs said:


> heh heh, you have to understand, that as a Texan ... anything north of Dixie is considered "far north" to us xD. Still ... how do you brave souls cope? I couldn't ... I just couldn't. the next couple of days are supposed to be highs in the 40's (maybe), clouds, damp and rain with lows in the low to mid 20's and I am wondering how I am going to cope with that. I have already been ill once from the cold ... I don't handle the cold very well and it seems that the older I get, the less I handle it.


LOL, we're Manitobans, we're used to it! Dress warm when we go out and when it's THIS cold, we stay in if we don't HAVE to go out. We complain a lot, but we're also kind of weirdly proud of it, lol


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Right Now, I seriously hate living in Wisconsin, this weather is horrible. You take one step outside, & you are already freezing.


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## momtolabs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Right Now, I seriously hate living in Wisconsin, this weather is horrible. You take one step outside, & you are already freezing.


That's how it is here in Illinois. Doesn't help we have drifts over 4ft. -30 temps with windchill and I gave a dog who finds it funny to make me watching run in circle for hours until he finds the right spot to go. ,I have been out 4 times in footy Pjs a huge coat,gloves ans my dads boots,lol. 

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## karayna

Wow. I live in the south of Sweden, and this winter has been extremely hot! Snow for a few days in December, other than that we've had temperatures of 5-7 degrees celsius all winter... never experienced a winter like this!

I have the worst cold I've had for years. I'm on my tenth day and still coughing all night... plus my joints hurt. No fever, but I'm soooo tired! Been living on my couch for days. Only thing that gets me going is my puppy, because he needs me...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Buddy wouldn't settle ... He kept lip licking and turning around and whining and etc ... So I put him out thinking he has to go go to the bathroom. Five minutes later I hear him barking ... Turns out he just heard something outside and wanted to see it ... Jerk >_<

At least it wasn't a skunk.


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## Kayota

Temps are dropping... Windchill will make it feel about -30 F tomorrow but actual temp will be around -6. We have a few inches of snow on the ground as well. Roxie hates it so much that I can let her out loose and she pees and comes right back in... lol


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## momtolabs

I have an ear infection,stuffy nose,and a sore throat. I'm tired of it! My house is only 50 degrees, outside is -14 and that's without the windchill. I hope my boss didn't open this morning. I don't feel like going to work today.

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## OwnedbyACDs

Kuma'sMom said:


> LOL, we're Manitobans, we're used to it! Dress warm when we go out and when it's THIS cold, we stay in if we don't HAVE to go out. We complain a lot, but we're also kind of weirdly proud of it, lol


I have a friend who is from the Qubec area I think (he is a Ukrainian Canadian) and even he says that the kind of cold we have here (damp cold thanks to the gulf) is more miserable and feels colder then even the coldest Canadian air. He says it's a drier cold then it is here ... I will take his word for it as I have never been to canada.


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## KodiBarracuda

Second or third day of sub 0 (F) degrees here and we got a nice litter smattering (1.5-2 inches) of snow yesterday with strong cold winds. I promptly shut myself into the house, drank hot tea, watched SVU for 7 hours and did 1000 piece puzzle. Not 5 minutes ago, I went outside to shovel off my sidewalk and porch and fell on my bad hip, its still hurting like crazy and will definitely bruise.

Moral of the story? Come hell or high water, I'm moving to Texas after med school, I hate the cold.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I had to send a bill out in the mail today. My front door was frozen shut. When I finally pried that open.. my mailbox was frozen shut. Ohio.. just no.


----------



## jsca

Rant: wanted to keep my pup out of the cage while I took a nap. She never gets into anything in the house, so I figured I'd just strap her leash to her and we'd be good to go...woke up to a chewed up leash


----------



## GrinningDog

THEY PROMISED US BIG SNOW. ALL WE GOT WAS little snow AND BIG COLD. 

/hissyfit

It's -6 in my nook of Southern OH, not counting the insane windchill. Where the heck are my giant snowdrifts?!


----------



## momtolabs

Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> THEY PROMISED US BIG SNOW. ALL WE GOT WAS little snow AND BIG COLD.
> 
> /hissyfit
> 
> It's -6 in my nook of Southern OH, not counting the insane windchill. Where the heck are my giant snowdrifts?!


 I have them  my uncle has a drift in his yard over 5 ft 


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----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

It's -15, & that's with out the wind chill. With the wind chill its at least -35. The 

I am hating this so much.



Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> THEY PROMISED US BIG SNOW. ALL WE GOT WAS little snow AND BIG COLD.
> 
> /hissyfit
> 
> It's -6 in my nook of Southern OH, not counting the insane windchill. Where the heck are my giant snowdrifts?!


They promised us snow too, we got less than a half inch of snow.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

I'm happy we didn't get much snow. The city is TERRIBLE at plowing the roads, they leave nearly an inch of snow on the road to be pressed down and made really slick. Its nearly impossible to totally stop at any stop sign. 2/3 of the town is residential, when college is not in session there's less than 6000 people in the town, which is why we only have 1 stop light and mostly just stop signs.


----------



## momtolabs

Complaint for my mom. She went to open ans a snowplow did this to where she was over her waist in snow getting in. 

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----------



## Damon'sMom

Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> THEY PROMISED US BIG SNOW. ALL WE GOT WAS little snow AND BIG COLD.
> 
> /hissyfit
> 
> It's -6 in my nook of Southern OH, not counting the insane windchill. Where the heck are my giant snowdrifts?!


I am with you! So upset.  :/ We were originally suppose to get 12" and then they lowered that to 3-4" and guess what we got. A light dusting, barely even a quarter of an inch. We did get the cold they promised though. Its -4 right now and -35 Windchill. I hate cold without snow.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> THEY PROMISED US BIG SNOW. ALL WE GOT WAS little snow AND BIG COLD.
> 
> /hissyfit
> 
> It's -6 in my nook of Southern OH, not counting the insane windchill. Where the heck are my giant snowdrifts?!


Noo! I hate the cold enough, but I don't want the snow either. I still have to go to work in it no matter what.


----------



## d_ray

We got freezing rain last night and it's an ice rink in Ottawa. Now they're calling for a windchill warning tonight. Thank God I leave for Jamaica in less than 2 weeks.


----------



## Miss Bugs

guess what? still no heat. it was so cold this morning my dogs had no intention of coming to work with me, I literally had to walk around in front of them, and pull them out the door with their leashes lol. usually if they don't wanna come I just leave them at home, but since we were SUPPOSED to be getting a new furnace today.... I am gonna have to drag them all with me tomorrow too now weather they like it or not lol


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Miss Bugs said:


> I am gonna have to drag them all with me tomorrow too now *weather* they like it or not lol


Puny. 

Too short


----------



## JTurner

It is around 10 degrees here and I took our new intern out to hike a trail at the park I work at & we got pelted in the face with hail halfway through...We are going for another hike at 8am it is going to be freezing but he has to get to know the park. I guess i can't complain too much considering that my dog and I love the cold! Took Mac out afterwards to chase balls using my ball thrower. Love watching him run!


----------



## Kayota

it did not get as cold as predicted but it has still been 0 all day with a -16 windchill so not much better


----------



## DJEtzel

-36* here with the windchill. 

Stuck in the street last night for hours, finally got unstuck and had to unstick our neighbor, too.


----------



## Kayota

ew I'm sorry.. We got much less snow than predicted and frankly I am relieved lol


----------



## Blueduck1105

DJEtzel said:


> -36* here with the windchill.
> 
> Stuck in the street last night for hours, finally got unstuck and had to unstick our neighbor, too.


Been cold here In Chicago too. Was off yesterday and boss said I could stay in today because her and two others already are staying home! Woo


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----------



## Abbylynn

It is -10 degrees right now and a high of maybe 4 degrees ... without the wind chill. The D$%^@! garage door is frozen shut ... and the dogs have to pee! I hate having to backtrack on potty training ... but they will just have to go in the basement on newspaper. I can't go out! It will freeze my already ruined lungs and kill me! Uuuuugh!


----------



## DJEtzel

Blueduck1105 said:


> Been cold here In Chicago too. Was off yesterday and boss said I could stay in today because her and two others already are staying home! Woo
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yep. No work yesterday, no work today.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I have heat!! woohoo!


----------



## Blueduck1105

Woo heat!


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----------



## Flaming

Kuma'sMom said:


> We're not even that far North, lol, we're at the south end of the province.  It's not usually THIS bad, but this winter has just been brutal!


yeah I live slightly northern Alberta. TRied to open the back door so Manna could take a pee, wouldn't open, Hubby rtried it...the door handle snapped into his hand. We had to drill the pieces of door knob/handle out to get the door open. 

This is the coldest winter yet!


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> yeah I live slightly northern Alberta. TRied to open the back door so Manna could take a pee, wouldn't open, Hubby rtried it...the door handle snapped into his hand. We had to drill the pieces of door knob/handle out to get the door open.
> 
> This is the coldest winter yet!


I don't know if it is just the cold... This winter has been crazy unsettled. The stupid fluctuation between minus bajillion for a week and then above freezing for a week and then minus bajillion, rinse, repeat.... its driving me nuts. I'd much rather it be between -15C and -5C all winter than have 3 more months of this ridiculousness.


----------



## Miss Bugs

my friend texted me tonight said a guy asked her today if her dog was purebred or part canine.....she had no idea how to answer that question lol


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> I don't know if it is just the cold... This winter has been crazy unsettled. The stupid fluctuation between minus bajillion for a week and then above freezing for a week and then minus bajillion, rinse, repeat.... its driving me nuts. I'd much rather it be between -15C and -5C all winter than have 3 more months of this ridiculousness.


wait, you got above freezing??? we've been in the -30's through -50's°C for the last 3 weeks! We're only 4-5 hours away from each other too, geeze big change.


----------



## Blueduck1105

Chicago is going to be in double digits!!!!! Maybe not windchill I don't know but the temp will be in double digits! What a treat. Was rough Monday and early Tuesday. 


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----------



## LittleFr0g

> Yep. No work yesterday, no work today.


Wow, really? Even when it gets to -50 Celsius, which is -58 Fahrenheit here, work goes on as usual, they don't even close the schools usually. That's just, so strange to me, lol.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Kuma'sMom said:


> Wow, really? Even when it gets to -50 Celsius, which is -58 Fahrenheit here, work goes on as usual, they don't even close the schools usually. That's just, so strange to me, lol.


Wow, that is freezing! I can't believe schools still aren't closed.
That is strange, usually schools around here are closed if windchill is -30 Fahrenheit(or maybe it -35 Fahrenheit).. 

It's going to be pretty warm this weekend upper 30's to around 40 .


----------



## Miss Bugs

lol ya schools dont close for any kinda cold around here. if schools closed for -40 there would be no school for most of winter lol -40 and colder just means indoor recess and even then there is now a thing called the "polar bear club" in which parents can insist there kids go outside for recess no matter what. other business' certainly dont close because of cold either, -40,-50 just means dress warmer lol


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Miss Bugs said:


> lol ya schools dont close for any kinda cold around here. if schools closed for -40 there would be no school for most of winter lol -40 and colder just means indoor recess and even then there is now a thing called the "polar bear club" in which parents can insist there kids go outside for recess no matter what. other business' certainly dont close because of cold either, -40,-50 just means dress warmer lol


Around here if it is that cold, people prepare, by going to store to stocking up on food.They was a huge line in grocery store,possibly more then when it is the holidays. There is (southern) Wisconsin for you. People also tend to freak out if we get a few inches of snow...

Just had to add to add this.


Blueduck1105 said:


> Chicago is going to be in double digits!!!!! Maybe not windchill I don't know but the temp will be in double digits! What a treat. Was rough Monday and early Tuesday.
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Finally warm weather,lol.It suppose to be 35 F this weekend,it seems so warm compared to what weather we experiencing before,can't wait! haha


----------



## BernerMax

Well temp finally dropped and am bundled on the couch (day started at 5am and I did my dog walk at 7:30am) watching bad movies.. Rant! Its so cold! Being held hostage by small black cat who keeps sitting on my keyboard....and making kitty paws on me... Lost the remote somewhere.... Sigh.... (ahhh such is my day off)... 
The 2 hairy dogs are snoozing out side though, schnauzer gal is on her doggie bed in the back kitchen hoping to come in the main house (I only let her in at night, she harrasses our 3 kitties)...


----------



## asuna

im in the grocery store and i bought my fiance a like pork roast thingy uncooked or whatever im putting my groceries on the belt thing, and the lady infront of me goes
"youre going to die eating crappy food like that meat"
i said to her
"im a vegan i dont consume any animal products"

she turns up her nose and suddenly becomes some nutritional expert. ...

I finally said let me read the ingredient list on your crappy bleached white hot dog buns
she shut up


----------



## JTurner

I made pulled pork for my hubby today, but made a side of brown rice and beans mostly for me yummm...Ever since I started eating right last year (and exercising - lost 30 pounds wahooo I'm the minimum weight for my height now) I feel so much better! Boxed foods just don't do anything for me anymore it's strange how my tastebuds have changed...It's all about the fruits, veggies, and ice cream of course .


----------



## asuna

JTurner said:


> I made pulled pork for my hubby today, but made a side of brown rice and beans mostly for me yummm...Ever since I started eating right last year (and exercising - lost 30 pounds wahooo I'm the minimum weight for my height now) I feel so much better! Boxed foods just don't do anything for me anymore it's strange how my tastebuds have changed...It's all about the fruits, veggies, and ice cream of course .


awesome on the weightloss. i too have lost over 30 lbs in the lastyear


----------



## JTurner

Good job!

What a cold night! I bundled myself up & strapped on Mac's reflective harness and headed out for a 2 mile slowww run there was black ice everywhere! He kept darting towards the ice assuming it was in liquid form almost breaking both our ankles many times along the way 0_o


----------



## asuna

JTurner said:


> Good job!
> 
> What a cold night! I bundled myself up & strapped on Mac's reflective harness and headed out for a 2 mile slowww run there was black ice everywhere! He kept darting towards the ice assuming it was in liquid form almost breaking both our ankles many times along the way 0_o


 oh my sounds funny almost!
its too cold here so i took thor out on a long long leash and played fetch with him for about 30 mins, but than i had to go back in
he doesnt seem to mind hes sleeping now


----------



## DJEtzel

Kuma'sMom said:


> Wow, really? Even when it gets to -50 Celsius, which is -58 Fahrenheit here, work goes on as usual, they don't even close the schools usually. That's just, so strange to me, lol.


It was mostly because we didn't have enough power in road commission to keep the roads clear as the snow came down, so people were getting into bad accidents, stuck, etc. my road didn't get plowed until it had drifted to over a foot and a half so there was no way I could get out for work Monday morning.

We closed because we knew the chances of no shows for surgery was very high. There was no profit in staying open.


----------



## momtolabs

Friday night or Saturday evening I'm packing me Bentley and Mia up and we are moving to my grandparents for a bit. My house is too much for me I have become angry and biter and just not myself anymore. So hopefully being with ny grandparents and getting the needed help will work for me. I'm going to miss tank a bit but he is in good hands. Instead of a 5 minute commute to school I will now have a 20 minute commute. But my grandparents need the help. So were staying in a spare bedroom. Bentley and Mia are used to the house but they have there tags,Mia will be chipped soon. 

I'm taking there 
Bowls
Food
Leashes

Should I take anything else?? I know I could creat my own thread but I just wanted to put it in here. Oh and there is no room for a crate but Mia should be fine. My grandpa and grandma are home 24/7 and while they shouldbt have to take them out I no my grandma will because she thinks I'm too harsh with my dogs  but she let's me do my thing. Unlike my mom who will completely do the oposite and criticizes me for every little thing. 

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----------



## Blueduck1105

Hopefully the move will help! Just random stuff that you mentioned and toys or whatever laying around I am sure you will be plenty prepared for them. People helping people! Will be great for you and the dogs ... And grandparents of course


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----------



## momtolabs

Blueduck1105 said:


> Hopefully the move will help! Just random stuff that you mentioned and toys or whatever laying around I am sure you will be plenty prepared for them. People helping people! Will be great for you and the dogs ... And grandparents of course
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Okay thanks. I ended up making a thread but will leave my reply up. And I hope it helps too :/

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----------



## asuna

gah i want another dog. fiance would kill me. i can dream though right? i feel incomplete almost lol i just wanna save em all


----------



## RabbleFox

asuna said:


> gah i want another dog. fiance would kill me. i can dream though right? i feel incomplete almost lol i just wanna save em all


Ugh. You are telling me.  I miss having a husky to light up my life.


----------



## asuna

RabbleFox said:


> Ugh. You are telling me.  I miss having a husky to light up my life.


 hes so amazing, ive never felt love like this before. i know it sounds corny.


----------



## RabbleFox

asuna said:


> hes so amazing, ive never felt love like this before. i know it sounds corny.


You should see me try to describe Bae to people. From the outside he looked like a pox on my life. Extremely high energy, couldn't be left alone, aggressive-reactive... And yet I miss the crap outta him! Maybe I'm crazy.


----------



## Flaming

Kuma'sMom said:


> Wow, really? Even when it gets to -50 Celsius, which is -58 Fahrenheit here, work goes on as usual, they don't even close the schools usually. That's just, so strange to me, lol.





JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Wow, that is freezing! I can't believe schools still aren't closed.
> That is strange, usually schools around here are closed if windchill is -30 Fahrenheit(or maybe it -35 Fahrenheit)..
> 
> It's going to be pretty warm this weekend upper 30's to around 40 .


-50°C here many winters as well, nothing closes up here ever.


----------



## Miss Bugs

pubic service announcement to employee's.....if your going to call in to work, "I'm not coming in, I have a sunburn" is not a valid excuse!


----------



## Miss Bugs

wow so my friend was involved in an armed robbery last night! she was hanging with her friend while he worked the graveyard shift, she had her big rescue Pitbull with her, her, her friend and the dog were behind glass when these guys came in a started attacking them with hunting knives through the hole in the glass, her friend kept shoving the guy back through the opening while she called the police, then the guys broke through the door to the room they were in and...thank goodness for the big bad pitbull stereotype because even though the dog did nothing but stare like "hi guys!" the robbers froze at the sight of the pitbull, meanwhile her friend grabed a bat and started swinging at the guys, between the pitbull and guy swinging a bat at them, the robbers fled. they haven't been caught yet but they were caught full view on camera. who knows what would have happened if my friend and her "big scary pitbull" hadn't been there at that moment!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Freezing Rain sucks, I kept slipping walking to my car this morning.



Miss Bugs said:


> wow so my friend was involved in an armed robbery last night! she was hanging with her friend while he worked the graveyard shift, she had her big rescue Pitbull with her, her, her friend and the dog were behind glass when these guys came in a started attacking them with hunting knives through the hole in the glass, her friend kept shoving the guy back through the opening while she called the police, then the guys broke through the door to the room they were in and...thank goodness for the big bad pitbull stereotype because even though the dog did nothing but stare like "hi guys!" the robbers froze at the sight of the pitbull, meanwhile her friend grabed a bat and started swinging at the guys, between the pitbull and guy swinging a bat at them, the robbers fled. they haven't been caught yet but they were caught full view on camera. who knows what would have happened if my friend and her "big scary pitbull" hadn't been there at that moment!


Really glad to hear there ok!


----------



## BernerMax

Miss Bugs said:


> wow so my friend was involved in an armed robbery last night! she was hanging with her friend while he worked the graveyard shift, she had her big rescue Pitbull with her, her, her friend and the dog were behind glass when these guys came in a started attacking them with hunting knives through the hole in the glass, her friend kept shoving the guy back through the opening while she called the police, then the guys broke through the door to the room they were in and...thank goodness for the big bad pitbull stereotype because even though the dog did nothing but stare like "hi guys!" the robbers froze at the sight of the pitbull, meanwhile her friend grabed a bat and started swinging at the guys, between the pitbull and guy swinging a bat at them, the robbers fled. they haven't been caught yet but they were caught full view on camera. who knows what would have happened if my friend and her "big scary pitbull" hadn't been there at that moment!


Yay! Pittbulls! so glad they made it thru OK and not even the dog was injured!


----------



## Miss Bugs

ya one of the guys started yelling "kill the dog and get the money" so they are all vert lucky. she keeps saying she wishes her dog DID somethingm.anything but the think what happened was the best thing that could have happened, standing there lookin like a pitbull made them pause and reconsider, if he DID something..well they had weapons and this whole thing could have ended VERY differently.


----------



## Miss Bugs

www.newstalk650.com/story/police-looking-regina-robbers-left-without-loot/219874

the story


----------



## aiw

What happened to DJ?


----------



## Miss Bugs

> What happened to DJ?


I was confused till I scrolled up...good question, what the heck? 




Cyrus, the robbery foiling Pitbull..striking fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere by looking all...er... scary like..ya..


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

aiw said:


> What happened to DJ?


So I am not the only one wondering this! What happended?


----------



## Kayota

whoa what on earth? they're the last person i would expect banned..


----------



## Blueduck1105

Wait so what happened!? Still confused


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----------



## ThoseWordsAtBest

And here I already had a beer open.


----------



## Jare

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> And here I already had a beer open.


Cheers.











tooshort


----------



## gingerkid

Kayota said:


> they're the last person i would expect banned..


I wouldn't go that a far (DJ's been in some pretty heated arguments...).

Meanwhile, the weather this winter is generally making me go WTF. The forecast for the next week is for temperatures above freezing, right through until Sunday. I'm not complaining, really (yay! warm weather) but like... I'm just getting super sick of the constant roller-coaster. And also its going to get all melty and icky and Snowball will need baths because, and I'm sure this is a shocker, white dogs don't stay clean very well.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

gingerkid said:


> I wouldn't go that a far (DJ's been in some pretty heated arguments...).
> 
> Meanwhile, the weather this winter is generally making me go WTF. The forecast for the next week is for temperatures above freezing, right through until Sunday. I'm not complaining, really (yay! warm weather) but like... I'm just getting super sick of the constant roller-coaster. And also its going to get all melty and icky and
> 
> 
> 
> Same here!
> 7 days ago we had -40 F wind chills.Today? It is 39°(which I personally love).Friday was horrible, we had freezing rain, & I couldn't even get to the car without slipping. The snow is melting which I am glad about.Of course, going to get snow again, up to four inches tonight & tomorrow(ugh).
> 
> 
> 
> gingerkid said:
> 
> 
> 
> Snowball will need baths because, and I'm sure this is a shocker, white dogs don't stay clean very well.
> 
> 
> 
> Well... I don't think snowball, will be a snowball anymore...haha
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


----------



## aiw

gingerkid said:


> I wouldn't go that a far (DJ's been in some pretty heated arguments...).


True, its just pretty unusual to see such a longtime poster banned. Can I ask if its a temp or permaban?

Mods?


----------



## Hambonez

Here's mine of the day...

Monday nights we go to a supervised playgroup. Ham's been going since he was a puppy. One of the written rules of playgroup is NO TREATS. There's an owner who always is giving her dog treats. In the past, Hamilton has run over seeing she was giving out treats, and she's SHOVED him out of the way and told him to get away because they weren't for him. Uhh lady, he's a dog, and you have food. 

Tonight Hamilton sees her giving her dog treats, and a few other dogs are nosing in over there to get some, and he goes running over. I ran over and grabbed him, and asked her not to give out treats with him around and she snapped at me "Well I wasn't giving HIM anything!" and I explained to him that Hamilton resource guards food, and if he sees other dogs getting a treat, he can get aggressive and may attack the other dog. She's all annoyed at me and right on cue, her dog stands in front of Ham and starts begging and Ham snarls and takes her dog down!! LOL!! I normally would be totally embarrassed, but I just picked him up and said "See? Like that" and walked away.


----------



## Jare

Hambonez said:


> Here's mine of the day...
> 
> Monday nights we go to a supervised playgroup. Ham's been going since he was a puppy. One of the written rules of playgroup is NO TREATS. There's an owner who always is giving her dog treats. In the past, Hamilton has run over seeing she was giving out treats, and she's SHOVED him out of the way and told him to get away because they weren't for him. Uhh lady, he's a dog, and you have food.
> 
> Tonight Hamilton sees her giving her dog treats, and a few other dogs are nosing in over there to get some, and he goes running over. I ran over and grabbed him, and asked her not to give out treats with him around and she snapped at me "Well I wasn't giving HIM anything!" and I explained to him that Hamilton resource guards food, and if he sees other dogs getting a treat, he can get aggressive and may attack the other dog. She's all annoyed at me and right on cue, her dog stands in front of Ham and starts begging and Ham snarls and takes her dog down!! LOL!! I normally would be totally embarrassed, but I just picked him up and said "See? Like that" and walked away.



Heh. I work at a place that has a supervised playgroup night and I and another supervise it most of the time. I wish I could thunk some of the owners that don't listen.


----------



## Hambonez

Jare said:


> Heh. I work at a place that has a supervised playgroup night and I and another supervise it most of the time. I wish I could thunk some of the owners that don't listen.


I really wasn't even trying to be a jerk... but once she copped an attitude with me about it, I was very happy Hamilton proved my point for me!


----------



## Vivyd

I had a nice proud moment.

I was walking Linken and we were just heading down the road to one of our usual spots to play some fetch and do some training when a guy pulls up beside us and toots his horn to get my attention. I go over and start talking to him and apparently he had been watching me train Linken a couple days earlier and was really impressed with how obedient Linken was (already feeling awesome). 

After talking for a bit I found out he is friends with the owners of the pet store where I board Linken when we go away. The store is like a pet store/groomers/kennels/training thing and he tells me they've gotten in a Malinois they ordered from America that just arrived, pre-trained and everything. I asked how much it was....50,000元, that's like more than the average persons annual salary here. So i'm thinking wow, this dog must be pretty awesome to have that big a price tag, he must be really obedient then. He tells me he's obedient about the same as Linken from what he's seen of Linken. Then says that he told the owners of the store that next time they should just get the dog and then ask me to train it(now I'm over the moon. Someone thinks my dogs so obedient he could be compared to a professionally trained dog).


----------



## packetsmom

Nonsense rant...

Ok, so apparently Sam saw some of the GSD's at training last week blowing their coats in the middle of winter for no good reason and thought it looked like fun. The amount of dog fur my house is currently drowning in is of EPIC proportions. We're talking tumbleweeds of Sam undercoat rolling through the hallway. "Oh, what's that special secret seasoning in the lasagna?" "Sam fur." Why am I suffocating in my sleep? Oh yeah...that's Sam's butt fur clogging my throat. Like that new, trendy, edgy look I'm sporting? That's a layer of undercoat over all my clothes. Stylin'. Oh, the cat isn't working on her own furball, that's a ball of SAM LOVIN'!!!

(Ok, maybe it's not quite that bad, but you get the picture!)

And lest you think this is merely a result of laziness on my part...I have swept. I have vacuumed. I have brushed the dog and collected enough fur to well-coat a Newfie. It simply keeps on coming. I have even worked our poor robot slave roomba to her limits.

I am thinking I simply need to become one with the fur...be the fur...meditate on the soft fluffiness of the fur. I am seriously planning to spin some of it into yarn and knit some mini-Sam's. 

'Cause I already know there will, sadly, one day come a day where I would do anything to be covered in his fur again....just not today!


----------



## Flaming

... There's a ball of Manna fur on the ceiling...How? *brain breaks*


----------



## asuna

ugh thor's fur is so bad right now i brush him 4 times a day at this point and its still PILES all over his crate my clothing, its becoming annoying.


----------



## Miss Bugs

haha I took my good for dog park to the dog park for a run. when I get back into the van after, I have a text from a friend of mine and it says is "guess what breed I saw!!" nothing else, no pics no nothing. now when I was at the park there was a Tibetan Mastiff, a big black and tan male, so I responded with " Tibetan Mastiff"...long pause...she sends me a pic of the dog she saw..it was the Tibetan mastiff from the dog park lol. I can only imagine what was going through her head...she always send me "guess the breeds" trying to sump me and she hasn't stumped me yet, then she send a cryptic question about what breed she just happened to see and I still get it right lol


----------



## PLUR

My neighbors dog....

Its maltese, I think, that is extremely neglected and left outside all day and night even when its cold and it just barks and barks and barks. Ive called the city or whomever to report a nuiscence and all they said was bring him inside....2 days later he was back out. A part of me wants to go back there and take him so he can be teeated properly because they dont listen. He has long hair that covers his eyes and mstted hair on his legs mostly and he is dirty and all they have is a large jennel with a blanket and he wears a thin sweater. I dont know what to do and I havent figured out who to call so they can take him away and care for him....


----------



## Kayota

packetsmom said:


> Nonsense rant...
> 
> Ok, so apparently Sam saw some of the GSD's at training last week blowing their coats in the middle of winter for no good reason and thought it looked like fun. The amount of dog fur my house is currently drowning in is of EPIC proportions. We're talking tumbleweeds of Sam undercoat rolling through the hallway. "Oh, what's that special secret seasoning in the lasagna?" "Sam fur." Why am I suffocating in my sleep? Oh yeah...that's Sam's butt fur clogging my throat. Like that new, trendy, edgy look I'm sporting? That's a layer of undercoat over all my clothes. Stylin'. Oh, the cat isn't working on her own furball, that's a ball of SAM LOVIN'!!!
> 
> (Ok, maybe it's not quite that bad, but you get the picture!)
> 
> And lest you think this is merely a result of laziness on my part...I have swept. I have vacuumed. I have brushed the dog and collected enough fur to well-coat a Newfie. It simply keeps on coming. I have even worked our poor robot slave roomba to her limits.
> 
> I am thinking I simply need to become one with the fur...be the fur...meditate on the soft fluffiness of the fur. I am seriously planning to spin some of it into yarn and knit some mini-Sam's.
> 
> 'Cause I already know there will, sadly, one day come a day where I would do anything to be covered in his fur again....just not today!





Flaming said:


> ... There's a ball of Manna fur on the ceiling...How? *brain breaks*





asuna said:


> ugh thor's fur is so bad right now i brush him 4 times a day at this point and its still PILES all over his crate my clothing, its becoming annoying.


Ah yes, the benefits of having a wirehaired dog... :wink:


----------



## momtolabs

On my news feed I see this 

Iso: I was looking for a white or blonde coecke spanl pure bread chaep or free....

Okay WHAT? Lol. 

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----------



## asuna

wine time and world of warcraft, thor is passed out he had a lot of play time today


----------



## Miss Bugs

that moment when your dog poops on the floor in front of you and you realize that she has no idea how to ask to me let out because she has never had too.... lol I have had Paisley since October, however I have 7 other dogs...most of them elderly, this means I am getting up and opening the door to let dogs out every 30 minutes or so, Paisley has always just run outside with whoever I opened the door for. well today I have been home from work for almost 2 hours and nobody has asked to go out, which is very unusual, but Paisley had to go out and nobody else was asking...confused, she poo'd on the LR floor... lol. I did notice previously that she doesn't know how to ask to come inside, but I am dense and it didn't click that it goes both ways lol. I'm gonna have to figure out how to teach her to ask...I have never had to teach it before, my dogs have always taught each other!


----------



## Vivyd

Was playing fetch with Linken today and he tried to turn a bit too fast when the ball bounced off in a funny way....he ripped the toe-nail off on one oh his dew claws. He grabbed the ball and then immediately lay down and stopped moving, which he never does so I knew something was up right away.

I took him to the groomers just down the road to get them to clip the bit of hail that hadn't broken off the whole way and Linken wasn't having a bite of it. He has always been a bit of a baby, but this time was just excessive. As soon as the lady tried to lift his leg to get a look he started screaming and trying to run and when he couldn't run tried to snap (he has never been a big fan of physical manipulation, and will growl and snap at me occasionally when i try and herd him or hurry him up or move him when he's sleeping). I could touch him though. I could even touch the broken nail and wiggle it without a peep. Ended up having to muzzle him and basically bear-hug him while she trimmed it.

The timing really sucks as well. It's Chinese New Year's and tomorrow is my last day off work before my vacation starts. I've been neglecting the dogs walks a bit over the last month and they haven't had as many big long walks as they are used to and really should be getting....was planning on making it up to them by doing heaps of walking and hiking during the holiday. Seems I'm going to have to make him take it easy for a week or so at the least.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I got to groom the 2 "scary dogs" today, the scary ones were a Pit and an Akita, nobody was willing to touch them. they were both sweethearts. the 3rd dog I did was a lab...he was SUPPOSED to be bath, brush, nails, ears...he got a bath and my hand got a scar.


the "scary" Akita


----------



## asuna

Gotta love vbulletin ignore list ftw!


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----------



## ThoseWordsAtBest

I get that it's freezing, Jonas, but I shoveled a path in the yard for you AND you have your jacket and boots. You do not get to ask to go outside, balk when the door opens, and then run upstairs and take a dump in the bedroom.


----------



## asuna

Ugh I was cleaning and a pressed dried rose wrapped in Saran Wrap fell and Thor ate it I attempted to get it out but he ate it I'm one worried obviously and two fed up with him putting anything he can find and eat it ugh 


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## Blueduck1105

Didn't know where to put this!? So when was the app updated!?!? Finally looks like those that use tapatalk! 

...that is all


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----------



## saruhhkayy

Anybody have advise on how to stop your dog from rolling around in poop while on a walk? I'll tug and tug and tug, but its always too late. Topper starts out by sniffing around like he is about to go #2, but instead rolls around head and neck first and it completely covers him!! He doesn't do it all the time...but enough to make it annoying!

Also any advise on stopping my other dog from eating poop! Seriously what is their fascination with POOP!!?? Tana actually came inside with poop in her mouth!!! GROSS! I know she isn't hungry cause there is always food in her bowl. And I've caught her numerous time while I'm outside watching them go potty and I snap my fingers and call her name, swatted her once for it, but she keeps doing it!!


----------



## aiw

Saw a nominee for the Darwin Award today.

Driving home along a side-street I saw a woman walking a small dog up ahead. There was no sidewalk on her side (but there is on the other!) so naturally she was walking in the street. As I get closer I realize that this dog is on an UNLOCKED EXTENDABLE LEAD!! Its wandering to and fro about 15' ahead of her as I brake to a crawl and drive by her. Its literally on a long line *in the middle of the road*. There's a sidewalk on the other side of the road 20' away. There's a locking mechanism on the lead. Just please do something to help me avoid hitting your dog. _Anything_.

Some people.


----------



## Vivyd

It's Chinese New Year's Eve tonight. People have been letting off fireworks on and off for the last couple days, but since about 3pm this afternoon is has been non-stop fireworks. I went to take the dogs out for a walk at about five and the air is so thick with smoke from the fireworks you can't see 100m down the road. 

Thankfully the dogs are pretty desensitized to fireworks going off. Linken used to be terrified of them. The very first time I took him on a walk(1year ago) some fireworks went off in the distance and he spooked and just BOLTED away, pulled the leash right out of my hand. Flash-forward to today and there's all kinds of fireworks going of EVERYWHERE and ALL THE TIME and he's just walking along casually like it ain't no thang.


----------



## gingerkid

So on Tuesday evening we were walking Snowball and I noticed the Basset Hound on a flexi come out of the house (with lady) and walk down their driveway - she stopped and said she'd wait for us to pass and I told her we were going to cross the street. Meanwhile, the basset walks into the sidewalk about 20 feet away where Snowball could see it.... and Snowball didn't DO anything! No barking, no lunging, but also no paying attention to me or any treats... He just stood there looking alert at the basset hound with his tail wagging. He was on a loose leash, so I didn't want to put tension in it to physically pull him away in case that set him off barking... and the lady kept walking and by the time I had recognized that they were coming towards us, her dog was only a couple of feet away from Snowball (who still wasn't reacting at all in anyway) so at that point it was kind of all or nothing and I made the executive decision to just keep going, and he and the Basset sniffed each other briefly and then just kept on walking.

I'm still amazed, but Snowball's apparently selective reactivity is not helping me fix the problem!


----------



## Miss Bugs

got such sad news today















this boy here? his name ins Hoover, his daddy came in today to tell us that he was put down, he lives in a small town and his neighbours GSD kept antagonizing Hoover through the fence, till Hoover lost it, jumped the fence and got into a fight with the GSD, it wasn't serious but the GSD's owner went crazy and was calling him a killer dog and demanding he be killed and the town went with it, it's too small of a close knit town for him to be able to fight it successfully :Cry: Hoover was never great with other dogs(he was never aggressive with them just didn't love them), but he was the biggest baby ever, and would never ever hurt a person. as much as his owner loves Akita's he said he wont be getting another while he lives there because he is afraid of what the towns people might do to it


----------



## Little Wise Owl

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I get that it's freezing, Jonas, but I shoveled a path in the yard for you AND you have your jacket and boots. You do not get to ask to go outside, balk when the door opens, and then run upstairs and take a dump in the bedroom.


Hm.. This sounds familiar... Except instead of poop, it's pee.


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> got such sad news today
> 
> View attachment 135458
> View attachment 135466
> 
> 
> this boy here? his name ins Hoover, his daddy came in today to tell us that he was put down, he lives in a small town and his neighbours GSD kept antagonizing Hoover through the fence, till Hoover lost it, jumped the fence and got into a fight with the GSD, it wasn't serious but the GSD's owner went crazy and was calling him a killer dog and demanding he be killed and the town went with it, it's too small of a close knit town for him to be able to fight it successfully :Cry: Hoover was never great with other dogs(he was never aggressive with them just didn't love them), but he was the biggest baby ever, and would never ever hurt a person. as much as his owner loves Akita's he said he wont be getting another while he lives there because he is afraid of what the towns people might do to it


I'm so sorry.


----------



## Greater Swiss

So frustrated. 

I found a lady on Kijiji that was looking for a dog for her family....not a puppy, a dog. I've met her, she was excellent, she has actually taken Dexter overnight a few times. The deal seems to be that they are staying with her parents for a while as her and her family are in the midst of buying a house. They started looking for a dog early, they wanted to find the perfect match, then after moving in, adopt. Well, she met Dexter and her family loves him. I'm guessing the sale fell through or something, because they aren't moving in as planned (I didn't want to pry too much....I know enough about her and her family to know they seem to be a good match for Dexter, I don't want to ask about things that'll go into big personal financials too much). So here I am, I've got Dexter, there is the perfect family who wants him, but I STILL have him. I love the guy to pieces, I don't mind having him around, but now that we've found the family for him I am really looking forward to getting back to the one dog household. I'd made plans to start doing some work around the house....painting, fixing trim, etc, that would be just too much of a pain to do with two dogs around (never mind Dexter's copious amounts of hair!)....I'm anxious to get started, but I don't want to try to find another family for him....this one is as good as a match as I think I'll ever find, they do like him (her kids are wild for him...and he does great with them), but GRRR. Its going to suck when he goes, I'll miss him, but I want it done with.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I make sure the only "out" mine have is out the door when it is cold lol, bear is the only one who really doesn't like going out in the rain and the cold so I am quick to give them a push outside if they try to retreat back inside


----------



## Blueduck1105

Missed the train....terrible feeling but trains running behind schedule as it is anyways!


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----------



## momtolabs

Reason number 123,456 why I can't wait to get my own house and I don't let my family take care of my dogs. 

My mom decided I was sleeping to long and Mia had to go out. school was cancelled today. I can't sleep at night and my mom knows that, so I didn't go to sleep until around 2 am. Around 1:30 I took all the dogs out for a last minute potty break. Mia did have to go but the boys played in the huge drifts of snow(that is still coming down!). My mom wakes up at 6 and she puts Mia outside,doesn't watch her(she is in heat you idiot! Luckily because of The horrible weather everyone has there dogs inside today) and my mom claims she kept looking out the window, well turns out Mia also ate grease that was dumped last night and so she also ate a ton of snow! If she doesn't get dog food in her before she eats anything else(even PB) she will puke. Then my mom doesn't put her back in the crate!!So my dad wakes me up at 7 saying "you have a pile to clean" it was nasty! I can't do puke so of course putting.in the factor that it was 7 and literally I just woke up I was gagging the whole time. I don't understand why my mom let her out!! I have slept in till 9 before and she and the other dogs were fine! Mia will.be one in May,she can hold it well and I take away all water at 8 so they shouldn't have much in there bladders(there let out at 9:30) and Mia will scream in her crate if she has to go out so my mom would.of had to wake her up and take her out. Then she didn't even take the older dogs out! I seriously don't understand how she thinks at time. I wanted to wait until Mia was 2 to get spayed but with people in this house she will be getting fixed in a few months. 


And people wonder why I'm always in a bad mood when I'm at home!! It's only 8 am and I am done with today! I can't get back to sleep so people are going to.have to deal with me being grouchy. 

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----------



## GrinningDog

Got home from work last night at midnight after a long drive through snowy/icy conditions. Gypsy runs up to me to greet me as usual, then stops, looks nervous, darts away, comes back excited, darts away, looks nervous. With a "Hmm, that's weird!" I coax her over for some brief petting, and she runs upstairs. Okay. When I finally go upstairs to bed, I peek into her crate and there's a licked-to-SPOTLESS grande Starbucks Frappuccino cup, lid, and straw in there with her. 

Aha! She got it out of the trash can, which she knows is naughty, and my coming home probably interrupted the enjoyment of the stolen treat.


----------



## Miss Bugs

man this job is stressful sometimes lol this morning we got a little backed up up front, as in we had about 5 dogs in the yard that needed kennel placements but so many dogs were coming in that the 3 of us up front were all tied up getting dogs in, all this means in the girls in the back need to bring the kennel-less dogs inside and put them in random kennels temp. to warm up until the burst of clients clears up. this is NORMAL, it happens all the time. as I am running to the back 2 of the staff are working in dogs, another is standing there eating toast.... I was like "uhh??" but I was too busy to stop and say anything so I keep going, grab another dog run back to the back, and toast girl is bringing in a dog down and she looks pissed off, and demands to know who is supposed to be doing clipboard(clipboard is the person that gets the information from the front and relays it to the back) she is clearly pissed off at clipboard person, which was totally unfair because she had no information to bring to the back, she was trying her best to place dogs herself in order to gets dogs inside and grouped, but its not her job, and she doesn't really know what to do, so she was trying to help us bring dogs in up front, trying to get some dogs already outside in kennels AND trying to help bring in dogs in the back, anyone getting angry with HER is totally unfair, she was doing the best she could. and quite frankly toast girl was the ONLY person stressed out! so I run back a little later with 2 dogs who are really really bad, 1 is just injured(he had surgery and is in a cast, he gets leash walks only) and the other is only friendly with very specific dogs, so I run to the back with them and there is "temp" dogs in there kennel, the "temp dogs" HAVE a real kennel at this point, so I asked someone to take them to there kennel so I can put these 2 in this kennel, toast girl jumps on it, but them starts yelling at me while she is doing is that "whoever is the doing the clipboard needs to do it better and fast" I said "she doesn't have information to bring back, we are getting slammed up there, you will need to hold on" ...I didn't think this was some kind of terrible response, but she start SCREAMING at me "that shouting at me is totally uncalled for..yadda yadda" and I was like "??? I'm not shouting at you..."(I was yelling, but only over the dogs...) and she continues screaming "yes you are, and I'm sick of you talking to everyone like their ****" and again.....huh??? I just put the dogs I had in the now empty kennel and ran back to the front to do my job...albeit confused.. this girl then comes up to the front a short time later and started screaming at me again, same things "uncalled for" "sick of you talking to everyone like their ****" I tried just saying I didn't mean anything but but she continued yelling basically calling me a horrible person, so I gave up and just turned around and assigned dogs to kennels...to which she responds by screamed at me "ya, that's how you respond ignore me, this is BS I don't have to take this, I quite" and she grabbed her dogs and stormed out, meanwhile I was like "WTF?????" once she calmed down, she talked to my manager and apologized and said she was willing to come back tomorrow and pretend it never happened. I was just baffled by the whole thing, everything was just like "WHAT???" I still have no idea what the heck she was on about, if she was just stressed for some reason or she actually thinks I treat people like dirt or what... nobody else thinks I treat anyone like dirt, they were just just as baffled by the outburst as I was lol. then just as I de-stressed after THAT, a long time client phones to tell me she had to put her dog down last night, I mean we kind of expected it, we had to call her owner to come get her early yesterday because she seemed out of it and she was pretty old, but thinking "probably" and actually hearing that it did happen are 2 different things, and immediately after the previous stress? I just broke down!


----------



## Greater Swiss

I need to vent this.....

I'm on a group on FB for lost pets in my area, both dogs and cats. Something about it is driving me NUTS, and I've been tempted to leave a comment on the page, but I know it would cause an uproar, so I don't.....but there is something I'm noticing that is stupid. There are SO many more lost pets in the winter it seems. I try to give the benefit of the doubt, and think, oh, maybe people are just posting it more because it is winter and the temperatures make it so much more dangerous, so they post it to get more attention on the fact their pet is missing. I'm getting to the point though that giving the benefit of the doubt is getting tough, it seems like so many people are just being irresponsible and stupid with their pets....either that or they call their pet, it doesn't come, so they go inside, because Gee....it's cold out and its "just a dog", they don't want to be out in the cold looking, so maybe they can just sluff off the responsibility of looking for their pet by posting an ad. I feel like an awful person thinking like that of someone who might well be out there freezing their butts off looking for their dog. I still have a hard time believing that every single missing dog went missing through that exact wrong set of circumstances for an otherwise good owner to have lost their pet. 

I try to be understanding, and any time there is an animal lost near my vicinity, I'll try to at minimum keep my eyes open, if not take some time and go out for a look when I can. The whole thing is starting to make me sick though, I know it is ignorant and rude to think it, but it does pass through my mind, that sometimes these people deserve to lose their dog, and don't deserve to get it back. Of course no dog deserves dealing with being lost and alone out there, especially in the winter, and yes, things can happen, unexpected things and a dog can go missing, if a dog goes missing it doesn't always mean the owner is a bad person, or even irresponsible, I'm just having a hard time keeping that in mind with what seems to be a huge number of lost animals in the last month or two. 

On the up side of the group, and the kijiji section on lost pets, there have been some people who have posted ads setting up search parties, asking for anyone with a snowmobile to come out and help with the search, etc. It is a good group, and a lot of animals do get home because of it, but there is still a huge number who either don't get home, or owners aren't reporting they got home. I still find the numbers of missing pets overwhelming and frustrating, it can't all be accidents, some, if not most must be negligence, and it sickens me.


----------



## saruhhkayy

Drives me UP THE WALL, when someone who doesn't own a freaking dog, never has, tries to tell me and boyfriend how to handle our 3 dogs! We've had dogs all our lives and know what the HELL we are doing! They are getting used to each other and getting over some alpha male complexes...THAT'S IT! GRRRR...that makes me so mad!


----------



## Little Wise Owl

Wow, so I joined a Rottweiler forum to learn more about the breed and received a warning on my introduction post because I posted a picture of Charlie. My post was:


> Hi, I do not yet have a Rotti but my partner and I are looking into adopting one (or getting a puppy) in the future. I figured I'd start learning more about them now trying to find breeders who health test and so on (although that won't matter if the right Rotti comes along in a shelter/rescue). I do however have a Boston Terrier x Pug mix who is my heart dog
> 
> Queue picture of Charlie


And I received this:


> Posting in wrong forum
> 
> We are a Rottweiler Forum, I have no desire what so ever to host discussions of other breeds, you'll have to find a forum that is appropriate to your breed.
> 
> Thank you.


I'm not quite sure how my introduction showing that I HAVE a dog equals that I want to talk about Charlie, only Charlie and whatnot on a Rottweiler forum. I'm sorry if THIS is now breaking the rules for talking about another forum on here. I've never, ever, EVER been scolded for something like this and I'm on several species specific forums... Ugh. This wouldn't bug most people but it really rubbed me the wrong way this morning.


----------



## saruhhkayy

Little Wise Owl said:


> Wow, so I joined a Rottweiler forum to learn more about the breed and received a warning on my introduction post because I posted a picture of Charlie. My post was:
> 
> 
> And I received this:
> 
> 
> I'm not quite sure how my introduction showing that I HAVE a dog equals that I want to talk about Charlie, only Charlie and whatnot on a Rottweiler forum. I'm sorry if THIS is now breaking the rules for talking about another forum on here. I've never, ever, EVER been scolded for something like this and I'm on several species specific forums... Ugh. This wouldn't bug most people but it really rubbed me the wrong way this morning.



Well that was incredibly rude!! Somebody woke up with their granny panties in a knot! (Not you, them) You clearly stated that you want to get a Rot and want to learn about their breed! I would be just as irritated!


----------



## Miss Bugs

haha I've run across the odd forum thats dumb like that. I left a rabbit forum I was on because in the off topic section that my basement was being redone and asked about rabbit design idea's with the caveat that I breed Gerbils so the walls will be taken up by shelving units...I got a warning "we do not promote breeding on this forum.. yadda yadda" I was like "......???" A) gerbils are not rabbits, the rules state that discussion of rabbit breeding is not allowed..my rabbits are spayed. B) it wasn't a discussion, it was a statement relevant to my question in order to get idea's that were..ya know..relevant lol, I was so angry that I left and never came back, I wasn't a newbie I had been on that forum for a long time lol


----------



## Little Wise Owl

Miss Bugs said:


> haha I've run across the odd forum thats dumb like that. I left a rabbit forum I was on because in the off topic section that my basement was being redone and asked about rabbit design idea's with the caveat that I breed Gerbils so the walls will be taken up by shelving units...I got a warning "we do not promote breeding on this forum.. yadda yadda" I was like "......???" A) gerbils are not rabbits, the rules state that discussion of rabbit breeding is not allowed..my rabbits are spayed. B) it wasn't a discussion, it was a statement relevant to my question in order to get idea's that were..ya know..relevant lol, I was so angry that I left and never came back, I wasn't a newbie I had been on that forum for a long time lol



Ugh, that sounds just a frustrating lol

In regards to that Rottweiler forum, the administrator who warned me had a previous stickied thread that said this: "You may upload a few pictures of your loved one in your member introduction thread." So, yeah. What. I got warned and my thread removed for no reason. NO REASON.


----------



## gingerkid

Greater Swiss said:


> I need to vent this.....
> 
> I'm on a group on FB for lost pets in my area, both dogs and cats. Something about it is driving me NUTS, and I've been tempted to leave a comment on the page, but I know it would cause an uproar, so I don't.....but there is something I'm noticing that is stupid. There are SO many more lost pets in the winter it seems. I try to give the benefit of the doubt, and think, oh, maybe people are just posting it more because it is winter and the temperatures make it so much more dangerous, so they post it to get more attention on the fact their pet is missing. I'm getting to the point though that giving the benefit of the doubt is getting tough, it seems like so many people are just being irresponsible and stupid with their pets....either that or they call their pet, it doesn't come, so they go inside, because Gee....it's cold out and its "just a dog", they don't want to be out in the cold looking, so maybe they can just sluff off the responsibility of looking for their pet by posting an ad. I feel like an awful person thinking like that of someone who might well be out there freezing their butts off looking for their dog. I still have a hard time believing that every single missing dog went missing through that exact wrong set of circumstances for an otherwise good owner to have lost their pet.
> 
> I try to be understanding, and any time there is an animal lost near my vicinity, I'll try to at minimum keep my eyes open, if not take some time and go out for a look when I can. The whole thing is starting to make me sick though, I know it is ignorant and rude to think it, but it does pass through my mind, that sometimes these people deserve to lose their dog, and don't deserve to get it back. Of course no dog deserves dealing with being lost and alone out there, especially in the winter, and yes, things can happen, unexpected things and a dog can go missing, if a dog goes missing it doesn't always mean the owner is a bad person, or even irresponsible, I'm just having a hard time keeping that in mind with what seems to be a huge number of lost animals in the last month or two.
> 
> On the up side of the group, and the kijiji section on lost pets, there have been some people who have posted ads setting up search parties, asking for anyone with a snowmobile to come out and help with the search, etc. It is a good group, and a lot of animals do get home because of it, but there is still a huge number who either don't get home, or owners aren't reporting they got home. I still find the numbers of missing pets overwhelming and frustrating, it can't all be accidents, some, if not most must be negligence, and it sickens me.


I left my local lost and found FB group because it was getting ridiculous... a bunch of people joined and started reposting every single lost dog post that they could find on facebook, even from _out of country_, and when I pointed out that the same lost and found postings were being posted multiple times, that a dog went missing 400km away is unlikely to be found in our area, that the sheer number of lost dog posts from out-of-area were overwhelming and making it difficult to identify the dogs that were actually lost in our area and could be actively searched for... a huge portion of the group jumped down my throat saying that dogs could be found anywhere, and that I hated dogs and didn't want them to be found. Combined with the fact that the frequent posters were constantly bashing the shelter where I volunteer (including spreading false information) and were just generally catty about anything they didn't agree with.... I found more effective ways to help dogs than spending my time on that group.


----------



## Miss Bugs

luckily our local lost and found list is well managed, the pages admin goes through and checks up on all postings, if dogs are found the post it deleted etc.. there is just one idiot who is always missing her dog, always "stolen" for weeks on end at a time, gets dog back, 2 weeks later her fog was "stolen" again. she makes a big stink about it everytime etc.. this last time she claimed the dog was stolen then gound and she's so happy, and someone called her out cuz they saw her dog on the shelters page as up for adoption lol, people were like "good, maybe he'll get a responsible owner now lol


----------



## gingerkid

Ugh, I wish our page had been managed at all, but it was just a complete free-for-all.

I'd be suspicious too if the same person kept losing their dog... but seriously, its uncommon for dogs missing for more than a few days to be reunited... Maybe she's starved for attention.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I believe her dog was actually going missing, I don't believe it was stolen though. the dog turned up at the shelter up for adoption I suspect that she surrendered him when she could not afford to get him out, he was an intact male mix breed, presumably unlicensed, the impound bill would have been: running at large-$300/no licence-$260/cost of licence for an intact dog that is not a show or working animal-$100 OR let the shelter neuter him and pay cost of neuter and $25 for a licence, and the rest will be waved. either way its a few hundred, someone that chronically irresponsible probably either cannot pay that or would be unwilling to pay that.


----------



## ThoseWordsAtBest

I cat tested a dog at animal control with a foster. The dog did well. I told staff I would be picking her up today to go with said foster at 4 PM when I picked up ANOTHER dog I was taking. They euthanized her anyway. 

Oh OK. Thanks guys! Awesome!


----------



## BubbaMoose

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I cat tested a dog at animal control with a foster. The dog did well. I told staff I would be picking her up today to go with said foster at 4 PM when I picked up ANOTHER dog I was taking. They euthanized her anyway.
> 
> Oh OK. Thanks guys! Awesome!


Edit because that post never happened.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I posted a while back on an ACD FB group I am on (before I had Josefina evaluated and found out that she would be a good candidate for a SD) for a puppy, and you wouldn't believe the backlash I got when I said that I wanted one from a breeder this time. I was called "part of the problem" and other things I don't care to mention on here :/. No matter that I have two rescues currently and only two of my dog to date have been from breeders (bear and Izze) all the others have either been from rescue, shelters or showed up. I donate food and when I can, my time to shelters and it just didn't matter to these people  

Needless to say I keep quiet about my nextdog plans now.


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## momtolabs

Little Wise Owl said:


> Wow, so I joined a Rottweiler forum to learn more about the breed and received a warning on my introduction post because I posted a picture of Charlie. My post was:
> 
> 
> And I received this:
> 
> 
> I'm not quite sure how my introduction showing that I HAVE a dog equals that I want to talk about Charlie, only Charlie and whatnot on a Rottweiler forum. I'm sorry if THIS is now breaking the rules for talking about another forum on here. I've never, ever, EVER been scolded for something like this and I'm on several species specific forums... Ugh. This wouldn't bug most people but it really rubbed me the wrong way this morning.


Jeesh rude!! I'm on a forum for my labs and most of us have other breeds then labs and we all talk about our other dogs,ask for advice share pics etc. I get its a breed specific forum but still...... Rude!

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## OwnedbyACDs

Boo ... I just was offered an awesome job by the track vet, he asked me if I was going to Houston and I told him no, he was really disappointed and said that was too bad, because he needed someone to work with him in Houston (her has a vet student for the summer here). but I promised my parents that I would be staying behind to help them on the farm 

phooey!


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## Greater Swiss

Well, Dexter found a forever home, and they are fantastic, and they love him to pieces, and....OMG!!!!! they are actually registering him! Only thing is, that is what is causing my rant....
When we went to get Dexter neutered they told me they couldn't do it unless he was UTD on his vaccines. OK, fine, I had my DH call our previous vet and have the records transferred, and they said if he needed vaccinations before they could proceed they would let us know and we would have to do that first. Fine. They did the neuter. The mother in the family that adopted Dexter went to get him registered, they have to have proof of vaccinations/neuter (his tag went missing, no idea where, I'm guessing it fell off, and I told the woman that, it was on him with the number and date when he got neutered). She called the vet I told her Dex was neutered at, they said he did not have his shots. WHAT!!! and they would not transfer his records, we have to call. Ok, I can get the part that we have to call...fine, to do with privacy laws or whatever most likely. No shots though? No neuter without UTD shots? It wasn't that long ago that he was neutered, and if he was UTD at the time, but they were due soon you would think that would have been mentioned. So....someone has been misled here, either they did the surgery without him being up to date, or he is up to date and they are not being truthful with his new owner. I'm going to have my DH call them tomorrow, he is a bit more diplomatic than I am sometimes, especially when I'm a bit peeved at the possibility that they may have misled me and done the surgery without him having his shots. I even remember confirming that his records got to them and that concerning the shots and such he was good to go, and they told me yes. GRRRRR!!!!
On top of it, I don't know what to do! I mean, Dexter was free....we didn't charge money, we just looked for the right people and found them (we didn't advertise him), but I feel like a jerk if he DOES need his shots, giving these people a dog that isn't UTD. I really don't want to pay for the shots, I was led by the vet to believe he WAS UTD, and we neutered him on our own dime....SO angry. If, even two weeks ago we had known his shots were due, we would have taken him in....but now it seems a little ignorant to have to pay for them...yet again, feeling like a jerk. SO FRUSTRATED.


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## OwnedbyACDs

It's official ... horses are a bigger PITA than dogs . my horse, my sweet, gentle, easy going horse is ... an escape artist!!! 

he has gotten his gate off twice in two nights, thank god we have ropes across our shed rows so he cant go anywhere, but he did eat all the het in the other horse's hay bags AND both the open bales that were sitting against the stalls (now they are in a stall behind a gate ... thank god I didn't have any alfalfa out since we don't have any right now. when we get some more it will also be in the hay stall). he wasn't out when the watering person watered off last night or the night before (they come at the same time every night so I think he waits til they leave  ) and hes so quiet about it! our dorm is right off the barn and we hear nothing, only the other horses squealing because he is eating their hay xD.

I put a bull snap on his gate (which are harder to break) and we are going to wire his gate tomorrow.


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## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> It's official ... horses are a bigger PITA than dogs . my horse, my sweet, gentle, easy going horse is ... an escape artist!!!
> 
> he has gotten his gate off twice in two nights, thank god we have ropes across our shed rows so he cant go anywhere, but he did eat all the het in the other horse's hay bags AND both the open bales that were sitting against the stalls (now they are in a stall behind a gate ... thank god I didn't have any alfalfa out since we don't have any right now. when we get some more it will also be in the hay stall). he wasn't out when the watering person watered off last night or the night before (they come at the same time every night so I think he waits til they leave  ) and hes so quiet about it! our dorm is right off the barn and we hear nothing, only the other horses squealing because he is eating their hay xD.
> 
> I put a bull snap on his gate (which are harder to break) and we are going to wire his gate tomorrow.


lol....its not funny but then it is!! My friend just got a four year. Very very smart horse....to smart for its own good. She found out how to unlatch the pasture gate so the chained it....she is currently trying to figure that one out! Is it bad that hearing all these stories how horses are smart and escape artists I still want one of my one  My uncle has 15 acres he can give me 4-5 for 2 horses,hehe.

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## Rootin'Rigby

The other day my son had his Birthday party with family.. There were 13 people there, and I left Rigby in his cage until EVERYONE was there. I didn't want him to go through the process of barking at new people every time somebody came in the house. Well, once everyone was there, I let him out. I want to socialize him, and get him used to people. He came out, and didn't bark. He was leary, and kind of did these quiet "rfffs....." but was ok. My husband picked him up and put him on his lap, and he just looked around shaking. You could tell he was scared, but he wasn't barking or anything. (BIG deal for him.....) Well, my two aunts (who are dog "experts") were looking at him in disgust. My one aunt said, "Geez, what a chicken. But, that's a Chihuahua for ya....." He finally got down and was walking around to people. He wasn't barking, but he was scared. He was getting brave, and going up to people, but you could tell he was leary. I told everyone to ignore him, let HIM go up to them, and don't reach for him, because that's what sets him off. So, what does my aunt do? She put her hand down and said, "Well, come here......" He started barking, and she rolled her eyes, and said, "Geez......." UGH!!! I just SAID that bothered him! And then he was looking at my other Aunt, and you could tell he was just leary, not mean. She said, "Go away, I don't want you. You'll probably bite me......" It really hurts to have people think that way about your dog, just because they don't understand them.  Oh, and he went up to my Sister, and he let her give him a treat. And then she reached for him, and he backed away really fast. She said, "Geez! What a nuerotic dog!!" 

But, other than that, he did really well, and let people approach after awhile. For HIM, it was a step forward. Too bad they can't see that.....


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## Miss Bugs

omg I like died laughing this afternoon... so this client called this morning, I personally spoke to her, she said she was picking up her dog "today around supper" and asked for the bill, so I prepared the bill and told her and that was that. so around 11:30 am she shows up, we are closed..sometimes I will let someone in when we are closed but today I was super busy and had a load of catching up to do, so I just ignored the knocking on the door. turned out it was her! so she came back while we were open and she starts telling me how she is "disappointed" because she called this morning and said she was picking up at LUNCH and the person she spoke too did not say "no no, were closed until 2:30"..I was thinking, ok first of all your lying to my face lol. now here is the part that killed me..she repeatedly stated and could not emphasize enough that she spoke to a MAN. if I altered my response to her to anything gender neutral she interjected with "it was a MAN", so I finally just said "I am really sorry about this, I will find out who was responsible and have a talk with him" rotfl, I was just killing myself laughing when she left, I do NOT sound like a man either in person or on the phone, my regular voice is on a lower register(nothing comparable to a man tho) but my phone voice is high and lilty lol


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## JazzyTheSiberian

I'm on another Dog Forum, & I can't seem to log in. I've request a new password, & it still won't work. It just says that my username or password is wrong, & that I have used up my log in quota. I tried once with the new password that was given to me, & it keeps happening. It sucks, I need reply to the replies/suggestions I got.


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## momtolabs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I'm on another Dog Forum, & I can't seem to log in. I've request a new password, & it still won't work. It just says that my username or password is wrong, & that I have used up my log in quota. I tried once with the new password that was given to me, & it keeps happening. It sucks, I need reply to the replies/suggestions I got.


That sucks!! If someone from there is on here maybe have them give a reply for you Nd explain What is happening?

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## OwnedbyACDs

some forums are weird like that. this one is pretty cool, I have been on some with so little forum control that other members are snarky and rude and clicky. I am still a member of those forums, but I don't visit there much.


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## gingerkid

Does anyone have any idea how many roasted cow tracheas would be in one 1lb? I know they're pretty light, but I have no idea if I'd be buying 4 or 14. Specifically, thinking about getting these: http://www.petflow.com/product/hear...d-premium-dry-roasted-beef-trachea-dog-treats

For the chondriton and also because Snowball likes trachea.


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## BubbaMoose

gingerkid said:


> Does anyone have any idea how many roasted cow tracheas would be in one 1lb? I know they're pretty light, but I have no idea if I'd be buying 4 or 14. Specifically, thinking about getting these: http://www.petflow.com/product/hear...d-premium-dry-roasted-beef-trachea-dog-treats
> 
> For the chondriton and also because Snowball likes trachea.


I have no idea, but I find it interesting that Petflow chose to cram the ideas of "pack bonding" and that regular discipline of your dog is normal and acceptable all within the description of that product. The entire first paragraph of that was just totally unnecessary. Weird.


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## gingerkid

Yeah, I mostly ignore the descriptions because most of them are really long, and useless, and sometimes inaccurate. I saw a dental treat that was listed as being "wheat-free" but the first ingredient was wheat starch. 

ETA: I think they mean discipline as in self-control, not punishment. Could've picked better wording though.


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## BubbaMoose

gingerkid said:


> Yeah, I mostly ignore the descriptions because most of them are really long, and useless, and sometimes inaccurate. I saw a dental treat that was listed as being "wheat-free" but the first ingredient was wheat starch.
> 
> ETA: I think they mean discipline as in self-control, not punishment. Could've picked better wording though.


That's so funny about the dental treats. I wonder who gets paid to come up with those descriptions.

Agree with your edit on both parts, specifically the wording aspect.


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## gingerkid

BubbaMoose said:


> That's so funny about the dental treats. I wonder who gets paid to come up with those descriptions.
> 
> Agree with your edit on both parts, specifically the wording aspect.


I wonder if it was a mistranslation, since the product is from Holland. :S


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## Miss Bugs

we had a fun night the other night! a dog came in for boarding, and promptly leapt 3 8 foot barbed wire top fences and was friggen gone! the area the kennel is in is full of compounds, which naturally were all closed at the time, so the dog just kept jumping into compounds that we could not get into, and she would not come near us. the dogs owner was too far away already so we picked up his mom to help us, I had been off work, I came back to help, we finally caught her outside a compound, and thank goodness for the "grandma" cuz the dog could have just jumped the fence we had her cornered in, the grandma talked to her which kept her from jumping, and I got 2 leashes on her head but I couldn't get them securely over her neck because she was going to remove my arm... I had to get the grandma to walk 10 feet through snow up to her hips to push the leashes all the way on for me, then walk back through that snow dragging a dog that wasn't having it(it had to be me, I was the tallest and the snow was so deep that a few of the girls actually got stuck trying to get to her!) got her out, and walked her back to the kennel, she calmed down once she was out of the deep snow and was very happy to see her doggy friend again! the grandma said she does this all the time(thanks for the warning lol) and she was shocked the other dog didn't go with her, we think thats why she kept circling back to the kennels vicinity, probably looking for her brother. her owner was totally cool about it because "she does this all the time" and just asked how she was after we caught her. seriously if your gonna take your dog to a kennel, perhaps a warning beyond "she can jump fences" would be great, we have lots of dogs that "can" jump fences so we just keep an eye on them and they generally don't, "dog will eat you and WILL jump fences within 10 seconds weather your staring at her or not" is a more appropriate warning!!


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## So Cavalier

So I go to see what the dogs were getting all snarky over. I see what looks like a ripped apart plant...then I notice it has a beak. They found a dead bird in the backyard and brought it in the house. They called away from it beautifully and the dutiful husband picked up the remains. All before my first cup of coffee.......


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## gingerkid

Oh hey, PetFlow accepts PayPal, which means that even though I don't have an American credit card or billing address I can still make an order!. :3


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## Greater Swiss

So.....random question for y'all

If you are painting in your house and your dog manages to knock the paint over, gets paws covered in paint, what do you do first....clean the dog up, or the paint?

Does the rant need words? I think not.....(ok, I admit, it was one of the cats, not Caeda, but it occurred to me, that it could have been worse if it HAD been Caeda...bigger paws, bigger mess!)

Oh, and did I mention, I really hate painting, and I have two more rooms to do...and one of them needs new drywall too


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## KodiBarracuda

Greater Swiss said:


> So.....random question for y'all
> 
> If you are painting in your house and your dog manages to knock the paint over, gets paws covered in paint, what do you do first....clean the dog up, or the paint?


Uh, I'd clean the dog so it doesn't spread the paint further and then put the dog somewhere safe and clean the paint. What's the right answer?

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## CptJack

I have a ball python that declined dinner of frozen/thawed rodent this week. That's not unusual. 

What is pretty freaking weird is that my husband decided not to 'waste' said rodent, figured it was healthy and fed it to Jack. 

I'd have been okay with that except he FED IT TO THE DOG IN OUR BED and failed to account for the fact that dogs do not swallow prey whole. 

I'm sleeping on the couch. While my husband does laundry.


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## Greater Swiss

KodiBarracuda said:


> Uh, I'd clean the dog so it doesn't spread the paint further and then put the dog somewhere safe and clean the paint. What's the right answer?


 Not sure what the right answer is, but I did have a horrible moment of being completely torn "OMG MY FLOOR!!!!!" as the puddle grew from the knocked over tray and "OMG THE CAT PRINTS!!" Big puddle vs little prints. I got lucky though, only one print on the hardwood and the puddle didn't spread past the linoleum. Worst thing is, I had THOUGHT the cats were locked in a room....sneaky sneaky. At least Caeda had the good graces to curl up on the couch and watch from a distance.


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## Kyndall54

CptJack said:


> I have a ball python that declined dinner of frozen/thawed rodent this week. That's not unusual.
> 
> What is pretty freaking weird is that my husband decided not to 'waste' said rodent, figured it was healthy and fed it to Jack.
> 
> I'd have been okay with that except he FED IT TO THE DOG IN OUR BED and failed to account for the fact that dogs do not swallow prey whole.
> 
> I'm sleeping on the couch. While my husband does laundry.


hahahah. my fiancee would totally do something like this.


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## Miss Bugs

anyone want the honours of killing Rusty? I swear that dog puts me in a bad mood. walking him was already a PITA because seeing another dog turned him into Cujo, but now he has taken to the Cujo act when he see's ANYONE, anyone at all, they could be a speck on the horizon and he's insta Cujo. 

incidently his first owners named him Cujo, his second owners changed it to Rusty. his first owners were on the money.


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## jade5280

CptJack said:


> I have a ball python that declined dinner of frozen/thawed rodent this week. That's not unusual.
> 
> What is pretty freaking weird is that my husband decided not to 'waste' said rodent, figured it was healthy and fed it to Jack.
> 
> I'd have been okay with that except he FED IT TO THE DOG IN OUR BED and failed to account for the fact that dogs do not swallow prey whole.
> 
> I'm sleeping on the couch. While my husband does laundry.


Lmao! I've never fed my dog a mouse. I don't know why but I just find it...gross. Ew mouse blood on the bed. blech


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## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> Lmao! I've never fed my dog a mouse. I don't know why but I just find it...gross. Ew mouse blood on the bed. blech


Well, once they're dead and frozen they don't really bleed but there was certainly mouse... stuff on the bed and I was certainly grossed out! 

They're terriers. The mouse eating is happening either way (...they get dewormed a lot) but this one was just beyond the pale for me.


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## Greater Swiss

OOOhhhhhhhhh Rant!!
I was going to start a thread on this and ask for advice...but really, there isn't anything I can do other than what I've already done, so I thought I'd still at least blow off the steam to those who would understand. 
I got an email from the lady that adopted Dexter, she'd send a couple previously, he is fantastic, they love him etc. WELL, today I got one along the lines of "You need to take him back, he bit my kid, I think he should be put down"...followed 20 minutes later (I got them at the same time when I checked my email) by an email "sorry I'm just upset". No details, nothing. I of course got upset and emailed back, telling her if she feels he should be put down she should definitely give him back since he hasn't shown any indication of even being capable of biting unless he is hurt or REALLY scared, and if he was going to be put in circumstances that made him that way he certainly should come back to us (trying my best not to say outright, "why weren't you supervising your kid!"). I calmed down and emailed again saying that I just want to know what happened and what her plans for him are. She responded saying she was going to take a couple of days to think it over. 

I'm rampaging angry. I THROUGHLY went over her about supervising her kids with him, and we talked about the fact they'd had a dogs when her older kids were growing up (she has two younger ones as well now....4 total between 1 and 18), seemed fairly experienced with the concept. Then I get this email. I KNOW I can't do any more than tell her to bring him back (and try REALLY hard not to insult her parenting skills). Chances are it was something stupid, like the kid was hanging food out of her mouth at him, or jumped on him or it was even his habit of licking hard and occasionally bumping teeth on a person's chin, or something when the mother wasn't looking and the kid freaked the way kids do sometimes. She did seem to understand and be completely savvy that kids need to respect dogs and need supervision. I'm hoping it was a lapse, and a very minor nip and she just overreacted (perhaps realized that it was her lapse) but WOW....insert every nasty word you can think of here. To make matters worse she hasn't given me a single detail on what happened, did he nip the kid or maul (I can't imagine it...unless the kid was literally beating him...and even then he would probably cower). Problem is there is NOTHING I can do other than offer to take him back, she adopted and registered him, all I want to do, as much as it would make a mess of our lives right now, is to go get him and take him away from someone who even let PTS enter her head. I know she probably overreacted, and since that is the case I'm probably overreacting but I'm SO upset. I'm hoping that I get an email from her saying that he bumped the kid with his teeth because they tried to play tug or something. 
Rant over....I hope.


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## gingerkid

Hard to not react like you did if you get an e-mail like that. It might even be something like the child got bitten in one of the situations you described (playing tug or something) and then lied about it. I hope things work out for the best.


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## MarkAD

CptJack said:


> I have a ball python that declined dinner of frozen/thawed rodent this week. That's not unusual.
> 
> What is pretty freaking weird is that my husband decided not to 'waste' said rodent, figured it was healthy and fed it to Jack.
> 
> I'd have been okay with that except he FED IT TO THE DOG IN OUR BED and failed to account for the fact that dogs do not swallow prey whole.
> 
> I'm sleeping on the couch. While my husband does laundry.


You want to borrow my tazer?


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## jade5280

Greater Swiss said:


> WELL, today I got one along the lines of "You need to take him back, he bit my kid, I think he should be put down"...followed 20 minutes later (I got them at the same time when I checked my email) by an email "sorry I'm just upset". No details, nothing.


Have you gotten an explanation as to what happened? I don't know why someone would suggest putting a dog to sleep and then not even giving any details about the situation. Sorry that you can't do anything about it. That's a tough spot to be in.


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## Greater Swiss

jade5280 said:


> Have you gotten an explanation as to what happened? I don't know why someone would suggest putting a dog to sleep and then not even giving any details about the situation. Sorry that you can't do anything about it. That's a tough spot to be in.


Not a single word of explanation, which is what is so darn frustrating, I don't know if the kid got a muzzle bump in the face from exuberant kisses or got mauled. I've got a funny feeling it was a muzzle bump, or at absolute worst a minor nip, and I'm positive he wouldn't have done anything unless provoked a TON. I've got to say, if it was bad I can understand the urge, yet at the same time, we went over the whole SUPERVISION thing thoroughly, and I told her so long as the kids are respectful to him there should be no issues. 
I kind of want to email her again and say "SO, What happened", but I already did that once (in my first email to her), and she just said she was doing to take some time to cool down...I don't want to bug her too much, but I really want to know what happened....UUUGGHHHH.


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## momtolabs

I would email her and say something along the lines of 

"I would like a detailed description describing what happened. I would like it to give you some help and so I can understand the situation better. It's also needed so if he comes back to me I know what needs to be worked with better and for him to be places in an appropriate home." 




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## momtolabs

I don't understand my cousin...at all. She told me she bred her cat because her cat was in heat and tons of excuses. So I was under the impression the cat had been bred. I was fuming! Turns out she never was! What!? Good thing but still aggravating. Well this morning I got this text " Do you know anyone who wants a cat kitty is in heat again and she wakes people up at night and I'm tired of all the fighting " me: I have to talk to mom and dad but its probably a no as I have a foster dog" her:no response. So after school I text her saying "I can't take kitty. Do you want me to post her around FB screen some homes and try and get her a home?" She just now replied saying "no hold off a little." Honestly I want kitty out of that home and would gladly take her back. It's the cat I watched for a month cuzz said cousin had a baby. I just can't because of Molly being her. I'm have a terrible time finding her a home. No one wants her. Which is sad she is a great dog. I wish I could have kitty back and I wish my cousin was more sensible but that's all wishes are....wishes. kitty is adorable and I don't think it would take me long to find her a great home.

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## Miss Bugs

weirdest thing EVER. so I had Rusty at work with me today(he only comes once a week) now Rusty is EXTREMELY aggressive toward intact males, like he will charge across a field to maul an intact "speck in the distance" (puppies are fine but as soon as they hit maturity all bets are off), he is OK with VERY specific dogs that I have carefully worked on him with, ie, my friends intact male pittie, they lived in the same house for a week, but that was after a lot of careful training and even then it was only OK as long as someone is standing right there, hovering over him. now because my staff know that Rusty cannot be around intact males, he is usually in a kennel outside of specified groups(the rest of my dogs just stay out all day) so I didn't blink an eye when Gary, an intact male field cocker spaniel came in for boarding when taken to the play room, and just let straight through the gate(the groups were all put away). I walked into the locker room for a second, which has a window to the playroom, and my jaw nearly hit the floor..Rusty was not only loose with Gary, they were having a BALL together, racing around the room and wrestling.















I walked out of the locker room and said to the girl that put Gary in the room, I was like "uhhh?? what??" and she was like "I know right?" lol she said she questioned herself when she saw Rusty loose, but said that Rusty wasn't paying any attention to him, so she let him through and watched and they ignored each other for a bit, then started playing. :faint:


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## Miss Bugs

oh ya, and apparently Happy saved Baby today. while I was at work and my mom was still asleep, Baby managed to get herself hopelessly tangled in a sheet(its Baby..dont ask questions lol) my mom said Happy was going mental barking snd jumping on and off her bed trying to get her up, and when she finally got pissed off enough at her antics to get up she found Baby in the predicament. she said Baby was so tangled that it even took her a while to figure out how to free her!


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## Greater Swiss

momtolabs said:


> I would email her and say something along the lines of
> 
> "I would like a detailed description describing what happened. I would like it to give you some help and so I can understand the situation better. It's also needed so if he comes back to me I know what needs to be worked with better and for him to be places in an appropriate home."


Did just about that...got an answer. I am SO relieved. She is saying "bit in the face"....well it turns out to be a little tiny cut and a black eye. Her kid was making a snack, he was doing his excited milling around wanting food thing, the kid said no, and I would guess he jumped for the food in the kid's hand (waving in front of him most likely, the way kids do) She says her kid (that got "bit") loves him and doesn't want him to go. She says they are going to look at training, which I think is awesome. I explained to her the whole "ask him to sit" rather than just tell him no and told her if she wants any other suggestions she is free to ask me anytime. 
Very relieved, but still a little ticked off about the whole "he should be put down" thing....I can see being angry, but wow...Well, fingers crossed. (I can't help but think how on earth no one saw THAT coming....).


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## jade5280

Glad that it was nothing serious but it sounds like she definetly jumped to conclusions. With small kids and dogs accidents are bound to happen. Not fair to blame the dog like that. Oh well, hopefully it all works out.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Two horses got into iron the walker this morning, kicking at each other and one hurt the other pretty badly. Nothing is broken but one has pretty deep cuts on their leg. 

Of course horses will be horses but the groom of those horses blames ME, saying that it was because I put the gelding and mare I am taking care of on the walker (we each have two arms on a 4 arm walker) even though my horses werent even involved and the horse (one of his) started it (with another one of his) and is well known for fighting with the horses in the stalls next to her. 

What's worse is he didn't even come and TALK to me about it, he went behind my back and talked smack behind my back to another of the grooms who works here ... What a dumbass ... Because he does that to everyone and no one likes him BUT since everyone likes me and OH, the person he told came and told OH.


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## GrinningDog

How 'bout a RAVE? 

The local Humane Society hosted a free microchipping event at Pet Supplies Plus today. The PSP is in a very busy shopping center, in a busy part of the city, and the Humane Society advertised this everywhere, i.e. I knew the event was going to be huge and crazy. Sure enough, we got there and the line was aaaall the way around the inside perimeter of the store and weaving into the isles. Tons of people and even more dogs. Some people brought multiple dogs. We were asked to carry our dogs as much as possible, but the majority of the dogs were too big to be carried. 

Anyway! Gypsy was fantastic. Quiet, stayed right with me, made flirty eyes at the employees and other dog owners. I kept her on a short leash and didn't let her interact much with the other dogs (for safety reasons) and I kept having to body block an obnoxiously friendly dog behind us. We waited in line for over an hour, during which we practiced some simple tricks and attention exercises. She was just wonderful, surprisingly calm and attentive amid all the chaos. When it was her turn to be chipped, she was easy-peasy for the workers. The whole interaction took, like, 10 seconds. One person held her and another injected the chip, and I gave her a treat for her troubles. The main worker actually said something, "Wow, you were easy! Good girl!" She got lots of smiles and quick pets.

When did I end up with the friendly, polite dog I always wanted? When did that happen?


----------



## gingerkid

Okay, random. Snowball would apparently rather dogs run right up to him than me step in front and body block them.  The two times I've tried to body block a dog rushing at us, Snowball snarked at them, which is unusual for him. I don't block dogs and no snarking.


----------



## CptJack

This is my neighbor's dog. He is almost exactly Kylie's age. He lives on that chain, and has since he was 12 weeks old.

They just got a new dog. New dog lives inside. That guy continues to rot on his chain and they will *not* give him up because he 'belongs to their daughter'. Which is the same reason they LEAVE HIM ROTTING ON THE CHAIN. 

GAH.


----------



## Gumiho

Miss Bugs said:


> I walked out of the locker room and said to the girl that put Gary in the room, I was like "uhhh?? what??" and she was like "I know right?" lol she said she questioned herself when she saw Rusty loose, but said that Rusty wasn't paying any attention to him, so she let him through and watched and they ignored each other for a bit, then started playing. :faint:


Even though it turned out fine... I'd have some serious, SERIOUS words with that co-worker as she put not only your dog at risk, but a client's dog at risk.


----------



## Miss Bugs

> Even though it turned out fine... I'd have some serious, SERIOUS words with that co-worker as she put not only your dog at risk, but a client's dog at risk.


oh I totally agree, it was a stupid stupid thing to do,and she should not have done it to start with!


----------



## momtolabs

CptJack said:


> This is my neighbor's dog. He is almost exactly Kylie's age. He lives on that chain, and has since he was 12 weeks old.
> 
> They just got a new dog. New dog lives inside. That guy continues to rot on his chain and they will *not* give him up because he 'belongs to their daughter'. Which is the same reason they LEAVE HIM ROTTING ON THE CHAIN.
> 
> GAH.


Pathetic  they could at least be nice enough to build him a nice size kennel. Is he ever let off? Played with? He is way to gorgoues to be on a chain  no dog should.

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## momtolabs

Yesterday was a gorgeous day so my family and some relaitives had a cook out at a park. I brought Mia to see how she would do. She was doing great. My mom told me to go get the 2 cases of soda out of the truck so I brough Mia with me. As I was getting it out some teens went running behind me yelling scaring Mia. She pulled on the leash causing me to drop a case. I go to give Mias leash to my mom and pick up the cans all over the ground. Those teens that scared Mia came running back stealing the soda. I yelled after them and my dad and uncle took off after them. My dad was fuming. His brother was there to back him up. It was just soda yes but these kids earlier were causing trouble with a different group and had already irritated us. My dad and uncle get to them and my dad is calmly but loudly telling them how rude it is and was going off on them. One kid through his hands in the air and said "I'm sorry sir, my friend made me do it sir" my dads response " what your friend MADE you do it !?" "What did he did forcefully grab your hands and make you take the cans." The kid was speechless. The friend was quit. My uncle was disspointed that he ran after soda, he thought it was the beer,lol. But then I had to run into town to get water for Mia(I'm a bad mom and forgot a bottle of water) and these same kids were throwing rocks at a house then yelling at a little girl that road her bike by. I broke down in tears. I was emotional already but those kids.... What has made them That angry they think its "cool" to do that. I'm 16 they were probably the same age. I just don't understand people like that. The town I live in is small, we all help each other out. My uncle(who.lives in the town this happened in) said his kids don't go out after 6 if no one is with them. He just soesnt trust the people. It's a town of 6,000, I live in a village of 500 people. Seeing the things I do when I go to larger towns intimidates me. I wouldn't be able to deal with the stress of worrying about being robbed, or worse. Its hard enough staying at my uncles. If I have to go outside after dark I either make my uncle come with me or take his Rottweiler outside with me(who would lick anyone to death but sshh don't tell the criminals). I don't think I could ever live in a large town. I'm sure its not every large town but its still intimidating.

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## bananaClip

question. my dog barks when i tell her no for example. she knows when im preparing her food and she doesnt want to wait so she goes ruff. or urr urr. but then when i look at her and say hey! or wait! she barks like ruff ruff ruff ruff. how do i let her know that she has to wait until im done. ps- she sits until i say go before she actually approaches her bowl of food pps-when shes really hungry its amusing to see her eyes and how she takes off


----------



## Kathyy

Max gets excited and barks when I am fixing his dinner sometimes. I freeze, if he continues I put whatever is in my hands down, if he still is mouthing off I turn away from him, then back away from his food and have gone so far as to go in another room and shut the door. I move towards his food when he is quiet and back away when he is barking. 

Ginger is training US. We open the back door for the dogs to go in and out. When she is tired of that and wants some action she starts barking and comes to the door waiting for us to call her in for a cookie. She wants Max to get in on this too but he usually doesn't want to. Sometimes we get oom pas going as they bark alternately, Max's medium dog bark and then Ginger's shrill little dog bark.

Don't feed Max 5 minutes after getting home after 6 hours away. Big time upchucks. I waited and he re-ate it. Ginger was jealous and wanted to help him out so bad.


----------



## CptJack

momtolabs said:


> Pathetic  they could at least be nice enough to build him a nice size kennel. Is he ever let off? Played with? He is way to gorgoues to be on a chain  no dog should.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yeah, it's a pretty crappy situation. He gets taken in once in a very blue moon when it's literally cold enough for him to freeze to death outside (not normal here) or when he breaks his chain. I'm working on convincing the actual owner to let me walk him. The only real attention he gets is when they drop food for him or someone from my family goes over and plays with him, which between my kids and I has been fairly frequent. It's got an extra layer of frustration because he is RIGHT at the property line and on top of our house - and a good distance away from theirs. So the poor thing thinks he's ours, anyway.

and yeah, he's a really, really gorgeous dog. Total sweetheart, too. I mean he barks his head off all the time because he's bored stupid, and comes across as kind of reactive but you get near him and he just wiggles and waggles and wants nothing more than - well, attention. Because he's starved for it.


----------



## gingerkid

bananaClip said:


> question. my dog barks when i tell her no for example. she knows when im preparing her food and she doesnt want to wait so she goes ruff. or urr urr. but then when i look at her and say hey! or wait! she barks like ruff ruff ruff ruff. how do i let her know that she has to wait until im done. ps- she sits until i say go before she actually approaches her bowl of food pps-when shes really hungry its amusing to see her eyes and how she takes off


Just ignore her when she's barking, don't even talk to her, and set her food down until she's sitting nice and being quiet.


----------



## jade5280

Just lost all my pictures and videos on my phone (99% were of my dog). Most of the pictures are saved to facebook anyways but I had some cute videos on there, like him barking at his first lemon for 10 minutes. Stupid technology...


----------



## d_ray

So yesterday we're hiking and this lady asks what breed my dog is so I tell her Catahoula. Her response is "Oh so a pit bull mix". I'm like "No, she's a Catahoula Leopard dog. Maybe mixed, but not with pitbull". She replies again "So a pit bull mix". I respond "No it's a breed". She looks at me like I'm crazy and starts giving me the 3rd degree of where I got her from etc. I honestly think she thought I made up the breed. I have nothing against pit bulls (I find them gorgeous), but my dog looks more like a deer than a pit. Anyways, we have a bully breed ban in our province so I have a feeling she thought I was trying to label Jewel as a "Catahoula".


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## KodiBarracuda

Maisy bit me today! She was playing, it wasn't aggressive at all. I was walking out to my car, she was over threshold, started zooming, ran up and bit the back of my leg! Grr, I love her but we will be working hard so she understands calm gets her fun and attention, not crazy.


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## JTurner

KodiBarracuda said:


> Maisy bit me today! She was playing, it wasn't aggressive at all. I was walking out to my car, she was over threshold, started zooming, ran up and bit the back of my leg! Grr, I love her but we will be working hard so she understands calm gets her fun and attention, not crazy.


Ouch! When Mac and I play fight, he knows not to bite too hard, so instead he uses his front teeth/incisors and grabs the skin on my underarm and pinches! Man o man it hurts!


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## OwnedbyACDs

Rude people.

Would it kill people to show a little common curtesy when someone asks them a simple question? Like where something is or a simple excuse me instead of just shoving past me in a crowded restursnt would be nice :/


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## Greater Swiss

DH made a fantastic loaf of banana bread the other day. I took a slice, left it on the counter (he was about to cut himself some), and stayed in the room. When I was done eating I left, when he was done eating he followed.....and left a huge chunk of the loaf that was left on the counter. Apparently Caeda likes banana bread and has an iron gut. A little bit of diarrhea for a day and she's fine, but GRRRRR. DH knows better....to give him some slack, he does have an awful cold and is a bit fuzzy. 
At least Caeda is ok.....and the upside, DH wanted more banana bread so much that he made another loaf, secured it in the microwave, and it is even better than the first one.


----------



## MarkAD

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Rude people.
> 
> Would it kill people to show a little common curtesy when someone asks them a simple question? Like where something is or a simple excuse me instead of just shoving past me in a crowded restursnt would be nice :/


It may not kill them, but it may tempt me to do the job to them. I am tired of the rudeness and disrespect. It is actually one of the reasons I am armed at all times. It causes me to be more polite, hold my tongue and offer a blessing instead of a curse. Being armed is huge responsibility and it makes me a better citizen. Thank God for the second amendment. An armed society is a polite society.


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## KodiBarracuda

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Rude people.
> 
> Would it kill people to show a little common curtesy when someone asks them a simple question? Like where something is or a simple excuse me instead of just shoving past me in a crowded restursnt would be nice :/


That's one thing I am really surprised about on my colleges campus, people as so polite! The door is always held open for you, even if it means they have to stand and wait for you to get there. I sometimes feel rude because I don't walk fast enough to the door or something and the person has to wait at the door for a few more seconds. Its crazy! Don't get me wrong, I sure do appreciate it and say thank you each and every time. Maybe it's a side effect of going to a college that is in the panhandle of NE and most of the people here are from little towns where everyone knows everyone and if you don't hold the door for someone you know (i.e. everyone) it's practically a sin.


----------



## Kayota

Sometimes when Roxie is next to me in bed she rolls over and puts her hind foot flat on my face or even against my throat... i have no clue why she does this but its really annoying/uncomfortable lol. She was just laying next to me so I had my arm around her and was petting her and trying to go back to sleep and she just kept covering my mouth with her foot. Weirdo.

iin other news, my new job starts in a few hours and i am super eexcited! Really glad I managed to get something that wasn't retail  I'm merchandising plants!


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## gingerkid

We have this really had habit of trying of trying to feed Snowball anything that we know isn't poisonous to him - meats, fruits, vegetables, rice, pancakes, spices, hot sauce, you name it. So we had sausages for dinner last night, and me being of German descent, we had a bunch of different mustards out, and we both realized that we'd never tried to give Snowball mustard. It was only after I'd held some out on my finger and he had delightedly licked it all off that I remembered that you can use mustard to induce vomiting. :doh:

Luckily I only gave him a tiny, tiny bit on the very tip of my pinky finger, and no vomiting was induced. On the other hand, it should be kind of easy to induce vomiting for Snowball in the future - he was a pretty big fan!


----------



## Little Wise Owl

Man, it really rustles my jimmies when someone tells me to get my next puppy/dog from a shelter because "Shelters/rescues are overflowing with dogs". Not in Southern Ontario, in my town, they're not. Heck, the shelter closest to my house only has one dog right now. And when we get puppies or breeds like Bulldogs, Bostons or Pugs, they're adopted before you can even blink. For example a few weeks ago, a litter of Heinz 57 came into a city shelter and they were adopted before they could even be posted for adoption... The breed specific rescues typically don't get dogs that fit my family's needs either (good with cats, kids and other dogs) and when they do, they're also adopted ASAP. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm always looking into adoption/rescue for my breeds but where I live, it's not easy. If I could pull a Boston, Bulldog, Pug, or Rottweiler from a shelter in the USA, I would. Unfortunately I don't have all the money in the world for transportation.


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## schmikry

The annoyance of Facebook friends:

"So does anyone have a black or chocolate female lab that they would like to breed. My friend ha a male black lab I want to breed so I can have a puppy of his. He is a wonderful dog and I want a puppy of his."


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## Miss Bugs

grr seem's like Baby is going to need a dental  haven't been to vet yet, but all signs point to it, she has been acting strange this week, she is a PIG, she eats everything, she NEVER EVER refuses food, she is 8, she's never refused food a day in her life, she is ALWAYS hungry, to the point that I have taken her to the vet concerned about her constant "need" for food, like she has to be crated when not stared at because she spends all her time hunting for more food and will go through great lengths to get it. then this week, I would put her food bowl down, and she would eat really really slowly, like 3 minutes to eat 1/2 cup(she is a 30lbs dog) she is a wolfer, she does not eat that slow, ever. BUT my mom, who feed's er in the evenings said that she was wolfing her food like normal, so I put it down to, Baby being weird, like maybe its me. then yesterday I noticed she was chewing every single kibble one by one..even weirder then just eating slow! I talked to my mom about it, she said she will watch her closer at supper tonight. so today my mom says she figured out the problem. Baby was wolfing her food for my mom because my mom soaks her food in hot water for 10 minutes , then adds canned food before feeding her, so its super super soft and warm. I had no idea my mom did this, I just throw dry in her bowl, and stir in a spoonful of wet and that's it. so today my mom said she tried adding some cold water and wet and not letting it soak so long, and sure enough she ate super super slow, and in fact did not even finish, she walked away from it. its gotta be her teeth. i've been concerned about them for a while since, because of her allergies she eats kibble and I cant really give her much of anything to chew on


----------



## Laurelin

We are having some mad crazy old dog zoomies right now. I've just been standing here watching the donuts happening at full speed.

This may be crazy but I feel like Summer has gotten more hyper as she's aged? Does that ever happen?


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> We are having some mad crazy old dog zoomies right now. I've just been standing here watching the donuts happening at full speed.
> 
> This may be crazy but I feel like Summer has gotten more hyper as she's aged? Does that ever happen?


Didn't she have some dental work done fairly recently? Maybe she's just feeling LOTS better.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Little Wise Owl said:


> Man, it really rustles my jimmies when someone tells me to get my next puppy/dog from a shelter because "Shelters/rescues are overflowing with dogs". Not in Southern Ontario, in my town, they're not. Heck, the shelter closest to my house only has one dog right now. And when we get puppies or breeds like Bulldogs, Bostons or Pugs, they're adopted before you can even blink. For example a few weeks ago, a litter of Heinz 57 came into a city shelter and they were adopted before they could even be posted for adoption... The breed specific rescues typically don't get dogs that fit my family's needs either (good with cats, kids and other dogs) and when they do, they're also adopted ASAP.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I'm always looking into adoption/rescue for my breeds but where I live, it's not easy. If I could pull a Boston, Bulldog, Pug, or Rottweiler from a shelter in the USA, I would. Unfortunately I don't have all the money in the world for transportation.


Oh yeah I hate the whole "don't breed or buy while shelter pets die, all breeders are bad" crap ... so so infuriating! Im all like ... don't tell ME about rescue, three of our current dogs are rescues, only two of the dogs I have ever had period have been bought from responsible breeders. 

I actually unfriended someone on FB over that, because I took issue with a post she shared about all breeders being bad and part of the problem.


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## Miss Bugs

oook totally rethinking Baby's teeth being the problem. she quit eating entirely today, only got her to eat 1/2 a can of pate type wet food, she then proceeded to drink a lot and pee super dark yellow and thick, she's lethargic and her gums look yellow. I am now thinking Liver problems. I'm off work in a half hour and she's going straight to the vets :/


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## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> oook totally rethinking Baby's teeth being the problem. she quit eating entirely today, only got her to eat 1/2 a can of pate type wet food, she then proceeded to drink a lot and pee super dark yellow and thick, she's lethargic and her gums look yellow. I am now thinking Liver problems. I'm off work in a half hour and she's going straight to the vets :/


 Oh no! I hope she is okay. Let us know what the vet says.


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## OwnedbyACDs

My aunts and uncle are ass hats ... That's all


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## Miss Bugs

we're at the vets nowshe upchucked on the way here, she is jaundiced, were waiting while a diagnostic blood panel is being run ATM, vet says is could be Liver, could be gallbladder, or certain blood disorders, so were waiting on the bloodwork to figure out where to go from here.


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## Miss Bugs

ok so, so far what we know is that her liver enzyme levels(all of them) are through the roof, like 10x higher then the levels they consider "high" which indicates significant liver damage. she's going back tomorrow morning for an ultrasound and she was given sub q for the night. they wanted to keep here there on IVs but after Misty, I dont feel comfortable leaving my dog overnight, if she's home I can watch her and take her to the eclinic if needed. the vet gave us things to watch out for. only thing ruled out so far is blood disorders.


----------



## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> ok so, so far what we know is that her liver enzyme levels(all of them) are through the roof, like 10x higher then the levels they consider "high" which indicates significant liver damage. she's going back tomorrow morning for an ultrasound and she was given sub q for the night. they wanted to keep here there on IVs but after Misty, I dont feel comfortable leaving my dog overnight, if she's home I can watch her and take her to the eclinic if needed. the vet gave us things to watch out for. only thing ruled out so far is blood disorders.


 Oh my gosh! I hope she is alright. How is she feeling? Has she thrown up anymore?


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## Miss Bugs

thanks Jade, she seems to be doing ok, just tired, sleeping lots and really deeply, no more vomiting but she hasn't eaten anything either.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> thanks Jade, she seems to be doing ok, just tired, sleeping lots and really deeply, no more vomiting but she hasn't eaten anything either.


I hope she will be ok


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## Miss Bugs

she's headed for intensive care where with aggressive treatment and several days of hospitalization she has about a 50% chance of recovery, without agressive treatment she has a 0% percent chance. her liver is small and abnormally shaped and her liver and gallbladder are very very thickened.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Miss Bugs said:


> she's headed for intensive care where with aggressive treatment and several days of hospitalization she has about a 50% chance of recovery, without agressive treatment she has a 0% percent chance. her liver is small and abnormally shaped and her liver and gallbladder are very very thickened.


Oh no! How awful. You two are in my thoughts. Please keep us posted and try to stay positive. (((Hugs)))


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## JeJo

Positive thoughts and healing prayers headed your and Baby's way, Shayna.


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## jade5280

I'm so so sorry to hear that  you're both in my thoughts


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> she's headed for intensive care where with aggressive treatment and several days of hospitalization she has about a 50% chance of recovery, without agressive treatment she has a 0% percent chance. her liver is small and abnormally shaped and her liver and gallbladder are very very thickened.


Oh, darn  I was so hoping for good news, you guys are in my thoughts


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## KodiBarracuda

Good thoughts coming from my way too Miss Bugs.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Miss Bugs said:


> she's headed for intensive care where with aggressive treatment and several days of hospitalization she has about a 50% chance of recovery, without agressive treatment she has a 0% percent chance. her liver is small and abnormally shaped and her liver and gallbladder are very very thickened.


I'm so sorry ((((Hugs)))) Both of you are in my thoughts.


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## Babael

My three preferred pups(red, yellow, and orange boys) in my litter are some of the rolliest things I've ever seen, lol. Just look at red boy and his nonsensical fatness, lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

jeeze totally didn't mean to take over this thread with "my dog is dying!" from what was supposed to be a "dammit I think my dog needs a dental" :redface:

I brought her home last night, we are trying alternative therapies from home, her prognosis with intensive care was poor to start with and she was so stressed out being separated from me like that, seeing her look so upset being carried away from me, we felt that her stress was not going to help, and if she is going to pass anyway, I want to at least be with her. so we loaded up on liver safe foods, plus SAMe, milk thistle, zinc and Vit E, and took home the Anti-biotic's from the vet, and we will keep her happy and comfortable for as long as we have left with her  

and I shall start a separate thread for updates on her condition!


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## Kathyy

Going through the process of losing a dog now too. Max has a spindle cell tumor high on his inner right thigh which is quite uncomfortable for him. Between his having trouble using that leg and us cooing over him he is moping around although he is perfectly happy going to the dog park, taking short walks and supervising me as usual. He is eating really well and somehow does leg weaves before meals too. We need to get over it but it is hard as he is my Max. These are supposed to be slow growing but this one seemed to pop out of nowhere.

He seems to be understanding the vet is a good place though. He has always shivered the whole time but last time he told me he wanted to get weighed all on his own. Still insisted on getting in the car as soon as he came out of the exam room as usual however. Baby steps. I think he knows the pain meds come from there and he likes pain meds!

On the other hand 4 trips this week to Max's favorite park mean Ginger has been a bit better about barking at those scary big black dogs in the other side of the park. The really cool thing yesterday was she called off. A tiny chi was flinching from the greetings of a couple of Maltese type dogs 3x his size and Ginger wanted to know what was going on. If chi needed to back off the fluffy white dogs I sure didn't need Ginger helping although she hasn't to date done anything like that. Very proud of her. Then she skidded off the picnic table and did a somersault. She was off drive by kissing unwary people sitting at tables after that, apparently wasn't upset by the somersault.

Hope her behavior continues to improve at the park as Max is going to be visiting as often as I can get there even though it costs $4 in gas per visit.


----------



## gingerkid

I just wanted to say my thoughts are with you guys, Miss Bugs and Baby and Kathyy and Max.


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## Kathyy

Thank you.

I have to accept and allow him to do as much as he likes. This morning he walked quite briskly a whole mile sniffing as we went. Limping and favoring the leg or not clearly he is able to get around okay at the moment. I swear he loves the pain meds. Got a new one yesterday that isn't supposed to kick in for weeks and he is all chipper this morning.

I know he is planning to play the poor sick dog card when he needs a bath or get fuzz stripped or get nails trimmed. I just know it. 

Got the perfect Ginger distraction going. She has been working on a kong that has a few bits of cooked egg in it for half an hour now. Max emptied his in 5 minutes by picking it up by the small end so egg falls out. Roll it and lick it, no egg. Apparently she never had a kong before coming here. Loves the idea but sure takes a long time to clean one out.


----------



## JeJo

Kathyy, my thoughts are with you and your Max as well -Tucking you both in my prayers.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Wow, sounds like several of you are having a rough go lately!!! Thoughts and good vibes sent your way....

Makes my nonsense rant seem pretty petty.....
I've been wanting to do more activities with Caeda, now that Dexter is adopted. Everything I'm interested in, that I think Caeda would like has at least one session of two per week (some of them have two) is on a Saturday or Sunday. I work every second weekend, and there are nights during the week DH needs the car, so those nights would be out too. Not worth spending the cash, and Caeda's benefit wouldn't be much since she'd be missing tons. Just having no luck with scheduling anything to do with Caeda. Bummer, but I suppose, perspective is everything. It could be worse.


----------



## CptJack

So. I overheated the frozen ratfor Atlas, the snake.

Then Atlas, the snake, coiled my hand into her strike. Because, you know, tongs? Why would I use tongs? That would be safe and make sense.

End result? Cooked rat-guts ALL OVER ME.

There is some sort of 'dead rodent grossness' curse going on here, but I want to bathe in bleach. I've got a relatively strong stomach but cooked rodent REEKS, on top of the slime factor.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Cpt Jack, you just made my day. Laughing with you, not at you (I assume you will laugh at this eventually lol). Cooked rodent has to be nasty, it would probably send me over the edge a bit (I work in a morgue, so that is saying something).


----------



## CptJack

Greater Swiss said:


> Cpt Jack, you just made my day. Laughing with you, not at you (I assume you will laugh at this eventually lol). Cooked rodent has to be nasty, it would probably send me over the edge a bit (I work in a morgue, so that is saying something).


I'm laughing now. I'm just... laughing between dramatic shudders and near gags. Un-freaking-BELIEVABLY bad smell. I'll laugh harder when I stop the OMG OMG OMGOMG GET IT OFF EW YUCK.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Hope your dog is okay Kathyy and Miss Bugs.


So today my neighbor is petting Luke and says, "Aw you have such a big head...it makes you look stupid." Excuse me? My dog isn't stupid. I told her this and she backtracked and when I told my mother, she thinks she was talking about his hair cut, but it didn't sound like that. I hate it when people assume dogs look stupid. So if a Pom has a lion cut, I guess he looks dumb? Weird neighbor.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Hope your dog is okay Kathyy and Miss Bugs.
> 
> 
> So today my neighbor is petting Luke and says, "Aw you have such a big head...it makes you look stupid." Excuse me? My dog isn't stupid. I told her this and she backtracked and when I told my mother, she thinks she was talking about his hair cut, but it didn't sound like that. I hate it when people assume dogs look stupid. So if a Pom has a lion cut, I guess he looks dumb? Weird neighbor.


Geeze that's ... Weird ...??? I don think I would even be offended by people like that because the things they say are so ludicrous


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Yay! *Brag* last time I did Maisy's nails she had to be held down and I only did the front. This time I was able to do all of them on all 4 feet without her pulling away or being scared. It took a lot of treats (one after each clip, including if I had to do one nail twice) but we made it! She's such a good girl who tries so hard to be good for me.


----------



## Miss Bugs

so a normal day for Rusty is:

outside for a pee
run into a crate to sleep more
eat breakfast
go potty
go back in crate while me and my brother head to work
around 9-930 my brother gets home from work lets him out of his crate and spends the day with him till I get home from work at 430

so today I am sick, I went to work to help during the rush and to organize things for the day but just came home with my brother at 930. poor Rusty had NO idea what to do in this situation...this is not how it works lol he would follow my brother happily, then see I am there too, and pause and stare at me with a funny look on his face like "wait....why?? what do I do now??" lol so I told him if he wants to hang out my brother still then go ahead..so he is now upstairs hanging out with my brother  the look on his face when he saw me home too was just priceless!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Josefina seems to know when I am leaving home again to go back to work and its super sad how she acts. she follows me around as I load things into the truck and has even jumped in and tried to hide so I wont notice her a couple of times.


----------



## d_ray

Jewel sleeps with me and we go to bed early. She knows that my husband gets home around 10 p.m and takes her for a walk. When she is really tired, which is most nights, she gets this panic stricken look on her face when she hears him call her for her walk. Sometimes she will even hide, especially if it's really cold.


----------



## asuna

random nonesense of the day, so i have a fenced back yard , and my house is really close to the next one theres a little gate inbetween our two houses but its behind the deck area so i cant see it in the winter, so i put Thor on his long leash to go potty for the afternoon and i open the door and i hear "i have your dog!"
and im like OMG IM SO SORRY!!!
I ran out there and i see the snow was SOOOO high that he was able to go OVER the gate (which is smaller the rest of the fence but not by much he was only able to go through it due to the snow pile up i couldnt see)
least the neighbours were friendly i appologize like 40 times probably 
they complimented how handsome he was and that they just pet him so he wouldnt run away 
im making muffins today so ill prob bring some over as an im sorry about my crazy dog , he was super excited to see them , also going to shovel the snow away from there so he cant do that again LOL!


----------



## gingerkid

The group walk today was at the park that we go to most often by ourselves, but there were more stupid people than normal at the park today. Like, if your dog is attacking another dog for no reason, maybe you should make some sort of an effort to stop it, instead of watching from 50 feet away and only sauntering over to get your dog because it wasn't coming when called... What is with people?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> The group walk today was at the park that we go to most often by ourselves, but there were more stupid people than normal at the park today. Like, if your dog is attacking another dog for no reason, maybe you should make some sort of an effort to stop it, instead of watching from 50 feet away and only sauntering over to get your dog because it wasn't coming when called... What is with people?


Like Dr. Phil says "Common sense ain't that common." And its evident everywhere you go, its like humans have bred the common sense right out of themselves


----------



## Miss Bugs

want some funny? a new employee was hired at the kennel, the manager posted the new schedule... and this brand new girl came to the manager and said "I cant work this day, or this day or this day, or that day" she said to both the manager and the owner...now she started a week ago and this was the SECOND time she has done this..so the owner said "ok... by" and she just stood there staring blankly at the them, not getting it. I wonder where she worked before that just offered her shifts that should could pick and choose from? lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> want some funny? a new employee was hired at the kennel, the manager posted the new schedule... and this brand new girl came to the manager and said "I cant work this day, or this day or this day, or that day" she said to both the manager and the owner...now she started a week ago and this was the SECOND time she has done this..so the owner said "ok... by" and she just stood there staring blankly at the them, not getting it. I wonder where she worked before that just offered her shifts that should could pick and choose from? lol


LOL some people are so entitled!


----------



## momtolabs

Why Bentley on the week I have no money,I'm sick, and have kitten
stuff to buy do you go and screw up your leg!!?? I'm not sure what he did. We played fetch today and that was it. Didn't even go for a walk as I can barely breathe. He is walking funny and limping off and on on it. Hoping after a few days crate rest he will be fine. If not off to the vet we go. He kind of somewhat ran on it but he still was walking weird. I checked his pad and nothing is in it. He is a big baby so it must not be hurting him too bad or he would cry every time he walked and he isn't.
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----------



## KodiBarracuda

Maisy is driving me nuts. (It's a short trip but...). She's taken to crying whenever she wants attention. She will stand with her toy into mouth and stare into my soul and cry. Or stand with toys around her and stare at me and cry.


----------



## CptJack

KodiBarracuda said:


> Maisy is driving me nuts. (It's a short trip but...). She's taken to crying whenever she wants attention. She will stand with her toy into mouth and stare into my soul and cry. Or stand with toys around her and stare at me and cry.


Oh. Clearly she's been communing with Kylie and Mia.

At least the company's good?


----------



## KodiBarracuda

CptJack said:


> Oh. Clearly she's been communing with Kylie and Mia.
> 
> At least the company's good?


That's exactly what I thought when she started this crying thing. 

I really can't complain too much, I mean she's never chewed anything inappropriate, never had any serious potty problems, was scary fast to potty train, quick to learn, and she can usually settles down. 
It's just when she turns on, she turns on and she's been turning on at the most inopportune times lately.


----------



## gingerkid

This morning, Snowball did 3 very surprising things.

1. He chased a stick that I threw totally as a joke. Multiple times. He also ran after the stick if I hadn't thrown it.

2. He then proceeded to chew on said stick. We're talking about a dog that refuses to even put his mouth on pretty much anything that isn't food.

3. He completely ran past _and totally ignored_ another dog when he thought I had thrown said stick.

WHO ARE YOU!!? I don't even know any more!


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> This morning, Snowball did 3 very surprising things.
> 
> 1. He chased a stick that I threw totally as a joke. Multiple times. He also ran after the stick if I hadn't thrown it.
> 
> 2. He then proceeded to chew on said stick. We're talking about a dog that refuses to even put his mouth on pretty much anything that isn't food.
> 
> 3. He completely ran past _and totally ignored_ another dog when he thought I had thrown said stick.
> 
> WHO ARE YOU!!? I don't even know any more!


This is how it starts.
Manna was not a fetching puppy then that happened, worked with it and now she's a fetch crazed monster.


----------



## LOSt

Flaming said:


> This is how it starts.
> Manna was not a fetching puppy then that happened, worked with it and now she's a fetch crazed monster.


o man, I gotta try with Roxy. Shes not a huge fetch fan, will sometimes run for her toys if I throw one and shes in the mood, but otherwise, she looks at me like im stupid...


----------



## Miss Bugs

OMG people are dumb... we breed Gerbils, in Dec there was a big news story run on us, both on national news and front page of the paper which got picked up by several other papers. Ever since we've had this petstore owner hounding us wanting to carry our Gerbils in his store. This store however is notorious for keeping Gerbils is completely and utterly inadequate housing, so we said ONLY under the condition that our housing standards are met and info on appropriate housing is provided to the buyer, he agreed wanted to meet up and talk about it, so we tried to make arrangements but he dropped off the planet. few months later he contacted us again, asked if we had any Gerbils he could take, but did not acknowledge previous conversation at all. We said, sure provided previously started housing requirements are met, he said "great when and where can I pick them up"... that's it, no acknowledgment of housing part. If thats the wa
y he wants to play it, fine, and we ignored his request

Now he's contacted us AGAIN for some gerbils, still no acknowledgment of our housing requirements lol. Like, I get it, he's a business owner and not into strings, but HE is contacting US. we dont need him, we've made it clear that our gerbils come with strings, he's not doing us a favour


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> OMG people are dumb... we breed Gerbils, in Dec there was a big news story run on us, both on national news and front page of the paper which got picked up by several other papers. Ever since we've had this petstore owner hounding us wanting to carry our Gerbils in his store. This store however is notorious for keeping Gerbils is completely and utterly inadequate housing, so we said ONLY under the condition that our housing standards are met and info on appropriate housing is provided to the buyer, he agreed wanted to meet up and talk about it, so we tried to make arrangements but he dropped off the planet. few months later he contacted us again, asked if we had any Gerbils he could take, but did not acknowledge previous conversation at all. We said, sure provided previously started housing requirements are met, he said "great when and where can I pick them up"... that's it, no acknowledgment of housing part. If thats the wa
> y he wants to play it, fine, and we ignored his request
> 
> Now he's contacted us AGAIN for some gerbils, still no acknowledgment of our housing requirements lol. Like, I get it, he's a business owner and not into strings, but HE is contacting US. we dont need him, we've made it clear that our gerbils come with strings, he's not doing us a favour


Jeesh! Tell him your filing for harassment I'd have some fun with it  

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----------



## jsca

omg insanely frustrated. I have a BRAND new living room set (delivered 3/29). my husband is being medically discharged from the army and we can't take it home with us. I try putting it up on an army wife community sale page for my area. 

it retails at $1750. I am asking $1250 obo (what we still owe on it).

I have seriously had people offer me in the $100-$450 range. I keep trying to reiterate that it is brand new. I'm then being told off that this is a second hand for sale website and my pricing is unfair. 

oh. my. god. 

end rant.


----------



## Greater Swiss

I feel your pain jsca. We were selling our truck, we'd only had it for a year (though it was 5 years old, but mint condition low KM), for $19 000 (we paid $22 000 to a "friend", and it was $38 000 new), we ended up selling it for $9500, barely more than we owed on it. We were getting offers of $5000 when we had lowered the price to $12 000. People assume if something is used (even if it was barely used) that they should pay nearly nothing for it, plus if the area you are in has a bad economy, it makes it even harder.


----------



## Vivyd

Yesterday I took the dogs out hiking and then when we came back Linken was just harassing Xiao Huang. Like non-stop. He normally harasses him a bit (somewhat sexually) and we joke that Linken is gay for Xiao Huang, but yesterday was just next level. Xiao Huang seemed to be getting a bit pissed off by it as well, so I ended up separating them. Even after separating them, Linken was STILL trying to get to him and crying and whining for hours. Literally hours. And when I let them be together again Linken just went straight back at it.

Now what I thought Linken was trying to do at first was trying to lick Xiao Huang's man bits. Fairly common in our house (they do a lot of licking each other bits, cuddling together and what looks like straight-up Frenching, but I'm guessing it more like cleaning each others mouths). But after watching for a bit I realized he wasn't actually going for his man bits...but was in fact going at his hind leg. So I'm thinking, what the hell Linken, what could possibly be so interesting about his leg that you would be acting like this. 

I pick up Xiao Huang. Look at the spot that Linken has been going at all afternoon (now covered in saliva) and find that Xiao Huang has two ticks in that spot....huh, well, ummm...thanks buddy. I guess I owe you an apology. I mean Xiao Huang's fur is so thick and getting ticks is so uncommon for them that if Linken hadn't been acting like that, I probably would of never known.

The ticks are all gone now and I checked them both to see if there were any more. Seems like it was just the two. Linken is still going nuts for Xiao Huang though. Trying to clean the spot where the ticks were I guess.


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> This is how it starts.
> Manna was not a fetching puppy then that happened, worked with it and now she's a fetch crazed monster.


Now if I could just figure out how to get him to carry the stick all the way back to me...


----------



## Kayota

Greater Swiss said:


> I feel your pain jsca. We were selling our truck, we'd only had it for a year (though it was 5 years old, but mint condition low KM), for $19 000 (we paid $22 000 to a "friend", and it was $38 000 new), we ended up selling it for $9500, barely more than we owed on it. We were getting offers of $5000 when we had lowered the price to $12 000. People assume if something is used (even if it was barely used) that they should pay nearly nothing for it, plus if the area you are in has a bad economy, it makes it even harder.


II feel you too, i tried to sell my fish tank a while back for something like 300 bucks for at least 500 Dollars worth of equipment and decor. I got at least one eemail telling me that no one wwould pay more than 100 Dollars for it. Wtf??? I just gave up and kept it lol


----------



## Greater Swiss

This winter is killing me, and if Caeda would post a rant here I think she would. We just had our EPIC NorEaster last week, then another (relatively minor) snowstorm two days after that, then it went into freezing rain/rain. Walking Caeda and getting out with her in this is just no fun for me (I've been battling a cold for weeks now....almost gone but dragged me down pretty good), and although she handles plain old -20 cold pretty well I don't want to keep her out TOO long in it now (-5 to 0 Celsius) because she gets soaked in this nasty slush. She is going stir crazy, despite feeling not the best I'm going stir crazy too and feel guilty as heck for not doing more with her. The standard combinations of stuff I've been doing in nasty weather: tug indoors, treadmill, short walks, romps in the field, fetch outside, occasional pet store trips etc just aren't cutting it for her, she always wants more, even if I do them ALL. Caeda seems to alternate between energetic and ready to go and very bummed (I assume because she realizes that hiking for hours isn't in the books). She needs a good hours-long hike around the trails (I haven't checked but I suspect they are knee-deep in slush in spots), a swim in either ocean or lake and a good hard rip around a field that isn't slush or crusted snow. It is April 1 and we had enough slush (I can't call it snow) fall and solidify last night that our current car (an echo....nicknamed tank because of how good it does in deep nasty snow) barely made it out of the driveway. It doesn't appear that the city is clearing sidewalks either....they're nasty ice/snow/slush. 
This is the absolute most disgusting depressing spring I think I have ever experienced, seeing how badly Caeda needs a romp makes matters worse  I should see if I would get in trouble getting to work 15 minutes late....I'd love to drop her at doggy daycare but they open at 8...exactly the same time I'm supposed to be at work (except for my very rare 9-5 days). Just feels like there is no winning going on.


----------



## Chichan

Ignore those ridiculous offers. Sounds like people just trying get something nice for a cheap buck. 
Maybe try listing it on another website like kijiji or amazon?
'Second hand' makes people think it might as well be out on the curb.
Stay strong and best of luck!


----------



## BellaPup

Arrrrgh - the MUD, OMG the MUD!!! I complained about the snow, but at least it covered the mud! Bella goes out for three minutes and comes back in with mud up to her ankles, tracks it up the stairs all the way through the house. And I don't think the grass is ever coming back. I doubt the landlord will reseed the lawn - he'd have to kill the grubs first. Guess I'll be doing it myself, or the mud will never go away  
I hate winter, but snow is easier to clean....lol


----------



## Greater Swiss

BellaPup said:


> Arrrrgh - the MUD, OMG the MUD!!!


 LOL, we had some of that too.....between the snow storm (we had a day or so of melt) and the rain it got REALLY muddy in our driveway. We had to dig some drainage troughs in our driveway, but Caeda helped. WOW she got dirty, muzzle, belly, head, tail...YUCK! We got her to play in the snow that still existed in the low part of our yard and that got the majority of mud off. I'll take the mud over the slimy slush we got though.


----------



## kdawnk

> Arrrrgh - the MUD, OMG the MUD!!!


Oh gosh I was so worried about this until a couple days ago when it got to +3, there was puddles and mud everywhere. Sansa did everything in her power to walk around the puddles and avoid the mud.
Apparently she's too high-society to engage in mud frolicking. Thank sweet baby Jesus she has this mindset.


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> Now if I could just figure out how to get him to carry the stick all the way back to me...


2 sticks, she didn't get the other one thrown until she gave me the other.


----------



## momtolabs

Took Mae to the groomer today and for some reason Mae was not well behaved like usual -_- . I guess she was jumping around like a maniac. Usually she is alone besides the groomers to Shi-tzus who are The sweetest but loudest dogs I have ever met,lol. Today there were 2 malteses and a shipoo or whatever there called in there as well. So I'm guessing she was all riled up. The groomer did say she is so happy Mae is crate trained. She has had problems with dogs not going in crates but not Mae she went right in. So at least she partially behaved  yes the groomer got a big tip.

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----------



## Miss Bugs

My crate has spent more time at the beach then me..is that weird? Lol its been to Mexico 2-3 times already and is going again on friday... I'VE never been to Mexico.. lol. One of the kennel owners has a time share place in Mexico, when she travels there and takes her dog, she borrows my crate since its flight ready and her dogs size


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Now if I could just figure out how to get him to carry the stick all the way back to me...


I thought Josefina would never learn to fetch but a million and one times of repeating "the game is over if you don't bring it all the way back" and it suddenly clicked when she did bring it all the way back and the game continued she was like ... "hey! this is fun!"  silly dog.

My vent: I just got through watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the other day and it suddenly occurred to me how those kids aren't kids anymore and then I felt old :/


----------



## kdawnk

> My vent: I just got through watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the other day and it suddenly occurred to me how those kids aren't kids anymore and then I felt old :/


I actually felt super depressed imagining these kids being together for the amount of time they were and growing up together and then having their final movie together. I imagined that to be an incredibly heart-wrenching thing for them to go through. The last day/week on set was probably followed by quite a few tears.

My vent: Training a puppy to walk on a leash, when you walk like a drunken sailor 75% of the time is proving difficult. I have the hardest time walking in a straight line. My mom and friends get grumpy with me when I end up bumping into them constantly, I can only imagine my puppy's frustration!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> Oh gosh I was so worried about this until a couple days ago when it got to +3, there was puddles and mud everywhere. Sansa did everything in her power to walk around the puddles and avoid the mud.
> Apparently she's too high-society to engage in mud frolicking. Thank sweet baby Jesus she has this mindset.


Heh ... I wish mine had that mindset, I thank my lucky stars we have clay base sand that really doesn't stick to anything ... even when wet and brushes off easily, even the fluffy dog Josefina. The problem is their feet LOL ... luckily I have linoleum so I just break out the Swiffer wet jet and viola!


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Rant!

I have a new problem with my new neighbors and attacking the fence. Let me rephrase that. My neighbors 5ish year old daughter sees my dog and runs yelling "bad dog no bad dog" and charges/bodyslams my fence! My dog isn't even paying attention to her but the child is crazy. On the other hand, the mother is great about telling the girl to leave my dog alone.


----------



## Miss Bugs

we are having the jpy of watching a slow motion train wreck....so we have this dog that comes to daycare, they found her as a stray puppy, they never bothered to get her fixed, have another dog(male) also not fixed, she came into heat, they paid no attention, WE noticed she was in heat, told them, they continued to bring her(???) so we kept her separate and tracked everything, finishes her heat, carry on as normal. few weeks ago the husband brings her in for daycare, I take her and after he left, I looked at her..and was like "umm..she looks pregnant.." I asked a few people at work, they all agree'd that she looked pregnant, we tell her owner, that they need to take her to a vet, because she appears to be pregnant....they don't believe us. every day this dog gets bigger and they refuse to believe that she's pregnant and still have not taken her to a vet, by my calculations she is approx due in a week and half to two weeks, the wife and daughter FINALLY believe she is pregnant however said the husband doesn't know and they are not telling him because if he finds out he "will make then get rid of her"....... ya... so they are not vetting her and continuing to bring her to daycare because the husband can't find out that anything is up! meanwhile... we are taking care of her best we can and preparing for the high probability that we are going to be whelping puppies.... like...what can you even DO in such a situation?


----------



## momtolabs

KodiBarracuda said:


> Rant!
> 
> I have a new problem with my new neighbors and attacking the fence. Let me rephrase that. My neighbors 5ish year old daughter sees my dog and runs yelling "bad dog no bad dog" and charges/bodyslams my fence! My dog isn't even paying attention to her but the child is crazy. On the other hand, the mother is great about telling the girl to leave my dog alone.


Have you talked to your parents? If she does that to the wrong dog it could end badly. 

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## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> 2 sticks, she didn't get the other one thrown until she gave me the other.


Giving's not the problem... his first instinct when he gets to the stick is to pick it up and run as fast as he can away from me. If I call him, he'll drop the stick and THEN come back to me. :doh:


----------



## KodiBarracuda

momtolabs said:


> Have you talked to your parents? If she does that to the wrong dog it could end badly.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I just found out about it today. Maisy won't go within 10 feet of the fence when the child is there, and the mother told the child to come in the house when she saw it. I don't think it will happen for long, the mother didn't seem pleased when the she saw what her daughter was doing.


----------



## Chichan

You have to refuse them service at this point, it's ridiculous. You're not responsible for their irresponsible behavior.


----------



## Kyndall54

Ammy got spayed today and I was irrationally worried that the vet would call me with bad news all day. They called me saying she did great and the bloodwork was great. 

But she stayed the night and the fiancée was gone all day and I missed
her .


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> Rant!
> 
> I have a new problem with my new neighbors and attacking the fence. Let me rephrase that. My neighbors 5ish year old daughter sees my dog and runs yelling "bad dog no bad dog" and charges/bodyslams my fence! My dog isn't even paying attention to her but the child is crazy. On the other hand, the mother is great about telling the girl to leave my dog alone.


I would fasten some electric tape or wire on the fence, hook it up, then sit back and watch ... But that's just me, I am mean like that. But hey of it's your fence (and not a communal one) then you can do what you want.

Luckily my dogs aren't "broke" to "no bad dog!" I usually use "aht!" In a really loud, growly, gruff tone. So they wouldn't even pay any mind.

Let's face it, some kids are just jerks, even if they have good parents. Some just like to be mean to animals ... Those kids scare me :/


----------



## kdawnk

> Let's face it, some kids are just jerks, even if they have good parents. Some just like to be mean to animals ... Those kids scare me :/


Very true, but frankly, all kids scare me.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> Very true, but frankly, all kids scare me.


I know "those" types of kids aren't all that common, what is more common is stupid, clueless parents! And that kind of scenario is what scares me.


----------



## Vivyd

Miss Bugs said:


> we are having the jpy of watching a slow motion train wreck....so we have this dog that comes to daycare, they found her as a stray puppy, they never bothered to get her fixed, have another dog(male) also not fixed, she came into heat, they paid no attention, WE noticed she was in heat, told them, they continued to bring her(???) so we kept her separate and tracked everything, finishes her heat, carry on as normal. few weeks ago the husband brings her in for daycare, I take her and after he left, I looked at her..and was like "umm..she looks pregnant.." I asked a few people at work, they all agree'd that she looked pregnant, we tell her owner, that they need to take her to a vet, because she appears to be pregnant....they don't believe us. every day this dog gets bigger and they refuse to believe that she's pregnant and still have not taken her to a vet, by my calculations she is approx due in a week and half to two weeks, the wife and daughter FINALLY believe she is pregnant however said the husband doesn't know and they are not telling him because if he finds out he "will make then get rid of her"....... ya... so they are not vetting her and continuing to bring her to daycare because the husband can't find out that anything is up! meanwhile... we are taking care of her best we can and preparing for the high probability that we are going to be whelping puppies.... like...what can you even DO in such a situation?


That's just....retarded. Some people. 

Continuing from my last rant...it must be tick season because I took the dogs out for a run around in the countryside today. Linken was running around for a bit and then came over to see me and I spotted that now he had a freakin' tick on his face. Like, on his eyelid. I do a quick check and there was another in his armpit. Ok, home-time. Let's go get these suckers taken care of. I checked Xiao Huang and didn't find any...then. 

I was just checking them over again before bedtime and I found another three ticks on Linken's head and one on Xiao Huang's leg thay I somehow missed. Maybe it's because they weren't big from sucking blood, or maybe they got onto Linken somewhere else and then walked on up to his face before deciding to eat. Either way, they are a pain in the ass.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Chichan- the owner/manager won't do that because the dog owners idiocy would put the dog at risk, and they would rather we be inconvenienced then a dog put at risk. The kennel owner has whelping experience so were not flying totally blind, but the dogs owners are still beyond stupid!


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> he wife and daughter FINALLY believe she is pregnant however said the husband doesn't know and they are not telling him because if he finds out he "will make then get rid of her"....... ya... so they are not vetting her and continuing to bring her to daycare because the husband can't find out that anything is up! meanwhile... we are taking care of her best we can and preparing for the high probability that we are going to be whelping puppies.... l


I'm curious what the dad is going to do when suddenly presented with a bunch of puppies!? Do the wife and daughter just think he'll like, pretend it didn't happen or what?


----------



## kdawnk

> I'm curious what the dad is going to do when suddenly presented with a bunch of puppies!? Do the wife and daughter just think he'll like, pretend it didn't happen or what?


Exactly, at what point in time will he look at this dog and be like, _Shoot... she's pregnant _
what's going to happen to the puppies in general would be a concern with me. I hope he gives and allows you to whelp the puppies, instead of doing away with them, or trying on their own uneducated. And what happens if she has her puppies not during Day-Care hours?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> Exactly, at what point in time will he look at this dog and be like, _Shoot... she's pregnant _
> what's going to happen to the puppies in general would be a concern with me. I hope he gives and allows you to whelp the puppies, instead of doing away with them, or trying on their own uneducated. And what happens if she has her puppies not during Day-Care hours?


What I want to know is why the wife would allow him to treat an animal that way in The first place? If OH did that he would be out on the curb so fast he wouldn't know what hit him.

Maybe you could alert the animal welfare division in your area? That you fear for the dogs safety and explain the situation? Maybe they could do something?


----------



## kdawnk

> Maybe you could alert the animal welfare division in your area? That you fear for the dogs safety and explain the situation? Maybe they could do something?


If the husband finds out he will apparently,_ "make then get rid of her"_ 

Which in the end might be in the dogs best interest. Though, Id say you should have a sit down with the husband at least and just tell him:
Look, your dog is super pregnant and she is going to give birth within the next few weeks, you have a couple of options, we are willing to help with the birthing process if need be, but if it happens at home you need to be prepared. If not for the sake of the puppies, for the sake of the dog you have raised.

I mean, if he's truly that dense and refuses, or just doesn't see it, maybe he needs to have _the talk_.
You know... _*the talk*_...


----------



## jsca

There's a girl in my area selling lab/husky mix puppies for _$300 each_. it was an intentional breeding because she thought the puppies would be cute.


----------



## gingerkid

jsca said:


> There's a girl in my area selling lab/husky mix puppies for _$300 each_. it was an intentional breeding because she thought the puppies would be cute.


$300 for a puppy, even a mix breed, in my area, is pretty cheap. :/


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## jsca

gingerkid said:


> $300 for a puppy, even a mix breed, in my area, is pretty cheap. :/


it's a LOT here. our county shelters charge $25-90 for an adoption fee, which includes spay/neuter and microchip. Coda cost me $100, which was pretty unreasonable, but she was from a different city and was also the exact mix I was looking for. 

I just can't fathom someone making $3000 off a mixed breed litter.


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## Kyndall54

jsca said:


> it's a LOT here. our county shelters charge $25-90 for an adoption fee, which includes spay/neuter and microchip. Coda cost me $100, which was pretty unreasonable, but she was from a different city and was also the exact mix I was looking for.
> 
> I just can't fathom someone making $3000 off a mixed breed litter.


my mom paid like $850 for her pom/shitzu mix -.-. despite me really encouraging to go with a great breeder and finding a great dog there. 

the adoption fees are around a $100 here for both cats and dogs. however obviously you get a pet that's microchipped, vaccinated and spay/neutered. i wouldn't mind paying $300 for a mix breed dog--if it also had all of those same things. $300 just for a puppy with NO worming and NO vaccinations or anything else, not worth it to me.


----------



## jsca

Kyndall54 said:


> my mom paid like $850 for her pom/shitzu mix -.-. despite me really encouraging to go with a great breeder and finding a great dog there.
> 
> the adoption fees are around a $100 here for both cats and dogs. however obviously you get a pet that's microchipped, vaccinated and spay/neutered. i wouldn't mind paying $300 for a mix breed dog--if it also had all of those same things. $300 just for a puppy with NO worming and NO vaccinations or anything else, not worth it to me.


They will apparently be wormed and vaccinated, which is good. The problem I see with it is that she will be profiting off of this, and again as it was an intentional breeding buying a puppy from her is supporting a BYB. I'm sure this bitch will be bred every time she goes into season, as she's gotten a decent response and even at only 1 week old two of the pups are reserved.


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## Chichan

jsca said:


> They will apparently be wormed and vaccinated, which is good. The problem I see with it is that she will be profiting off of this, and again as it was an intentional breeding buying a puppy from her is supporting a BYB. I'm sure this bitch will be bred every time she goes into season, as she's gotten a decent response and even at only 1 week old two of the pups are reserved.


I am always shocked to see the amount people will be willing to pay for a mix breed. 
And from BYBS too (that can't guarantee the lineage or health of the parents etc.).
I think a lot of people think that a lab/husky would be cute,
but that'd be one hyper dog.
Hopefully they don't end up in the shelter once their puppy stage is over :/.


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## KodiBarracuda

jsca said:


> I'm sure this bitch will be bred every time she goes into season, as she's gotten a decent response and even at only 1 week old two of the pups are reserved.


There's a lady in my area selling Alaskan malamute X great pyrenees mixes. She's selling them for 350 each and already has 3 out of 5 sold. Parents had no tests at all. That's a lot of dog to be running around on potentially bad hips. You couldn't pay me to own one. If I am going to get a large breed you can bet your boots I'm going to a reputable breeder barring any unforseen circumstances.


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## Miss Bugs

soon enough someone in my area is going to be advertising Alaskan malamute puppies, sired by a 1 year old never tested giant alaskan malamute that has seriously mauled a child.


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## OwnedbyACDs

I am sure Josefina is from illegitimate breeding, her temperament is ok ... with me raising her but she is that kind of dog who easily could have gone very wrong with the wrong person.


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## Kyllobernese

Most of the rescues around here charge around $350.00 which includes the spaying or neutering and shots. People have gone crazy asking at least $750 - $1100 for cross-bred dogs, sometimes a mixture of four breeds. Even common crosses of Lab x Shepherd are at least $500.


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## OwnedbyACDs

the rescue Buddy came from is charging that now. I guess it has to do with the higher prices of everything else.


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## KodiBarracuda

Maisys rescue was 125 but did not include the spay surgery but did include vaccines and microchip.


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## momtolabs

I paid nothing for Bentley. But he had no shots,covered in fleas,and not fixed . I just had to sign a paper for the pound people that I would get all that taken care of, and I did. The shelter in a different town is 75$ for the dogs and are fully vetted. Which going through them would have been cheaper. After bentleys vet visit to get everything done it was well over 100$.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## kdawnk

SO I'd just like to verbally abuse something that I hate for about 30 seconds.
I bought my first home in September and when I moved in I noticed something.

Why do people have Apple trees? They are unruly and grow over everyone's fences, they grow really tall if not managed, if you don't eat 100+ apples they're practically a waste to own, they drop their fruit and ferment and get your animals sick/drunk, they attract wasps. BY THE BUCKET LOAD. So many wasps, ALL of the wasps, bees, caterpillars, lady bugs, and flies. You have to hand pick them and prune them often. Not all the dead apples fall of on their own and you have to take a broom to their branches and try and hit them off.

My house/yard has TWO apple trees. BIG unusually tall apple trees. One was worm infected, and the other is two branches split in the middle of the trunk and VERY week. And I loathe them with every fibre of my being.

done.


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## Greater Swiss

kdawnk said:


> SO I'd just like to verbally abuse something that I hate for about 30 seconds.
> I bought my first home in September and when I moved in I noticed something.
> 
> Why do people have Apple trees?


 LOL, I was just thinking about the bane of my existence in our home. ROSE BUSHES. I've killed one of them three times and it keeps coming back, from what I've read you have to dig to the absolute end of the roots and pull them out (and dispose of them FAR AWAY) to be positive they are gone. I've got to trim back those things before they start sprouting, so at least they'll look decent rather than the unruly, overgrown mess that they are.


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## Chichan

kdawnk said:


> SO I'd just like to verbally abuse something that I hate for about 30 seconds.
> I bought my first home in September and when I moved in I noticed something.
> 
> Why do people have Apple trees? They are unruly and grow over everyone's fences, they grow really tall if not managed, if you don't eat 100+ apples they're practically a waste to own, they drop their fruit and ferment and get your animals sick/drunk, they attract wasps. BY THE BUCKET LOAD. So many wasps, ALL of the wasps, bees, caterpillars, lady bugs, and flies. You have to hand pick them and prune them often. Not all the dead apples fall of on their own and you have to take a broom to their branches and try and hit them off.
> 
> My house/yard has TWO apple trees. BIG unusually tall apple trees. One was worm infected, and the other is two branches split in the middle of the trunk and VERY week. And I loathe them with every fibre of my being.
> 
> done.


Are you not allowed to cut them down?



Greater Swiss said:


> LOL, I was just thinking about the bane of my existence in our home. ROSE BUSHES. I've killed one of them three times and it keeps coming back, from what I've read you have to dig to the absolute end of the roots and pull them out (and dispose of them FAR AWAY) to be positive they are gone. I've got to trim back those things before they start sprouting, so at least they'll look decent rather than the unruly, overgrown mess that they are.


I was attacked by a colony of ants when I was younger after touching a rose bush. 
Never again.


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## kdawnk

Perhaps a small accidental fire would be beneficial for those rose bushes!  I bet that'd feel satisfying even if you may have to still dig up the roots haha!

As for cutting it down, I can and I will!
I've been waiting for the snow and slippery ice to melt around them so I can get rid of them. I just got the house when the apple tree was full of old-apples so I never even got to enjoy them at all before loathing them. I think the long weekend coming up my dad and I are going to be taking them down. They're like almost 30 feet tall so it should be interesting. Though it is frowned upon in our city/town because we have a lack of Bees and any place they hang around should be preserved. Sorry, guys no dice. These trees are out of here pronto.


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## Remaru

Here is is Live Oaks, the neighborhood builders all planted Live Oaks because they are native and grow well. They do grow well and then they put down a tap root that runs all the way under your house and sucks up any water under your foundation. The soil is terrible here and foundations aren't done well, combine that with these giant old trees (the one in our yard is over 40 years old and enormous) and well...lets just say foundation trouble is pretty typical. The tree in our yard is beautiful, it shads the front of our house perfectly and I am sure it is saving us a ton of money on our electric bill particularly considering our house faces east but it is also causing foundation cracks that insurance won't cover. We can't take it out because it will only cause more damage (we looked into it) just have to live with it. The thing drops something like 30 lawn bags full of leaves a year in the spring (because it is a live oak) and it puts out this weird green pollen that the world is coated in for about two weeks, plus the seed pods for a couple of weeks this time of year. The rest of the year it is lovely other than the whole foundation thing. My friend just bought a new house, new development. He was looking at my lovely giant tree saying, "you know I need to plant a tree in my yard" I just told him the last thing he wanted was a Live Oak, get some sort of dwarf tree and plant it at least 15 feet from his house.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Huh I didn't know live oaks had a two root. Interesting. They are native here too but the dry climate is a lot touched on them then other places and we loose a lot of them to oak wilt. We lost a big one last winter.


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## Greater Swiss

kdawnk said:


> Perhaps a small accidental fire would be beneficial for those rose bushes!  I bet that'd feel satisfying even if you may have to still dig up the roots haha!


 SOOOOO Satisfying. Actually I've been telling DH that the location of the rose bush is exactly where I want to put a fire pit lol. 

My rant for today....well...a friend's mother passed away, so I had to put something decent on to go to the visitation at the funeral home. It has been a LONG time since I wore pantyhose, like five years, before I had Caeda and 2 cats to contend with. Well....I learned something today. The particular physics of dog and cat hair and pantyhose. It somehow all gets INSIDE!!! I found a nice, long black dog hair sticking out of the ankle of my pantyhose when I was at the funeral home, it was WOVEN in. How on earth that happened I do not understand, I mean I only had them on for 20 minutes!! Ugh, just one more reason to keep on wearing comfy jeans and sneaks whenever possible! lol.


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## Miss Bugs

people suck. seriously I had like NO staff today, so naturally it was the busiest its been this month lol. we ROCKED it though, I was so proud of my couple of staff that I bought them all pizza as a reward lol, not only did we manage to pull off the busiest day this month smoothly and on time, we pulled it off with less then half a person per section lol


----------



## Hambonez

Hamilton is due for his annual exam, bordatella, and his Heartworm (4Dx really) test, so I made him a vet appointment for today. We went in this morning, and he freaks out at the vet, so he's pulling all over, panting, shaking, it's terrible. After 25 minutes of this, I asked the receptionist if she had an idea of how much longer it would be because Ham was getting very stressed, and I said if it would be more than a few minutes I'd take him outside and walk him around a while. She said it'd only be a minute, but go ahead and take him out and she'd come get me when the tech was ready. Wait, the tech? I scheduled for his annual exam... but at this point, whatever. We walk outside for 10 minutes, no one comes to get us, so we go back in. Resume freaking out. I wait another 5 minutes (now 40 minutes past my appointment time, for a TECH appointment) and asked if I could reschedule because at this point, Hamilton is so stressed out that it's going to be extremely difficult to get him to cooperate for a blood draw. I told her I understand that they're busy and there are more serious issues than my dog's now tech visit, but it just wasn't in his best interest to continue waiting. She said I should tell them if he's that bad so they can get us in sooner. Uhh what? First off, my dog is pulling all over and shrieking in your waiting room, obviously he's stressed. Second, how would that make his appointment happen faster? And third, _I tell them on the phone every time they call and ask for an appointment during a less-busy time._ And so, we get to do this all over again next week. I'm just kind of irritated by the whole experience.


----------



## gingerkid

Murdoch stole some of the dog's _salmon-formula_ kibble. My salmon-intolerant cat then proceeded to be upset all morning (he obviously wasn't feeling well) and a few hours later, puke it all up. And all the while I can't help feeling like he did it to himself and then I feel like such a heartless person.

On the other hand, every time I question that maybe he's not actually intolerant to salmon and I'm just making it all up, this happens. Hooray vindication?


----------



## Chichan

A lot of the replies in this thread are deeply concerning. 
I wish that everyone who needs psychiatric attention would get it.
There is so much wrong with the world, so much hypocrisy a rant thread can't fit it all.
But since there's no point in arguing with people who only insist one using fallacies of logic and emotion,
one can only sigh, c'est la vie.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest

I got out of work on this lovely warm day to come home and spend the last bit of niceness at the e-vet. Magpie ripped her entire nail/part of her toe off SOMEWHERE.  My sweet old lady.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Dear slow a$$ person going 60 miles an hour in a 70 on a two lane highway ... MOVE OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER so people can get by!


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## aiw

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Dear slow a$$ person going 60 miles an hour in a 70 on a two lane highway ... MOVE OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER so people can get by!


What? That's crazy. I mean, I know you're just ranting here but you don't really expect slightly slower drivers to _pull over_ for the convenience of speeders?


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## KodiBarracuda

aiw said:


> What? That's crazy. I mean, I know you're just ranting here but you don't really expect slightly slower drivers to _pull over_ for the convenience of speeders?


My thought exactly. I won't fault someone for going as fast as they feel SAFE. If someone feels unsafe going at 70 should we expect them to drive unsafely? Or stop driving all together? 

If someone is going slower than I like I wait until it's safe and pass them, and I expect anyone to do the same for me if they feel I'm going too slow for them. 

I sure wouldn't want them to risk driving on the shoulder (potentially unsafe depending on your area) just so I am convenienced.


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## Greater Swiss

KodiBarracuda said:


> I won't fault someone for going as fast as they feel SAFE. If someone feels unsafe going at 70 should we expect them to drive unsafely? Or stop driving all together?


 I only sort of agree with you, I normally don't falut people....this is coming from someone who had a bit of a driving phobia that I've managed to improve on a fair bit. I had to drive on the highway in the winter to get to work and didn't feel safe going over 50kph in the snow....the highway was 100 kph (and most jerks went about 120kph), so in that scenario, I was dangerous slow...especially on a two lane. When I was that nervous I would put flashers on and pull off if someone was coming up behind me (or if the day was that bad, I actually called in "too scared" to work). But going 60mph in a 70mph zone....annoying perhaps, but definitely not something to rage about too much.


----------



## aiw

Greater Swiss said:


> I only sort of agree with you, I normally don't falut people....this is coming from someone who had a bit of a driving phobia that I've managed to improve on a fair bit. I had to drive on the highway in the winter to get to work and didn't feel safe going over 50kph in the snow....the highway was 100 kph (and most jerks went about 120kph), so in that scenario, I was dangerous slow...especially on a two lane. When I was that nervous I would put flashers on and pull off if someone was coming up behind me (or if the day was that bad, I actually called in "too scared" to work). But going 60mph in a 70mph zone....annoying perhaps, but definitely not something to rage about too much.


True, its a matter of degrees. I just find it baffling when people feel like everyone else should get out of their way so they can travel whatever speed they like. I mean, I guess you could take that philosophy... but it's really gonna bite you when everyone else does the same.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

aiw said:


> What? That's crazy. I mean, I know you're just ranting here but you don't really expect slightly slower drivers to _pull over_ for the convenience of speeders?


Yes, yes I absolutely do expect them to get out Of the way, out of the city it is kind of an unspoken rule (even cops do it!) to move onto the shoulder (which is extra wide just for that reason).

I never sId I was speeding ... I said I was going the speed limit (usually 70) anyone who goes under 65 is endangering others on the road if they don't pull over. The shoulder is plenty big enough.


----------



## aiw

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yes, yes I absolutely do expect them to get out Of the way, out of the city it is kind of an unspoken rule (even cops do it!) to move onto the shoulder (which is extra wide just for that reason).
> 
> I never sId I was speeding ... I said I was going the speed limit (usually 70) anyone who goes under 65 is endangering others on the road if they don't pull over. The shoulder is plenty big enough.


Sorry, but that last paragraph is just nonsense. They're *endangering* others by traveling 5 below the limit? Its safer to drive on the unpaved shoulder of a one lane highway at 60 than for the upcoming car to slow 5 km? Codswallop.

The speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum. People travel above and its not my business to police that, but It'll be a cold day before I put myself in a dangerous situation by driving off the road. If they're not going to obey it, those who break the law can at the very least work around those who choose not to.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

aiw said:


> Sorry, but that last paragraph is just nonsense. They're *endangering* others by traveling 5 below the limit? Its safer to drive on the unpaved shoulder of a one lane highway at 60 than for the upcoming car to slow 5 km? Codswallop.
> 
> The speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum. People travel above and its not my business to police that, but It'll be a cold day before I put myself in a dangerous situation by driving off the road. If they're not going to obey it, those who break the law can at the very least work around those who choose not to.


The shoulder is paved  again ... For that reason.

So you think it's right to make me have to go into the oncoming lane to pass you because you can't be troubled to move I've into the PAVED, wide shoulder? I'm sorry but I don't think hat is right either.


----------



## aiw

OwnedbyACDs said:


> The shoulder is paved  again ... For that reason.
> 
> So you think it's right to make me have to go into the oncoming lane to pass you because you can't be troubled to move I've into the PAVED, wide shoulder? I'm sorry but I don't think hat is right either.


So your roads are 4 lanes wide but only 2 of them are used? I've never seen anything like that, but I'll take your word for it. I've also never been to Texas. As a rule though I'm not driving on the shoulder. There's usually a reason why its a shoulder and not a full lane. If you want to pass so you can speed though... well its your call and your safety. My choice would be to just slow down and follow at a safe distance.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

aiw said:


> So your roads are 4 lanes wide but only 2 of them are used? I've never seen anything like that, but I'll take your word for it. I've also never been to Texas. As a rule though I'm not driving on the shoulder. There's usually a reason why its a shoulder and not a full lane. If you want to pass so you can speed though... well its your call and your safety. My choice would be to just slow down and follow at a safe distance.


It's a passing shoulder, it's so when people turn on the highway from the county roads, they use the shoulder to get up to speed. This is an example of someone moving over so others can pass on a two lane country highway with a wide paved shoulder: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZBsyjMpwqXA/Szk7wE37jvI/AAAAAAAAEgw/dTBLFVHy3Bw/s1600-h/IMG_2777.JPG

Everyone in this area knows to do this and if they don't, kids are they are either out of state or from the city ... Or both . If someone wants to go faster then me (which is usually speeding since I go the maximum allowed speed) then I move over for them,if they want to speed then far be of for me to stand in their way.


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## aiw

That is a very wide shoulder. It still strikes me as *much* less safe to pull onto the shoulder than for the speeder to slow 10 km or so. Plus, I'm not really on board with the idea that its everyone else's job to get out of the speed-demon's way. If you're using the road safely and legally those who aren't can work around you.

Considering our locations though we'll almost certainly never have this problem.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

aiw said:


> That is a very wide shoulder. It still strikes me as *much* less safe to pull onto the shoulder than for the speeder to slow 10 km or so. Plus, I'm not really on board with the idea that its everyone else's job to get out of the speed-demon's way. If you're using the road safely and legally those who aren't can work around you.
> 
> Considering our locations though we'll almost certainly never have this problem.


This is how I feel. It must just be in Texas that it is expected because as far as I know in SD, and NE, it's ILLEGAL to drive on the shoulder except to pull off for emergencies. We have signs that say "Dont drive on shoulder" and rumble strips that warn you that your driving on the shoulder. In fact, if somone in front of me started driving on the shoulder I would slow WAY down and give them some space because my first assumption would be they are drunk/high/falling asleep or having some sort of mechanical failure with their car...(just to give some perspective on why I feel the way I do, not to make Texas laws at all invalid.)

And to ACD, yes, I do expect you to pull into the oncomming lane to pass me, because that's how the majority of the country does it. If you want to go faster then me, by all means , feel free to pass me. It's such a foreign concept that you expect them to change Their driving because You have an issue with their speed.


----------



## BubbaMoose

I don't know how I feel about it being expected of someone, but I will say if I notice that someone behind me seems to be in a hurry, I will move out of their way if I can do so safely. Just as a courtesy. 

You won't find me pulling onto the shoulder around here though! The shoulders are used either as an immediate exit or are too small to actually drive on.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> This is how I feel. It must just be in Texas that it is expected because as far as I know in SD, and NE, it's ILLEGAL to drive on the shoulder except to pull off for emergencies. We have signs that say "Dont drive on shoulder" and rumble strips that warn you that your driving on the shoulder. In fact, if somone in front of me started driving on the shoulder I would slow WAY down and give them some space because my first assumption would be they are drunk/high/falling asleep or having some sort of mechanical failure with their car...(just to give some perspective on why I feel the way I do, not to make Texas laws at all invalid.)
> 
> And to ACD, yes, I do expect you to pull into the oncomming lane to pass me, because that's how the majority of the country does it. If you want to go faster then me, by all means , feel free to pass me. It's such a foreign concept that you expect them to change Their driving because You have an issue with their speed.


Geeze no wonder the rest of the course has such a problem when they come here  . Here yielding to faster traffic is the norm and any other way is just ... Weird and ludicrous to me. 

So ... It's wrong for someone to "make you" pull onto the shoulder to allow them easier passage if they want to go faster, so if they can't get into the oncoming lane to pass they should just have to sit back and deal with it? Talk about calling the kettle black :/, you fault me for "speeding" (which I am actually not doing since I am still within the posted speed limit) yet you can go as slow as you want and that's ok? 

I also suspect that on a four lane interstate, you think it's ok to drive slow in the fast lane because it's "not your problem" to move over.


----------



## Kayota

i think people should drive the speed limit... but i think its really rude to expect them to move into tne shoulder just to let you pass, they have somewhere to go too. The left lane is a passing lane for a reason.


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## OwnedbyACDs

there is no left lane, it is a two lane highway :/

On a four lane highway, slower traffic is obligated to keep in the right lane and I have seen state police pull over people who don't.


----------



## Kyllobernese

The only reason I do not like to see someone driving way below the speed limit is that there is always some impatient person behind them that then tries to pass where there is no passing, putting cars coming in the opposite direction in danger. I have seen so many near misses on the two lane twisting highway through the mountains with people passing someone driving slow and people passing where they shouldn't.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kyllobernese said:


> The only reason I do not like to see someone driving way below the speed limit is that there is always some impatient person behind them that then tries to pass where there is no passing, putting cars coming in the opposite direction in danger. I have seen so many near misses on the two lane twisting highway through the mountains with people passing someone driving slow and people passing where they shouldn't.


No one likes a slow driver, I don't see why (unless the weather conditions aren't favorable) people just cant go the speed limit :/. But I guess we will have to agree to disagree


----------



## KodiBarracuda

OwnedbyACDs said:


> So ... It's wrong for someone to "make you" pull onto the shoulder to allow them easier passage if they want to go faster, so if they can't get into the oncoming lane to pass they should just have to sit back and deal with it? Talk about calling the kettle black :/, you fault me for "speeding" (which I am actually not doing since I am still within the posted speed limit) yet you can go as slow as you want and that's ok?


Actually I wasn't the one who faulted you for speeding that was another poster... And no, it's not a situation of the pot/kettle because like someone else posted it's a speed minimum, not a maximum, as long as I'm going at or below the posted limit I'm well within my rights and the law. I dont expect you to change your driving because of me, feel free to pull left and pass if you deem it safe. YOU have the issue therefore I expect YOU to deal with it. Around here we have places where the shoulder is just dirt, and the majority of our roads have maybe max 2 foot shoulders. If we pulled off at any highway speed we run the risk of flipping the vehicle.

Although I am with you on the interstate situation. I agree that of you have the option, get into the right lane so others can pass.

I will admit, I get extremely frustrated when people drive slower than the speed limit. It's annoying , but I have never expected they pull off the road for me, it's actually not something I had ever even heard about until this thread. It's just such a foreign concept.


Eta-caps for word emphasis, I'm not yelling or upset in any way.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> Actually I wasn't the one who faulted you for speeding that was another poster... And no, it's not a situation of the pot/kettle because like someone else posted it's a speed minimum, not a maximum, as long as I'm going at or below the posted limit I'm well within my rights and the law. I dont expect you to change your driving because of me, feel free to pull left and pass if you deem it safe. Around here we have places where the shoulder is just dirt, and the majority of our roads have maybe max 2 foot shoulders. If we pulled off at any highway speed we run the risk of flipping the vehicle.
> 
> Although I am with you on the interstate situation. I agree that of you have the option, get into the right lane so others can pass.
> 
> I will admit, I get extremely frustrated when people drive slower than the speed limit. It's annoying , but I have never expected they pull off the road for me, it's actually not something I had ever even heard about until this thread. It's just such a foreign concept.


Of course if there is a shoulder made for that purpose, then I expect them to yield to faster traffic, but on roads with no shoulder, then no I don't expect someone to pull into the dirt to get out of the way. That doesn't mean its not annoying, though :/.

Here there is a minimum speed that you can go, and police will pull over people if they are going below a certain speed because it usually means they are drunk, to tired to drive, or under the influence of something :/. here the minimum speed is ten miles below the posted speed limit.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Of course if there is a shoulder made for that purpose, then I expect them to yield to faster traffic, but on roads with no shoulder, then no I don't expect someone to pull into the dirt to get out of the way. That doesn't mean its not annoying, though :/.
> 
> Here there is a minimum speed that you can go, and police will pull over people if they are going below a certain speed because it usually means they are drunk, to tired to drive, or under the influence of something :/. here the minimum speed is ten miles below the posted speed limit.


That's pretty interesting. In life my end goal right now is to end up on Texas, I had no idea their driving laws were so different. Here, the only minimums are on interstates. And they are 75 max with min 45.


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## Mint

My sister plans on getting a husky (from the flea market, which basically means puppymill dog) in a few months. She won't even take the dog to basic puppy classes and believes in slapping a puppy for biting and putting it's face in the poop. She's not really active and both her and her husband work full time, so the dog will probably be lucky to ever get a walk. And did I mention they live in an apartment?

This dog is going to be a total nutjob. And it'll probably get dumped on me, too.


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## BellaPup

KodiBarracuda said:


> Although I am with you on the interstate situation. I agree that of you have the option, get into the right lane so others can pass.
> 
> I will admit, I get extremely frustrated when people drive slower than the speed limit. It's annoying , but I have never expected they pull off the road for me, it's actually not something I had ever even heard about until this thread. It's just such a foreign concept.


I always get stuck behind someone on Rt 1- ALWAYS. It ticks me off, yes (esp when they cut ya off - without a single car behind me for miles - then drive 10 mph under the limit...gaaargh!) - but it's when there is a line of literally 15-20 cars that this ONE person is holding up. It's certainly your right as a driver to drive at the speed you feel safe (unless on a hwy w/minimum posted limit...going 35 in a 65 is just asking to be rear-ended), but when ya see a TON of drivers being inconvenienced, I think pulling over is the respectable thing to do...I think there may even be a law here that if there are more than 3 or maybe 5 cars behind you, you have to pull aside - or maybe that was someone's wishful thinking...LOL.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Mint said:


> My sister plans on getting a husky (from the flea market, which basically means puppymill dog) in a few months. She won't even take the dog to basic puppy classes and believes in slapping a puppy for biting and putting it's face in the poop. She's not really active and both her and her husband work full time, so the dog will probably be lucky to ever get a walk. And did I mention they live in an apartment?
> 
> This dog is going to be a total nutjob. And it'll probably get dumped on me, too.


I had to turn OH away from cute husky / GSD / whatever when we went to the flea market this past weekend. In summer when we visit and its horribly hot I will let the patrolling police officers know when they have too many puppies in a cage or don't have water ... etc.


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## Miss Bugs

so that preggo dog at work? she is giving birth as I type, we were checking on her constantly today, taking her temp, at 2:45 she went into labour, we immediately booted all the staff dogs from the office, set up a kiddie pool for her, called her owners and about 20 minutes later she started having them. when I left there was 4, 3 girls and a boy-2 black with white paws(both girls) and 2 blonde(1 girl, 1 boy)!


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## Miss Bugs




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## Greater Swiss

Miss Bugs said:


> so that preggo dog at work? she is giving birth as I type, we were checking on her constantly today, taking her temp, at 2:45 she went into labour, we immediately booted all the staff dogs from the office, set up a kiddie pool for her, called her owners and about 20 minutes later she started having them. when I left there was 4, 3 girls and a boy-2 black with white paws(both girls) and 2 blonde(1 girl, 1 boy)!


WOW, though the situation with that preggo dog is awful, on the up side I'm glad to hear that she has gone into labor in a safer place for her and her puppies than her home would have been. I hope for your and your co-workers sake that the labor goes and completes smoothly. I also hope it goes well for the mom and the puppies....ugh....I hope they are able to stay with mom until they are old enough!
Has there been any reaction from the owners yet? Is she going to be taken home right away or....wow, you have an awkward situation on your hands (awkward is the best word I can come up with....an understatement though!).


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## aiw

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Geeze no wonder the rest of the course has such a problem when they come here  . Here yielding to faster traffic is the norm and any other way is just ... Weird and ludicrous to me.
> 
> So ... It's wrong for someone to "make you" pull onto the shoulder to allow them easier passage if they want to go faster, so if they can't get into the oncoming lane to pass they should just have to sit back and deal with it? Talk about calling the kettle black :/, you fault me for "speeding" (which I am actually not doing since I am still within the posted speed limit) yet you can go as slow as you want and that's ok?
> 
> I also suspect that on a four lane interstate, you think it's ok to drive slow in the fast lane because it's "not your problem" to move over.


We're talking about a two lane highway. Every time this topic pops up someone says "passing lane!" but those only exist on large interstates and are actually an anomaly in driving, not the norm.

My feeling is that if I'm driving safely and within the law those who aren't can work around me. There is a minimum in some places and 30 km on a highway isn't really safe - but I'm mostly talking about going at speed or 5-10 under. I'm not going to actively get in anyone's way but I'm not going to do something dangerous and illegal like driving on the shoulder or speeding for their ease. I do wonder if driving on the shoulder is legal in Texas, I'd be surprised if it is....

I just drive along at a safe, comfortable and legal speed and let everyone else sort themselves out.


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## Miss Bugs

> WOW, though the situation with that preggo dog is awful, on the up side I'm glad to hear that she has gone into labor in a safer place for her and her puppies than her home would have been. I hope for your and your co-workers sake that the labor goes and completes smoothly. I also hope it goes well for the mom and the puppies....ugh....I hope they are able to stay with mom until they are old enough!
> Has there been any reaction from the owners yet? Is she going to be taken home right away or....wow, you have an awkward situation on your hands (awkward is the best word I can come up with....an understatement though!).


it really could not have happened at a more perfect time, the kennel owner was there(he often isn't) and he has helped whelp many litters, so he knew exactly what to do. the mom and son had arrived when I left, the daughter was on her way, husband is still in the dark AFAIK. the kennel owner is helping them through it and was telling them what they need to do etc.. the lady said herself, that she was glad it happened at the kennel, because she has no clue what to do.


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## Flaming

So Manna saved my life literally just 2 hours ago.

We were crossing a busy road and we did have the walk light, when some $%^&* in a lifted, blinged out pick-up and loud music decides he's too good to wait for the lights and just slammed on the gas. 
Manna saw him coming, done a 180 and jumped to knock me back and out of the way. No one was hurt but I was too shaken to get a plate number. I hope the light camera gets it.

Manna thank you


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## Miss Bugs

Last update: 6 puppies, 3 boys(all blonde), 3 girlsl(2 black, 1 blonde)


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Flaming said:


> So Manna saved my life literally just 2 hours ago.
> 
> We were crossing a busy road and we did have the walk light, when some $%^&* in a lifted, blinged out pick-up and loud music decides he's too good to wait for the lights and just slammed on the gas.
> Manna saw him coming, done a 180 and jumped to knock me back and out of the way. No one was hurt but I was too shaken to get a plate number. I hope the light camera gets it.
> 
> Manna thank you


Good job Manna! Stupid people.


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## momtolabs

We are now up to 3 ferrets. My mom brought home two today. There has been a homeless lady shopping at her store for a few weeks. She has been living out if her truck for 2 months and her ferrets were not enjoying it and were starting to loose weight and get stressed. It's also getting hotter here and she can't leave them in her truck. So my mom caved after seeing them and brought them home. Would of liked a little warning!! I need to be prepared for these things. My ferret loves them,lol. He was well socialized as a kit and loves everything (unless you are a guinea pig then he wants to eat you). They love each other. Before she lost her job Tue lady took them to The vet and they came back fully healthy. I will be taking them into the vet in a few days just to be safe. Bandit is a dark sable and marshmallow is a white with black mix and a black splotch on his nose ! I feel really bad for the lady as she really did love them but she could barely feed herself(my mom has bought her lunch a few times). But my mom could have called me and told me to set up a cage! I was running around trying to rig something up and only had 30 min. As I had to work today! 

P.s. we are not sure if we are keeping them or not. We love them to death but if we find a good home for them we may rehome them but since my ferret is already bonding with them its going to be hard :/

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## CrimsonAccent

I know this is old but UGH SLOW DRIVERS!!

Going 55 mph in a 70 mph?

Or slamming on your breaks before we enter the bridge?

Or when I give you the obligatory several car spaces of length and someone moves in front of me and squeeks in and now I need to slam on my brakes and then inconvenience everyone else?

Maybe it's just a Texas thing but slow drivers are dangerous and hold up traffic. At least drive in the right lane if it's a one way or four lanes :/ Like, we are all going 60ish and then all of the sudden everyone is moving into the right lane because someone is going 45 or 50 in the LEFT LANE.

We are speed demons though.  We've gone with traffic speed and hit 90 and STILL HAVE PEOPLE BLASTING PASS US. Extreme example but going the speed limit was not an option there. I do love 75 or 80 mph roads though.


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## Greater Swiss

CrimsonAccent said:


> Or when I give you the obligatory several car spaces of length and someone moves in front of me and squeeks in and now I need to slam on my brakes and then inconvenience everyone else?


 OOOhhhhh, that is the one that irks me the absolute most, except here, it isn't an issue of inconvenience (at least in the winter), it is an issue of having to hit your breaks and cause a 5 car pileup because people are sliding everywhere on the ice and their stopping distance is twice as much as normal. I don't know about where you are, but here the can (though don't usually) give out tickets for following too close....problem is if you don't follow too close someone WILL squeak into that space. I'm usually a pretty calm driver (anger is generally kept to eye rolls and big sighs lol), but people squeaking in like that (especially on highways at high speed) is the one thing that gets me close to full on road rage!!!!


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 146649
> View attachment 146657
> View attachment 146665


I am glad she decided to go into labor with you guys and not her owners. I just worry about what they are going to do once they find out she has puppies ... maybe call the SPCA in your area if they say to get rid of her? I am too far away to help physically but I could always share her on facebook and see if someone could take her and foster her ... if it comes to that.


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## OwnedbyACDs

CrimsonAccent said:


> I know this is old but UGH SLOW DRIVERS!!
> 
> Going 55 mph in a 70 mph?
> 
> Or slamming on your breaks before we enter the bridge?
> 
> Or when I give you the obligatory several car spaces of length and someone moves in front of me and squeeks in and now I need to slam on my brakes and then inconvenience everyone else?
> 
> Maybe it's just a Texas thing but slow drivers are dangerous and hold up traffic. At least drive in the right lane if it's a one way or four lanes :/ Like, we are all going 60ish and then all of the sudden everyone is moving into the right lane because someone is going 45 or 50 in the LEFT LANE.
> 
> We are speed demons though.  We've gone with traffic speed and hit 90 and STILL HAVE PEOPLE BLASTING PASS US. Extreme example but going the speed limit was not an option there. I do love 75 or 80 mph roads though.


SAME HERE!! Hey, texas is a big state, man! It takes long enough to get from place to place KTHX without some slow driver holding everything up. If people want to drive slow then by all means do (hey in bad weather even I will slow down and move over to the right lane if its a four lane highway if someone wants to be a dumb butt and go dangerously fast for the conditions)


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## Kyllobernese

I can remember years ago, I borrowed my sister's truck and I was driving down the highway doing the speed limit. It was just a two lane (one in each direction) and all of a sudden I was pulled over by a cop. He said "didn't you know you had a big line-up behind you? You should pull over and let them pass." My sister just about had a heart attack when I said to the cop, was I doing the speed limit? Why do I have to pull over so everyone can speed? He did not know what to say and mumbled, well you could of pulled over, and got in his car and left. The speed limit on that particular road was 50 mph and I made sure that was what I was doing so why should I have to take the time to pull over? Especially since in another 1/4 of a mile we were in a town where the speed limit was 30 mph.


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## BellaPup

Then you have the people that are lost, slowing WAAAAAAY down, flip on the turn signal then change their mind. 
Do THEY pull over? Hells, no; they hold up a caravan of commuters. 
It's such a common thing around here in the Summer I'll go 10 mins out of my way to take the back roads the tourists don't clog up.


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## Hambonez

gingerkid said:


> Murdoch stole some of the dog's _salmon-formula_ kibble. My salmon-intolerant cat then proceeded to be upset all morning (he obviously wasn't feeling well) and a few hours later, puke it all up. And all the while I can't help feeling like he did it to himself and then I feel like such a heartless person.
> 
> On the other hand, every time I question that maybe he's not actually intolerant to salmon and I'm just making it all up, this happens. Hooray vindication?


I love cats  Too bad they can't understand the error in their ways. My cats love cat grass, and as long as they enjoy it in moderation they're fine. Occasionally though, Sir Didymus will go on a bender and vomit grass and slime up all over my house. It makes me question whether I should learn and stop buying them cat grass, or he should learn and not inhale the stuff.


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## OwnedbyACDs

BellaPup said:


> Then you have the people that are lost, slowing WAAAAAAY down, flip on the turn signal then change their mind.
> Do THEY pull over? Hells, no; they hold up a caravan of commuters.
> It's such a common thing around here in the Summer I'll go 10 mins out of my way to take the back roads the tourists don't clog up.


You are explaining my area in winter/spring ... esp when the wild flowers start blooming, people flock here to see the blue bonnets :/ I have seen them clog up texas highways taking friggin pictures. Ok I am glad they are generating revenue for my state but if you are going to pull over PULL OVER INTO THE GRASS not the darn shoulder with half your vehicle sticking out into the land of traffic >_< ... geeze!!!

I haven't been a tourist very often, but when I do I try my best to be as polite as I can to the locals, you know not holding up traffic and trying my best to go the speed limit.


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## gingerkid

CrimsonAccent said:


> I know this is old but UGH SLOW DRIVERS!!
> 
> Going 55 mph in a 70 mph?
> 
> Or slamming on your breaks before we enter the bridge?
> 
> Or when I give you the obligatory several car spaces of length and someone moves in front of me and squeeks in and now I need to slam on my brakes and then inconvenience everyone else?
> 
> Maybe it's just a Texas thing but slow drivers are dangerous and hold up traffic. At least drive in the right lane if it's a one way or four lanes :/ Like, we are all going 60ish and then all of the sudden everyone is moving into the right lane because someone is going 45 or 50 in the LEFT LANE.
> 
> We are speed demons though.  We've gone with traffic speed and hit 90 and STILL HAVE PEOPLE BLASTING PASS US. Extreme example but going the speed limit was not an option there. I do love 75 or 80 mph roads though.


I firmly believe that it is possible to drive fast and still be courteous, and it is possible to drive slow and be a d-bag. Speed is really no indication of the skill of the driver. See: my husband's friend who drives at "reasonable" speeds, but is terrifying in traffic because he has absolutely no awareness of what is around him, and considers putting his foot on the brake pedal the same thing as stopping at a stop sign. (A rolling stop is one thing... this is more like a cruising stop.)

People complain about the drivers here ALL the time. There are some real gems, for sure, and then the naysayers talk about how drivers in the US are way worse.... LOL. Drivers in Vegas and California are definitely more aggressive, but I would not call them "bad". They are generally aware of what is going on around them and actually USE their signals.

I have very little patience for slow (under the limit) drivers in the left-hand lane. "Slow" drivers (who are going over the limit to pass someone but slower than the rest of the LH traffic) I have more patience with, mostly because it really ****ing pisses me off when someone drives right up behind me and slams on their brakes to tailgate while I'm passing at a reasonable speed the car(s) on my right. Even doubly so when there are cars in front of me... and they apparently can't see the cars in front of me from their jacked pick-em-up truck with wheel wells higher than the roof of my Civic.


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## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am glad she decided to go into labor with you guys and not her owners. I just worry about what they are going to do once they find out she has puppies ... maybe call the SPCA in your area if they say to get rid of her? I am too far away to help physically but I could always share her on facebook and see if someone could take her and foster her ... if it comes to that.


We have several employees who work with a local rescue, plus my friend who owns her own dog buisness offered to put word out on her buisness page. The owner called this morning for the rescues contact info.


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## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> I firmly believe that it is possible to drive fast and still be courteous, and it is possible to drive slow and be a d-bag. Speed is really no indication of the skill of the driver. See: my husband's friend who drives at "reasonable" speeds, but is terrifying in traffic because he has absolutely no awareness of what is around him, and considers putting his foot on the brake pedal the same thing as stopping at a stop sign. (A rolling stop is one thing... this is more like a cruising stop.)
> 
> People complain about the drivers here ALL the time. There are some real gems, for sure, and then the naysayers talk about how drivers in the US are way worse.... LOL. Drivers in Vegas and California are definitely more aggressive, but I would not call them "bad". They are generally aware of what is going on around them and actually USE their signals.
> 
> I have very little patience for slow (under the limit) drivers in the left-hand lane. "Slow" drivers (who are going over the limit to pass someone but slower than the rest of the LH traffic) I have more patience with, mostly because it really ****ing pisses me off when someone drives right up behind me and slams on their brakes to tailgate while I'm passing at a reasonable speed the car(s) on my right. Even doubly so when there are cars in front of me... and they apparently can't see the cars in front of me from their jacked pick-em-up truck with wheel wells higher than the roof of my Civic.


trucks are all most everyone drives here, do to there being a lot of farmers and ranchers. LOL the windows of a civic maybe come mid door on my truck. I for one would never drive a car in this area ... too dangerous.


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## CrimsonAccent

Or the people who just don't bother using signals when they are changing lanes/passing!

I'm glad I got a truck tbh. I learned with a tiny Kia Rio, and I miss the ability to squeeze anywhere, but I feel like I'm in a tank with my truck  It might not be any safer, but mentally I like it lol.

Yeah, inconvenience isn't the best word for people to cut you off, it's flipping dangerous 

And for it's not necessarily that speed=skill but I think people should all be driving around the same speed. Too much of a difference and you are either run over or a speed bump.


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## gingerkid

CrimsonAccent said:


> And for it's not necessarily that speed=skill but I think people should all be driving around the same speed. Too much of a difference and you are either run over or a speed bump.


Agreed. I remember reading a research article on how difference in speed was one of the biggest contributing factors to a crash. But the on the other hand, studies on roads lacking speed limits entirely have also shown that speed does not necessarily relate to accidents because the lack of limit reduces driving anxiety: people will go as fast as they are comfortable going which means the "slow" drivers who may not be comfortable going the speed limit don't feel pressured to go a particular speed, and the "fast" drivers can go as fast as they want without feeling restricted by an arbitrary limit.


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## aiw

gingerkid said:


> Agreed. I remember reading a research article on how difference in speed was one of the biggest contributing factors to a crash.


Those speeders going 10 or 15 above everyone else are just as guilty of speed differential though. Yet, somehow when faced with someone going 10 below or 10 above all the hate is directed at the person going more slowly - even though they're equally guilty of interrupting traffic flow with the only difference being one is legal. IMO, most people who get upset/angry about people driving slower than them are mostly annoyed about their inconvenience and use "impeding traffic flow" as a cover. A big tell is how little outrage there is over tailgating, which is *way* more dangerous at any speed than going 5 o 10 below the limit.

A lot of left lanes are even legislated as passing lanes, and obviously everyone should be using the roads in accordance with the law... but again that's only for major highways without entrances/exits on the left. Its a pretty unique situation in driving.

Anyways... Its not my job to worry about speeders. Neither to stop them, nor encourage and accommodate them. I'm just going to drive along at a safe and legal speed and mind my business. Everyone else is welcome to do the same.


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## OwnedbyACDs

aiw said:


> Those speeders going 10 or 15 above everyone else are just as guilty of speed differential though. Yet, somehow when faced with someone going 10 below or 10 above all the hate is directed at the person going more slowly - even though they're equally guilty of interrupting traffic flow with the only difference being one is legal. IMO, most people who get upset/angry about people driving slower than them are mostly annoyed about their inconvenience and use "impeding traffic flow" as a cover. A big tell is how little outrage there is over tailgating, which is *way* more dangerous at any speed than going 5 o 10 below the limit.
> 
> A lot of left lanes are even legislated as passing lanes, and obviously everyone should be using the roads in accordance with the law... but again that's only for major highways without entrances/exits on the left. Its a pretty unique situation in driving.
> 
> Anyways... Its not my job to worry about speeders. Neither to stop them, nor encourage and accommodate them. I'm just going to drive along at a safe and legal speed and mind my business. Everyone else is welcome to do the same.


Slower traffic should always keep right when possible so faster traffic (regardless of how fast) they are going. I always go about one or two miles above the posted speed and set my cruise on long trips, but if I see that's not fast enough for the majority of people in the passing lane (which you shouldn't hang out in anyway) then I will hurry up and pass whoever I am passing and get out of the way.


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## Greater Swiss

Well...as far as the speeding, or even maintaining the speed limit is concerned. I'm one to err on the side of caution. The accident I was in, we were on a country road (though it was a "main" country road, well traveled, 2 lane), in a work truck on the way to site. It was early fall, early in the morning, about 2 degrees C (it had been about -3 overnight). The guy in front of us was going about 60 in a 70 zone. The guy driving the vehicle I was in decided that the guy in front of us was going too slow, gassed it and went to pass. Well...he should have questioned WHY the guy was going slow. There was black ice. We lost traction, fishtailed, hit the gravel/dirt at the side of the road, flipped 2 1/2 times. Although neither of us were badly injured (the driver got knocked out, no injury other than that), I ended up with neck and shoulder problems that I've been dealing with since then, about 4 years ago (never mind the comp claims I'm STILL trying to make, to help with the 6 months of work I missed).

That is why I've been biting my tongue (fingers? lol) during this entire conversation on speed/driving. Sure, in my circumstance there was black ice....but my point is, if you come up behind someone going slower, at least ask yourself WHY they are going slower, is it because they are scared/anxious? Maybe, if so there might be a reason....sure, chances are they are driving that speed because they just like that speed, but sometimes there is a reason, and if you just shake your head and go "UGH slow drivers" and pass them you could easily miss an opportunity to realize a hazard that could end badly for you and stick with you for a long time. I don't blame the guy that was driving the vehicle I was in when we crashed (well....I do hate the fact that he learned NOTHING from the experience, and still exercises NO caution), it could happen to anyone, but the driver in front of you can be a source of information that can help you prevent an accident. Please consider that whenever you go to pass someone. 

Anyway, that's my (relatively calm, but long) rant done....


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## OwnedbyACDs

I always take weather and road conditions into account while driving, but I am in deep south texas and we just don't get Ice here and when we do, we usually don't drive LOL. But even in rain, depending on the road I am on, I will go about 5 miles or so under the max speed limit if the road is well drained, if its not I will go 10 under ... but it doesn't inconvenience anyone else because they are usually doing the same thing.


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## BellaPup

Greater Swiss said:


> Well...as far as the speeding, or even maintaining the speed limit is concerned. I'm one to err on the side of caution. The accident I was in, we were on a country road (though it was a "main" country road, well traveled, 2 lane), in a work truck on the way to site. It was early fall, early in the morning, about 2 degrees C (it had been about -3 overnight). The guy in front of us was going about 60 in a 70 zone. The guy driving the vehicle I was in decided that the guy in front of us was going too slow, gassed it and went to pass. Well...he should have questioned WHY the guy was going slow. There was black ice. We lost traction, fishtailed, hit the gravel/dirt at the side of the road, flipped 2 1/2 times. Although neither of us were badly injured (the driver got knocked out, no injury other than that), I ended up with neck and shoulder problems that I've been dealing with since then, about 4 years ago (never mind the comp claims I'm STILL trying to make, to help with the 6 months of work I missed).
> 
> That is why I've been biting my tongue (fingers? lol) during this entire conversation on speed/driving. Sure, in my circumstance there was black ice....but my point is, if you come up behind someone going slower, at least ask yourself WHY they are going slower, is it because they are scared/anxious? Maybe, if so there might be a reason....sure, chances are they are driving that speed because they just like that speed, but sometimes there is a reason, and if you just shake your head and go "UGH slow drivers" and pass them you could easily miss an opportunity to realize a hazard that could end badly for you and stick with you for a long time. I don't blame the guy that was driving the vehicle I was in when we crashed (well....I do hate the fact that he learned NOTHING from the experience, and still exercises NO caution), it could happen to anyone, but the driver in front of you can be a source of information that can help you prevent an accident. Please consider that whenever you go to pass someone.
> 
> Anyway, that's my (relatively calm, but long) rant done....


Wow - so freaking *scary*!! 

I did something similar quite a few years ago. I was on my way to work, running late and really ticked off that the car ahead of me was craaaaawling onto the interstate instead of getting up to speed. I found out why when I went to speed past him... hit black ice, fishtailed and almost slammed into an 18 wheeler AND could have gone off the Piscataqua River bridge!! 

If there is ANY chance of ice, I'm now the one pissing people off behind me. That scared the poop outta me.


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## KodiBarracuda

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I always take weather and road conditions into account while driving, but I am in deep south texas and we just don't get Ice here and when we do, we usually don't drive LOL. But even in rain, depending on the road I am on, I will go about 5 miles or so under the max speed limit if the road is well drained, if its not I will go 10 under ... but it doesn't inconvenience anyone else because they are usually doing the same thing.


Funny how different people are in different areas. If the road is wet here but it's above freezing people don't slow down at all. The only time people slow down is if there is ice or really heavy fog. If you slowed down because of rain here (unless of course it's a torrential downpour and you risk hydoplaning) you'd be holding up traffic.


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## ireth0

KodiBarracuda said:


> Funny how different people are in different areas. If the road is wet here but it's above freezing people don't slow down at all. The only time people slow down is if there is ice or really heavy fog. If you slowed down because of rain here (unless of course it's a torrential downpour and you risk hydoplaning) you'd be holding up traffic.


Same here, unless there's a lot of water on the road nobody slows down. In snowstorms and such I usually go slower than most people do, even with snow tires on. I figure if I total my car, THEY sure as heck aren't going to pay for it, so I go as slow as I feel necessary and let them pass me.


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## Greater Swiss

BellaPup said:


> . I found out why when I went to speed past him... hit black ice, fishtailed and almost slammed into an 18 wheeler AND could have gone off the Piscataqua River bridge!!


The thing is, sometimes it isn't ice....someone could be slowing down for an animal running across the road that they have noticed and others may not have, or a major frost heave (or any other major crack/pothole), a person, an accident up a head that they can see happening, a car pulled over at the side of the road they are slowing down to pass. There's tons of reasons, and tons of things that can come out of nowhere, and it is easy to take things for granted when you drive a ton and it is easy to get complacent. Even though I wasn't driving, I tried to learn something from my whole experience, and that's the best I could come up with lol, I've been paying for it for years in many ways, so I had to try to take something positive, like a learning experience, away from it. I've finally gotten to the point that I can drive normally in town when it is winter (actually I'm quite the trooper now in town), don't put me on the highway though, even if it is raining. I'm one of those people that everybody gets mad at if there is even rain, I'm terrified, as in hyperventilating, numb hands, trying not to bawl (and I'm not a crier) because I know if I go slower I could really cause problems bigger than inconvenience, but sometimes not driving isn't an option. 
Either way, not to pontificate but any of you that come up behind someone going slow, question why, be vigilant, and perhaps a little compassionate, though yes...some people are just slow and annoying. Another lesson I came away with. Not assuming everybody around you on the road (or in life) is a moron can make life a bit nicer and minimize road rage a fair bit


----------



## ireth0

Greater Swiss said:


> The thing is, sometimes it isn't ice....someone could be slowing down for an animal running across the road that they have noticed and others may not have, or a major frost heave (or any other major crack/pothole), a person, an accident up a head that they can see happening, a car pulled over at the side of the road they are slowing down to pass. There's tons of reasons, and tons of things that can come out of nowhere, and it is easy to take things for granted when you drive a ton and it is easy to get complacent. Even though I wasn't driving, I tried to learn something from my whole experience, and that's the best I could come up with lol, I've been paying for it for years in many ways, so I had to try to take something positive, like a learning experience, away from it. I've finally gotten to the point that I can drive normally in town when it is winter (actually I'm quite the trooper now in town), don't put me on the highway though, even if it is raining. I'm one of those people that everybody gets mad at if there is even rain, I'm terrified, as in hyperventilating, numb hands, trying not to bawl (and I'm not a crier) because I know if I go slower I could really cause problems bigger than inconvenience, but sometimes not driving isn't an option.
> Either way, not to pontificate but any of you that come up behind someone going slow, question why, be vigilant, and perhaps a little compassionate, though yes...some people are just slow and annoying. Another lesson I came away with. Not assuming everybody around you on the road (or in life) is a moron can make life a bit nicer and minimize road rage a fair bit


Oh yes, when I was doing my driver's test, we came upon a pedestrian crossing with lights flashing, but I couldn't see the pedestrian from where my car was. (I think a larger vehicle was blocking my view of the whole road) So I slowed down as I approached and checked to see if they were still in the process of crossing. Well, apparently the car behind me didn't like that; they whipped around me, blared their horn and were yelling out their window (I'm sure they would have been giving me the finger if I had looked). I was mortified, and scared to death that the instructor was going to fail me right then and there. Fortunately he seemed just as stunned, and told me I had done the right thing.


----------



## aiw

Greater Swiss said:


> Either way, not to pontificate but any of you that come up behind someone going slow, question why, be vigilant, and perhaps a little compassionate, though yes...some people are just slow and annoying. Another lesson I came away with. Not assuming everybody around you on the road (or in life) is a moron can make life a bit nicer and minimize road rage a fair bit


Or it could be that they're a new driver, have bad reflexes, are nervous etc. I was a new driver just learning standard not long ago and some people were *assholes*. Cutting me off, tailgating, honking if I didn't move fast enough and executing dangerous passes. I drove slowly because I wasn't fully comfortable with the nuances of the road, didn't have developed reflexes and was still battling with finessing the mechanics of the car itself. I knew these things and was trying to give myself and everyone the cushion to make good decisions or even recover from bad ones without disaster. Yet, that caution itself seemed to enrage some people.

People seemed so caught up in their momentary inconvenience that they would behave unpredictably and more aggressively around me. If someone is driving cautiously the *last* thing you should do is behave unpredictably. They're trying to stay safe and to keep everyone else safe as well. Don't be *that* guy.

Nowadays I stick close to the speed limit because I'm on a budget and don't want to worry about tickets, but I think I did take a lesson from my time as a new driver.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Wow Lots of angry drivers in Canada! I didn't expect that, I thought you guys were so good natured!


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wow Lots of angry drivers in Canada! I didn't expect that, I thought you guys were so good natured!


LOL most of us are. I don't drive so can't comment.


----------



## BellaPup

Is it too early in the season to start a rant about loud Harley's???

:frusty:


----------



## Greater Swiss

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wow Lots of angry drivers in Canada! I didn't expect that, I thought you guys were so good natured!


We don't tend to pull out guns when we road rage, but there is definitely some road rage that happens, and a lot of aggressive driving. The most terrifying experience I've ever had was having to pull a trailer behind out truck down the highway that runs through Montreal. YIKES, Honks, swears, gestures, cutting off and breaking, any possible passive aggressive yet somehow non-confrontational tactic you can think of. 



BellaPup said:


> Is it too early in the season to start a rant about loud Harley's???


 Not too early here, we had our first ear-splitter drive by the other day. 

It also isn't too early to rant about the geese who have returned and begun to take over the field behind our house. They are EVERYWHERE (and if they aren't there, their poo is). Poor Caeda, I want to take her out there and play some epic fetch but I don't want her to have a run in with those big monsters (and they are BIG!).


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Grr, Rant:

I just watched the neighbor in the house behind me yell at her puppy (probably 3 months old, labXBC mix if I had to guess) then she walked down the steps angry, and pointed at the ground yelling "COME HERE" She yelled that 4 times, the puppy started to come (throwing calming signals right and left) but the owner yelled again and the puppy went belly up 10 feet away, so what does she do? Walks over, picks him up by his scruff and spanks him, saying 'bad dog'! WTF, I wouldn't come either if I knew that's what I got for letting her catch me. Not to mention that this puppy is left outside all the time, the yard isn't fenced, the puppy is in no way confined (no chain), doesn't wear a collar and the owner doesn't watch him. He obviously isn't trained to come and is just a baby! 

I hate people sometimes. That poor baby getting punished for being afraid and not following through with a command he isn't proofed on.

Two days ago I went over to the BF's to make dinner, his two roommates were in the kitchen talking about how they sometimes felt bad for smacking (their words) their puppies (one is about one year old, the other is less than 3 months) because they give sad faces when they are smacked. The one then says later that he ordered a dog whistle and is going to blow it every time he smacks the puppy, that way the puppy associates the whistle sound with pain and when the puppy cries in his crate the person can just blow the whistle and get the puppy to stop without having to go in the room, take the puppy out of the crate, smack it and put it back.

I cant even...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> Grr, Rant:
> 
> I just watched the neighbor in the house behind me yell at her puppy (probably 3 months old, labXBC mix if I had to guess) then she walked down the steps angry, and pointed at the ground yelling "COME HERE" She yelled that 4 times, the puppy started to come (throwing calming signals right and left) but the owner yelled again and the puppy went belly up 10 feet away, so what does she do? Walks over, picks him up by his scruff and spanks him, saying 'bad dog'! WTF, I wouldn't come either if I knew that's what I got for letting her catch me. Not to mention that this puppy is left outside all the time, the yard isn't fenced, the puppy is in no way confined (no chain), doesn't wear a collar and the owner doesn't watch him. He obviously isn't trained to come and is just a baby!
> 
> I hate people sometimes. That poor baby getting punished for being afraid and not following through with a command he isn't proofed on.
> 
> Two days ago I went over to the BF's to make dinner, his two roommates were in the kitchen talking about how they sometimes felt bad for smacking (their words) their puppies (one is about one year old, the other is less than 3 months) because they give sad faces when they are smacked. The one then says later that he ordered a dog whistle and is going to blow it every time he smacks the puppy, that way the puppy associates the whistle sound with pain and when the puppy cries in his crate the person can just blow the whistle and get the puppy to stop without having to go in the room, take the puppy out of the crate, smack it and put it back.
> 
> I cant even...


OMG ... tro it all :frusty:


----------



## gingerkid

aiw said:


> People seemed so caught up in their momentary inconvenience that they would behave unpredictably and more aggressively around me. If someone is driving cautiously the *last* thing you should do is behave unpredictably. They're trying to stay safe and to keep everyone else safe as well. Don't be *that* guy.
> 
> Nowadays I stick close to the speed limit because I'm on a budget and don't want to worry about tickets, but I think I did take a lesson from my time as a new driver.


Yup, that's drivers here. Aggressive and unpredictable. I do have to laugh at that OMG HAVE TO DRIVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE TO GET TO THE LIGHT THAT JUST TURNED RED. Like, what do they think they're accomplishing?



OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wow Lots of angry drivers in Canada! I didn't expect that, I thought you guys were so good natured!


As long as there's no steering wheel in front of us. Seriously. Drivers in LA were way less insane than the drivers we have here.

ETA: I came to this thread to ask and totally forgot...

Does anyone else's dog lick their junk after something unpleasant ends? Because Snowball licks his groin once or twice immediately after any situation that makes him uncomfortable. Pick him up? As soon as he's on the ground he sits down and licks his crotch. Bath? Shakes water off then licks his crotch. Teeth brushing? He'll sit nice and as soon as I'm done, crotch licking.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Yup, that's drivers here. Aggressive and unpredictable. I do have to laugh at that OMG HAVE TO DRIVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE TO GET TO THE LIGHT THAT JUST TURNED RED. Like, what do they think they're accomplishing?
> 
> 
> 
> As long as there's no steering wheel in front of us. Seriously. Drivers in LA were way less insane than the drivers we have here.
> 
> ETA: I came to this thread to ask and totally forgot...
> 
> Does anyone else's dog lick their junk after something unpleasant ends? Because Snowball licks his groin once or twice immediately after any situation that makes him uncomfortable. Pick him up? As soon as he's on the ground he sits down and licks his crotch. Bath? Shakes water off then licks his crotch. Teeth brushing? He'll sit nice and as soon as I'm done, crotch licking.


Insane yes, angry, not as much. Houston and Dallas ain't much better :/


----------



## BellaPup

Heeheehee - 1st time in three years during my commute, there was a COP sitting at the traffic lights! Every day I see at least four different people run the red lights on this particular stretch of road. I'm not talking a late yellow, or just turning red. I'm talking the light has BEEN red for a good three seconds - and they don't crawl through - they FLY! I almost got creamed a couple times until I smartened up and made sure everyone was stopped. 

Someone finally got caught yesterday. Heeheehee. Sometimes there is a cop when ya need 'em! Heeheehee - that made my night.


----------



## asuna

found 1 black hair on thor....and hes like all blonde hahah


----------



## Chichan

There's been a faint sound of a dog barking for the last two hours.
It sounds hoarse now from all the barking.
I hope everything is okay


----------



## Chichan

gingerkid said:


> ETA: I came to this thread to ask and totally forgot...
> 
> Does anyone else's dog lick their junk after something unpleasant ends? Because Snowball licks his groin once or twice immediately after any situation that makes him uncomfortable. Pick him up? As soon as he's on the ground he sits down and licks his crotch. Bath? Shakes water off then licks his crotch. Teeth brushing? He'll sit nice and as soon as I'm done, crotch licking.


Mine usually does it after he pees.
He's not really old enough to have experienced any very uncomfortable situations


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Chichan said:


> There's been a faint sound of a dog barking for the last two hours.
> It sounds hoarse now from all the barking.
> I hope everything is okay


I didn't even know dogs could get hoarse :/ hope everything is ok.

My vent, anti cigarette commercials ... OK we get it, smoking is bad for us, but its not going to make me quit :/


----------



## Chichan

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My vent, anti cigarette commercials ... OK we get it, smoking is bad for us, but its not going to make me quit :/


My sister says this all the time.
"I know it's bad for me, that doesn't make me any less addicted."


----------



## KodiBarracuda

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I didn't even know dogs could get hoarse :/ hope everything is ok.
> 
> My vent, anti cigarette commercials ... OK we get it, smoking is bad for us, but its not going to make me quit :/


They may, however, prevent someone else from starting smoking.


----------



## Chichan

So kind of cool here, 
one of the people involved in the Heartbleed bug was on my under 18 computer programming team.

http://www.am980.ca/2014/04/16/london-teen-charged-in-cra-heartbleed-data-leak/


----------



## Kyllobernese

I was driving into town yesterday and I saw a deer appear on my left, I slowed down and realized there were about 10 of them. I hit my Flashers and stopped and just hoped nobody ran into the back of me or tried to pass. They all ran across the road and when I looked to the left there were still two little ones (probably late fawns from last year) and they were standing there looking at the fence as the others had all jumped it but they did not think they could. I drove on and just hoped nobody hit them as that particular part of the road has had so many hit on it. I am sure the drivers farther back were wondering what the hold-up was.


----------



## aiw

So I've been staying with my aunt and uncle for a few weeks while I get settled in a new city. They've been kind enough to let me bring Pete out and since they have a dog even occasionally walk them together or let them out. Really great of them and a big help to me. I'm very thankful to have such wonderful people and family as a support system.

That said, my aunt has made a few comments in the past few days that totally rubbed me the wrong way. She mentioned he was following her for a while one evening and has remarked "Pete really seems to like me!" a few times. I always agree, he loves people and naturally he likes someone he's living with who is kind to him. What pissed me off though is today she followed it up with "I think he likes me better than you now!" Twice. 

Who says that?! Its like babysitting a kid and being all "She thinks I'm her mommy now!". And really, he's been here less than 2 weeks - and lived with me more than 2 *years*. Riiiiight. He likes you better. Sure.

Totally petty of me to care about something neither important nor true, and thankfully I just bit my tongue.... but man, did that get under my skin.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My OH says that to when he comes and visits and Josefina and the other dogs follow him around. No, its not that they like you better then me, its that you are new and they haven't seen you in a while, I am sure if the roles were reversed and it was you staying here and caring for them and I came back, they would act the same way. When he is here for a while, they go back to "liking me" better, because I am and always was the primary care giver.


----------



## aiw

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My OH says that to when he comes and visits and Josefina and the other dogs follow him around. No, its not that they like you better then me, its that you are new and they haven't seen you in a while, I am sure if the roles were reversed and it was you staying here and caring for them and I came back, they would act the same way. When he is here for a while, they go back to "liking me" better, because I am and always was the primary care giver.


Yeah... Its super petty of me to get irritated by one comment when they are doing me such a great favor. Just a little momentary crankiness with family, I think. It just hit a nerve since I'm really struggling with planning for Pete's future. His SA has me backed into a corner I don't see a way out of and I'm scared/worried about how to do right by him.


----------



## gingerkid

aiw said:


> So I've been staying with my aunt and uncle for a few weeks while I get settled in a new city. They've been kind enough to let me bring Pete out and since they have a dog even occasionally walk them together or let them out. Really great of them and a big help to me. I'm very thankful to have such wonderful people and family as a support system.
> 
> That said, my aunt has made a few comments in the past few days that totally rubbed me the wrong way. She mentioned he was following her for a while one evening and has remarked "Pete really seems to like me!" a few times. I always agree, he loves people and naturally he likes someone he's living with who is kind to him. What pissed me off though is today she followed it up with "I think he likes me better than you now!" Twice.
> 
> Who says that?! Its like babysitting a kid and being all "She thinks I'm her mommy now!". And really, he's been here less than 2 weeks - and lived with me more than 2 *years*. Riiiiight. He likes you better. Sure.
> 
> Totally petty of me to care about something neither important nor true, and thankfully I just bit my tongue.... but man, did that get under my skin.


Oh, I don't know.... I'm pretty sure Snowball "likes" my mother-in-law better than me... because she is a never-ending font of food for very little (if any effort). I totally agree that its not really... an appropriate comment to make.


----------



## Kathyy

Get used to it, it is pretty universal. My SIL took exception to my MIL who declared she helped raise SIL's daughters. Well MIL had them 8 hours a day, not sure what the problem is, of course she helped. My children's teachers helped raise my children as did anybody they spent time with. And thank you, I appreciate the help.


----------



## momtolabs

I thought it would be a good idea to get between Mia and her ball...bad idea and I'm an idiot -_- my sister and cousin where playing catch and the ball came to me I went to smack the ball and at the same time Mia did. But she missed the ball and got my arm. Ouch. First time she has ever nipped me. Wasn't on purpose. She usually has good aim when going after a ball but the leash was too tight for her to reach if and she got me instead,lol. 

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----------



## Greater Swiss

Got a random question for y'all

If your dog has some soft stool when you are out walking (as in really soft, liquidy) what do you do!? Walking the trails with Caeda and mom the other day Caeda had a bit of diarrhea (probably from the excitement/activity and perhaps a little bit of grass). I came armed with poop bags, that park is a place where I'm always very very insistent on making sure I get the poo, and all of it, but I looked at the diarrhea, and had to leave it, I mean it was liquid. Anybody have any tips on this?


----------



## momtolabs

Greater Swiss said:


> Got a random question for y'all
> 
> If your dog has some soft stool when you are out walking (as in really soft, liquidy) what do you do!? Walking the trails with Caeda and mom the other day Caeda had a bit of diarrhea (probably from the excitement/activity and perhaps a little bit of grass). I came armed with poop bags, that park is a place where I'm always very very insistent on making sure I get the poo, and all of it, but I looked at the diarrhea, and had to leave it, I mean it was liquid. Anybody have any tips on this?


Personally I just leave it. There is nothing you can do really. If I'm not staying Much longer I dump water from my water bottle over it.

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----------



## Greater Swiss

AH thank you, I didn't think of my water bottle. I know there isn't really much I can do...I just felt so bad because I saw old fossilized dog poo melting out of snow banks everywhere and it drove me nuts. I'm going to watch her though for the next few days and make sure her belly is doing alright and that my theory of exercise/excitement causing the diarrhea is right. After the belly issue she had a couple of weeks ago I'm a little paranoid.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Bear had one of his "episodes" as I like to call them last night where he wouldn't stay on his bed and just wouldn't settle. I even tried putting them all out (we went to dinner) for a while after I got back and I know he went to the bathroom. 

He ate his food like normal and everything, but I had to give him a benedryl to get him to calm down and go to sleep :/


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Talking to my neighbor yesterday and she says, "Well we had Belle off leash and she ran over to see some people and the woman started to yell." I guess this woman is really afraid of dogs, but she was causing a scene. But Belle's owner clearly stated later that "you know Belle, she doesn't always listen." THEN WHY DO YOU HAVE YOUR DOG OFF LEASH NEAR A ROAD WHERE PEOPLE DRIVE FAST??!!!! 

One day I tell ya....I'm gonna hear that Belle was hit.


----------



## Flaming

Greater Swiss said:


> Got a random question for y'all
> 
> If your dog has some soft stool when you are out walking (as in really soft, liquidy) what do you do!? Walking the trails with Caeda and mom the other day Caeda had a bit of diarrhea (probably from the excitement/activity and perhaps a little bit of grass). I came armed with poop bags, that park is a place where I'm always very very insistent on making sure I get the poo, and all of it, but I looked at the diarrhea, and had to leave it, I mean it was liquid. Anybody have any tips on this?





momtolabs said:


> Personally I just leave it. There is nothing you can do really. If I'm not staying Much longer I dump water from my water bottle over it.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App





Greater Swiss said:


> AH thank you, I didn't think of my water bottle. I know there isn't really much I can do...I just felt so bad because I saw old fossilized dog poo melting out of snow banks everywhere and it drove me nuts. I'm going to watch her though for the next few days and make sure her belly is doing alright and that my theory of exercise/excitement causing the diarrhea is right. After the belly issue she had a couple of weeks ago I'm a little paranoid.


Pick up a fossilized poo? a poop for a poop, plus the diarrhea is less likely to be an eye sore and it'll either get spread out by rain or something.


----------



## asuna

so ...1 black hair on an all blonde dog...is this something to cause concern? is he gunna change color or?


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Control your dog! You know there is neighbor who owns small animals,& you keep letting your dog run over to there house. You don't even do anything, others need to get your dog. Your dog tried killing there small animal once,& then he tried again. You have been asked why do you keep letting your dog off-leash? Some people


asuna said:


> so ...1 black hair on an all blonde dog...is this something to cause concern? is he gunna change color or?


How old,& what breed?


----------



## asuna

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> How old,& what breed?


1 year ...husky/lab ...


----------



## Greater Swiss

Flaming said:


> Pick up a fossilized poo? a poop for a poop, plus the diarrhea is less likely to be an eye sore and it'll either get spread out by rain or something.


 I actually considered doing that, but as I was thinking I looked around and just in view there was about 5 of them, maybe a 20m radius. Yeah, you're right I should have picked up just one and done my good deed, made a little dent. Looking around though such an uphill battle! I know the staff of the park will be out within a couple of weeks (I think the park opens in May) doing the "grand clean up" (they've got a bunch of downed trees too...big job!), I just said to heck with it. I'm glad there was no one there though (except mom) to see me not even try to pick of Caeda's poop...


----------



## kdawnk

So I've found that I can relate to my puppy more than I thought I could. 
She's in her teething stage, while I happen to be growing a wisdom tooth. So... we're both kind of teething.
Sansa has great difficulty and struggles while I make her swallow a pill and will gag and cough it up no matter what food product I put it in... I can't take a pill without gagging/feeling sick while taking it. If I take gravol while I'm sick and vomity, the pill will ALWAYS make me throw up and I feel better afterwards so I mean... essentially it works.
Also she has no pigment on this little spot on her lip so it's pink instead of black, and I have no pigment on this one spot on my lip so it's white instead of pink. Looks like I had a lip ring or something at some point and took it out, even though I didn't. 

But yeah, I started to notice things. I relate. Haha


----------



## GrinningDog

A horde of neighbor kids came over today to see if Gypsy could play. (She couldn't because she was about to eat dinner.) This is a pretty usual thing during nice weather. Gypsy's friends want to play fetch and do tricks with her and watch us do backyard agility. It's very cute that they love her so much. And she adores her fan club.  I don't know if they've been told that she's moving to FL with me. They'll miss her.


----------



## momtolabs

It's so flipping hard to have a puppy in Tue house and your not the one training it....it is SO stressful for me,lol. I'm so nit picky its driving me nuts -_- My aunt is doing things completely apposite then what I would do and it is so hard not too say something. I have gave some advice but I also want her to find what work for her and Athena. But gosh dang I want to do the training!!! This is a reason I would never be able to have a roommate with a pet,haha. 

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----------



## Kyndall54

Alright, question! Posted this in my other thread but didn't get any response so.. 

For people who've co-owned or bought from breeders before, the fiancee and I have been discussing this. Message is going back for a second breeding next January, and that will be her last litter (her breeder was super excited that 6/8 of her puppies were normal eyed when collie eye effects 80% of the breed). The fiancee doesn't think we should pay her full fee up front, because she won't technically be "ours". I don't mind paying it up front, but I also kind of see where he is coming from. Because I think she will only be officially ours after that second breeding. I guess I'm not sure of the logistics, and I don't want to say anything to offend our breeder. Anyone have thoughts on this?


----------



## Little Wise Owl

I was just made aware that one of Charlie's sisters is being rehomed. It's KILLING ME knowing that I cannot take her in. Like, it's making me sick to my stomach. I want her with me so I know she'll be well cared for and safe but we absolutely cannot bring another dog into the house. I'm trying to get our neighbours (who are in love with Charlie) to adopt her. It's looking good so far but they still need to make the decision.

UGH. She looks exactly like Charlie. What I would give to have two Charlie dogs. lol


----------



## momtolabs

Little Wise Owl said:


> I was just made aware that one of Charlie's sisters is being rehomed. It's KILLING ME knowing that I cannot take her in. Like, it's making me sick to my stomach. I want her with me so I know she'll be well cared for and safe but we absolutely cannot bring another dog into the house. I'm trying to get our neighbours (who are in love with Charlie) to adopt her. It's looking good so far but they still need to make the decision.
> 
> UGH. She looks exactly like Charlie. What I would give to have two Charlie dogs. lol


I know Tue feeling! Mias mom ended up in the local high kill pound :-( I could not take her so I contacted rescues. Luckily a no kill HS took her and adopted her out! 

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----------



## Flaming

not a rant but a rave.
I just scored 30 pounds of free chicken and 20 pounds of elk meat for Manna!!!! wooot!

I might steal some for my meals as well, lol.


----------



## d_ray

So my husband is off on vacation this week. Since he is home all day, we decided to go out for dinner last night. He said he would give Jewel a lot of exercise so that she'd be pooped and I wouldn't have to worry about walking her since he's on vacation. I guess his idea of a lot of exercise is way off. He took her for a 25 minutes bike ride and a 30 minute walk. She usually gets that plus a 2 hour off leash hike. Guess who got woken up at 4 am this morning to Jewel wanting to play. This has never happened in the 10 months we have had her because I am dilligent about satisfying her physical needs. Sigh....men! And he is denying that she woke me up because she didn't get enough exercise. Coffee time.


----------



## Chichan

My friend has a horribly trained-dog aggressive Pom and keeps trying to set up a play date with my dog. I always say, "no thanks" and then she gets offended. Like???????


----------



## Greater Swiss

d_ray said:


> So my husband is off on vacation this week. Since he is home all day, we decided to go out for dinner last night. He said he would give Jewel a lot of exercise so that she'd be pooped and I wouldn't have to worry about walking her since he's on vacation. I guess his idea of a lot of exercise is way off. He took her for a 25 minutes bike ride and a 30 minute walk. She usually gets that plus a 2 hour off leash hike. Guess who got woken up at 4 am this morning to Jewel wanting to play. This has never happened in the 10 months we have had her because I am dilligent about satisfying her physical needs. Sigh....men! And he is denying that she woke me up because she didn't get enough exercise. Coffee time.


Well, if it is any consolation, my DH doesn't seem to calculate "enough exercise" for Caeda the same way I do either, I swear I could have practically written your post lol. 

Last night Caeda was having some tummy problems....she woke ME up with her whining at 4am, on my day off. Guess who didn't wake up, and didn't wake up again an hour later when I was back up with Caeda....After about a week of having Caeda as a puppy, and realizing that he didn't wake up to the sound of her puppy cries, it was pretty much decided...never having a kid lol. 

I gotta give the DH credit though, tonight he covered some of Caeda's play for me, while I was going to take a short relaxation break, and he played tug and fetch with her...all with his left hand because he has a wrist brace on the right (and he is right handed). He tries


----------



## minireb123

Chichan said:


> My friend has a horribly trained-dog aggressive Pom and keeps trying to set up a play date with my dog. I always say, "no thanks" and then she gets offended. Like???????


Lol that is so strange, you would think she's realized by now that her dog hates other dogs and that would be a terrible idea?? I never understand owners who don't understand their own dogs.


----------



## BubbaMoose

I love my Moose boy more than almost anything in this world, but it can be really annoying to have sopping wet slobbery toys tossed on your lap, clothes, and sometimes even bare skin. 

He is constantly bringing me things to try to get me to play with him or toss them for him. It's kind of sweet because he's not forceful at all, he just drops them in my lap and waits until I acknowledge them. The slobber does skeeve me though. 

When I find myself becoming annoyed with him sometimes I just smoosh his big fat lips together. Because it's literally impossible to be annoyed when there is this 6 inches from your face.


----------



## d_ray

Greater Swiss said:


> Well, if it is any consolation, my DH doesn't seem to calculate "enough exercise" for Caeda the same way I do either, I swear I could have practically written your post lol.
> 
> Last night Caeda was having some tummy problems....she woke ME up with her whining at 4am, on my day off. Guess who didn't wake up, and didn't wake up again an hour later when I was back up with Caeda....After about a week of having Caeda as a puppy, and realizing that he didn't wake up to the sound of her puppy cries, it was pretty much decided...never having a kid lol.
> 
> I gotta give the DH credit though, tonight he covered some of Caeda's play for me, while I was going to take a short relaxation break, and he played tug and fetch with her...all with his left hand because he has a wrist brace on the right (and he is right handed). He tries


Glad I'm not alone. He came on our hike last night, although he wanted to cut it short. He tries too. He just thinks that I over exercise Jewel. It's because he works nights so doesn't see what she can be like if she doesn't burn off her energy. Also, he's not the one she wakes up when she's bouncing off the walls at 4am. I think he just sees his friends and neighbourhood people who's dogs are lucky to get 2 walks a day and thinks all dogs are like this. Ummmm we have a 2 year old Catahoula. A couple of leash walks isn't going to make a dent in her energy level.


----------



## d_ray

While I'm on the subject, he also is too nervous to take her off leash hiking unless I'm with him. I've been doing it everyday for 6 months without a single issue. This is the only think that really poops her out so it would be great to come home from work and him have already given her a hike.


----------



## BellaPup

BubbaMoose said:


> I love my Moose boy more than almost anything in this world, but it can be really annoying to have sopping wet slobbery toys tossed on your lap, clothes, and sometimes even bare skin.
> 
> He is constantly bringing me things to try to get me to play with him or toss them for him. It's kind of sweet because he's not forceful at all, he just drops them in my lap and waits until I acknowledge them. The slobber does skeeve me though.
> 
> When I find myself becoming annoyed with him sometimes I just smoosh his big fat lips together. Because it's literally impossible to be annoyed when there is this 6 inches from your face.
> View attachment 149794


LOL!! I know that face!!! You're so right - it is impossible to be annoyed at it - as much as you think you should be.


----------



## Chichan

Greater Swiss said:


> Well, if it is any consolation, my DH doesn't seem to calculate "enough exercise" for Caeda the same way I do either, I swear I could have practically written your post lol.
> 
> Last night Caeda was having some tummy problems....she woke ME up with her whining at 4am, on my day off. Guess who didn't wake up, and didn't wake up again an hour later when I was back up with Caeda....After about a week of having Caeda as a puppy, and realizing that he didn't wake up to the sound of her puppy cries, it was pretty much decided...never having a kid lol.
> 
> I gotta give the DH credit though, tonight he covered some of Caeda's play for me, while I was going to take a short relaxation break, and he played tug and fetch with her...all with his left hand because he has a wrist brace on the right (and he is right handed). He tries


I swear there could a stampede and my husband wouldn't wake-up in the middle of the night. 
He doesn't even wake-up to his own alarm clock. It wakes me up and then I have to 'nudge' him with my foot until he wakes up and turns it off.
He's not very helpful with the pets either. He whines when we have to take the dog out for a walk, and just fills up a kong once a day for him.
He also needs reminding when it's his turn to clean the litterbox. 
It's like living with an overgrown teenager. 
He's gotten better about leaving his clothes on the ground since Chico chews on them, which I'm not discouraging hehehe.


----------



## BubbaMoose

BellaPup said:


> LOL!! I know that face!!! You're so right - it is impossible to be annoyed at it - as much as you think you should be.


Glad I'm not alone! Call me crazy, but sometimes I'll go as far as even taking ribbon that's laying around the house and tying it in a large bow around their necks. It has a similar effect as the smooshed face. 

Like this...








Or this...








Or this...








Or this!








Why doesn't he hate me yet?!


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## d_ray

OMG this is too funny. I need to try this! Although their faces are enough to do it for me!

I could have used this the other day when Jewel puked rotten fish guts all over the beige carpet. She found a dead fish on our hike.......


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## Miss Bugs

people are horrible  we had a dog staying at the kennel for 3 months, the owners had a fire and insurance covered the dogs stay while the house was fixed, a lovley 2 year old golden retriever, sweet dog, GREAT temperament, super playful, everyone fell in love with this dog. so last night his owners came to pick him up, and they walked in yelling about how much they hated this dog, and how awful he is and how dogs do not belong in the city etc.. the girls tried to talk to them, tell them that he is a great dog, if they need help he is more then welcome to come to daycare, and frankly any one of our staff would LOVE to take him home, but they just yelled about how oh how he has a back yard, he doesn't need daycare etc.. etc.. then they had to leash him and drag him out because he refused to leave with them(no kidding!) it was awful, that poor poor dog  everyone watching the local classified ads hoping they will put him up for sale so we can rescue the poor guy  how can people be so awful? like whole staff that was there at the time was in tears :Cry:

here is pics I took of him last thursday


----------



## Greater Swiss

It is critter season. 
After work we let Caeda out, and she zoomed straight over to the shed in the back yard, we noticed a bit of a dug out area near it. We heard a loud squeak, thought it was perhaps a mouse or maybe a bird from behind the shed. 
I went out a little later to let Caeda out and maybe play in the yard a bit. Opened the door from the basement (on the same level as the shed). I saw (and somehow Caeda didn't!) a fat 'ol groundhog, who slipped away under the shed as soon as I called Caeda's name. 
On the up side, this critter looked healthy, unlike the rabid, mangey looking tailless raccoon that was around over the winter.
*sigh* this is going to get annoying, I can already tell.


----------



## CandyLeopard

Miss Bugs said:


> people are horrible  we had a dog staying at the kennel for 3 months, the owners had a fire and insurance covered the dogs stay while the house was fixed, a lovley 2 year old golden retriever, sweet dog, GREAT temperament, super playful, everyone fell in love with this dog. so last night his owners came to pick him up, and they walked in yelling about how much they hated this dog, and how awful he is and how dogs do not belong in the city etc.. the girls tried to talk to them, tell them that he is a great dog, if they need help he is more then welcome to come to daycare, and frankly any one of our staff would LOVE to take him home, but they just yelled about how oh how he has a back yard, he doesn't need daycare etc.. etc.. then they had to leash him and drag him out because he refused to leave with them(no kidding!) it was awful, that poor poor dog  everyone watching the local classified ads hoping they will put him up for sale so we can rescue the poor guy  how can people be so awful? like whole staff that was there at the time was in tears :Cry:
> 
> here is pics I took of him last thursday
> 
> View attachment 150218
> View attachment 150226
> View attachment 150234


What a handsome guy!! It's such a shame that he is stuck with awful people that don't appreciate him at all. Wth? Why do they want him then? That's just so sad and horrible.  

And it's no wonder he didn't want to leave. He finally got to spend time with people who love him. </3


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Man I wish that AMC would show reruns of the walking dead during the offseason , because going five or so months without ANYof my fave show is really hard


----------



## BubbaMoose

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Man I wish that AMC would show reruns of the walking dead during the offseason , because going five or so months without ANYof my fave show is really hard


Agreed. Major TWD withdrawals going on over here!


----------



## Kayota

faxons owners are convinced she is part wolf now... :doh:


----------



## BellaPup

Miss Bugs said:


> people are horrible  we had a dog staying at the kennel for 3 months, the owners had a fire and insurance covered the dogs stay while the house was fixed, a lovley 2 year old golden retriever, sweet dog, GREAT temperament, super playful, everyone fell in love with this dog. so last night his owners came to pick him up, and they walked in yelling about how much they hated this dog, and how awful he is and how dogs do not belong in the city etc.. the girls tried to talk to them, tell them that he is a great dog, if they need help he is more then welcome to come to daycare, and frankly any one of our staff would LOVE to take him home, but they just yelled about how oh how he has a back yard, he doesn't need daycare etc.. etc.. then they had to leash him and drag him out because he refused to leave with them(no kidding!) it was awful, that poor poor dog  everyone watching the local classified ads hoping they will put him up for sale so we can rescue the poor guy  how can people be so awful? like whole staff that was there at the time was in tears :Cry:


Wow....just wow. That's horrible. I'm sorry you've all had to go through that. Hopefully they'll surrender him and he'll be able to put that beautiful smile to good use! Such a beautiful, happy guy. It bothers me every day that animals have no say in anything.


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## Miss Bugs

Haha my mom comes inside from the yard grinning "I LIKE playing fetch with Paisley" rotfl my mom loves Paisley which is funny cuz it took me a whole lotta convincing to even take her for a trial then a lot more convincing to adopt her! Now she totally adores Pais lol


----------



## Greater Swiss

Miss Bugs said:


> Haha my mom comes inside from the yard grinning "I LIKE playing fetch with Paisley" rotfl my mom loves Paisley which is funny cuz it took me a whole lotta convincing to even take her for a trial then a lot more convincing to adopt her! Now she totally adores Pais lol


LOL, that is awesome!!!

I've got a rant and a rave....

Last night we were trying to watch a movie, and we kept hearing this odd loud engine noise (we're used to engine noises, we're on a very busy road, there's always traffic, but this was LOUD and obnoxious). Couldn't figure out what this noise was. Went outside with Caeda after the movie, about 9:30 at night, and we heard that noise again. Looked across the road, and there is a house there, suddenly we saw a dirt bike (with no muffler at all), ripping around the house in their yard. Caeda perked and looked, walked to the end of the deck on that side, sat, let out a chuff and watched intently. SO good. She didn't even look vaguely prone to go check it out or run to it, she didn't even leave the deck, she just sat there, quietly expressed her displeasure (lol) and kept her eyes on the obnoxious. GOOD GIRL! 

I HATE dirt bikes, they go ripping (along with ATVs and such) through the field behind our house, going fast and loud. I just find it so obnoxious that this jerk across the road decided that 9:30 at night was a good time to start tuning and just plain old making noise with his dirt bike (Saturday night or not....seriously! If he had at least had a muffler I wouldn't have been so angry). GRRRRRR. Caeda showed a bit more restraint than I did....DH had to stop me from yelling across the road to tell them to shut it up, I didn't even have to tell Caeda to stay. *sigh* I guess I should be learning from her lol


----------



## Kayota

i once told my neighbors who were riding an atv around midnight that if they didnt stop i would call the police. they rode that thing past my window at all hours and im glad theyre gone.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> OMG this is too funny. I need to try this! Although their faces are enough to do it for me!
> 
> I could have used this the other day when Jewel puked rotten fish guts all over the beige carpet. She found a dead fish on our hike.......


OMG I can smell that through the internet. PU! 

I actually don't mind if OH doesn't help with the pets, it gives me the lead-way to do it like I want ha ha. He wants a dog but he knows thy I am such an overwhelming dog person that they would just gravitate to me lol. Even the dog I don't like likes me


----------



## gingerkid

So, today at the park, I'm pretty sure Snowball was replaced with some kind of herding dog or something... He saw a bunch of large dogs walking towards him (he's met them all before and their people were right there so I wasn't worried at all), and did that thing where border collies lay down and stare at the sheep to keep them in place and stopped the other dogs right in their tracks. They clearly weren't doing what he wanted though, because he tried to take off around behind them, much to the amusement of the humans. I know sometimes dogs lay down as an act of submission, but Snowball has never laid down submissively before and these were all dogs that we've met multiple times because they're regulars at the park at the same time that we go.

And then a few minutes later a lady threw a ball for her poodle right towards Snowball, who saw the other dog running for it and ran to get it himself. So Snowball beat the poodle (who ran right past it) to the ball... and then carried it back to the lady and dropped it and started at her. At which point the poodle returned and snowball got distracted by saying "hi", but it was.... weird. Because normally when he picks up something that is thrown he just throws it around by himself, he doesn't usually worry about going places with it.

I am constantly amazed at the things Snowball does that completely surprise me. He's also given me ideas to teach a proper "fetch" and also well... how hilarious would it be to see an eskie in a herding trial, lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> people are horrible  we had a dog staying at the kennel for 3 months, the owners had a fire and insurance covered the dogs stay while the house was fixed, a lovley 2 year old golden retriever, sweet dog, GREAT temperament, super playful, everyone fell in love with this dog. so last night his owners came to pick him up, and they walked in yelling about how much they hated this dog, and how awful he is and how dogs do not belong in the city etc.. the girls tried to talk to them, tell them that he is a great dog, if they need help he is more then welcome to come to daycare, and frankly any one of our staff would LOVE to take him home, but they just yelled about how oh how he has a back yard, he doesn't need daycare etc.. etc.. then they had to leash him and drag him out because he refused to leave with them(no kidding!) it was awful, that poor poor dog  everyone watching the local classified ads hoping they will put him up for sale so we can rescue the poor guy  how can people be so awful? like whole staff that was there at the time was in tears :Cry:
> 
> here is pics I took of him last thursday
> 
> View attachment 150218
> View attachment 150226
> View attachment 150234


That is horrible! But that being said, what you love about a dog can grate on someone's nerves, we have a dog here like that, she is a great dog and my folks love her, but I cant stand her and I hate to say it but I wouldn't be sad to see her rehomed.


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## Miss Bugs

I feel old... girl at work told a client she got some pics of his dog and they are on Facebook, on our group page, he goes "I don't have Facebook" now this is a young guy, like mid to late twenties, and I was surprised and made a quip about it, he explained that he's a school teacher and his students kept trying to friend him. makes sense, I get that. but then I thought...who the heck friends their TEACHER? I said to my co-workers that it would never even crossed my MIND to friend a teacher when I was in school, or even search one. one of the girls jokes "did that even HAVE Facebook when you were in school?..haha just kidding!"(said in a "you we're alive when dinosaurs roamed the earth" way) and I thought for a moment and realized...she's right, there was no Facebook when I was in school, and now I feel old lol(they also make me feel old when they ask who the heck Fred Penner is, and why 2 dogs being named "Casey and Finnigan" is cute lol)


----------



## Chichan

Doing sprites for a 16-bit turn based style RPG, so tedious.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Random question for y'all
Does it bug anybody else when people insist on calling your dog the wrong sex when referring to them? I know many people who know Caeda, and know she is female, yet insist on calling her "He" when referring to her. It isn't a big thing, but it is one of those things that irks me because I keep wanting to say "You mean she". I think it bugs me largely on the same level that bad grammar and spelling bugs me, and only slightly on the level of ignoring something about her (I do understand that a dog's sex, personality and everything isn't a thing that everybody really cares about)...I dunno. Even some family does that (though they usually catch themselves, despite me never saying anything about it). Just wondering if I'm the only person that finds it a little annoying...


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## jade5280

I've never had anyone insist on calling Ryker the opposite sex, but most people assume he's a girl. I think because he's not very bulky or big. I don't correct people. I just make sure to say "he" when talking to them. If they don't catch on then oh well haha.


----------



## gingerkid

Greater Swiss said:


> Random question for y'all
> Does it bug anybody else when people insist on calling your dog the wrong sex when referring to them? I know many people who know Caeda, and know she is female, yet insist on calling her "He" when referring to her. It isn't a big thing, but it is one of those things that irks me because I keep wanting to say "You mean she". I think it bugs me largely on the same level that bad grammar and spelling bugs me, and only slightly on the level of ignoring something about her (I do understand that a dog's sex, personality and everything isn't a thing that everybody really cares about)...I dunno. Even some family does that (though they usually catch themselves, despite me never saying anything about it). Just wondering if I'm the only person that finds it a little annoying...


If it were people who should know better? Yes, it would bother me. Probably more than it should, but I also get very easily frustrated when people say one thing and mean something entirely different.


----------



## ireth0

Greater Swiss said:


> Random question for y'all
> Does it bug anybody else when people insist on calling your dog the wrong sex when referring to them? I know many people who know Caeda, and know she is female, yet insist on calling her "He" when referring to her. It isn't a big thing, but it is one of those things that irks me because I keep wanting to say "You mean she". I think it bugs me largely on the same level that bad grammar and spelling bugs me, and only slightly on the level of ignoring something about her (I do understand that a dog's sex, personality and everything isn't a thing that everybody really cares about)...I dunno. Even some family does that (though they usually catch themselves, despite me never saying anything about it). Just wondering if I'm the only person that finds it a little annoying...


My family members do this with my cats, despite how many times I've reminded them that they're both girls. Especially Shiloh, maybe the darker colouring has something to do with it, I don't know. But yes, it does irk me.


----------



## kdawnk

Everyone assumes Sansa is a boy. Even when I say her name or call her "she" repeatedly. 
I don't ever say to anyone, "You mean SHE." just because they don't know any better.
Though I do put emphasis on it: "Yeah well she's a big baby. She used to get startled easily, but now she's pretty people friendly." Like OVER-using the words "she, her, girl"
It does bother me a little, usually they apologize (not like a sincere deep apology just a) "Oh how silly of me, pretty lady/girl/sweetie"

My dad can't get my cat's name right to save his life. His name is Flynn (from Tangled: Flynn Rider). He calls him _Finn_ all the time and just missing the _L_ bothers me a ton. Same with when he explains that Sansa's name is from Game of Thrones. He'll always say, "Game of _Thorns_" and it just irritates me so much.


----------



## asuna

im laying down on the couch today andFreya my little kitten comes up and lays down on me and i start petting her...Thor on the other couch gets up...comes over...lays down than takes his arm all "non chalntely" and PUSHES Freya on the floor....

comes up and snuggles with me puts his head down lets out a big sigh...Freya looks up at me like WTF?!

it was funny...but also so true to Thor...he must be the main center of attention...little Sh*t LOL


----------



## Eenypup

My mom always messes up and calls her dog Koby she and then Abilene and Bennie he. It doesn't bother me but I always poke fun at her because of it!

People on the street who ask what her name is always get confused when I say Bennie. They're like oh he's a boy? And I say no, she's a girl named Bennie and they look so confused! I think I'm going to start telling people she was named after the Elton John song and then maybe it'll make sense.


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## gingerkid

Owning a dog is surprisingly challenging when you've voice is temporarily missing due to a nasty throat infection. Thank god it only took one day to teach Snowball to recall to a whistle or we'd be boned.


----------



## GrinningDog

I threw out Gypsy's old crate mat before the move. It was super icky. I thought I'd be an awesome mom and buy her a new one, y'know so she has cush to nap on.

She hates it.

Every night for about four days she'd scratch it up and stuff it into a corner so she didn't have to sleep on it. Then, since I kept spreading it back nicely, clearly not catching on, she balled it up and actually dragged it out of her crate. Haha. Okay, Gypsy.

So I thought, if not a crate mat, we could use it as a floor rug in front of the door to the balcony! Well, she hates it there too. She keeps sauntering up to it, scratching a wrinkle in it, and walking away in a huff. I straighten it out, and she does it again in a few hours. I find it hilarious. And puzzling.

Dogs are weird.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Ran into myself on my walk today. I'm walking my 4 ladies, for those that dont know, this is my pack










As I'm walking we see a group of dogs up ahead, I I thought "oh another pack haha" get close to them, we both look at each other and burst out laughing..her pack was 4 dogs also...2 aussies(a red and a blue) and 2 black and white border collies... it would have been even funnier last year when this was my pack









lol


----------



## Hambonez

We know a bunch of the local dogs at the park we usually go to, and chat with their owners, and Ham is always happy to see his buddies. There is this one dog though who, according to owner report, gets attacked like, on a weekly basis it seems. Someone attacked her at the park, dogs in the neighborhood attacked her, and I'm just thinking there has to be a point where if your dog is actually getting attacked that much, it's probably your fault in some way. Then they go on and on about how scared she is of dogs now because she keeps getting attacked by dogs, but my guess is that she feeds off their neuroses. Now, I don't know their definition of attacked because the dog never appears wounded, but they describe as though she is being mauled. Hamilton has never been attacked by a dog, and we go way more places than they do. He got pounced by an off leash GSD once but I wouldn't call it an attack because the dog was just really poorly socialized, not being mean. I told them that and they were like "OHHH Is he afraid of GSD now?" and I said "Uhhh no?" 

Am I wrong to think they have to be doing something wrong here? And also, that their anxiety is making their dog anxious? I just can't believe any dog would randomly get 'attacked' that much!


----------



## CptJack

Hambonez said:


> We know a bunch of the local dogs at the park we usually go to, and chat with their owners, and Ham is always happy to see his buddies. There is this one dog though who, according to owner report, gets attacked like, on a weekly basis it seems. Someone attacked her at the park, dogs in the neighborhood attacked her, and I'm just thinking there has to be a point where if your dog is actually getting attacked that much, it's probably your fault in some way. Then they go on and on about how scared she is of dogs now because she keeps getting attacked by dogs, but my guess is that she feeds off their neuroses. Now, I don't know their definition of attacked because the dog never appears wounded, but they describe as though she is being mauled. Hamilton has never been attacked by a dog, and we go way more places than they do. He got pounced by an off leash GSD once but I wouldn't call it an attack because the dog was just really poorly socialized, not being mean. I told them that and they were like "OHHH Is he afraid of GSD now?" and I said "Uhhh no?"
> 
> Am I wrong to think they have to be doing something wrong here? And also, that their anxiety is making their dog anxious? I just can't believe any dog would randomly get 'attacked' that much!



Well, if nothing else they're doing something wrong in continuing to put the dog into situations that they know ends badly for the dog.

Honestly, straight up, Jack is a magnet for dogs to beat up on. He's got balls, he's kind of standoffish and I think something in his carriage gets under the skin of other dogs, or he has an invisible 'victim' tattoo on his forehead. Frost does not have this issue, and neither does Thud, both of whom are also intact. He's fine with ours, or any dog that he sees regularly but first meetings with strange dogs? It's like ANY latent dog selectivity comes out. So we, you know, do slow introductions and don't toss him face first at strange dogs. 

It doesn't have to be an more complicated than that for WHY, but at some point you step in and start limiting the opportunity for other dogs to get a piece of yours!


----------



## CptJack

I am getting... really weary of having people volunteer their opinions of Kylie's temperament. She's shy. She's kind of fearful of people. She can be reactive if pushed. She's JUST FINE if people aren't grabbing at her and trying to initiate physical contact, or trying to back her into a corner. She is NOT just fine if they are. It's not ideal. It's not what I want. It is what I have. I've had it for 2 years. She has never been abused or beaten. She was socialized. I'm getting sick of discussing it every time I have her anywhere even remotely public. I know it's not meant badly. I know it's not going to stop.

It still DRIVES ME UP THE FREAKING WALL.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My friend is staying with us and tried to take Gypsy for a run... Gypsy refused. She went 2 blocks with Gypsy constantly turning around trying to go back home before she gave up, turned back home and Gypsy dragged her the whole way back to me.. Gem did this when my uncle tried to taje her running.. when my mom tried to walk Happy she just pulled my mom towards me the entire time( Happy NEVER pulls, she never so much as walks ahead of me)..I think I have a problem..my dogs are far too attached to me lol


----------



## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> My friend is staying with us and tried to take Gypsy for a run... Gypsy refused. She went 2 blocks with Gypsy constantly turning around trying to go back home before she gave up, turned back home and Gypsy dragged her the whole way back to me.. Gem did this when my uncle tried to taje her running.. when my mom tried to walk Happy she just pulled my mom towards me the entire time( Happy NEVER pulls, she never so much as walks ahead of me)..I think I have a problem..my dogs are far too attached to me lol


My inability to get Kylie off my ass is seriously my #1 frustration in training. It's kind of a pain in some ways. But it's nice to be loved!


----------



## Little Wise Owl

Every weekend. EVERY. FREAKING. WEEKEND. My neighbours' either dogsit or have guests over with dogs. This would be fine and dandy but they leave the guest-dogs in the backyard all day and all they do is BARK. They also charge at our fence which makes our dogs go ballistic. We can call our dogs off pretty easily but then we're back with the constant barking... Right now there's a black, standard poodle-looking thing and he's been out all morning barking. All weekend. He wants back inside. WHY ARE THEY NOT LETTING HIM INSIDE.


----------



## Little Wise Owl

Eenypup said:


> My mom always messes up and calls her dog Koby she and then Abilene and Bennie he. It doesn't bother me but I always poke fun at her because of it!
> 
> People on the street who ask what her name is always get confused when I say Bennie. They're like oh he's a boy? And I say no, she's a girl named Bennie and they look so confused! I think I'm going to start telling people she was named after the Elton John song and then maybe it'll make sense.


Is your mom my mom? lmao My mom's first language is Hungarian and they don't' really differentiate between male and female in speech. So she calls Charlie a "he" and Juno a "he" and Yoshi a "she". lol People get really confused with Charlie. They don't get that her name is a nickname of Charlotte and then Mom doesn't help. lol


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## Hambonez

CptJack said:


> I am getting... really weary of having people volunteer their opinions of Kylie's temperament. She's shy. She's kind of fearful of people. She can be reactive if pushed. She's JUST FINE if people aren't grabbing at her and trying to initiate physical contact, or trying to back her into a corner. She is NOT just fine if they are. It's not ideal. It's not what I want. It is what I have. I've had it for 2 years. She has never been abused or beaten. She was socialized. I'm getting sick of discussing it every time I have her anywhere even remotely public. I know it's not meant badly. I know it's not going to stop.
> 
> It still DRIVES ME UP THE FREAKING WALL.


I get similar with Hamilton. Super social at home, super not interested in public. Occasionally he's decide he's BFFs with a stranger (happened the other day, guy asked if he could pet him, I said he could try but he's not keen on strangers... guy crouched down, Hamilton walked right up to him, sniffed him, and happily got pet. NO IDEA!). I think the problem is that people are socialized to think that dogs are some sort of public property, and also that all dogs are labs/goldens. If I want to end the convo quickly when people start telling me about my dog, I say 'He was a rescue' and then they "OHHHH!!" and usually drop it. Nevermind how young he was rescued, and how I socialized him out the wazoo, and how it's just his personality...


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## BubbaMoose

I trade with Moose regularly when I take things away from him, and was highly amused when he attempted to trade with me this afternoon.

I was eating some chips on the couch when he trotted over and plopped his Kong Wubba in my lap. He left it for a few seconds, and then when I didn't respond he picked it up and plopped it in my lap again. He then sat in front of me very still, staring longingly at my chips. When I finished, he reached for the toy which was still in my lap, grabbed it, backed away slowly and headed into another room.


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## Flaming

BubbaMoose said:


> I trade with Moose regularly when I take things away from him, and was highly amused when he attempted to trade with me this afternoon.
> 
> I was eating some chips on the couch when he trotted over and plopped his Kong Wubba in my lap. He left it for a few seconds, and then when I didn't respond he picked it up and plopped it in my lap again. He then sat in front of me very still, staring longingly at my chips. When I finished, he reached for the toy which was still in my lap, grabbed it, backed away slowly and headed into another room.


It never stops, Manna want to trade balls, chews and random junk from around the house all the time for whatever I'm eating.


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## jade5280

I had a pretty amusing morning. I had a banana on the counter that I was going to bring to work. My jerk cat slaps it off the counter and is slapping it while it's on the floor. Ryker sees this and runs over and grabs the banana in his mouth. I tell him to drop it and he drops it and then just starts butt tucking at high speeds while howling all around the house. Lol never thought a piece of fruit could bring such excitement to a cat and dog.


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## Miss Bugs

Most discusting day ever. This great Pyr came in for a groom...the dog was BLACK and ticks were litterally dropping off of him by the dozens. We were not even willing to touch this dog at first, I walked him straight to the walk in shower, tied his leash to the hook, took the sprayer, stood back and hosed him...then squirted tick shampoo on him, rubbed it in with a squeegie brush let it sit, sprayed him down again...THEN aproached the dog to start de-ticking and do another tick shampoo but more thorough. I'm not even squeemish of ticks, I'm usually the person people call to deal with ticks...thats how bad this dog was. He had 5 ticks on a single eyelid and thats how bad i'm talking. We started 2.5 hours ago and he still looks awful. Oh and did I mention he is solid mats as well?


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## kdawnk

Isn't that some form of neglect that the owners can be charged of, or reprimanded in someway for?

That's awful, and tick infestations can be life threatening.
That's just disgusting.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

So, I was babysitting,& we were playing outside. One of the kids ran up to the dog(without asking to pet there dog). I told her "Ask if you can pet her dogs". Age replied "Yes, that's always good to ask. Not all dogs are friendly,& not all like kids".

Every other time I told her to ask, there just like "It's ok, he's friendly! No need to ask.".



Miss Bugs said:


> Most discusting day ever. This great Pyr came in for a groom...the dog was BLACK and ticks were litterally dropping off of him by the dozens. We were not even willing to touch this dog at first, I walked him straight to the walk in shower, tied his leash to the hook, took the sprayer, stood back and hosed him...then squirted tick shampoo on him, rubbed it in with a squeegie brush let it sit, sprayed him down again...THEN aproached the dog to start de-ticking and do another tick shampoo but more thorough. I'm not even squeemish of ticks, I'm usually the person people call to deal with ticks...thats how bad this dog was. He had 5 ticks on a single eyelid and thats how bad i'm talking. We started 2.5 hours ago and he still looks awful. Oh and did I mention he is solid mats as well?


Ugh, that's horrible, poor dog.

I'd be really pissed if they just let there dog get this bad.

Did they just get the dog(from bad situation), or did they just allow there dog to get this bad?


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## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> Most discusting day ever. This great Pyr came in for a groom...the dog was BLACK and ticks were litterally dropping off of him by the dozens. We were not even willing to touch this dog at first, I walked him straight to the walk in shower, tied his leash to the hook, took the sprayer, stood back and hosed him...then squirted tick shampoo on him, rubbed it in with a squeegie brush let it sit, sprayed him down again...THEN aproached the dog to start de-ticking and do another tick shampoo but more thorough. I'm not even squeemish of ticks, I'm usually the person people call to deal with ticks...thats how bad this dog was. He had 5 ticks on a single eyelid and thats how bad i'm talking. We started 2.5 hours ago and he still looks awful. Oh and did I mention he is solid mats as well?


That's terrible! Was it actually someone's pet or was it a stray? Poor thing.


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## Miss Bugs

Its a farm dog, he let it get that bad and his own words were "it looks like I neglect him, I swear I don't" if he hadn't done anything about it, yes I think that could be neglect, the problem is he DID do something about it, he brought it to us knowing it was needed even though we told him it was gonna cost him. It took us 3 hours to BATH him he was so filthy! And we were using heavy duty shampoo at full strength.


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## kdawnk

Miss Bugs said:


> Its a farm dog, he let it get that bad and his own words were "it looks like I neglect him, I swear I don't" if he hadn't done anything about it, yes I think that could be neglect, the problem is he DID do something about it, he brought it to us knowing it was needed even though we told him it was gonna cost him. It took us 3 hours to BATH him he was so filthy! And we were using heavy duty shampoo at full strength.


I wish you had before and after pictures of this guy, would've loved to see his grooming transformation.
He will feel SOOO much better after all of that. He'll sleep well tonight.


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## Miss Bugs

I actually wished I'd taken before/after pics! But it was so nasty my first priority was NOT ending up with a tick infested kennel lol. The dog was super good, he just stood there happily for hours and hours while rotations of 2 strangers(to him) worked on scrubbing him, de ticking him and de-matting him, handed us his feet to do his nails(those were great too, curled into his feet) and didn't fuss at all the whole time, we gave the guy a bit of a discount just because his dog was so good lol


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## Greater Swiss

Its awful that he came in such awful shape, it does sound like neglect, but obviously they did finally do something about it. Its awesome to hear that (other than the ticks) he was good to deal with! Maybe suggest to the owner that if they bring him in regularly and don't let him get in such bad shape it might end up being cheaper in the long run (might not....but hey...).


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## kcomstoc

So apparently Jake is part: wolf/husky/akita/german shepherd according to a lady that lives above us.....I'm not even sure how a dog would be all of those mixes? Also he is still a puppy....My BF said no he's a purebred shiba inu

ETA: OMG that poor great pyr, glad he was such a good boy


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## Greater Swiss

We just moved a HUGE wood pile left on our property by the previous owner....of course underneath is all mulchy old rotten wood (some small chunks of painted stuff that I keep trying to weed out). We need grass there, so I laid down a bunch of fresh soil, and some grass seed. Do ya think I can convince Caeda that she needs to hang out elsewhere? NOPE! Of course she probably seemed to think I was having fun doing all of this raking, tamping, seeding etc (I wasn't). 

I could be a jerk and zap her for it...but I hate doing that, so I started doing some boundary training with her, she seemed to do great, until I turned my back for one second, turned back and there she was standing right in the middle of my fresh soil!! UGH! 

There are two upsides though.....she didn't dig at it, and she didn't go to the bathroom on it, so I guess it could be worse lol.


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## luv mi pets

Miss Bugs said:


> Most discusting day ever. This great Pyr came in for a groom...the dog was BLACK and ticks were litterally dropping off of him by the dozens. We were not even willing to touch this dog at first, I walked him straight to the walk in shower, tied his leash to the hook, took the sprayer, stood back and hosed him...then squirted tick shampoo on him, rubbed it in with a squeegie brush let it sit, sprayed him down again...THEN aproached the dog to start de-ticking and do another tick shampoo but more thorough. I'm not even squeemish of ticks, I'm usually the person people call to deal with ticks...thats how bad this dog was. He had 5 ticks on a single eyelid and thats how bad i'm talking. We started 2.5 hours ago and he still looks awful. Oh and did I mention he is solid mats as well?


I read stories like this and thank all the whatevers luck charms that I no longer groom. Nor do I do human hair anymore. Thank the good lord when I read these stories. although a couple of times a year we will have a dog show up with maggot infestations. I just can not imagine how a owner can let this happen. Farm dog or not, dogs still need to be taken care of. I have farm dogs yet I still bathe them and give them monthly HW pills and flea tick preventive 

Thanks for at least making the dog feel good for a couple of days.


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## GrinningDog

Today, my husband and I drove around our new city, checking out local human parks and dog parks. We basically did drive-bys, though at a couple, we got out and peeked past the fence or whatever. We went to this one cool dog park I'd heard about. We parked in a "5-min Parking" spot, walked over to look at the dog park, then walked over to the dog swim area, then got back in our car... To find a parking ticket attached to the window! 

Were we there more than 5 minutes? I REALLY don't think so. If we were, it was very close. I'll be calling to contest the ticket on Tuesday. But I'm furious. Ruined my whole excitement over the darn park.


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## Miss Bugs

dog people are great  today I got a call from my dog trainer..asking if we can take a dog on a emergency basis for an unknown stay, this dogs owner lives out of his car, and suddenly came down very sick..like needed to be hospitalized, but he refused to go unless his dog was taken care of, so a lady in the club I train with works at the place where the guy had stopped in for help, she said she would find some place for his dog, because he needed hospitalization NOW, so she called our trainer for help, she called her friend who used to work with a local rescue, who told her to call my work, my trainer was like "oh duh..Shayna works at that kennel!" so she called me to explain the situation, I said yup, that's fine, we can take him until his dad gets better, and all these people in the dog community jumped in and offered to pay for this dogs stay so his homeless daddy can get better without worrying about his dog  

**on a hilarious note, as he was being dropped off the lady goes "I know nothing about him, I know his name and he's a boy, I'm not even sure if he's fixed or not" well, he's a boy that's a simple check lol I reach under him quick, go "yup, he's fixed" and another customer who WATCHED ME DO THIS looked at me confused and said "how can you tell??"


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## Flaming

Well today was Manna's first ever bike run. We practised a lot in the yard first but today I though, "lets try going to my mothers house" 

Well apparently my sidewalk training is going well because she didn't want to run on the road, she wanted to pull towards the sidewalk. But other than that This 130 pound girl can balance with a 135 pound dog attached to a bike, and Manna thankfully, didn't try to kill me. Even when we drove through a big group of ducks, who weren't too happy with us. 

The run lasted just under 10 minutes and the only problem we had was when this over weight reactive offleash dog rushed us and nearly took Manna and my bike from out underneath me. 

Owner no where to be found so sad to say, my steel toed boots had a use today. 

But other than that, Manna knows; stop, slow, left and right pretty good and I think bikejoring is going to be our eventual future.


edit to add that the offleash dog was probably around 90 pounds of fat and teeth, looked like a yellow lab with blubber


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## gingerkid

It's been a weird morning. Snowball woke us up at 5am this morning howling; like, proper coyote/wolf, headback howling. Howled once, whuffed, and then was quiet. 

Then this morning when we went for a walk, the cat snuck out with hubby and SNowball while I was tying my shoes... in the 20 seconds it took me to finish tying my shoes, the cat had either killed or found a dead bird on the deck and was throwing it around playing with it. Blech.


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## BubbaMoose

A completely demolished coffee table and shattered glass all over your living room floor is REALLY fun to deal with, especially past 10pm. 

Seriously though guys. If you haven't experienced it already you should go buy a piece of crap coffee table from Mor Furniture and set a few drinking glasses (filled to the brim with sticky liquid if you're really feeling daring) on it and just wait for the fun to ensue.


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## Sarah~

Everyone is mad at me because I asked for somebody to come out and check my truck for spiders before I left for work  I almost wrecked the last time a spider was in my car, they are really bad here right now I just want to be safe! I know it's silly but they scare me to death!


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## Greater Swiss

SO busy trying to get the house ready to go on the market. To make matters worse DH's back went out, so he wasn't able to help much this weekend (the only weekend we had available together to put in a new tub surround!). It is beautiful weather out and poor Caeda isn't getting the attention or exercise she deserves since we're so busy. Normally I'd put everything aside and go have some fun with her....good for her and me! Unfortunately we're on such a time crunch it is proving hard to do. Feeling so guilty and stressed  Going to have to take at least one day after work this week, say to heck with it and dedicate the entire evening to her. Maybe I should practice her "put it away" trick with her and see if I can get her to help clean the garbage out of the yard...nah....she might get something dangerous. No winning.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Its a farm dog, he let it get that bad and his own words were "it looks like I neglect him, I swear I don't" if he hadn't done anything about it, yes I think that could be neglect, the problem is he DID do something about it, he brought it to us knowing it was needed even though we told him it was gonna cost him. It took us 3 hours to BATH him he was so filthy! And we were using heavy duty shampoo at full strength.


 I used to bathe and brush my LGD myself when he was alive, at first he didn't like it but we did the "tough love" routine where I just tied his head to a sturdy tree and we got it done. Not ideally how I like to handle things but it was for his own good.


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## Remaru

It is summer. I know that isn't a shocking revelation but it is hot and humid and soooooo miserable here and it is just going to get worse. Makes is unpleasant to get the dogs out for any kind of meaningful exercise. I need to work with Remus and Freyja on LLW but I don't want to go outside. Plus the bugs are here. I hate when the bugs get here. Mosquitoes and beetles and all the icky crawly things. How did this not bother me when I was a kid? It has rained almost every other day for 2 weeks. My yard won't dry and it feels like a sweaty armpit out there. It is just gross. That is all I have to say.


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## d_ray

It's 97f right now and I couldn't be happier. Just went for a 5k run. I need to take advantage of this weather while it lasts.


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## Remaru

It is only 90 here but 50% humidity and a high UV index meaning it isn't considered safe to be outside mid-day (our air quality is also level orange today, already). That is the trade off for having winters that we can be outside pretty much every day (assuming no thunder storms) we have summers where you can't go outside unless you want to go to the beach/lake and even then you need to be mindful of the air quality and UV index. I have to get up super early or wait until the sun has been down for a couple of hours, particularly for poor Duke.


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## BellaPup

Sarah~ said:


> Everyone is mad at me because I asked for somebody to come out and check my truck for spiders before I left for work  I almost wrecked the last time a spider was in my car, they are really bad here right now I just want to be safe! I know it's silly but they scare me to death!


ROFL - sounds like me!! I always do a spider check before I get in the car. Last time I didn't, I was going 45 mph on Rt 1 and saw a big yellow spider on my dashboard walking RIGHT AT ME!!!!!!! I grabbed a half-empty Sprite bottle, _WHACKED_ it....and missed. So I was in a ditch, covered in sticky Sprite and a pissed off spider still in my car somewhere. 

It's funny now, but I can tell ya it wasn't then! And the buttons on my dash were forever sticky...


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## Miss Bugs

next week I am going on a road trip, 7 days with 5(4 of them large) dogs...because we're going to be on the road with 5 dogs for so long, raw isn't happening, and I can't afford freeze dried or dehydrated raw for the that many dogs for that long, its too expensive. so I calculated how much kibble I was going to need...1 30lbs bag of kibble will BARLEY last me the 7 days... holy smokes I am glad I don't feed kibble all the time!! which the price of dog food here, it would cost me $60-$80 a week!


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## Greater Swiss

Miss Bugs said:


> next week I am going on a road trip, 7 days with 5(4 of them large) dogs...because we're going to be on the road with 5 dogs for so long, raw isn't happening, and I can't afford freeze dried or dehydrated raw for the that many dogs for that long, its too expensive. so I calculated how much kibble I was going to need...1 30lbs bag of kibble will BARLEY last me the 7 days... holy smokes I am glad I don't feed kibble all the time!! which the price of dog food here, it would cost me $60-$80 a week!


WOW, so I guess that would be a pretty solid confirmation for me that raw is cheaper! I can't wait until the house sells and we get my grandmother's.....there is a meat grinder there that I don't have a good space to use here (but might there!). I really gotta get off my butt and get back into the research and make a bit of a "meal plan" for Caeda! I want to switch the cats to raw too (if the kibble-addict will eat it). 

The spider thing is making me laugh. I'm the designated spider killer in my home (unless I sic the cats or Caeda on it). DH can NOT handle spiders. He will take care of centipedes and millipedes for me though (thankfully! they make me squeal like a little girl and run away...I just saw one while I was doing some yard work and quit since DH isn't home to take care of it).


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## Miss Bugs

> WOW, so I guess that would be a pretty solid confirmation for me that raw is cheaper! I can't wait until the house sells and we get my grandmother's.....there is a meat grinder there that I don't have a good space to use here (but might there!). I really gotta get off my butt and get back into the research and make a bit of a "meal plan" for Caeda! I want to switch the cats to raw too (if the kibble-addict will eat it).


lol I pay like less then $40 for 2 weeks of raw meat for all my dogs(including my moms dogs, who are NOT included on the travel plans) but that doesn't account for kibble meals they get at work which only costs me about $30 a month, so between the 2 I am currently paying like $110 or less a month to feed 7 dogs raw with some kibble vs $240-$320/month to feed only 5 dogs just kibble, that's a HUGE difference!!


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## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> It's 97f right now and I couldn't be happier. Just went for a 5k run. I need to take advantage of this weather while it lasts.


THIS, it's finally FINALLY hot and I love it!

My vent is how people behave on the internet, it's both annoying and amusing at the same time. That and the clique factor of other forums kind of pisses me off


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## momtolabs

Dear stupid people: When you advertise your "pure bred standard poodle for breeding on a page that is filled with rescue people you better be prepared for some not so nice comments.....

that is all have a good day!



But seriously? I was banging my head off the table,lol. Oh and the best part? The dog is a DAUGHTER to SI's poodle on duck dynasty!


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## Remaru

Ughh....

If you are sensitive don't read beyond this point, just skip my post. I just need to post this to deal with it. 

******************************************************************************

So hubby, the kids and I took Freyja out to run some errands and get her some socialization. No big deal, we do it all of the time. I wanted to go by Petsmart to buy some more treats (we do through them like water with so many dogs to train) and talk to the trainer about options for Dove. Between walking around working with Freyja (she did exceptionally well after the first few minutes of, OMG so many people and dogs I must lick them ALL) and spending a good bit of time talking with the trainer (Dove starts classes next month, the rest were booked but they are all positive and the trainer who trained Duke will be doing them) we were there a long time. 

On the way home we were stopped when the car in front of us slammed on its breaks. The car in front of it had its hazard lights on and no one was moving. We sat there for a moment wondering what was going on, was it a wreck, stalled vehicle? A police officer pulled up with his lights flashing but no siren. He sat for maybe 3 minutes, not long at all when a woman stepped away from the car and you could see she was crying. Hubby said "oh no, something isn't right here." Then the doors on the car closed and it pulled away. It became very clear that it was not a stalled vehicle, and there was no other car. The police officer got back in his car, turned off his lights and drove away leaving a man standing by the side of the road next to a woman who was sobbing uncontrollably. The car in front of us started moving and as we passed I could see the woman was kneeling over the body of a tiny yorkie. I don't really want to think about what happened. It has been bothering me all evening. I am glad the boys did not see.


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## Foresthund

I got worried Raggy's toe got broken yesterday while playing flirt pole. He skidded a few feet and suddenly screamed in pain. I was planning on the vet and everything but after about 15 hours he no longer has pain in it so I think it was just a muscle pull. I will still keep a eye on it though sense it seemed like a extra bad reaction compared to small injuries like that in the past.
Right now I think my computer needs fixing instead,too bad I lack money for it. It keeps blue screening and having trouble starting,it's only two years old as well. I have bad computer luck.

Weather-has been good lately 70-80F,which I actually prefer but I`m still paranoid that it will rain this weekend sense I`m going to one of the rare outdoor agility competitions around here. I like to take photos and have a new camera,but still not a good enough camera to take agility photos in a dark,dusty barn without flash. I don't even want to look at the weather for the weekend,if it says it will rain it will just make me feel worse. Plus even if it does say it will rain theirs a chance it might be okay some of the time at least,you never know. I don't really consider it actual summer yet,not until the end of this month,it can still get pretty rainy in June. Although I have been getting ants,sigh. Ants,flies and moths are the biggest pain here,luckily we do not get ticks.


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## Greater Swiss

Miss Bugs said:


> lol I pay like less then $40 for 2 weeks of raw meat for all my dogs(including my moms dogs, who are NOT included on the travel plans) but that doesn't account for kibble meals they get at work which only costs me about $30 a month, so between the 2 I am currently paying like $110 or less a month to feed 7 dogs raw with some kibble vs $240-$320/month to feed only 5 dogs just kibble, that's a HUGE difference!!


WOW!!! I'm sure it would calculate a little bit different here, depending where I source my meat and such, but so long as I do take time to find the place with good prices around here I'm sure it'll still end up being WAY cheaper than kibble!!! Pretty compelling argument for raw (along with the health of it of course). Just gotta get us settled in the new place (I hope this place sells quick!), and organize myself for prep time and I'm definitely going to be making a serious attempt at going raw!


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## mountain.dreams

Remaru said:


> It is summer. I know that isn't a shocking revelation but it is hot and humid and soooooo miserable here and it is just going to get worse. Makes is unpleasant to get the dogs out for any kind of meaningful exercise. I need to work with Remus and Freyja on LLW but I don't want to go outside. Plus the bugs are here. I hate when the bugs get here. Mosquitoes and beetles and all the icky crawly things. How did this not bother me when I was a kid? It has rained almost every other day for 2 weeks. My yard won't dry and it feels like a sweaty armpit out there. It is just gross. That is all I have to say.


I understand your pain--it's been like that here, too! Regularly over 90 with 100% humidity and it's been flash flooding and thunderstorming for the past week. I'm headed up to Utah this weekend to see a couple of friends and I'm insanely excited for the weather alone!


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## d_ray

We are above 90% humidity also, but we always are in the summer here. It's my fav weather. I'm shocked by how many people in my city won't even take their dogs out in this weather. This is typical Ottawa summer. These are the same people who wouldn't take their dogs out in the cold weather.


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## OwnedbyACDs

We can get humid here and the air temp can go over 100, I work outside I don't have a choice. In the morning we try to gallop all our horses before it gets too hot and we have fans in their stalls. In the afternoons is when it gets pretty darn hot but I am not complaining, I would rather be too hot than too cold lol

I had to comment on this: someone hit someone's dog??? How horrible!  I wouldn't be crying, I would be postal!


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## Remaru

Yes it will be 110 when summer really hits, usually for a full month at least. I don't mind once it actually gets dry, it is that wet feeling on your skin, sort of pressing in on you and sticky that bothers me. I also burn very easily and we have poor air quality starting about now and on through at least September because of being between two large cities which is sad. The kids would love to swim and of course the dogs want to get out but I don't want anyone hurting themselves. I actually take a medication that causes me to be cold all of the time so I don't really mind the heat so much. The only issue is that I don't sweat and I can't tell when I am overheating so I have to be really careful when it is hot. I work part time as a large equipment mechanic and have to be super aware when I am out on a job in the middle of summer. I can get super sick without even realizing I am warm. Luckily my boss is my friend and knows. I also feel fine sitting outside and then freeze walking into buildings with their AC running but feel like a crazy person carrying a coat. LOL

I didn't see what happened, just the aftermath. I hate to jump to conclusions and place any blame but the driver was stopped with their hazards on and the doors of their vehicle open and at one point it looked like everyone was out. That was why we initially thought the vehicle was stalled or it was some sort of collision. This was a busy road next to an apartment complex where there is a little dip, then rise then dip, visibility isn't great. Many people from the complex walk their dogs on the stretch of grass near the road to do their business and from time to time you see some of them off leash. The little dog did not appear to be leashed. I don't want to assume anything though, the dog could have escaped from the owner's car or apartment and easily slipped through the fence of the apartment complex. With the way the street is, I am sure the driver did not hit the dog on purpose. It is just such a dangerous area for such a tiny little animal.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Yeah I'm all like "yay heat!!!" I am a very cold blooded person, I get cold if I go into a building and the AC Is too cold lol.

About the dog. Still, I feel sorry for the poor owner, hope the dog didn't just run out into traffic. Poor dog and poor owner


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## Miss Bugs

People need to research breeds before they get them. Seriously, I had a phone call reguarding training today, lady is describing a dog who is fearful and standoffish, but she's describeing the problems like "he won't run up to people who coax him over" and "he doesn't want to run and play with other dogs" in addition to the fearful nature...the dog is a mastiff x GSD. Before even giving her a trainer referral I told her to readjust her prioritys, this dog is not a golden retriever and its not fair to expect him to be. He needs work to be confident and not react, but expecting him yo be mister social is not a good idea. Later in the conversation she tells me this dog replaced her lab, and she was clearly expecting this dog to act like her lab lol. She said from now on she's sticking to labs lol


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## Miss Bugs

deleting facebook comments should not be a thing.... a client asked a question about a dog pictured on our daycares facebook group, another girl, who is a friend of mine responded, but answered the question very incorrectly, I responded playfully teasing my friend, and then asking which dog the OP was referring too as there was like 5 dogs in the pic(it was a question about a specific dogs breed)..but then my friend abruptly deleted her comment making it suddenly look like my response was directed at the client...my response that had been teasing my friend...! all of a sudden it read like I was taunting a client!! when I checked back and saw my friends comment gone I was horrified! I was freaking out and responded again, like "OMG I'm not a horrible person I swear!! I'm so sorry, my post was NOT meant to sound that way!!" lol


----------



## Kyllobernese

Walked the dogs today and now have black fly bites on my head. You never feel them bite you like you do with mosquitos, but you end up coming up in big bumps that do itch later on. I am going to have to start wearing a hat and more bug spray. The dogs had a good time though as they love running loose out in the fields with us.


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## Sarah~

BellaPup said:


> ROFL - sounds like me!! I always do a spider check before I get in the car. Last time I didn't, I was going 45 mph on Rt 1 and saw a big yellow spider on my dashboard walking RIGHT AT ME!!!!!!! I grabbed a half-empty Sprite bottle, _WHACKED_ it....and missed. So I was in a ditch, covered in sticky Sprite and a pissed off spider still in my car somewhere.
> 
> It's funny now, but I can tell ya it wasn't then! And the buttons on my dash were forever sticky...


I was driving the other day and one just kind of dropped down slowly and dangled in my face from my... Omg what's it called?? The thing on the ceiling you pull down to keep the sun out of your eyes?? Wow I can't believe I just totally blanked on what that's called.... Anyways, I of course start screaming my head off and almost wreck into the cars in front and back of me while I stomp on my brakes, jump out of the passenger side onto the side of the road, and do that crazy "I HAVE A FREAKING NASTY SPIDER ON ME" dance! It was just a little one but I am DEATHLY afraid of them. 

And, I am horrified, I really just saw someone tell someone else it was a good idea to use an E-COLLAR on their 10 WEEK OLD PUPPY.... per their vet's advice.... But only on the low setting, guys. :what::what:


----------



## KodiBarracuda

So there's this thread on facebook... Someone has a "vicious" 9 week old Lab puppy. 2 people have said get rid of it, 1 person said when it bites grab the bottom jaw till the puppy "gags or whines", three people said hold it down til it submits and one person said if holding it down doesn't work then bite its ear. The last person claims to be an expert on labs and has done this with both his labs (who he claims to breed) and with horses. WTF.


----------



## momtolabs

Mia has not got into the trash for 3 months. She was doing great,until last night. I woke up and there was crap all over the place -_- I'm thinking its because I dumped food in there before going to bed and I was too lazy to take the trash bag outside to the outside trash can,lol. She still didn't have too drag everything out nd. Make a huge mess  


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## Kayota

when moby was staying with me he got loose and pulled a bunch of crap off the counter... didnt eat it, just threw it around. pears, yoohoo drink boxes... lol that was a fun thing to come home to.


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## jade5280

KodiBarracuda said:


> So there's this thread on facebook... Someone has a "vicious" 9 week old Lab puppy. 2 people have said get rid of it, 1 person said when it bites grab the bottom jaw till the puppy "gags or whines", three people said hold it down til it submits and one person said if holding it down doesn't work then bite its ear. The last person claims to be an expert on labs and has done this with both his labs (who he claims to breed) and with horses. WTF.


 Honestly all you have to do is google "lab puppy" and a million sites will come up saying that they are very nipping and that it's NORMAL. Why can't people even put that much effort into researching a puppy/dog breed before they bring it home.


----------



## Miss Bugs

That akward moment when your celebrateing your last day of work before heading to BC on vacation and you think "oh crap, I wont be back yet for fathers day, I should let my dad know" and suddenly HE texts YOU with "hey, im headed to BC tomorrow...." rotfl


----------



## kdawnk

Sarah~ said:


> I was driving the other day and one just kind of dropped down slowly and dangled in my face from my_*... Omg what's it called?? The thing on the ceiling you pull down to keep the sun out of your eyes?? Wow I can't believe I just totally blanked on what that's called.... *_Anyways, I of course start screaming my head off and almost wreck into the cars in front and back of me while I stomp on my brakes, jump out of the passenger side onto the side of the road, and do that crazy "I HAVE A FREAKING NASTY SPIDER ON ME" dance! It was just a little one but I am DEATHLY afraid of them.
> 
> 
> 
> The word you were looking for here was _visor_ and the fact you couldn't remember it left me sitting here for 5 minutes trying to remember the word.
> I don't have many problems with spiders (*knock on wood*) but moths... Dear god my last car had like a gathering of moths in it at all times. I just roll down all windows and hope for the best as the wind acts like a suction vacuuming out the car. And they ALWAYS fly from somewhere miscellaneous and slam their hairy, powdery bodies repeatedly against my face. NOT COOL.
Click to expand...


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## BubbaMoose

Apparently Moose can let himself out of his crate now. It happened earlier this week when I had him in there and was cleaning. I found a tennis ball under the couch (Moose's absolute most favorite thing in the world) and gave it to Bubba to play with. Well apparently he broke out of his crate in the middle of his temper tantrum over Buster getting a ball without him, didn't see or hear it happening though because the vacuum was on, but suddenly he appeared in front of me. He was all wiggly and excited but also acting really confused like, "I don't know how this happened Mom! I was just being a wild brat throwing a temper tantrum and banging on the door and it opened! So awesome!"

I figured it was just a fluke. But then this morning I woke up and there was a little Moose cuddled on my floor looking up at me, smiling! So weird. I did a walk through around the house to make sure nothing was left out that could have harmed him and that there was no damage done. Everything was fine. Crate was wide open though. Again I heard nothing, and neither did my SO. Guess Moose is getting better at this!

First step is latching the bottom part of his crate, (I only ever had to latch the top), next step will be purchasing a could of carabiners. My smart boy!


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## Miss Bugs

leaving tonight on a 7 day road trip with my pooches! so excited!! we'll mostly be hiking and camping but we are stopping at a Toller breeders place for 1 night, so I get to stay in a sea of Tollers  I think that's what I am most excited about lol, I miss having a Toller around so bad! all my co-workers keep asking if I will be coming home with a new puppy lol I keep having to explain to them that its not like there is rows upon rows of available puppies I can just walk in a choose from! I am just visiting the breeder lol


----------



## Kathyy

Ginger and I went for an overnight trip this weekend. Stayed with my sister and then went for a drive in the mountains. Except for jumping over the edge of the patio onto the roof of the unit below which got her locked in the house for the rest of the visit Ginger was an angel, very little barking, sticking with us off leash at our little walks in the wild and being absolutely the best traveler in the car. I had a blast, springtime means flowers even during a horrible drought and the temperature was in the mid 70's, warm enough so the Jeffrey pines were making the whole forest smell like vanilla caramel. I had forgotten that the invasive Scotch broom we see lower down the mountain smelled like grape too. We had knots in our hair after driving with the windows down all day!


----------



## Greater Swiss

Not really dog related but....
DH's back was sore one day after work about a week and a bit ago. Next day at work, tried to pick something up, BOOM. Back stopped working. Came home, didn't go to a doctor (typical). Took the following Monday off, then went back to "light" duty at work (not allowed to lift too much, but his work is still pretty physically demanding). Stayed the rest of the week, sore as heck....Last night he woke me up almost every hour grunting and hurting. Finally at about 4:30 he tried to get out of bed and hollered. Couldn't stand. It took a while but I got him dressed and got him to emergency. I of course started work at 8:00 this morning.....to make matters worse I'm absolutely beat because my previous two days at work were 12 and 13 hours long and physically (and psychologically) draining. I managed to sneak out of work for half an hour (took lunch early) to bring him back home (yay for being the only employee in the department today and no cases scheduled!).\

So, here I am now, finally on "days off", DH can hardly do a thing, we're trying to get our house ready for sale (the real estate agent is coming this week to do pictures and finalize the paperwork), there is tons to do because I couldn't chip away at stuff after work for a couple of days. Lawn and house are a mess. One silver lining though...he CAN throw the ball for Caeda for fetch, and the doctor told him to take a week off of work...his only physical activity to do a lot of: walking. It'll have to be off leash in safe spots, but at least he can exercise Caeda and keep an eye on her for me while I take care of the rest of life....SO STRESSED, but at least Caeda will be happy.


----------



## Remaru

Just feeling like a kind of crappy pet owner right now and need to get it out. 

Things are going down hill quickly with Duke. We have an appt for a second opinion on him (second vet, more blood work and tests, who knows). In the mean time he growled at me when I took hold of his collar to lead him out of the kitchen. I know some dogs don't like that but this is Duke, he has never cared if I took his collar before, in fact he usually wags his tail and gives me the "are we going somewhere good" look. He was laying in the entry way napping when Dove walked through the living room and he suddenly jumped up and started growling and snapping at her for no reason. He heard something, a bump in another room, the neighbor's car, I don't know and redirected on Remus who was sleeping close to him. So now he has to spend most of his day locked in the entry way. The gate really isn't enough to keep him contained if he felt like getting loose (Pippin can take it down, he has accidentally climbing on it before) but it is enough of a barrier that he doesn't challenge it. I just don't know what to do. 

Then Dove started feeling a bit ill. She was acting fine but she vomited. Not out of the ordinary for her we just watched her. She had some diarrhea, still not too odd she was eating and acting normal. She had two or three good days though she begged to go out frequently everything looked fine until Monday night she had bloody diarrhea so we made her an appt for the next evening. I thought it was her anal glands, nope. The vet couldn't find anything wrong with her at all. All of her tests came back fine. He did express her glands just in case but they were fine too. He said it looked like she was eating some weeds around the yard that made her sick. So bland diet and antibiotics just in case but she should be better soon. We just have to keep her from eating the junk in the yard (it is impossible to kill off the Dallas Grass, or whatever that stuff is, that is what everyone here calls it). 

Well as soon as hubby got home from the vet with Dove little Miss Halloween wandered out of the bathroom where she had been hanging out most of the day gaurding her food (because she is afraid Pippin will steal it, he does do that). She was crying at me, I assumed begging for more but when I looked at the floor I noticed a mess. I picked her up and she was covered in something. We called the vet but they couldn't get her in, made and appt for first thing this morning. She is at the vet now waiting for her emergency spay, she has pyometra. The vet said it isn't common in young cats (she isn't even a year old yet) but it was good we got her in so fast, most people he sees wait for days until their cat stops eating. I feel terrible, it wasn't like we hadn't planned to spay her but every time we tried to schedule it something came up. We usually take the animals to the low cost center and so hubby has to take time off of work. Each time he had the time to take off Halloween would some how manage to get sick, upper respiratory infection, reaction to her food, and now she needs emergency surgery because we didn't get her taken care of. We were planning to wait until Freyja was at least 12months to get her spay done but now I'm not sure I want to do that.


----------



## Miss Bugs

As we sit in at the car repair shop, my mom comes out and starts explaining to me in detail whats wrong and our options and asks ne my opinion..now my knowledge on cars is this :we have an orange van.. I know nothing and don't care too. My brother then quips "what was the point in her explaining it to you? What with Your infinite knowledge from your past life as a mechanic before being reincarnated as a Caucasian?" ... and I died laughing lol


----------



## Little Wise Owl

So this is a gross/sad rant... lmao

Charlie has this habit of stopping midway down the stairs. To keep her going I kick/nudge her in the butt because she won't budge otherwise... Well, I did it last night and I suddenly felt a wetness on my big toe... Yeah. Poop. All over my big toe (and under the nail)... I then had to wipe her butt because I guess she had a dangler and go wash my toe in the tub and cry.

So yeah.

):


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## gingerkid

Volunteering this week was about as hard as it's ever been. Stuff usually doesn't get to me there, but this week...

One of the staff members found a dog a few weeks ago outside her apartment building, turned it in as a stray to AC (with a special consideration on her in case the owners couldn't be found). The dog sat in AC for two weeks and they spoke to the owners at least twice. The first time the owners said they "might" come get her; the second time they said the dog wasn't worth the fines. So she came over to our shelter to be assessed, have some basic medical stuff done, and she was here for over a week... but the supervisors made the staff member remove the special consideration because the shelter is at capacity so they can't keep an adoptable dog in the shelter any longer than necessary and the staff member is still in a no-pets apartment, so the dog went up for adoption. But the staff member is moving in a couple of weeks to a house, and a friend of hers saw how heart broken she was and asked if any of the volunteers could pet sit for two weeks until she moves into her new house. So I found the staff member when I was there on Wednesday and we talked about it and she went to fill out the paper work to officially start the adoption, and that afternoon the owners showed up, saying that they couldn't adopt out _their_ dog. (To be perfectly clear, by law once the stray hold is up and the dog is transferred to our shelter it is legally the shelter's property). But they didn't have the money to pay the fines/fees to reclaim her, so they'd go get the money and come right back that evening. But they didn't come back that evening. They didn't even come back the next day. They didn't call, nothing. So yesterday, the staff member completed the paper work, and was literally about to take the dog home when the owners finally showed up to pay the fines and whatnot.

I just... I can't even. I really hurts my heart to see someone who cares so deeply about all animals, and who feel absolutely in LOVE with this dog get messed around so much. Especially since the family originally said that the dog wasn't worth it and that they weren't coming to get her.... I can't even fathom.

And then, if all that weren't enough, one of my favourite dogs, a young (1-2 years) lab, who was adopted a few weeks ago got returned. The reason? "Disobedience and hyperactivity". SURPRISE! Dogs need training and exercise! Who would have ever thought! UGH. She was definitely not hyperactive... not for a lab. Not compared to some of the psychos that we get (and I'm using "psycho" in the most endearing way possible). Luckily she went back up for adoption right away and was adopted again yesterday. I hope she found her forever home this time.


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## aiw

gingerkid said:


> Volunteering this week was about as hard as it's ever been. Stuff usually doesn't get to me there, but this week...
> 
> One of the staff members found a dog a few weeks ago outside her apartment building, turned it in as a stray to AC (with a special consideration on her in case the owners couldn't be found). The dog sat in AC for two weeks and they spoke to the owners at least twice. The first time the owners said they "might" come get her; the second time they said the dog wasn't worth the fines. So she came over to our shelter to be assessed, have some basic medical stuff done, and she was here for over a week... but the supervisors made the staff member remove the special consideration because the shelter is at capacity so they can't keep an adoptable dog in the shelter any longer than necessary and the staff member is still in a no-pets apartment, so the dog went up for adoption. But the staff member is moving in a couple of weeks to a house, and a friend of hers saw how heart broken she was and asked if any of the volunteers could pet sit for two weeks until she moves into her new house. So I found the staff member when I was there on Wednesday and we talked about it and she went to fill out the paper work to officially start the adoption, and that afternoon the owners showed up, saying that they couldn't adopt out _their_ dog. (To be perfectly clear, by law once the stray hold is up and the dog is transferred to our shelter it is legally the shelter's property). But they didn't have the money to pay the fines/fees to reclaim her, so they'd go get the money and come right back that evening. But they didn't come back that evening. They didn't even come back the next day. They didn't call, nothing. So yesterday, the staff member completed the paper work, and was literally about to take the dog home when the owners finally showed up to pay the fines and whatnot.
> 
> I just... I can't even. I really hurts my heart to see someone who cares so deeply about all animals, and who feel absolutely in LOVE with this dog get messed around so much. Especially since the family originally said that the dog wasn't worth it and that they weren't coming to get her.... I can't even fathom.
> 
> And then, if all that weren't enough, one of my favourite dogs, a young (1-2 years) lab, who was adopted a few weeks ago got returned. The reason? "Disobedience and hyperactivity". SURPRISE! Dogs need training and exercise! Who would have ever thought! UGH. She was definitely not hyperactive... not for a lab. Not compared to some of the psychos that we get (and I'm using "psycho" in the most endearing way possible). Luckily she went back up for adoption right away and was adopted again yesterday. I hope she found her forever home this time.


Oh no, that's terrible. Must suck to see a dog who has an awesome home lined up go back to one who cared so little. It wasn't Hara was it? Do you know what happened to her?

I went yesterday and hung out with Chico and Bubbles. Chico especially seemed night and day in the kennel compared to out. Terrible leash manners but seemed pretty confident. Hanging in the kennel it seemed like the environment really amped him up (plus his kennel mate had the same nervous/exicted barking thing going on). Bubbles was so sweet though! So happy and prancing, if a little easily spooked.


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## gingerkid

aiw said:


> Oh no, that's terrible. Must suck to see a dog who has an awesome home lined up go back to one who cared so little. It wasn't Hara was it? Do you know what happened to her?
> 
> I went yesterday and hung out with Chico and Bubbles. Chico especially seemed night and day in the kennel compared to out. Terrible leash manners but seemed pretty confident. Hanging in the kennel it seemed like the environment really amped him up (plus his kennel mate had the same nervous/exicted barking thing going on). Bubbles was so sweet though! So happy and prancing, if a little easily spooked.


No, not Hara. She and Bailey were moved on Wednesday to a new ward (I think they were trying to consolidate all the dogs waiting for s/n), and my little friend Bailey went up for adoption yesterday (and Hara is up on the website for adoption today!)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> So there's this thread on facebook... Someone has a "vicious" 9 week old Lab puppy. 2 people have said get rid of it, 1 person said when it bites grab the bottom jaw till the puppy "gags or whines", three people said hold it down til it submits and one person said if holding it down doesn't work then bite its ear. The last person claims to be an expert on labs and has done this with both his labs (who he claims to breed) and with horses. WTF.


Yeah I would like to see him try that on a race horse ... lmao WTF???

Lol when I was leading my horse to the track for his race, there was a horse in front of me that was acting squirrely, here was people standing at the fence looking at the horses and the horse spooked and jumped forward, spraying them with sand from the path ... they were city people and their reaction was so funny I laughed so hard at them.


----------



## BubbaMoose

It annoys me that it costs more to register an intact dog than a speutered dog.


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## momtolabs

Went 3 hours south to look at a 2 year old filly yesterday. Cute little palomino /paint mix. I was with my cousins and we are just flabbergasted at these people,lol. Horse has never been trailered, had to be cornered to get a halter on, they leave halters on in the paddock, to try and get her on the trailer they were bribbing her with oats(another no no) ,oh and then the best part? Did you know that when walking a horse you need to be the herd leader and walk in front of the horse and not on te side? Yea sure.....I'd rather live to see another day,lol. Needless to say we didn't get her. Plus she was just too much for what my cousins liked. We told the trainer this and he pretty much said there idiots! They also had 2 other horses and 2 ponys and a donkey in a small area and there shelter was a small shack type thing that could hold the 2 horses and maybe the donkey unless they squished in like sardines!! These people just baffled us by some of the thing they were doing!! 


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## Laurelin

Mia's mousing skills are getting scary good. I'm tired of picking up dead mice.


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## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Went 3 hours south to look at a 2 year old filly yesterday. Cute little palomino /paint mix. I was with my cousins and we are just flabbergasted at these people,lol. Horse has never been trailered, had to be cornered to get a halter on, they leave halters on in the paddock, to try and get her on the trailer they were bribbing her with oats(another no no) ,oh and then the best part? Did you know that when walking a horse you need to be the herd leader and walk in front of the horse and not on te side? Yea sure.....I'd rather live to see another day,lol. Needless to say we didn't get her. Plus she was just too much for what my cousins liked. We told the trainer this and he pretty much said there idiots! They also had 2 other horses and 2 ponys and a donkey in a small area and there shelter was a small shack type thing that could hold the 2 horses and maybe the donkey unless they squished in like sardines!! These people just baffled us by some of the thing they were doing!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Oh yeah, if that horse spooks it will run you over lol, I would rather have them at my shoulder, where I can see what they are doing. That being said, fiancee and I have broke horses that were like this, didn't know anything and they do come around but it's a PITA.


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## gingerkid

Here's some nonsense... there are several dozen tropical fish on the "Lost Pets" page for my local shelter. Including a bunch of bottom feeders, a couple of gold fish, and a clutch of guppy fry....?


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Oh yeah, if that horse spooks it will run you over lol, I would rather have them at my shoulder, where I can see what they are doing. That being said, fiancee and I have broke horses that were like this, didn't know anything and they do come around but it's a PITA.


Yea we are currently breaking a 8 year old gelding who has been a pasture horse his whole life. It's been a long process but you can now ride him okay but by the road he spooks but our trainer(also a family friend) has been working with him a lot and hopefully soon he will be able to join us on trail rides. He also trailers really well now. When they picked him up It took 7 hours to trailer him,lol. we wanted the filly but the people were weird and since we're still working with the gelding we decided to look for something at least green broke. 


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----------



## mountain.dreams

gingerkid said:


> Here's some nonsense... there are several dozen tropical fish on the "Lost Pets" page for my local shelter. Including a bunch of bottom feeders, a couple of gold fish, and a clutch of guppy fry....?


How does one lose fish?!?


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## Greater Swiss

mountain.dreams said:


> How does one lose fish?!?


 No kidding!? lol


My rant for the day.....an orphaned baby mouse is actually higher maintenance than a puppy. Seriously....the mouse I'm trying to save has to be fed every 2-3 hours. I'm (sort of) lucky, DH isn't working at the moment (back blew out on him  ), so while I'm at work he can take care of the little guy....but guess who does the nighttime stuff (just like when Caeda was a puppy). I'm exhausted! On the up side, the mouse, now named Max is cute enough that I don't begrudge it too much during the night, but during the day at work while I'm dragging my butt around, and not seeing his cuteness...at that point I do get a little irritated.


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## luv mi pets

I think that dog food commercials should be required to have Actor portrayal displayed concerning dogs/cats that are not really fed that food. It should also go for the fake owners. just my rant


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## Sarah~

My knee is killing me! I can hardly straighten it out. My legs aren't straight like they should be, my knees turn in and so the bones rub up against each other wrong, they pop and crack with every step I take and I can feel it grinding >_< The left one has really been bothering me lately. It feels like it wants to pop out of place or something. If I sit down for a while my knee feels numb and tingly, stiff, swollen, and I have to limp around awhile before I can straighten it. Have to wait til next payday to see a doctor, although I'm sure they will just chuck pain pills at me and I cannot STAND them. That or they'll want to cut me open.


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## sirdigby

momtolabs said:


> Went 3 hours south to look at a 2 year old filly yesterday. Cute little palomino /paint mix. I was with my cousins and we are just flabbergasted at these people,lol. Horse has never been trailered, had to be cornered to get a halter on, they leave halters on in the paddock, to try and get her on the trailer they were bribbing her with oats(another no no) ,oh and then the best part? Did you know that when walking a horse you need to be the herd leader and walk in front of the horse and not on te side? Yea sure.....I'd rather live to see another day,lol. Needless to say we didn't get her. Plus she was just too much for what my cousins liked. We told the trainer this and he pretty much said there idiots! They also had 2 other horses and 2 ponys and a donkey in a small area and there shelter was a small shack type thing that could hold the 2 horses and maybe the donkey unless they squished in like sardines!! These people just baffled us by some of the thing they were doing!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



This reminds me of when I got my HAppy-Welsh. I picked her up when she was about 2.5. The sire was on sight, a horse no one could get near. I had to catch her from the pasture, couldn't work with her out of the round pen by orders of the owner. She was being trimmed that day, the woman literally punched her in the face to get her to stand still. Which she didn't. The mare was a basket case but I got her just because I couldn't stand to see her live like that. It took me ages to get her to trust me fully but that mare is the best horse I have or have ever ridden.


----------



## jade5280

Greater Swiss said:


> No kidding!? lol
> 
> 
> My rant for the day.....an orphaned baby mouse is actually higher maintenance than a puppy. Seriously....the mouse I'm trying to save has to be fed every 2-3 hours. I'm (sort of) lucky, DH isn't working at the moment (back blew out on him  ), so while I'm at work he can take care of the little guy....but guess who does the nighttime stuff (just like when Caeda was a puppy). I'm exhausted! On the up side, the mouse, now named Max is cute enough that I don't begrudge it too much during the night, but during the day at work while I'm dragging my butt around, and not seeing his cuteness...at that point I do get a little irritated.


Do you know how old the mouse is? I tried rescuing 3 baby mice that were found in a snow blower before. I went out and bought formula and a teeny syringe to feed them and fed them and helped them poop every couple of hours. Unfortunately none of them made it. They were just too young and had been without a mom too long. It was so sad when they died. Now I tell people NOT to let me know if they find baby mice. I just can't take the heart break.


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## gingerkid

mountain.dreams said:


> How does one lose fish?!?


RIGHT?

The only thing I can think of is that they were in a tank that was abandoned somehow and a good Samaritan found them and turned them in? Or something? I have no idea.

Greater Swiss, I hope your baby mouse does okay!


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## kdawnk

Sooo. I went to SuperStore today and took $100 out of my account. Put it in my pocket. Bought some lotion. Got to my car. No money in my pocket. Instantaneous panic and I go back in, retrace my steps, and leave my name and number at the help desk.
I get into my car and the first song that starts playing is, "Be Ok" by Ingrid Michaelson. I immediately thought, _SHUT UP UNIVERSE_

I'm beep-bopping around town and my 12:40 (head back to work) phone alarm goes off and I notice I'm getting an incoming call, but my phone was on silent so I wouldn't have noticed it without the alarm. It's SuperStore help desk. Some good Samaritan turned my money in.
I immediately jumped into my car, plugged in my iPod to head back to the store and the first song that plays is, "Hallelujah" I laughed so hard I teared up.


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## Kathyy

I lost $300 in my pocket this year. It was hiding in there somehow. 5 minutes of panic. Big pockets aren't all that great after all.

Love the music that came up!

Around here people dump large fish, arowanas and such, in park ponds. Bet those fish were abandoned and the fish store wouldn't take them or the original owners couldn't get anybody on CL to take them.


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## kdawnk

Kathyy said:


> I lost $300 in my pocket this year. It was hiding in there somehow. 5 minutes of panic. Big pockets aren't all that great after all.
> 
> Love the music that came up!


Tight, girl-skinny jeans with shallow pockets are not the best place to put money in. For future reference.
I find that the songs in my car often super closely relate to my life. I broke up with this guy one time who was just a huge jerk and when I got into the car to drive away the song that was playing was the Cup Song at this part: _"You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me every where, oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone." _and I couldn't help, but laugh.


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## BellaPup

My Rant for the Day:

Seems like every single person (customers) I've spoken to today is in a massively pissy mood. WTH is going on out there? Why would you call a company for assistance then proceed to treat them like poop for no reason? Gaargh! 

Thank God for beer. I think I'm gonna need it tonight.


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## Greater Swiss

jade5280 said:


> Do you know how old the mouse is? I tried rescuing 3 baby mice that were found in a snow blower before. I went out and bought formula and a teeny syringe to feed them and fed them and helped them poop every couple of hours. Unfortunately none of them made it. They were just too young and had been without a mom too long. It was so sad when they died. Now I tell people NOT to let me know if they find baby mice. I just can't take the heart break.


I think he is about two weeks. It is TOUGH....I think he has a chance at making it, but it is still up in the air...without mom it is iffy, and it'll take longer to wean. I'll be SO heartbroken if he dies!!! It has been a week though, and he is still going!


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## Remaru

Urgh...it is vomit week here. Blegh.... Pippin is just doing his normal thing and had another vomitting spell (the vet has never been able to find anything actually wrong with him, he just does this). We were hopeful the canned food would help but so far nothing. Hallow is not doing well with antibiotics, not surprising as it has happened before. She has about another week to go on them too. Blue gets a bit pukey when her seasonal allergies flare (I think it is the coughing that brings it on) so I hope that giving her the allergy meds from the vet will help curb it. She has puked on the couch twice so far, icky. Freyja ate grass and threw it back up and Remus chugged too much water and did his impression lost it allover the floor (he does this on occasion, I try to catch him before he starts chugging when it is hot). Fingers crossed everyone has it out of their system now.


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## CptJack

Foundations agility class tonight was like something out of hell. I already posted about it, but I'm posting it here to get it out of my system.

First of all, it was 90+ degrees in that building but that's pretty much my own fault for signing up in June, so whatever. Didn't make me any more tolerant or less cranky, though.

I understand dogs in a Foundations class aren't going to be particular obedient/well trained. I acknowledge that Kylie's class was unusual and spoiled me in that regard. I didn't expect to have dogs that well trained and well behaved again. I did, however, expect not to have a class full of mostly idiot owners. Introduce yourself and your dogs, I say 'my dog loves other dogs but she's got horrible dog manners and she's deaf and can startle, so we're going to be maintaining some distance'. The instructor reiterated the importance of giving the dogs in general and Bug in particular some space because she was deaf. I still had some idiot LET HER DOG OFF LEASH to jump on and hump Bug. Dogs aren't supposed to be off leash at all. Owners stood around chatting to each other while their dogs jumped, lunged, and barked their heads off at each other. It was hot, it was loud, it was chaotic, and the dogs were totally out of control. Still, first night, and between people dropping and dogs settling it shoudl get better.

The REAL icing on the cake, though, is the woman that brought her THREE YEAR OLD. Training as a family, fine. Letting a three year old handle the dog at all (and she did), AND ignoring the kid while it roamed around screwing with other people's dogs? No.

The instructor came down on all of it, and I do have hope that it will all get better between drops and dogs acclimating, but I swear to God right now I'd like to kick a few people in the knees.


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## momtolabs

It's 10pm at night and the mayor just knocked on my door. Luckily I'm a night owl and do not go to bed until about 2 am sometimes 3. He told me he was giving me a warning and if he sees my dogs off leash again he was fining me 50$ per dog....uh excuse me!? I can legally have my dogs off leash IN MY yard . Village ordinances clearly state "any dog off the owners property is too be leashed at all times or a fine will be given out. Dogs on owners property may be off Leash as long as the dog is under owners control and is not off of the owners property." The new ordinance paper just came out a few weeks ago so I showed it to the mayor. I told him my dogs have not been off my property except for leashed walks or to my uncles farms. I am not doing anything illegal. I then told him that he should be fining himself considering the fact his dog was loose over the weekend and got in a fight with the neighbors dog. Dumbfounded he quickly said "sorry wrong house I was supposed to be at the house across the street." Yea I'm close friends with that neighbor...there dog is a husky mix so always leashed,lol. I caught his wife snooping around the back yard the other day and luckily Mia was leashed and when I walked back there Mia started barking/growling at her. So I'm thinking that's why he came over but again Mia was LEASHED and its probably a good thing she was. There was absolutely no reason for the mayors wife to be in my back yard. She said she was "taking a short cut".....what ever use the alley not my freaking yard!!! I just can't help but laugh at the look of the mayors face when I argued with him and called him out for his dog being off leash. No one here likes this mayor! He isn't from around here, his wife is snoopy, there dog barks 24/7 ad is always running loose. The road commissioner just quit because he can't stand the guy! I have lived here my whole life and my dogs are always in my yard off leash but are under my control and never off leash off my yard(unless in the country) . Heck the last mayor brought his dog over to play a few times with mine,haha. I also do not understand why he came over so late!? Mayb it's because he knows my dad had already left for work(small town everyone knows what people drive) and figured my mom and I wouldn't know better? But we keep up with the ordinances! Especially the dog ones considering we have 4 dogs,lol. When it comes to my dogs I'm super defensive so you will bet I research all the laws regarding dogs! 


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## JazzyTheSiberian

momtolabs said:


> It's 10pm at night and the mayor just knocked on my door. Luckily I'm a night owl and do not go to bed until about 2 am sometimes 3. He told me he was giving me a warning and if he sees my dogs off leash again he was fining me 50$ per dog....uh excuse me!? I can legally have my dogs off leash IN MY yard . Village ordinances clearly state "any dog off the owners property is too be leashed at all times or a fine will be given out. Dogs on owners property may be off Leash as long as the dog is under owners control and is not off of the owners property." The new ordinance paper just came out a few weeks ago so I showed it to the mayor. I told him my dogs have not been off my property except for leashed walks or to my uncles farms. I am not doing anything illegal. I then told him that he should be fining himself considering the fact his dog was loose over the weekend and got in a fight with the neighbors dog. Dumbfounded he quickly said "sorry wrong house I was supposed to be at the house across the street." Yea I'm close friends with that neighbor...there dog is a husky mix so always leashed,lol. I caught his wife snooping around the back yard the other day and luckily Mia was leashed and when I walked back there Mia started barking/growling at her. So I'm thinking that's why he came over but again Mia was LEASHED and its probably a good thing she was. There was absolutely no reason for the mayors wife to be in my back yard. She said she was "taking a short cut".....what ever use the alley not my freaking yard!!! I just can't help but laugh at the look of the mayors face when I argued with him and called him out for his dog being off leash. No one here likes this mayor! He isn't from around here, his wife is snoopy, there dog barks 24/7 ad is always running loose. The road commissioner just quit because he can't stand the guy! I have lived here my whole life and my dogs are always in my yard off leash but are under my control and never off leash off my yard(unless in the country) . Heck the last mayor brought his dog over to play a few times with mine,haha. I also do not understand why he came over so late!? Mayb it's because he knows my dad had already left for work(small town everyone knows what people drive) and figured my mom and I wouldn't know better? But we keep up with the ordinances! Especially the dog ones considering we have 4 dogs,lol. When it comes to my dogs I'm super defensive so you will bet I research all the laws regarding dogs!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I'm sorry that happened. He sounds like a huge jerk. He's going around telling people to leash there dogs, or they'll get a fine, but he's also letting his dogs off-leash. Sometimes when people have a higher authority then others, they think they can do things, that they want. I've seen it before,& it frankly annoys me.

Tomorrow I'll be off traveling to the Galápagos Islands. I'll be gone for 10 days, which means, I can't accesses the internet. So, I'll miss talking to you guys. I am so excited, but very nervous at the same time.


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## mountain.dreams

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Tomorrow I'll be off traveling to the Galápagos Islands. I'll be gone for 10 days, which means, I can't accesses the internet. So, I'll miss talking to you guys. I am so excited, but very nervous at the same time.


I've always wanted to go to the Galápagos! Have fun and take lots of pictures!


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## BellaPup

mountain.dreams said:


> I've always wanted to go to the Galápagos! Have fun and take lots of pictures!


I second this post!!! ^^^ Lucky duck!


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## Miss Bugs

ugh, people are ridiculous! so one of the girls posted a picture on our daycare's Facebook page, now the pic was totally in poor taste, it was a pic of one of our staff members getting a kiss from a dog while holding an unlit cigarette, she had a smoke out and was heading to take a smoke break and the dog gave her a kiss and another girl took a picture. a client then posts about the picture about how upset she was about the pic and she doesn't want her dog around smoke..fair enough, though contacting us directly to ask about our smoking policy would have been more appropriate then posting on our wall lol, I mean I get the concern, she doesn't know, all she has is the picture lol. now that wasn't even the stupid thing, the stupid thing was that a girl who worked at the kennel for ONE DAY responded to the post with "they bleach the yards with the dogs in them, smoking is the least of your worries"....uuummm huh?? I am a supervisor....we do no such thing lol. a whole pile of the staff responded with variations of "umm no we don't..." she claimed in the post that that is what she was "told" to do.. so I PM'd her and asked WHO told her to do that, because I can't fix the problem person if I don't know who it is. bleaching a yard full of dogs is NOT normal procedure! so who told her to do that? nobody. SHE bleached the yard with dogs in it, and because it was short staffed that day people just randomly popped in on her to see if she needed help and popped back out..because nobody noticed exactly what she was doing and ran out screaming "NOOOOOO!!" she concluded that bleaching yards full of dogs is standard practice and she quite because that "isn't cool" then posted publicly on our facebook page under an unrelated topic instead of...I dunno...talking to someone...and..like.. not doing it...:suspicious:


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## BubbaMoose

Miss Bugs said:


> ugh, people are ridiculous! so one of the girls posted a picture on our daycare's Facebook page, now the pic was totally in poor taste, it was a pic of one of our staff members getting a kiss from a dog while holding an unlit cigarette, she had a smoke out and was heading to take a smoke break and the dog gave her a kiss and another girl took a picture. a client then posts about the picture about how upset she was about the pic and she doesn't want her dog around smoke..fair enough, though contacting us directly to ask about our smoking policy would have been more appropriate then posting on our wall lol, I mean I get the concern, she doesn't know, all she has is the picture lol. now that wasn't even the stupid thing, the stupid thing was that a girl who worked at the kennel for ONE DAY responded to the post with "they bleach the yards with the dogs in them, smoking is the least of your worries"....uuummm huh?? I am a supervisor....we do no such thing lol. a whole pile of the staff responded with variations of "umm no we don't..." she claimed in the post that that is what she was "told" to do.. so I PM'd her and asked WHO told her to do that, because I can't fix the problem person if I don't know who it is. bleaching a yard full of dogs is NOT normal procedure! so who told her to do that? nobody. SHE bleached the yard with dogs in it, and because it was short staffed that day people just randomly popped in on her to see if she needed help and popped back out..because nobody noticed exactly what she was doing and ran out screaming "NOOOOOO!!" she concluded that bleaching yards full of dogs is standard practice and she quite because that "isn't cool" then posted publicly on our facebook page under an unrelated topic instead of...I dunno...talking to someone...and..like.. not doing it...:suspicious:



The whole Facebook situation in general is just ridiculous, but I just have to say that if I ever found out that while at doggy daycare, my dog was in a yard that was bleached I would be absolutely livid. Fuming. The fact that that ever happened, regardless of what the situation, is just absolutely unacceptable. That's just dangerous. There's no way I would ever allow my dogs to step foot in that facility again.


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## Miss Bugs

Are you objecting to the yard(all rock) being bleached at all or to the situation of this girl bleaching a yard while dogs were out? Obviously its not ok that it happened(all i really know is what she said though, i was out of town at the time)and a new person being left alone was absolutely a problem. What irritated me was that she KNEW it wasn't ok, did it anyway then claimed we as a buisness do such a thing as a matter of practice.

If your objecting to the yard being bleached at all..its a rock yard and by "bleached" I mean washed with a diluted bleach solution to kill bacteria as we have over 100 dogs a day pottying on those rocks..


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## aiw

Miss Bugs said:


> Are you objecting to the yard(all rock) being bleached at all or to the situation of this girl bleaching a yard while dogs were out? Obviously its not ok that it happened(all i really know is what she said though, i was out of town at the time)and a new person being left alone was absolutely a problem. What irritated me was that she KNEW it wasn't ok, did it anyway then claimed we as a buisness do such a thing as a matter of practice.
> 
> If your objecting to the yard being bleached at all..its a rock yard and by "bleached" I mean washed with a diluted bleach solution to kill bacteria as we have over 100 dogs a day pottying on those rocks..


The girl doesn't sound very bright for doing it, but I'd be really worried about the level of supervision that allowed someone on their first day to do something so wrong and no one even noticed. Apparently despite coming and going through the area? It was her first day, she was alone and clearly not competent. The shorthandedness doesn't make it better... It doesn't reflect very well on the business IMO, though not for the reasons this girl thinks.


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## BubbaMoose

I'm objecting to the area being bleached while the animals where inhabiting the enclosure, sorry for the confusion - I should have been more clear. 



aiw said:


> The girl doesn't sound very bright for doing it, but I'd be really worried about the level of supervision that allowed someone on their first day to do something so wrong and no one even noticed. Apparently despite coming and going through the area? It was her first day, she was alone and clearly not competent. The shorthandedness doesn't make it better... It doesn't reflect very well on the business IMO, though not for the reasons this girl thinks.


This, 110%.


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## Miss Bugs

I certainly don't claim it to be ok lol new people are put to shadow only very specific employees, this sort of thing is NOT normal! From what I understand(I was on holidays) the day was unusually short staffed due to illnesses,(and I wasn't there, I'm the supervisor remember) staff was spread thin so she was being passed from employee to employee and was given more trust then usual right off(ie left alone for periods with dogs) because she's a "dog person" the girls a fully trained groomer, a professional dog trainer with a large local club and has been training and competeing with dogs most of her life, "incompetent" was not on anyones radar! Should the other staff have noticed when popping in and said something? Of coarse they should have. I'm sure as heck not defending that lol they failed to notice a whole lotta housekeeping things while I was away, I'm not sure why, its not like I micromanage and they fell apart without it :\


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## aiw

Miss Bugs said:


> I certainly don't claim it to be ok lol new people are put to shadow only very specific employees, this sort of thing is NOT normal! From what I understand(I was on holidays) the day was unusually short staffed due to illnesses,(and I wasn't there, I'm the supervisor remember) staff was spread thin so she was being passed from employee to employee and was given more trust then usual right off(ie left alone for periods with dogs) because she's a "dog person" the girls a fully trained groomer, a professional dog trainer with a large local club and has been training and competeing with dogs most of her life, "incompetent" was not on anyones radar! Should the other staff have noticed when popping in and said something? Of coarse they should have. I'm sure as heck not defending that lol they failed to notice a whole lotta housekeeping things while I was away, I'm not sure why, its not like I micromanage and they fell apart without it :\


Oh, I'm not taking issue with your job performance personally and of course every business has occasional mishaps... Just that the incident does reflect on the business. Just out of curiosity, is it your business or are you a manager... or both?


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## luv mi pets

One of our kennel person went and took a boarding dog for a walk in the empty back lot the clinic owns. The dog was shedding and was leaving tufts of hair and did a big shake causing more hair to fall out. The kennel person then brings the dog in and gives it a good brushing. She did not brush the dog first because the dog had been kenneled all night and needed a pee break. Can you believe someone called and asked if we were going to pick up the hair? For goodness sake the dog was a St. Bernard.


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## Miss Bugs

Aiw- I'm the supervisor/upper management, I've just been there so long that everyone just associates me with the overall buisness, so I feel personally responsible anytime something stupid happens even if I wasn't there lol. Not really worried about it affecting the buisness, were pretty big with a very strong client vase.

Luv mi pets- seriously? Rotfl!


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## luv mi pets

Miss Bugs said:


> Luv mi pets- seriously? Rotfl!


Yeppers we had to send someone out with a bag to go pick up the hair. She was worried it might blow into her yard. It barely filled a plastic shopping bag.


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## Miss Bugs

HahahahaHa now I want to go to her house, sit on the front sidewalk and brush my dogs


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## ThoseWordsAtBest

BubbaMoose said:


> It annoys me that it costs more to register an intact dog than a speutered dog.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Here it's $50 for intact, $10 for not. And if it makes you feel better, I volunteer at the shelter and get absolutely berated over my ONE intact male I had control over. I volunteer my time and my dog has nothing to do with the dogs they euthanize. His balls ain't yo business.


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## Greater Swiss

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> Here it's $50 for intact, $10 for not. And if it makes you feel better, I volunteer at the shelter and get absolutely berated over my ONE intact male I had control over. I volunteer my time and my dog has nothing to do with the dogs they euthanize. His balls ain't yo business.


It costs more here for intact pets as well.....I think it is a little closer, like $15 for speutered, and 30 for intact...or something like that. I hate it when people berate others who are responsible and have intact animals, it is so frustrating.


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## Miss Bugs

hey, here is $100 for intact, $25 for fixed  I am VERY pro spay/neuter and I am not a fan of the way they make it here. in order to encourage licencing my city offers all sorts of goodies for doing so, including a "get out of jail free" card, a discount card(for lots of buisness') and free gifts...but only if your licensed dog is neutered. if your dog in intact its $100/year and...nothing, its just $100 a year.... I get that they are trying to give more incentive to spay/neuter but really....all they did was make it so intact dog owners just refuse to licence unless they get caught lol


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## CptJack

I... honestly don't remember how much it cost to license intact vs. altered, here. I know that the three years rabies and three years license is right at 50.00. I think for the spayed girls it was about 35? Not a lot, either way. 

I DO wish that that ONE vet in the practice we visit would get off my ass about the boys, but eh. The other vet(s) are fine, so I just smile and nod. I'll probably go ahead and neuter Thud early next year when he's 2, anyway, since I want to get him registered with Pet Partners. At that point I'll probably also do the RT, just because I don't have good experiences with neutered and intact dogs living together.


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## Miss Bugs

so my brother has pretty much taken over Rusty at this point...and Rusty has it GOOD with my brother... 

I laughed so hard when I saw a pool noodle in the back of the van and I was confused... I asked my brother about it..he bought the noodle to make bumpers in his room..for Rusty..cuz sometimes Rusty doesn't look where he is jumping and misses, or he rolls around on his back and falls off of things..he said himself if doesn't phase Rusty in the slightest but my brother feels bad so he bought a pool noodle to make bumpers around his room so that Rusty doesn't hurt himself. :laugh:

or on our road trip, my brother brought a pillow just for Rusty to sleep on in the van, but it was a small crappy little pillow and Rusty objected so my brother grabbed HIS big fluffy pillow, took off the pillow case, put Rusty's dinky pillow in the case for himself and gave the big fluffy pillow to Rusty..

or when we were camping, little 15lbs Rusty was to have his own queen size down duvet in addition to his big fluffy pillow in the tent. 

and people think MY dogs are spoiled lol


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## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> the stupid thing was that a girl who worked at the kennel for ONE DAY responded to the post with "they bleach the yards with the dogs in them, smoking is the least of your worries"....uuummm huh?? I am a supervisor....we do no such thing lol


This really irritates me. The girl should be fired. Why didn't she ask before she bleached the yard with dogs in it? If you have an issue with how things are done or anything at your work place then it needs to be brought to a supervisors attention personally, NOT posted on facebook where clients can see. Work related issues should not be posted on facebook, period.


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## Miss Bugs

> This really irritates me. The girl should be fired. Why didn't she ask before she bleached the yard with dogs in it? If you have an issue with how things are done or anything at your work place then it needs to be brought to a supervisors attention personally, NOT posted on facebook where clients can see. Work related issues should not be posted on facebook, period.


she quite after that. that's what makes no sense. she KNEW it was wrong, SHE bleached a yard full of dogs, she SHE quite because "bleaching yards with dogs in them is not cool" SHE then proceeded to post on facebook that WE as a business bleach yards with dogs in them as a matter of practice. she claimed that this is what she was told to do, but when I private messaged her to ask WHO told her to do that because darn if I could think of any of my employee's who would do that or tell anyone to do that and I can't fix a problem employee if I don't know who it is, her answer was basically "nobody told me NOT to" which begs the question..if she KNEW it was wrong, WHY did she do it?


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## jade5280

Lol "nobody told me NOT to do it" if only I lived my life by that moto....this girl is not going to get very far.


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## luv mi pets

CptJack said:


> I... honestly don't remember how much it cost to license intact vs. altered, here. I know that the three years rabies and three years license is right at 50.00. I think for the spayed girls it was about 35? Not a lot, either way.
> 
> I DO wish that that ONE vet in the practice we visit would get off my ass about the boys, but eh. The other vet(s) are fine, so I just smile and nod. I'll probably go ahead and neuter Thud early next year when he's 2, anyway, since I want to get him registered with Pet Partners. At that point I'll probably also do the RT, just because I don't have good experiences with neutered and intact dogs living together.



I think that is great you are going to do pet partners. I would love to do my mini horse. He did not get big. My Anatolian is bigger than him.


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## CptJack

luv mi pets said:


> I think that is great you are going to do pet partners. I would love to do my mini horse. He did not get big. My Anatolian is bigger than him.


Aw, crap, I meant the AKC registration for mutts. It's called Canine Partners - my brain just got confused, because I was thinking about the Delta Society and their program for one of the RT.

I'd love to do Pet Partners and probably will eventually, but that's more Frost, Jack, or even Bug's speed than Thud. I love him, but the more mature he gets the less indiscriminately friendly and trusting of strangers he is. Not a great mix with therapy pets.


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## luv mi pets

CptJack said:


> Aw, crap, I meant the AKC registration for mutts. It's called Canine Partners - my brain just got confused, because I was thinking about the Delta Society and their program for one of the RT.
> 
> I'd love to do Pet Partners and probably will eventually, but that's more Frost, Jack, or even Bug's speed than Thud. I love him, but the more mature he gets the less indiscriminately friendly and trusting of strangers he is. Not a great mix with therapy pets.



Aww that makes sense because I thought hmmm you had to get him neutered to do therapy. I was not aware that was a condition to do therapy. lol


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## Miss Bugs

Paisley has started a new odd behaviour..every time she goes outside she runs straight to the fence, nearly leaps over it(like half her body is above the fence) then she just goes about her business as normal...she started this yesterday and she does it every single time she goes outside without fail...I'm not sure what to make of it..should I put a stop to it? HOW? and why in the world did she start? I'm really not worried about her jumping the fence and running away or anything, for 1 she is not the running away sort, and for 2, the height she is jumping now, she could EASILY be over the fence if she wanted..


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## momtolabs

If my dog is barking and growling at you do NOT reach your freaking hand into my window!!!! Geesh some people want to be bit I think!! I wa even IN the truck!! I had stopped at the gas station and was waitin for my brother. Mia was in the passenger seat. I looked up when her barking got worse and saw someone goin to put there hand in my window. I yelled "don't you dare pet my dog you will get bit" they quickly stepped away. They then tried to tell me my dog was just doing it to be funny........and people wonder why there are so many dog bite stories!! 


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## Luxorien

momtolabs said:


> They then tried to tell me my dog was just doing it to be funny........and people wonder why there are so many dog bite stories!!


Wow. Just...wow. I was walking my dog once and someone let their grandchild just run out into the street and pet my dog. It turned out okay because my dog has been around kids, but...sheesh.


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## Hambonez

Some people we're acquainted with through dog things were at playgroup tonight. They have three dachshunds. Tonight they said they hadn't seen us in a long time (a few months maybe?) and they said that Hamilton doesn't look like a dachshund anymore, and that he's fat.  

Ok, fine, he's a mutt, you have purebreds, good for you... but the weight thing?? You can see his bottom two ribs at all times. You can feel his spine and the rest of his ribs if you run your hands over him. I don't think he could have any more of a tuck, and he has clear muscle definition on his hindquarters. There isn't an ounce of fat on his body. Two of his dogs are actually rotund, like they're shaped ( ). wtf dude??


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## BubbaMoose

Hambonez said:


> Some people we're acquainted with through dog things were at playgroup tonight. They have three dachshunds. Tonight they said they hadn't seen us in a long time (a few months maybe?) and they said that Hamilton doesn't look like a dachshund anymore, and that he's fat.
> 
> Ok, fine, he's a mutt, you have purebreds, good for you... but the weight thing?? You can see his bottom two ribs at all times. You can feel his spine and the rest of his ribs if you run your hands over him. I don't think he could have any more of a tuck, and he has clear muscle definition on his hindquarters. There isn't an ounce of fat on his body. Two of his dogs are actually rotund, like they're shaped ( ). wtf dude??


That just seems excessively obnoxious. I can not even begin to imagine how anyone could think that Ham is overweight. 


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## BubbaMoose

I'm sad because Moose was in his crate with a Kong, and Bubba was roaming the house. I was sitting in our living room when I heard Moose growling like a madman. Buster was about 8-9 feet away from Moose's crate minding his own business as far as I could tell. Moose seemed to be freaking out over that?? I'm confused. He's never shown any sign of resource guarding in the slightest. I've only ever heard him growl in play. This was real. I don't know if if was just a random glitch or what. 

Does anyone have any advice on how to handle the situation?


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## Hambonez

lol my next door neighbors got a 12 w/o wheaten terrier puppy and they were saying they were having trouble finding a dog sitter for the first week in July (no kidding?), so I volunteered to watch her. This is gonna be insane... Hamilton is indifferent towards her. He's tried to play with her, but she's still kind of freaked out by him. I'm figuring on keeping her at her house and hanging out over there most of the time (save our new carpets), letting them play outside over here since we have the fenced-in yard. She sleeps in a crate so that won't be a problem at night since Hamilton sleeps in our bed. Worst case scenario we'll just care for her out of her house.


----------



## Remaru

Rain....yep...Not much else to say about it except all of my dogs get dumb when it rains and it has rained pretty much every other day for the last two months. Don't get me wrong this is awesome for Tx for summer (ok so summer just officially started but if you live in TX you know what I mean). But my yard is poorly laid out and it lays in water so it is essentially a swamp now. Each one of my dogs has a different dopey reaction to rain/muddy yard. Dove runs like a crazy around in the mud, she just LOVES it. Duke can't go out if it is raining, he stands in the middle of the yard, getting wet, and looking at us like "what now?" Remus picks different places around the yard to pee (instead of going to the corner where he knows he is supposed to go) and refuses to poop until he is going to explode because he doesn't want to go to the corner either. He has had 2 accidents when he hadn't had an accident in a year before. He also keeps coming in with muddy paws from peeing around the yard when we have nice stone steps leading to the corner. Freyja runs crazy around the yard because she is so pent up from not getting out but sometimes begs to go out but then refuses to go and just stomps around on the puddles on the porch. Today she pooped in the yard (first time in months) no idea why but I am guessing it is rain related crazies. Blue is the only one who doesn't get to weird, she just holds it for 24hours which can't be great for her but she can do it and you can't make her go. It is sunny right now but it stormed like crazy last night and it is supposed to rain again later today and tomorrow.


----------



## Laurelin

I just did something dog related and rather impulsive. Very unlike me. 

Puppy this fall? Maybe?


----------



## iilo

more deets. nextdog?????


----------



## momtolabs

Laurelin said:


> I just did something dog related and rather impulsive. Very unlike me.
> 
> Puppy this fall? Maybe?


Well that's mean. We need more deets!!


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## d_ray

iilo said:


> more deets. nextdog?????


Please share


----------



## Laurelin

Hahaha, well I don't want to spill too much in case it doesn't work out. If this particular breeder does not work out then I will probably go with another breed altogether. Potential mama is blue merle though if that helps.... Puppy may be happening this fall though instead of this next spring. And that's wild to even think about but I'm sooo ready.


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> Hahaha, well I don't want to spill too much in case it doesn't work out. If this particular breeder does not work out then I will probably go with another breed altogether. Potential mama is blue merle though if that helps.... Puppy may be happening this fall though instead of this next spring. And that's wild to even think about but I'm sooo ready.


Aussie? I'm dying to know


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Rain....yep...Not much else to say about it except all of my dogs get dumb when it rains and it has rained pretty much every other day for the last two months. Don't get me wrong this is awesome for Tx for summer (ok so summer just officially started but if you live in TX you know what I mean). But my yard is poorly laid out and it lays in water so it is essentially a swamp now. Each one of my dogs has a different dopey reaction to rain/muddy yard. Dove runs like a crazy around in the mud, she just LOVES it. Duke can't go out if it is raining, he stands in the middle of the yard, getting wet, and looking at us like "what now?" Remus picks different places around the yard to pee (instead of going to the corner where he knows he is supposed to go) and refuses to poop until he is going to explode because he doesn't want to go to the corner either. He has had 2 accidents when he hadn't had an accident in a year before. He also keeps coming in with muddy paws from peeing around the yard when we have nice stone steps leading to the corner. Freyja runs crazy around the yard because she is so pent up from not getting out but sometimes begs to go out but then refuses to go and just stomps around on the puddles on the porch. Today she pooped in the yard (first time in months) no idea why but I am guessing it is rain related crazies. Blue is the only one who doesn't get to weird, she just holds it for 24hours which can't be great for her but she can do it and you can't make her go. It is sunny right now but it stormed like crazy last night and it is supposed to rain again later today and tomorrow.


Not me, I work with horses and rain= big time PITA so I like it hot and I like it dry.


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Not me, I work with horses and rain= big time PITA so I like it hot and I like it dry.


Yeah, I keep telling myself it is good for the plants and it certainly is good for the foundation of the house, but it is a pain with the dogs too. I need to get them out of the house and exercised but it isn't just raining it is storming, no going out with lightening striking plus they all act like the world is coming to an end because it is raining. Doofy critters. Not exactly a big help with the mosquito population I would imagine, my oldest son had West Nile last summer.

ETA: and it stormed so hard this afternoon that it looked like a lake in my backyard. It was really crazy. I didn't think it was ever going to stop. I think they are still forecasting more for tomorrow, don't know where it will all go.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Started some flyball classes  just for fun! I took Happy for old times and she lost her mind with excitement! She can't do a box turn worth crap anymore but thats ok she's old lol. Whats funny is that she WANTED to tug...in all Happy's years of competition she NEVER took a tug, she played for a ball, so that's what I brought..and Happy kept stealing tugs instead so I used Tugs and she was wild for them.... lol

Gem... recalls great, dead ball retrieves- great. Box work? Errr.. well she kinda stepped over the prop like 3 times out of 20 lol 

Gypsy- good recalls, good dead balls, GREAT boxwork, showed her ONCE and she immediately started offering the full behavior and offering her feet on the box


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Yeah, I keep telling myself it is good for the plants and it certainly is good for the foundation of the house, but it is a pain with the dogs too. I need to get them out of the house and exercised but it isn't just raining it is storming, no going out with lightening striking plus they all act like the world is coming to an end because it is raining. Doofy critters. Not exactly a big help with the mosquito population I would imagine, my oldest son had West Nile last summer.
> 
> ETA: and it stormed so hard this afternoon that it looked like a lake in my backyard. It was really crazy. I didn't think it was ever going to stop. I think they are still forecasting more for tomorrow, don't know where it will all go.


I am lucky, mosquitoes don't like me, I can be outside at peak hours and maybe get 2 or 3 bites, my poor OH would be anemic if he went out without bug spray lol. 

My dogs love the rain, I have one that will actually play out in the rain. Luckily our yard at the ranch is Sandy and it drains pretty quickly.


----------



## Greater Swiss

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am lucky, mosquitoes don't like me, I can be outside at peak hours and maybe get 2 or 3 bites, my poor OH would be anemic if he went out without bug spray lol.


LOL, I'm similar to you with mosquitos, except I'll get more bites...but I barely notice them. If I get a dozen bites there might be one that bugs me (and usually it'll be in my hairline). I saw an allergist once to find out if my previous sinus problems might have been from an allergy. He said I had excellent histamine reactions....I react as usual, but it does the job and doesn't cause prolonged irritation. Kinda cool....having worked in the bush in an area that had TONS of mosquitos, most of my co workers hated me for it lol. I barely used bug spray except when there were deerfiles (sadly those REALLY get me bad....had a tantrum once because I got bit on both my top and bottom lip, talked like I'd been at the dentist for hours). DH can't stand it....if there is one mosquito within a mile, it WILL bite him, and it WILL itch like crazy.


----------



## Miss Bugs

my daily laugh.... the instructor of the Flyball class posted a video on Facebook of Happy doing recall's, with the description "Happy, a 14 year old Border collie who ran 3.8's back in her prime!" some old Flyball folks commented "I remember Happy!!" but the kicker was Happy's breeder commenting on it, first with a full description of exactly who Happy is and a "good genetics in these kids!" then when the instructor replied with how much fun Happy had, her breeder commented again "I haven't seen her years! nice to see the grand-pups again!" seems totally innocuous right? sure except that the REASON she "hasn't seen her in years" was because of how downright mean she was toward Happy! I was like seriously? she's claiming credit for a dog she bred but disdained and implying that she misses seeing her "grand puppy" because...why? because she looks great for a 14 year old dog? now all of a sudden the dog she banished from the training building and called the reason for the clubs bad name is one of her lovely "grand puppies"? ya, ok lol


----------



## Foresthund

Mosquitos haven't been much of a bother,I usually only get a couple bites all summer but theres these tiny dust or mold mites that are actually inside my camera.


----------



## Sarah~

Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


----------



## Greater Swiss

Sarah~ said:


> Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


UUUGH, Yeah, I usually absolutely detest it. Though I will admit there are a few people that can get away with it, and not just specific people, but certain kinds of people, and for some reason, a large percentage of those seem to be waitresses....you know the kind that actually seem to like their jobs, care about their customers (And I say "Their" customers....because some of them seem to see the customers as their responsibility). I call them "Mom waitresses". For the most part though....when I get called dear, hun, or (especially) sweetie I start feeling a little irate.


----------



## Kyllobernese

We have had so much rain this year. I have about 8 steps going down to my back yard. Yesterday I was in a hurry and just as I stepped on the 2nd step, my feet shot out from under me and I bounced down the rest of the steps on my tail bone and back like I had hit ice. So now I am hurting sitting and walking. Luckily nothing broke but was not expecting that!!

Had trouble doing Obedience with Kris yesterday but hate to miss it as she really needs the work. Did some Agility as then she was the one doing the running around.


----------



## CptJack

Sarah~ said:


> Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


Depends on whether they're being patronizing and sacchrine sweet or not. I live in the south. "Hon, and sweetie" are pretty common tags. But when they get sticky sweet and talk slow - well, it's one of those 'bless your heart' means 'f-you' things. So, sometimes but sometimes not.


----------



## RabbleFox

Sarah~ said:


> Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


Ugh. I hate those pet names. Especially from strangers. It's just weird. If it's from family or friends, I don't mind so much. Any SO of mine is better off using my name. Or else.


----------



## gingerkid

Sarah~ said:


> Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


Um, yes. The only time it didn't bother me, is when I lived in Yorkshire and the old men would call me "duck" or "duckie" or people would call you "love". As in "You all right, love?" For some reason, that was less weird. But the "love" thing was applied to both males and females - usually by older people towards younger people and its... I don't know. I found it one of the more charming bits of Yorkshire culture.


----------



## ireth0

Sarah~ said:


> Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


Yes! This always irritates me, ugh.

We stop by the same Tim Horton's on the way to our volunteer shift (the girl I volunteer with carpools with me) and the person working the drive through at that time always calls me hun.

Last weekend my friend was like "I bet you $50 she calls you hun." before I ordered and sure enough...


----------



## mountain.dreams

Greater Swiss said:


> LOL, I'm similar to you with mosquitos, except I'll get more bites...but I barely notice them. If I get a dozen bites there might be one that bugs me (and usually it'll be in my hairline). I saw an allergist once to find out if my previous sinus problems might have been from an allergy. He said I had excellent histamine reactions....I react as usual, but it does the job and doesn't cause prolonged irritation. Kinda cool....having worked in the bush in an area that had TONS of mosquitos, most of my co workers hated me for it lol. I barely used bug spray except when there were deerfiles (sadly those REALLY get me bad....had a tantrum once because I got bit on both my top and bottom lip, talked like I'd been at the dentist for hours). DH can't stand it....if there is one mosquito within a mile, it WILL bite him, and it WILL itch like crazy.


Your husband = me. My friends joke that they like going outside with me because I attract all the mosquitoes and it keeps them off of them. Nasty little buggers.


----------



## Mint

I had a dream I got a GSD and a Husky. What.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I have huge issues with those "no see um's", those little biting midges. 
My rant is one of the guys who works in the barn pisses me off ... he just rubs me the wrong way.

It's not that he is a bad employee, it's just that he does the bare minimum required and doesn't take into account the health and welfare of his horses. Like earlier this week we had shavings delivered, everyone put shavings in their stalls except this guy and the boss had to get on him about it because his horses had almost nothing :/. 

I know it's not my business and I don't ever say anything to anyone, but I mean come on, we don't 3 en have to groom our horses in the afternoon, most other trainers make their grooms groom in the afternoon so if I were him I wouldn't be complaining.


----------



## Hambonez

Sarah~ said:


> Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


YES! HATE! There's a nurse at my doctor's office who I can't stand who does that, and it makes it worse because I can't stand her. :| In general though it makes me uncomfortable. My co-worker does that too with EVERYONE and it's really disingenuous. I'm ok with my parents and my husband using pet names, everyone else I don't like it. It's like strangers hugging me, get outta my personal space!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Sarah~ said:


> Does it bother anyone else when strangers call you names like sweetie, honey, baby, etc?? I really just can't stand it but it seems like everyone in this town does it. Usually it's just "hun" or something and that doesn't bother me so much, but someone just called me sweetie like twice in the same conversation and it makes my skin crawl. I just smiled and was polite but seriously, gross. I have a name! I'm not your sweetie, or your baby, or your honey!


I live in the south and that's like ... common practice, it's their way of being polite .... at least that's the best way I can explain it.


----------



## Sarah~

Wow! Lots of people feel the same as me lol. There are people who say it that you can kind of tell they say it to everyone (or at least all the women they meet), and so I usually just smile and nod. And I know southern people say it a lot and don't mean anything weird by it, I try to remind myself of that when the old cowboys come through at work and call me "princess" or "sugar". But most of the time it's just awkward and gives me the creeps! Like Hambonez said, it feels like they are getting too close for comfort, only my family and whoever I am with at the time can call me a pet name and not make me uncomfortable.


----------



## Miss Bugs

see to me people calling me sweetie or honey etc... doesn't feel like they are trying to get too "close", I feel like they are patronizing me and that makes me mad lol


----------



## CrystalGSD

As someone who has recently moved from the midwest down to Texas, I definitely notice how much they say sweetie and hun here. It kinda irks me tbh, I find it weird... like you don't know me...


----------



## luv mi pets

Someone brought their 5 year old cat in for a declaw. Reason- they wanted the cat to stop killing the birds and mice outside. No we did not declaw the cat. Can you tell that this irked me?


----------



## Kayota

Mint said:


> I had a dream I got a GSD and a Husky. What.


I had a dream that my dog was covered in red and orange beetles... like flea sized ones. Very odd lol

luv mi pets - there is a petition on Tumblr right now to prevent AC from picking up cats in someone's town... apparently a neighbor called AC and the owner of the cats thinks they should be allowed to roam around and do whatever they please. I was just like... please no.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

This is so embarrassing... But, here it goes. I had my period early,& I don't have anything,& no one has anything. I'm on vacation to-out of the country.


----------



## Greater Swiss

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> This is so embarrassing... But, here it goes. I had my period early,& I don't have anything,& no one has anything. I'm on vacation to-out of the country.


 UGH, that sucks! Well....maybe this'll cheer you up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEcZmT0fiNM
(I hope it isn't inappropriate to share this...it made me think of this post....if it is please delete). I thought it was quite funny.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I'm 27 and socially akward..I don't like talking to strangers, so in the past few weeks I've been to a lot of fast food places and out to movies(travelling..and I just happen to have a ton of free movie passes lol), these are not things I do very often. But this has made me find out that I am apparently attractive to 16 year old boys and it's creeping me out! They are perfectly normal till they notice me then suddenly get all akward and fidgety and attempt to flirt.... I dont know how to respond, all I want is my order! 

For other akwardness... a well known actor(well in Canada anyway) started bringing his dog to my daycare, I helped him when he filled out the paperwork, I knew who he was as soon as he walked in the door, as did my co-worker but we treated him normally...ya so obviously another customer comes in to buy dog food and he looks at the guy and looks at us and starts running his.mouth "you guys recognize him right? You should ask him who he is, you know he looks familiar......." etc.. just on and on like this, the actor just avoided looking at the guy and concentrated extra hard on the paperwork lol we were looking at the guy like "shut up already!!"


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> For other akwardness... a well known actor(well in Canada anyway) started bringing his dog to my daycare, I helped him when he filled out the paperwork, I knew who he was as soon as he walked in the door, as did my co-worker but we treated him normally...ya so obviously another customer comes in to buy dog food and he looks at the guy and looks at us and starts running his.mouth "you guys recognize him right? You should ask him who he is, you know he looks familiar......." etc.. just on and on like this, the actor just avoided looking at the guy and concentrated extra hard on the paperwork lol we were looking at the guy like "shut up already!!"


I'm so curious now... Are his initials BB?


----------



## Miss Bugs

> I'm so curious now... Are his initials BB?


nope, but your on the right track


----------



## Miss Bugs

rain rain, go away, this is my back yard today....


several nearby towns have already declared a state of emergency and we under torrential rain and flash flood warnings.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Wow Miss Bugs, that sucks!!!! Hope the rain stops and it dries up for you a bit!!

Today I took Caeda to a free training gathering....fairly informal, basically it is a training group in town that does free informal group training for a couple of hours on weekends and take the opportunity to pass out business cards. Well, I went, they did some super basic obedience, which Caeda knows very well already. I was happy for the refresher though, and was contentedly doing stuff with her and they told me to do something different since she knew the commands (a little annoying but ok). 

Anyway, they brought out some agility equipment and it became quite funny. Caeda has done jumps before, no biggie, they only put them up one rung because there were some small dogs there (a SWEET doxie puppy....). Well, Caeda has never seen a tube before. Oh my. She wouldn't go through it for anything until they shortened it and I got on the other end and got excitable and called her to come. When she did she did so at high speed. It was only about 3 feet long, she bolted through, ran me over, the lead slipped right through my fingers and she went straight into the lake 20 feet behind me, said hi to another dog and came to me. Punk. It got better though. Tried it again (longer this time), she bolted at high speed, but I got the leash, which tossed me on my butt legs in the air (which I kept in the air in fear of bonking a puppy I knew was very close...it was apparently sniffing my butt during this according to DH), and I got dragged most of the way to the lake on my back, legs still flailing. When she finally stopped, she joined the puppy in pouncing on me (at least the puppy was dry!). We tried the tube one last time before leaving, we even extended it and put a curve in it. No problem, did it like an ace, no hesitation. Apparently dumping me on my butt, getting a quick swim and dragging me on my back are excellent reinforcers for a desired behavior lol. I'm laughing, it was fun though I'm looking forward to an advil, a muscle relaxant and bed tonight....did quite a number on me, hilarious though 

And she is signed up to start agility in August. This should be interesting......


----------



## Katagaria

The doberman at work is driving me crazy. He is 10 months old and huge, he is so difficult to manage. The staff have taken pity on the owner and keep him in daycare despite the fact he is simply not suitable, especially as he is intact and keeps getting fixated on intact females for 9+ hours at a time, then he seems to get protective of whichever dog he fixates on and nashes his teeth at other dogs from time to time. He broke a wooden baby gate by essentially kicking it down so he could get into the next room, he jumps at me at full force, not simply trying to stand up on me, but practically a two footed kick in my direction. 

He is infuriating and a safety issue...


----------



## Miss Bugs

well my mom was 2 hours out of town, figured she would try to come home early because of the rain, our basement foundation is badly cracked so she's worries about water coming in(it is, but not super badly) I've been out all day crawling around in the mud under the deck, pumping water away from the house lol. so back on track...a bunch of the highways are washed out and I told my mom that, but she figured she would try to outrun the rain and get home before the highways she needed closed..no such luck, and she's stranded in Wosley(about an hour and half away) lol, she's fine, the highways out of Wosley are just all under water so she can't leave the town! a bunch of people have posted video's on Facebook of that flooded highway, you can't even tell there is a road! lol


----------



## momtolabs

My parents know tank is terrified of fireworks. If he goes outside when there going off he will bolt. I was gone with friends(I was in need of one day out) and even though the neighbors are letting off big and loud fireworks they take tank outside. He was on a leash but on the older one. They let one off and boom leash is snapped and tank is off like a rocket. Luckily ran to the door this time. Last time he was gone for 4 days!! He jumped his 8' foot fence like it was nothing. So I'm glad he ran to the door. But now I have to buy a leash. I'm down to 2 leashes for 4 dogs. Tank snapped one and the other was lost (I was camping and it mysteriously disappeared). I'm angry at my parents for taking him out. He didn't need to go out but it cooled down so they wante to walk him around the yard for a bit.

People wonder why I never leave my house......THIS IS WHY!! Every time I leave something happens with one of my dogs. 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I'm 27 and socially akward..I don't like talking to strangers, so in the past few weeks I've been to a lot of fast food places and out to movies(travelling..and I just happen to have a ton of free movie passes lol), these are not things I do very often. But this has made me find out that I am apparently attractive to 16 year old boys and it's creeping me out! They are perfectly normal till they notice me then suddenly get all akward and fidgety and attempt to flirt.... I dont know how to respond, all I want is my order!
> 
> For other akwardness... a well known actor(well in Canada anyway) started bringing his dog to my daycare, I helped him when he filled out the paperwork, I knew who he was as soon as he walked in the door, as did my co-worker but we treated him normally...ya so obviously another customer comes in to buy dog food and he looks at the guy and looks at us and starts running his.mouth "you guys recognize him right? You should ask him who he is, you know he looks familiar......." etc.. just on and on like this, the actor just avoided looking at the guy and concentrated extra hard on the paperwork lol we were looking at the guy like "shut up already!!"


I don't mean to sound vain but this happens to me a lot with guys, I'm glad that I am with my OH most of the time and he acts like a "beard" to unwanted male attention. Lol OH ask a me why I, a person who normally doesn't really like touching, hugs him and shows a lot of (not inappropriate) PDA and I finally told him it's for the other guys who are giving me leering looks lol. Now he indicates the PDA half of the time, he's not a jealous guy or anything, he does it for the sake of my anxiety issues.


----------



## Miss Bugs

ok I have to ask...am I weird because I love the X-men and I'm a girl? and I mean loving X-men cuz it's X-men not for "hot actors" lol  I have seen everything X-men related for as long as I can remember, I have always loved it, and I always just assumed this was an "everyone does" sorta thing...until I took my friend with me to see the new X-men movie and she had no idea what it was..I was making fun of her until I did a quick pole of my female co-workers and not a single one of them knew anything about it beyond the name..and suddenly I feel like the nerd :laugh: surely is just the people I work with right? or is it seriously that odd? lol


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> ok I have to ask...am I weird because I love the X-men and I'm a girl? and I mean loving X-men cuz it's X-men not for "hot actors" lol  I have seen everything X-men related for as long as I can remember, I have always loved it, and I always just assumed this was an "everyone does" sorta thing...until I took my friend with me to see the new X-men movie and she had no idea what it was..I was making fun of her until I did a quick pole of my female co-workers and not a single one of them knew anything about it beyond the name..and suddenly I feel like the nerd :laugh: surely is just the people I work with right? or is it seriously that odd? lol


I've never been super into comics (I find them disjointed to read), but I've always loved the universe that they're able to create. And I'll be honest, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed THOR nearly as much if they'd used a less attractive actor, but I still enjoy the story/plot and the world that DC and especially Marvel create.

I do feel you though - I share my office with a girl who had never even heard of Dungeons and Dragons - like, at all, not even heard it being made fun of in pop culture.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Miss Bugs said:


> ..and suddenly I feel like the nerd :laugh: surely is just the people I work with right? or is it seriously that odd? lol


 Heh....it may be odd, but you aren't the only odd one. I loved transformers and Voltron as a kid...people thought I was bizzarre when I said I loved Dr Who back in 2000 (grew up on Tom Baker episodes), and I also like X-men.... and as much as I like X-men (the movies, not a huge fan of comics in general...), the hot actors are a bonus to me . You aren't the only Nerd girl around, be proud! lol.


----------



## Remaru

I'm an X-men fan, the comics though, the movies don't totally do it for me (I hated the first set, they totally messed up the comics). The newer movies are better, hubby and I enjoyed First Class pretty well, and Wolverine. I am not an Avengers fan though I used to read some of my father's old Thor comics (as in 1960's Thor and Captain America). I still have some old X-men comics and the collectors cards. I like to pull them out and show them to my kids, I don't think that is weird.


----------



## ToothAndClaw

There are a lot of girls that are into X-men and other nerdy things. I don't think it's odd in the least ... after all it has great characters, cool plots and yeah hot actors don't hurt haha. Be proud of your nerdy tendencies! 

I love x-men, comics and movies (though I really hated Days of Future Past ... that's a rant for a different board though haha). My main nerdy love is sci-fi tv (Doctor Who, Stargate, Firefly, all that good stuff).


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

This happened earlier today.

We had 70mph winds. It caused some significant damage, but it wasn't to anything too valuable


----------



## Laurelin

I need a derpy cuddly boy herdy puppy. 

Holding other people's derpy herdy boy puppies is not helping my puppy fever at all.

Master of the sad eyes and floppy all over the place and cuddly as can be. I NEED one.


----------



## Sarah~

Laurelin said:


> I need a derpy cuddly boy herdy puppy.
> 
> Holding other people's derpy herdy boy puppies is not helping my puppy fever at all.
> 
> Master of the sad eyes and floppy all over the place and cuddly as can be. I NEED one.


I have been wanting a female shepherd so bad lately thanks to Xeph and Wes and all of the puppy pictures on the GSD forum... But I'm getting my bearded dragon this year and I already swore to myself no more puppies until I'm out of school and settled in my new job. So a few years at least  But I hear you on the herding puppy fever!!!


----------



## Damon'sMom

Miss Bugs said:


> ok I have to ask...am I weird because I love the X-men and I'm a girl? and I mean loving X-men cuz it's X-men not for "hot actors" lol  I have seen everything X-men related for as long as I can remember, I have always loved it, and I always just assumed this was an "everyone does" sorta thing...until I took my friend with me to see the new X-men movie and she had no idea what it was..I was making fun of her until I did a quick pole of my female co-workers and not a single one of them knew anything about it beyond the name..and suddenly I feel like the nerd :laugh: surely is just the people I work with right? or is it seriously that odd? lol


Nope not at all. I love Marvel, the comics, movies and TV show. . I have seen all of Thor, Iron Man, Captain American, etc. And I love the TV show Marvel agents of Shield. lol I could go on.





Jasper is a big baby. He likes to be picked up occasionally. Its my own fault. I showed him how to be picked up when he was younger (and lighter!). Now when he wants me to pick him up he will whimper and hop up and down in front of me. If I say okay, he will place his front legs on my shoulders and I will lift him up and he will let me carry him around that way. So here I am a 5'1" girl who is trying to carry this huge 65 pound furry Aussie to bed.  He is almost as tall as I am (lol okay maybe not that huge but still!). And just so everyone knows I taught him this because of his Pano when he was little. lol


----------



## Remaru

Laurelin said:


> I need a derpy cuddly boy herdy puppy.
> 
> Holding other people's derpy herdy boy puppies is not helping my puppy fever at all.
> 
> Master of the sad eyes and floppy all over the place and cuddly as can be. I NEED one.


Aww, puppy fever! I'm not going to discourage you. Get a cute derpy puppy and post pics. 

Seriously I have a 6month old puppy I don't know what my problem is. I think I am just worried Freyja won't work as a PSD and I keep considering what I would do. Maybe a Spoo, GSD or Dobie. I know it is at least 6months too early to tell with her. She is just so attached to hubby and super duper excited/socially outgoing. Not that being friendly is bad, but rushing to meet people and getting so excited she can't listen or focus is not going to be ideal. It would be easier with a dog that was indifferent to other people and more focused on me.


----------



## Greater Swiss

*sigh* people are so discouraging. 

I was driving home from work yesterday along this road where the speed limit is about 50km/h, but it is a somewhat twisty road, and there are rarely cops....the average real speed on that road is around 70+k/h. I was going along a stretch and I saw this little dog trotting along the road towards me, I stopped, as did the car in front of me. The dog skittered away from me, back towards where it was coming from....then towards the middle of the road (I jumped out and made someone stop so he wouldn't get hit). The dog headed up a driveway so I followed him (the other people that stopped said it wasn't theirs, and wanted to make sure he was ok). Well...there was an old couple out on a porch in the back of the house, all doors and windows open and they had NO IDEA that the dog had been on the road, they were quite shocked though. It was their daughter in law's dog that they were caring for for a couple of days. Their dog was also wandering free and came to say hi before they even knew I was on their property, but he "never leaves the yard". It seems they assumed the other dog wouldn't either. 

I couldn't be nasty to them....just didn't have it in me, it was a tough day at work....all I could do was beg them to keep an eye on the little guy (and their own dog!). I did however play up how he almost got hit....the car actually stopped a good 20 feet before the dog, but I made it sound really close.....I hope it scared them a little. It was quite sweet though that the people in the other car that stopped didn't leave until they knew the dog was safe....so a combination of really caring people and some pretty clueless ones. I really hope that little one didn't go for another walk....that road is a death sentence for an animal. GRRRRR


----------



## CptJack

Border collie mix puppies keep turning up EVERYWHERE I LOOK.

Dear Universe: I CAN NOT HAVE ONE FOREVER. PLEASE STOP TAUNTING ME.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Sarah~ said:


> I have been wanting a female shepherd so bad lately thanks to Xeph and Wes and all of the puppy pictures on the GSD forum... But I'm getting my bearded dragon this year and I already swore to myself no more puppies until I'm out of school and settled in my new job. So a few years at least  But I hear you on the herding puppy fever!!!


Can I join this club? I want a puppy so so bad but I just bought a new truck ... phooey on adult life! 

I want puppy!!


----------



## Flaming

Manna's still acting like a puppy most days and I'm still suffering from Puppy fever. 
I'm looking at Newfie-landseers and Leonbergers...I wanna puppy


----------



## Miss Bugs

Remember that litter of pups that was born at my work? The moms owner still insists she "must" have gotten preggers at my work because "she never escaped their yard"(and therefore a dog could not have gotten IN?) problem with that theory is that IF any of our staff members screwed up and let her out with an intact male and walked away(? Questionable in itself) we only HAD two possible options..a Rottie or a Malamute. The puppies are like 10 weeks old now.. and mid as well be purebred labs lol every one of em looks and acts like a lab puppy to such a degree that the puppy owners are all calling them lab puppies. trouble is....mom is a 17" tall sable GSD mix..... lol


----------



## momtolabs

On a Illinois pet rehome page









Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

momtolabs said:


> On a Illinois pet rehome page
> View attachment 159041
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


You should suggest them to get this


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> Manna's still acting like a puppy most days and I'm still suffering from Puppy fever.
> I'm looking at Newfie-landseers and Leonbergers...I wanna puppy


Hubby and I were looking at Icelandic sheepdog breeders this morning. You know, just to see how far we'd have to road trip to get one. It looks like it'll be just as easy for us to get one from Iceland, with Iceland Air's no-charge stop-overs in Reykjavik on all flights from here to Europe....


----------



## Foresthund

I just really really really want a second dog,I don't think I can wait to Raggy passes of old age first. I don't even care if its a puppy or not. He is 6 years old now,and still pretty active but I know his energy is going down hill,and I miss all his craziness he had. Why are the breeds I love so hard to rent with? Why do I have to move every 1-2 years for my animals and just to find a place to get that second dog.


----------



## Flaming

Just found a newfie breeder outside of Edmonton that feeds and starts her pups on raw... Does showing testing and everything, and is a part of the Newfoundland dog club of Canada..... I want to contact her and have a puppy soooo bad!!!!!! 
Edmonton is only 4 hours away, can't ask for any closer


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> Just found a newfie breeder outside of Edmonton that feeds and starts her pups on raw... Does showing testing and everything, and is a part of the Newfoundland dog club of Canada..... I want to contact her and have a puppy soooo bad!!!!!!
> Edmonton is only 4 hours away, can't ask for any closer


You know you'd have to come visit me, right? And bring the puppy?


----------



## Flaming

I'm through Edmonton 3-4 times a year with Manna, I can't believe we haven't met yet. 
I'll have to message you next time and see if we can get together



gingerkid said:


> You know you'd have to come visit me, right? And bring the puppy?


----------



## CrystalGSD

I am going to join all of you with this puppy fever! I want a German Shepherd so bad, but I don't see myself getting one until at least a year from now!  If anyone has a cure for puppy fever, please tell me. It doesn't help that my cousin recently got a puppy and I was holding it and augh!- I want puppy.


----------



## aiw

Flaming said:


> I'm through Edmonton 3-4 times a year with Manna, I can't believe we haven't met yet.
> I'll have to message you next time and see if we can get together


I'm based in Edmonton too for the time being. We could have a DF meetup!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

At work everyone is assigned a week to feed in the morning and do laundry, whoever feeds has to prepare the feed for morning, noon AND evening feedings and keep the feed room clean, and the guy whose turn it is doesn't want to do any of those things, he just wants to sit down there on his ass in his shed row BS' ing ... RAWR!


----------



## Miss Bugs

every time I train Gem...I laugh at the irony that her name when I adopted her was "whisper".. Gem is a MAJOR loud mouth, like "down" *high pitched "OWWOWOWOWOWOWOW" as she lays down... I spend half our training sessions telling her to shut up!



> At work everyone is assigned a week to feed in the morning and do laundry, whoever feeds has to prepare the feed for morning, noon AND evening feedings and keep the feed room clean, and the guy whose turn it is doesn't want to do any of those things, he just wants to sit down there on his ass in his shed row BS' ing ... RAWR!


I have one of those at work!! he has a habit of this sort of thing so I do random "check ups" on him, he was supposed to be supervising the small dogs, so I went in to check on him...nobody in the room..hmmmm go to the outside portion, don't see anyone at first, then OH!! there he is! leaning against the wall at the far back of the yard texting, I stood in the yard staring at him for like 3 minutes, waiting to see if he would notice, nope nothing, I yelled his name, he looks up shocked, immediately puts his phone away, apologizes to me and get back to the whole supervising part of his job. I walked out, told my manager because she'd been dealing with this issue with him already while I was away(I'm his supervisor), she wrote him up, sent him home on the spot, took away his next shift and told him one more incident and he's out. like what if something happened with the dogs while he was engrossed in his phone? making sure the dogs are safe is his JOB.


----------



## Little Wise Owl

momtolabs said:


> On a Illinois pet rehome page
> View attachment 159041
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



LOL. I know I shouldn't laugh at people's phobias but come on....


----------



## Flaming

aiw said:


> I'm based in Edmonton too for the time being. We could have a DF meetup!


sweet
I think my next trip will be sept or oct some time


----------



## Little Wise Owl

There's this one Bulldog breeder in my area who charges an arm and a leg and probably your kidney to get one of their dogs... Meanwhile they're not health tested. No OFAs, CERF, or any mention of ANY health tests.

This is one of their studs....









Another stud:










Just ugh... I love Bulldogs but I can't stand breeders who breed dogs like this. Why the need for such a massive nose rope? How can you even clean that?


----------



## Hambonez

luv mi pets said:


> Someone brought their 5 year old cat in for a declaw. Reason- they wanted the cat to stop killing the birds and mice outside. No we did not declaw the cat. Can you tell that this irked me?


Yea cause keeping the cat INSIDE wouldn't solve the problem? Did they want you to pull its teeth too? When my cats kill prey (that come INTO my house, mice, they don't go out), they kill them by teeth not by claws. 



JazzyTheSiberian said:


> This is so embarrassing... But, here it goes. I had my period early,& I don't have anything,& no one has anything. I'm on vacation to-out of the country.


You need a menstrual cup! I always toss mine into my toiletry bag when we travel. It's rinse-and-reuse so you don't need a lot of stuff. Sort-of funny unexpected period story -- in 2005 my now-husband and I were going 350 miles for a family thing. I got appendicitis on the way, ended up in the hospital for 10 days, and I wasn't allowed to take my birth control... so midway through the week I got my period, and I couldn't actually USE my cup for various reasons (I did have it!), so the hospital gave me these massive like, post partum boat sized pads. The only person with me after the first few days was my dad cause everyone else had to go home/back to work, and my dad was a good sport and went out and bought me pads  

And now for something completely different... 
I had neighbor-puppy orientation today. They leave Friday morning. They brought her over here to show her around and were here for about 20 minutes and she didn't pee (yay!) and she found Hamilton's toys right away, picked one out, and settled into his bed with it! Haha. She didn't want to leave. She nearly had to be dragged home, so I think she'll settle right in here! She saw one of the cats but didn't even go to check him out, just went back to the toy she found, so that was good. Hamilton was still pretty indifferent to her, and didn't care when she found his favorite lovey toy, but did get a little snippy when she went near his (empty) kongs, so we're going to have to be super careful about food stuff since he resource guards with other animals. My house is going to be insane this weekend because my friend and her roommate are going to be here with their two cats while their apartment is having some work done, then we have my three cats, my dog, and the neighbor's dog. Her cats are going to be kept upstairs only, and we'll keep the puppy in the living room away from my cats, who will have the rest of the first floor and the basement. Wish me luck!


----------



## Flaming

Hambonez said:


> You need a menstrual cup! I always toss mine into my toiletry bag when we travel. It's rinse-and-reuse so you don't need a lot of stuff. Sort-of funny unexpected period story -- in 2005 my now-husband and I were going 350 miles for a family thing. I got appendicitis on the way, ended up in the hospital for 10 days, and I wasn't allowed to take my birth control... so midway through the week I got my period, and I couldn't actually USE my cup for various reasons (I did have it!), so the hospital gave me these massive like, post partum boat sized pads. The only person with me after the first few days was my dad cause everyone else had to go home/back to work, and my dad was a good sport and went out and bought me pads
> 
> And now for something completely different...
> I had neighbor-puppy orientation today. They leave Friday morning. They brought her over here to show her around and were here for about 20 minutes and she didn't pee (yay!) and she found Hamilton's toys right away, picked one out, and settled into his bed with it! Haha. She didn't want to leave. She nearly had to be dragged home, so I think she'll settle right in here! She saw one of the cats but didn't even go to check him out, just went back to the toy she found, so that was good. Hamilton was still pretty indifferent to her, and didn't care when she found his favorite lovey toy, but did get a little snippy when she went near his (empty) kongs, so we're going to have to be super careful about food stuff since he resource guards with other animals. My house is going to be insane this weekend because my friend and her roommate are going to be here with their two cats while their apartment is having some work done, then we have my three cats, my dog, and the neighbor's dog. Her cats are going to be kept upstairs only, and we'll keep the puppy in the living room away from my cats, who will have the rest of the first floor and the basement. Wish me luck!



I vote for the Diva cup, I haven't used/bought a pad or tampon in over 5 years


----------



## Little Wise Owl

Flaming said:


> I vote for the Diva cup, I haven't used/bought a pad or tampon in over 5 years



(SORRY TO ALL THE DUDES AND GIRLS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CONVERSATION LMAO)

I just started getting comfortable with tampons (I'm almost 25 LOL)... I couldn't even imagine using a Diva Cup... My mother swears by them though. I just can't even imagine putting something the size of a shot glass in there and not feeling it.


----------



## Hambonez

Little Wise Owl said:


> (SORRY TO ALL THE DUDES AND GIRLS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CONVERSATION LMAO)
> 
> I just started getting comfortable with tampons (I'm almost 25 LOL)... I couldn't even imagine using a Diva Cup... My mother swears by them though. I just can't even imagine putting something the size of a shot glass in there and not feeling it.



It's soft, it folds!


----------



## Miss Bugs

> (SORRY TO ALL THE DUDES AND GIRLS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CONVERSATION LMAO)
> 
> I just started getting comfortable with tampons (I'm almost 25 LOL)... I couldn't even imagine using a Diva Cup... My mother swears by them though. I just can't even imagine putting something the size of a shot glass in there and not feeling it.


hahaha gotta agree with you there, I have trouble with the concept that I wouldn't be able to feel that! I only use pads. Tampons are a non option for me as I am very allergic to Rayon, and 99% of tampons are a Cotton/Rayon blend. since I always found tampons to be unbelievably painful(from before I knew they contained Rayon, which I have known I was allergic to since I was like 11) the memory of the pain and how sick I felt from Tampons makes me sketched out to try any of the other options like Diva cups lol


----------



## Little Wise Owl

Hambonez said:


> It's soft, it folds!


I know that, I just still don't trust it. lmao


----------



## Hambonez

Miss Bugs said:


> hahaha gotta agree with you there, I have trouble with the concept that I wouldn't be able to feel that! I only use pads. Tampons are a non option for me as I am very allergic to Rayon, and 99% of tampons are a Cotton/Rayon blend. since I always found tampons to be unbelievably painful(from before I knew they contained Rayon, which I have known I was allergic to since I was like 11) the memory of the pain and how sick I felt from Tampons makes me sketched out to try any of the other options like Diva cups lol


My skin is hyper-sensitive to disposable pads, so they aren't generally an option for me, and times when for medical reasons I had to use them, my skin hates me big time. I buy the all natural 100% unbleached cotton and it takes a little longer to piss off my skin, but the end result is still bad. Cloth pads + cup is the way to go for me. 

I will say, pre-cup days, Instead softcups came out and I tried them and those things would shoot out of my body as if propelled by rockets. I don't have the same issue with my Keeper.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hambonez said:


> It's soft, it folds!


May I add to this sensitive convo? How does one uh ... go about using a diva cup?


----------



## Remaru

It folds and then is inserted. You twist to open the cup. How it sits most comfortably seems to depend on the woman and her body shape. I think most of the cups come with an instructional booklet but I've found it takes some practice and "troubleshooting" to really get good at it. I've been using a reusable menstrual cup for about 10years. I've tried a couple different ones now and can say that shape, material, and design also make a difference.


----------



## Hambonez

Remaru said:


> It folds and then is inserted. You twist to open the cup. How it sits most comfortably seems to depend on the woman and her body shape. I think most of the cups come with an instructional booklet but I've found it takes some practice and "troubleshooting" to really get good at it. I've been using a reusable menstrual cup for about 10years. I've tried a couple different ones now and can say that shape, material, and design also make a difference.


To add to this - there are different ways to fold it depending on what's most comfortable for you. Mine always just opens back up once it's further up, no need to twist! There's a little tail that you can trim to whatever length is comfortable for easy removal. I don't even find I use it, mine is cut pretty short, I just bear down a little, pinch the cup to break the suction, and it comes right out. Then you rinse it out and put it back in. You can wear it up to 12 hrs without rinsing, so this isn't often something that needs to be done in a public restroom, though you can also just wipe it out with toilet paper and put it back. Since it isn't an absorbent product like a tampon, you can also use it if you *think* you'll be getting your period, and if you don't no harm done. 

Most companies I've seen offer a 90 day money back guarantee so if you don't get the hang of it they'll refund you.


----------



## jade5280

Little Wise Owl said:


> (SORRY TO ALL THE DUDES AND GIRLS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CONVERSATION LMAO)
> 
> I just started getting comfortable with tampons (I'm almost 25 LOL)... I couldn't even imagine using a Diva Cup... My mother swears by them though. I just can't even imagine putting something the size of a shot glass in there and not feeling it.


I recently discovered the Diva Cup and it is so awesome. At first I was like um...no. But it's really not that bad, can hardly even feel it. It was a life saver when I went camping!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> every time I train Gem...I laugh at the irony that her name when I adopted her was "whisper".. Gem is a MAJOR loud mouth, like "down" *high pitched "OWWOWOWOWOWOWOW" as she lays down... I spend half our training sessions telling her to shut up!
> 
> 
> 
> I have one of those at work!! he has a habit of this sort of thing so I do random "check ups" on him, he was supposed to be supervising the small dogs, so I went in to check on him...nobody in the room..hmmmm go to the outside portion, don't see anyone at first, then OH!! there he is! leaning against the wall at the far back of the yard texting, I stood in the yard staring at him for like 3 minutes, waiting to see if he would notice, nope nothing, I yelled his name, he looks up shocked, immediately puts his phone away, apologizes to me and get back to the whole supervising part of his job. I walked out, told my manager because she'd been dealing with this issue with him already while I was away(I'm his supervisor), she wrote him up, sent him home on the spot, took away his next shift and told him one more incident and he's out. like what if something happened with the dogs while he was engrossed in his phone? making sure the dogs are safe is his JOB.


Well I am not a supervisor, so it's really not any of my business and I don't ever say anything but it's still annoying, not just to me but to everyone else who works and does that when it's their week to feed.esp when it's 4:25 and the feed hasn't even been made yet and he is just sitting down there in his little room on his phone or BS' ing. OH is the supervisor, and he has already gotten on him a couple of times for that but he just doesn't get it. Also, he always is the last to get to the barn. We all get there at around 5:30am and he doesn't get to the barn about 6, sometimes later. Our big boss, the trainer, already had to get on him for not putting shavings in his stalls when we had a load delivered, all of us bedded our stalls when the load was first delivered, but he let his dwindle until his horses were standing on nothing.


----------



## Flaming

Hambonez said:


> My skin is hyper-sensitive to disposable pads, so they aren't generally an option for me, and times when for medical reasons I had to use them, my skin hates me big time. I buy the all natural 100% unbleached cotton and it takes a little longer to piss off my skin, but the end result is still bad. Cloth pads + cup is the way to go for me.
> 
> I will say, pre-cup days, Instead softcups came out and I tried them and those things would shoot out of my body as if propelled by rockets. I don't have the same issue with my Keeper.





OwnedbyACDs said:


> May I add to this sensitive convo? How does one uh ... go about using a diva cup?



POSSIBLE TMI AHEAD

Fold and insert, after the first 2-3 periods you should know what works best for you.
And we only have nerve endings so far up anyway as a child birthing protectant. 

I have a shallow reversed tube with a cervix thats tilted wrong. If I can use it than anyone can.


Edit: those soft cups are evil. They are projectiles that leak everywhere

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> sweet
> I think my next trip will be sept or oct some time


Perfect, I won't be nearly so busy in the fall.


----------



## BostonBullMama

Oh man.. I needed to check out this thread sooner... LOL

TMI 
________

I'm wary of diva cups too. Just sayin'. I tried out tampons for a while, never really got the hang of it, even after putting them up there I'd leak so I said screw it and went to Always Infinity - love love those pads.


----------



## socorny

Projectile period blood cups... sounds like a party!


----------



## Flaming

BostonBullMama said:


> Oh man.. I needed to check out this thread sooner... LOL
> 
> TMI
> ________
> 
> I'm wary of diva cups too. Just sayin'. I tried out tampons for a while, never really got the hang of it, even after putting them up there I'd leak so I said screw it and went to Always Infinity - love love those pads.


I could never get a tampon to work either. 
IME the diva cup is easier

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## gingerkid

Little Wise Owl said:


> (SORRY TO ALL THE DUDES AND GIRLS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CONVERSATION LMAO)
> 
> I just started getting comfortable with tampons (I'm almost 25 LOL)... I couldn't even imagine using a Diva Cup... My mother swears by them though. I just can't even imagine putting something the size of a shot glass in there and not feeling it.


I'm less weirded out by having the cup all up in there than having all the stuff just collect in it like a puddle of yuck. But its a moot point anyway, since I got Mirena last year and don't have to deal with that stuff any more.


----------



## Hambonez

BostonBullMama said:


> Oh man.. I needed to check out this thread sooner... LOL
> 
> TMI
> ________
> 
> I'm wary of diva cups too. Just sayin'. I tried out tampons for a while, never really got the hang of it, even after putting them up there I'd leak so I said screw it and went to Always Infinity - love love those pads.


Always are the absolute worst for setting my skin on fire. They are also ridiculously expensive. I don't know if it's a chemical they use or the material or what, but my skin goes "WHY HAPPENING?!" and then I insist that I'd rather stand for a while.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> I'm less weirded out by having the cup all up in there than having all the stuff just collect in it like a puddle of yuck. But its a moot point anyway, since I got Mirena last year and don't have to deal with that stuff any more.


I can't use any type of BC, my body just doesn't like it. Luckily I have really regular periods that run pretty much like clockwork, so I can use P tracker and I don't really have long periods (they last about 5 days max with the heaviest day being the first full day). 

I will Google the diva cup but the thought of "it" collecting in something up there ... ewww lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Hambonez said:


> Always are the absolute worst for setting my skin on fire. They are also ridiculously expensive. I don't know if it's a chemical they use or the material or what, but my skin goes "WHY HAPPENING?!" and then I insist that I'd rather stand for a while.


lol Always infinity(totally different material then regular Always) is my absolute favourite as well, they are even pricier then regular Always, but sooo worth it lol


----------



## Remaru

Ha ha I'm a weird hippy and use cloth pads. So much better on my skin. I have the worst periods ever, tampons did not work for me. Diva was better but not great, that is why I like Meluna. I can make a full 4 hours without having to rush to the lady's. I also like that it is softer, I don't get as crampy with it in. I've used a couple and think I like Meluna best but Fleurcup is really nice as well.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ewww I hate cloth pads, when I used them I feel so ... dirty lol, I haven't used a pad since I was like ... 14. 

Is a cup hard to get out? Because I kind of freak out if I can't find my tampon string lmbo


----------



## Remaru

A cup is larger than a tampon and I have to admit after two kids I'm pretty comfortable with my body. It is pretty hard to miss the cup being there though LOL. Most have a tab on the bottom that you can leave or trim off if it bothers you, I use one with a ring on the bottom though you wouldn't want to actually yank it out by the tab or the ring. Once you have hold of it you sort of depress the side to break the suction and then just remove it. I think it takes a few uses to get the hang of it but after that it is really easy to use. Definitely easier than the old O.B. tampons were. Or the Instead Soft Cups. I was leery to try the Diva at first because I had such an abysmal failure with the Instead Cups.

Pads are certainly not my favorite thing but because of my heavy flow I've found I'm safer with a little back up. I have found I prefer a raw silk liner to the disposable kind that tend to make me feel sweaty or that I'm sort of allergic to.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Crazy dust storm here in AZ. We put up a 10x20ft Gazebo (hate to even really call it that because it was just a fancy tarp with lots of metal poles and tie downs but I don't know what else it would classify as) in our backyard last month to keep part of the yard shaded for the dogs this summer. Our yard is dirt lot with a slab of pavement. No shade or grass whatsoever. It gets HOT during the day. Enough to burn feet in the middle of the day. Before we got this thing, neither of the dogs could go outside during the hours of 10:00am-5:00pm.

We had it up for about a month until about a half hour ago. The wind took the entire gazebo out of the ground, up and over our 6ft brick wall privacy fence and into our neighbors backyard. Thankfully nothing was damaged....other than the gazebo itself that was torn to shreds. 

Well, here's to going back to slapping some protective boots on to the dogs if they _absolutely need_ a potty break during the day over the course of the next three months. 


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## OwnedbyACDs

OH had to leave to run a horse at another track and will be gone all day ... boo  

The good news? I turned on the TV to discover that AMC is running a marathon of TWD!!! It was like they knew I was in a funk ... thanks AMC!


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## JazzyTheSiberian

I'm usually never sick. But, lately, I've been getting sick almost every week. Headache,& I feel nauseas. Then I go to bed,& I'm fine. It's really weird.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I am losing my mind this morning! On my way to work everything suddenly broke out in hives, just small patches of them all over my hands ankles and 1 knee. In the last 5 hours I've taken 2 claratin and 2 benedryl trying desperately for something to stop the itch and nothing is working!!! I like slathered myself in polysporin trying to relieve it, which helped..but then I was trying to to paperwork with my hands slathered in Poly lol


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## Greater Swiss

Getting frustrated with our daily routine after work....I'm going to have to do something to change it. When I get home Caeda is all happy and excited to see me, I say hi, put my stuff down, grab some juice or something, use the bathroom, plug my cell in to charge, maybe feed the cats and (for now anyway) check on Max (rescue mouse!). At that point I've got the minor "me" stuff to do taken care of (or at least some of the non-Caeda stuff), and its time to give Caeda some exercise so she's all cooled down before I feed her. Well....by this time she has hit her "off switch". Chillin on the couch....once I finally get her off of the couch and out for some play time or walk or whatever, she won't want to stop, she'll go for hours, but getting her started.....ugh...by the time she's ready to roll I'm ready for a nap just about lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

NUTTY lady at work today. so when she booked in, she was made aware of all our prices and what we charge extra for(drop off or pick outside of hours, meds) she started screaming on the phone that our prices are "ridiculous" and the "most expensive anywhere"(we ARE the most expensive in the city, but we are dirt cheap compared to anywhere else, even just 1 city over the prices are double ours) the girl she spoke to flat our said "you are more then welcome to go anywhere else" the ladies response was "that's besides the point"(??) and booked in anyway. she came in later on her drop off day to drop off more food at 5PM and was pissed off that her dogs were in the kennel not outside playing(5 is supper time..) the girls explained that to her and she just yelled about how we were "obviously lying" because her dogs were not muddy and some of the other dogs were(there is 5 yards.. only 2 still have mud pits that build up when it rains..would you rather we picked up your dogs and dropped them in a mud puddle? would that make you feel better? lol) she actually made one of the girls CRY she was so mean! so then today was pick up day and she calls at 1:30...we don't open till 2:30, and she starts yelling at the girl about the prices again, she hands the phone to me, not keen on being screamed at, and this lady asks who I am, I tell her, she yells at me "I don't know why she passed the phone to you, I guess she has no customer relations skills whatsoever"(otherwise known as: doesn't want to be yelled at for something she cant control... lol) she then screams at me for 10 minutes about she's "never been nickel and dimed so much in her entire life" and she is going to write the nastiest review of us and she will be there is 5 minutes, she wants all her stuff up front ready to go and she's never coming back!(thank god lol) I was just like "uh huh, uh huh, sure, see you in 5". its not like there is anything I could say to her, she's going to believe what she wants to believe, and none of my staff made any mistakes in price quoting, she knew everything before she even booked, and she still chose to board with us. she probably wanted me to cut her deal to make her happy, but gotta be honest.. I am not inclined to cut a deal with someone who yells and screams and makes my staff cry, and frankly I don't WANT her business, PLEASE go elsewhere, make someone elses life miserable lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hambonez said:


> Always are the absolute worst for setting my skin on fire. They are also ridiculously expensive. I don't know if it's a chemical they use or the material or what, but my skin goes "WHY HAPPENING?!" and then I insist that I'd rather stand for a while.


Weird, always does the same to me too.


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## ToothAndClaw

Well ... I feel like a proper piece of crap. 

Last sunday I was out walking with my dog and we came across an off leash German Sheppard. He was very sweet and curious, but my dog is very DA so I tried to shoo the sheppard away, which wasn't working, and Sparrow was getting more and more worked up. There are other people that let their dogs off leash in my neighborhood, so I assumed this dog's owner was like them ... but I didn't see anyone around. So, to not let my dog start something he couldn't get out of (a fight) I grabbed him and went up to my apartment. Right after I went back out to see if I could find the sheppard and find their owner ... to be honest I was kind of pissed that he was allowed to run about off leash without any supervision... but the sheppard was gone and I couldn't find him. Well, today I saw "Lost Dog" posters with his picture. My heart just sank. I wish I've done something else to catch him when I had the chance.


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## BostonBullMama

Hambonez said:


> Always are the absolute worst for setting my skin on fire. They are also ridiculously expensive. I don't know if it's a chemical they use or the material or what, but my skin goes "WHY HAPPENING?!" and then I insist that I'd rather stand for a while.


Regular ALWAYS does it to me. They have latex or something in the material, so then I switched to U by kotex and then back to always once infinity came out, and honestly it's like wearing underwear on your period. It's pretty comfy and awesome.


----------



## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> "never been nickel and dimed so much in her entire life" and she is going to write the nastiest review of us and she will be there is 5 minutes, she wants all her stuff up front ready to go and she's never coming back!(thank god lol) I was just like "uh huh, uh huh, sure, see you in 5". its not like there is anything I could say to her, she's going to believe what she wants to believe, and none of my staff made any mistakes in price quoting, she knew everything before she even booked, and she still chose to board with us. she probably wanted me to cut her deal to make her happy, but gotta be honest.. I am not inclined to cut a deal with someone who yells and screams and makes my staff cry, and frankly I don't WANT her business, PLEASE go elsewhere, make someone elses life miserable lol


I don't do what you do, but do work with customers on a daily basis. I love the "I'm never coming back" routine. Oh no...what will we ever do if we loose a crappy customer like you. I really don't know how people can be so cruel. I've literally asked people "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" they never have any answer to that, they just continue to rant and rave. Must be some kind of mad cow disease.


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## Miss Bugs

jade5280 said:


> I don't do what you do, but do work with customers on a daily basis. I love the "I'm never coming back" routine. Oh no...what will we ever do if we loose a crappy customer like you. I really don't know how people can be so cruel. I've literally asked people "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" they never have any answer to that, they just continue to rant and rave. Must be some kind of mad cow disease.



hahaha, yup pretty much exactly that! she knew all of our prices BEFORE she booked, yet she CHOSE to book in anyway. we are not the only game in town, just go somewhere else if you don't want to pay our higher fee's. she didn't seem to have a clue what she wanted, I mean, she was pissed off because her dogs were NOT covered in mud, she yelled at the kennel owner about how useless and unhelpful our staff is..while one of our staff members was standing beside her with her stuff that he had carried out to her car for her. she yammered about how I was super rude to her when she checked in and made her uncomfortable to leave her dogs with us...that one made me laugh given I didn't check her in!


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## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I don't do what you do, but do work with customers on a daily basis. I love the "I'm never coming back" routine. Oh no...what will we ever do if we loose a crappy customer like you. I really don't know how people can be so cruel. I've literally asked people "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" they never have any answer to that, they just continue to rant and rave. Must be some kind of mad cow disease.


That's why I am not in customer service of any kind and those who do it have my upmost respect, y'all really do. I don't know how you do it, I would be tearing my hair out.


----------



## Flaming

This is why I love my manager and the owner.

If the customer is that bad, they'll tell them to get out and not come back before they can even think of threatening it.


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## Kiwifruit

ToothAndClaw said:


> Well ... I feel like a proper piece of crap.
> 
> Last sunday I was out walking with my dog and we came across an off leash German Sheppard. He was very sweet and curious, but my dog is very DA so I tried to shoo the sheppard away, which wasn't working, and Sparrow was getting more and more worked up. There are other people that let their dogs off leash in my neighborhood, so I assumed this dog's owner was like them ... but I didn't see anyone around. So, to not let my dog start something he couldn't get out of (a fight) I grabbed him and went up to my apartment. Right after I went back out to see if I could find the sheppard and find their owner ... to be honest I was kind of pissed that he was allowed to run about off leash without any supervision... but the sheppard was gone and I couldn't find him. Well, today I saw "Lost Dog" posters with his picture. My heart just sank. I wish I've done something else to catch him when I had the chance.


Don't feel like crap...there was no way you could've known the dog was lost, and you did what you needed to avoid a potentially nasty situation. There are lots of people here who don't secure their properties well enough and their dogs just wander around, so if I saw a dog I wouldn't assume it was lost either. At least you can let the owner know when and where you saw their dog?


----------



## Greater Swiss

UGH!!! It rained yesterday....a LOT. Of course this means that little princess Caeda didn't want to go outside, so I think she went to the bathroom maybe twice yesterday, and only to pee as fast as possible. Well, she saw outside this morning through the door in our bedroom (a door to nowhere....I think the original owners intended a balcony), we had just the storm door closed and she could see.... no rain and blue sky, I woke up around 5 to her staring out the door whining, she very obviously wanted out. I don't need to be awake for work for another 2 hours. DH sleeps too deep to hear the whining. So up I am...destined to drag my butt today.


----------



## Miss Bugs

For some more just plain "WTF" work stuff.. the girls had a panic attack on Friday when they could not find one of the dogs, she had been in her kennel run and then she was gone...they found her by chance when one of them glanced up...and saw her standing on the window sill 8 feet up the wall.... our walls are solid, they are not climbable.. that window is just below the ceiling and just has a tiny bit of window sill...and it was a big dog. The joys of working with dogs lol


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## Waggintails

My pet peeve (literally) is people giving my dogs treats at the dog park without asking. What is wrong with people? I ask them if it would be OK if I gave a child they had with them something to eat without asking. They look dumbstruck or insulted, apparently they never thought about it.


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## gingerkid

This makes me so sad: http://www.edmontonhumanesociety.com/index.php?option=com_adoptions&view=details&adoptionid=77170


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## momtolabs

Waggintails said:


> My pet peeve (literally) is people giving my dogs treats at the dog park without asking. What is wrong with people? I ask them if it would be OK if I gave a child they had with them something to eat without asking. They look dumbstruck or insulted, apparently they never thought about it.


Even my siblings and parents ask me before giving my dogs food or treats of any sorts. I hate when people give my dogs stuff w/o asking. 


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## Greater Swiss

I just got caught in a Youtube vortex, cute dogs etc....well, I noticed a MAJOR trend that bugs me to no end and makes me want to just find the people and shake them. There is a HUGE number of videos of dogs growling, baring teeth and showing some really aggressive signs and everybody is laughing at it! Most of them are pretty small dogs, but not all of them, it seems people encourage this! I know this isn't a new phenomenon in any way, but it has made me grumpy.....that along with the plethora of videos of kids being ignorant to dogs who take it (impressive, but dangerous and stupid). I'm sure you've all seen the video of the dog that seems to be RGing against its own foot... fine, it is interesting as an example of a bizarre behavioral problem, but really, the amount of laughing about that video, and others like it. Just want to slap some of those people!


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## Foresthund

Greater Swiss said:


> I just got caught in a Youtube vortex, cute dogs etc....well, I noticed a MAJOR trend that bugs me to no end and makes me want to just find the people and shake them. There is a HUGE number of videos of dogs growling, baring teeth and showing some really aggressive signs and everybody is laughing at it! Most of them are pretty small dogs, but not all of them, it seems people encourage this! I know this isn't a new phenomenon in any way, but it has made me grumpy.....that along with the plethora of videos of kids being ignorant to dogs who take it (impressive, but dangerous and stupid). I'm sure you've all seen the video of the dog that seems to be RGing against its own foot... fine, it is interesting as an example of a bizarre behavioral problem, but really, the amount of laughing about that video, and others like it. Just want to slap some of those people!


That's why I stopped watching shows like "Bad dog",I`m unable to find aggressive and obnoxious little dogs cute. Also just because their smaller dog "bosses" around a older but mild mannered big dog does not mean the under dog is winning and is something to be proud of,sense a dog that acts like that is no underdog in that situation.

I felt sorry for the dog that slammed into the wall after having a seizure like reaction in its sleep as well,that dog has medical issues which can be interesting not something to laugh at. This video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grEypMDqvTE


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## Hambonez

This puppy seriously poops 10 times a day. I'm not exaggerating at all. I swear Hamilton never pooped this much. He pooped like 3-4 times a day as a puppy (ate 3 meals), and goes twice a day as an adult. Sadie never stops pooping, ever. Fortunately we've only had one very small pee accident in the house (and we'd JUST come in from outside!) in three days, so it could be worse, but dang puppy, that's a lot of poo! She eats grain free blue buffalo puppy kibbles. Maybe it's too rich or something.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> UGH!!! It rained yesterday....a LOT. Of course this means that little princess Caeda didn't want to go outside, so I think she went to the bathroom maybe twice yesterday, and only to pee as fast as possible. Well, she saw outside this morning through the door in our bedroom (a door to nowhere....I think the original owners intended a balcony), we had just the storm door closed and she could see.... no rain and blue sky, I woke up around 5 to her staring out the door whining, she very obviously wanted out. I don't need to be awake for work for another 2 hours. DH sleeps too deep to hear the whining. So up I am...destined to drag my butt today.


You're nicer than me, rain or not I shove their butts outside. They have a huge wrap around porch and the yard drains very well (well placed yard plus very absorbent Sandy soil so there is like never any standing water unless we get a LOT of rain and even thru it's not for very long). I have one princess dog and I don't let him get away with it.


----------



## Greater Swiss

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You're nicer than me, rain or not I shove their butts outside. They have a huge wrap around porch and the yard drains very well (well placed yard plus very absorbent Sandy soil so there is like never any standing water unless we get a LOT of rain and even thru it's not for very long). I have one princess dog and I don't let him get away with it.


I did drag her out later in the day, but she only peed and I didn't have the patience to wait out the rest. I'd worked all day, and the wind was downright evil! DH had been home with her all day and he is way too much of a softie with her! The weird thing, is she loves swimming, and if I took her out for a full fledged walk, 15 mins in she would poo for sure, and she would do so happily in the rain, long grass or short, but if you send her for an "out" and it is raining....nope, she'll hold it and nose at the door (even if we are out with her!). If it hadn't been so wickedly windy and poor visibility by the time I'd gotten home I probably would have done a full walk with her. 

Another rant about that storm.....we hadn't even noticed that the neighbor's tree on the other side of our garage, fell onto our garage, realized it last night. Were going to take it down today (with neighbor's help of course), but he has no power tools (renting), we went and got the chainsaw that my parents gave us (their old one). They don't know how to sharpen a chainsaw....they do however know how to blunt one. Tried our Sawzall, too small, and took forever to cut. DH went to get a new chain, it was SUPPOSED to fit....nope. Gotta go back and return it for another, but the chainsaw is so old they probably don't make chains specifically for it any more, plus it is a cheapie model. UGH. All of this took HOURS of today. I called it off....we'll do it tomorrow, I want to TRY to enjoy some of my day off!


----------



## Foresthund

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You're nicer than me, rain or not I shove their butts outside. They have a huge wrap around porch and the yard drains very well (well placed yard plus very absorbent Sandy soil so there is like never any standing water unless we get a LOT of rain and even thru it's not for very long). I have one princess dog and I don't let him get away with it.


Same here,I live in the Pacific North West so their is no avoiding rain and this weekend we had a bit ourselves as well. So dogs have to get used to it and go out when I want them to and for how long I want them to,and even willing to play some in it.


----------



## kdawnk

Random question.
If you started working at a Government-related, important, job and your mother also worked at the same place.
Would you begin calling her by her first name?

I've only called my mom "Carla" like... three times and those were all joking reprimands.


----------



## gingerkid

kdawnk said:


> Random question.
> If you started working at a Government-related, important, job and your mother also worked at the same place.
> Would you begin calling her by her first name?
> 
> I've only called my mom "Carla" like... three times and those were all joking reprimands.


In meetings, maybe, but probably not in private or semi-private conversations (even if they were work related) or other non-formal work settings. But then again, I can't imagine ever being in the same workplace as my mom.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I seem to have developed a terrible allergy to outside. every part of me exposed to air from outside swells up and gets covered in hives... it all goes away as soon as I am in an area that is not exposed to outside air... gieven everything i do in my life involves being outside or being around outside..this kinda sucks lol



> Random question.
> If you started working at a Government-related, important, job and your mother also worked at the same place.
> Would you begin calling her by her first name?
> 
> I've only called my mom "Carla" like... three times and those were all joking reprimands.


my first job, was working for a lady who was basically my "mom". she was my BFF's mom, but we were so close that her parents were basically my second parents. when I started working for her, I did start calling her by her first name, but it was really weird and honestly it took a lot of getting used to!


----------



## momtolabs

I have decided not to go to the annual family reunion in Missouri this year. I have went every.single.year since I was 8. I'm now 17(well in a month) and I have decided to stay home this year. I miss my MO family but I just don't want to deal with the hassle. I babysit kids and don't want to take the days off and loose money, can't find anywhere I like to board the dogs, no one will stay at my house to care for them, and I don't want to deal with te heat  . I love camping but all the hassle I hate. It's a 6 hour drive from we're I live in Illinois. Well now the MO family is saying its rude of me not to come just because I don't want to board my dogs. This year I wouldn't be able to even take one dog and it way to expensive to board all 4. No one wants to deal with all four anyway. I also have a ferret, a cat, and 5 foster kittens, and a rabbit who is pregnant, and a baby bunny. So it's hard for me to find a caregiver for them! The MO family just has to drive 30 minutes at the most to take care if their pets!!! I'm also gettin a goat to put out at my uncles with his chickens and while I'm getting it in August I have a lot of work to do on the pen. Yes these are excuses but valid ones to me!! So it irritates me the family is gettin angry. I go down for thanksgiving so its not like I won't see them all year  


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## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Even my siblings and parents ask me before giving my dogs food or treats of any sorts. I hate when people give my dogs stuff w/o asking.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Same here (in the case of parents ... I have no siblings lol) . But I have a grain allergic dog so I would prefer if people ask. I have the most problems with pet store employees not asking lol


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I came across this


> We are proud to say that we were the first breeders in the world to produce Comfort Retriever®, also known as miniature golden retrievers. We are also the first to have registered both Miniature Golden Retrievers and Comfort Retriever®, with a dog breed organization. This type of innovation is what has given us a reputation as such a high end breeder.
> These mini retrievers are a sight to be seen. Looking very close to your everyday Golden Retriever, these miniature versions are giving you the same look and feel in a more compact size. As a Golden Retriever breeder, we love them but know that their size is just not for everyone. This is why if you like the look of a Golden Retriever but not the size, we have the perfect dog for you. Take a look through our galleries to get an idea of what we have to offer, and give us a call with any questions!


Seriously? This just ridiculous.


----------



## BernerMax

HI ALL just excited to be back online... the wireless was not connecting for 2 days EEEK.... couldnt get work done, etc.... thankfully DH trouble shot it and fixed it just now YAY!!!!


----------



## BubbaMoose

BernerMax said:


> HI ALL just excited to be back online... the wireless was not connecting for 2 days EEEK.... couldnt get work done, etc.... thankfully DH trouble shot it and fixed it just now YAY!!!!


Welcome back! Funny how hard it can be to function without technology, isn't it!


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----------



## kdawnk

gingerkid said:


> In meetings, maybe, but probably not in private or semi-private conversations (even if they were work related) or other non-formal work settings. But then again, I can't imagine ever being in the same workplace as my mom.


Yeah it's a weird concept. 
I just applied to a Government Job that pays really well and my mom is a Social Worker, so we'd be in the same building and I'd be transferring calls to her, and giving her paperwork. My mom and I had this chat last night and she was like, "No, you'd definitely call me Carla the entire time we're at work." mainly because she wouldn't want clients knowing I'm her daughter too.


----------



## BernerMax

BubbaMoose said:


> Welcome back! Funny how hard it can be to function without technology, isn't it!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yup! And it was DD who fixed it not DH (oops) - am proud of her!


----------



## Little Wise Owl

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I came across this
> 
> 
> Seriously? This just ridiculous.


I just read their website... At least they health test..? Otherwise, I agree. It's a bit ridiculous.


----------



## gingerkid

kdawnk said:


> Yeah it's a weird concept.
> I just applied to a Government Job that pays really well and my mom is a Social Worker, so we'd be in the same building and I'd be transferring calls to her, and giving her paperwork. My mom and I had this chat last night and she was like, "No, you'd definitely call me Carla the entire time we're at work." mainly because she wouldn't want clients knowing I'm her daughter too.


That's fair, and totally seems reasonable. It would still be weird to call my mom by her first name though. We just don't have that kind of relationship.


----------



## kdawnk

gingerkid said:


> That's fair, and totally seems reasonable. It would still be weird to call my mom by her first name though. We just don't have that kind of relationship.


Yeah me neither, I feel like it'll be a really uncomfortable process and it'll probably end me calling her, "mom" at home too. Unless I'm referring to her in conversation _"Well my mom and I..."_ otherwise I'd probably only say her first name when addressing her.
What a weird world _maybe_ in store for me.
Calling mom, Carla. Weird.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Getting ready for our week long trail ride with the Great Cariboo Ride. This will be my 13th time this year. Cannot figure out why the water will not fill my water tank in my Fifth-Wheel trailer. Worked fine last year and I did everything the same. At least this year my sister is using their new truck to pull it. I have towed it in with my old truck the past couple of years but hard on my old truck as the roads are steep and wind around a lot and are really rough where we are going this year on the Gang Ranch. It is a 1992 Chev 3/4 ton and has over 350,000 on it but just keeps going. Took my horse down to my niece's and her, my sister and I went on a good ride this morning. She will be hauling the horses in. Was over 30C today and supposed to stay like this till the middle of next week. That is around 90 degrees F, way too hot.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kyllobernese said:


> Getting ready for our week long trail ride with the Great Cariboo Ride. This will be my 13th time this year. Cannot figure out why the water will not fill my water tank in my Fifth-Wheel trailer. Worked fine last year and I did everything the same. At least this year my sister is using their new truck to pull it. I have towed it in with my old truck the past couple of years but hard on my old truck as the roads are steep and wind around a lot and are really rough where we are going this year on the Gang Ranch. It is a 1992 Chev 3/4 ton and has over 350,000 on it but just keeps going. Took my horse down to my niece's and her, my sister and I went on a good ride this morning. She will be hauling the horses in. Was over 30C today and supposed to stay like this till the middle of next week. That is around 90 degrees F, way too hot.


Pictures, please


----------



## luv mi pets

Kyllobernese said:


> Getting ready for our week long trail ride with the Great Cariboo Ride. This will be my 13th time this year. Cannot figure out why the water will not fill my water tank in my Fifth-Wheel trailer. Worked fine last year and I did everything the same. At least this year my sister is using their new truck to pull it. I have towed it in with my old truck the past couple of years but hard on my old truck as the roads are steep and wind around a lot and are really rough where we are going this year on the Gang Ranch. It is a 1992 Chev 3/4 ton and has over 350,000 on it but just keeps going. Took my horse down to my niece's and her, my sister and I went on a good ride this morning. She will be hauling the horses in. Was over 30C today and supposed to stay like this till the middle of next week. That is around 90 degrees F, way too hot.


Jealous! Because of the storms some of our riding areas are closed  The ones that are open the mosquitoes are horrible. Hope you have a good -no a GREAT time.


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## luv mi pets

My LGDs have discovered the house is air conditioned and fly free. I think I have permanent summer house guests. I become a human bowling pin trying to get inside if the dogs are outside. Coming in from doing chores looks like a game of human bowling.


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## Flaming

luv mi pets said:


> My LGDs have discovered the house is air conditioned and fly free. I think I have permanent summer house guests. I become a human bowling pin trying to get inside if the dogs are outside. Coming in from doing chores looks like a game of human bowling.


Rofl


Mine figured out what shelf in the fridge I keep her defrosting meat and the eggs ...again.

Now I need to find a new way to lock the fridge.

Oh well at least she closes the door after she grabs her food.

(Still cursing my dad for teaching her how to open a fridge door without a towel. A failed attempt at beer retrieval)

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## Remaru

Quick, tell me I can't have a puppy. I found one I want and I really really shouldn't adopt another one.


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## Flaming

Remaru said:


> Quick, tell me I can't have a puppy. I found one I want and I really really shouldn't adopt another one.


When you get it, I want to gush over pictures.


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## Melle

Talking to other bull breed owners makes me feel like an idiot. If they aren't furmommies, they're people that get very blunt and defensive and as bull-headed as their dogs.

I just want to find a community that can find the capability to be casual owners like every other breed community on the internet without feeling the need to be "My pit bull breed is a special snowflake that deserves to match and btw if you're a noob shut up" or "My pit bull is a baby that needs to be dressed up in sunhats and sunglasses."


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Melle said:


> Talking to other bull breed owners makes me feel like an idiot. If they aren't furmommies, they're people that get very blunt and defensive and as bull-headed as their dogs.
> 
> I just want to find a community that can find the capability to be casual owners like every other breed community on the internet without feeling the need to be "My pit bull breed is a special snowflake that deserves to match and btw if you're a noob shut up" or "My pit bull is a baby that needs to be dressed up in sunhats and sunglasses."


I know what your talking about. I was wanting to learn more about Pit Bulls, so I joined a few sites. The ones I've joined seem to promote dogfighting. Which I still don't agree with. I adore the breed,& I promote breeding,& involving your dog in its original purpose. But, I... just don't agree with it. 

Another thing. A friend mine is annoyed I don't believe her. But,she has constantly lied to me, in numerous different situations. I try to trust her, but I can't, because she keep lying to me. It's nonstop.


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## Greater Swiss

Completely not dog related....but..
We just showed our house again. Got feedback a couple of hours later. They aren't interested because the basement isn't the type that you can finish.....they wanted a house with a basement that could be finished to put in a couple more bedrooms in...ok, fine, but the house already has 3 bedrooms + a den that can be a bedroom if an armoire or something is put in for clothing storage. I'm a little boggled, I get wanting to finish the basement....but who needs more than 4 bedrooms, especially in a city. Not many people have that many kids these days, especially in the city....I'm fine with the house not being a good match for them (as happy as I would be if they had wanted it), but wow.....they need a couple more bedrooms! All I can say is that if they are shopping in this prince range they're going to have a heck of a time finding a big enough place....good luck to them. (Again, wow, how many kids do they have!). This is from the perspective of a childless couple though...rattling around in WAY too much space.


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## momtolabs

Greater Swiss said:


> Completely not dog related....but..
> We just showed our house again. Got feedback a couple of hours later. They aren't interested because the basement isn't the type that you can finish.....they wanted a house with a basement that could be finished to put in a couple more bedrooms in...ok, fine, but the house already has 3 bedrooms + a den that can be a bedroom if an armoire or something is put in for clothing storage. I'm a little boggled, I get wanting to finish the basement....but who needs more than 4 bedrooms, especially in a city. Not many people have that many kids these days, especially in the city....I'm fine with the house not being a good match for them (as happy as I would be if they had wanted it), but wow.....they need a couple more bedrooms! All I can say is that if they are shopping in this prince range they're going to have a heck of a time finding a big enough place....good luck to them. (Again, wow, how many kids do they have!). This is from the perspective of a childless couple though...rattling around in WAY too much space.


Do you know if they have kids? My parents have five kids; definantly wouldn't have enough rooms for us! So I get where there coming from with wanting a basement they can finish. Or maybe they are foster parents. There could be many different reasons they wanted to find a home with a basement that could be made into bedrooms. 



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## momtolabs

Did you know if you foster kittens because your to nice to let them die your a hoarder!? At least I got the hoarder title with a cute bunch  yes there all going to homes .









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## gingerkid

Greater Swiss said:


> Completely not dog related....but..
> We just showed our house again. Got feedback a couple of hours later. They aren't interested because the basement isn't the type that you can finish.....they wanted a house with a basement that could be finished to put in a couple more bedrooms in...ok, fine, but the house already has 3 bedrooms + a den that can be a bedroom if an armoire or something is put in for clothing storage. I'm a little boggled, I get wanting to finish the basement....but who needs more than 4 bedrooms, especially in a city. Not many people have that many kids these days, especially in the city....I'm fine with the house not being a good match for them (as happy as I would be if they had wanted it), but wow.....they need a couple more bedrooms! All I can say is that if they are shopping in this prince range they're going to have a heck of a time finding a big enough place....good luck to them. (Again, wow, how many kids do they have!). This is from the perspective of a childless couple though...rattling around in WAY too much space.


In Alberta a "den" can't always legally be used as a bedroom - it depends on the size of the windows (part of fire code, for escape routes in case of emergency).

IN other news... it looks like I'm finally getting my first foster dog (as long as the meet-and-greet goes fine). She's an older girl, okay/tolerant with other dogs... I'm mostly nervous for how Snowball will be, since we've never had another dog in our home since we had him. He has cohabited with other dogs at the in-laws and when we used to house/dog-sit and was mostly fine (minor things over food, which is easily managed), but neither was in HIS home, you know? I mean, we're set up and prepared to completely separate all three animals while the foster is with us, if it comes to that, but I hope it doesn't.


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## Greater Swiss

momtolabs said:


> Do you know if they have kids? My parents have five kids; definantly wouldn't have enough rooms for us! So I get where there coming from with wanting a basement they can finish. Or maybe they are foster parents. There could be many different reasons they wanted to find a home with a basement that could be made into bedrooms.


 I'm guessing that's what it is, they must have at least 3 kids...or have extended family that stay with them or something, lots of reasons. Not a lot of people around here have more than 2, maybe 3 kids though. If it is because they have lots of children I really hope they have some luck finding the right home. Our house is pretty darn cheap, especially for being in the city, finding a place with enough bedrooms, or even big enough to add bedrooms in the price range is going to be tough for them.


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## momtolabs

Mia's new game is throwing her bone in the air and letting in drop,which scares poor Bentley, and then leaping like a deer after it. She has become a pro at doing it when I finally get the baby I watch asleep. I seriously think this dog hates me at times. 


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## BubbaMoose

I cut my credit card up a few weeks ago to help prevent unnecessary spending and yet I just placed an order online filled with tons of "want" items and not a single "need" item with my debit card. 

And actually, for once, not a single item was for the dogs! 

Though their monthly Chewy order does need to be placed in a few days...


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## Remaru

Greater Swiss said:


> Completely not dog related....but..
> We just showed our house again. Got feedback a couple of hours later. They aren't interested because the basement isn't the type that you can finish.....they wanted a house with a basement that could be finished to put in a couple more bedrooms in...ok, fine, but the house already has 3 bedrooms + a den that can be a bedroom if an armoire or something is put in for clothing storage. I'm a little boggled, I get wanting to finish the basement....but who needs more than 4 bedrooms, especially in a city. Not many people have that many kids these days, especially in the city....I'm fine with the house not being a good match for them (as happy as I would be if they had wanted it), but wow.....they need a couple more bedrooms! All I can say is that if they are shopping in this prince range they're going to have a heck of a time finding a big enough place....good luck to them. (Again, wow, how many kids do they have!). This is from the perspective of a childless couple though...rattling around in WAY too much space.



I only have two kids but because I home school I need an extra room for a "classroom" really a library, I have a book obsession. My boys have actually shared a room most of their lives so they could have a playroom. I finally split them up recently because at their ages (8 and 12) and with the differences in their personalities they just needed their own space. I would love it if we had an extra room so we could do foster care or possibly adopt. We have a 3bedroom and converted half of our garage for the classroom/library that we needed. We have a small house, particularly by comparison to many here in TX (where everything is bigger). Before the conversion it was only 1300sqft, with the extra space it is about 1600. We have talked about converting the second half of the garage into either another bedroom or a rec room for the boys. Right now they don't really have a place to have friends over, their rooms are very small and so is our living area.


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## OwnedbyACDs

OH wants to get me a puppy and I really don't *need* one right now but my puppy fever is so bad that I really don't know of I have the will power to say no ... lol. It's from an oops litter an aquaintence of ours had BTW his GSD and his son's ACD. The female has a "quiet" heat and didn't show. He caught them together and is setting up homes for the puppies just in case she comes up preggers.


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## Remaru

Get a puppy. I want one so bad but really can't do it. I found one I want to, hubby has been going back and forth telling me he is considering it but then listing all of the reasons why we can't. Sigh....


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## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Get a puppy. I want one so bad but really can't do it. I found one I want to, hubby has been going back and forth telling me he is considering it but then listing all of the reasons why we can't. Sigh....


Mine too , but now it seems as though he has decided to "allow" it lol, though maybe it's because it's half his fave breed ha ha.
Still I don't know why he kept crawfishing so many times because it's not like he is going 5k be the one taking care of it lol.


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## momtolabs

If you have time and can afford another I saw go for it  Mia was totally unplanned and I don't regret it at all! 


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## OwnedbyACDs

I knew you all would be a sea of enablers ha ha xD


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## d_ray

Frig I think this puppy fever is contagious. I don't know how Jewel would be with the puppy though. She doesn't even like if I pat the cats. I can't imagine her being okay with all the time and attention the pup gets. 

I just wish someone would lend me their puppy for a weekend so I can get my fix.


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## gingerkid

d_ray said:


> Frig I think this puppy fever is contagious. I don't know how Jewel would be with the puppy though. She doesn't even like if I pat the cats. I can't imagine her being okay with all the time and attention the pup gets.
> 
> I just wish someone would lend me their puppy for a weekend so I can get my fix.


Maybe she'd be fine with it if the pup was also her new best friend?


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## d_ray

gingerkid said:


> Maybe she'd be fine with it if the pup was also her new best friend?


That's what I'm hoping, however; I'm not sure. We recently had a friend's dog over for the day and she didn't like it when this dog jumped on my lap. Although, I think she would tolerate a puppy more than an adult dog. More pros for puppies


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## BostonBullMama

I was looking at bull terrier puppies today... the fever is here too... darn thing! 
Apparently they're a dog who "needs a consistent pack leader" and "difficult to train - will become aggressive"

Sounds like a challenge to me!
Apparently Toby was supposed to be hard to train too - I don't think anyone told him this though.


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## Remaru

BostonBullMama said:


> I was looking at bull terrier puppies today... the fever is here too... darn thing!
> Apparently they're a dog who "needs a consistent pack leader" and "difficult to train - will become aggressive"
> 
> Sounds like a challenge to me!
> Apparently Toby was supposed to be hard to train too - I don't think anyone told him this though.


They say that about American Bulldogs too. No one told Duke he was hard to train, he is sooooo eager to please. Yeah he can be stubborn sometimes but he is easy as they come. Freyja and Remus are far more challenging.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> OH wants to get me a puppy and I really don't *need* one right now but my puppy fever is so bad that I really don't know of I have the will power to say no ... lol. It's from an oops litter an aquaintence of ours had BTW his GSD and his son's ACD. The female has a "quiet" heat and didn't show. He caught them together and is setting up homes for the puppies just in case she comes up preggers.


I say DO IT. 

Everyone must have puppy fever. I did before Kairi's spay. (too focused on her being pathetic the past few days..) As long as all goes well.. I might actually be getting Aussie puppy number two next year!


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## Miss Bugs

my dogs started to run the wrong way down the hall at work while I was taking them home, I yelled "hey losers, this way!!" and they turned around and ran back to the correct door.... and 2 of my staff members turned around and looked at me like "us??" lol, ya, you guys, because I totally address my staff as "losers" all the time ound:


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## momtolabs

Puppy fever is def. going around!! I have been looking at ACD breeders and thinks to JB I found one I like. It's been Hard not to contact her yet.....4 more years....I can do it...


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## Remaru

This is my problem, Freyja is only 6months and I said I would never do puppies as close as Freyja and Remus again. They are 12months apart. So I need to wait until at least next summer if not the summer after for my next puppy. We also have a lot going on at home. Duke is sick and we know what the out come is going to be, it is just in the wait it out, when is the time stage. My youngest is taking it super hard. Dove is rough, really really rough. My son isn't handling that well either. She seems to be getting worse instead of better. I'm actually getting physically sick from the stress (there is more in there, the cats aren't helping, OCD). So it isn't a good time for a puppy but I just keep thinking about how nice it would be to have a cuddly puppy. Plus I found this litter of pitbull x poodle puppies. How cute is that? No idea if they would make good PSD prospects or not but man they are adorable.


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## Greater Swiss

momtolabs said:


> Puppy fever is def. going around!! I have been looking at ACD breeders and thinks to JB I found one I like. It's been Hard not to contact her yet.....4 more years....I can do it...


 Gotta agree, my mom has puppy fever (though she has had that for a while now), I know DH and I would if we didn't have so darn much going on right now.....this time next year, I wouldn't be shocked if we had a puppy.....even though I keep saying NO I'm not doing that again, and I'm not sure Caeda would do well with it. I keep telling myself the next pet will be a kitten.....leave it at that.


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## luv mi pets

PUPPY FEVER! so many darn pups are coming into the clinic. Today a RR pup came in. A breed I have always wanted.

I know I will not get a pup for quite awhile. Too many for me right now. My fix- a coworker just got a mastiff pup. She says anytime I want to take the pup home for the weekend I can. I might just take her up on that. Kind of like a grandma. love him a lot and than return them for peace and quiet.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Lol I told him today "you're telling me this for real, right? Like ... you're not gonna crawfish on me again and crush my hopes ... right?" Lol and he was like ... "no, I'm serious, do you want a puppy?" And I was like " hells yeah!" Lol

The good thing is thanks to fostering and having dogs for better than 20 years, I have almost everything I need (crate, collars, leashes, etc)


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## Hambonez

I have the complete opposite of puppy fever. Sadie goes home tomorrow and I CAN'T WAIT! I am so exhausted. She pooped on my couch this morning. 

I'd watch her again, she's a nice dog, but I am ready to return to my sane life with my mellow adult dog (who doesn't poop on furniture).


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## d_ray

Hambonez said:


> I have the complete opposite of puppy fever. Sadie goes home tomorrow and I CAN'T WAIT! I am so exhausted. She pooped on my couch this morning.
> 
> I'd watch her again, she's a nice dog, but I am ready to return to my sane life with my mellow adult dog (who doesn't poop on furniture).


 I shouldn't laugh but I'm sorry I couldn't help it. 



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## Hambonez

d_ray said:


> I shouldn't laugh but I'm sorry I couldn't help it.


It's all good. I am in a place where I was just glad that it was solid and not pee.


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## gingerkid

Remaru said:


> This is my problem, Freyja is only 6months and I said I would never do puppies as close as Freyja and Remus again. They are 12months apart. So I need to wait until at least next summer if not the summer after for my next puppy. We also have a lot going on at home. Duke is sick and we know what the out come is going to be, it is just in the wait it out, when is the time stage. My youngest is taking it super hard. Dove is rough, really really rough. My son isn't handling that well either. She seems to be getting worse instead of better. I'm actually getting physically sick from the stress (there is more in there, the cats aren't helping, OCD). So it isn't a good time for a puppy but I just keep thinking about how nice it would be to have a cuddly puppy. Plus I found this litter of pitbull x poodle puppies. How cute is that? No idea if they would make good PSD prospects or not but man they are adorable.


What about fostering?


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## Remaru

gingerkid said:


> What about fostering?


I am the worst foster failure ever. LOL Once they get here they almost never leave. I do think when things are settled we will consider fostering again. It has been a little while since our last foster pup. Maybe I will see if the local humane society will let the boys and I volunteer. I think my youngest would really enjoy it. He is on the young side but I was only 10 when I started.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> I am the worst foster failure ever. LOL Once they get here they almost never leave. I do think when things are settled we will consider fostering again. It has been a little while since our last foster pup. Maybe I will see if the local humane society will let the boys and I volunteer. I think my youngest would really enjoy it. He is on the young side but I was only 10 when I started.


Josefina was a foster failure ... just saying


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## gingerkid

Remaru said:


> I am the worst foster failure ever. LOL Once they get here they almost never leave. I do think when things are settled we will consider fostering again. It has been a little while since our last foster pup. Maybe I will see if the local humane society will let the boys and I volunteer. I think my youngest would really enjoy it. He is on the young side but I was only 10 when I started.


Well, if you did a mama and a litter of puppies, you'd have a hard time keeping them all.


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## Remaru

gingerkid said:


> Well, if you did a mama and a litter of puppies, you'd have a hard time keeping them all.


That is actually how we wound up with Blue. Hubby tried to keep a second puppy from that litter but I said no. When mama dog and one of the puppies went off to their forever home we were left with the two girl puppies. Hubby petitioned hard to keep the second girl and we had her for quite a while before finding the right home for her. I just kept telling him about the horrors of litter mate syndrome. I think that was pretty much our last foster. We did have a shiba mix I tried to foster fail during that same time (after mama dog left but before we found a home for the last girl puppy) but she became resource gaurdy with my kids and I couldn't trust her because they were still so young. Hmm a nice litter of pittie mix puppies would be cute....


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## momtolabs

Just for me to leave for one night/day(leaving tonight won't be back until really late tomorrow night) I had too

- get all dogs leashes and collars out where my parents can easily find them

- get dogs food separated into Sandwhich bags

-hide the dog treats or my mom will give all of them to my dogs(she is a sucker for a sad face)

- get kongs filled and out in the freezer

- get ferret food out and ready

-get the rabbit cage cleaned since Saturdays are when I do it. Get her food put out in bags. 

- write a detailed instruction list on how to make kitten formula, put new fresh sheets in the kittens crate(which were placed on top of the crate) and tell them to do half/half with wet and dry food 

- get my cats food out into bags along with direction on doing 1/2 and 1/2 of wet and dry 


Why did I have pets again!?


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## Remaru

momtolabs said:


> Just for me to leave for one night/day(leaving tonight won't be back until really late tomorrow night) I had too
> 
> - get all dogs leashes and collars out where my parents can easily find them
> 
> - get dogs food separated into Sandwhich bags
> 
> -hide the dog treats or my mom will give all of them to my dogs(she is a sucker for a sad face)
> 
> - get kongs filled and out in the freezer
> 
> - get ferret food out and ready
> 
> -get the rabbit cage cleaned since Saturdays are when I do it. Get her food put out in bags.
> 
> - write a detailed instruction list on how to make kitten formula, put new fresh sheets in the kittens crate(which were placed on top of the crate) and tell them to do half/half with wet and dry food
> 
> - get my cats food out into bags along with direction on doing 1/2 and 1/2 of wet and dry
> 
> 
> Why did I have pets again!?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


If it makes you feel better/worse if I leave hubby can't handle the dogs alone. The boys have to tell him when and how much each of the dogs eat. They also feed the cats because he can't figure that out either. It is probably a good thing I don't leave.


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## gingerkid

I almost had a heart attack just now. I forgot to close the door to the foster's room and Snowball got in there and was eating her breakfast that she ignored this morning and she was NOT impressed and then he was all "BACK OF GET YOUR OWN SANDWICH" and she was all "THAT IS MY SANDWICH JERK!" ...I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist.

Thankfully they're both more bark than bite and no one got hurt. And I've relearned my lesson about food being out.


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## Greater Swiss

OOohhhh, this puppy fever. Even a girl I work with has it right now and she drove me nuts when it was quiet showing me pictures lol

Maybe, just maybe, when we get the house sold and settled again I'll look into some fostering through the shelter or a rescue of some kind....It might help put things off for me for a while lol


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## kdawnk

I keep losing all my kong/treat balls.
What the heck?
I've lost both of the balls I had in the last 2 months. I don't let her take them outside (have a different treat dispensing toy out there anyway) and they're both gone!
I suspect the cat had a role to play in all this, but my house isn't that big! I looked everywhere!
Under everything, in my room (though no one, but cat goes upstairs), my housemates room (that I shut the door of every morning because she's incapable of doing so herself), every where.

They're just... gone.
Though I did see cat stealing the measuring cups the other day. Weirdest thing to see a cat carrying a measuring cup. Very out of place. He just stored them upstairs under the bed after he took all of them. But still no ball.


----------



## Melle

Bought a Kong Wobbler, new padded front-clip harness, and signed up for group training classes on Tuesdays for a good 7 weeks. Yay! Can't see the progress we'll make, considering as of this morning I couldn't even see this relationship lasting another month. I've never been more in love or exhausted by an animal.


----------



## Miss Bugs

well I'm tired lol. spent the day playing Tetris with dogs lol. the kennel was "full" and I had to fit like 10 more bookings in lol, to explain you have to understand how we are set up. ok so we have section M which is small dogs only, we have section I which is medium sized kennels, these kennels don't go up for the ceiling so only certain dogs can go in them. then we have section C which is the preferred section for large/small combo's because its half way between the large and small play area's, then we have sections B, F, J and A, these kennels are all large. so often when we are "full" we actually DO have room, we just need to shuffle dogs from sections I to section M, then shuffle dogs that can from sections C, A, B, F and J to section I, plus playing Tetris with in/out dates(so, dog 1 is staying from fri-sun, dog 2 is staying from Sun-wed, dog 3 wants to come in from fri-wed, I can take dog 2, move in to the same kennel as dog 1, freeing up a kennel for dog 3). sound confusing enough yet? so in addition to this we have daycare, but we are full for boarding, so daycare dogs are in boarding kennels, but those boarding dogs are coming in, so we are putting those boarding dogs in other boardings dogs kennels until the daycare dog leaves so that dog can go in the correct kennel, meanwhile the dogs boarding in those kennels we used for other boarding dogs are coming in so they are getting put in OTHER boarding dogs kennels... so there was a looong list that looked like "B6-I1, C19-A13, A13-F12" etc.. the evening supervisor looked at the list and looked her her staff and went "OK guys!! tonight we are playing Battleship!" lol

if that is not clear as mud, don't worry, all the other staff loves to step in to do do the board and computer, but on long weekends or as in this case Craven weekend, even staff that have been with us for 2-3 years hand it all to me and are like "you're turn" lol


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## momtolabs

Who in their right mind thinks this is okay!!?? 3 adult blue ticks are housed in there  makes me sick.








Sorry for the bad pic. I don't know the town I'm in real well and didnt want to get too close. 


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## BubbaMoose

Does anyone know if it'd be okay if I started taking Moose on runs? He's 19 months old. So, 5 months shy of being two years old. I want to take him so badly, but I'm worried that it could compromise his joint and bone development as he is a large breed dog (Weimaraner).

The only time he runs is around our backyard and in an enclosed dog park, so we'd be taking it easy until he builds up stamina, of course. 


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## JazzyTheSiberian

So, I was taking the trash out for work. Sometimes the door self locks. I was told to put the brick in the door, so I don't get locked out. Of course I forgot. I went back to open the door,& it was locked. I tried opening it, no luck. Tried knocking, no no one heard me. So, I waited. Nothing. So, I just decided to walk around the back of the building, to the front. Unfortunately, it's not just one store, there's about 7 stores before I get to mine. So, I walked around. I walked in,& no one noticed I was gone...


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## Kayota

BubbaMoose said:


> Does anyone know if it'd be okay if I started taking Moose on runs? He's 19 months old. So, 5 months shy of being two years old. I want to take him so badly, but I'm worried that it could compromise his joint and bone development as he is a large breed dog (Weimaraner).
> 
> The only time he runs is around our backyard and in an enclosed dog park, so we'd be taking it easy until he builds up stamina, of course.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I think he could!


----------



## Greater Swiss

Kayota said:


> I think he could!


 Same here, as long as you take it easy at first and watch how he is doing.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Where can I find non-skid shoes? I need them for work, & I can't find any.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Okay yes I get it, I know it. My dog is the aggressor, he doesn't like your breed, but I'm really trying to work with him so he can pass your breed nicely. But could you just move your own dog faster, could your walk pace quicken? My dog is going nuts over here as you're coming towards us and I have no where to go sometimes. Between two cars and shoving a treat in my dog's nose is not how I want to handle the situation but you leave me no choice. 

I'm sick of you being ignorant!! Quicken your pace or let me hurry by you quickly.  Like I said I know my dog is growling/snarling, but your dog could end my dog in one bite. Now I find I'm not even safe outside the complex and you're as ignorant inside as you are outside the complex. I'm glad you didn't hear me call you a jerk b/c of the traffic but that's what you are. 

Other owners that know our dogs don't like each other and will move or do something polite as we see our dogs reacting, but you do nothing. If I could I'd report you for something worse, but since the complex isn't enforcing its own rules it wouldn't do any good! Thankfully the _only_ thing that is saving me from your stupidity when you walk your dog near mine is that I know WHEN you walk your dog, so I walk mine earlier! 

*If I could find out how to put up smilies as I'm posting I would put up an angry one now*


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## BubbaMoose

Thank you Kayota and Greater Swiss! 

I don't know how to quote two people at one time so things are happening this way. I can't wait to run with him! 


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## GrinningDog

Just bought a bag of quality kibble and flea treatment. Due to purchase heart worm meds. Found out miss Gyp needs $800 dental surgery to remove a broken tooth. 

Man, dogs are expensive!


----------



## gingerkid

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Where can I find non-skid shoes? I need them for work, & I can't find any.


Walmart usually has some. Also, any work-wear or uniform store (like, where nurses buy scrubs).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Walmart usually has some. Also, any work-wear or uniform store (like, where nurses buy scrubs).


Yeah, I think sketchers makes some that are pretty good I have heard. Just feel thankful you don't need cowboy boots for work ... thanks to them becoming a fashion statement ... they have become quite pricey ... and I go through a lot of boots so it kind of sucks


----------



## Melle

She just calmly walked past two dogs, one of 'em twice, on our evening walk just now! Ahhh! This is so big! (Especially after barking and whining at almost every dog in the SPCA yesterday).


----------



## Hambonez

The puppy's gone! Order has been restored to my household! Of course we'll still see her just about every day since she lives next door, and still have plenty of playdates, but man it is so nice to just sit back and relax in my home without worrying about anyone peeing anywhere!


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## mountain.dreams

Hambonez said:


> The puppy's gone! Order has been restored to my household! Of course we'll still see her just about every day since she lives next door, and still have plenty of playdates, but man it is so nice to just sit back and relax in my home without worrying about anyone peeing anywhere!


I forgot how exhausting puppies were until I fostered some over the 4th of July weekend while their real fosters were out of town. You really do literally have to watch them every single second, and that gets old faaast.


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## Miss Bugs

I do not understand this trend I'm seeing lately of baby puppies on front clip harnesses..a new young adult or grown dog with no training I understand the use of them in the training process, but an 8 week old puppy ain't gonna be dragging you around.... just teach it how to walk properly...


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## CptJack

Looks like Frost is going back to his breeder early next month - unless he bounces to the local breeder, first.

He's a good boy and I'm going to miss him, but there's a lot of stuff connected to him that I'm not. The stress level in this house will drop a lot when he's not here, anymore, even if I DO feel guilty about that.


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## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> Looks like Frost is going back to his breeder early next month - unless he bounces to the local breeder, first.
> 
> He's a good boy and I'm going to miss him, but there's a lot of stuff connected to him that I'm not. The stress level in this house will drop a lot when he's not here, anymore, even if I DO feel guilty about that.


Aw, what happened? I thought I just read in another thread that he'd be with y'all for good. 

I'm just gonna casually throw out there that there may be room for the pup you've been wanting sooner an expected after all....... Heh heh! 


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## CptJack

It's a long story that I don't want to get into publicly, but not bad. Just... Stuff.

I wouldn't be surprised if things change again but. I don't think they are.


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## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> It's a long story that I don't want to get into publicly, but not bad. Just... Stuff.
> 
> I wouldn't be surprised if things change again but. I don't think they are.


Oh okay. I hear you. Well I wish the best for both you and Frost. I'll miss seeing pictures of him! He's such a good looking dog. 


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## Greater Swiss

I HATE people. Our house is pretty close to the road, so yeah, we get a bit of garbage that blows off of the road. Yesterday I was sitting around the side of the house with Caeda and some nitwit threw a half empty Pepsi can out of a car window....and I mean THREW. I swear they intended to put it in our yard, and if it had gone any further (which it would have if the wind hadn't been blowing against the direction it came from) that can would have landed right at the feet of Caeda and I. 

I hate littering, but fine, people do it all I can do is not litter myself it is hard to stop others, but it is one thing to surreptitiously drop a can out of a car window, and another to very obviously throw it hard. If he had tossed it two seconds earlier it would have HIT the front our house. I've found broken glass from beer bottles in our driveway, I regularly check the sloped part of the lawn that is right next to the road so Caeda doesn't get hurt by something dropped from a window (and keep Caeda off of that slope!), it sucks to have to do that, but it is worse to see it, in the middle of the day. If it weren't such a slope I would have caught that jerk's licence plate. Forget calling the cops, I would have hunted him down and tossed every piece of garbage that landed in my yard over the past month onto his driver's seat. 

To make matters worse....it landed right next to the "for sale" sign on our yard. Does great for the curb value of the house. Bad enough people are tossing things that could hurt my dog, even worse they can hurt our chances of getting out of here. GRRRRRRR!!!!!! What is wrong with the human race!


----------



## Kayota

I have no idea, people tossed all kinds of shit into my moms yard at the dogs. Food, rocks, trash... i think the worst though is when someone dumped a TINY TINY kitten in the yard with our big cat eating dogs.. we got to him before the dogs did and he ended up going to my moms friend, but geez. And even worse, that fence was TTALL so they had to have tossed him in. Somehow he was unhurt.i

also found crap like old roller skates, stuffed animals, socks, etc etc in the yard. It was a really cruddy neighborhood.i


----------



## Greater Swiss

A kitten!!!! Wow....that is.....sick! I'm so glad you got to the little thing in time. 

It just gets me though....I can deal with the idea that people are just generically stupid and rude sometimes, they drop stuff out of their cars, or garbage is out at the curb and the bag tears and the garbage scatters and they don't manage to get it all picked up. It is the purposefully hateful stuff that people do, throwing something directly at a house (my guess, the jerk was probably making a game of trying to hit the for sale sign), or dropping a living creature (a defenseless kitten at that!) out on the side of the road. People are so disappointing sometimes, ugh, I so prefer dogs.


----------



## sassafras

Why do I look on Petfinder. This dog would make a great little skijor dog, I think, but the inn is full here.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/28504591/


----------



## Hambonez

sassafras said:


> Why do I look on Petfinder. This dog would make a great little skijor dog, I think, but the inn is full here.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/28504591/


Handsome hound! I don't know how you manage three dogs. My inn is definitely full at one dog!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Sigh ... why is it every time I mention that I might be getting a puppy and NOT from a shelter or rescue, either on FB or some forums (not this one) I get a lot of flack or snide/ passive aggressive remarks about how "so many dogs are dying/waiting in shelters". Yes I know that, I have rescued/fostered/ pulled a lot of dogs from shelters that were in trouble and even picked up many off the street when they were dumped.

But no, because it's a "mixed breed" I could just always "find one at the shelter". WTF, people?! The dogs breeder might have clubbed by my moss reading his female's heat, but he is doing the right thing by trying to find the dogs responsible homes :/.


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## RabbleFox

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Sigh ... why is it every time I mention that I might be getting a puppy and NOT from a shelter or rescue, either on FB or some forums (not this one) I get a lot of flack or snide/ passive aggressive remarks about how "so many dogs are dying/waiting in shelters". Yes I know that, I have rescued/fostered/ pulled a lot of dogs from shelters that were in trouble and even picked up many off the street when they were dumped.
> 
> But no, because it's a "mixed breed" I could just always "find one at the shelter". WTF, people?! The dogs breeder might have clubbed by my moss reading his female's heat, but he is doing the right thing by trying to find the dogs responsible homes :/.


Honestly, I get a lot of flack for having intact breeder dogs. Oops? I got what I wanted and they aren't going anywhere or breeding anytime soon. Usually I just nod and ignore what they have to say.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Should be trimming nails, cleaning out ears and bathing dogs right now. But it's hot... And just. So do not want. 


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## BubbaMoose

Well I'm done with bathing the dogs and doing their nails and ears and brushing their teeth. And I just have to say, I can seriously never imagine being a groomer. 

I kind of really dislike grooming even my own dogs. It's just such a process. While it may not be the worst thing in the world, and part of these feelings could be because I do so on pavement in 110 degree weather with a hose, but it's just not fun all around, especially being that it doesn't end after the bath. I do NOT do well with an unkept house, and the mess they tend to make in the house afterwards just elongates the process because after I get done doing all their stuff I immediately have to clean the floors and walls. This being that we don't have the luxury to wait until they dry outside due to the extreme heat. But at the same time I'm really also grateful that we have a tile dog room that connects straight to the backyard. Could be worse. Like my worst nightmare.... carpet! 


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## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> A kitten!!!! Wow....that is.....sick! I'm so glad you got to the little thing in time.
> 
> It just gets me though....I can deal with the idea that people are just generically stupid and rude sometimes, they drop stuff out of their cars, or garbage is out at the curb and the bag tears and the garbage scatters and they don't manage to get it all picked up. It is the purposefully hateful stuff that people do, throwing something directly at a house (my guess, the jerk was probably making a game of trying to hit the for sale sign), or dropping a living creature (a defenseless kitten at that!) out on the side of the road. People are so disappointing sometimes, ugh, I so prefer dogs.


You are nicer than me, I have little patience with my fellow humans, and I have this strong urge to punish the "free range rude", people who are rude just for the sake of being rude.


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## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> Well I'm done with bathing the dogs and doing their nails and ears and brushing their teeth. And I just have to say, I can seriously never imagine being a groomer.
> 
> I kind of really dislike grooming even my own dogs. It's just such a process. While it may not be the worst thing in the world, and part of these feelings could be because I do so on pavement in 110 degree weather with a hose, but it's just not fun all around, especially being that it doesn't end after the bath. I do NOT do well with an unkept house, and the mess they tend to make in the house afterwards just elongates the process because after I get done doing all their stuff I immediately have to clean the floors and walls. This being that we don't have the luxury to wait until they dry outside due to the extreme heat. But at the same time I'm really also grateful that we have a tile dog room that connects straight to the backyard. Could be worse. Like my worst nightmare.... carpet!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I must be weird ... I enjoy grooming my dogs lol

Except anal glands .... I hate doing those :/


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## Miss Bugs

Lol I love to groom too, heck the only reason I'm dont want dogs with a ridiculous coat is because I dont have TIME, not because I dont want too lol. If I had the time I would totally love dogs that needed lots of grooming


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## Miss Bugs

Its been sad for us at work, yesterday one of our longtime clients came in, crying.. she came to let us know that her dog passed away on Friday night. That dog was the best dog in the world, he'd been coming to daycare every single day for like 7 years, so we were all very close to him. He was a boxer but acted nothing like most, he was so calm, so quiet, so good with every one and everything. Every morning he came in and chose weather he wanted to play with the big dogs or the small dogs, he was so good we let him do whatever he wanted. In the small area he would lay on his back and invite puppys and itty bitty dogs to climb on his face and belly. And every time he saw one of us he would run over to us and shove his head between our knees and just stand there and look at us. He never ever jumped up, he never barked, he never ever raised a lip, he was simply the most perfect dog in the world. He wasn't even old, he was the greatest dog ever, and taken too young by Cardiomyopathy  I'm crying just writing this and I've known since yesterday


----------



## Remaru

So tired....I've been babysitting for my friend, he has robot camp this week and needed some one to watch his foster kids. The kids are great, really sweet and I enjoy having them but for him to get them here (I'm almost an hour away) and back to camp means he drops off really early and just having 4 kids with the dogs means I am hyper vigilant all day. I've had them the last two days, I have tomorrow off. The kids are 8 and 5 and not terribly dog savvy so a lot of "oh that is sweet but we can't pick up the doggy" and "lets not run around like that with the puppy". My dogs are super kid friendly having always been around kids but Freyja in particular being a puppy gets so excited and starts jumping and mouthing. Dove did have to stay in her crate, she can't handle strangers at all, not outside or in the house kids or adults doesn't matter. Duke also had to be locked away for the first time ever (normally he is my go to kid dog because he just adores children). That was hard for me. Freyja scared the youngest a bit the first day but they are used to each other now, I had to spend a lot of time in managing her, she looks huge next to a 5year old and she really wanted to shove her nose in her new friends face constantly. Everyone enjoyed her showing off her tricks though, lots of "speak", "double high 5" (she just learned that), "spin", "bang your dead", fetch and so on. I have to really brag on Remus though, his maturity shone through. He never once jumped on a child no matter how wild they ran through the house or around the yard. Obviously no one was allowed unsupervised (funny 5 was about the age I started leaving my youngest unsupervised with Duke, it is different when they aren't your own kids) but I used to have to watch him so closely. He was good as gold with the kids walking gently along beside, laying calmly nearby, just being a real gentleman. I guess all of that training has paid off after all. He is growing up. Maybe Freyja will too. Of course I have to say Blue was amazing as well. She always is. Just followed the kids around and cuddled on the couch when the youngest took a nap during the day. Now I need a nap. I'm going to enjoy my day off tomorrow.


----------



## gingerkid

Spent most of the morning so far looking at/for eskie breeders for the future. But apparently there aren't any. And the ones that do exist have crazy requirements like pet puppy owners have to visit the litter multiple times before taking a puppy home. Which wouldn't be so crazy, if I could find _a single breeder _ (let alone one who's dogs I like and dogs things that I like) less than 1000 km away.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Arrrgh! Someone stole the shower heads out of the bathrooms in the dorms here at the track ... like they pry and pry at it til they get it off ... what the hell do they use them for???


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## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Arrrgh! Someone stole the shower heads out of the bathrooms in the dorms here at the track ... like they pry and pry at it til they get it off ... what the hell do they use them for???


Speaking of useless things to steal, when I got my purse stolen (there was no cash in it the only thing they took of monetary value was my ipod) they stole the plastic cover that goes over your license and holds all your things together and the muffins that I made for my grammie. 
But they left all my debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, and change in my purse and put it in a mailbox which eventually got returned to me via the post office seeing my driver's license.


----------



## kdawnk

After reading the whole posts regarding tossing a kitten over Kayota's fence and into their yard I got war-time flashbacks to when I was like 6 and walking with my dad down into the valley and saw two teenagers with a box of kittens they were tossing individually over the bridge into the shallow, water-covered rocks, below. 

We got there too late for 3 kittens, my dad refrained from punching the kids, but my older brother didn't.
There were still 4 other kittens in the box so we took them home kept two and found homes for the other two. 
That was the story of getting my first kitty, Boots!


----------



## Little Wise Owl

kdawnk said:


> After reading the whole posts regarding tossing a kitten over Kayota's fence and into their yard I got war-time flashbacks to when I was like 6 and walking with my dad down into the valley and saw two teenagers with a box of kittens they were tossing individually over the bridge into the shallow, water-covered rocks, below.
> 
> We got there too late for 3 kittens, my dad refrained from punching the kids, but my older brother didn't.
> There were still 4 other kittens in the box so we took them home kept two and found homes for the other two.
> That was the story of getting my first kitty, Boots!


That's awful... That makes me so angry. How can people do that to ANY living creature? Good thing you and your family were there to stop them.


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## Greater Swiss

kdawnk said:


> Speaking of useless things to steal, when I got my purse stolen (there was no cash in it the only thing they took of monetary value was my ipod) they stole the plastic cover that goes over your license and holds all your things together and the muffins that I made for my grammie.
> But they left all my debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, and change in my purse and put it in a mailbox which eventually got returned to me via the post office seeing my driver's license.


Here's one for ya....I went to the mall in Edmonton with a friend of mine. We both left our backpacks (we were in university) in the car. I took my debit and credit card, everything else I left in my wallet in my pack. Her car got stolen (we actually walked out of the mall and I said "hey....isn't that your car...). Her car was eventually recovered (after her BF and I chased them in her BF's truck, down and alley then chased on foot....exciting day). They did in fact go through our stuff. They took nothing that I noted....but, in my wallet, they left a Lawyer's business card that had their rights (you have the right to an attourney etc) on the back of it! Also, a USED bus pass from the previous month (it wasn't mine!!). WHO DOES THAT!? Some thieves are just weird and stupid....or both.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Your dog is known to growl at my dog. You, yourself, take your dog away from mine to avoid anything, yet your husband or boyfriend comes home and you let your dog outside without a leash as I'm passing by. I put my dog into a heel and watched your dog closely, but still...please keep your dog on a leash!! People. *rolls eyes*


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> Spent most of the morning so far looking at/for eskie breeders for the future. But apparently there aren't any. And the ones that do exist have crazy requirements like pet puppy owners have to visit the litter multiple times before taking a puppy home. Which wouldn't be so crazy, if I could find _a single breeder _ (let alone one who's dogs I like and dogs things that I like) less than 1000 km away.


The only eskie breeder I know stopped breeding 15 years ago. But he had some aquantence on west coast nfld that would occasionally fly a pup west. 

I'm not sure if they are still breeding but it's worth a look.

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## BubbaMoose

It's been almost 5 years since I sold my horse and I miss riding every day. I want to buy another horse but I'm just so busy, it's not practical right now. Aside from being busy, the upkeep can easily put a hole in one's wallet. But man, there are some seriously gorgeous horses up for sale in this area right now. 


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## Hambonez

BubbaMoose said:


> Well I'm done with bathing the dogs and doing their nails and ears and brushing their teeth. And I just have to say, I can seriously never imagine being a groomer.
> 
> I kind of really dislike grooming even my own dogs. It's just such a process.


I really like doing nail trims, and it kills me that Hamilton won't let me. Since the day I brought him home I worked on handling his feet and nails, but it's done nothing towards being able to cut his nails. I've been bringing him to the vet for it since I can either hold OR trim but not both, and finally just bought a muzzle so someone else can hold him... but it's such a process. He doesn't mind the muzzle, but he still flails and screams and I feel horrible even though I know I'm not hurting him. He's never even been quicked! I am so sick of his "tap shoes" but I also wasn't going to pay $15/wk getting his nails cut at the vet. I hope he just gets used to it. I give him lots of cheese  He likes that part.


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## Miss Bugs

Gingerkid: http://www.hamiltonamericaneskimos.com/index.htm Standard American Eskimo's in stony plain. the website is super out of date(like 2009 = future) however I have a Standard Eskimo that comes to daycare from this kennel and he is only like 2 years old.


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## PatriciafromCO

There is a house that was built a few years after we moved in. it's about 1 mile further down the road and down a side road.. We call it the Nurse's house, and it was sad as the lady that had the house put up so that when she retired in a year is where she would spend her retirement .. As soon as the house was ready and she moved in, the weather turned non stop nasty for rains and floods and mud,, and then in to the winter we actually had a never ending blizzard condition for 3 months.. She suffered physically getting in and out of the road to her house and to work,, many times sliding her truck off the road and having to walk home or walk 4 miles to be picked up at the nearest hard top.. She was elderly, and the harshness of living here killed her. After she passed and would not return,, the weird winter blizzard stopped ... 

Many years the house stay'd empty and we never had non stop extreme weather as we did that year... Any time they sell that house the weather sets in and is non stop,, until they move out .. no one has ever lasted more then a year before they leave... having to dig out there vehicles over and over again never learning not to bury them to the frame once they get stuck. House was sold again and the flooding rains have started.. Today I open my front door to sit and watch the rain with the dogs, and a U Haul truck goes zooming by ( the road just past me is a ravine, that is half washed out and muddy) never saw a brake light and the driver of the U haul just dove straight down to the frame in the mud ... again never accepting defeat they just kept spinning tires until they buried it some more... The Nurses Curse has started........


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## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> Gingerkid: http://www.hamiltonamericaneskimos.com/index.htm Standard American Eskimo's in stony plain. the website is super out of date(like 2009 = future) however I have a Standard Eskimo that comes to daycare from this kennel and he is only like 2 years old.


I've been to their website several times (I love their eskies, and they actually remind me a lot of Snowball...) Unfortunately the e-mail address on their website is also outdated and no longer works (my e-mail bounced immediately), and as far as I can tell they also aren't showing anymore - the only dogs listed on the CKC sites as competing in CKC conformation shows in the past two years are from Caledon, ON. Hamiltons are also not members of NAEDAC.  But if their last litter was only 2 years ago, it might be worth a phone call. Thanks!


----------



## momtolabs

I don't think this should annoy me but its really starting to. Everybody seems to think Bentley is a golden retriever or they say "golden lab"......I want to put my head in a car door, slam the door shut and see if I can tell how people think he is a golden. His fur is not long at all. I know some field line Goldens don't have the same coat as show Goldens but still you can easily tell he is a yellow lab!! Then when people say he is a "golden lab" I always correct them and say no he is a yellow lab. A golden lab would be a golden retriever/Labrador retriever mix!! Labs come in 3 colors black,yellow and chocolate with variations of all 3. It doesn't bother me that people mistake Mia for a BC or gsd mix but with Bentley I just don't understand it!! When they say "golden lab" I know it's just a color thing but the golden retriever thing? I will never ever understand. 

This is Bentley- clearly not a golden
















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## JeJo

I have had my Kayla called a "Golden Lab" on several occasions, too. I just say, "Yep, she's a Yellow Lab".


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## Miss Bugs

Totally weird at Flyball practice tonight.. there was a lady has not been to the last few, and she was on the box to be Gyp's holder for recalls... Gypsy would NOT go near this woman, she would not touch food near her, every time I tried to walk towards her, Gypsy would bolt, stand 20 feet away and growl, or hide behind the vehicles. Gypsy has NEVER reacted like this toward anyone ever and has never reacted ever toward a woman sometimes certain people(always men) make her nervous but her reaction is bark and nip, not run and hide :/ it's not like this woman is sketchy, she's been a local well known dog sport person for like 15 years.


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## ireth0

Uuuugh, tonight we went to Pet Smart to get the last of the things we needed for Luna's homecoming. There was obviously a puppy training class going on, and they were around the store practicing listening with distractions. The trainer was walking around checking on them, he had kind of an obnoxious personality but whatever, puppies being trained is good, right?

Once we were done I was standing in line to pay and he started talking to someone on the store phone, presumably someone calling to ask about the puppy classes. I listened to him explaining how it was good for the puppies to socialize with each other, etc etc... And then I hear "And I'll teach you how to establish or reestablish yourself as Alpha." and my heart went 'NOOOOOOOOOOO!'. Part of me wanted to go grab the phone from him and tell these people to find a different class. Another part of me wanted to confront him about how the Alpha theory was bunk.

Just, uuuuugh. No wonder they only had 3 clickers to choose from.


----------



## momtolabs

I had to go to the post office today and decided to take Caleb with me. At my post office we are allowed to take dogs in as long as they are friendly. Some lady that just moved into town not long ago was also there. She asked if she could pet him and I said sure. Caleb has a "half tail" as I call it. It wasn't docked but for some reason his tail isn't long like a Pyr but a tad bit longer than an Aussie. This lady started freaking out and saying how horrible I was for getting his tail docked. After she was done calling me a horrible person and saying I shouldn't own any dogs I explained to her how he was born with it! It wasn't docked! I told her even if it was docked it was none of her business and she had absolutely no right to call me a bad dog owner as she does not know me. Then the post office lady backed me up saying that I am a good dog owner and a lot of people in town know me because of my dogs. The lady kind of huffed a little and walked out,lol. Me and the post office lady laughed. Then she came out and stole Caleb from me to show the lady in the back,haha. 


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## Remaru

ireth0 said:


> Uuuugh, tonight we went to Pet Smart to get the last of the things we needed for Luna's homecoming. There was obviously a puppy training class going on, and they were around the store practicing listening with distractions. The trainer was walking around checking on them, he had kind of an obnoxious personality but whatever, puppies being trained is good, right?
> 
> Once we were done I was standing in line to pay and he started talking to someone on the store phone, presumably someone calling to ask about the puppy classes. I listened to him explaining how it was good for the puppies to socialize with each other, etc etc... And then I hear "And I'll teach you how to establish or reestablish yourself as Alpha." and my heart went 'NOOOOOOOOOOO!'. Part of me wanted to go grab the phone from him and tell these people to find a different class. Another part of me wanted to confront him about how the Alpha theory was bunk.
> 
> Just, uuuuugh. No wonder they only had 3 clickers to choose from.


That is so odd, the Petsmarts here all use clicker training. They do allow for verbal correction such as "eh eh" to redirect a dog in the middle of doing something like chewing on a couch but it is all positive. I personally have a hard time with all training classes because I find most trainers to have an obnoxious personality (I actually don't like people in general and that "I know everything so do what I say" thing makes me sort of want to punch them in the face but it may just be me reading too much into it, doesn't help that my dogs already know their commands and I do it for socialization). What really bugs me is the way they troll the store looking for new clients and then take over a dog and start impromptu training classes right there in the middle of the aisle. Even if you are doing positive reinforcement techniques that doesn't mean I want you to "help" me with my dog. Yes I know my dog is not perfect in a store setting yet but I am working with her and she only gets better through experience. I don't need some one trying to sell me on a basic training class where we will both be bored because we know all of the commands plus countless more. Sorry apparently I have a totally different rant against them and it has been bugging me for a while.


----------



## gingerkid

ireth0 said:


> Uuuugh, tonight we went to Pet Smart to get the last of the things we needed for Luna's homecoming. There was obviously a puppy training class going on, and they were around the store practicing listening with distractions. The trainer was walking around checking on them, he had kind of an obnoxious personality but whatever, puppies being trained is good, right?
> 
> Once we were done I was standing in line to pay and he started talking to someone on the store phone, presumably someone calling to ask about the puppy classes. I listened to him explaining how it was good for the puppies to socialize with each other, etc etc... And then I hear "And I'll teach you how to establish or reestablish yourself as Alpha." and my heart went 'NOOOOOOOOOOO!'. Part of me wanted to go grab the phone from him and tell these people to find a different class. Another part of me wanted to confront him about how the Alpha theory was bunk.
> 
> Just, uuuuugh. No wonder they only had 3 clickers to choose from.


Hearing that would make me sad too! But every I've been into my local Petsmart when there has been a training class (or occasionally private training session) going on, they've always been using clickers, and I've heard the trainer(s) explain R+ and learning theory (albeit briefly).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Totally weird at Flyball practice tonight.. there was a lady has not been to the last few, and she was on the box to be Gyp's holder for recalls... Gypsy would NOT go near this woman, she would not touch food near her, every time I tried to walk towards her, Gypsy would bolt, stand 20 feet away and growl, or hide behind the vehicles. Gypsy has NEVER reacted like this toward anyone ever and has never reacted ever toward a woman sometimes certain people(always men) make her nervous but her reaction is bark and nip, not run and hide :/ it's not like this woman is sketchy, she's been a local well known dog sport person for like 15 years.


In cases like this I default to trusting my dogs intuition lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I had to go to the post office today and decided to take Caleb with me. At my post office we are allowed to take dogs in as long as they are friendly. Some lady that just moved into town not long ago was also there. She asked if she could pet him and I said sure. Caleb has a "half tail" as I call it. It wasn't docked but for some reason his tail isn't long like a Pyr but a tad bit longer than an Aussie. This lady started freaking out and saying how horrible I was for getting his tail docked. After she was done calling me a horrible person and saying I shouldn't own any dogs I explained to her how he was born with it! It wasn't docked! I told her even if it was docked it was none of her business and she had absolutely no right to call me a bad dog owner as she does not know me. Then the post office lady backed me up saying that I am a good dog owner and a lot of people in town know me because of my dogs. The lady kind of huffed a little and walked out,lol. Me and the post office lady laughed. Then she came out and stole Caleb from me to show the lady in the back,haha.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Oh yeah I get flack like that from people with Josefina, after they are done ranting about how terrible of a person I am ... I tell the dern fools that she is adopted and came that way ... so blame the person who dumped her off in a box on the shelters door, not me lol.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Caeda is still odd with redheads....and apparently strawberry blonde counts. I felt SO bad last night, a friend's daughter met Caeda and Caeda just backed up and barked at the poor girl, she was about 12, absolutely sweet kid, and looked SO sad that Caeda was barking at her. I did get Caeda to take a treat from her, and the girl brought Caeda out a bowl of water (didn't even ask....again, sweet kid!!). I feel awful about it though. 

But, FANTASTIC news came about 5 minutes after that "incident", our real estate agent called, we got an offer on the house....an hour and two more phone calls later and the house is sold!!! Papers aren't signed yet, but that is happening today. YIPPEEEE.......Kind of made me feel a TON better, but I still feel bad about that girl  I might start a thread on the oddness....maybe try to work on it, I think the girl (a friend's daughter) might be willing to help work on it a bit with me.


----------



## CptJack

I'm going to whine, more than rant.

I fell on the stairs last night. To keep all of myself from falling down them, I basically did a split on them. I can sort of, barely, walk today and have also screwed up my shoulder from grabbing onto the railing to keep from going all the way down.

A-) I hurt.
B-) I have freaking dogs. That need exercise. My husband will be home this weekend to take over but right now it's just me and the autistic kid. 
C-) I have not slept more than 3 hours at a go since Monday, because Molly is evil incarnate.
D-) My bathroom is upstairs. Molly and the autistic child are downstairs.
E-) WHAAAAA! I don't want to be a grown up.


----------



## ireth0

Remaru said:


> That is so odd, the Petsmarts here all use clicker training. They do allow for verbal correction such as "eh eh" to redirect a dog in the middle of doing something like chewing on a couch but it is all positive. I personally have a hard time with all training classes because I find most trainers to have an obnoxious personality (I actually don't like people in general and that "I know everything so do what I say" thing makes me sort of want to punch them in the face but it may just be me reading too much into it, doesn't help that my dogs already know their commands and I do it for socialization). What really bugs me is the way they troll the store looking for new clients and then take over a dog and start impromptu training classes right there in the middle of the aisle. Even if you are doing positive reinforcement techniques that doesn't mean I want you to "help" me with my dog. Yes I know my dog is not perfect in a store setting yet but I am working with her and she only gets better through experience. I don't need some one trying to sell me on a basic training class where we will both be bored because we know all of the commands plus countless more. Sorry apparently I have a totally different rant against them and it has been bugging me for a while.





gingerkid said:


> Hearing that would make me sad too! But every I've been into my local Petsmart when there has been a training class (or occasionally private training session) going on, they've always been using clickers, and I've heard the trainer(s) explain R+ and learning theory (albeit briefly).


Yea, I had always been under the impression they just did basic +R training, which was one of the reasons I was so shocked when he said that.

I wasn't paying much attention to what was happening in the class before that (shopping for dog gear is srs bizness) but I didn't hear lots of clicking. I did hear lots of squeaky toys squeaking, so now I'm wondering if they were trying to distract the puppies with the toys so they could correct them for being distracted. One puppy also head a head halter on which I thought was odd for a training class, but maybe that's just me.


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> I'm going to whine, more than rant.
> 
> I fell on the stairs last night. To keep all of myself from falling down them, I basically did a split on them. I can sort of, barely, walk today and have also screwed up my shoulder from grabbing onto the railing to keep from going all the way down.
> 
> A-) I hurt.
> B-) I have freaking dogs. That need exercise. My husband will be home this weekend to take over but right now it's just me and the autistic kid.
> C-) I have not slept more than 3 hours at a go since Monday, because Molly is evil incarnate.
> D-) My bathroom is upstairs. Molly and the autistic child are downstairs.
> E-) WHAAAAA! I don't want to be a grown up.


Awww I hope you feel better soon. It sucks to be hurt and especially with kids and a dogs. Hugs!


----------



## Melle

Nina and I found a small section of the creek accessible by trail that's deep enough for her to swim a little!  So today when we go for our 3 miles, I'll remember to bring a toy and her long line so she can have a new way to stay fit.

I'm really trying to get her in good shape this summer. Her hindquarters and shoulders are great and you can even see definition in her back but I still can't find a way to get a decent tuck out of her abdomen. It looks like a puffy barrel. Ehh. Which either means we need to play more tug...or I need to experiment with her food more.


----------



## Remaru

ireth0 said:


> Yea, I had always been under the impression they just did basic +R training, which was one of the reasons I was so shocked when he said that.
> 
> I wasn't paying much attention to what was happening in the class before that (shopping for dog gear is srs bizness) but I didn't hear lots of clicking. I did hear lots of squeaky toys squeaking, so now I'm wondering if they were trying to distract the puppies with the toys so they could correct them for being distracted. One puppy also head a head halter on which I thought was odd for a training class, but maybe that's just me.


We took Duke to a Petsmart training class (basic obedience) and Dove is in a Petsmart class now as well. I am sure some of it has to do with who is teaching the class, I know they can bend the curriculum a little but the core of the curriculum is an all positive, clicker training course. The trainer who worked with Duke I really liked, she was great working to build up his confidence (he was super shut down when we first adopted him) and he was a completely different dog when we finished that course. I am not nearly as fond of this trainer, I thought it was going to be the same person but nope, just same first name. Could just be a personality incompatibility thing but I don't like her as well. She seems like a perfectly fine trainer, just a little quirky. The only "changes" she makes to the curriculum that I see is that she teaches "watch me" by having the dog look to next to your eyes instead of at your nose and she doesn't give the dog the treat your are holding with "leave it". Not a huge deal, I don't either. I also don't teach stay which is going to be super confusing but we will cross that bridge when we get there. 

I know on the flier that comes with the class it says you may bring your dog in a flat collar, harness, ez-walk harness or head collar, but you may not bring your dog in a choke chain or prong collar. If a dog was on a head collar it was the owner's choice, many people train their dogs in head collars. We were given clickers on the first day of class (I actually still have the clicker from Duke's class, it is my favorite of our ever growing collection but the new one does have a nice little stretchy bracelet to keep it close, my son is thrilled LOL). We have not gotten to the point of working with distractions outside of the other dogs/owners yet and it has been 7years since Duke's class, several of which I missed due to sick kids (hubby took him because he was not working well with me and I already know how to train dogs) so I don't know for certain what they are doing but I know in the first class they talk specifically about not using corrections on your dog other than an interrupting noise. I would assume the squeaky toys were either being used as a reward or they were trying to proof a behavior. I proof my dogs with their toys all of the time before moving on to something more distracting. For Remus a moving squeaky toy is one of the most distracting things there is. I guess it is possible the classes at your local Petsmart are just run very different than they are here though. I have found that the vast majority of trainers in my area are R+ trainers, I haven't seen any that mention anything else on their websites. Like I said my biggest complaint with the in store trainers tends to be their very aggressive selling tactics.


----------



## ireth0

Remaru said:


> We took Duke to a Petsmart training class (basic obedience) and Dove is in a Petsmart class now as well. I am sure some of it has to do with who is teaching the class, I know they can bend the curriculum a little but the core of the curriculum is an all positive, clicker training course. The trainer who worked with Duke I really liked, she was great working to build up his confidence (he was super shut down when we first adopted him) and he was a completely different dog when we finished that course. I am not nearly as fond of this trainer, I thought it was going to be the same person but nope, just same first name. Could just be a personality incompatibility thing but I don't like her as well. She seems like a perfectly fine trainer, just a little quirky. The only "changes" she makes to the curriculum that I see is that she teaches "watch me" by having the dog look to next to your eyes instead of at your nose and she doesn't give the dog the treat your are holding with "leave it". Not a huge deal, I don't either. I also don't teach stay which is going to be super confusing but we will cross that bridge when we get there.
> 
> I know on the flier that comes with the class it says you may bring your dog in a flat collar, harness, ez-walk harness or head collar, but you may not bring your dog in a choke chain or prong collar. If a dog was on a head collar it was the owner's choice, many people train their dogs in head collars. We were given clickers on the first day of class (I actually still have the clicker from Duke's class, it is my favorite of our ever growing collection but the new one does have a nice little stretchy bracelet to keep it close, my son is thrilled LOL). We have not gotten to the point of working with distractions outside of the other dogs/owners yet and it has been 7years since Duke's class, several of which I missed due to sick kids (hubby took him because he was not working well with me and I already know how to train dogs) so I don't know for certain what they are doing but I know in the first class they talk specifically about not using corrections on your dog other than an interrupting noise. I would assume the squeaky toys were either being used as a reward or they were trying to proof a behavior. I proof my dogs with their toys all of the time before moving on to something more distracting. For Remus a moving squeaky toy is one of the most distracting things there is. I guess it is possible the classes at your local Petsmart are just run very different than they are here though. I have found that the vast majority of trainers in my area are R+ trainers, I haven't seen any that mention anything else on their websites. Like I said my biggest complaint with the in store trainers tends to be their very aggressive selling tactics.


Yea I was under the impression that it would be a company-wide curriculum, which is why it seemed so bizarre to me. Truth be told one of the reasons I didn't say something was because I presumed he was just teaching what he had been required to teach as part of working through the store.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Had a mini heart attack this morning..woke up at 6:45am...I start work at 7am. Here is the thing..I dont sleep in, I just don't. Sleeping in to me means I slept an extra 10 minuts and I need to cut my shower shorter! I have never flown out of bed so fast lol, I grabbed the nearest cloths on my basket, flung the bird cage open, threw a cookie on the floor for the rabbit, bolted up the stairs let the dogs out to pee...realized I was missing a dog, bolted back downstairs, called Paisley out from under my bed, bolted back upstairs and let her out, threw my hair into a ponytail, slapped some foundation on my face, dumped a bucket of kibble on thr floor and told my dogs to "figure it out", grabbed a glass of water and downed my allergy meds and bolted out the door lol, my eyes were still filled with sleep and my head was pounding! My dogs were probably completely baffled, because like I said..I don't "really" sleep in..Ever. its both just how I am, combined with my upbringing(mom is a night owl, never up till 12-1pm, dad started work at 3am, that left me and only me to have myself awake where I needed to be on time) I was setting myself bedtimes at a very young age and I was usually the one pestering my parents that it was past my bedtime and can we please go home? Lol


----------



## Waggintails

momtolabs said:


> This lady started freaking out and saying how horrible I was for getting his tail docked. After she was done calling me a horrible person and saying I shouldn't own any dogs...


I ask those types of people who their guardian is and why the hell they are being left unattended and should I call the police for help getting back home?


----------



## Miss Bugs

So I have always been curious about Gem's colour, the best way I could describe it was ACD markings but GSD colour, so I posted her to an unusual colour genetics group without listing her mix, just posting close up's of her colour. They described her as extreme white/piebald sable with ticking leaning towards roaning. So I tried Google searching using those terms and up came a picture of a piebald GSD(DNA varified by Sheila schmutz)....Every detail of that dogs colour matches Gem, right down to the tan "bleeding through" the white area's. You have no idea how happy that makes me, I thought I was losing my mind as I could never find anything that even remotely resembled her, then so many people have insisted that she is Merle that I was starting to feel like I was in denial lol, I feel validated now!


----------



## gingerkid

FIrst experience with dog getting carsick today. The foster was grabbing mouthfuls of grass on our walk this morning because she was hungry, and she also gets anxious in the car... halfway to the park this morning she started huh-urking... thankfully there was a blanket down so we don't have to clean the upholstery, but blech.


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> FIrst experience with dog getting carsick today. The foster was grabbing mouthfuls of grass on our walk this morning because she was hungry, and she also gets anxious in the car... halfway to the park this morning she started huh-urking... thankfully there was a blanket down so we don't have to clean the upholstery, but blech.


Foster? What foster? Tell us about the foster!


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## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> Foster? What foster? Tell us about the foster!


I can't share much because of the shelter's media rules for dogs that aren't for adoption yet.  I've only had her for two weeks to do a home test; she was showing destructive anxiety in the shelter but has no history of it (owner surrender). But she's been lovely, so she goes for her spay this week and will go up for adoption immediately after, and I'll post all my photos and stuff then. Its been an interesting two weeks, that's for sure.

And, if anyone is looking for a sweet, cuddly, playful, silly, 55lb (but slightly chubby) 2yo shepherd mix who is slightly stubborn but loves people and loves to pull (skijor dog, anyone?), I know one...


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gem vs Piebald GSD















right down to the white/tan thing going on over the shoulders and back















and being paler with more red coming through as a puppy


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs- Awww, she's cool!  her colors are awesome! Very unique!


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## Miss Bugs

thanks! her colour's so unique that I have been searching since she was a puppy trying to figure out what the heck to call her colour! sable ticked? tri sable? tri sable ticked? sable merle? sable roaning? sable at all? blue with creeping tan? and what up with the tan/white area's? darn if I could find anything that looked even slightly like her. I would make appointments for her and they would ask breed, I would say Heeler X GSD..they would then ask "is she coloured more like a GSD or more like a Heeler?" and I'm like..."erm....both?" lol, it feel's good to finally have answers!


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## OwnedbyACDs

I think that blue with creeping tan is the closest thing to her color.


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## Miss Bugs

The problem I have with "blue with creeping tan" description is that she is sable, those patches that look black/grey are bright orange the second you part the hair and her body ticking is clearly sable.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Completely not dog related.....
I just got a phone consultation with a lawyer about my Worker''s Comp case. They won't help me, it is an appeal letter I need for temporary wage loss, they only do big cash permanent disability payout stuff. Seriously!!!!!! What on earth is wrong with them! I was ready to put out a couple thousand dollars to get one stinking letter but no, not a big enough deal for them. Now I either have to go through the free service, that doesn't have the resources or inclination to help (therefore, no offence to them, but they're doing a crap job), or do the case myself, even the thought of it quite frankly almost starts a panic attack. 

On the only dog related note in this, I got off of the phone, fumming and pretty sad....Caeda came over and put her head on my lap, made it so much better. She's good to me


----------



## momtolabs

There are currently six dogs in my house. 

Tank-8/9
Mae-9/10
Bentley-4
Mia-1 
Caleb-9week
Athena(aunts chi)-6 months 


The best behave one? Mia. I seriously love her right now. She is keeping me sane,lol. The others? Bentley is running all over, tank is literally ON TOP of me or chasing the cat, Mae darted out the door(got her back), Athena crapped on te floor and is chewing things, Caleb is showing his true self and keeps taking off with my shoes!! Gah!! I kind of like the craziness at the same time XD


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## OwnedbyACDs

Also not dog related:

Rawr, every time the vets come and do work on my horses they take my lead ropes (which are really mine by the way) and don't bring them back, than the other grooms take them and abuse them and break them, one guy has already broken two already! Look ... I understand that the lead ropes the trainer provides are crap, but if you don't like it BUY YOUR OWN don't use mine!!! They always do this and it drives me crazy!!! :frusty:


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## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Also not dog related:
> 
> Rawr, every time the vets come and do work on my horses they take my lead ropes (which are really mine by the way) and don't bring them back, than the other grooms take them and abuse them and break them, one guy has already broken two already! Look ... I understand that the lead ropes the trainer provides are crap, but if you don't like it BUY YOUR OWN don't use mine!!! They always do this and it drives me crazy!!! :frusty:


Before the vets get there can you put the crappy lead ropes on the horse and hide yours somewhere? 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I think I will hide mine in our "office", it's our room, no one goes in there but us, we have some drinks and stuff in there, I guess I could put them in there and just make the vets use the crappy ones the other dudes have. 

Lol OH is going to find them tomorrow and chew the guys out who are taking them.


----------



## Hambonez

Today we went walking way early because it's going to be hot as all get out today (uhm... relative to normal temperatures living in upstate NY), and Hamilton and I don't enjoy the heat. We saw one of his best buddies at the park and walked with him and his owner, who was feeding her dog breakfast as we walked (idk what's with this dog that he doesn't eat normally). We stopped as we were leaving and she was giving him kibble while we chatted and he was dropping some of them. Hamilton wanted the kibble of course but that is an absolute recipe for a problem with Hamilton, so I said "eh eh" which is the Hamilton equivalent to "leave it" and he actually sat and waited until they walked away! Then I let him eat all the food that his friend dropped, and we were both quite pleased. It's so nice when he's listening, and I'm glad he was able to get what he wanted in the end as a reward for not going after it when his friend was eating.


----------



## kdawnk

So yesterday people in our Machinery Service department found a bunch of kittens.
The mom had gotten hit on the Service road by one of our combine drivers about 4 days ago.
The caught 4 of them and put them in a box to be given Distemper vaccines and let go on one of their farms.
Though I imagine the chances of their survival there to be like 4% they're probably only 4-5 weeks old.
One of the four kittens jumped out of the box and ran away and no one went after it or searched for it.


Ever since I keep day dreaming of finding that one kitten, naming it Steve regardless of sex, and fostering it until it's ready to go to a new home, or keep him/her if it fits.
Now I'm just obsessively thinking - while I do data entry at work - how to catch this kitten as soon as possible. Without looking like a dingbat crazy cat lady.
I even entirely planned out what I would do if I found him/her before lunch. Is this what kitten fever feels like?
He/She is just all alone without his mom or siblings in the middle of nowhere at 5 weeks old right now, it breaks my heart.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hambonez said:


> Today we went walking way early because it's going to be hot as all get out today (uhm... relative to normal temperatures living in upstate NY), and Hamilton and I don't enjoy the heat. We saw one of his best buddies at the park and walked with him and his owner, who was feeding her dog breakfast as we walked (idk what's with this dog that he doesn't eat normally). We stopped as we were leaving and she was giving him kibble while we chatted and he was dropping some of them. Hamilton wanted the kibble of course but that is an absolute recipe for a problem with Hamilton, so I said "eh eh" which is the Hamilton equivalent to "leave it" and he actually sat and waited until they walked away! Then I let him eat all the food that his friend dropped, and we were both quite pleased. It's so nice when he's listening, and I'm glad he was able to get what he wanted in the end as a reward for not going after it when his friend was eating.


Heh ... heat ... today the heat index is supposed to be about 115 :/, don't get me wrong NOT complaining here I love the heat a lot more than the cold, but it sucks foe the horses because when they go to the track, it's hard to get them to cool off.


----------



## momtolabs

It's 75F and breezy today here in Illinois  yesterday was the hottest we had all summer....91F no breeze. Was hot in the sun but fine in the shade. Compared to last summer I'm not complaining at all...I'm loving it!!! 


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----------



## gingerkid

momtolabs said:


> It's 75F and breezy today here in Illinois  yesterday was the hottest we had all summer....91F no breeze. Was hot in the sun but fine in the shade. Compared to last summer I'm not complaining at all...I'm loving it!!!


We've had an unusually summery summer. Its been 75F to 85F for most of July, with only a couple cooler, rainy days. If only all of our summers were this warm!


----------



## kdawnk

It feels so nice to not have to go home every single day at lunch.
My mom and dad have been working at my house throughout this week and they've been there pretty much 75% of my work day. So Sans is outside following them around, chewing on hammers, doing tricks for neighbours and being a pest all day _outside_. At first I didn't know what to do with myself, I kept going home and awkwardly standing there because my dad had just taken her on a walk for a break from renos. But now I'm buying groceries, and doing some shopping, lately I've been working on trapping kittens. It's just, nice.


----------



## d_ray

The animals are obsessed with eating my earplugs. Jewel is very sneaky at getting them too. Almost everyday, I find a bright orange plug in her poop. One of my cats tries to pry them right out of my ears. Weirdos!


----------



## gingerkid

d_ray said:


> The animals are obsessed with eating my earplugs. Jewel is very sneaky at getting them too. Almost everyday, I find a bright orange plug in her poop. One of my cats tries to pry them right out of my ears. Weirdos!


Its a well known fact that dogs find earwax delicious. And are gross.


----------



## Hambonez

This really just upset me tonight - my friend and I were out running errands she needed to stop at PetSmart to get some cat food. We're standing in line and the guy in front of us has a goofy happy mutt dog of some sort who was VERY EXCITED to see me and jumped up and I said "Hi Puppy" and just sort of caught his paws mid air so he wouldn't jump on me, but whatever it didn't bother me that he was jumping... his owner, however, yanked him down hard with the leash, then HIT him and told him to sit. I feel horrible that I said hi to his dog and it resulted in him getting yanked and hit. What the hell was wrong with this guy?! It's not like he attacked a child unprovoked or something, he was just over-excited and I obviously wasn't upset by it. I didn't know what to say so I just shut up and stepped back figuring if he hit a dog he probably wouldn't take kindly to anything I said anyway, and I didn't want the dog to try to be my friend anymore and get hit again


----------



## Greater Swiss

Random question for everybody.....
anybody else have a "wheezer", I don't mean like lung problems, I mean that heavy, contented sounding sigh/wheeze while being petted? Caeda does this, especially if she is flaked right out and is getting pets.


----------



## CptJack

Yep. I love that heavy sigh. It makes ME sleepy when they do that and go all limp.


----------



## Flaming

yup, and she's LOUD


----------



## JeJo

No audible sighs here, but rather silent yawns when I skritch her neck just below her ears. Oh, and massaging her shoulder sometimes causes her to tip over from a sitting position. Funny dog.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Flaming said:


> yup, and she's LOUD


lol....Yeah, Caeda is too. DH stroked her with his foot just as I was falling asleep last night and it pulled me back awake.....love the sound, SO soothing, but a little annoying when it is enough to wake me up lol. 

JeJo, Caeda does the tip too occasionally, Love it!


----------



## Hillaryj

Little bit of a rant:

I was stopped at a gas station today, with Rex (my boston) in the back seat hanging his head out the window like he does. Out of nowhere this father brings his son, who couldn't have been older than seven, and full on lifts him up and sticks the kids head through my back window to get at Rex. Didn't even bother to say anything to me, just went right for getting in my car. I was shocked to say the least. Now rex is super friendly but he can get a little over zealous so I was instantly worried about Rex would nip at him. Luckily Rex just licked him and they went on their way. I just cant believe a father would stick his young child into a strangers car with a strange dog. What if the dogs aggressive or territorial? I don't know what that dad was thinking....


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## momtolabs

Yes in a year ill be headed to college no that doesn't mean I'm just "giving up" my dogs. Is it goin to be hard juggling college/job/dogs yes. Do people really think I didn't think about it!!?? I'm starting out at a 2-year college then heading to UNI. The thing is that both the junior and UNI college are close to home. So If it comes down to it I can stay with my parents or my grandma. I know MANY people that have 2 jobs plus go to college and have dogs. It's hard and they juggle it. There dogs attend doggy daycare or stay with family on days there super busy. So why do people say I should rehome my dogs because its goin to be "too much"? HS is different than college yes but you know what!? That takes 8 hours out of my day, then most days I have to go to work right after and not get home till 8. Do HW and still care for the dogs. So it's not like I'm not used to having to shuffle things around.


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## gingerkid

Foster went for her spay this morning, and if every goes as scheduled, she'll go up for adoption tomorrow (and then I can finally share more about her!). I'm feeling kind of torn. She's a really awesome dog but I don't really connect with her like I have with some other dogs... but I'm surprisingly sad that she's gone. I know she'll find an awesome home though.


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## momtolabs

My sister has Caleb with her at a family members. And I'm kind shocked that I seriously miss him  while he is my sisters dog I usually have him from 4am-4pm because of my sisters job(7 days a week) and its weird not having him!! So we have a small bond and I feel like one of mine are gone! My fluffy puppy nephew needs to get back home so I can spoil him  


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## Miss Bugs

Took the 3 youngens to Demo team practice..their first real one since joining the team. Gem has a lot of training on her, Gypsy not a lot, Paisley some but needs miniscule baby steps..like think of baby steps and reel it back 10 more times..jumps not started by walking her over bars..jumps started by showing her a bar...then teaching her to walk past one upright etc.. she is very fearful of anything "long" and anything that feels different under her feet etc.. I was sooo proud of her tonight! In 1 session I was able to get her to willingly put 3/4 of her body into a tunnel, her her that is a huge success! She wad even willing to so go arounds around giant pylons, thats not even a "long" object She have ever seen before  

Gypsy..i have to give her credit. I have long considered her kinda dumb compared to Gem but she has her strengths..introduced her to a tunnel tor the first time in her life.... a full curved tunnel to boot, I said "hey Gyp, I have food in this hand" and she was like "sweet!" And ran through the tunnel lol. Her go arounds were excellent as well! 

Gem just needs work on tunnel drive but thats not news, she's always prefered pretty much anything to the tunnel, weaves..teeters
.contacts..everything is more fun then a tunnel..its not like its the closed space considering the chute is one if her favorites lol


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## momtolabs

I'm taking care of my friends dogs. A Basset nd a Brittany. The Basset is an okay weight the Brittany is obese. She is a very sweet well mannered dog ad I feel for her 
















The Basset









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## jade5280

Hillaryj said:


> Little bit of a rant:
> 
> I was stopped at a gas station today, with Rex (my boston) in the back seat hanging his head out the window like he does. Out of nowhere this father brings his son, who couldn't have been older than seven, and full on lifts him up and sticks the kids head through my back window to get at Rex. Didn't even bother to say anything to me, just went right for getting in my car. I was shocked to say the least. Now rex is super friendly but he can get a little over zealous so I was instantly worried about Rex would nip at him. Luckily Rex just licked him and they went on their way. I just cant believe a father would stick his young child into a strangers car with a strange dog. What if the dogs aggressive or territorial? I don't know what that dad was thinking....


That's awful! Stick your kids head into a random car with a dog in it....nothing could go wrong.:doh:


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## OwnedbyACDs

Hillaryj said:


> Little bit of a rant:
> 
> I was stopped at a gas station today, with Rex (my boston) in the back seat hanging his head out the window like he does. Out of nowhere this father brings his son, who couldn't have been older than seven, and full on lifts him up and sticks the kids head through my back window to get at Rex. Didn't even bother to say anything to me, just went right for getting in my car. I was shocked to say the least. Now rex is super friendly but he can get a little over zealous so I was instantly worried about Rex would nip at him. Luckily Rex just licked him and they went on their way. I just cant believe a father would stick his young child into a strangers car with a strange dog. What if the dogs aggressive or territorial? I don't know what that dad was thinking....


Ugh, there was a service dog at the track last night and there were people like, whistling, making kissing noises and 3 en reaching out and touching him as he tried to pass, I made it my mission to tell them to STOP! I told them that the dog was working and wasn't to be bothered. People were like "why?" :frusty: 

I am a jerk to people when they deserve it, I don't even care if I offend anyone anymore, the poor handler thanked me profusely for helping him, he was a vet with a PTS dog. I mean people were asking him what was "wrong" with him ... WTF is the matter with people???


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## Miss Bugs

I didn't post about this yesterday because every time I thought about it, I started to cry  but on Thursday night my "honorary" puppy passed away  Peepers the rabbit. she was raised with my dogs and lived free with them, so as far as she was concerned she was a doggy too. she begged for food, she insisted on being included in "cookie time" with all my dogs, I had to make her, her own bowl for pellets(she was fed on hay/veg only) because if I didn't feed her with all the dogs, she would steal their food...and they eat raw meat.. she would sit in the dogs crates when we worked on the kitchen and would run to the fridge and beg for goodies every time it was opened. she and Gypsy were best friends and could often be seein cuddling together on the couch, or grooming each other, Peepers would stick her head in Gypsy's mouth even, but mostly they would just hang out together. everyone who ever met peepers fell instantly in love, while I was away my petsitter said that every day when she walked into the house, Peepers ran to the door to greet her. Peepers was a Dwarf Hotot, she only just turned 4 in June. I am not surprised to have lost her young, she has had mountains of immunity issues throughout her life, her vet knew her well and I had a whole emergency response kit just for her, what was shocking about losing her was that when she was ill is was obvious, she would not eat as much, she would just sit in her cage and not leave, she would not beg for food or get into things, she was not herself. had she been like this I would not feel so blind sided by this, but she wasn't, she had been her normal self, running laps around the house, trying to get into the garbage, demanding goodies from the fridge etc.. when I fed her her supper, she ran to her cage normally, ate her whole supper normally, I went to bed and when my mom went to give her, her bedtime cookie before she went to bed, Peepers just..died, right there in front of her. :hurt:


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## CptJack

Really, really minor rant and NOT criticism of our mods because I know it's an enormous workload and I appreciate the lack of spam, but.

Posts in moderation is creating some cliffhangers, here. And, admittedly, a little frustration. NOT AT ANYONE, I do understand, but. Darn it.


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## Miss Bugs

Cptjack, I refuse to even post pictures on this forum unless attaching them. Every single time I try posting pics I have uploaded to photo sites my posts go straight to moderation, its so friggen irritating that I just avoid it altogether! Then if I try posting say twice, then one gets sent to mod and the other one doesn't so my posts end up making no sense at all :/


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## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> Cptjack, I refuse to even post pictures on this forum unless attaching them. Every single time I try posting pics I have uploaded to photo sites my posts go straight to moderation, its so friggen irritating that I just avoid it altogether! Then if I try posting say twice, then one gets sent to mod and the other one doesn't so my posts end up making no sense at all :/


Yeah. I'm honestly - it's been close to a week, and while I really am not criticizing and wont because I understand the whys of it, it's frustrating. 

Do posts with attachments NOT get sent to moderation as often? Maybe I'll try that.


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## Miss Bugs

So far almost every post I have posted pics in without attaching has been moderated and not one that I used attachments only have been.


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## CptJack

Worked for me! Thank you!


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## Miss Bugs

Also if you PM a mod with a link to the thread your trying to post in, they will go send it through. Its just a pain to do that every time lol


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## CptJack

I just don't want to bug the mods with it. Still. Pictures showing up is good!


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## Miss Bugs

Lol I get you, I feel akward contacting mods about it, I feel weird bugging mods like "umm..can you put my post through?" Glad the attaching pics worked for you!!


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## momtolabs

Miss bugs I'm so sorry for your loss  she was a very cute bun!


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## Miss Bugs

Thanks momtolabs! Its so weird not having her around  I took Jenny, my other bunny upstairs to hang out, not having a bunny around my feet is wrong  its not the same though, Jenny lives downstairs because she chooses too not because she's relegated down there. She's bigger then peepers was and while she is a great bun, she does not have that people loving super social personality that Peepers had, and is not super mischievous. 

I contacted a dwarf hotot breeder to get on her waiting list, Peepers "puppy" personality is a breed trait, I want that around again. Jenny is fabulous and I love her to death, she's a lot of fun, but she's just..more of a typical rabbit personality.


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## momtolabs

That's how I was with my cat fat Albert. When he passed we said no more cats. I don't like cats really he was special though. But along comes Casey and now bout 20 or so fosters I have had,lol. I hope your next bun is as friendly and outgoing  I demand pics!!! My sister Rex hates me!! Loves my sis though,haha. I may have to look into the breed your bun was. 


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## Miss Bugs

Lol ya that's how Jen is, she loves me but she runs and hides from anyone else. Where as Peepers was like "new person? YAY!! new friend!!" If you read up about hotot's though they say you have to be careful about them jumping out of their cage to greet people every time someone visits lol. I hadn't really done much research on Hotot's before I got her, I just always thought they were impossibly adorable so when a breeder I know from dogs posted to a local list that he was selling off his rabbits for "best offer" and 4 of them were Hotot's, I just jumped on it. Everyone fell totally in love with her though, when I looked it up, I read that this is typical of the breed. The breed is very hard to get in my area, and obviously I could not go back to her breeder given she was his "selling out" stock lol. I found this breeder through an old ad, she said she is the only breeder in the province now. She's not doing any breedings for at least a month though so it will be a while. She said there are 3 ahead of me on the waiting list.


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## JeJo

I am so sorry for your loss, Shayna. What a beautiful looking little rabbit and what a charming and engaging spark to have missing from your family. Healing thoughts your way for your heart's loss. RIP Peepers.


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## Eenypup

Sigh. Bennie's leash walking is overall very good, especially during the day. At night she gets a bit more on edge because we've encountered critters just a few times. Well, tonight she saw an opossum again. It was RIGHT in front of our apartment under a car, so I couldn't turn her away and ignore the stimulus. Usually I get her far enough away that she will sit and focus on me to get a treat. But we've only seen these things three times in three months so there aren't many opportunities for training. 

She almost dragged me off my feet tonight because we had to moved _toward_ it after she noticed it in order to get to the apartment. Dang. Nearly choked herself too  She's fine walking past other dogs and doesn't have much interest in birds, which are the only things we see out on a daily basis. Cats and opossums? That's another story.


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## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> Also if you PM a mod with a link to the thread your trying to post in, they will go send it through. Its just a pain to do that every time lol


Unfortunately this only works if it's an existing thread.


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## Kayota

just come to my town eenypup... i think we aare run by ccats. thats my conspiracy theory. the mayors a cat.


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## Remaru

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/29453577/
Thinking about making a trip to the local animal shelter...


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## momtolabs

It's 4:30 in the morning and ALL 5 kids I'm watching are up. *glares at my dad who doesn't know how to be quite!!!! The youngest being 1 and oldest 8......it's going to be a llllloooionnnggg day


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## gingerkid

Met a TON of lab puppies at the park today. It was awesome!

Well, except for the tiny puppy that was very obviously no older than 10 weeks. And she wasn't on a leash or anything, just frolicking around in the highly-traveled grass (they were right by the main beach) with a bunch of unknown dogs, owners completely unconcerned about random strange dogs approaching her. :doh:


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## momtolabs

gingerkid said:


> Met a TON of lab puppies at the park today. It was awesome!
> 
> Well, except for the tiny puppy that was very obviously no older than 10 weeks. And she wasn't on a leash or anything, just frolicking around in the highly-traveled grass (they were right by the main beach) with a bunch of unknown dogs, owners completely unconcerned about random strange dogs approaching her. :doh:


And you came out with all finger intact? I'm shocked,haha. Lab puppies are evil! 


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## Remaru

Can I just brag on Remus for a minute. He is a big goofy guy and he doesn't always get credit for being awesome because, well he has his issues. I love this guy, probably as much because of his issues as anything else. He has been good as gold helping me babysit my friend's kids. Walking gently round the house with the 5year old, tending to her every word (even though he has no clue what she is telling him) and though he jumps on adults when he is really excited (we work on it but he is a very active and excitable dog) he has not once jumped on one of the kids. 

What I really wanted to brag about is what he did today. My son put bread in the toaster oven to make breakfast and got distracted talking to me. Remus trotted into the kitchen, stared hard at something and let out an alert bark (Remus is not a barker, yodeling, whining, and howling but rarely barking unless there is something really important going on). I thought he had seen a bug so I went to check on it. Remus was staring at the toaster oven, the bread was burning. He must have smelt it. I told him what a good boy he was and gave him a treat. Hubby says we will have to send him with our oldest when he is ready to move out on his own, to protect him from himself.


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## Greater Swiss

Good job Remus!!!!

I'm having an awful weekend. Hair dye catastrophe, getting jerked around by potential home buyers, was stressed so I took Caeda for a walk. We got home and she badly needed a drink.....I go into the livingroom ahead of her, where we have a water bowl for her that I'd filled just before we went out, I WATCHED one of the cats dip her litter-covered paws into the bowl and walk away. I look in the bowl, sure enough the bottom of the bowl is filled with soaked litter. No wonder Caeda hates drinking out of that thing, I thought the stuff got in there over the space of the day and that it was perhaps dust falling off of the side of the stairwell....nope. Cat bath.....and no one take this wrong....but cats are jerks sometimes! Especially mine!


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## gingerkid

momtolabs said:


> And you came out with all finger intact? I'm shocked,haha. Lab puppies are evil!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


These puppies were all not mouthy! A couple were very excited, jumping up on me, but no mouthing. They were still pretty young though (not much over 16 weeks), so maybe they hadn't developed their landshark instincts yet, haha.


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## Flaming

ok, I'm officially crazy.

Manna has 2 pack packs 
Sorry if the picture sizing is weird


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## Melle

I had a phone interview this morning for the zoo, and at the end the interviewer asked if I could come in for the interview with the animal attendant manager tomorrow! So excited!

Hoping I get the position, working at the zoo would be awesome as a first job.


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## kdawnk

Does anyone else get this anxious feeling when trying out a new vet?

We only have two vet offices in the town I live in, the one I'm currently at isn't open on the weekends at all and charges $450+tax for just the spaying of a dog under 50 pounds. I need to spay her and remove her rear dewclaws. Not that I don't have the money, I just know in the neighbouring city it's $150 for spay and an unknown price for dewclaws (however, you have to have an address in that city to go to that vet clinic). They are just the very expensive give-your-dog-ALL-the-vitamins while on IV, you need to buy these three foods from our clinic, there's no home-remedies for your problem, type of clinic. 

The new clinic is $263+tax for her spay, and $100+tax for the dewclaw removal with a maybe overnight stay and one free call in if I decide to do it on the weekend. Which I would probably do, get it done on a Friday or a Thursday. So they're significantly better priced, and I know some of the techs and vets personally...

It just makes me nervous... I'm going this afternoon with her because she has developed some hair loss in a couple places, and so I can just meet the staff.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

I potentially might of broke something at my work. Accidentally. I already told my manager,apologized, & asked if there's anything else I can do. I still feel horrible,& guilty about it. I'm so nervous. I'm seriously afraid that I'll get fired. That I'll need to pay-which isn't as bad,as getting fired.

I can't seem to find the laws pertaining to this. If anyone would potentially know the laws for this,could you please provide information. Replying to this, or by PM is fine. Thanks


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## Miss Bugs

sometimes my dogs seriously piss me off. took them out for training time. started with Gypsy, Gypsy suddenly stops halfway through, takes all the frisbee's and runs under the deck with them..droped them in the farthest back corner and friggen LEAVES THEM THERE. under NO circumstances would she bring them out..my back deck is huge, its about 15 feet from the deck opening to the far back corner. I got so frustrated I just threw her back in the crate, brought Gem out and tried to send her to get the discs, and she TRIED, but the way they were sitting she could not pick them up, and when she tried to flip them up, she succeeded only in digging the discs into the soil. this meant the only way I could get the discs(and I NEED those discs for training, Gem and Gyp will NOT work for anything else) so had to army crawl under the deck, dig the discs out of the soil and army crawl back out....here is the thing...I have a contact allergy to the soil. so I get out with the discs and I am now caked in mud and covered in hives. tried to carry on with Gem anyway, sending her through the weaves, she kept skipping half the poles... its not like she doesn't know weaves properly, she has had them solid for over a year. I don't reward she keeps doing exactly the same thing, not getting rewarded, so she starts screaming and biting me while offering me "roll over"..at that point I was like "screw you too" and just left lol


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## gingerkid

Today I witnessed a perfect example of a dog owner have no clue about dog body language. This whole scene went down within 5 minutes total.

Setting: At the off-leash park (of course), near the parking lot. There was a golden and a GSD playing together awesome - they were having the time of their lives, both dogs had loose body language and were clearly relaxed and although the golden was clearly more submissive to the GSDs attempts to wrestle, there was plenty of back and forth chase, bitey-face, etc. Totally appropriate play.

A man with his lab pull in just after us. Lab seems friendly enough (is a gorgeous physical specimen!), comes up to greet me, sniffs snowball, and then keeps sniffing Snowball (who was on-leash at this point, since we'd just arrived). Outside of our neighborhood, Snowball is completely relaxed greeting dogs when on-leash, but with this lab, Snowball was a bit stiff and on guard. I just thought, whatever, the lab was extra sniffy and it was probably putting Snowball off (plus he hadn't had a chance to pee on stuff yet, that's how soon they arrived after us), so we keep walking. The golden comes over to greet Snowball, they sniff each other, appropriate, whatever, we keep going. The lab generally seemed extremely confident. 

Anyway, lab goes over to greet the GSD; they start wrestling and the lab's owner calls him away (wasn't paying attention to them much, Snowball was greeting a couple of dogs). The lab sees the golden and instantly the lab's tail flags, and he's stiff as a board. Lab's owner calls him, they keep walking, lab walks up to golden and they greet/sniff in a calm manner. Start playing, but its mostly the lab chasing the golden, not much reciprocating; anytime the lab instigated a wrestling match, the golden immediately laid down and showed his belly. This happens 2 or 3 times; the final time, the golden has his belly fully bared, lying completely on his back and the lab is standing over the golden, and I have never seen a dog so stiff except before a fight, and Lab's tail is flagged again - straight up and wagging back and forth in quick short wags, his hackles are up, and he's hard staring the golden (who is pinned by the lab and trying desperately to look away). The lab stood like that for probably 5-10 seconds, and then snarls and lunges for the golden's jugular. 

At this point, I was the closest person in the park to these two dogs - they were about 10-15 feet away from me, about double to their respective owners. On instinct, I shout "HEY!" as loud as I can to distract the dogs, and tentatively move towards them. I didn't get more than a single step before the lab backs off, and then the lab's owner yells at me "Just leave them be, he's just playing!"

I have never wanted to yell at another dog owner so badly. The golden was fine and the lab didn't actually injure him, and maybe the lab didn't even _intend _to injure him, but there is no way in a million years that someone could convince me that what I saw was play.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> sometimes my dogs seriously piss me off. took them out for training time. started with Gypsy, Gypsy suddenly stops halfway through, takes all the frisbee's and runs under the deck with them..droped them in the farthest back corner and friggen LEAVES THEM THERE. under NO circumstances would she bring them out..my back deck is huge, its about 15 feet from the deck opening to the far back corner. I got so frustrated I just threw her back in the crate, brought Gem out and tried to send her to get the discs, and she TRIED, but the way they were sitting she could not pick them up, and when she tried to flip them up, she succeeded only in digging the discs into the soil. this meant the only way I could get the discs(and I NEED those discs for training, Gem and Gyp will NOT work for anything else) so had to army crawl under the deck, dig the discs out of the soil and army crawl back out....here is the thing...I have a contact allergy to the soil. so I get out with the discs and I am now caked in mud and covered in hives. tried to carry on with Gem anyway, sending her through the weaves, she kept skipping half the poles... its not like she doesn't know weaves properly, she has had them solid for over a year. I don't reward she keeps doing exactly the same thing, not getting rewarded, so she starts screaming and biting me while offering me "roll over"..at that point I was like "screw you too" and just left lol


Lol she sounds like izze, if she thought the "job" she was doing was right she wanted to be rewarded whether she was doing it right or not sometimes, she was the type to get easily frustrated and interpreted my lack of reward as an unjustified "punishment" and got really pissed off lol.

Josefina is more open to allowing me to show her what I mean if she isn't getting it , and then she tries to do it like I showed her, if she tries and gets it close I will reward her. With izze I had to just say "too bad!" And throw my hands up and leave for a bit, oh, she hated 5 hat lol.

I am glad that she ended up with me and not someone else because she probably would have been dumped at a shelter before she was a year old.


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## Kayota

That's amusing Miss Bugs, sounds like your dogs can be a handful 

Does anyone else's dog have unnaturally soft skin or is Roxie just alone in her baby-soft skin? lol I've always wondered.


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## Sarah~

Xena has soft skin  I always like to rub her chest it's SO soft!

A friend of mine pissed off my whole family last night, she told me there was a huge spider outside. I was very scared and 2 people had to walk me to my car and check it over for spiders because I was afraid to even go outside to go to work. They were all really mad that she even told me, she knows how scared I get. But I know she was just trying to help by warning me. It would have been worse if I had run into it not knowing it was there!


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## OwnedbyACDs

FINALLY a restaurant does this!!!

http://m.ktvu.com/news/news/local/popular-restaurant-puts-controversial-kid-unfriend/ngqm4/


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## Kayota

I approve... Kids are so annoying. If it were an adult behaving like that they'd be removed but kids can do whatever they want in public? No thank you.


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## momtolabs

Yes my dog is in heat doesn't mean I'm breeding her -_- ignorant freaking people!!! My neighbor asked if Mia could come over and play today. I said "no she just came into heat and since Riley isn't fixed that would be bad." She said "okay I understand " then her cousin said "why not? Mia is cute and Riley is cute so the puppies would be adorable." After quickly explaining why that would be a horrible nd dumb idea she said "oh". Apparently after I left she said "well she is a ***" did she not expect my neighbor to tell me,lol. Yes because I don't want to get my dog preggo I'm a ****. I already know I am she didnt have to say it  


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> I approve... Kids are so annoying. If it were an adult behaving like that they'd be removed but kids can do whatever they want in public? No thank you.


I don't know why there is such an uproar over it, it's not like they are kicking out ALL kids, if their kids are well behaved than it shouldn't effect them.

I wish all restaurants would do this! Technically they all have the power to kick out unruly kids who are causing a disruption to other diners.


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## Foresthund

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I don't know why there is such an uproar over it, it's not like they are kicking out ALL kids, if their kids are well behaved than it shouldn't effect them.
> 
> I wish all restaurants would do this! Technically they all have the power to kick out unruly kids who are causing a disruption to other diners.


I think it's because of the anti high or booster chair rule you couldn't have any baby or smaller toddler there. But it's not like they can't wait a year or two to go,so just seems like a spoiled thing to complain about.
Over all if the restaurant is some what family friendly I don't agree with the high/booster chair rule but fully indorse the screaming,crying,disruptive kid one. I think sometimes parents get away with too much,like I hear a lot of parents changing diapers right on the tables!


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## Remaru

I see it this way, if a restaurant is family friendly I expect noise. Child noise, people chatting, some general activity. If I go to a "family friendly" restaurant then I expect to see high chairs, kid's menus, and kids. When I go out for a "Date Night" I don't mind if there are some restaurants that have a no child rule or at least a strict policy on behavior. However I want that rule applied to adults as well. I took my kids out and our meal was made far less pleasant by a particularly unpleasant woman who spoke so loudly that I could not hear my husband sitting in the booth next to me over her sitting across the aisle and two booths away. There were no children at their table. She was not young at all, easily mid-50s and everyone at her table was similar in age. She just obviously had no sense of appropriate behavior in public. The same applies to the obnoxious guys who yell at/flirt with wait staff, or scream their phone conversations (seriously if you can't hear go outside, the whole restaurant doesn't want to hear what you are talking about) and the people who have had far more than their limit of alcohol and get loud. Yes kids can be loud or ill behaved, but so can adults. My kids, despite being special needs know how to behave properly in public. They have behaved properly in restaurants since they were toddlers because I taught them how to behave and was prepared to leave if I needed to (and was ok with frequenting "family friendly" establishments to keep them happier when they were small). I'm not against adult only restaurants, and definitely movie times (I hate little kids in rated R movies late at night) but I would like some rules applied to adult behavior as well and for people to stop pretending like adults aren't just as annoying as kids.


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## OwnedbyACDs

I think someone said that if an adult was acting like that they would be removed, but people are more afraid to enforce that on parents and kids for some reason. 

Maybe three lady was deaf or hard of hearing? I have a friend who is hard of hearing and speaks really loud, like she is one barn over from me and I can hear her talk from my barn, it's not her fault but I am sure there are people who think she is just obnoxious. It's compounded because you have to speak loudly to her for her to hear you and sometimes you have to repeat what you say.

Parents of well behaved kids need not be offended, as it wouldn't apply to them. FYI this is kind of a fancy high end restaurant.


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## Remaru

Judging by the volume of the rest of her table, no, she was just rude/no one had ever taught her about "inside voices." In my experience people in service industry are shy about saying anything to customers regardless of status as parents/not parents. I have seen people light up cigarettes in the non-smoking section and no one says a word. That happens far less now that all restaurants are strictly no-smoking. Perhaps I have just missed the preferential treatment that parents/children are getting but I see a general rudeness and failure to say anything across the board. I think it probably comes down to fear of offending people and missing out on tips combined with the "customer is always right" attitude, our litigious society and I know many friends have told me that they did not feel management would back them up (when customers were rude to them as waitresses). 

Like I said I'm perfectly fine with "child free" or no kids under X age restaurants assuming the area supports that sort of business. I would hope that certain rules of decorum apply across the board at such an establishment, perhaps no service while you are on your cell phone (why do people on cell phones talk louder than normal?) ect. I also don't appreciate statements like "I wish all restaurants would do this". I don't know how people think kids learn to behave in public without exposure to public. That includes during infancy and toddlerhood (when they need highchairs and boosters to sit at tables). I do expect to be able to go to IHOP with my kids, even on wiggly days.


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## Willowy

Kayota said:


> I approve... Kids are so annoying. If it were an adult behaving like that they'd be removed but kids can do whatever they want in public? No thank you.


I wish! I've never seen disruptive adults get kicked out a restaurant. A gaggle of shrieking half-drunk 20-something females? Nope. A bunch of cowboys who think they're God's gift to women harrassing the waitresses? Nope. Older hard-of-hearing people yelling at each other? Nope. The customer is always right! At least kids have an excuse for it. I hope that restaurant owner draws a similarly hard line on disruptive adults instead of ignoring them so as not to lose out on the tips.


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## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> FINALLY a restaurant does this!!!
> 
> http://m.ktvu.com/news/news/local/popular-restaurant-puts-controversial-kid-unfriend/ngqm4/


Oh yes. I saw this on my cbc Facebook group the other day. I wish more high end restaurants would start doing this. If I'm at a family restaurant, I totally expect noisey kids, but not when I'm shelling out $200 for a nice romantic meal. 


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## kdawnk

I think this dog is sooo pretty, she's the momma of the puppies and I just drooled a little.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-image.html?adId=1006220394&image=0&enableSearchNavigationFlag=true


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## Kayota

the dog park is so ffreaking boring when no one else is here... i guess that would be most dfers' ideal but 50 percent of why wwe go is so i ccan socialize LOL its the only place where i ccan talk about my dog and no one gets bored or annoyed. in person tthat is. she did play fetch ttho aand they aadded a tunnel so we did a few reps tnrough tthat with some sun baked beggin strips i found in the car... yum : P now rox is just lazing around/peeing on everything...


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## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> Oh yes. I saw this on my cbc Facebook group the other day. I wish more high end restaurants would start doing this. If I'm at a family restaurant, I totally expect noisey kids, but not when I'm shelling out $200 for a nice romantic meal.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yeah its not like this is a Dennys or something, this is a high end $200 or so a plate restaurant, no, when I am paying that for food, I don't want a screaming kid behind me.

Maybe it's due to area, but people acting like that would be asked to leave if too many people complained, whether child or adult.


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## Miss Bugs

the breeds people list their dogs as...lol I was wandering up the kennel building and saw a kennel chart that said "Belgian Shepherd" under breed..I thought "OH!! a Belgian!!" I looked in the kennel and started laughing..this "Belgian" is all of 19" tall(full grown) with a short thick husky type coat, a big bushy tail curled over his back,and a squat stocky body..the only thing about that dog that even vaguely resembles any sort of Belgian is that the dog is fawn with a black mask lol. that's not as bad though as the "Belgian Malinois" that came in a few years ago...with the coat and build of a Great Pyr and the colour of a Heeler lol


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## Miss Bugs

Weirrrdddd.... a lady came to buy Gerbils..she knocked on the door, there was all of 3 barks from the pack..I sent the puppies outside since she was an older lady and Gem and Gyp can be a little..umm.. nuts(they are the least barky of all my dogs, they are just big and feed off eachother) Happy and Perky are usually really annoying and neither barked even once..and they stayed loose in the house when she came in, they just meandered over like "oh hi" and that was it. You have to understand that this is NOT normal!! People coming over is usually a big annoying ordeal because as soon as one gets excited it becomes a big frenzy of every one feeding off one another. All 7 are perfectly fine on their own lol but nobody went crazy..and therefore nobody else went crazy.. I didn't even notice till after she left and I was like "wait a sec.. all the dogs were present..but there was no commotion..cool!!


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## Kayota

My friend was just texting me from the dog park and she said a guy grabbed her dog's face and said LOOK AT ME and then tried to put her dog on a leash and leave with him...


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## gingerkid

Kayota said:


> My friend was just texting me from the dog park and she said a guy grabbed her dog's face and said LOOK AT ME and then tried to put her dog on a leash and leave with him...


WTF? Some people are not right in the head.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> My friend was just texting me from the dog park and she said a guy grabbed her dog's face and said LOOK AT ME and then tried to put her dog on a leash and leave with him...


OMG wtf???


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## luv mi pets

1st rant- today carrier was left by front door. Small female dog left inside with a note. the note says that the owner could no longer take care of the dog. No food or water was in the carrier something happened to the dog's tail. It will have to be amputated. 

2nd rant. two weeks ago someone left a mom cat and kittens in our lobby. She called yesterday and wanted to know if she could come and take back one of the kittens. she changed her mind and wants a certain kitty back.


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## Miss Bugs

Ha! Something like that happened to my friend at the dog park! A guy stuck her dog on a leash ans started leaving with him! My friend ran up to him and was "wtf do you think your doing, thats my dog" he acted all sorry and claimed he mistook her dog for his. Ya ok. My friends dog is a VERY unique looking mix breed, that dog ain't getting "mistaken" for any other dog lol


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## RabbleFox

Miss Bugs said:


> the breeds people list their dogs as...lol I was wandering up the kennel building and saw a kennel chart that said "Belgian Shepherd" under breed..I thought "OH!! a Belgian!!" I looked in the kennel and started laughing..this "Belgian" is all of 19" tall(full grown) with a short thick husky type coat, a big bushy tail curled over his back,and a squat stocky body..the only thing about that dog that even vaguely resembles any sort of Belgian is that the dog is fawn with a black mask lol. that's not as bad though as the "Belgian Malinois" that came in a few years ago...with the coat and build of a Great Pyr and the colour of a Heeler lol


This actually makes me grouchy...

I too work at a boarding/daycare facility. It's hard to put dogs back in the right kennels if you have him listed as a Cavalier King Charles when he is really a 4lb maltipoo thing. It trips me up everytime. Also, LOL at all the lab mixes everywhere. Sorry, but your dog is a bully thing.  Bully things are cool too. Lab things might be popular but there ain't no way your dog is Lab with a squared off head and short, stocky body and whip like tail.


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## OwnedbyACDs

luv mi pets said:


> 1st rant- today carrier was left by front door. Small female dog left inside with a note. the note says that the owner could no longer take care of the dog. No food or water was in the carrier something happened to the dog's tail. It will have to be amputated.
> 
> 2nd rant. two weeks ago someone left a mom cat and kittens in our lobby. She called yesterday and wanted to know if she could come and take back one of the kittens. she changed her mind and wants a certain kitty back.


Josefina was left in that way with hee three brothers on animals controls doorstep as a 4 week old puppy! What is wrong with people!

You are a saint to do that work, I couldn't because sanity.


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## Miss Bugs

RabbleFox said:


> This actually makes me grouchy...
> 
> I too work at a boarding/daycare facility. It's hard to put dogs back in the right kennels if you have him listed as a Cavalier King Charles when he is really a 4lb maltipoo thing. It trips me up everytime. Also, LOL at all the lab mixes everywhere. Sorry, but your dog is a bully thing.  Bully things are cool too. Lab things might be popular but there ain't no way your dog is Lab with a squared off head and short, stocky body and whip like tail.


Lol luckily I am usually up front doing check in/out..I couldn't care less what people put on the form for breed, I change the breed description on the kennel chart and if I'm not the one who did it, I regularly cross out the breed on the chart and correct it lol. We have another that boards, a shih tzu..her paperwork says "Pomeranian"..ya ok lol. Or a newer daycare dog that came in today, the paperwork said "terrier mutt"...the dog is a black and tan dachshund.. but yes incorrect breeds make it a lot harder to ensure every is where they belong, but I am used to ignoring owners in that reguard, I can't even tell you how many people can't even answer their dogs GENDER correctly nevermind something as advanced as "breed" lol


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## Miss Bugs

RabbleFox said:


> This actually makes me grouchy...
> 
> I too work at a boarding/daycare facility. It's hard to put dogs back in the right kennels if you have him listed as a Cavalier King Charles when he is really a 4lb maltipoo thing. It trips me up everytime. Also, LOL at all the lab mixes everywhere. Sorry, but your dog is a bully thing.  Bully things are cool too. Lab things might be popular but there ain't no way your dog is Lab with a squared off head and short, stocky body and whip like tail.


Lol luckily I am usually up front doing check in/out..I couldn't care less what people put on the form for breed, I change the breed description on the kennel chart and if I'm not the one who did it, I regularly cross out the breed on the chart and correct it lol. We have another that boards, a shih tzu..her paperwork says "Pomeranian"..ya ok lol. Or a newer daycare dog that came in today, the paperwork said "terrier mutt"...the dog is a black and tan dachshund.. but yes incorrect breeds make it a lot harder to ensure every is where they belong, but I am used to ignoring owners in that reguard, I can't even tell you how many people can't even answer their dogs GENDER correctly nevermind something as advanced as "breed" lol


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## RabbleFox

Miss Bugs said:


> Lol luckily I am usually up front doing check in/out..I couldn't care less what people put on the form for breed, I change the breed description on the kennel chart and if I'm not the one who did it, *I regularly cross out the breed on the chart and correct it lol.* We have another that boards, a shih tzu..her paperwork says "Pomeranian"..ya ok lol. Or a newer daycare dog that came in today, the paperwork said "terrier mutt"...the dog is a black and tan dachshund.. but yes incorrect breeds make it a lot harder to ensure every is where they belong, but I am used to ignoring owners in that reguard, I can't even tell you how many people can't even answer their dogs GENDER correctly nevermind something as advanced as "breed" lol


 I do this! Lol. Especially for new dogs. Usually dogs who have the wrong breed have done their daycare application online and we just transfer it over without seeing the dog in person first. It's really, really confusing for us if we have multiple new dogs who come in a run and each one is listed as something completely wrong.

At my old daycare, we had white boards in each run to write down the dogs in the run. I would also put a mini description. "Merlin- tri RT". Makes things so much easier when the morning shift ends and the afternooner comes in if each dog has a mini (accurate) descriptor. We eventually learned all of the regulars but during holidays it can be SO hard with all the new/nonregular dogs.

At the new daycare, we have a clipboard with the dog's and their breed. I quiz myself on the dogs by writing mini descriptions and correcting breeds XD


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## Miss Bugs

Lol ya we do similar things, the boarding dogs all have paper charts but daycare has whiteboards, when we have new people we always write a mini descript. next to the name  do you ever get the "incorrect" gender ones? I have had panic attacks before because I've been treating a dog as one Gender for a long time and I suddenly notice the owners paperwork says the opposite gender! I usually then run back and check the actual gender... I don't know why I still panic, we've never had it wrong before..its always the paperwork that wrong lol


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## Kayota

i dont get it... how do people mistake a dachshund for a terrier mix?? or a shih tzu for a pom... so weird...


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## jade5280

luv mi pets said:


> 2nd rant. two weeks ago someone left a mom cat and kittens in our lobby. She called yesterday and wanted to know if she could come and take back one of the kittens. she changed her mind and wants a certain kitty back.


 Lol That's a new level of stupidity. Soooo the person gets rid of their cat, but then they want to replace it with a kitten? I hate it when I see the same people posting for free kittens every year. JUST FIX YOUR CAT. It's really not hard. Like there aren't enough cats in shelters.


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## RabbleFox

Miss Bugs said:


> Lol ya we do similar things, the boarding dogs all have paper charts but daycare has whiteboards, when we have new people we always write a mini descript. next to the name  do you ever get the "incorrect" gender ones? I have had panic attacks before because I've been treating a dog as one Gender for a long time and I suddenly notice the owners paperwork says the opposite gender! I usually then run back and check the actual gender... I don't know why I still panic, we've never had it wrong before..its always the paperwork that wrong lol


OMG yes. The dog is named "Frank" but apparently it's a girl??? I always check if the paperwork says differently. Idk if the owner is dumb or if we just had an error or what. But Frank is indeed a boy. 



Kayota said:


> i dont get it... how do people mistake a dachshund for a terrier mix?? or a shih tzu for a pom... so weird...


Wishful thinking, I think. Or people just really have no idea what's up with their dogs. 

Sometimes I wonder why people pay huge amounts of money for daily doggy daycare but feed absolute crap dog food and won't pay to go to dog training to get their dog to listen. Like, don't complain to me about your dogs soft stools and his lack of LLW if you don't wanna hear you need to spend some dough. I know you have plenty! The fact that dropped $400 on a daycare package and your fancy car tell me you've got $$$ to burn.


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## Miss Bugs

Now to be fair... we have a lot of weird gender names so I never go by name lol we have a male Husky named Cali, a male mix named Shelby, several boy dogs named Kelly and Sandy. Charlie and Sam are both super common gender neutral names..we have 2 females named Ted, Multiple males and females called Nixon and Nash and Finnegan, several females called Frankie... 

People mislabeling their dogs Gender drives me crazy because I have had panic attacks thinking we were missing a dog before because I am going to grab for example 2 am. Eskimo's, 1 male and 1 female but I can only find 2 Eskies and both are male..then I am freaking out because I can't find the non existent female Eskimo lol


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Our power is out . Who knows when it will be back .I swear, our neighborhood power goes out so much, more then other surrounding neighborhoods. Plus, we had three houses struck in our neighborhood, all in close proximity with each other.

Here's the house that got struck a couple years ago:



ETA: 
Knock on wood. The powers back. Yay!


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## Kayota

you know, if people cant tell that their dog has a dingle dangle they need to get their eyes checked... ut then there wss the woman i knew who claimed her male pomeranian was a trans female and used female pronouns... which as a trans person i find kind of offensive!


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## Miss Bugs

I don't understand the gender confusion myself, how do you write the wrong gender of your own dog? But people are dumb soo... lol the breed thing I can kinda get, a lot of people just don't know. We took in an emergency dog the other day, dogs owners in the hospital and his daughter was afraid to take the dog to her place because she has a malamute and her dads dog is little and they had never met, she didn't want to risk it not going well under the circumstances. I asked was breed, her answer was "I have no idea? He's like one of those little yappy things but not really" I told her that was OK when we see the dog we will determine breed lol. A surprising number of people who own dogs know virtually nothing. Heck my brother has lived in a dog crazy house most of his life, Rusty is basically his dog now, yet he is clueless as a dog owner, barely even knows what Rusty is and only because I told him lol


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## momtolabs

I seriously hate trains -_- I'm from a very small town. I have just moved in with my grandma who lives in a "city" okay a large town(a little over 5000)people I think. I'm from a town of 500. We don't have trains coming through town blaring the horns through town. We get cattle making noise instead,lol. Since 9pm trains have been non stop. I know it's protocol that they blare the horns but I seriously hate it. I'm sure ill get used to it but I want to go to bed and everytime I close my eyes another train comes through!!!


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## KodiBarracuda

momtolabs said:


> I seriously hate trains -_- I'm from a very small town. I have just moved in with my grandma who lives in a "city" okay a large town(a little over 5000)people I think. I'm from a town of 500. We don't have trains coming through town blaring the horns through town. We get cattle making noise instead,lol. Since 9pm trains have been non stop. I know it's protocol that they blare the horns but I seriously hate it. I'm sure ill get used to it but I want to go to bed and everytime I close my eyes another train comes through!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


You are obviously not from Nebraska. We have a huge coal train rail that goes right through the middle and follows highway 2. These are small towns (we're talking anywhere from 2500 to unincorporated and single digits.). The town I lived in 2 year ago had a train through every 15 minutes and yes, they use their horns every time they crossed a road that cars use. Same story in the town I am in now, it was the county fair last year and you couldn't even enjoy the rodeo or the concerts for the trains every 15 minutes (sometimes more like every 5-10 minutes or two back to back if they are traveling in opposite directions).

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## CptJack

I meant to post about this Tuesday and forgot. I remembered because my husband and I were discussing it on the way home from agility practice tonight.

Bug did foundations agility this session. The last class is this low key, silly, competition where the object is to send your dog around a bucket. It starts out close and the line is gradually moved back. If your dog doesn't make it around after 2 tries, your dog/you are eliminated but you lead the dog around the bucket a final time so it gets a treat and has success. The prize is, seriously, a 2.00 dog toy that the dog gets to pick out for themselves. 

One of the dogs in class was a corgi named George. George is leash reactive, but friendly and sweet and really, really just wanted to meet the other dogs. The instructor spent a lot of class time telling her how to work on it appropriately, how to manage and to STOP jerking her dog around and yelling at him. He got better, he made progress with the reactivity and really did pretty well with exercises in class. Unfortunately, he reaction to her dog getting eliminated in the little silly competition was to JERK her dog toward her and STOMP out of the building in tears, dragging her crying dog behind her. 

I just... SERIOUSLY?

(There are some other winners in that class, still, but she really took the cake.)


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## CptJack

KodiBarracuda said:


> You are obviously not from Nebraska. We have a huge coal train rail that goes right through the middle and follows highway 2. These are small towns (we're talking anywhere from 2500 to unincorporated and single digits.). The town I lived in 2 year ago had a train through every 15 minutes and yes, they use their horns every time they crossed a road that cars use. Same story in the town I am in now, it was the county fair last year and you couldn't even enjoy the rodeo or the concerts for the trains every 15 minutes (sometimes more like every 5-10 minutes or two back to back if they are traveling in opposite directions).
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


You get used to it. We have a train track a couple of blocks from our house, now, and I grew up with one probably 100 yards away. I honestly have to LISTEN for them now in most settings.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

How come summer goes so fast? I'm not looking foward to going back to school.



momtolabs said:


> I seriously hate trains -_- I'm from a very small town. I have just moved in with my grandma who lives in a "city" okay a large town(a little over 5000)people I think. I'm from a town of 500. We don't have trains coming through town blaring the horns through town. We get cattle making noise instead,lol. Since 9pm trains have been non stop. I know it's protocol that they blare the horns but I seriously hate it. I'm sure ill get used to it but I want to go to bed and everytime I close my eyes another train comes through!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Tell me about. I live fairly close to train, probably about 2 miles. I can actually hear the train on the tracks sometimes. The horn gets annoying, but I'm use to it, after about 10 years. But, it still bugs me at times.

We get kids screaming. It can get really annoying. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but not 8 in the morning.

We have almost 37,000 residents in my town. I'd love to live in small town such as yours. A close knit coummunity/town,& where almost everyone knows everyone, sounds awesome. Heck, I don't know half of my neighbors.


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## Kayota

mmy mom lived in a town of about 500 that was split right down the middle by a train track. the train was a few hundred yards from her house. You'd think it would be a nice little town but it was honestly really terrible. Most people there were either huge jerks or criminals :/


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## gingerkid

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> We have almost 37,000 residents in my town. I'd love to live in small town such as yours. A close knit community/town,& where almost everyone knows everyone, sounds awesome. Heck, I don't know half of my neighbors.


I grew up in a small town (pop 3300) - I hated that everyone knew everyone. I'd come home from University for the summer and people who I swore I'd never met in my life would stop me in the street by name and ask me how school was going.

I also didn't fit in very well in school and found it hard to make friends.... there were 40 people in my grade and I hardly had anything in common with any of them. I also went to school with more than half of them since Grade 3, so by the time we all got to High School there was no making new friends - the stigma was too deep, and the "popular kids" too mean.


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## Willowy

> A close knit coummunity/town,& where almost everyone knows everyone, sounds awesome.


It is not especially awesome. Well, maybe for some people it is. I'm too social anxiety-ish. It's scary (to me) when people know my business before I do .


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## momtolabs

gingerkid said:


> I grew up in a small town (pop 3300) - I hated that everyone knew everyone. I'd come home from University for the summer and people who I swore I'd never met in my life would stop me in the street by name and ask me how school was going.
> 
> I also didn't fit in very well in school and found it hard to make friends.... there were 40 people in my grade and I hardly had anything in common with any of them. I also went to school with more than half of them since Grade 3, so by the time we all got to High School there was no making new friends - the stigma was too deep, and the "popular kids" too mean.


Hehe that's considered a large town to me. My graduating class is 19. The town I live in has little to no crime. Yes people do drugs in the town but they don't cause problems. The last "crime" we had was back in 08' when someone stole money from a church. We have one gas station and a subway. Lots of open land/fields for dogs to run. Pretty dog friendly. I love my small town <3


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## Greater Swiss

We've started switching Caeda to yet another food...trying to figure out what will work for her. During this switch she's gotten a fair bit of gas and is pooing a little more, but we're going to give it a few more days to see if she evens out.....although I've got to say, it is resulting in some unfortunate giggles at Caeda's expense....

When Caeda has gas, she'll be laying there, just chilling out, then she'll fart....which makes her get up quickly, turn around, sniff the spot on the floor where her but was, and trot to another spot and stare almost accusingly at the location where she farted for a couple of seconds before settling in again. Of course having a bit more gas means she'll do this a few times in a row. I feel so bad for laughing at her (and yes, I'm watching her closely to make sure she isn't getting TOO gassy and making sure her belly isn't swelling or anything), but its just too funny, that really upset look on her face....poor girl. Only a few more days and it'll either go away, or we'll switch back to her previous food.


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## Kayota

gingerkid said:


> I grew up in a small town (pop 3300) - I hated that everyone knew everyone. I'd come home from University for the summer and people who I swore I'd never met in my life would stop me in the street by name and ask me how school was going.
> 
> I also didn't fit in very well in school and found it hard to make friends.... there were 40 people in my grade and I hardly had anything in common with any of them. I also went to school with more than half of them since Grade 3, so by the time we all got to High School there was no making new friends - the stigma was too deep, and the "popular kids" too mean.


Sounds a lot like my town... we have aabout 5k here and it was just miserable in school, i couldnt fit in at all.i


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## Damon'sMom

momtolabs said:


> I seriously hate trains -_- I'm from a very small town. I have just moved in with my grandma who lives in a "city" okay a large town(a little over 5000)people I think. I'm from a town of 500. We don't have trains coming through town blaring the horns through town. We get cattle making noise instead,lol. Since 9pm trains have been non stop. I know it's protocol that they blare the horns but I seriously hate it. I'm sure ill get used to it but I want to go to bed and everytime I close my eyes another train comes through!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


You will get use to it. I use to live by a rail road track for 8 years. The trains tracks ran right at the edge of our fields. I still miss the sounds sometimes.  When I first moved away from there I couldn't sleep very well for a full month!


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## Miss Bugs

Huh, found a gerbils for sale ad, obviously ours..says from a registered breeder in the city, come with pedigrees(we are the only breeder around that provides pedigrees) plus the housing was clearly made from our instruction booklet lol. I wonder why  all.our gerbils are sold with a take back guarantee 

edit: I mentioned it to my mom, she said she already saw it, she knows which pups they are and who bought them, and put a strike in our records to make sure he cannot purchase from us again.


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## Kayota

im ssorry bugs! that must be rreally disappointing. are you guys going to try to get them back?


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## Hambonez

Kayota said:


> i dont get it... how do people mistake a dachshund for a terrier mix?? or a shih tzu for a pom... so weird...


Meh, my dog could be listed as either a dachshund mix or terrier mix and I think either/both would be true. 



Miss Bugs said:


> I don't understand the gender confusion myself, how do you write the wrong gender of your own dog?


We used to have this big orange housecat at the vet where I worked. His name was Pete and he used to lay on the front counter all day and let people pet him. One day a client was petting him and saying what a pretty cat she was, and we said "Pete's a boy" and she insisted that Pete was a girl, and we said no, we're sure he's a boy, and she insisted again that Pete was a girl... we finally asked WHY she thought Pete was a girl, and she said that "she" had nipples, so "she" was a girl. We said that boys had nipples too, and she said oh no, only girls have nipples. We just stopped then... no reason to keep arguing when someone is that dumb.


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## Kayota

II guess shes never Satan a mans chest?

This is not dog related but work was so boring today... they pretty much had me trying to get people to try this new tubeless toilet paper but you can't really demo that so ii was just standing there handing out coupons for 6 hours... probably one of the most unfulfilling things i have ever done.


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## Miss Bugs

> im ssorry bugs! that must be rreally disappointing. are you guys going to try to get them back?


we are not overly worried about it, he is asking $40 for the whole shebang which includes proper housing and appropriate toys and being sold with our care guide, so we are not too worried about them ending up in a bad situation, just don't want them getting our Gerbils again only to sell them off. if it was a bad situation or they ended up at the shelter we would get that back here in a heartbeat(its happened, a few years ago we found a pair of our Gerbils at the shelter, we went straight there and took them back)


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## Miss Bugs

> This is not dog related but work was so boring today... they pretty much had me trying to get people to try this new tubeless toilet paper but you can't really demo that so ii was just standing there handing out coupons for 6 hours... probably one of the most unfulfilling things i have ever done.


:suspicious: tubeless TP? why would anyone want tubeless TP? we go out of our way to buy large pkg's of small TP roles because it = more TP tubes for gerbils lol


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## Kayota

Lol its some weird shpiel to cut back on environmental wwaste and stuff but ttbh most people dont care enough and cardboard is biodegradable so iim just like... why? I still have a million top tubes from having rats lol, i got in the habit of saving them and I forget to toss them now.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Hambonez said:


> Meh, my dog could be listed as either a dachshund mix or terrier mix and I think either/both would be true.
> 
> 
> 
> We used to have this big orange housecat at the vet where I worked. His name was Pete and he used to lay on the front counter all day and let people pet him. One day a client was petting him and saying what a pretty cat she was, and we said "Pete's a boy" and she insisted that Pete was a girl, and we said no, we're sure he's a boy, and she insisted again that Pete was a girl... we finally asked WHY she thought Pete was a girl, and she said that "she" had nipples, so "she" was a girl. We said that boys had nipples too, and she said oh no, only girls have nipples. We just stopped then... no reason to keep arguing when someone is that dumb.


I seen this so many times as a vet tech. ugh. We had this one lady come in swearing up and down that her male shih Tzu pup had cancerous growths. When we told her it was his nipples she got really upset and said she would just go someone else since we had no idea what we were talking about. Then there was this lady that had tried to use tweezers to remove the "tick" on her male dogs tummy. That was horrible, and her dog was 5 years old, how in the world was she just NOW noticing his nipples?


----------



## Kayota

Oh speaking of stupid stuff like that

At the AWFUL shelter my internship was at one of the SHELTER WORKERS who had been there for probably 5+ years argued with me that a male cat was a female because "see the two holes?" Uh yeah that's his penile sheath lady. They really thought I was stupid but they were the idiots honestly :\


----------



## Eenypup

Oh my. I can't believe people don't realize the males have nipples! Wtf? And not knowing the gender of their own pet?? It's not that confusing...

I mean yeah the vet techs kept calling Bennie 'he' until I corrected them the third time, but her name is pretty masculine so I don't blame them  It's not like I gave them the wrong gender for her forms, though!


----------



## Kayota

people call rox a male all the time bc she has a moustache and i dress her in blue... i wanna be like do you see a dingle dangle???


----------



## CptJack

People get Jack and Bug wrong a lot. 

Somehow, though, no one ever mistakes Thud for a girl or Kylie for a boy. Which is fair enough, I suppose. I have a hard time picturing them as the opposite gender, too.


----------



## Hambonez

Kayota said:


> Lol its some weird shpiel to cut back on environmental wwaste and stuff but ttbh most people dont care enough and cardboard is biodegradable so iim just like... why? I still have a million top tubes from having rats lol, i got in the habit of saving them and I forget to toss them now.


I've been buying the tubeless TP. It's not just about whether the paper breaks down or not, there's a lot of production in MAKING the cardboard tubes... uses more trees, more fuel for transport, more resources producing them. Plus, how many people do you know that actually recycle cardboard tubes (rodent owners notwithstanding). I go out of my way to throw them in the recycling bin, but I imagine most people just chuck them in the bathroom trash.


----------



## momtolabs

My uncle has "friends" over(he also lives with my grandma). These people are not very outstanding citizens. There into drugs big time,alcoholics,had there kids taken away from them by the state,no jobs,technically homeless jumping house to house, steal, both are always in and out of jail for theft and more things. My mom went to school with both of them and they have always been this way. For some reason the girl tried to get into my room(both Bentley and Mia are in there) and Mia went charging te door and the girl ran out screaming. After asking if she got bit and she said no I asked her why in the heck she was trying to get in my room!? She said she was "taking a short cut?" From my room there is another door you can take to get to a different room instead of walking through the living room to that room. I said "that door is blocked off and you know it is so that obviously wouldn't have worked." She responded with "oh, I forgot" I said "don't go in there again there are no promises you won't get bit." She said "okay" and walked away. I really don't think she "forgot" she saw me put 50$ in my bag and throw it in the room and wanted it. I normally don't judge people but someone with a track record like hers I'm going to assume the worst. She HAS stolen money from my mom so I'm going to expect she would steal from me too. I'm leaving for a family reunion soon and Bentley and Mia will be in my room. I asked my cousin(who is staying for the summer) to stay in my room with them. I have a TV and games in there. She can also walk them but too lock my door. Luckily she agreed to it!

ETA: she is lucky she didn't get bit. Mia is fine if I'm in the room and strangers walk in but if I'm not at the house or room she gets defensive. Family can walk in but not strangers. I can sit in the living room and this lady walk in and while Mia watches her she doesn't do anything.


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----------



## Flaming

Kayota said:


> Lol its some weird shpiel to cut back on environmental wwaste and stuff but ttbh most people dont care enough and cardboard is biodegradable so iim just like... why? I still have a million top tubes from having rats lol, i got in the habit of saving them and I forget to toss them now.





Miss Bugs said:


> :suspicious: tubeless TP? why would anyone want tubeless TP? we go out of our way to buy large pkg's of small TP roles because it = more TP tubes for gerbils lol


the tubes make awesome seed starters instead of buying jiffypots, also cat toys and snake tubes. 


On another note, I just finished cleaning the tub after giving Manna 2 baths...the first one because she was musty smelling, the second because she peed the the first lot of bath water.

She hasn't peed inside in over a year and loves bath time, she just got too excited chasing bubbles.


----------



## Miss Bugs

throwback  Happy when she was somewhere around 2 and today at 14


----------



## Miss Bugs

I have always liked Bearded Collies..but I always thought "nope, could't handle them" randomly did some more research on the breed today, came across a "reasons not to own" list...you know those lists that exaggerate the "bad" traits of a breed. ya....that last made them sound not nearly has difficult as I had in my head..the grooming was the biggest for me..the list was going on about the grooming requirements like "they are soo difficult, up to 2 years is the WORST, they need brushed out at LEAST 1-2 times a WEEK!! and after 2 years, every 2-3 WEEKS!!" I was like ...wait....that's it?? I was totally picturing hours of brushing every DAY..one or twice a WEEK? frig, that's nothing, I do that anyway :crazy: my other objection was the wild and bouncy thing... the list was all "they needs LOTS of exercise, like 30 minutes 3-4 times per week!!" erm....that's it?? huh...actually I think they might be too lazy for me... lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

my mind has been blown....for YEARS I have been referring to Gem and Gyp as littermates and I have celebrated their birthday on Sept 15th..now I did NOT get them at the same time, I acquired them several months apart and they came from different sources, but I believed them to be littermates because they look very similar, have the same tail, and I believed them to have the same birthdate..now I ran across an old picture of Gypsy, I had totally forgotten about the "leopard" phase she went through, in which she had leopard spots, it was only a short period of time and it went away and became a solid blanket of colour, so I dismissed it as some weird puppy molt and carried on. now Gem is known to be a Heeler/GSD she was a breeder surrender along with several other dogs from the home, as she grew, she grew to have multiple GSD traits, some physical(though her pieblad pattern apparently makes the traits invisible to many lol, enough breed people see the same GSD traits I see without prompting from me that I know I am not crazy!)and behavioural. well as Gem gained these traits I started noticing that Gypsy did NOT...no GSD traits of any sort. this is when I began suspecting that perhaps there was 2 daddies to the litter. then I asked some colour experts about the vanishing leopard spots..they called her a cryptic Sable Merle..I though huh..if she is merle then she is DEFIANTLY not full sister to Gem..so I pulled out my trusty old accordion file, fished out their paperwork..they don't even have the same birthday! what the heck? where on earth did I get Sept 15th from? they were both Born in OCTOBER, one on the 5th and the other on the 13th!


my..erm..NOT sisters?


----------



## Kayota

Geez, they sure look it!


----------



## Miss Bugs

I know right? They have always been like that! I still believe they are related and from the same place, perhaps cousins or half sisters or something..they have far to many similaritys to be a total coincidence!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Something's shouldn't be joked about,& I'm really getting annoyed with a friend of mine about it.She keeps joking about suicide,& rape. She knows bugs me because of personal reasons. I told her why I didn't see it as joke, because I can (actually) personally relate to one if them,& she didn't even seem to care. 

"You can tell me anything". So, I did. I told her about my depression. She just shrugged it off ,& didn't say anything. What made more pissed was that she told "to be happy",& "stop choosing to be like this". 

I really shouldn't be venting at 12:30 am


Miss Bugs said:


> throwback  Happy when she was somewhere around 2 and today at 14
> 
> View attachment 164625
> View attachment 164609


Happy 14th birthday, Happy. She sure is getting up there.


----------



## Kayota

if she told you to just get over your depression then shes not a friend and you are better off without her.


----------



## Greater Swiss

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> "You can tell me anything". So, I did. I told her about my depression. She just shrugged it off ,& didn't say anything. What made more pissed was that she told "to be happy",& "stop choosing to be like this".


OOhhhhh I hate people who say things like that. "Choosing" seriously! UGH! I've had some minor depression problems (honestly I think it is from the impossible to discontinue meds my Dr put me on years ago because I was having panic attacks driving after my accident). It isn't something to treat lightly...

If you find that frustrating as I do, you might appreciate this: http://www.diycouturier.com/post/47249603128/21-tips-to-keep-your-shit-together-when-youre, there is some swearing, but I found it a good read, might not hurt to get your friend to read it too.


----------



## CptJack

So, Frost went back to his breeder yesterday. She wants his registration papers back. That's totally valid, except the part where we never had them to start with. We don't have Jack's, either. 

Awkward. :/


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> I have always liked Bearded Collies..but I always thought "nope, could't handle them" randomly did some more research on the breed today, came across a "reasons not to own" list...you know those lists that exaggerate the "bad" traits of a breed. ya....that last made them sound not nearly has difficult as I had in my head..the grooming was the biggest for me..the list was going on about the grooming requirements like "they are soo difficult, up to 2 years is the WORST, they need brushed out at LEAST 1-2 times a WEEK!! and after 2 years, every 2-3 WEEKS!!" I was like ...wait....that's it?? I was totally picturing hours of brushing every DAY..one or twice a WEEK? frig, that's nothing, I do that anyway :crazy: my other objection was the wild and bouncy thing... the list was all "they needs LOTS of exercise, like 30 minutes 3-4 times per week!!" erm....that's it?? huh...actually I think they might be too lazy for me... lol


Interesting... I've seen Beardies listed as being the lowest energy of the collies. I've never met one for comparison, but they're often on "medium energy" dog lists.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> OOhhhhh I hate people who say things like that. "Choosing" seriously! UGH! I've had some minor depression problems (honestly I think it is from the impossible to discontinue meds my Dr put me on years ago because I was having panic attacks driving after my accident). It isn't something to treat lightly...
> 
> If you find that frustrating as I do, you might appreciate this: http://www.diycouturier.com/post/47249603128/21-tips-to-keep-your-shit-together-when-youre, there is some swearing, but I found it a good read, might not hurt to get your friend to read it too.


Yeah I got people saying that to me about my mood swings, forgetfulness, blurting things out without thinking, and the fact that I am an introvert. "Your so stuck up!" Your such a b***h!" "You never talk to anyone!" "Why can't you remember!" Or my fave ... "you do that on purpose!" 

Yeah ... because I'm this way because I WANT to be :frusty: and people wonder why I prefer animals to people's company.


----------



## Kayota

Hambonez said:


> I've been buying the tubeless TP. It's not just about whether the paper breaks down or not, there's a lot of production in MAKING the cardboard tubes... uses more trees, more fuel for transport, more resources producing them. Plus, how many people do you know that actually recycle cardboard tubes (rodent owners notwithstanding). I go out of my way to throw them in the recycling bin, but I imagine most people just chuck them in the bathroom trash.


 thats all well and good but they dont even mention that in any of the advertising... just the amount of waste the tubes create.


----------



## JeJo

My first posted rant is aimed at the darn squirrel(s) that spend much of the day in the canopy of the neighbor's walnut trees that hang over our yard. Every couple of weeks I have been finding a dried animal bone on the lawn. I usually find them before Kayla gets a hold of them, so more of nuisance than anything... Except the one time I didn't find one first, back in June, when I caught her chewing on the end of a splintery 6-inch or so long thin bone which resulted in enough irritation to eventually cause bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea and her going off her food. After a vet visit, an injection, oral meds, a white diet and understandable worry, all turned out okay, thank goodness -this time. 

In my mind I had been blaming it on the boys that moved in to the property behind us (even speaking to their father about it at one point), thinking they might be tossing them over the fence, but the bones kept appearing over these ensuing weeks. I decided to do an internet search and weirdly enough landed on some sharings that had me go 'hmmm'; especially an eye witness account of a bone falling from a tree. Sure enough, I went to the garage to check out my last finding that I had left on the potting bench, and found a squirrel's gnaw marks around the edges of the bone! So, I guess I will be the crazy ol' lady that shakes her fist at the squirrels as I give my lawn the once over... after I go apologize to the neighbor. ; ) No wonder Kayla loves those squirrels so, watching them with such great intent...because after all, you never know just what might fall from the heavens!

Notice the gnaw marks on the edges of the bone:


----------



## Kayota

I was leaving a gas station parking lot and noticed a guy with a young husky on a retractable leash having a hard time controlling his dog... I said it is a bad idea to use a retractable leash on a husky and he seemed to think i was full of shit.


----------



## CptJack

Thud woke up and asked to go out about 3 a.m. I let him out, brought him back in after he finished and crated him again. Woke up and let him out for the day a few minutes ago and found one of the cats sleeping in his crate with him. He's never been bad with our cats, but locking them together in a cage was asking a bit much of him. So, um. Good boy, Thud and holy crap that was slightly scary even in retrospect.


----------



## Kayota

i was laying here petting roxies face while scrolling thru dogforums and i felt a lump so i started poking at it and pressing on it and every time i did roxie shook a little... she moved her head and i rrealized i wwas manhandling her eye... the hazards of having a bulgy eyed dog? lol!


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have had squirrels running along my porch railing for years. Suddenly this year Remmy decided to notice them. It is probably because I have my door open onto the porch with just the screen door although that is not something new either. Now he has Kris getting all excited every time the squirrel comes around. I have had to keep the curtains closed on my glass doors to keep them from both leaping up and wanting to go outside to chase the squirrel. It is a good thing the screen door is not latched as Kris runs through it before I get a chance to open it for her. I think I am going to have to set up my "live trap" and see if I can catch the squirrel so I can "rehome" it somewhere else. The last one I took over to where my horse is pastured and let it loose there as it always seems to be mainly one squirrel. I think they keep the other squirrels away from their territory so it took a while before another moved in.


----------



## Laurelin

Mia jumped out my moving car window on saturday. I was going up my day's driveway which is long and I had to roll down the window to put in the gate code. I left the window down like usual and let her ride in my lap up the driveway. I didn't even see the squirrel before she was GONE. I was going probably 20 mph. 

I guess I have good reflexes because I grabbed her tail before I registered what happened. So I'm driving up the driveway with Mia 100% out the window hanging upside down by her tail. It wasn't till after that I freaked out. 

She was fine afterwards. Silly dog scared me to death.


----------



## d_ray

I wanted to sleep in a little on Saturday morning and ignored Jewel's whining to be fed. I got up at 10ish to feed her and what do I find? My lulu lemon shorts in her dog bed, with the zipper chewed off and all of the treats eaten. I won't make that mistake again.


----------



## momtolabs

I ordered a sweet tea from MCdonalds and while drinking it I felt something "weird" im my mouth. Pulled it out and it was a dead cockroach..... Called Corp. and they called the store and the Manager called me. I missed it and have to talk to him tomorrow. My uncle works night shift and called me. I explained that I HAD to get it from there because the cup was in my hand the whole time... I about fainted when I saw I had a DEAD COCKROACH IN MY MOUTH!!!


----------



## mountain.dreams

Laurelin said:


> So I'm driving up the driveway with Mia 100% out the window hanging upside down by her tail. It wasn't till after that I freaked out.


That sentence made me giggle. I'm glad both of you are okay!



momtolabs said:


> I ordered a sweet tea from MCdonalds and while drinking it I felt something "weird" im my mouth. Pulled it out and it was a dead cockroach..... Called Corp. and they called the store and the Manager called me. I missed it and have to talk to him tomorrow. My uncle works night shift and called me. I explained that I HAD to get it from there because the cup was in my hand the whole time... I about fainted when I saw I had a DEAD COCKROACH IN MY MOUTH!!!


EW EW EW EW EW. I have major bug phobia--I can't even deal with butterflies, let alone cockroaches. (Which unfortunately I've had my fair share of as a Texas resident...every time I see one I scream bloody murder and make my roommate kill it.) If I were you, I'd probably honestly have a heart attack from the panic I'd feel.

I used to enjoy getting drinks from McDonald's because they're $1 any size. I think you've turned me off of McDonald's drinks for the rest of my life.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> I wanted to sleep in a little on Saturday morning and ignored Jewel's whining to be fed. I got up at 10ish to feed her and what do I find? My lulu lemon shorts in her dog bed, with the zipper chewed off and all of the treats eaten. I won't make that mistake again.


Hahaha silly cow dogs, the say dogs don't "take revenge" or do things out of spite, but I think that these dogs do 



momtolabs said:


> I ordered a sweet tea from MCdonalds and while drinking it I felt something "weird" im my mouth. Pulled it out and it was a dead cockroach..... Called Corp. and they called the store and the Manager called me. I missed it and have to talk to him tomorrow. My uncle works night shift and called me. I explained that I HAD to get it from there because the cup was in my hand the whole time... I about fainted when I saw I had a DEAD COCKROACH IN MY MOUTH!!!


Always use a straw!


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Hahaha silly cow dogs, the say dogs don't "take revenge" or do things out of spite, but I think that these dogs do
> 
> 
> 
> Always use a straw!


I did use a straw!! I sucked it up the straw and into my mouth 


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----------



## DaySleepers

Last night Samwise woke me up at 1am chewing on his foot. He's a nail biter, so I thought it was just that at first... but after a couple minutes I checked. Nope. He'd gotten something sticky and minty (yes, I sniffed his foot) caked in the hair between his toes. Cue late night emergency foot shave on a day I had to be up at 5:30. I have NO idea what he got into or where, or how I hadn't noticed it until then (it must've been on his walk, which was easily 8 hours earlier...), but of course I'm terrified it's gum. Watched him like a hawk for a while after we were done, and again this morning. But of course he's fine, though his pawpad's a little irritated. Thankfully he's leaving it alone, but I'm still worried it'll become a hotspot.

Life's never boring with a dog around...


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Hahaha silly cow dogs, the say dogs don't "take revenge" or do things out of spite, but I think that these dogs do
> 
> 
> 
> Always use a straw!


If mom won't feed me, I'll feed myself. 


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----------



## CptJack

Husband just walked out of the bedroom to see me teaching Kylie to put her front feet on the wall on the cue 'Spread 'em'. I have never seen such a strange look on his face.....

It was followed closely by the insinuation that I had run out of tricks to teach her. Not even close, Mister. Just out of the normal ones.


----------



## Kayota

momtolabs said:


> I ordered a sweet tea from MCdonalds and while drinking it I felt something "weird" im my mouth. Pulled it out and it was a dead cockroach..... Called Corp. and they called the store and the Manager called me. I missed it and have to talk to him tomorrow. My uncle works night shift and called me. I explained that I HAD to get it from there because the cup was in my hand the whole time... I about fainted when I saw I had a DEAD COCKROACH IN MY MOUTH!!!


FRICK that's nasty I'm gonna cry


----------



## Foresthund

d_ray said:


> I wanted to sleep in a little on Saturday morning and ignored Jewel's whining to be fed. I got up at 10ish to feed her and what do I find? My lulu lemon shorts in her dog bed, with the zipper chewed off and all of the treats eaten. I won't make that mistake again.


Raggy ate through my coat pocket for treats earlier this year,he had a nice day out too. So he's just a jerk,but I now try to be more careful with pockets.


----------



## Remaru

Remus eats my bras but he is just a jerk-face. I watch him carefully and make sure my bras are hidden. He doesn't really care about food, there is candy in a bag in the closet, not even noticed it yet. That's my jerk-face.


----------



## d_ray

Remaru said:


> Remus eats my bras but he is just a jerk-face. I watch him carefully and make sure my bras are hidden. He doesn't really care about food, there is candy in a bag in the closet, not even noticed it yet. That's my jerk-face.


Jewel used to do this too, but grew out of it.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Remaru said:


> Remus eats my bras but he is just a jerk-face. I watch him carefully and make sure my bras are hidden. He doesn't really care about food, there is candy in a bag in the closet, not even noticed it yet. That's my jerk-face.


Caeda has ALWAYS had a thing for socks, Dexter had a thing for underwear, my cat Hemi....she has a thing for q-tips....oh, and only if all of these things have been worn or used. Ick!

My little piece of randomness for today....laying in bed last night with my DH.....we heard a thumping noise, we both sat up. Caeda was asleep on the floor, must have been dreaming, and was wagging her tail, no running, no facial expressions or noises (other than snoring later). SO CUTE! She is rarely an active sleeper, so it really made us both grin.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie steals/eats/hoards socks. It's always been her only really naughty behavior, and she's the only dog who steals/chews clothing items, but man have we lost a lot of socks.


----------



## Kibasdad

I bought a nice new silk collar for Kiba but he apparently doesn't like it. Since he will not come near me to let me put it on him for walkies.
But no problem putting on his old dirty collar. Such a quirky dog.


----------



## larcher09

I thought I was the only one that had a dog that doesn't like inclimate weather. My olde English bully hates any kind of precipitation, we had a hard winter this year and was her first winter with us. This first snow she sat at the top of the stair of our patio and refused to moved it took me half an hour to get her to go down the stair where she found the only spot in the yard that did not have snow on it and sat down and refused to move. I ended up having to carry her inside, mind you she was 80+lbs at that point.


----------



## Greater Swiss

LOL larcher. Caeda is a princess.....my girl who LOVES to dive through snowbanks, will dump haplessly into any body of water (salty, clean, dirty or muddy makes no difference), yet it rains, and she'll do everything she can to avoid getting those precious little paws on the wet grass (she even has a distinct distaste for dew). When Hurricane Arthur hit us, and we got a TON of rain over several days, I think she went once, or maybe twice in 48 hours despite us taking her out about a dozen times a day and getting soaked in the process You are DEFINITELY not the only one with a dog that has issues with weather lol.


----------



## Willowy

Kibasdad said:


> I bought a nice new silk collar for Kiba but he apparently doesn't like it. Since he will not come near me to let me put it on him for walkies.
> But no problem putting on his old dirty collar. Such a quirky dog.


Silk smells weird. I can smell it. . .I don't know if most people can. But I'm sure dogs can . You'd think they'd like to smell weird though. . .


----------



## larcher09

My mom had a Pyrenees that didn't like snow because it'd get stuck between his paw pads and take forever to melt away. They live in WV so they get a TON of snow, it starts in September and ends in May(lol) so they had to shovel their drive so he could do his business outside.


----------



## Hambonez

I alternate between working at home and working in the lab. This week is a lab week, so our schedule is weird, I'm working long days, getting home late (though I get a break mid-day, so I come home then for a bit). As such, I'm getting up early to take Hamilton for a walk in the morning... and he doesn't want to walk. We walk every day, but later in the day. I've had people comment because I'm standing there while he's pulling back towards home, and I end up having to basically drag him a few steps til he starts walking again (he's in a harness, fwiw). After 10-15 minutes he'll perk up and walk like a champ the rest of the walk. I feel horrible about forcing him, but I also know he needs his walk and that he's going to be home alone all day and that I'm getting home late and exhausted... but he just wants to go back to bed. He literally ran up the stairs and jumped back into our bed when we got back today. Tons of people have dogs and don't walk them. I have a dog I have to force to walk against his will.


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> Silk smells weird. I can smell it. . .I don't know if most people can. But I'm sure dogs can . You'd think they'd like to smell weird though. . .


Most people can, yeah, especially if it's damp or wet. Smells vaguely of fish.


----------



## momtolabs

I've been gone from my parents house for a week.......I'm more excited to see tank And Caleb than my parents Nd siblings........I'm a horrible person, I know XD


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----------



## Laurelin

This dog.... How did I luck out into her? How am I ever going to find a dog this good again? 








[/url]
agility by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## Damon'sMom

Laurelin said:


> This dog.... How did I luck ot into her? How am I ever going to find a dog this good again?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]
> agility by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr[/IMG]


haha I LOVE this photo.  She is absolutely beautiful.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

momtolabs said:


> I've been gone from my parents house for a week.......I'm more excited to see tank And Caleb than my parents Nd siblings........I'm a horrible person, I know XD
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


When I was gone for ten days, I was more excited to see Jazzy, then anyone in my family.

And. Oh my freaking god. I'm so itchy.So itchy. I have this rash then these red bumps. Make it stop. Apparently, all the allergy pills/syrups,& anti itch ointments are expired. Ugh. This just sucks. I can't even sleep.
ETA:


Kayota said:


> if she told you to just get over your depression then shes not a friend and you are better off without her.


Honestly, she's fine beside that. She's just one of those people who are like "be happy, be free", "do what makes you happy",& "if your not happy, be happy"... 

Though, I'm glad I have an awesome online dog community, with awesome & caring dog people. I seriously spend most of my free time online here,& other dog forums/communities. I'm so glad I made that decision to join this forum,& get to meet so many DP.



Greater Swiss said:


> OOhhhhh I hate people who say things like that. "Choosing" seriously! UGH! I've had some minor depression problems (honestly I think it is from the impossible to discontinue meds my Dr put me on years ago because I was having panic attacks driving after my accident). It isn't something to treat lightly...
> 
> If you find that frustrating as I do, you might appreciate this: http://www.diycouturier.com/post/47249603128/21-tips-to-keep-your-shit-together-when-youre, there is some swearing, but I found it a good read, might not hurt to get your friend to read it too.


Yeah, It annoys me greatly when people say you choose depression. If I could choose to not be depressed almost all the time, then I would, but I can't. I wish I could say my depression is minor, but it isn't. It's this horrible feeling darkness & despair. Sounds fun, right?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Some of the girls at work did something so sweet today! I posted a while back about a boxer that passed away that was a big part of our daycare. Well the dogs owners co-workers got together and contacted us wanting to do something in the dogs owner, so we worked with them to raise money to sponsor a dogs adoption in the dogs memory. So anyway 2 of the girls went to the shelter this afternoon to pick a dog to sponsor? While they were there they gor talking 2 a couple who came it to do a dog meet, they fell in love with a particular dog and had been debating on adoping this dog for several days, they had come today to make sure she would be ok with their other dogs, so then they went to the back, and the girls from work immediately turned around and sponsored that dogs adoption for them! When they came back up the girls told they sponsored her adoption for them they were so touched they started crying :,)


----------



## Damon'sMom

Miss Bugs said:


> Some of the girls at work did something so sweet today! I posted a while back about a boxer that passed away that was a big part of our daycare. Well the dogs owners co-workers got together and contacted us wanting to do something in the dogs owner, so we worked with them to raise money to sponsor a dogs adoption in the dogs memory. So anyway 2 of the girls went to the shelter this afternoon to pick a dog to sponsor? While they were there they gor talking 2 a couple who came it to do a dog meet, they fell in love with a particular dog and had been debating on adoping this dog for several days, they had come today to make sure she would be ok with their other dogs, so then they went to the back, and the girls from work immediately turned around and sponsored that dogs adoption for them! When they came back up the girls told they sponsored her adoption for them they were so touched they started crying :,)


Awesome story, thanks for sharing!



I am putting a deposit down on a puppy Friday. I wasn't really planning on getting a dog in the next few months but everything just lined up perfectly. I get the pick of 3 females as long as the breeder feels they meet my needs and wants. She is going to be doing the Volhard’s Puppy Aptitude Testing at 4 to 5 weeks old. And then I will be going the day after they turn 8 weeks old to look them over and do the Volhard’s puppy test again. If I feel like one of those pups are what I am looking for then that pup will be coming home with me. I am so super excited! Its all down to how the pups turn out now.


----------



## momtolabs

Damon'sMom said:


> Awesome story, thanks for sharing!
> 
> 
> 
> I am putting a deposit down on a puppy Friday. I wasn't really planning on getting a dog in the next few months but everything just lined up perfectly. I get the pick of 3 females as long as the breeder feels they meet my needs and wants. She is going to be doing the Volhard’s Puppy Aptitude Testing at 4 to 5 weeks old. And then I will be going the day after they turn 8 weeks old to look them over and do the Volhard’s puppy test again. If I feel like one of those pups are what I am looking for then that pup will be coming home with me. I am so super excited! Its all down to how the pups turn out now.



Congrats!! We need more info.... breed??


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## mountain.dreams

Miss Bugs said:


> Some of the girls at work did something so sweet today! I posted a while back about a boxer that passed away that was a big part of our daycare. Well the dogs owners co-workers got together and contacted us wanting to do something in the dogs owner, so we worked with them to raise money to sponsor a dogs adoption in the dogs memory. So anyway 2 of the girls went to the shelter this afternoon to pick a dog to sponsor? While they were there they gor talking 2 a couple who came it to do a dog meet, they fell in love with a particular dog and had been debating on adoping this dog for several days, they had come today to make sure she would be ok with their other dogs, so then they went to the back, and the girls from work immediately turned around and sponsored that dogs adoption for them! When they came back up the girls told they sponsored her adoption for them they were so touched they started crying :,)


This is too cute! This is the reason I always try to drop an extra couple of bucks at Starbucks and ask them to use it towards the next person who looks like they're having a crappy day--you never know how far little gestures can go sometimes.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Caeda likes playing fetch, and she loves sniffing around the field.....sometimes at the same time. She is getting a habit of walking around with the ball in her mouth (which is fine by me), but she inevitably drops it at some point.....but where? She can track, I've done a bit with her, and she can definitely sniff things out, but I really am starting to think she drops things in the field and is trying to make ME search for it.....its like she follows me around while I look (and keep asking her "where's the ball", which usually prompts her to go pick it up), and I SWEAR she is laughing at me probably thinking in her head "yeah, you tell ME where the ball is this time". Jerk.....lol


----------



## Willowy

CptJack said:


> Most people can, yeah, especially if it's damp or wet. Smells vaguely of fish.


 Eh. . .maybe to some people? I don't get any fishy scent from it. I can't even describe the odor, it's just. . .silk. I can get very tired of myself if I wear silk for more than a couple hours .


----------



## Hambonez

I was at the park today walking Hamilton, and he's just trotting along beside me, and we walk past two tween girls who aren't even facing us, having a conversation. Suddenly one whips around and goes to grab Hamilton in the face with both hands. Hamilton launched backwards and skidded out of the way, and I would have kept walking but the girl said in a really snotty voice "Oh! Well then!" and I turned around and said "You shouldn't try to grab dogs you don't know" and she continued with the snotty voice and said "It's fine! I'm good with dogs!" (Uhm, obviously you're not kid) I put on a very stern voice and said "But all dogs are not going to be good with you, and trying to grab a dog like that is going to get you bit!" She responded something along the lines of "Whatever, no it's not" and I just walked away because I'm not going to get into a pissing match with a twelve year old, but that was way too old to not know better! I get when little kids run up to a dog, granted they shouldn't and they should be supervised, but they actually don't know better/don't have impulse control. A kid that old should absolutely know better! and know better not to talk to an adult like that. She's gonna do that one day, get bit, and the dog is going to be blamed.


----------



## jade5280

Does anyone else have a dog that uses you as a personal napkin? Without fail, EVERY time Ryker is done eating he comes and finds me and shoves his nose into me wiping his dirty dog food mouth on me. It's especially gross after he eats fish wet food. MY BUTT IS NOT YOUR NAPKIN.


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## BubbaMoose

jade5280 said:


> Does anyone else have a dog that uses you as a personal napkin? Without fail, EVERY time Ryker is done eating he comes and finds me and shoves his nose into me wiping his dirty dog food mouth on me. It's especially gross after he eats fish wet food. MY BUTT IS NOT YOUR NAPKIN.


Yes! Bubba loves to do this. After he drinks as well. Sometimes if we're not available he likes to sneak over to the living room and rub his gunky food face all over the couch. It's really nice. Not! Go rub your goop on yourself, dude!


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## BubbaMoose

So, this got here today. My dogs are kind of going insane with joy. I swear, they are grinning from ear to ear. 









That Kong flirt pole seriously rocks! It was a great purchase.

And with 10 new Kong Extremes, I like to think that we are done purchasing those for a while. 


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## momtolabs

I have my grandmas dog Sunday-Saturday next week. I'm trying to mentally prepare for it,haha. She is a spoiled brat and drives me nuts!!! I love her but its going to be a very long week!!


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## Miss Bugs

I am freaking tired and sore! Looonnng day at work, then went straight from work to demo team practice where it was stupid hot and I was running 4 dogs for 2 hours. I was super proud of my dogs at practice though. I am new to the team, so i don't know a lot of the stuff that other dogs are already preforming. But it was an even playing feild today because we were learning new stuff, a coarse that was jump-tunnel-jump-around a barrel and back and a coarse that was an S shape of jump, figure 8 around a barrel-jump-jump-jump-U tunnel-jump-jump-jump... Gem did the full coarses perfect first go arounds, I didn't even run with her..mostly because I didn't expect her to fo the correct order in the proper shape without any guidance at all... I had put her in a stay, called her over the first jump and around the barrel and she just like..kept going...and I was like "uuuhhh....here have your frisbee!!" And she grabbed the disc and repeated the coarse with the disc in her mouth... lol on the straight coarse she just started running it so the girl that heads the team was like...uhh mide as well just start her on full coarse..no point back training her lol her biggest issue is that she is so obsessed with the disc that I could not hold it or she wot keep flipping back to me, so a helper held the disc and passed it to Gem on her way around the Barrel then she would complete the coarse with the disc in her mouth.

Gypsy I am VERY impressed with lately, she was doing incredibly well on the coarses considering she has exactly zero agility training behind her, she struggles taking all the jumps but again...she is doing jumps, tunnels(straight and curved) and going around barrels all with NO previous training so I sure ain't complaining about her not having solid jump skills lol. Biggest issue with her is that she will NOT work for anyone but me, nothing they have means anything to her, I can have nothing they can have all her favorite rewards and she still won't do a thing for them. It makes "help" tricky, ie having a person at one end to encourage her around the barrel when I am too far away..she will just stand there and stare at them like "who do you think you are trying to tell me what to do?" , the demo head was trying to send her over the jumps and through the tunnel..things she did just fine for me.. and even with me standing there she refused, she then tried putting Gyp in a stay behind a jump and calling her and Gyp just sat there and ignored her lol

Happy did great, ran the full coarses easy, she's slow but she's 14 lol

Paisley needs a lot of work, I think she will be awesome but she still has a lot of hang-ups. When she is confident in herself she is GREAT, but she takes time to gain confidence


----------



## Kayota

I'm having hardcore nerve pain in my legs today and I feel bad for not being able to walk Roxie. Good thing she's a lazy bum lol


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## Kayota

BubbaMoose said:


> Yes! Bubba loves to do this. After he drinks as well. Sometimes if we're not available he likes to sneak over to the living room and rub his gunky food face all over the couch. It's really nice. Not! Go rub your goop on yourself, dude!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Roxie doesn't do this with food or water... No, it's even worse. She does it with EYE GUNK. All over my hands, legs, shirt, bed... Her eyes water pretty regularly and she also gets eye boogers sometimes. Just ew, man.


----------



## gingerkid

Laurelin said:


> This dog.... How did I luck out into her? How am I ever going to find a dog this good again?


This photo is FABulous.  <3


----------



## Laurelin

Shes such a good little lap companion. <3 She melts me.


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## luv mi pets

Saw a kitten today at the clinic. The foster brought the kitten in to have the wound looked at. When it was suggested she clean the wound several times a day, she states she had two small kids and have no time to clean the wound. when suggested she put on a diaper to cover the wound to try and keep it clean, again she states she has no time to do that. I told her to call the rescue and tell them to take the kitten back to them, she became mad and told me she had promised them she would help foster this kitten and she was not going to do that. Somehow in the conversation she states that well maybe she should move the kitten out of the garage and into the house so the flies would stop bothering it. WHAT! She is keeping it in a cage in the garage. Um? It is hot outside and I doubt that the garage is air-conditioned. This lady in no way should be fostering anything right now. Why in the world did this lady even want to foster.


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## Kayota

You should call the rescue and report her.


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## momtolabs

I told a family member that I found a great dog grooming school I have decided to go to. After I graduate Hs this year. He replied with "why not be a vet you could make way more money then being a groomer." I obviously know that. I don't expect grooming to be my main source of income either. Heck my vet is currently looking for a groomer to hire! There are a lot of options for dog groomers here and they are in really high demand in my area. I decided not to go into the vet field since a lot of blood gross's me out. I can do a little but let's say a dog comes in with a gaping wound and blood pouring out- I would probably faint. I have never really been able to handle to much blood. There are other reason as to why I decided not to go that route. I feel I will really enjoy dog grooming. The school I found is wonderful, affordable, and supplies you with most of your supplies you need(that you get to keep). The instructor is very nice as well. 

I just really don't understand why not only this family member is saying "be a vet" or "be a teacher like you were going to be." Why pay a lot of money going through college that I may or may not find a job afterwards and not do what I enjoy!? So yes with dog grooming I will probably have to do a side job but its my choice -_- it shouldn't bother me that my family is so freaking judgmental but it does. Heck when I brought home Mia I was accused of being a dog hoarder...I have 3 dogs I can financially afford, I'm such a dog hoarder :rollseyes: when my sister decided to keep Caleb a few cousins were saying "she can't keep a dog" "she is in her room too much to exercise a dog." Yes because when our judgmental relatives are over she shuts herself in her room she is going to be a horrible dog owner. She is doing really good with Caleb. Yes she does some thing I don't do but everyone has different training rules and do things a bit different. Doesn't mean she is a horrible dog owner! She just does not like big crowds of people, especially not when me and her are being picked on all the time!! I love my relatives but sometimes I want to cut off from them completely. 


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## Willowy

LOL, tell him that most vets haven't paid off their student loans after 20 years and see what he says . I knew a people doctor who hadn't paid off his student loans and he was getting ready to retire. . .but he did a lot of charity work; presumably most people doctors make more than him. But vets aren't particularly high-paid like some people doctors. It's also apparently ridiculously hard to get into vet school. I looked into it whan I was that age and was like "nope!". Teachers don't get much either, and a lot of them end up paying for classroom supplies out of their own pockets :/. But I think a groomer in a place with a large enough demand for their services could make a decent living, without having super huge student loans.


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## Miss Bugs

man I was panicked for a minute! I started filling out entries for a Rally trial a couple weeks ago and then forgot about it... I walked past the paperwork today and was like "oh shoot!! I gotta finish those before the entries are due!!" I quickly finished the entries , addressed the envelope, started writing up the cheque and paused..oh shoot, who do I make the cheque out too? I go flipping through the papers I find the spot and this is what it says "please make cheques payable too _________" literally... I am not blanking it out! I could have sworn it said who to make it out to when I looked at it on the computer, so I went to the computer to look it up..and every single link to the trial was DEAD, I tried looking it up on the hosts website..all traces of the trial were friggen GONE!! I finally found 1 link straight to the PDF that worked and the information was there lol, but for a while there I was freaking out trying to figure out who the heck I am supposed to pay to enter this trial, and thinking I was too late to enter since all the trial info was gone(I double checked my printed papers, I am not too late)


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## DaySleepers

@momtolabs - Ugh! I'm a college graduate with a BA in Biology, which qualifies me for almost no jobs in the sciences, and the number of times I've had people say 'why don't you just be a biology teacher?' is staggering. As if being a teacher is easy peasy and something to do if you can't get any other jobs. My mom's worked in academia for years, so that attitude annoys the heck out of me. Not to mention that if I did teach, I'd want to teach in the 18+ age range, since I'm terrible and uncomfortable with kids and don't particularly feel like reliving high school in my professional life. And teaching in secondary education requires a degree beyond a Bachelors. I've tried that, thanks - the average Bio MA/PhD program is not for me. I hate research too much.

Focus on the career path you have motivation and passion for. Sounds like you've got a plan, so just give it your best shot and I'm sure you'll do fine! As others have said, student loans are no joke and if you can establish yourself in a skilled tradesman profession like grooming, you'll go far! I know there are groomers out there who can support themselves on only the one job, too, so I wouldn't think that you'd be stuck working side jobs forever.


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## Greater Swiss

Daysleepers....I don't know if you've tried it or not, but if I understand correctly a Bachelor's of Science is either considered equivalent (or requires minimal additional training) to become a Medical Laboratory Tech. Good money, steady hours (at least in the hospital I'm in). I read your post and just thought I'd mention it 

My happy non-rant today....Took Caeda to the pet store for some food. There is often a retired Greyhound there, but hasn't been there previously when Caeda was there. I was a little nervous about them meeting because the greyhound is SO laid back and almost passive, gentle and shy seeming. It went REALLY well. There was a little grumble from the greyhound, but one of the staff that knows the dog well said that she does that when she's ready to start playing, the dog kept coming back to Caeda to say hi again, very friendly, Caeda behaved like a perfect lady. So proud


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## momtolabs

Daysleepers my aunt is a Hs science teacher. She teaches physical science to chemistry. She enjoys it but sometimes not the kids,lol. I like kids but after thinking about it, attending college days and job shadowing my aunt I just really don't think it's for me. 


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## CptJack

Molly has broken *both* of her canines. We'll see the vet tomorrow and go with his recommendation re: extract them or wait. 

This puppy will be the death of me.


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## DaySleepers

Greater Swiss said:


> Daysleepers....I don't know if you've tried it or not, but if I understand correctly a Bachelor's of Science is either considered equivalent (or requires minimal additional training) to become a Medical Laboratory Tech. Good money, steady hours (at least in the hospital I'm in). I read your post and just thought I'd mention it


Haha, I technically have a BA not a BS (my alma mater only offers a BS to their engineering students). But I've been kind of avoiding the medical field, I admit. Don't have the guts or the interest for it. I did a year of a PhD program and was so miserable working in the lab (among other things) that I withdrew. Right now I'm sitting tight because I could quite literally get word that I can move to Norway any day, but once I'm over there I've got my eye on a Biodiversity and Systematics MA program that'd set me up to do curatorial work. Once I... can actually speak more than tourist Norwegian. That or I want to find an animal behavior or library science program, but my searching's come up dry on those fronts so far. There may not be English language programs in those areas readily available. Thanks for the suggestion, though!

Edit: Momtolabs, yes. Exactly. I... know some lovely highschoolers, but I really don't want my entire professional life to be high school drama all day every day. It sounds exhausting.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Man I really hate that life alert commercial where it comes on and you hear a lady saying "help! I've fallen!" And it pans over to her laying at the bottom of the stairs.

I know she is just an actress and it's not real ... but I don't know if it's because my mother is getting older, but it just makes me so anxious and stressed out, I have to turn it over when it comes on because if I watch it, it gives me nightmares!


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## JazzyTheSiberian

I have that bad feeling, I'm getting fired from my job. 

ETA:
momtolabs - Any news on the two dogs?

ETA 2:It's 3:35 am. I can't sleep again. This sucks.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Well. I got a call. I was told there calling it quits on my Job. Just tell me your firing me. 

I hate this. This just sucks, a lot. It doesn't surprise me, though.


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## momtolabs

Jazzy I'm sorry abou the job  I had to quit mine for family issues and now I'm trying to find another. I do babysitting though to support the animals. And the older one was PTS the pit mix has one week left.


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## Miss Bugs

people are freaking horrible. on friday night we had a whole bunch of really really bad storms, with plow winds, many places had no power for upwards of 24 hours. so what does someone do? they STOLE the back up generator for the Emergency Vet clinic! that clinic is the ONLY vet hospital that is staffed 24/7, ALL animals in critical condition are transferred to that clinic. that is every single animal in the city that will DIE without electrical support is at that clinic and some horrid person stole their back up generator during a storm that caused massive black outs! thankfully the clinics power was restored shortly before the generator was stolen, and their power did not go out again, but that was pure luck. what an absolutely horrid thing to do


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## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> people are freaking horrible. on friday night we had a whole bunch of really really bad storms, with plow winds, many places had no power for upwards of 24 hours. so what does someone do? they STOLE the back up generator for the Emergency Vet clinic! that clinic is the ONLY vet hospital that is staffed 24/7, ALL animals in critical condition are transferred to that clinic. that is every single animal in the city that will DIE without electrical support is at that clinic and some horrid person stole their back up generator during a storm that caused massive black outs! thankfully the clinics power was restored shortly before the generator was stolen, and their power did not go out again, but that was pure luck. what an absolutely horrid thing to do


That's really pathetic  I hate people sometimes.


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## d_ray

Miss Bugs said:


> people are freaking horrible. on friday night we had a whole bunch of really really bad storms, with plow winds, many places had no power for upwards of 24 hours. so what does someone do? they STOLE the back up generator for the Emergency Vet clinic! that clinic is the ONLY vet hospital that is staffed 24/7, ALL animals in critical condition are transferred to that clinic. that is every single animal in the city that will DIE without electrical support is at that clinic and some horrid person stole their back up generator during a storm that caused massive black outs! thankfully the clinics power was restored shortly before the generator was stolen, and their power did not go out again, but that was pure luck. what an absolutely horrid thing to do



OMG that is seriously horrible. I don't understand people.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Miss Bugs said:


> people are freaking horrible. on friday night we had a whole bunch of really really bad storms, with plow winds, many places had no power for upwards of 24 hours. so what does someone do? they STOLE the back up generator for the Emergency Vet clinic! that clinic is the ONLY vet hospital that is staffed 24/7, ALL animals in critical condition are transferred to that clinic. that is every single animal in the city that will DIE without electrical support is at that clinic and some horrid person stole their back up generator during a storm that caused massive black outs! thankfully the clinics power was restored shortly before the generator was stolen, and their power did not go out again, but that was pure luck. what an absolutely horrid thing to do


Heartless people. That's just horrible, horrible. Another reason why I hate people.


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## momtolabs

I'm helping a family member rehome there dog. I hav had people call and over half the first thing out of there mouth is "how much". No questions about her - nothing. So that really rubs me the wrong way. I know cost is something that needs to be discussed but too me it shouldn't be the first question out of someone's mouth! 


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## momtolabs

I have my grandmas dog here for a week. I now have to do a crate/rotate thing with Roxy(Gmas dog) and Mae. They have never really been best buds but have tolerated each other. Roxy is extremely pushy with other dogs so is never left unattended with Any dogs. Earlier Mae was sitting by me on the couch and roxy came up to me. Roxy was nuzzling Mae and Mae growled. I calmly said "roxy go kennel". Roxy turned her head back glanced at Mae then it was on. I don't really know who/what started it. A few loud "quit" and throwing a chair across the room made them stop. Which scared the crap out of the other dogs and sent them running for the hills. I quickly put roxy in a room and checked Mae over. Mae is 9 and isn't as strong as she use to be. Didnt find any puncture wounds just tons of slobber. Checked roxy and she had a small scratch or something but not major and barely bleeding. After this I'm keeping roxy away from all of my dogs. She is just way to pushy and doesn't handle signals well. Even Mia gets irritated with her. I'm thinking when roxy turned and glanced at Mae that's what made it escalate. What makes me kind of upset is I live with this grandma. I'm home visiting since my gma is on vacation. I haven't had problems with roxy getting along with Bentley and Mia but I don't want to push my luck. I basically have "two homes" And stay with my grandma a lot but also come homes some days. We don't want to leave my grandma alone that why I have been staying with her. I may make my sister stay with her instead. I've never really trusted roxy around other dogs and I have always been vigilant when she is around, reading body language etc. I didn't tense when roxy came up to us but Mae just really does not tolerate her much anymore. I'm more mad at myself for it not clicking that I should do something when I saw roxy glance at Mae then anything. Roxy is a English bulldog mix, Mae is a Maltese/beagle mix. It could have ended a lot worse  


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## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Heartless people. That's just horrible, horrible. Another reason why I hate people.


Me too :frusty: I hate most people, I really do.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I have my grandmas dog here for a week. I now have to do a crate/rotate thing with Roxy(Gmas dog) and Mae. They have never really been best buds but have tolerated each other. Roxy is extremely pushy with other dogs so is never left unattended with Any dogs. Earlier Mae was sitting by me on the couch and roxy came up to me. Roxy was nuzzling Mae and Mae growled. I calmly said "roxy go kennel". Roxy turned her head back glanced at Mae then it was on. I don't really know who/what started it. A few loud "quit" and throwing a chair across the room made them stop. Which scared the crap out of the other dogs and sent them running for the hills. I quickly put roxy in a room and checked Mae over. Mae is 9 and isn't as strong as she use to be. Didnt find any puncture wounds just tons of slobber. Checked roxy and she had a small scratch or something but not major and barely bleeding. After this I'm keeping roxy away from all of my dogs. She is just way to pushy and doesn't handle signals well. Even Mia gets irritated with her. I'm thinking when roxy turned and glanced at Mae that's what made it escalate. What makes me kind of upset is I live with this grandma. I'm home visiting since my gma is on vacation. I haven't had problems with roxy getting along with Bentley and Mia but I don't want to push my luck. I basically have "two homes" And stay with my grandma a lot but also come homes some days. We don't want to leave my grandma alone that why I have been staying with her. I may make my sister stay with her instead. I've never really trusted roxy around other dogs and I have always been vigilant when she is around, reading body language etc. I didn't tense when roxy came up to us but Mae just really does not tolerate her much anymore. I'm more mad at myself for it not clicking that I should do something when I saw roxy glance at Mae then anything. Roxy is a English bulldog mix, Mae is a Maltese/beagle mix. It could have ended a lot worse
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Probably just a little scrap, I know it probably sounded horrible, but if no blood was shed it was probably just a little disagreement.


----------



## Laurelin

I had a dream that Summer gave birth to 5 kittens....


----------



## ireth0

My bf just used the phrase "we're working on a verbal cue". 

This is a man who had no interest in dogs when I met him (had been bitten several times as a kid) let alone any interest in training.


----------



## d_ray

ireth0 said:


> My bf just used the phrase "we're working on a verbal cue".
> 
> This is a man who had no interest in dogs when I met him (had been bitten several times as a kid) let alone any interest in training.


Love it! I wish my hubbie would take an interest in training.


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## theairedale

Copper has his dental extraction tomorrow, and of course I'm a nervous wreck.. :faint:

Hoping all goes well!...


----------



## GrinningDog

theairedale said:


> Copper has his dental extraction tomorrow, and of course I'm a nervous wreck.. :faint:
> 
> Hoping all goes well!...



Luck! Let us know how it goes, especially the recovery. Gypsy has one scheduled for next week (and I'm also nervous, haha).


----------



## theairedale

> Luck! Let us know how it goes, especially the recovery. Gypsy has one scheduled for next week (and I'm also nervous, haha).


Will do!  Good luck with Gypsy's too!


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## DaySleepers

Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> Luck! Let us know how it goes, especially the recovery. Gypsy has one scheduled for next week (and I'm also nervous, haha).


My parents' cat is having one done as we speak... three abscessed teeth (our vet calls us to give us updates), and this isn't the first time. 'Tis the season, apparently.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Laurelin said:


> I had a dream that Summer gave birth to 5 kittens....


LOL, this was the first thing I saw when I opened this thread up....that is quite a dream!!!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Laurelin said:


> I had a dream that Summer gave birth to 5 kittens....


Haha, that's awesome.

I had dream Jazzy & Squash had puppies/kittens. They had the structure of Squash, but the color of Jazzy.


----------



## CptJack

I just bought 100 tennis balls.

A HUNDRED.

Don't judge me.


----------



## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> I just bought 100 tennis balls.
> 
> A HUNDRED.
> 
> Don't judge me.


I love this. 


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----------



## CptJack

BubbaMoose said:


> I love this.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



At least it's not another collar and leash?! That's something, right? RIGHT?!


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> At least it's not another collar and leash?! That's something, right? RIGHT?!


Baby steps!


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> Baby steps!


Someday, I'm going to take a picture of my collar and leash collection. I won't even include any of the nylon ones. 
I'll call it therapy. (It's bad. It is so, so bad.)


----------



## Remaru

I started making collars. It didn't make things better. I have a crafting problem.


----------



## CptJack

Remaru said:


> I started making collars. It didn't make things better. I have a crafting problem.


I knit and crochet. My dogs have a lot of sweaters. 

Really, really nice sweaters. Kylie's is ALPACA.


----------



## Damon'sMom

I buy collars and harnesses and I can't even see them on my dogs. Jasper as about 30 collars....I have a problem. lol I just bought Jasper another Harness that is bright orange. I love it, but I know I will not be able to see it once it is on him. His fur completely covers all accessories/ equipment.

And I may or may not be getting ready to buy Jasper and the puppy their own adjustable Loop Martingale leads from Rush to Tug.....


----------



## Remaru

That is always my issue with Remus and Freyja, anything I buy for them just disappears into the fluff. Plus I hate when something ruins Remus's coat (I am far too concerned with his pretty pretty coat). Duke was always more fun to shop for, you could see his gear, but he has a bad habit of collar eating. I've been eyeing Rush to Tug leashes but can't decide. I really like biothane leashes and need a new long line for training.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Remaru said:


> That is always my issue with Remus and Freyja, anything I buy for them just disappears into the fluff. Plus I hate when something ruins Remus's coat (I am far too concerned with his pretty pretty coat). Duke was always more fun to shop for, you could see his gear, but he has a bad habit of collar eating. I've been eyeing Rush to Tug leashes but can't decide. I really like biothane leashes and need a new long line for training.


Yes I just hate that, but boy do I love my Aussie's. So I deal with not being able to see the pretty stuff I buy them. :'( I buy my mom's dogs stuff all the time because they have sort fur. I have a rush to tug leash for Jasper already and love it, great for flyball class and agility! But this time I want the martingale combo. I also love Biothane leashes, that is what I use when Jasper and I are training in herding and tracking, and when we go out some place. SO I am sure that didn't help you decide but...what can I say...I am an enabler, buy both. hahaha


----------



## Laurelin

Greater Swiss said:


> LOL, this was the first thing I saw when I opened this thread up....that is quite a dream!!!


It wasn't till after I woke up a minute that I realized how strange that was. 

Last night I had a dream my sister was pregnant (but not with kittens!)


----------



## CptJack

I have several rush to tug leashes in various styles and I freaking love them. I actually still really want to get 2 more and probably will in the next month. My favorite is the martingale leash/collar combo, but it's not actually my favorite for agility because it's ever-so-slightly more fiddly to get on and off. The plain slip works best for me for that. 

And the quick-release leash from clean-run I really like, but it's missing the whole tug aspect and while it's super easy to remove can be kind of fiddly to get back on. 

I actually need to go through and give away some stuff. The plain nylon stuff I'll likely donate. I've got a few more things that I'll probably give to agility people with appropriately sized dogs.


----------



## Miss Bugs

people who know nothing about their own dogs amuse me. this guy comes to bring his dog for boarding, as he is filling out the paperwork he gets o the dog information section, and after his dogs name..he gets lost. the next question is breed he says "I dunno...he's a mutt" so I asked what his dog looked most like "ummmmmm...eeerrrr... a German Shepherd"..ok write that then. he them gets too colour..he's like "uummmmm, Blond and Black and White"...err ok sure. birth-date "uuummm...what year is it?...uuuhh like.... 1 year and 3/4s?" feeding instructions "uummmm.. he just..like..eats what I eat.." gets to gender he circles male, gets to the spayed/neutered/not fixed part, looks at it confused, scratches his head, and says "what is sprayed??" lol. I asked for his vaccination records, he says he didn't bring them but he got his vaccinations "when the snow melted"...ok, fine what clinic so I can call them "umm that one on that street" :doh: I was able to figure out what clinic he meant, so all was good, but seriously! he was so unsure about everything I didn't fill out the kennel papers until I saw the dog lol the dog looks nothing even remotely resembling a German shepherd and the "blonde, black and white" dog is all tan...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> people who know nothing about their own dogs amuse me. this guy comes to bring his dog for boarding, as he is filling out the paperwork he gets o the dog information section, and after his dogs name..he gets lost. the next question is breed he says "I dunno...he's a mutt" so I asked what his dog looked most like "ummmmmm...eeerrrr... a German Shepherd"..ok write that then. he them gets too colour..he's like "uummmmm, Blond and Black and White"...err ok sure. birth-date "uuummm...what year is it?...uuuhh like.... 1 year and 3/4s?" feeding instructions "uummmm.. he just..like..eats what I eat.." gets to gender he circles male, gets to the spayed/neutered/not fixed part, looks at it confused, scratches his head, and says "what is sprayed??" lol. I asked for his vaccination records, he says he didn't bring them but he got his vaccinations "when the snow melted"...ok, fine what clinic so I can call them "umm that one on that street" :doh: I was able to figure out what clinic he meant, so all was good, but seriously! he was so unsure about everything I didn't fill out the kennel papers until I saw the dog lol the dog looks nothing even remotely resembling a German shepherd and the "blonde, black and white" dog is all tan...


Geeze


----------



## Laurelin

I made the mistake of giving Mia a spoonful of my peanut butter milkshake. She is now going nuts trying to get me to give her more.


----------



## kdawnk

Question?

*Why does Hydrogen Peroxide induce vomiting?*

I thought it would be like super poisonous to ingest, it's always sounded like an awful idea. Can humans use this too?


----------



## Willowy

kdawnk said:


> Question?
> 
> *Why does Hydrogen Peroxide induce vomiting?*
> 
> I thought it would be like super poisonous to ingest, it's always sounded like an awful idea. Can humans use this too?


 I'm assuming the bubbles go wild in your stomach and that makes everything come up. 

There's a whole set of people who deliberately consume H2O2. Oh, not the stuff at the store--that has stabilizers added. Nope, you gotta buy their version, and it'll cure whatever ails you! They sound a little wacky. But it won't kill you (or dogs) anyway.


----------



## d_ray

I'm so proud of Jewel. My husband is finally working day shifts so we have both been out of the house from 8-430 all week. Jewel has never left alone more than 4 hours on a weekday. Yesterday, my SIL was supposed to let Jewel out mid day, but she forgot. So Jewel was home alone for just over 8 hours. I know this is normal for a lot of dogs, but this is a first for her. In the past, she has suffered from mild SA so we are hesitant to leave her alone too long. When I got home from work, Jewel acted just like any other work day. I'm so proud that she didn't freak out being left alone so long. I know it sounds like a small accomplishment, but it is nice to know that she is ok that long. I've been stressing ever since my husband started working days and now I feel a huge sense of relief. My SIL is still going to come midday since she lives on our street and loves Jewel.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

couldn't find the other stupid comment thread so am posting it here.... I made it a point the last 3 going on 4 years to stay away from the other neighbors thinking it will stop all the trouble and having the stupid insane rumors Like I am breeding GSD's and Pit Bulls to sell them to dog fighting rings >>>>> I needed to work with the Ranch owner who is friends with all the people who purchase land in this area, and go over the plans for digging out the blocked up dry wash that is on my land.. And while we discussing exactly how to do the project on my land side,, his wife asked me what I do with so many geese and chickens.. I said I feed my dogs raw and that is what I use the smaller livestock for.. She said so you feed them raw so they learn to like the taste of human flesh to want to bite into people ???? I said "what" NO,,, I feed raw because it's healthy.. Just looking into her confused contorted face she was trying process it... being healthy... And not training the dogs to crave humans.. 

I can't win... fully expect a swat team to show up and raid my place,,, for the rumors they spread to people believe it, for not even knowing me


----------



## ireth0

Maaaay have just screamed like a girl/generally freaked out at a damselfly in my living room flying right at my face and not being deterred by my flailing blanket. Luna was very concerned. Good girl.


----------



## Gumiho

CptJack said:


> I just bought 100 tennis balls.
> 
> A HUNDRED.
> 
> Don't judge me.


No judging here.

If it was a particularly good deal and purchased online.
Please share your source. My boy loves them and goes through them fairly quickly.


----------



## CptJack

Gumiho said:


> No judging here.
> 
> If it was a particularly good deal and purchased online.
> Please share your source. My boy loves them and goes through them fairly quickly.


Ebay - lots of about 100 (or 50) come up on a fairly regular basis, for balls that have been used in a single tennis game. I've bought smaller lots before, but I think I paid 30.00, including shipping, for this one. So. Yeah.


----------



## Melle

Made a huge decision today, but for the better. I feel relieved, but I'm trying hard not to cry about it.


----------



## momtolabs

I really hate when people ask you for your opinion on something then get mad at you when you tell them!! If you don't like/agree with my opinion and are going to get mad don't bother to ask  


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----------



## Greater Swiss

Melle said:


> Made a huge decision today, but for the better. I feel relieved, but I'm trying hard not to cry about it.


Oh no.....I'm glad you are relieved, but I hope you're alright!

My moment today.....Caeda was eating her dinner, and it was the bottom of the bag so there was a bunch of "kibble dust" I think she sniffed a bunch in, because she sneezed. RIGHT into her bowl, Kibble flew everywhere! She looked kind of humiliated as she went around the floor eating the kibble that had gone everywhere....the cat was happy though, she got away scott free with a doggy kibble (tubby punk!).


----------



## JeJo

Thoughts and a prayer for you, Melle, for whatever the difficult steps you might be taking.


----------



## Remaru

Greater Swiss said:


> Oh no.....I'm glad you are relieved, but I hope you're alright!
> 
> My moment today.....Caeda was eating her dinner, and it was the bottom of the bag so there was a bunch of "kibble dust" I think she sniffed a bunch in, because she sneezed. RIGHT into her bowl, Kibble flew everywhere! She looked kind of humiliated as she went around the floor eating the kibble that had gone everywhere....the cat was happy though, she got away scott free with a doggy kibble (tubby punk!).


Hallow steals dog kibble too. She loves to sneak into the bowls when I set them out before everyone is released to eat or when I use kibbles for training. So odd.


----------



## Melle

Thank you guys.

Put a lot of thought behind it the last several months. The living situation, tensions, circumstances, anxiety weren't fair to her. Dealing with constant opposition that put pressure on her reactivity and just plain limited her life. To force it to work would have made it worse and cramped a young one with so much love and potential in her soul.

I held up until I got through the double doors. Now I feel very empty. I feel like a shell. I'm not worried, but there is a huge piece of my heart missing. I know I did the right thing, but I haven't slept without my Midnight at my hip in over a year and now everything feels so dead.


----------



## momtolabs

Sorry melle  hugs to you! 


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----------



## KodiBarracuda

Argh, I love Maisy, she's pretty great, but she tried to bite someone today. I took her on campus and she has never behaved like this before, she usually likes seeing people. A freshman boy tried to pet her and she snapped at him. It really was my fault, I will definitelly be more forward about making them get to her level and letting her come to them and I saw she was afraid but I really didnt expect that behavior out of her. 

I'm really shaken up about this. 

She does have a slight fear of men but I thought we had worked through it. I guess we're back at square one.


----------



## DaySleepers

Melle, while I haven't had to give up a family member, I've made several decisions in the past few years that have left me feeling just how you describe. It's difficult, and I'm still working through the consequences, but I know the alternatives would've been worse. Doing what's best for you, and for her, can really, really suck. But it gets better. It gets easier. And at least you can look back and know you did the right thing, and that's what you'll remember as it starts to hurt less.


----------



## Remaru

Oh Melle, what a hard decision to make. I am sorry.


----------



## Laurelin

Dat tricolor dog. I love her so much. So flipping much. She is just the best thing in the world.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Had a really big thunderstorm last night. Remmy was barking at something outside but must have heard the thunder in the distance before I could hear it. It was about 1:30 am, then Kiska and Monty started trying to climb on me. Don't know why they think if they sit on my head they are safe. Finally had to get up and make myself a coffee before the power went out. Susie has been sleeping outside the last little while as it has been so hot so had to bring her in so she was panting like a steam engine. Thank goodness we do not have many storms. We really needed the rain though as it should clear the air but missed my sleep.

The only one who sleeps right through it and never bothers is Kris in her crate.


----------



## d_ray

I'm so sorry to Melle. Hang in there. Hugs!


----------



## kdawnk

So there's been this guy that's less than a block away from my house and I walk by him like daily (just the way it ended up after I had a bunch of unfortunate experiences with other dogs trying to eat Sans on their tie-outs on my other routes) and every time he's out I go out and chat with him for a while. Usually until one of his multitude of family members comes outside to stand and listen to us talk...
I feel like I'm 13 all over again and I have a crush on some sort of high school senior.
And it's just like the most stereotypical boy-girl romantic comedy meetings all the time. He's always playing shirtless guitar on his steps and I'm always trying not to stare haha

And today I found him on Facebook even though I only know his first name (we apparently have a bundle of mutual friends so) he was the first option. And then I sat there for like 5 minutes being like... do I add him? _No... that's weird_... But... _No..._... Well maybe I can post on a mutual friend's wall... _No._


----------



## d_ray

I just got drunk dialled from my sister and friends in Egypt while I am stuck at work in 13 degree weather. Why didn't I go with them


----------



## Laurelin

I want this one.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30006432

Or the brother.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30006402


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> I want this one.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30006432
> 
> Or the brother.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30006402


Wow I absolutely love those dogs!


----------



## Laurelin

Airplane ears kill me. Blaze sounds like he'd fit me better though but Bo's face is adorable! 

Wish I could get a dog NAOW. lol

I do have this funny feeling that I'll end up with a cattle dog vs a BC. I don't know why but I guess we'll see.


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> Airplane ears kill me. Blaze sounds like he'd fit me better though but Bo's face is adorable!
> 
> Wish I could get a dog NAOW. lol
> 
> I do have this funny feeling that I'll end up with a cattle dog vs a BC. I don't know why but I guess we'll see.


I wish I could too. Well I can but hubby needs convincing. I have a feeling I'll end up with a cattle dog too although we don't see many around here. There's one at jewels rescue but he's extremely I socialized.


----------



## d_ray

This is the pup at jewels rescue 

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/29753979/


----------



## Laurelin

Right now I'm pretty open to a handful of mid-sized herding breeds. Cattle dogs are super popular here and end up rehomed all the time. One of my favorite dogs in the world is a little red heeler girl. She is just exceptional in so many ways. I do think with Mia though it'd have to be a male.



d_ray said:


> This is the pup at jewels rescue
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/29753979/


So cute! I think the reds are my favorite.


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> So cute! I think the reds are my favorite.


Me too! Actually his foster mom asked for volunteers to walk with their dog and him to get him used to other dogs so I may be meeting him soon. Who knows, maybe Jewel and him will hit it off. I can't believe how fat he is lol


----------



## momtolabs

Tonight we are having my birthday party and my cousins 1 year anniversary to her husband(married day after my bday). My aunt(18) just text me "who is going to be there?" So I told her and she replied with "well if I'm not sitting there awkwardly and you are talking to me all night then ill go." I responded "well since I'm going to have friends and family there I will also be talking to them and not just you. So you will have to get up and mingle." She said "well I can't do that so I'm not going." Like really!!?? I'm not spending the whole night talking to one person when there are loads of other people there. She did the exact same thig durin prom last year. I had a date so was with him and a group of friends. In the group a lot of our mutual friends were in but she got mad because I wasn't spending the whole night with her..... Yes just let me ditch my date and group of friends and hang out with you!! Any time we are at a dance, at school, family party etc she will get ticked if I'm not with her 24/7. It gets annoying and usually ruins my night. She freaking live with me for Pete sakes give me some freaking breathing room!!!! We are seniors this year I think it's time for her to make her own friends....... 


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----------



## theairedale

Update on Copper's extraction, if it's still relevant!

So in the end he still has all his teeth  After the vet had him asleep with the anesthetic, he got a better look at the tooth. Turns out it's not a fracture, just a tooth with a double crown (like 2 teeth fused together, except same root... odd!) He's never seen anything like it! When he got home he was a bit disoriented but that went away within an hour or so.

Everyone there said he was really sweet which is always nice to hear


----------



## gingerkid

Today at the park we ran into a dog from the shelter! Turns out Dozer got adopted yesterday by one of the regulars that walks at the same time as we do. He was sure surprised when I knew his new dog's name before I even said hi to his owner, haha.


----------



## Melle

I really appreciate you guys sending your thoughts <3 It means a lot to me, since I've never really had anyone in real life to share my passion for her, or dogs in general with, just the online dog community.

I cried a little more before I fell asleep but I feel better today. I keep sending vibes her way, knowing she's probably wagged her tail at a volunteer who walked her today. Feels very odd knowing I could take the bus and walk her myself, as a volunteer, but it wouldn't feel right, it'd feel like teasing her and if I did I'd probably just sit in the exercise pen holding her and breaking down again. I haven't been able to volunteer in months anyway, and I'm out of the loop.

I kept her collar since they don't keep any big ones on them. Sitting on my pillow. She'll be alright, I just miss her very much, but she takes to new people very quickly.

It's not hard to look forward right now. I'll be rescuing again soon, since in the last couple of months we've all been discussing together that an adult cat would be a much better match for me, those I live with, and many of the strains I had with any dog wouldn't exist there and I'd be able to still live without being in fear of my companion being limited. I bought a cat collar and clicked it around my wrist to stay optimistic.


----------



## momtolabs

So every weekend I'm usually riding the 4-wheeler or horseback riding. I haven't been able to do either for awhile now due to personal reasons. So I went out to my uncles and for 2 hours my cousins and I were playing 4-wheeler tag. My legs are so freaking sore,lol . Mia and Bentley don't understand why we are not doing our usual late night fetch game,lol. Last year I was riding 4-wheeles every Saturday and Sunday. As well as Friday nights. I rode some in winter and once April hit only here and there. Late may/early June I was riding horses and 4-wheelers as mid June hit I quit for lack of time. Who knew in that short time my muscles would retaliate once I started up again,haha. 


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----------



## Laurelin

Why do all the good houses get taken so fast!? Grrr.


----------



## d_ray

Wow jewel had a spoil of a day. She went to the off leash dog park for 2 hours, then went to the spa for the whole shebang, then got a new antler, hubbie will be home soon for a before dinner walk, she will have raw brisket for dinner and then we'll all curl up to watch a movie. It makes me so happy to be able to give her a life that is so opposite of how she started out.


----------



## Hambonez

I've had a crazy busy couple of days, but I wanted to write about Hamilton's terrible Thursday. 

Started out good, in the afternoon my friend (his "auntie") came over and we took him to the park for a nice walk. Then we came home and were hanging out and he was whining to go out back, which generally means he saw something he needs to chase. I let him out and he took off after a squirrel. Came back a few minutes later not putting any weight on his left rear paw. My first guess was that he'd gotten stung again, though his foot didn't look swollen. He flopped down on the floor on his side and was shaking, and smacking his lips, and just had this glazed over look on his face. It totally freaked me out. I got him a Benadryl and put it in a piece of cheese and he reluctantly took it. My friend tried to give him another favorite treat and he wouldn't even take it. We took him down to the vet and they thought he pulled a muscle or sprained something, and prescribed some Rimadyl. 

After he ate dinner I gave him the Rimadyl at about 8pm. Around 8:30 we noticed he looked a little off. By 9 his entire face was swollen and lumpy. I called the vet and they said to give him ANOTHER benadryl and call back in an hour if it wasn't better. Wasn't better in an hour, so we went to the vet at 10 pm for a steroid shot. The tech tried to tell me that it wasn't from the Rimadyl. I wasn't upset about it, they wouldn't know he'd react that way, but really lady? I told her he hadn't even been out of the house since we got home from the last appointment, and then he ate his usual dinner, then he got the Rimadyl. What the hell else would it be? 

Fortunately he's been fine ever since, he's not limping anymore and doesn't look like he got beat up. Poor guy had to go to the vet twice in a day though and was none too pleased.


----------



## Miss Bugs

gah some days I swear... took the girls out for training time..took Gyp first, the first thing she did was jump at me in her excitement, and RAKE her claws down my stomach and hip so hard she made me bleed, I literally just crumpled over screaming it hurt so bad, she was like "OMG!!!!" and slunk away, when I was able to function again, I tried to coax her over and get her excited again, and she wasn't acting scared, she came over again happily but refused to do ANYTHING at all, I was like "grrr fine" and put her away and took out Gem, we worked at weaves she was good, then went on to barrel relay practice, something she has been doing solid for over a week, and she spent the ENTIRE time staring at me stupidly, occasionally taking 1 or 2 jumps, turning around and coming back, I had to walk her up to the barrel, around the barrel and back over the jumps the full way every time or she just stared at me blankly. just over a week ago she was doing full twisty patterns of jumps, barrels and tunnels with no guidance at all, and all of a sudden she giving me blank stares about a friggen straight line of 3 jumps and a barrel, like, give me a break. while I was working with Gem, Happy barged through the pen I had her in, and kept throwing herself in Gems path. Gem is young, wild and built like a tank. Happy is 14, 28lbs with a bum knee...ya, Happy run right in front of Gem when she was running, Gem smashed into her to hard Happy fell into somersaults. honestly? I don't feel bad, she refused to go in the crate(she hid in the doghouse so I couldn't make her) so I put up the pen as a fence, I told her to stay out of the way, she completely ignored me, busted through the fence and refused to get out of the way. she got pummelled into the ground for it, put back behind the fence and had her turn revoked. I got irritated with Gem being useless, and switched her out for Paisley...she was a good girl lol

edit-I feel like I sound like a terrible person lol I have a quick temper, a low tolerance for BS and I know what each of my dogs is capable of. when I get frustrated I just stop and switch dogs.


----------



## momtolabs

Caleb, Mia is NOT a walking humping toy! If you could go ten minutes without humping her that would be fabulous! I'm sitting here getting ready to watch divergent and its like doggy porn going on in my living room!! Caleb's little butt is going to be seeing the crate here soon!! 


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----------



## littlesoprano

We had a wonderful day today! We got weighed and have finally gotten down to 30 pounds. Cosmo had gained weight after surgery because a certain someone I know spoils his dog wayyyy too much. It's been pretty hard to get the weight off of him, with him not allowed on walks. Mostly just light in the house fetch games and lots of food cut backs, but we are getting back to his ideal weight! I think he could afford to loose a few more pounds, and the goal is to have him as slim as can be before surgery... One more month to go to get there!


----------



## kdawnk

Question? 

Why do neighbourhood cats gather and sit together places? Why does that happen. 

I went to get my cat (usually sitting on my neighbours steps) and he was chillin in my neighbours front yard with 5 other random cats. Spooning one of them and just kickin back with the rest. 

I've never understood that. Cats aren't really.. Pack animals or very kind to each other often. I know Flynn is cat friendly. 
But why does this happen.


----------



## momtolabs

Actually it's really normal for cats to form a cat colony. There used to be two huge cat colony's in my small town. My neighbor and I trapped all by one on our side of town(a single highway splits my town in half) and we are starting to work on the other side. Cats do like to have a companion. Just like dogs. Yes some don't like other cats just like some dogs don't like other dogs. But most cats DO like to have a companion. I know Tom cats are usually by themselves but its not unusual to see a lot of males in a colony. 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I actually had to Google "double crown tooth in dogs" and your right ... weird!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> gah some days I swear... took the girls out for training time..took Gyp first, the first thing she did was jump at me in her excitement, and RAKE her claws down my stomach and hip so hard she made me bleed, I literally just crumpled over screaming it hurt so bad, she was like "OMG!!!!" and slunk away, when I was able to function again, I tried to coax her over and get her excited again, and she wasn't acting scared, she came over again happily but refused to do ANYTHING at all, I was like "grrr fine" and put her away and took out Gem, we worked at weaves she was good, then went on to barrel relay practice, something she has been doing solid for over a week, and she spent the ENTIRE time staring at me stupidly, occasionally taking 1 or 2 jumps, turning around and coming back, I had to walk her up to the barrel, around the barrel and back over the jumps the full way every time or she just stared at me blankly. just over a week ago she was doing full twisty patterns of jumps, barrels and tunnels with no guidance at all, and all of a sudden she giving me blank stares about a friggen straight line of 3 jumps and a barrel, like, give me a break. while I was working with Gem, Happy barged through the pen I had her in, and kept throwing herself in Gems path. Gem is young, wild and built like a tank. Happy is 14, 28lbs with a bum knee...ya, Happy run right in front of Gem when she was running, Gem smashed into her to hard Happy fell into somersaults. honestly? I don't feel bad, she refused to go in the crate(she hid in the doghouse so I couldn't make her) so I put up the pen as a fence, I told her to stay out of the way, she completely ignored me, busted through the fence and refused to get out of the way. she got pummelled into the ground for it, put back behind the fence and had her turn revoked. I got irritated with Gem being useless, and switched her out for Paisley...she was a good girl lol
> 
> edit-I feel like I sound like a terrible person lol I have a quick temper, a low tolerance for BS and I know what each of my dogs is capable of. when I get frustrated I just stop and switch dogs.


Oh I have a short fuse with my dogs when they know what is expected of them. When they are learning I have all the patience in the world, but once they know what is expected of them, I expected then to listen and if they dont, there are consequences. Don't stay where I put you? Fine, I will just tether you. Don't play by the rules during fetch? The game is over and we try again tomorrow. Doing something naughty in the yard? Time out in the pen. Don't do a command the first time? Then you don't get the reward til you do (I only say the command once and just wait til it's followed).

My vent is I contacted this lady (by text) about a dog on FB at one of my local shelters. She gave her number and texted me, asking me if I wanted to meet her and I said yes, still no reply :frusty: why do people not answer their texts !!!


----------



## Laurelin

Eeep I got a house. 

Fingers crossed for good inspection and closing yada yada. Supposed to close Sept 18th!!!!


----------



## Miss Bugs

lol, I'm glad I am not alone! like you I have plenty of patience when the dog doesn't know something!

I took videos and Gem and Gyps training sessions today so you can see what they are like lol

Gem-the first thing we did, with the jumps ad the barrel...that's what she was giving me blank stares about last night lol
http://youtu.be/IBlEkMH_0TQ?list=UUtmD7LisvOCe6GcBmBS3ZIQ

and Gypsy
http://youtu.be/3JW0kFJqzas?list=UUtmD7LisvOCe6GcBmBS3ZIQ



> My vent is I contacted this lady (by text) about a dog on FB at one of my local shelters. She gave her number and texted me, asking me if I wanted to meet her and I said yes, still no reply why do people not answer their texts !!!


we get this with the Gerbils all the time, we will get multiple contact from people who seem sincerely interested, then they just suddenly...stop responding.. or they sound hurried about wanting to come see them but don't respond to contact for days lol


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Me,& a friend were talking about the death of Robin Williams. Why he did what he did.She started telling me that he had no reason to be suffering from depression,& they he should of been happy. Her reason? Because he was famous ,& he had (a lot of) money. "He so much money, he shouldn't of been depressed." :doh: Money doesn't buy happiness for everyone. Yeah, it might for some people, but not him.Just because you have money, a big house,& your famous, doesn't mean you can't suffer from depression,& other mental illnesses.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> lol, I'm glad I am not alone! like you I have plenty of patience when the dog doesn't know something!
> 
> I took videos and Gem and Gyps training sessions today so you can see what they are like lol
> 
> Gem-the first thing we did, with the jumps ad the barrel...that's what she was giving me blank stares about last night lol
> http://youtu.be/IBlEkMH_0TQ?list=UUtmD7LisvOCe6GcBmBS3ZIQ
> 
> and Gypsy
> http://youtu.be/3JW0kFJqzas?list=UUtmD7LisvOCe6GcBmBS3ZIQ
> 
> 
> 
> we get this with the Gerbils all the time, we will get multiple contact from people who seem sincerely interested, then they just suddenly...stop responding.. or they sound hurried about wanting to come see them but don't respond to contact for days lol


In this case its the other way around LOL, I contacted her but SHE is slow getting back with ME.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Laurelin said:


> Eeep I got a house.
> 
> Fingers crossed for good inspection and closing yada yada. Supposed to close Sept 18th!!!!


Good luck. I hope all goes well.

ETA:



gingerkid said:


> Today at the park we ran into a dog from the shelter! Turns out Dozer got adopted yesterday by one of the regulars that walks at the same time as we do. He was sure surprised when I knew his new dog's name before I even said hi to his owner, haha.


I usually recognize peoples dogs, before them.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Me,& a friend were talking about the death of Robin Williams. Why he did what he did.She started telling me that he had no reason to be suffering from depression,& they he should of been happy. Her reason? Because he was famous ,& he had (a lot of) money. "He so much money, he shouldn't of been depressed." :doh: Money doesn't buy happiness for everyone. Yeah, it might for some people, but not him.Just because you have money, a big house,& your famous, doesn't mean you can't suffer from depression,& other mental illnesses.


Yeah, that's always a hoot, people thinking I choose to be this way, or because I qualify for an ESA (doctors note) I get the "you just want to have your dog with you!" line :doh:


----------



## gingerkid

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I usually recognize peoples dogs, before them.


Oh, definitely me too, it was just odd seeing a dog at the park that had been at the shelter (and not yet for adoption) only 2 days prior!


----------



## JeJo

Laurelin said:


> Eeep I got a house.
> 
> Fingers crossed for good inspection and closing yada yada. Supposed to close Sept 18th!!!!


Congratulations, Laurelin -How exciting! Here's to an uneventful inspection and a smooth transaction all 'round.


----------



## jade5280

My brother and his GF just brought home a tri color corgi puppy. Soooo cute.


----------



## momtolabs

So this was....odd but nice? I went to the gas station to get a drink so I brought Caleb with me. I stopped, rolled my window down and poured Caleb a small bowl of water. It's not hot out and it's 7pm so the sun is going down. A cop pulled up beside me(which is weird right there.....cops just go through town they never stop in my small town.) He didn't get out at all. I walked in came out and he is still there. He got out and even though I didn't do anything wrong I was like "crap",lol. He came to ask me if he could pet Caleb. I said yea and opened my door and Caleb comes wiggling up to the officer wanting to be loved on. He said he just wanted to warn me that dog thefts are heightening and I need to be careful. He said he would hate to hear about another dog gone missing. He said none have happened/been reported in my area but have been in towns 30 minutes away(nearest towns). He told me that there have also been people going around and shooting dogs in there own yards around the same area  I thanked him and he said Caleb was cute and when I pulled away he then went into the gas station. 

I'm thankful that he warned me about the recent dog nappings as I have not heard anything about it. It was odd though, kind of,lol. I'm just not used to cops going out of there way to warn someone about dog related stuff. I have seen this officer around before and I wave when I pass him. As well as the other officers I see. Maybe being nice does help  


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----------



## Laurelin

JeJo said:


> Congratulations, Laurelin -How exciting! Here's to an uneventful inspection and a smooth transaction all 'round.


Thanks! I'm excited and nervous!

My commute is going to go from 40 mins to around 17!!! So excited!

My one complaint is the yard is very landscaped. It's gorgeous- covered patio, 2 huge trees. Many flower beds, etc. Not much room for agility equipment.


----------



## JeJo

Laurelin said:


> Thanks! I'm excited and nervous!
> 
> My commute is going to go from 40 mins to around 17!!! So excited!
> 
> *My one complaint is the yard is very landscaped. It's gorgeous- covered patio, 2 huge trees. Many flower beds, etc. Not much room for agility equipment.*


The great thing about it, though, is that it will be *your* yard and that while the covered patio and the 2 huge trees might be there to stay, the flower beds can either be moved or removed... it's your prerogative! lol ( Perennials can be moved, given away or composted; and annuals, well they're just annual!). When we brought Kayla home (much bigger dog than our previous dears), we eliminated a few of my garden beds once we tracked the path she naturally takes when she gets her zoomies on or is playing fetch (was easier to move the beds than to alter the gal's natural tendencies.) Enjoy making that space your own.

As for that shorter commute -Yay! Think of the time of your life you'll save for better things than dodging traffic!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

RAWR, I wanted to make a new tag for Josefina at petsmart and there was guy in front of me at the machine, taking forever, he would tap a few letters and then his phone would go off and he would spend like five minutes tapping away ... I finally left.


----------



## Kayota

if you arent picky about looks the machines at walmart arer cheaper anyway... roxie has a how to train your dragon tag and it was only 7 dollars, the plain ones are 5.

i am like 90% sure theres a mouse in my kitchen. set up a live bucket trap but no luck yet.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Good greif, I can't let Happy off leash at the dog park lol. When its a random open area she always stays close because she either doesn't know the boundaries or its a small area and she knows the boundaries. However the dog park is 18 acres and she knows she is technically allowed anywhere in it..and she is mostly deaf....so I let her off leash and she just takes off and can't hear me call her lol. I took the girls to the park this morning and immediately spent the first 20 minutes chasing my 14 year old Border Collie around the damn park lol


----------



## momtolabs

Okay so this has been going around 








Most of those towns are surrounding areas(30-50 minutes each). 

Now I seem this that the local radio stationed shared 








It's really freaky. I'm trying to push it off as a sick joke but still scared :/ We have many many means of protection. Try to break in there will be weapons pointed at you and dogs barking(only two of the 6 would do anything). We bought more "Beware of dog signs." Truck doors locked etc. I'm almost certain it's a sick joke. But I know a few idiots who will do something stupid and Someone will get hurt/killed. It's sad when people can't even watch movies w/o taking them literally and doing something like this 


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----------



## Kayota

That was already revealed as a hoax.


----------



## ireth0

Boo. Luna has kennel cough. I feel so bad for her, I wish I could do more to help her feel better again. Because of it, we can't go to training class until after she's better which also sucks.


----------



## d_ray

ireth0 said:


> Boo. Luna has kennel cough. I feel so bad for her, I wish I could do more to help her feel better again. Because of it, we can't go to training class until after she's better which also sucks.


Poor girl. I'm sorry to hear that. Hope she feels better soon!


----------



## Miss Bugs

last night Paisley went after a dog and bit one of the girls at work pretty bad..Paisley...I am just flabbergasted. its not like it was a weird dog she went after, it was a neutral fun "dum-de-dum" type dog, the girl out with that group intervened and Paisley tore up the girls knuckle pretty good(the other dog just got slobbered). I cannot even explain how completely unlike Paisley this is..she is our go-to dog for making friends with dogs we do not otherwise trust.

if I could sum up Paisley's personality in a nutshell, it would be this face:









even when I came over to look the other dog over, Paisley was her totally normal "dum-de-da" self..but then after we were closed she was apparently trying to start stuff with another staff members Aussie :faint: but a couple minutes later they were all up front together perfectly fine. I don't even understand what is going on..Paisley is my ultra easy going dog, the one I don't ever have to worry about because she is so friggen happy about everything!


----------



## CptJack

The balls arrived.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> if you arent picky about looks the machines at walmart arer cheaper anyway... roxie has a how to train your dragon tag and it was only 7 dollars, the plain ones are 5.
> 
> i am like 90% sure theres a mouse in my kitchen. set up a live bucket trap but no luck yet.


I feel for you ... I hate mice :/


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> last night Paisley went after a dog and bit one of the girls at work pretty bad..Paisley...I am just flabbergasted. its not like it was a weird dog she went after, it was a neutral fun "dum-de-dum" type dog, the girl out with that group intervened and Paisley tore up the girls knuckle pretty good(the other dog just got slobbered). I cannot even explain how completely unlike Paisley this is..she is our go-to dog for making friends with dogs we do not otherwise trust.
> 
> if I could sum up Paisley's personality in a nutshell, it would be this face:
> 
> View attachment 167289
> 
> 
> even when I came over to look the other dog over, Paisley was her totally normal "dum-de-da" self..but then after we were closed she was apparently trying to start stuff with another staff members Aussie :faint: but a couple minutes later they were all up front together perfectly fine. I don't even understand what is going on..Paisley is my ultra easy going dog, the one I don't ever have to worry about because she is so friggen happy about everything!


I know it's not the preferred method, but when mine do that just for the sake of it, they get a very strict reprimand, first I will body block them, if that doesn't work, then I will remove them, letting them know I am not happy with them.

I don't put up with starting fights just for the sake of starting fights.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> The balls arrived.


She looks like she just got the best gift ever.


----------



## Flaming

CptJack said:


> The balls arrived.



BALLS!!!


/caption was too short


----------



## BostonBullMama

So um.... where did the 'My dog is better then yours' Thread go? I clicked it, and then the webpage errored out, and now I can't find it 
HAALP


----------



## CptJack

http://www.dogforums.com/general-dog-forum/316241-my-dog-better-than-7.html It's still working for me.

Molly totally, totally, thinks that box of balls is the best thing ever. Some of the other dogs sort of care. Molly is D-Lighted. She's still being pretty restricted to how many times I will roll it for her and will be for a while yet, but I *really* want her to keep toy drive, so.


----------



## Remaru

I'm working on building a toy drive for Hobs. He really likes things that squeak but of course he kills them in under 20minutes. He is a hard chewer being 6months old. He isn't crazy about Nylabones but will chew for a little while. I wish there were squeaky toys that weren't so easy to destroy. I am going to have to buy him a sturdier rubber ball but I don't know that he will like it as well. He wasn't as into the chuck it tug ball or the rope ball. Remus will run down anything that moves (we play with a base ball or tennis balls) but he has a lower drive for things like that. I ordered a big box of nylabones and some food dispensing toys from Amazon. Hopefully some of it strikes his fancy. At least it will entertain Freyja if nothing else. 

Freyja is in heat. She is moody and hates having to wear a diaper around the house. Remus is being a jerk face (he marked twice in the house) jealous about Hobs playing with her since last week and now he is also moody because he can smell her and he has to be crated a large portion of the day. Why did I think I could manage this? I really just want to get her to 10-12 months and then I will spay her so I shouldn't have to deal with this again but this really sucks. Hubby will be out of town this weekend for a Derby bout too. It will just be me, the kids, and 6 dogs. Oh and of course Hallow and the rats (I never count them but Hallow has been up to some crazy antics lately).


----------



## Laurelin

I want this dog a lot.

"We are selling our 6 month old border collie. He is very sweet and loving and very calm. Still likes to play and run but he's not overly hyper. He trains really easy. Only have to tell him something one time usually and he gets it. "

http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/pet/4624968431.html

Need to wait till Sept 18.... Sept 18.... After closing I can go wild and get me a dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

So I made me an open faced sandwich for dinner (very good, tasted fine and everything) AFTER eating it, I take a glance at the other pieces in the bag and they are MOLDY. I was like ... shit! So I dig the discarded bottom (don't like the bottom) out of the trash and sure enough ... MOLDY. 

Now I am freaking out, I didn't see any mold on the top of the slice I had but now I am all scared I'm going to die. :O


----------



## Laurelin

Or this one. Seriously cool looking dog.

http://stillwater.craigslist.org/pet/4626738411.html


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Or this one. Seriously cool looking dog.
> 
> http://stillwater.craigslist.org/pet/4626738411.html


Get it. (Too short )


----------



## Laurelin

Gotta wait till September. It's hard.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

You know you want it


----------



## Laurelin

I do. I really do. If I could right now I'd be looking at either her or the BC boy. I should just ban myself from craigslist or petfinder until Sept 18. We should start taking bets on what day I come home with a new dog. lol 

I'm going to say Sept 30.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yes ... I need to stop going there too, that and the local animal controls ... why do I torture myself?

But I did find a wonderful sweet girl and tried contacting the person who had her and she may be returned my texts a couple of times ... than nothing, so I guess that's not going to happen


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> So I made me an open faced sandwich for dinner (very good, tasted fine and everything) AFTER eating it, I take a glance at the other pieces in the bag and they are MOLDY. I was like ... shit! So I dig the discarded bottom (don't like the bottom) out of the trash and sure enough ... MOLDY.
> 
> Now I am freaking out, I didn't see any mold on the top of the slice I had but now I am all scared I'm going to die. :O


My friend's grandpa used to eat all the moldy bread on purpose, because he said it was like penicillin and was good for you . He lived to be nearly 90 so I guess it's not too fatal.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> My friend's grandpa used to eat all the moldy bread on purpose, because he said it was like penicillin and was good for you . He lived to be nearly 90 so I guess it's not too fatal.


Lol well I haven't died yet .... so maybe there is hope lol


----------



## KodiBarracuda

I was pulled over today. Just got a verbal warning, but it still ruined my day. Not that today was that good to begin with. *sigh. Could be worse I guess.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> I was pulled over today. Just got a verbal warning, but it still ruined my day. Not that today was that good to begin with. *sigh. Could be worse I guess.


No ticket? I would consider that a win! Suck though it may.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Sigh.....
Went to the beach with Caeda yesterday. I tried SO hard to get her to drink the fresh water I had....NOPE. She ended up with full on water barf and projectile water diarrhea (I'm talking high pressure hose here...). This is of course to the horror of a friend of mine I was meeting up with that I haven't seen in about 4 years. I was so worried last night, I ended up staying up super late, monitoring her regular water intake to prevent guzzling, getting her to eat a little at a time, sending her out for frequent pees. No more diarrhea this morning (though she hasn't done a #2 yet today), no more vomiting since she got home and emptied the cat's fountain in 10 seconds before I could move it. She is eating normal, doesn't seem crazy thirsty this morning. A little.....hmmm.....not lethargic, but a little apathetic is more like it. Can't really blame her, that was a heck of a colon cleanse!

She'll get over it just fine, going to keep monitoring, but the tough part was last night (keeping her from guzzling fresh water)....I just hate that she does this to one degree or another every time we get to salt water (and she loves the waves), this one was far worse than usual. Normally she has a tiny bit of diarrhea later in the day and that is it. Hope she is ok by agility tonight....poor girl.


----------



## d_ray

I didn't realize I had such an bad a55 cat. I was sitting outside on the porch and the cat was on the lawn. We live on a quiet dead end street and most people let their cats out "off-leash". I only let mine out when I'm out there supervising, but they are old and don't leave the property. Well my new neighbour came to introduce herself and she had two dogs with her. One of her dogs was growling like crazy at my cat so they left. When they got to the end of the street, my cat took off after them and jumped and dog. The dog was fine, but I couldn't believe he did that.


----------



## CptJack

Molly was up all night with diarrhea, too - and this morning, for that matter. 

It's not severe, and she's still hyper as anything, drinking well and wants to eat (I'm not letting her), so I'm not too worried about it yet (p. sure this is 'dietary indiscretion') but man alive. Crappy nights (bad pun) going around.


----------



## BubbaMoose

You guys don't think my dogs are spoiled, do you?? 

Signed,
Crazy Dog Lady


----------



## d_ray

BubbaMoose said:


> View attachment 167681
> 
> 
> View attachment 167689
> 
> 
> You guys don't think my dogs are spoiled, do you??
> 
> Signed,
> Crazy Dog Lady


OMG, are they all new?

Please don't tell Jewel.


----------



## BubbaMoose

d_ray said:


> OMG, are they all new?
> 
> Please don't tell Jewel.


Some are! Some are older though. I cleaned out all of their stuff and tossed what was no good. This is what's staying! 

Can you tell my dogs like the Kong Wubba line? I think there are literally 10 of them. Hahaha. I love Kong in general.

Omg, actually, I just realized that everything in these pictures besides the tug a jug and squirrel dude are made by Kong.


----------



## DaySleepers

So I was supposed to hear back on whether Norway immigration accepted my application for a fiancee permit at the end of July. They'd given me a six months wait time when we submitted the documents. Now... the wait time's up to nine months. I hope to god I get something by Halloween. It'll take at least a month to actually get everything together for the move, and I'd like to spend Christmas with my lady. We've been separated over a year now.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Just because I haven't owned a dog, that doesn't mean I don't have experience with , or knowledge on dogs. Of course there will be others with dogs who have more experience & knowledge than me. Just because you own, or have something, it doesn't automatically mean that your more knowledgeable,than that said person who doesn't own or have that animal, or item.


----------



## momtolabs

Anyone else have days they break down and cry for no apparent reason? I'm sitting here crying and I don't know why! I came home to another new 4-wheeler sitting in the yard, school wasn't too bad etc. dogs were all behaved today. There was a comment made today at school that really ticked me off and I keep thinking about it. That's what's making me upset I think. But since my grandpa passed for no apparent reason I just cry. Nothing really pin point to it starting the tears just come out. I'm not one to cry so this Is weird to me!! 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Anyone else have days they break down and cry for no apparent reason? I'm sitting here crying and I don't know why! I came home to another new 4-wheeler sitting in the yard, school wasn't too bad etc. dogs were all behaved today. There was a comment made today at school that really ticked me off and I keep thinking about it. That's what's making me upset I think. But since my grandpa passed for no apparent reason I just cry. Nothing really pin point to it starting the tears just come out. I'm not one to cry so this Is weird to me!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I find that my days like this seem to coincide with my "Aunt Flo's" coming visit.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I used to get annoyed that my boss bred his BYB non health tested Dane... but ya know what? His Dane is 12 years old and healthy...and her MOM is still alive. I met her today, she is 15 years old! Within a group of friends they have THREE generations of great danes all alive and healthy in their double digits. And ya know what? THOSE are Danes that SHOULD be in the gene pool.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

momtolabs said:


> Anyone else have days they break down and cry for no apparent reason? I'm sitting here crying and I don't know why! I came home to another new 4-wheeler sitting in the yard, school wasn't too bad etc. dogs were all behaved today. There was a comment made today at school that really ticked me off and I keep thinking about it. That's what's making me upset I think. But since my grandpa passed for no apparent reason I just cry. Nothing really pin point to it starting the tears just come out. I'm not one to cry so this Is weird to me!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yeah, it's happened to me. Too many times to count,it's not much crying,but this deep sadness. I think mine is due to my depression,which would seem more logical. Who knew though. 

It's total normal to grieve in different ways, on different days. Some days may be better, others may not.

(((hugs))) I'm sorry about your loss. I hope you start feeling better.


----------



## ireth0

The other day I was taking Luna for a walk and a neighbour kid (I think she's maybe 6 or so) came over and asked to pet her. I said sure and she started petting Luna on the back, so I told her to pet her ears, because they're really soft. So she did and went "Oooooh." in that genuinely impressed way only kids can do. She then told me that Luna smelled nice, which is interesting because we haven't given her a bath since we've gotten her.

Then Luna tuned around and sat on the girl's feet, which the girl thought was great, and Luna licked her face briefly. After a minute or so of petting the little girl said "...okay! I need my feet back now please!" I'm not generally a kid person but man, that was too cute.


----------



## CptJack

Molly's poop is still weird. So, we're back to the vet this evening (because not being at the vet every other week is just out of the question). It's not diarrhea, but she's going REALLY frequently which makes me think something is up. So that'll be fun.

Also, this morning I sat on a wasp and now have a GIGANTIC red welt on my rear end. 

Can I get a do over?


----------



## Remaru

Miss Bugs said:


> I used to get annoyed that my boss bred his BYB non health tested Dane... but ya know what? His Dane is 12 years old and healthy...and her MOM is still alive. I met her today, she is 15 years old! Within a group of friends they have THREE generations of great danes all alive and healthy in their double digits. And ya know what? THOSE are Danes that SHOULD be in the gene pool.


You know, it is hard to argue with that. We lost our rescue Dane girl at an estimated 9years and I thought we were doing good. 15 is a solid age.


----------



## Greater Swiss

I just left my sunglasses on the hood of the car, near the wipers, I was talking to my hubby for about ten minutes after dropping him off, before I headed home. I remembered them exactly as they went and slid off of the car as I was going 60km/h down the road. 
Fail day


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Greater Swiss said:


> I just left my sunglasses on the hood of the car, near the wipers, I was talking to my hubby for about ten minutes after dropping him off, before I headed home. I remembered them exactly as they went and slid off of the car as I was going 60km/h down the road.
> Fail day


I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but laugh.

My Dad put a pizza on the top of his car, he forgot about it,& drove off.


----------



## Greater Swiss

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but laugh.
> 
> My Dad put a pizza on the top of his car, he forgot about it,& drove off.


AHAHAHA now THAT is bad.........it is funny in retrospect though. I just felt so....disappointed. I was having a day like you guys were talking about....just wanting to cry for no reason. It just about set me off.....then I laughed instead, thankfully I'm good at laughing at the stupid things I do


----------



## Kyllobernese

I just found out that my Angioplasty for both my legs is not going to be in September, probably October. This is after waiting 18 months to see the Specialist in the first place and finding out I only have 10% blood flow to my legs. Haven't been able to do Agility this year, just manage to do Obedience with Kris and even that is painful. No fun getting old!! I also found out a couple of months ago that I am diabetic so had to change my diet, lost 20 lbs. and so far it is being controlled by diet so that is good. Something has to go right.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ARGH!!! I went to the trouble of getting a new debit card so I can buy something online and the place I am trying to order from keeps telling me my card has been declined because something is wrong with the billing info ... but I know the info I entered is correct .... WTF???


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> ARGH!!! I went to the trouble of getting a new debit card so I can buy something online and the place I am trying to order from keeps telling me my card has been declined because something is wrong with the billing info ... but I know the info I entered is correct .... WTF???


Make sure what you're putting in EXACTLY matches the address your bank sends mail to. If they have a typo in your address, include that. It needs to match the name and address in the database exactly, no exceptions. So look at the last piece of mail you got from that bank and make sure it matches what you're putting in. Common mistakes: middle initials, suffixes (St. Dr. Pl.), apartment/suite numbers.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Make sure what you're putting in EXACTLY matches the address your bank sends mail to. If they have a typo in your address, include that. It needs to match the name and address in the database exactly, no exceptions. So look at the last piece of mail you got from that bank and make sure it matches what you're putting in. Common mistakes: middle initials, suffixes (St. Dr. Pl.), apartment/suite numbers.


Ugh ... such a PITA man! I am not used to shopping online as I haven't really done it a lot. I will have to ask my folks for one of my bank statements at least I'm not being charged if it's declined ... right?


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ugh ... such a PITA man! I am not used to shopping online as I haven't really done it a lot. I will have to ask my folks for one of my bank statements at least I'm not being charged if it's declined ... right?


 A decline _might_ put a hold on a debit card, I'm not sure. It'll come off when everything clears but you might not be able to make charges on it for a few hours/a day. It used to be like that when I worked at a call center but I kinda hope the computers are more advanced now . 

If the mail from that bank goes to your parents' house, make sure you're using that as the billing address.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yeah it was, it didn't say it was declined, it said it couldn't be used because of something up with the address. 
Sigh .... I guess I could always ask my parents if I could use their card/number and just pay them back :/


----------



## Kayota

Greater Swiss said:


> I just left my sunglasses on the hood of the car, near the wipers, I was talking to my hubby for about ten minutes after dropping him off, before I headed home. I remembered them exactly as they went and slid off of the car as I was going 60km/h down the road.
> Fail day


when i got faxon i left all the paperwork and my wallet on the back of my car... its an hour drive one way down the freeway... all the paperwork was gone when i got home but my wallet had amazingly gotten caught in my car's spoiler. talk about luck...


----------



## momtolabs

So my sister is convinced Caleb likes me more than her. He is usually flowing me around(okay more like Mia who follows me,lol), he listens to me better and comes to me first when we get home,lol. Caleb right now is a "soft" dog. My sister is used to tank and Bentley type training. We're super strict when it comes to them. There large dogs and they know what we want. Any nonsense is not allowed. While we aren't monotone while training I don't get super excited and dont look like a moron while training them anymore. It's a straight "sit" down, heel etc. while when I train Caleb it's the complete opposite. I have to be more fun then the bag floating across the ground, or the butterfly that just went by. My sister? No she is more monotone and boring. I get bored listening to her,haha.She is trying to get more happy and goofy but its taking her awhile. She also gets mad when Caleb doesn't come when she says "Caleb". I tell her that he is still a puppy and chasing Mia is new fun then coming back to her. When I call him back I crouch pat my legs and go "Caleb" in a high pitch fun tone. I also treat as soon as he gets to me. So my sister is really aggravated right now. I know the feeling(it took me awhile to transition from training adult dogs to puppy's when I got Mia) but she is now aggravating me,lol. 

Also with Tank and Bentley I do praise and play tug and act stupid but actual training and recall? No, there 4 and 9 and know what I'm telling them and they know training time means serious time. After training is when the real fun starts.


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> AHAHAHA now THAT is bad.........it is funny in retrospect though. I just felt so....disappointed. I was having a day like you guys were talking about....just wanting to cry for no reason. It just about set me off.....then I laughed instead, thankfully I'm good at laughing at the stupid things I do


I have ADHD ... so you can only imagine the things I have left on top of the car lol.


----------



## Damon'sMom

I am so tired. Remind me why I wanted to get another puppy? I have had Mason for almost 13 days now. And he has SCREAMED in his crate every night since I got him. I get maybe 2 hours sleep a night. I am low on sleep and patience. I am beginning to think Mason is not going to be able to be crate trained. I gave up crate training Sophie because she would physically harm herself in her cage.  I do not want to give up on Mason, I love that Jasper loves his crate. Makes shows a lot easier!

We have played crate games every day since I got him, multiple times a day. I have tried treats, human food, covering the cage, leaving it uncovered, lights off, lights on, and Kongs. I have also brought Jasper's cage in there and sat it where he could see him. Nothing works. He just screams. And when I say screams, I mean he will scream himself hoarse some nights. It can't be good for him and I know its not good for my nerves. I won't say we haven't made any improvement, the first few nights he didn't sleep at all.  LOL 

Really I am just complaining, I know what its like to raise a puppy. I have done it so many times before, for myself, my family, and for other people. I have never encountered a pup quiet like Mason though. Usually they begin to start getting the idea before now. 


In other news however he already has sit about down. When he can sit still that is. lol We have only been working on it today, so we are off to a good start. He is so super smart.


----------



## Melle

I picked up my boy last night! I feel so at peace with him. Passed the litterbox test, and I believe I'm naming him Tobias. Gray, brown, and inky black-striped tabby with white splashes.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Oh, Damon'sMom, thanks for that.....my most recent puppy fever is now gone lol. Sounds like Caeda when she was tiny (screaming herself hoarse). Hope he calms down for you soon and you start getting some sleep!



Melle said:


> I picked up my boy last night! I feel so at peace with him. Passed the litterbox test, and I believe I'm naming him Tobias. Gray, brown, and inky black-striped tabby with white splashes.


 Sweet!!!! Good luck with Tobias!


----------



## CptJack

So, I think we're *finally* over the diarrhea. Still doing a bland diet and on some meds, but we finally had decent poop this morning which was nice. Also nice has been that she's clearly never felt bad, though she was pretty sleepy on Wednesday.

Yesterday she was bouncing off the walls so we went out and played and trained. The ability to reward her with her play is seriously, seriously the best thing in the world right now. It actually feels a little strange but it's so, so, neat.


----------



## Remaru

Remind me why I wanted Freyja to get through a heat cycle before spaying? Either she or Remus are going to make me insane before this is over. If she is out he is screaming in the crate. If he is out she is screaming. Remus has always been good in his crate (ok that is a lie, he was awful when he was tiny but from about 4 months on he has been good). Now he is a howling, whiny menace. Even when he is out he just wanders around whining and licking the floor, looking at the door and calling for her. Then she howls because in the last month or so she decided that she didn't like the crate except at night. I just want this to be here, in case I ever have another female dog and think "oh yeah I can do this, just one or two heat cycles before I spay her".


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

So I ordered something from this website (after finally being able to order it after hopefully getting everything straightened out lol).

The vent? They custom make everything and there is a 3-5 day waiting period


----------



## CptJack

CptJack said:


> So, I think we're *finally* over the diarrhea. Still doing a bland diet and on some meds, but we finally had decent poop this morning which was nice. Also nice has been that she's clearly never felt bad, though she was pretty sleepy on Wednesday.
> 
> Yesterday she was bouncing off the walls so we went out and played and trained. The ability to reward her with her play is seriously, seriously the best thing in the world right now. It actually feels a little strange but it's so, so, neat.



Or, I could be completely wrong and we could have two normal poops and then have it go back to not normal.

She doesn't feel bad. She isn't dehydrated. She isn't anemic. She has no fever. She isn't throwing up. Her fecals have all been negative for everything, though she just finished a round of panacur just in case.

I'm having flashbacks to Thud, here.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Or, I could be completely wrong and we could have two normal poops and then have it go back to not normal.
> 
> She doesn't feel bad. She isn't dehydrated. She isn't anemic. She has no fever. She isn't throwing up. Her fecals have all been negative for everything, though she just finished a round of panacur just in case.
> 
> I'm having flashbacks to Thud, here.


Ahhhh puppy squirts.


----------



## Greater Swiss

We were working on the deck of my grandmother's house today (soon to be our house). There is a ton of lumber laying around, as well as a whole bunch of branches off of trees that I cut off a couple of weeks ago. 
Caeda likes chewing wood (rarely ingests any, except the odd chunk that gets caught in her jowels). 
What does she go for, with all of those tasty tree branches laying around?
Pressure treated. 
Seriously dog, here is a tree branch, destroy that please (she's usually content to destroy dead branches, and I don't mind it either...)
No, I want pressure treated
No don't eat that

*sigh* not a productive day, I even took her chew toy with us and she had NO interest in it....only pressure treated wood. There's me having to stop every 5 seconds to get it from her. Yeah, I know it was likely an attention game bug jeez!!!! Should have exercised her before, but we had plans to take her on a long walk later on....next time.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Remaru said:


> Remind me why I wanted Freyja to get through a heat cycle before spaying? Either she or Remus are going to make me insane before this is over. If she is out he is screaming in the crate. If he is out she is screaming. Remus has always been good in his crate (ok that is a lie, he was awful when he was tiny but from about 4 months on he has been good). Now he is a howling, whiny menace. Even when he is out he just wanders around whining and licking the floor, looking at the door and calling for her. Then she howls because in the last month or so she decided that she didn't like the crate except at night. I just want this to be here, in case I ever have another female dog and think "oh yeah I can do this, just one or two heat cycles before I spay her".


Lol thats how my old Pyrshep got himself neutered  I also had 2 intact females and the time(Misty and Baby) they were not a problem, they didn't give a rats behind about him, after a few heats we realized that they REALLY didn't like him..like they did not even require separation from him because under no circumstances was he welcome anywhere near them(well i think it was more Misty...SHE hated Blair and she ruled, Blair was never welcome near her, and nobody was allowed near Baby) OMG he was the most annoying creature I have ever experienced! Just whining and pacing and spinning and crying all.the.time. it was awful!


----------



## luv mi pets

Remaru said:


> Remind me why I wanted Freyja to get through a heat cycle before spaying? Either she or Remus are going to make me insane before this is over. If she is out he is screaming in the crate. If he is out she is screaming. Remus has always been good in his crate (ok that is a lie, he was awful when he was tiny but from about 4 months on he has been good). Now he is a howling, whiny menace. Even when he is out he just wanders around whining and licking the floor, looking at the door and calling for her. Then she howls because in the last month or so she decided that she didn't like the crate except at night. I just want this to be here, in case I ever have another female dog and think "oh yeah I can do this, just one or two heat cycles before I spay her".


Because you read the benefits here Benefits remember now. I think this is why some people just go ahead and board one of the dogs. Peace, sanity and sleep will be yours in about 2 weeks. Well, than something else will happen. I am so glad I just neuter and spay my animals. I could not do it.


----------



## Kayota

lol im so glad roxie is a female... bc faxon was in heat when i got her and i would have cried if i had to deal with that. faxon made me cry enough as it is LOL


----------



## Damon'sMom

The craziness that comes with having a male and female intact dogs in the same house doesn't bothered me really. Don't get me wrong there were days when I contemplated taking them all in for a mass spay and neuter day. lol When I lived at home we had 8 dogs at one point all intact. 

Jasper, Damon, Collin (RIP), and Max were all intact males. 
Sophie, Piper(RIP), River(RIP), and Ginger were intact females. 

They ranged from the age of 8 months to 7 years old. Now I just have Jasper and Mason living with me and Jasper is neutered. If everything goes as planned I do plan on keeping Mason intact. And I plan on getting a female in the next few years (2-5) and leaving her intact as well for conformation showing purposes. I don't ever really plan on getting my males neutered again.


----------



## Miss Bugs

regular people act like Gem is stupid because she will not offer a sit without being asked, other Rally people think my dog is magic because she does not struggle with things like moving stand, or sit/down/stands, and I have no issues with her throwing me finishes when I need forwards. I really don't get it..all I did was teach her an automatic STAND rather then an auto sit..precisely because all my previous dogs were trained with the standard auto sit, and trying to bring solid stand commands out of those was a pain in the rear. I experimented with Gem by teaching her an auto-stand instead..best thing I ever did, I am never teaching an auto sit again lol


----------



## Remaru

Remus is very "sensitive" or just whiny I don't know. He is off his food, not just skipping one meal but won't eat all. He is driving the two spayed girls crazy too. He's been overly bossy with Hobgoblin (who is neutered since he is a shelter rescue). Not typical for Remus, he is usually a more passive guy. Freyja is just in a funk. She follows everyone around, leans on us, whines to go out and doesn't actually want to do anything. But she is playing with the other girls and Hobgoblin like normal. Hopefully when this is over Remus will be back to normal as I didn't really plan on neutering him. Right now he is more frustrating than normal, just not himself at all. I took him out to play Frisbee and he didn't want to play. That has never happened.


----------



## momtolabs

If he keeps it up I would take him to the vet. Even if it doesn't seem like anything is physically wrong I would get blood work done to be safe.


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----------



## momtolabs

Meet my pure bred rough collie pup,lol

















Well that is according to some strangers at the gas station,haha


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----------



## theairedale

Sometimes I wish Copper was more affectionate... It'd be nice if I existed to him more often than just when I have treats/food/a toy/when he's just bored. I've tried lots of bonding-experence type things. He has his moments of "hey you're pretty cool I'll hang around here and maybe give some kisses" so maybe it's just something he'll grow into.. (hope so!)


----------



## Miss Bugs

^^ that is where several dogs helps lol. Happy is not an "attention" dog, she wants everything involved if we are working or playing but outside that context? She gets upset if she isn't with me everywhere however she is very low key..ie "I want to be with you!.....but I'll just hang out in the corner over there if you don't mind" she never joins me on the bed or couch, never comes over for pets unless its a wiggly, whiny 10 seconds because she wants something lol. She's 14 now and been that way her whole life, I'd be sorely disappointed if I didn't have other dogs to fill the void!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> ^^ that is where several dogs helps lol. Happy is not an "attention" dog, she wants everything involved if we are working or playing but outside that context? She gets upset if she isn't with me everywhere however she is very low key..ie "I want to be with you!.....but I'll just hang out in the corner over there if you don't mind" she never joins me on the bed or couch, never comes over for pets unless its a wiggly, whiny 10 seconds because she wants something lol. She's 14 now and been that way her whole life, I'd be sorely disappointed if I didn't have other dogs to fill the void!


That was Izze, and I loved her for it. She was perfectly content to just ... be. Josefina is affectionate but not overbearing about it. Buddy is an attention whore ha ha.


----------



## theairedale

Miss Bugs said:


> ^^ that is where several dogs helps lol. Happy is not an "attention" dog, she wants everything involved if we are working or playing but outside that context? She gets upset if she isn't with me everywhere however she is very low key..ie "I want to be with you!.....but I'll just hang out in the corner over there if you don't mind" she never joins me on the bed or couch, never comes over for pets unless its a wiggly, whiny 10 seconds because she wants something lol. She's 14 now and been that way her whole life, I'd be sorely disappointed if I didn't have other dogs to fill the void!


That's pretty much Copper in a nutshell! He likes being in the same room/area with us, but not close. 

----

I think I may have shed tears when I looked at this collar. So many tears. 

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/163798386/glow-in-the-dark-leather-dog-collar-with


----------



## NyxForge

We finally got the last bit of yard fenced in, and Hades' first act of freedom to roll in something rotten. He also got his first bath in the new house lol.


----------



## d_ray

Miss Bugs said:


> ^^ that is where several dogs helps lol. Happy is not an "attention" dog, she wants everything involved if we are working or playing but outside that context? She gets upset if she isn't with me everywhere however she is very low key..ie "I want to be with you!.....but I'll just hang out in the corner over there if you don't mind" she never joins me on the bed or couch, never comes over for pets unless its a wiggly, whiny 10 seconds because she wants something lol. She's 14 now and been that way her whole life, I'd be sorely disappointed if I didn't have other dogs to fill the void!


This is Jewel pretty much. She is all over me when I get home from work and first thing in the morning when she wants me to wake up and feed her. Otherwise, she pretty well just hangs out in the same room as me. She does sleep in bed with us though. She will let me spoon her in bed though and never refuses cuddles, just doesn't demand them.


----------



## momtolabs

I went to the doctor for a general check up and to ask questions. I now have to get my cholesterol tested,checked again for diabetes(he said he's almost certain I do have diabetes), thyroid tested, and I have to get some kind of test to make sure I don't have some kind of cyst thing on my ovaries. I guess it's a good thing I quit procrastinating on going in. I hate getting blood work done  I also have to fast for 10-12 hours before getting blood work done and that's goin to be tuff,lol. I drink a lot of water a day(over a gallon of water a day, plus soda and sometimes a thing of powerade.) Then I get home and Mia dumped the trash and drug everything out,Mia also got into the dog food, Caleb ate the baby gate I think it's in shreds, and I don't know who's bit there is now also a sandal in pieces. I should be getting to school but now I have a killer headache and I'm waiting for that to pass. I want to go back to bed.


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----------



## d_ray

My mom just texted me to say that Jewel has a new BFF at the dog park: Sadie, an ACD. This is the first time she's ever met one and she is really picky with dogs. My mom said they really clicked and it's by far Jewel's favourite playmate to date. They chased each other around for over 30 minutes. Maybe it's a sign 

I've been spoiled lately. My mom's been taking Jewel to the off leash dog park for hours everyday while we're at work. She's obsessed with the dog park lol. She is really outgoing and loves meeting all these new people.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> My mom just texted me to say that Jewel has a new BFF at the dog park: Sadie, an ACD. This is the first time she's ever met one and she is really picky with dogs. My mom said they really clicked and it's by far Jewel's favourite playmate to date. They chased each other around for over 30 minutes. Maybe it's a sign
> 
> I've been spoiled lately. My mom's been taking Jewel to the off leash dog park for hours everyday while we're at work. She's obsessed with the dog park lol. She is really outgoing and loves meeting all these new people.


That's because bad ass dogs just get each other


----------



## gingerkid

I was at the shelter the other day spending time with a puppy who was kenneled next to a pup who's being treated for demodex... Another volunteer came onto one of the wards and was like "Well, I can't take him, out, don't want to take Demodex home", and even after I explained to her that Demodex isn't contagious, and can't be passed between dogs, she was like "Yeah, but I still don't want to transfer it to my dogs at home". :doh:

Normally I wouldn't have said anything, but the poor demodex puppy is very high energy and really needs the time outside, and also the biggest cuddle bug, and so many volunteers just pass him by because he's being treated for something.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Client calls at work today, says to one of the girls "ya so I know your closed till 2:30, but I'll be there at 12:30 to drop off my dog." The girl was like"umm no, that ddoesn't work for us, you will need to wait till 2:30" the lady responds "uh huh, uh huh, so I'll be there at 12:30, you guys"ll figure it out" (wtf lady????) The girl was like "umm no, you can wait till 2:30" lol the lady finally relented. It made me laugh..since when to customers get to TELL a place of buisness when they will open for their demands? We make exceptions all the time for out of hours pick ups/drop offs if people require it, thats fine if we can swing the extra person to help you, great but if we can't swing that extra person? You can wait till were open. But not asking if its possible, but instead TELLING us that we WILL let her in? Kinda rude and doesn't really make us open to working with you lol

Edit- this client BTW was NOT someone who'd learned a precedent by being allowed to drop off out of hours before, the person was a total nobody to us lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Client calls at work today, says to one of the girls "ya so I know your closed till 2:30, but I'll be there at 12:30 to drop off my dog." The girl was like"umm no, that ddoesn't work for us, you will need to wait till 2:30" the lady responds "uh huh, uh huh, so I'll be there at 12:30, you guys"ll figure it out" (wtf lady????) The girl was like "umm no, you can wait till 2:30" lol the lady finally relented. It made me laugh..since when to customers get to TELL a place of buisness when they will open for their demands? We make exceptions all the time for out of hours pick ups/drop offs if people require it, thats fine if we can swing the extra person to help you, great but if we can't swing that extra person? You can wait till were open. But not asking if its possible, but instead TELLING us that we WILL let her in? Kinda rude and doesn't really make us open to working with you lol
> 
> Edit- this client BTW was NOT someone who'd learned a precedent by being allowed to drop off out of hours before, the person was a total nobody to us lol


Ha ha ha yeah nothing makes employees at a business want to bend the rules for you more than ordering them around lime they live to kiss your are


----------



## Miss Bugs

So there is this great new rescue in my area that I am really liking so far! What they have done is built a bridge between all the rescues and shelters in the province. So while they do some rescue and fostering themselves, a large chunk of what they do is create a middle man, doing fundraising and advertising for every single rescue, and collecting donations from the public as well as all the excess from other rescues/shelters and redistributing everything where it all actually needs to be. So tor example my local shelter has donated thousands of lbs of dogfood. The food has been donated to them, but they dont need it because they are supplied free food from a local dog food company. However many others shelters and rescues such as the more rural shelters and the rescues that work to help dogs on the reservations DO need that food so it then gets distributed where it will actually do good. They put on events like microchip clinics to help not only get dogs chipped, but all the procedes go to the other rescues/shelters. Opening up time for all the rescues and shelters to be able to focas more on the animals in their care, and not stuggle to be noticed above all the "other" rescues/shelters.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> So there is this great new rescue in my area that I am really liking so far! What they have done is built a bridge between all the rescues and shelters in the province. So while they do some rescue and fostering themselves, a large chunk of what they do is create a middle man, doing fundraising and advertising for every single rescue, and collecting donations from the public as well as all the excess from other rescues/shelters and redistributing everything where it all actually needs to be. So tor example my local shelter has donated thousands of lbs of dogfood. The food has been donated to them, but they dont need it because they are supplied free food from a local dog food company. However many others shelters and rescues such as the more rural shelters and the rescues that work to help dogs on the reservations DO need that food so it then gets distributed where it will actually do good. They put on events like microchip clinics to help not only get dogs chipped, but all the procedes go to the other rescues/shelters. Opening up time for all the rescues and shelters to be able to focas more on the animals in their care, and not stuggle to be noticed above all the "other" rescues/shelters.


Yay! I tried getting in touch with the rescue here about a dog I was really interested in and she said thst she was fostering her, but never would get back to me about moving forward ... so I gave up


----------



## luv mi pets

Why is it when one car goes in the shop to get fixed, the other car feels neglected and breaks down too? First hubbies car to the repair shop, than it was mine. So expensive! and man do I miss a car when I do not have one.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I'm really getting tired of people canceling me on me. It's happened 4 times in the past week. 

One of them just... Irked me. I was planning to see a movie with her,& didn't know of my plans until the next day. So, the next day, I text her,& said I was free. She then told me she couldn't. Why? Because movies are her first priority. Uhh, what? I understand you love movies. No, just... no.

Another one of those friends want to know what was going on with me. She has very little understanding about what I'm currently struggling with.She also jokes about it,& it just isn't something to joke around with. I've lightly talked about the subject with her,& she just says rude remarks. 

She wonders why I wouldn't tell her. Maybe, she'd be accepting, but, I don't want to take any risk of judging,or rejecting me-& just telling me it get over it .



luv mi pets said:


> Why is it when one car goes in the shop to get fixed, the other car feels neglected and breaks down too? First hubbies car to the repair shop, than it was mine. So expensive! and man do I miss a car when I do not have one.


When it rains, it pours.



gingerkid said:


> I was at the shelter the other day spending time with a puppy who was kenneled next to a pup who's being treated for demodex... Another volunteer came onto one of the wards and was like "Well, I can't take him, out, don't want to take Demodex home", and even after I explained to her that Demodex isn't contagious, and can't be passed between dogs, she was like "Yeah, but I still don't want to transfer it to my dogs at home". :doh:
> 
> Normally I wouldn't have said anything, but the poor demodex puppy is very high energy and really needs the time outside, and also the biggest cuddle bug, and so many volunteers just pass him by because he's being treated for something.


You can't fix stupid. But really... I just don't get some people, sometimes.Yeah, if you didn't know it wasn't contagious, I'd understand.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Well I just picked out the puppy from the oops litter this breeder friend of ours had (sorry it was his neighbor's ACD who got to the femsle, not their families) and I am so excited!!! But am also scared because I always go through the whole "can I do this?" "Am I ready?" 

So many feelings!


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Well I just picked out the puppy from the oops litter this breeder friend of ours had (sorry it was his neighbor's ACD who got to the femsle, not their families) and I am so excited!!! But am also scared because I always go through the whole "can I do this?" "Am I ready?"
> 
> So many feelings!


So exciting!! I want pics. Is it an ACD cross?


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Well I just picked out the puppy from the oops litter this breeder friend of ours had (sorry it was his neighbor's ACD who got to the femsle, not their families) and I am so excited!!! But am also scared because I always go through the whole "can I do this?" "Am I ready?"
> 
> So many feelings!


How exciting. Is this the original litter or a different litter? Is the puppy ready to come home or did you just pick one out and have to wait till later to bring him/her home? Sorry I don't want to overwhelm you with a million questions LOL.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> So exciting!! I want pics. Is it an ACD cross?


Yes it is an ACD/GSD mix, the breeder breeds GSDs and one of his females had a silent heat so he didn't know, he put her out to potty and the neighbors ACD got through their fence and got to her. He is a really nice dog, of course the moms side is health tested but don't know about dad. He is a very nice dog, though.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> How exciting. Is this the original litter or a different litter? Is the puppy ready to come home or did you just pick one out and have to wait till later to bring him/her home? Sorry I don't want to overwhelm you with a million questions LOL.


He wasn't even going to breed til this winter, he was even keeping his females totally separate from his males all the time until then to prevent an accident ... but you know what they say about the best laid plans ha ha. 

I guess it's kind of a "rescue" since he is giving them away only to trusted people and friends he knows, to make sure they will get a good home. Fiancee mentioned h was looking for a puppy and he explained what happened. The owner of the ACD (dad) paid for all the vet visits and checkups, since it was his dog who got into their yard (there was a hole neither of them knew about). 

Will post pics when she comes ... rest assured. 

So EXCITED
TERRIFIED
NERVOUS
...Feelings!!!


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> He wasn't even going to breed til this winter, he was even keeping his females totally separate from his males all the time until then to prevent an accident ... but you know what they say about the best laid plans ha ha.
> 
> I guess it's kind of a "rescue" since he is giving them away only to trusted people and friends he knows, to make sure they will get a good home. Fiancee mentioned h was looking for a puppy and he explained what happened. The owner of the ACD (dad) paid for all the vet visits and checkups, since it was his dog who got into their yard (there was a hole neither of them knew about).
> 
> Will post pics when she comes ... rest assured.
> 
> So EXCITED
> TERRIFIED
> NERVOUS
> ...Feelings!!!


 When is she coming home. GSD and ACD mix will 100% be adorable!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> When is she coming home. GSD and ACD mix will 100% be adorable!!!


2 more weeks, they are 6 weeks now I think. Which is perfect because we will be back home then and I will have plenty of time to train  .

Of course I told fiancee that there will probably be a period of time where I am all "what was I thinking!" Especially during the teenage years.


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> 2 more weeks, they are 6 weeks now I think. Which is perfect because we will be back home then and I will have plenty of time to train  .
> 
> Of course I told fiancee that there will probably be a period of time where I am all "what was I thinking!" Especially during the teenage years.


I can't wait to see pictures!!! LOL I do that every time we bring home a puppy. Then again when they hit that irritating adolescent phase. Actually Freyja is 8months now and no signs of really bad adolescence in sight. She blows me off from time to time but if that is the worst we are getting she is going to be an easy dog. Fingers crossed Hobs will be easy too. I find male dogs easier to train but man the adolescence.....they can be rough.


----------



## gingerkid

New foster and her crate today. Much sad. Very destroyed.

Has no interest in food that's left with her. Or toys. Or anything.

I left her in a closed room yesterday. I was gone 4 hours, she chewed up the door frame. Today in the crate she completely destroyed it to the point where if there had only been one door, she would've been trapped.

This is crossing several breeds off my "someday" list. Separation anxiety is just... awful.


----------



## Miss Bugs

this is what I do for a living....



















































I have no complaints lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Are any of those dogs yours, Miss Bugs? That fluffy one is pretty!


----------



## Miss Bugs

nah, those are all just random daycare and boarding dogs from today, the fluffy one is Marco, believe it or not..he is half JRT!, seriously, I have met his mom, she is a little wire haired JRT lol

these are my dummies


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Awww, they are a pain in our arse sometimes but we still love them. Your crew are all so PRETTY!!! I am partial to fluffy dogs, can you tell? Lol. Well you see my silly puppy in my siggy (the top one) so I can relate lol. She really does try, bless her.


----------



## momtolabs

My aunt is currently crying because I told her, her dog is to be crated at night. She was over the top angry when I told her and once she saw I wasn't budging kept her rude comments to herself. We share a room and I'm tired of dog crap and pee all over the dang floor!!! She said "I'm sleeping downstairs from now on." My dad quickly said no to that!! He isn't dealing with it anymore either. According to her "crates are mean and evil and should be illegal." I said "why" she responded "dogs hate them and we shove them into tiny cages just because." I looked over and Mia was flipped "feet up" in her crate sound asleep and the door was wide open! She could have chosen the couch but picked the crate instead. My aunts dog is currently whining but not too bad. There are going to be major changes that my aunt isn't going to like. I'm sick and tired of MY dogs being scared to get on THERE couch because my aunts dog is a bitch and snarled and snaps At them. Mae snapped back one day and that sent Athena in a yipping mess(no Mae did not bite but when Athena went after Mae , Mae snapped at her giving her a warning.) Mae doesn't put up with it. My aunt is here Monday-Friday for school. We graduate this year so she will not be back after next summer. Also my aunt leaves Athena's food on the ground which has caused issues with my dogs getting in squabbles over it. Also it's perfectly fine for Athena to go and steal food out of Caleb's bowl but if Caleb does it the world is coming to an end. There are FIVE huge water bowls(one for each dog) but they all share. We have five because Bentley drinks a lot of water so does Caleb. Athena has this tiny little bowl and even though its perfectly fine if she drinks out of my dogs bowls(she also drinks heavily) if my dogs put a tongue in Athena's my aunt quickly scolds them. My head is seriously about to explode. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> My aunt is currently crying because I told her, her dog is to be crated at night. She was over the top angry when I told her and once she saw I wasn't budging kept her rude comments to herself. We share a room and I'm tired of dog crap and pee all over the dang floor!!! She said "I'm sleeping downstairs from now on." My dad quickly said no to that!! He isn't dealing with it anymore either. According to her "crates are mean and evil and should be illegal." I said "why" she responded "dogs hate them and we shove them into tiny cages just because." I looked over and Mia was flipped "feet up" in her crate sound asleep and the door was wide open! She could have chosen the couch but picked the crate instead. My aunts dog is currently whining but not too bad. There are going to be major changes that my aunt isn't going to like. I'm sick and tired of MY dogs being scared to get on THERE couch because my aunts dog is a bitch and snarled and snaps At them. Mae snapped back one day and that sent Athena in a yipping mess(no Mae did not bite but when Athena went after Mae , Mae snapped at her giving her a warning.) Mae doesn't put up with it. My aunt is here Monday-Friday for school. We graduate this year so she will not be back after next summer. Also my aunt leaves Athena's food on the ground which has caused issues with my dogs getting in squabbles over it. Also it's perfectly fine for Athena to go and steal food out of Caleb's bowl but if Caleb does it the world is coming to an end. There are FIVE huge water bowls(one for each dog) but they all share. We have five because Bentley drinks a lot of water so does Caleb. Athena has this tiny little bowl and even though its perfectly fine if she drinks out of my dogs bowls(she also drinks heavily) if my dogs put a tongue in Athena's my aunt quickly scolds them. My head is seriously about to explode.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Geeze you are a saint for putting up with that, I would have exploded a long time ago because NO one tells me how it's going to be in MY house with MY dogs.


----------



## JeJo

OwnedbyACDs said:


> He wasn't even going to breed til this winter, he was even keeping his females totally separate from his males all the time until then to prevent an accident ... but you know what they say about the best laid plans ha ha.
> 
> I guess it's kind of a "rescue" since he is giving them away only to trusted people and friends he knows, to make sure they will get a good home. Fiancee mentioned h was looking for a puppy and he explained what happened. The owner of the ACD (dad) paid for all the vet visits and checkups, since it was his dog who got into their yard (there was a hole neither of them knew about).
> 
> Will post pics when she comes ... rest assured.
> 
> So EXCITED
> TERRIFIED
> NERVOUS
> ...Feelings!!!



Congratulations! -Looking forward to lots of pics of your new little gal and updates as you two make your way together. You will do great!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Thanks for the encouragement guys


----------



## theairedale

_Mounting Issues_

I didn't think this was important enough to be its own thread, so here goes:

Copper's been mounting people/dogs. A lot. Every time it happens, I tell him no, tell him to sit, and when he does, I give him a treat/attention/play with him. When he does it to another dog, I remove him for a bit and then let him play. We haven't tolerated any mounting behaviours from the day he came home, but if anything, he's been getting worse, not better.

Is this the best way to stop it? Is it because he's entering adolescence, and if so, will it decrease once he gets past that? *sigh* so frustrating.


----------



## jade5280

theairedale said:


> _Mounting Issues_
> 
> I didn't think this was important enough to be its own thread, so here goes:
> 
> Copper's been mounting people/dogs. A lot. Every time it happens, I tell him no, tell him to sit, and when he does, I give him a treat/attention/play with him. When he does it to another dog, I remove him for a bit and then let him play. We haven't tolerated any mounting behaviours from the day he came home, but if anything, he's been getting worse, not better.
> 
> Is this the best way to stop it? Is it because he's entering adolescence, and if so, will it decrease once he gets past that? *sigh* so frustrating.


I wouldn't be too worried about it. Ryker is 1 and since he was about 5-6 months all he wants to do to other dogs is hump them. Occasionally tries to hump people when he's all riled up. I just tell him "off" and separate. He has gotten a little better as he's gotten older thoough


----------



## JeJo

theairedale said:


> _Mounting Issues_
> 
> I didn't think this was important enough to be its own thread, so here goes:
> 
> Copper's been mounting people/dogs. A lot. Every time it happens, I tell him no, tell him to sit, and when he does, I give him a treat/attention/play with him. When he does it to another dog, I remove him for a bit and then let him play. We haven't tolerated any mounting behaviours from the day he came home, but if anything, he's been getting worse, not better.
> 
> Is this the best way to stop it? Is it because he's entering adolescence, and if so, will it decrease once he gets past that? *sigh* so frustrating.



My female dog's humping isn't as much a problem as she "air humps" and so far, only near my 7-yr old granddaughter when she is playing on the floor, and only on rare occasion. Nevertheless, I make sure to get after her right away, too, commanding, "leave it" (would command, "off" if she were making physical contact) and she immediately does so. For good measure, I tend to put myself between my dog and the subject of her "attention" at the same time to reinforce her change of focus. 

As it seems to be a habitual action/reaction(?), I would think that if there is a way to somehow be preemptive and head things off at the pass with a 'sit' command or some such, that that might be something to consider in trying to break the habit. I don't know.

Wish I could be of help in how to get quick results. Just stay consistent and Copper will eventually get it.


----------



## theairedale

jade5280 said:


> I wouldn't be too worried about it. Ryker is 1 and since he was about 5-6 months all he wants to do to other dogs is hump them. Occasionally tries to hump people when he's all riled up. I just tell him "off" and separate. He has gotten a little better as he's gotten older thoough





JeJo said:


> My female dog's humping isn't as much a problem as she "air humps" and so far, only near my 7-yr old granddaughter when she is playing on the floor, and only on rare occasion. Nevertheless, I make sure to get after her right away, too, commanding, "leave it" (would command, "off" if she were making physical contact) and she immediately does so. For good measure, I tend to put myself between my dog and the subject of her "attention" at the same time to reinforce her change of focus.
> 
> As it seems to be a habitual action/reaction(?), I would think that if there is a way to somehow be preemptive and head things off at the pass with a 'sit' command or some such, that that might be something to consider in trying to break the habit. I don't know.
> 
> Wish I could be of help in how to get quick results. Just stay consistent and Copper will eventually get it.


Thank you both for your replies! So yep, I'll just keep doing that, then, and hopefully he'll understand!


----------



## gingerkid

theairedale said:


> _Mounting Issues_
> 
> I didn't think this was important enough to be its own thread, so here goes:
> 
> Copper's been mounting people/dogs. A lot. Every time it happens, I tell him no, tell him to sit, and when he does, I give him a treat/attention/play with him. When he does it to another dog, I remove him for a bit and then let him play. We haven't tolerated any mounting behaviours from the day he came home, but if anything, he's been getting worse, not better.
> 
> Is this the best way to stop it? Is it because he's entering adolescence, and if so, will it decrease once he gets past that? *sigh* so frustrating.


Entering adolescence probably has something to do with it, but it might also be from over-excitement or over-stimulation. Take note of when it starts, and work on reinforcing calm behaviors in those situations.

Or maybe he just likes humping.


----------



## kdawnk

Sooo... I just read a question that someone had on a different site about their dog who "Hasn't pooped in 6 days, I've tried bacon grease and pumpkin and nothing has helped. Still eating like normal just no poop for 6 days, what other over the counter things can I try?"

DUDE. Your dog hasn't pooped. IN. SIX. DAYS.
Whaaa


----------



## gingerkid

kdawnk said:


> Sooo... I just read a question that someone had on a different site about their dog who "Hasn't pooped in 6 days, I've tried bacon grease and pumpkin and nothing has helped. Still eating like normal just no poop for 6 days, what other over the counter things can I try?"
> 
> DUDE. Your dog hasn't pooped. IN. SIX. DAYS.
> Whaaa


Either that dog is a black hole, or it's pooping somewhere its mommy doesn't know about...

ETA: I guess an obstruction would be possible, but 6 days of constipation and absolutely no other symptoms seems odd for an obstruction.


----------



## DaySleepers

Had a woman call into work today looking for Control Unleashed. We don't carry it (I think it's independently published or something?), but I recommended The Other End of the Leash and put it aside for her. She's having issues in her multi-dog household and was talking about how she 'isn't alpha enough'. Really hoping that she reads the book with an open mind and learns something about building a better relationship with her dogs...


----------



## Miss Bugs

Trainer at my club drives me batty. Gem is super super dog friendly, but when she is in "working" mode, she wants nothing to do with other dogs and will growl if they try to engage her. Once out of working mode she is like queen of the playful though. So after class today, Gem is in regular mode, she goes to visit this trainers puppy, happily greets her, almost invites her to play when the trainer decides that OMG Gem is being FRIENDLY! and throws her a praise and treat party...now I understand her intentions but by doing that she threw Gem back into "work" mode, so when her Puppy tried to continue engaging Gem, Gem was like "F off, dog".. I can't even tell you how many times I have told her that Gem is VERY friendly when she isn't working but insists on acting like Gem needs "friendliness" heavily reinforced. There is no reason whatever for her to need to be dog interactive while working, and out of working mode she needs no partys..she's been doing daycare every day of her darn life.


----------



## Kayota

gingerkid said:


> Entering adolescence probably has something to do with it, but it might also be from over-excitement or over-stimulation. Take note of when it starts, and work on reinforcing calm behaviors in those situations.
> 
> Or maybe he just likes humping.


RRoxie humps pillows... i let her do it... Moby humped me, every time i laid ddown... i did not let him do that...


----------



## kdawnk

So just got the MDR1 testing back for the Collie Gene in Sansa and found that she's NORMAL/NORMAL.
She's getting all of the drugs!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Can aussies have the "collie gene" as well? I forget.


----------



## gingerkid

DaySleepers said:


> Had a woman call into work today looking for Control Unleashed. We don't carry it (I think it's independently published or something?), but I recommended The Other End of the Leash and put it aside for her. She's having issues in her multi-dog household and was talking about how she 'isn't alpha enough'. Really hoping that she reads the book with an open mind and learns something about building a better relationship with her dogs...


Feisty Fido might be another good book for her to read.


----------



## Kayota

i am just having the worst day at work. i wish my overbearing coworker were here. i am at a different store and there is nothing i need. i had to buy a bunc of stuff just to do the event. they would not let me use my mini fridge. the cart was filthy but there is no cleaner i can use. i had to sit on the phone for an hour with field support and my boss because i forgot my work money card and now i have to do an expense report when i get home. also this place is half an hour away which for me is quite a drive. i just do not have a high tolerance for frustration and cleaning up after the stupidity of others. i had to get lunch and i havent even started the event. just kill me.


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Can aussies have the "collie gene" as well? I forget.


Yes, Aussie's are one of the most heavily affected breeds for the mdr1 mutation

I had Gem and Gyp tested just in case, ACD's are low on the affected list but everyone always calls them Aussie's so I had them tested to be safe. They are both normal/normal. I really should have my actual Aussie tested lol


----------



## Remaru

I am having a bad week. Just, really really bad. I don't want to complain, I don't want to get over personal here as I know information is not really private here. I'm just having a bad week. My stress level is higher than it needs to be, higher than it should be and my health is being affected. 

Duke took a turn for the worse. He really scared me barking at my oldest son walking through the living room. He refused to be calmed. I don't know what hubby is thinking, he doesn't want to talk about it or do anything just keeps acusing me of wanting to "kill our son's dog" all of the sudden. Freyja is still in heat, not a surprise and she is handling it just fine (a little sulky about the crating but she is coping). Remus is being a pain in my tush though. He won't do anything but whine and look for her all of the time. He is eating again, at least his evening meals and honestly in the summer he rarely eats "breakfast" so I'm not concerned. I put half of his breakfast in a kong with some PB and he ate that. It is just the acting like a jerk face that is bothering me. Plus it rained last night so now he is refusing to do his business outside (no, this is normal for him but I refuse to clean up a mess in my house because the dog that will poop in a lake won't do it outside when the grass is wet, he can wait for hubby to get home and walk him). I contacted the specialist who sees both of my boys to hear that he will no longer see them because he isn't handling medication anymore. This leaves me scrambling to find some one to see my youngest before his meds run out (you think you could have, I don't know dropped me an email or phone call before this maybe?) and he winds up off his meds cold turkey and having seizures (side effect of going off these meds too quickly) plus dealing with him off the meds is unpleasant to say the least. Called his pediatrician to be told he won't handle the script need to find another specialist. GAH!!! Plus I need to find a specialist for my oldest, that will be the 3rd one in 4 years for him. I am just worn out. I'm so worn out. I also got news that his benefits would end, had to call to fix it which caused me undue stress and a panic attack (I don't deal well with phone calls like that). Plus his other specialist is still on the fence about what is causing his immune issues. I need good news of some sort, or to spend time doing something fun or something. I think I may spend the rest of the day hiding in my room with the cat. 

So I guess I lied, I am going to complain and vent....


----------



## Miss Bugs

Jeez last night one of my co-workers went to see some puppies in the hood, the "breeders" were claiming the pups were "ready to go"...my co-worker took one look at the pups and was like "these puppies are NOT ready to leave" they insisted the puppies were, she tried to get them to give her the whole litter so she could get them into a rescue but the guy refused, so she took one, reported the "breeder" and is bottle feeding the one she took. Its a pitbull puppy..so small she fits entirely in the palm of my hand, and her eyes are barely open  people suck


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I'm so nervous to go back to school. Last year was just... horrible. People treated like complete crap, or they'd just ignore me. And for some personal reasons, I think, if I do get treated the same, it will have a worse effect on me.


Kayota said:


> i am just having the worst day at work. i wish my overbearing coworker were here. i am at a different store and there is nothing i need. i had to buy a bunc of stuff just to do the event. they would not let me use my mini fridge. the cart was filthy but there is no cleaner i can use. i had to sit on the phone for an hour with field support and my boss because i forgot my work money card and now i have to do an expense report when i get home. also this place is half an hour away which for me is quite a drive. i just do not have a high tolerance for frustration and cleaning up after the stupidity of others. i had to get lunch and i havent even started the event. just kill me.


(((HUGS))) I'm so sorry.


----------



## kdawnk

Miss Bugs said:


> Yes, Aussie's are one of the most heavily affected breeds for the mdr1 mutation
> 
> I had Gem and Gyp tested just in case, ACD's are low on the affected list but everyone always calls them Aussie's so I had them tested to be safe. They are both normal/normal. I really should have my actual Aussie tested lol


Yup, these are the breeds that are effected! Aussie's are fairly high up there, I just founds that vets were hesitant to give my girl anything at all until I tested her, and she's always sickly so now she can actually get drugs for Mange if it gets worse.


----------



## DaySleepers

gingerkid said:


> Feisty Fido might be another good book for her to read.


She came this morning, didn't get The Other End of the Leash, and instead got a book on psychic animal communication and ordered another one. Because her friends tell her she has a 'gift' for understanding and communicating with her dogs. Yeah. I'm sure that's why you're having so much trouble with your 'alpha' dogs and think that spraying them with water whenever they misbehave is a good idea, lady...

Sigh. I wish the cynicism retail has ground into me didn't keep getting reinforced.


----------



## Kayota

my day ddefinitely improved after i started the event finally lol. but i met a sstereotypical nice guy.. he hung at my cart for a while while i fed him samples and talked to him and he told me that the reason he cant get a date is because he's nice and girls see him as a friend, and then told me he thinks thats r*tarded... aand hes going to e back tomorrow. send help


----------



## gingerkid

DaySleepers said:


> She came this morning, didn't get The Other End of the Leash, and instead got a book on psychic animal communication and ordered another one. Because her friends tell her she has a 'gift' for understanding and communicating with her dogs. Yeah. I'm sure that's why you're having so much trouble with your 'alpha' dogs and think that spraying them with water whenever they misbehave is a good idea, lady...
> 
> Sigh. I wish the cynicism retail has ground into me didn't keep getting reinforced.


Yeah, I couldn't deal with it. Luckily when I was in the deli, I mostly worked open, so I had at least a couple hours of no customers around, and then the lunch rush was so busy that there wasn't much time to get enraged by the stupidity of some people. Like the lady who asked me if the brie was pasteurized (it was - in cheese "pasteurization refers to the milk that's used to make it), and then argued with me about what pasteurization was. :doh:


----------



## Miss Bugs

this is the "ready to go" puppy..she's hardly even mobile yet  I knew my co-worker had taken the puppy, I didn't realize that the guy was actually charging for them, he was charging $100 each..she didn't pay him, she just yelled at him and walked away with the puppy lol. there was not even a mom..nothing happened to her, they just got rid of her, then started selling off the puppies that should still be friggen nursing. she reported the guy, but was told that if the guy won't surrender the pups himself, they can't do anything :frusty:


----------



## Remaru

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 169513
> View attachment 169521
> 
> 
> this is the "ready to go" puppy..she's hardly even mobile yet  I knew my co-worker had taken the puppy, I didn't realize that the guy was actually charging for them, he was charging $100 each..she didn't pay him, she just yelled at him and walked away with the puppy lol. there was not even a mom..nothing happened to her, they just got rid of her, then started selling off the puppies that should still be friggen nursing. she reported the guy, but was told that if the guy won't surrender the pups himself, they can't do anything :frusty:


Poor baby. This is very common where I live. Puppies that are "ready to go" mean 5weeks, 6weeks if the "breeder" is being generous. Usually mom is still there and available, owner just doesn't want to have to pay to provide food anymore. My childhood dog was a sheltie dumped on the Humane Society at 7weeks with her sister because the breeder had been unable to sell the last two pups from the litter and it was getting to expensive to keep them. The breeder had been selling the puppies for a couple of weeks already. Humane society kept the two together for a week, did their intake and vetting then placed them so I had her at 8weeks old. There is no law here to prevent it.


----------



## Miss Bugs

honestly? I am pretty sure that puppy is not even 5 weeks. she cannot even properly stand, can only wobbly walk a couple steps and she only has a couple baby teeth in. I have met 5 week old puppies, they are young, but they are mobile and like to explore their surroundings, this puppy is still at the "does nothing but eat and sleep" stage and her only sounds are mewing and the odd whine.

on a better note(I think) there was this dog that used to come to daycare everyday, he was super high anxiety so you had to be hyper aware of him because if you turned your back for a second he would be heading over or under the fence. however he suddenly just stopped coming to daycare, no idea why. well about 4-5 months ago I saw his picture on my local shelters website, I fired his anxiety must have been too much for them. well a girl that used to work at the kennel ended up adopting him, and she said he's a little mental but she is working on it, and he is a great dog. well he looks AMAZING!!! she has got his weight down and his coat absolutely glows! so happy for him! however a new girl at the kennel used to work at the shelter and worked there when he came in..I had assumed he has been surrendered..I assumed wrong. he had be SEIZED from his previous owner, and when he came in his neck had been shaved bald(he's a lab mix, his coat is short)..done by his previous owner in order to "make the shock collar more effective"


----------



## BubbaMoose

There were two ACD's at the dog park and they were absolutely HORRID. Barking and lunging at everything. They absolutely did NOT belong there. So, so annoying. You'd think their owners would take a clue, but apparently not! 

Also, they were a lot smaller than I expected!

But yeah. We had a not so great time at the dog park tonight. Maybe next time.


----------



## Munki

Remaru said:


> I am having a bad week. Just, really really bad. I don't want to complain, I don't want to get over personal here as I know information is not really private here. I'm just having a bad week. My stress level is higher than it needs to be, higher than it should be and my health is being affected.
> 
> Duke took a turn for the worse. He really scared me barking at my oldest son walking through the living room. He refused to be calmed. I don't know what hubby is thinking, he doesn't want to talk about it or do anything just keeps acusing me of wanting to "kill our son's dog" all of the sudden. Freyja is still in heat, not a surprise and she is handling it just fine (a little sulky about the crating but she is coping). Remus is being a pain in my tush though. He won't do anything but whine and look for her all of the time. He is eating again, at least his evening meals and honestly in the summer he rarely eats "breakfast" so I'm not concerned. I put half of his breakfast in a kong with some PB and he ate that. It is just the acting like a jerk face that is bothering me. Plus it rained last night so now he is refusing to do his business outside (no, this is normal for him but I refuse to clean up a mess in my house because the dog that will poop in a lake won't do it outside when the grass is wet, he can wait for hubby to get home and walk him). I contacted the specialist who sees both of my boys to hear that he will no longer see them because he isn't handling medication anymore. This leaves me scrambling to find some one to see my youngest before his meds run out (you think you could have, I don't know dropped me an email or phone call before this maybe?) and he winds up off his meds cold turkey and having seizures (side effect of going off these meds too quickly) plus dealing with him off the meds is unpleasant to say the least. Called his pediatrician to be told he won't handle the script need to find another specialist. GAH!!! Plus I need to find a specialist for my oldest, that will be the 3rd one in 4 years for him. I am just worn out. I'm so worn out. I also got news that his benefits would end, had to call to fix it which caused me undue stress and a panic attack (I don't deal well with phone calls like that). Plus his other specialist is still on the fence about what is causing his immune issues. I need good news of some sort, or to spend time doing something fun or something. I think I may spend the rest of the day hiding in my room with the cat.
> 
> So I guess I lied, I am going to complain and vent....


Its okay to vent! You have a lot on your plate. Just take it one day at a time and you will get through it.


----------



## Munki

BubbaMoose said:


> There were two ACD's at the dog park and they were absolutely HORRID. Barking and lunging at everything. They absolutely did NOT belong there. So, so annoying. You'd think their owners would take a clue, but apparently not!
> 
> Also, they were a lot smaller than I expected!
> 
> But yeah. We had a not so great time at the dog park tonight. Maybe next time.


I go to a local dog park all the time. There I an elder lady maybe in her late 70's who has a Great Dane pup. He attacks other dogs and is extremely rough. She has been asked to leave the park several times by local pd. And has had her dog taken from her twice. She always ask for help in loading the dog into her car also. Its frustrating to drive 30 minutes just to turn around and come home because you know your dogs aren't safe when her dog is there. Im not the only one that feels this way . The park empties in less than 5 minutes as soon as she shows up.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Munki said:


> I go to a local dog park all the time. There I an elder lady maybe in her late 70's who has a Great Dane pup. He attacks other dogs and is extremely rough. She has been asked to leave the park several times by local pd. And has had her dog taken from her twice. She always ask for help in loading the dog into her car also. Its frustrating to drive 30 minutes just to turn around and come home because you know your dogs aren't safe when her dog is there. Im not the only one that feels this way . The park empties in less than 5 minutes as soon as she shows up.


Yeah that really is a bummer. It's such a shame when just one person ruins it for everyone else. I can't stand when people bring dog's that clearly don't belong at a dog park to the dog park. It's like they have no regard for others. Kind of unbelievable really.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Yes, Aussie's are one of the most heavily affected breeds for the mdr1 mutation
> 
> I had Gem and Gyp tested just in case, ACD's are low on the affected list but everyone always calls them Aussie's so I had them tested to be safe. They are both normal/normal. I really should have my actual Aussie tested lol


I worry about Josefina because she is a rescue so her parentage is unknown for sure, people say she is pure bred but there really is no way to tell, she could have BC in her also, and as I understand, also can have the MDR1 gene.


----------



## Miss Bugs

BCs can have it, yes, but the affected rate is very low..like under 5%, far below even mix breeds affected by it. I don't bother testing my BCs for it.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Had Demo team practice tonight..I love running Gem... easiest dog ever lol. She doesn't struggle at all with new games, needs no encouragement,doesn't try to start before released and distance means nothing to her..it's great lol I can just walk up to a new game Gem has never seen before, Hold a disc behind my back, stand at the beginning of the coarse and she will just sit there till I say "go" then charge out and immediately complete the whole game/coarse with no commands, I dont move..I just stand at the end holding the disc out, she races to the end, grabs her disc and immediately runs the full coarse again with the disc in her mouth lol. Used her as a distraction dog for a dog that.liked to chase her racing partner in relays, this dog crossed and chased her over the entire coarse..she could not have cared less about the dog just carried on doing what she was supposed too as if the dog wasn't there lol


----------



## CptJack

At about 4:30 this morning I kicked my husband out of bed to the couch because a-) he was snoring and b-) I hadn't been asleep yet and really, really wnated to sleep in after a week of being sleep deprived and sick. He had no issue with that.

Bug woke up from sound sleep, huffed heavily at me, flounced off the bed and into her crate and spent the rest of the night there with her butt facing me. She *STILL* won't look at me. 

I'm cracking up. I honestly have no idea what the heck she thinks I did to her.


----------



## Kayota

who knows? roxie will leave for a while if i so much as lie down next to her. Unless im on the phone with my mom for some reason.


----------



## Laurelin

There are some unusual breeds around at petsmart. We saw a couple different malinois, a ridgeback, weims, BCs, tons of pit bulls, bunch of maltese, great dane, foxhound, OES, a pair of airedales, boerboel.

There seems to be an influx of certain breeds lately. Boerboels and malinois especially... that kind of is worrisome. :/ I've seen so many in the last couple years.


----------



## Kayota

ive never seen a boerboel in person but i do see a fair number of malinois. not regularly... but theres usually one at dog events and such


----------



## Remaru

Xolos have become more common where I am lately. I have seen 3 in the last 4 months. My youngest got to sit and pet one at a doggie event a couple of months ago. His owner said he didn't normally like children but he climbed into my son's lap while we were sitting watching a demo so we all let them bond for awhile. 

The most common dogs are lab/mixes, golden/mixes, pit/mixes, gsd/mixes and husky/mixes. Then the small dogs chi/mixes and poodle/mixes. There are a few malinios around locally, and the police K9 here are all malinios. What I see very few of are Standard Poodle, Collies and Shelties. I can't tell you the last time I saw a Papillon even.


----------



## Willowy

I saw a teeny tiny dog on my route today. New people, young couple who moved into his grandpa's house after he died. Maybe a Yorkie pup? I didn't ask. Just a little fluffy black-and-tan puppy the size of a large hamster or small guinea pig. So cute! She was so wiggly, confident and friendly. But I can pretty much guarantee (from past experience with dogs on my route) that she'll be scaredy, snappy, and territorial in a year : /. Is it just a part of maturing or is it something the owners do? I don't know. But wow she was cute today.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Anyone else's dogs play in slow motion?? Gem and Gyp are wild outside, race around like maniacs chasing and tackling eachother...they play the same game in the house(chase, ram and tackle) but in slow motion.... ie Gyp will take a toy, show it to Gem, then start casually walking around the house..and Gem will casually follow her around the house..then casually flip direction to cut Gypsy off and take an end of the toy..then they will wrestle over the toy silently in slow motion.... I find it endlessly entertaining lol


----------



## BubbaMoose

Miss Bugs said:


> Anyone else's dogs play in slow motion?? Gem and Gyp are wild outside, race around like maniacs chasing and tackling eachother...they play the same game in the house(chase, ram and tackle) but in slow motion.... ie Gyp will take a toy, show it to Gem, then start casually walking around the house..and Gem will casually follow her around the house..then casually flip direction to cut Gypsy off and take an end of the toy..then they will wrestle over the toy silently in slow motion.... I find it endlessly entertaining lol


YES! Isn't it hilarious? Bubba and Moose really only play this way indoors. Occasionally they'll get a little crazy but I tend to nip that in the bud, they can save that wild stuff for outside.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I really don't think I should start a thread about this, so I'll just post it her.

Our neighbor keeps letting there intact (male) Vizsla run loose. I've probably seen this dog loose on more then 10 occasions. I usually see the dog, when I'm doing something outside. If that's just when I'm out... I can't imagine how many times this dog is actually loose. My friend, who's basically on the opposite side of the neighborhood, has seen this dog,too.Problem is, I don't know where they live. I know the generally area, but, I don't know which house.

I'm not really sure would to do? Call a/c?


----------



## Equinox

I... really want a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I mean, not really, because I know they aren't right for me but as far as hounds go they're probably my favorite. Their temperament is really close to what I like to see in dogs but there are also a lot of big aspects that won't really click with me. Sigh. Guess I'll have to move in with someone who owns a pack of them or something


----------



## Flaming

I found Llama meat...that is all


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Equinox said:


> I... really want a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I mean, not really, because I know they aren't right for me but as far as hounds go they're probably my favorite. Their temperament is really close to what I like to see in dogs but there are also a lot of big aspects that won't really click with me. Sigh. Guess I'll have to move in with someone who owns a pack of them or something



Same here. But with different breeds. I would love sight hound, particular a Borozi, or a Silken Windhound. But, there's some aspects I just don't want to deal with.


----------



## Equinox

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Same here. But with different breeds. I would love sight hound, particular a Borozi, or a Silken Windhound. But, there's some aspects I just don't want to deal with.


Oh I have a feeling I'll end up with a LH Whippet or a Silken Windhound someday. Complete opposite of what I generally look for in a dog, but there is something about them that really appeals to me, and it's not just aesthetic. Would love to have one as my low maintenance/non-obnoxious/actually nice pet. I need one of those eventually lol


----------



## Kyllobernese

This is the third afternoon in a row that we have been having thunderstorms. Kris is the only one just sleeps right through them, Susie is sleeping on the floor as close as she can get to me and the others keep trying to climb on my lap. Luckily they do not seem to last too long but the lightning is hitting really close so the thunder shakes the whole house at times. The rain comes down so hard you can hardly see through it. Not usual weather for here and it is only 10 degrees out C. (50F).


----------



## Kayota

Willowy said:


> I saw a teeny tiny dog on my route today. New people, young couple who moved into his grandpa's house after he died. Maybe a Yorkie pup? I didn't ask. Just a little fluffy black-and-tan puppy the size of a large hamster or small guinea pig. So cute! She was so wiggly, confident and friendly. But I can pretty much guarantee (from past experience with dogs on my route) that she'll be scaredy, snappy, and territorial in a year : /. Is it just a part of maturing or is it something the owners do? I don't know. But wow she was cute today.


the owners surely, although i'm not sure why you can guarantee that? unless you think all small dogs are jerks, in which case i have to say you're very wrong and i'm slightly offended.


----------



## Willowy

Kayota said:


> the owners surely, although i'm not sure why you can guarantee that? unless you think all small dogs are jerks, in which case i have to say you're very wrong and i'm slightly offended.


 Because it's happened _every single time_ someone on the route gets a small dog. They're sweet little wiggly puppies and then they get nasty. With one, I saw why she got nasty---the owner would hold her muzzle and slap her whenever she'd bark at me---but with the others I never saw or heard anything that made them turn snappy like that. I thought it may be a result of social maturity in poorly-trained/socialized small dogs or something. It always happens right around 8 months or so. I'd like to think this one will turn out differently but I don't think I can be optimistic at this point :/.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Signature testing.


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> I found Llama meat...that is all


There's a butcher near me that specializes in bison, but also has all kinds of weird and exotic stuff... We did an alpaca roast last fall. It was delicious!

They also carry venison, elk, rattlesnake, python, gator, kangaroo.... all kinds of random birds... they can get pretty much anything on special order. It's great.


----------



## gingerkid

Kayota said:


> the owners surely, although i'm not sure why you can guarantee that? unless you think all small dogs are jerks, in which case i have to say you're very wrong and i'm slightly offended.


Probably because small dogs that are left all day unattended in the yard usually turn out like that around here too. When hubby was reading gas meters he used to get chased and/or snapped at by the small dogs in the yards way more often than the big ones.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I Don't find the small dogs as annoying as their owners sometimes,.


----------



## Remaru

gingerkid said:


> Probably because small dogs that are left all day unattended in the yard usually turn out like that around here too. When hubby was reading gas meters he used to get chased and/or snapped at by the small dogs in the yards way more often than the big ones.


I think a lot of times little dogs go through a normal fear stage and instead of helping them work through it the owners just pick their dogs up because it is easy. So the dogs learn there really is something to be afraid of. Also the world is a bit more frightening when you are only 10inches tall so much of what you see is bluff with a little dog (I know with Dove that is what it is, she is nervous and lacks all doggie social skilsl because she wasn't socialized when she was a puppy). Then many small dog owners skip socialization (puppy might get hurt by the big dogs), send nervous signals without realizing it (becuase the world looks big and scarey when compared to their tiny dog) or ignore training because puppy is so tiny and cute. That is what I tend to see adding up to small dogs who are snappy or ill mannered. I can't say too much, I've got one. We are always working on it but those first several months with little/no socialization were hard on her. We adopted her at 7months, and it really is when it starts because that is prime time for a fear stage/adolescence. If you don't do anything to help it doesn't get better it just sort of sets in or gets worse.


----------



## Buffalo_Soldier

Remaru said:


> I think a lot of times little dogs go through a normal fear stage and instead of helping them work through it the owners just pick their dogs up because it is easy. So the dogs learn there really is something to be afraid of. Also the world is a bit more frightening when you are only 10inches tall so much of what you see is bluff with a little dog (I know with Dove that is what it is, she is nervous and lacks all doggie social skilsl because she wasn't socialized when she was a puppy). Then many small dog owners skip socialization (puppy might get hurt by the big dogs), send nervous signals without realizing it (becuase the world looks big and scarey when compared to their tiny dog) or ignore training because puppy is so tiny and cute. That is what I tend to see adding up to small dogs who are snappy or ill mannered. I can't say too much, I've got one. We are always working on it but those first several months with little/no socialization were hard on her. We adopted her at 7months, and it really is when it starts because that is prime time for a fear stage/adolescence. If you don't do anything to help it doesn't get better it just sort of sets in or gets worse.


Yes yes yes all of this. I live in a black neighborhood and most of my people hate big dogs but love little tiny ones (I call them purse dogs, since i imagine most owners envision themselves carrying their dog around in one. Many blacks have a cultural fear of big dogs going all the way back to when traders used mastiffs to catch and herd us onto the boat, continuing to plantations where mastiffs and bulldogs guarded the property and hunted runaways, to modern day America where police GSDs take chunks out of us daily. These folks will cross the street in a hurry when they see me and my pit bull coming, but its always their yorkies and cockapoos that are barking wildly at anything that moves. Most of them never leave their deck and living room area, and the owners wonder why they bark senselessly.

Another factor could be improper weening. My gf's sister has a miniature Doberman who is a grade a asshole. He'll get along with any dog or person eventually, but only after biting them 2-4 times upon meeting them. She says that she got the puppy when he was four weeks old, and I always thought that might have something to do with his ill temperment.


----------



## momtolabs

Mia got into the trash last night and has thrown up so freaking much. Now she doesn't seem to be throwing up but is now so gassy. It's gross. I need a gas mask.


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----------



## CptJack

Molly ate through the outside wall of our house.

She's teething and likes wood.

We have wood siding. 

Apparently she's spent a few days working on that little project. :/


----------



## Miss Bugs

their may be some bias here, but my pack of pooches is prettier then anyone elses


----------



## Miss Bugs

> Molly ate through the outside wall of our house.
> 
> She's teething and likes wood.
> 
> We have wood siding.
> 
> Apparently she's spent a few days working on that little project. :/


hahahahahahaha!! any picture proof of her little project? lol


----------



## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> hahahahahahaha!! any picture proof of her little project? lol


I didn't even think about it. I stared in horror and then went to find supplies to fix it in a damn big hurry. SHE ATE MY HOUSE!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Lol Gypsy dug a 4 foot long, 2 foot deep hole right up against my houses foundation(foundation that was already crumbling BTW) and knocked out 2 of the decks support beams in the process..just in time for heavy torrential rain and severe flooding  Gypsy isn't allowed under the deck anymore... lol


----------



## luv mi pets

On Saturday, client tell me that her 10 month old pit/lab mix puppy already has fathered a litter of pups. She has a blue nose female pit and when she went into heat she let the two dogs go at it ( her words) I asked her how old the male was at the time. She said maybe 6 or 7 months old. There was 3 pups in the litter. She plans on breeding them again when the female goes in heat again. Ugh. Why? Some people just do not understand that all dogs do not need to be bred.


----------



## momtolabs

I went to my uncles to load up our 4-wheeler and when I went to leave a group of people riding horses went past. Near the end someone with a lab(mix?) went past. Her dog saw my uncles puppy and trotted off to the yard. The last person jumped off her horse grabbed a stick and beat her dog. I have never been so angry,ever. I jumped out and my uncle quickly walked out of his house to hold me back. I said some words to the lady and got in my truck and took off. I was still shaking when I got home. I was tempted to load her dog up and take it to my house. I guess when I left she looked at my uncle and said "what was her problem". He replied "you might want to leave before she comes back to punch you or steal your dog." I guess she quickly left. I am not a confrontational person. I don't like arguments. I was already in a really bad mood and she lit the fuse and got the rath of deidra. I have seen people smack there dogs before and I just cringe and walk away. Today when I seen her poor dog cowering and her hit the dog continuously with a stick I lost it. My uncle called my dad laughing because he has never seen me get that angry. He said "I'm proud of her. She is a **** enter last name." My uncle knew as soon as he seen my truck door open words were going to fly.


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----------



## Greater Swiss

I'm having a pet hating morning (and hubby hating too a bit). Last night I badly needed some decent sleep. Our mattress is degrading, so there is a bit of a "dip" where I usually sleep. Caeda took a spot at the bottom of the dip, so my feet ended up all crooked. The nudging that I was capable of doing with my foot in my half-asleep state didn't do anything to make her budge...she just sighed heavily. DH moved his pillow to the middle of the bed in his sleep, so I shuffled and my head was on the slope of the dip, one of the cats spent the night patrolling the entire length of my body.....back and forth, back and forth, with the occasional pause to knead for a little while (oh my I need to clip those nails!!!). Feel like I slept in a pretzel shape. To make matters even better, DH and Caeda seemed to be having a snoring contest....the echoes through the house made it hard to tell who was the loudest. 

I'll love them all again after a few cups of coffee.....right now....*sigh*

Caeda is currently prancing around dragging her blanket/bed around like a demented Linus. So cute.....I think I'm starting to forgive her already.


----------



## Sarah~

Xena and I just got back from petsmart, had to pick up Xena's medicine, and usually people are pretty nice to us but it kinda felt like we got the cold shoulder from everyone today. Xena walked up to a couple and their daughter and the mom said "Watch out!" to her little girl and they all moved away from her. No one would stand within 5 feet of us in the line, or let their dogs come up to Xena, one lady even picked her dog up and put it in her cart when Xena tried to come say hi. Made me feel a little sad but a couple of employees cheered us up, they petted Xena for a really long time and when they had to go Xena didn't even look back at me she just trotted off behind them til she hit the end of the leash lol!


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

Not really a rant, as I found it slightly humorous.
I took Boss to Tractor Supply last night. While we were there, a lady came up to us to pet him. 
Lady: "Oh what a handsome guy, what's his name?"
Me: "Thanks! His name is Boss."
Lady: *gives me the weirdest stare*
Me: "Yes?"
Lady: "Why on Earth would you name your dog that!? You are just setting yourself up for a disaster! You're openly telling him the HE is the boss of YOU! You should rename him..."

Yes, I will rename my almost 3 year old dog!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Ya..cuz dogs totally know the definition of "boss" lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Probably because small dogs that are left all day unattended in the yard usually turn out like that around here too. When hubby was reading gas meters he used to get chased and/or snapped at by the small dogs in the yards way more often than the big ones.


hey, I HAVE a small dog (and have had a few others in the past) and even I think there are a lot of "jerk" little dogs, but much like "jerk" kids, the real problem is not the dogs themselves, its their owners not doing their jobs.

I have no problem with the owners of little dogs who actually treat their dogs like DOGS and not like little accessories to be carried in purses (of course if owners balance this with exercise, training and give the dog a chance to be a dog than carrying a dog around isn't necessarily a bad thing).


----------



## gingerkid

OwnedbyACDs said:


> hey, I HAVE a small dog (and have had a few others in the past) and even I think there are a lot of "jerk" little dogs, but much like "jerk" kids, the real problem is not the dogs themselves, its their owners not doing their jobs.
> 
> I have no problem with the owners of little dogs who actually treat their dogs like DOGS and not like little accessories to be carried in purses (of course if owners balance this with exercise, training and give the dog a chance to be a dog than carrying a dog around isn't necessarily a bad thing).


There are lots of small dogs in my area (lots of condos). Some of them are really great dogs! And some of them are awful. The tiny dogs that are left in their back yards, completely unattended except for their owner occasionally yelling at them to "Shut the eff up!", are awful, reactive, barky little things that attack the fence anytime someone walks past. The dogs that go for walks, receive some kind of training other than being yelled at, and live indoors (although I know some crappy dogs that live indoors too) are generally nice dogs.

Its not about _small dogs_ turning into awful, barky/aggressive monsters, its about small dogs _with terrible owners_ turning into awful, barky/aggressive monsters. And in IME, unfortunately, it happens more with small dogs than with large ones, because of small dog owner syndrome (i.e. the small dog can't do that much damage, so why bother?)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I didn't even think about it. I stared in horror and then went to find supplies to fix it in a damn big hurry. SHE ATE MY HOUSE!


Ha, that brings back memories ... when Izze was a puppy, she ate: trees, pulled the gutters off our house, pulled up the cobblestone walk way (WITH her mouth), tore the stairs off my tree house ... and the list goes on.

with Josefina, it is digging, dear GOD the digging! and guess who she learn THAT from? ...



Gee ... I wonder who?


----------



## Miss Bugs

local ad



> American Stuffshierd Terrier
> 
> Looking for Amstuff breeder.


what the heck is an AmStuff? lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> local ad
> 
> 
> 
> what the heck is an AmStuff? lol


ahahahahahaha 

This made me laugh.

My vent: Moving ... I hate it.


----------



## Greater Swiss

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My vent: Moving ... I hate it.


 I hear ya! We aren't moving yet, but there is a teensy part of me that won't be excited when our house sells and we move into the other house (I say WHEN, not IF...darnit!!).
I could actually have half of the house packed up so that we have less to do once a sale happens....but I'm avoiding it, even though I could do it at complete leisure. Moving sucks, unpacking does too....Good luck though! It'll be over soon!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

School tomorrow. No..... Hopefully, this isn't bad.


Miss Bugs said:


> local ad
> 
> 
> 
> what the heck is an AmStuff? lol


Didn't you know? It's a stuffed American Staffordshire Terrier.


----------



## Miss Bugs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> School tomorrow. No..... Hopefully, this isn't bad.
> 
> 
> Didn't you know? It's a stuffed American Staffordshire Terrier.


Hahaha ok next question..how does one find a breeder of stuffed amstaffs lol snd what about this "stuffshierd" buisness..is it..like.. an amstaff that is both stuffed and sheared? And again..how does one BREED these? Rotfl

The ad itself went on to say she owns a "pure breed male" with pictures of a dog that looks nothing at all like an Am Staff lol


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Miss Bugs said:


> Hahaha ok next question..how does one find a breeder of stuffed amstaffs lol snd what about this "stuffshierd" buisness..is it..like.. an amstaff that is both stuffed and sheared? And again..how does one BREED these? Rotfl
> 
> The ad itself went on to say she owns a "pure breed male" with pictures of a dog that looks nothing at all like an Am Staff lol


There are very few breeders of this majestic breed. You first need to contact Mr.Stuffidkinz. Then he will asses you, if you get this majestic, magical breed. As for breeding? That's a secret. Rumor has it, that these breeds are magical. But, only those who know this special type of magic can breed these dogs. Their only stuffed. Never sheared. In fact, they think it's very cruel. Never shear Amstuff. EVER.

That's all 

Some people, amaze me with their stupidity. Example. This person. Especially, this person.


----------



## Kayota

My dad just 'surprised' me by saying he's going to move me down to Texas in with him next month to save the money we are spending on my bills up for getting me to oregon... got a lot of packing to do!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> I hear ya! We aren't moving yet, but there is a teensy part of me that won't be excited when our house sells and we move into the other house (I say WHEN, not IF...darnit!!).
> I could actually have half of the house packed up so that we have less to do once a sale happens....but I'm avoiding it, even though I could do it at complete leisure. Moving sucks, unpacking does too....Good luck though! It'll be over soon!


Thanks  I have everything unpacked now, but now begins the slow process of putting it all away ha ha


----------



## Equinox

Kayota said:


> My dad just 'surprised' me by saying he's going to move me down to Texas in with him next month to save the money we are spending on my bills up for getting me to oregon... got a lot of packing to do!


Where to in Oregon?


----------



## Kayota

eugene! would love to meet with you sometime, maybe a doggy beach day


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Hahaha ok next question..how does one find a breeder of stuffed amstaffs lol snd what about this "stuffshierd" buisness..is it..like.. an amstaff that is both stuffed and sheared? And again..how does one BREED these? Rotfl
> 
> The ad itself went on to say she owns a "pure breed male" with pictures of a dog that looks nothing at all like an Am Staff lol


I also love the "pure BBREAD" such n' such, where the breed name is also often misspelled.


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My vent: Moving ... I hate it.


I love it: not the act of packing and moving, but getting into a new place. We haven't even lived here for 2 years and I am already looking to move. I love starting over. Don't ask why. I hate when things are too predictable. I change jobs and houses every 2-3 years. Hubbie doesn't want to move though. I don't know what ever possessed me to move the the burbs. It's not like we are ever having kids. Why do we need all this space and a yard. We never use it. The only awesome thing are all the trails for Jewel.


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Thanks  I have everything unpacked now, but now begins the slow process of putting it all away ha ha


That's the best part! I think one of the reasons I love moving is because everything is so new and organized when you first move in. I love purging and moving forces me to de-clutter and organize. And it's so fun to decorate a new place.


----------



## Equinox

Kayota said:


> eugene! would love to meet with you sometime, maybe a doggy beach day


Oh haha, that's actually where I live 8-9 months out of the year. I'm starting my fourth year next month, though, so might be gone by this time next year. Let me know if you move before then, though! There are some great hiking spots in and around Eugene, and yep, gorgeous beaches if you make the drive to the coast.


----------



## Kayota

yep i should be moving around spring or sooner  how exciting! i have so many friends on the west coast lol. you should show me all the good hiking spots.


----------



## Munki

Kayota said:


> yep i should be moving around spring or sooner  how exciting! i have so many friends on the west coast lol. you should show me all the good hiking spots.


Where you gonna be in texas. That sounds exiting.


----------



## Kayota

around dallas! in mckinney.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> around dallas! in mckinney.


Fairly close to me, about 6 hours.


----------



## Remaru

My SIL lives in McKinney. I'm about 30min from there.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Cool! (Too short)


----------



## momtolabs

My cousins 4 year old staffy is having her 3rd litter...... I feel so bad for her :'(


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> My cousins 4 year old staffy is having her 3rd litter...... I feel so bad for her :'(
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


That sucks


----------



## Kayota

nice wwe should plan a meetup, my dads neighborhood has a little path and a dog park could be fun! Its really cool to me to be moving somewhere that people haver actually heard of lol!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

When are you going to be there? I am free til at least October, but I will be here at my folk's ranch until November or so.

If you are from the north, you will like our winters, they are fairly mild


----------



## Remaru

Kayota said:


> nice wwe should plan a meetup, my dads neighborhood has a little path and a dog park could be fun! Its really cool to me to be moving somewhere that people haver actually heard of lol!


That sounds like fun. I wonder who else is in the area that might like to get together. It seems like there are some other people here in the DFW area.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> That sucks


She's not in great shape either. Te puppy's alway get flea covered and really really wormy. With there last litter my mom and I got into the dog pen and cleaned all of them up. Mom dog loves me and I'm always over handling her pups. I just want to cry 


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----------



## kdawnk

Is the movie "If I Stay" in America too, or because it's a Canadian film it's not being advertised as much. 
I was wondering that last night, it's not on the usual popular movies pirating site... that... I don't... frequent.


----------



## Hambonez

kdawnk said:


> Is the movie "If I Stay" in America too, or because it's a Canadian film it's not being advertised as much.
> I was wondering that last night, it's not on the usual popular movies pirating site... that... I don't... frequent.


Yea... they even presold tickets to it in advance of the opening. I didn't understand the hype, and chalked it up to being old.


----------



## kdawnk

I saw it in theatres with my mom because the male lead's band is actually my friend's band.
I thought that was kind of cool to see him on tv.
It wasn't an amazing movie though, but I went to support my friend!


----------



## momtolabs

I went to get Mia's vet records out of my dog binder(where I keep all vet visit receipts and where they were in training at specifics ages) and my binder is gone. It's not in its usual place and I have searched everywhere. 7 years of papers in a huge freaking binder are gone. I'm going to go crazy until I can find it,lol. This is what happens when I actually clean my dang room!!! 


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----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> When are you going to be there? I am free til at least October, but I will be here at my folk's ranch until November or so.
> 
> If you are from the north, you will like our winters, they are fairly mild


should be about mid october


----------



## Kayota

so i got a few secret shoppdrs at work today and i was still setting up my cart when the first one came up so i didnt say anything at first and she was muslim and the other two were white guys and im terrified im going to get fired for 'racism' event tho i didnt intend it that way...


----------



## Miss Bugs

So im at work clipping a dogs nails when one of my employees who was cleaning the U-Bath stalls comes into the grooming room and says "ummm..there is like a Salamander or something in the shower stall" now you have to understand..this does not HAPPEN here, I'm 27 and I've never even seen a Salamander before. So in my head I'm like "uuuhhh what??" But I get up I go to the shower stall and sure enough..there was a Salamander in the shower.... I stared at it for a bit confused, then picked it up and I was walking around with this salamander wondering WTH I'm supposed to DO with it, I find the kennel owner doing some maintenance work and I take it to him, and he started laughing and he's like "WTH???" We assume it must have crawled through the pipes, but what in the world a Salamander was even doing anywhere near the general vicinity was weird lol, the owner took it and released it outside somewhere in any case.


----------



## momtolabs

I can't stand bing in my house with my aunt here!!! It seriously makes me angry. I'm normally a bubbly happy person and for the past two years I will admit I have been a complete ****. This dog craps EVERYWHERE!!! It even got on my moms chest thing and crapped. Crapped on my clothes, on my dresser.......you get the picture. Starts fights with all of my dogs. My dogs(tank bentley Mia) are a "pack" once one goes they all go in for it. Te chi is going to get killed. My aunt sees it all as a joke. Yea your dog Going after my dog who is just trying to get on the couch is not a freaking joke. My dogs don't put up with it. My aunt said she wanted to bring her dog to the churches petting zoo Saturday. I said no and she got all mad because I'm taking Bentley and Caleb. Yea both of them can handle the stress of all the people and animals. Athena would bark/growl at everything. It wouldn't be fun for me at all or Bentley and Caleb. 


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----------



## d_ray

Going to look at an oops litter of Aussie acd puppies tomorrow. Eeeeee this forum made me do it.


----------



## d_ray

Nevermind. Hubby will never go for it. I'm still going though.


----------



## momtolabs

My dad said no more dogs after tank..... He is nine and our youngest is 12 weeks.......


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----------



## d_ray

My plan is to go see them tomorrow and somehow reserve one. They won't be rehomed until sept 18th. Which means I have a week in Mexico with tequila to work on him.


----------



## Remaru

Tequila works for everything  Bring us pictures of the puppies, you know because we need to see more puppies.


----------



## CptJack

I was out in the yard playing with Molly. There was suddenly a REALLY loud clap of Thunder. She bolted back to the house. I followed along, kind of teasing her and talking to her about the bad scary thunder and assorted baby-talk nonsense we direct at our dogs.

A woman was walking by and thought I was talking to her.

I have no idea who she is, but she now thinks I'm a crazy person.


----------



## momtolabs

D_ray did you out a deposit down ? 


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----------



## d_ray

momtolabs said:


> D_ray did you out a deposit down ?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Almost but I think they are a little too Aussie for me. Just don't see as much acd as I hoped. They were beyond fluffy and sooooo cute. Met both parents too. Well mom from a distance as she wanted to eat us for getting near her pups lol.


----------



## Kayota

YOU NEED ONE. get back there!


----------



## d_ray

Kayota said:


> YOU NEED ONE. get back there!


Lmao. They sure were cute.


----------



## momtolabs

Yea I wouldn't have survived,haha!! Luckily the ACD litter I'm looking at in a few weeks is all spoken for  I wouldn't be able to bring one home anyway but still I would cry all the way home 


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----------



## Kayota

d_ray said:


> Lmao. They sure were cute.


that chocolate one is amazing. love!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Learned something interesting today..apparently some of the vets at the local shelter that do the spay/neuters do overy sparing spays because its cheaper for them, but they don't tell the prospective owners because they assume nobody knows the difference. I found this very interesting..it gives me hope lol, the shelter spayed Gem when she was only 3 months old and fought them tooth and nail over it and she is my main preformance dog... knowing that its actually possible that she had an over-sparing spay is delightful lol


----------



## momtolabs

Miss bugs what is the difference?? Sorry it's a stupid question........I'm still learning everything!!


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----------



## gingerkid

momtolabs said:


> Miss bugs what is the difference?? Sorry it's a stupid question........I'm still learning everything!!


An ovary sparing spay leaves the ovaries behind, and only removes the uterus. Since the ovaries are very involved in hormonal cycles, leaving the ovaries instead of removing them should in theory mitigate some of the negative health effects of spaying, while still preventing pregnancy.


----------



## momtolabs

Oh..... Now I feel stupid  thank you for explaining!!


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----------



## gingerkid

momtolabs said:


> Oh..... Now I feel stupid  thank you for explaining!!


Just because you didn't know something is no reason to feel stupid! We all don't know some things.


----------



## Willowy

Miss Bugs said:


> Learned something interesting today..apparently some of the vets at the local shelter that do the spay/neuters do overy sparing spays because its cheaper for them, but they don't tell the prospective owners because they assume nobody knows the difference. I found this very interesting..it gives me hope lol, the shelter spayed Gem when she was only 3 months old and fought them tooth and nail over it and she is my main preformance dog... knowing that its actually possible that she had an over-sparing spay is delightful lol


Ovary-sparing spays or ovariectomies (removing ovaries but leaving the uterus)? Leaving the ovaries would mean the dog would still go into heat and I don't see many shelter adopters being willing to put up with that. I've heard that ovariectomies are easier though.


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> Ovary-sparing spays or ovariectomies (removing ovaries but leaving the uterus)? Leaving the ovaries would mean the dog would still go into heat and I don't see many shelter adopters being willing to put up with that. I've heard that ovariectomies are easier though.


With no uterus though, where would the discharge and such come from? How would you even know the dog was in heat?


----------



## Willowy

By all the males annoying her? Hormonal swings and weird behavior? IDK, I haven't had a lot of experience with dogs in heat . I wouldn't want a cat who had an ovary-sparing spay though. . .even a little retained ovarian tissue can be a problem.


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> By all the males annoying her? Hormonal swings and weird behavior? IDK, I haven't had a lot of experience with dogs in heat . I wouldn't want a cat who had an ovary-sparing spay though. . .


Yeah, but how do the males know she's "in heat"? I mean, obviously by smell, but like smell of the vaginal discharge or some sort of weird pheremone? If its the former, then... removal of the uterus would probably fix that? I don't know either, I've never really had to deal with a dog in heat either.


----------



## Willowy

I assume hormones. . .LOL, can they smell hormones? Pheromones then. Cats don't have a discharge and the toms still know. CaptJack's Bug had some retained ovarian tissue removed. . .I might look that thread up and see how they knew.

Anyway, I'd be cranky if a dog I got had an ovary-sparing spay and nobody told me .


----------



## luv mi pets

This type of surgery would still put the risk of mammary cancer to the dog (or bitch) To me it would not be worth it seeing how many older females get mammary cancer. There is a dog that has been put under 3 times to remove mammary cancer. The dog is 12 and now it is in the lungs. How many times you as the owner going to perform surgery on an old dog. Nope for me I say just spay the bitch.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Because of yesterday, I'm in love with PWDs.I'm really starting to want one.

Which makes me want to ask a few questions. I know to next to nothing about them.

What are there temperaments like? 

Is DA /DR common? 

Usually, how are they with people?

Thanks!


----------



## Damon'sMom

d_ray said:


> Almost but I think they are a little too Aussie for me. Just don't see as much acd as I hoped. They were beyond fluffy and sooooo cute. Met both parents too. Well mom from a distance as she wanted to eat us for getting near her pups lol.


There is no such thing as too much Aussie (or too many for that matter!).  lmao And with any Aussie mix I have seen the Aussie tends to be more prominent IMO. They are too cute, makes me want another high energy and drive puppy in my life. LOL


----------



## Miss Bugs

luv mi pets said:


> This type of surgery would still put the risk of mammary cancer to the dog (or bitch) To me it would not be worth it seeing how many older females get mammary cancer. There is a dog that has been put under 3 times to remove mammary cancer. The dog is 12 and now it is in the lungs. How many times you as the owner going to perform surgery on an old dog. Nope for me I say just spay the bitch.


 I would actually 100% prefere full spay..my hopefullness of overy-sparing is exclusively because she was spayed at only 12 weeks....I have no such concerns about Gypsy who the shelter spayed at 6 months lol


----------



## Willowy

I'm just surprised they would do ovary-sparing spay since I heard it was harder (which is why a lot of American vets don't learn how). Plus a high chance of stump pyo unless they do it a very particular way. I'm kinda thinking they do an ovariectomy but someone misunderstood.


----------



## Miss Bugs

The info came from people I train with who work with the shelter vets. I live near a vet collage though and the shelter vets are all young so we get pockets of "progressive" vet stuff showing up in various places here so it doesn't surprise me really.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

So many dogs in our local AC, it makes me sad to see how many older dogs are showing up as an "owner surrender" and its sad ... I cant have an adult dog, my household just isn't right to incorporate an older animal into it, and I just cant mesh with an older dog, but still ... sad!


----------



## BubbaMoose

I just recently started training with Ziwipeak and I've never seen my dogs more crazy over a food or treat or anything really. It seems kind of pricy but a little goes a really long way for us. I don't think we'll be using much else to train for a while!


----------



## Flaming

people with balance issues and nervous/muscular issues should not be teaching large dogs to bikejour. 

Waiting for my husband to get home so he can take me to the ER.

I managed to walk the 5 minutes home so I don't think I'm hurt too bad. 


Manna is spooked but unharmed.


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> people with balance issues and nervous/muscular issues should not be teaching large dogs to bikejour.
> 
> Waiting for my husband to get home so he can take me to the ER.
> 
> I managed to walk the 5 minutes home so I don't think I'm hurt too bad.
> 
> 
> Manna is spooked but unharmed.


Oh geez, I hope you're okay too!


----------



## luv mi pets

Flaming said:


> people with balance issues and nervous/muscular issues should not be teaching large dogs to bikejour.
> 
> Waiting for my husband to get home so he can take me to the ER.
> 
> I managed to walk the 5 minutes home so I don't think I'm hurt too bad.
> 
> 
> Manna is spooked but unharmed.


Oh no I am hoping you are ok. Please let us know how you are


----------



## luv mi pets

What kind of person does not understand about bringing the dog back the next day for a bandage change? Changed and cleaned the dog's degloving injury on Friday. I put a bag on the feet (both hind feet had injuries) and told the owner to take the bag off when she got home. It rained that day and so that is why we had put the bags on the feet. Dog shows up today and the bandages are wet and soaking and stink like rotten flesh. Yep, the injury looks bad. Owner states that she was too busy to make it on Saturday. Really! You can not make it in for the sake of your dog you dumb bunny owner. (really watching what I call that owner) And she did not take the bag off either. One happened to fall off of one foot. We are keeping the dog to do daily bandage changing seeing that the owner can not make it in. I really wish we could charge a stupid fee. The sad thing is this dog is so nice and I hope because of the owner's neglect he does not lose that foot.


----------



## Miss Bugs

So my friend ran across a young weasel stuck in a glue trap..still alive. She happened to gave Butter in her purse(why? No idea lol) so she buttered it off the trap, took it home, washed it with dawn dish soap, and is feeding it raw meat and getting it hydrated till it gets its strength up before releasing it. Poor thing looked pretty weak from the trap, who knows how long it was stuck there  it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she would do that, but... she just happened to have BUTTER in her PURSE?? Lol just for such an occasion? Lol


----------



## luv mi pets

Miss Bugs said:


> So my friend ran across a young weasel stuck in a glue trap..still alive. She happened to gave Butter in her purse(why? No idea lol) so she buttered it off the trap, took it home, washed it with dawn dish soap, and is feeding it raw meat and getting it hydrated till it gets its strength up before releasing it. Poor thing looked pretty weak from the trap, who knows how long it was stuck there  it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she would do that, but... she just happened to have BUTTER in her PURSE?? Lol just for such an occasion? Lol


Maybe she was practicing for when she goes on "The Price is Right" lol


----------



## Flaming

The doc took one look at me, called me an idiot and sent me away.

Quickest ER visit yet. 

I just pulled all muscles from the head down. 

I got some awesome blue pills that look like houses! 

muscle relaxers

And I'm not allowed to do anything strenuous for a few days, probably going to have to use my cane more as well. 
Though I'd like to know how I managed to land on my feet when I can't even normally walk a straight line. Was weird. 


It's me doing stunts like that which will lead me to needing crutches and/or a wheelchair much more quicker.

But as soon as I'm good again, get the bike fixed and Manna re counter conditioned.... you know I'll be doing it again.


----------



## Willowy

Miss Bugs said:


> So my friend ran across a young weasel stuck in a glue trap..still alive. She happened to gave Butter in her purse(why? No idea lol) so she buttered it off the trap, took it home, washed it with dawn dish soap, and is feeding it raw meat and getting it hydrated till it gets its strength up before releasing it. Poor thing looked pretty weak from the trap, who knows how long it was stuck there  it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she would do that, but... she just happened to have BUTTER in her PURSE?? Lol just for such an occasion? Lol


 Ugh I hate those glue traps. . .so cruel. I wish they would get banned or taken off the market or something. And really a weasel? That's sort of hilarious. Are there a lot of weasels in your area? She's sure it's not a pet ferret? Anyway, yep, gotta agree that keeping butter in your purse is a little random. Worked out well for the weasel though .


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Ugh I hate those glue traps. . .so cruel. I wish they would get banned or taken off the market or something. And really a weasel? That's sort of hilarious. Are there a lot of weasels in your area? She's sure it's not a pet ferret? Anyway, yep, gotta agree that keeping butter in your purse is a little random. Worked out well for the weasel though .


I like them for mice and rats, the key is putting them where only mice and rats frequent and not where any other animals can get to them.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I like them for mice and rats, the key is putting them where only mice and rats frequent and not where any other animals can get to them.


I don't, they're absolutely cruel. You doom the animal to starve to death on a glue trap.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> I don't, they're absolutely cruel. You doom the animal to starve to death on a glue trap.


We check them everyday and dispatch the mice we find on them. Sorry but my hatred for mice is stronger than my empathy against being cruel to them, it cant be worse than using poison.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Willowy said:


> Ugh I hate those glue traps. . .so cruel. I wish they would get banned or taken off the market or something. And really a weasel? That's sort of hilarious. Are there a lot of weasels in your area? She's sure it's not a pet ferret? Anyway, yep, gotta agree that keeping butter in your purse is a little random. Worked out well for the weasel though .


Def not a ferret! people don't think of weasels being around here but they are, I didn't have any idea until I started spotting them while out walking my dogs, I got curious and looked it up..yup apperently plenty of weasels here lol.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> We check them everyday and dispatch the mice we find on them. Sorry but my hatred for mice is stronger than my empathy against being cruel to them, it cant be worse than using poison.


it's still really painful and frightening, there are humane options where you can release the mouse in a field away from your home

Miss Bugs - There are ELK in Oregon. That should be interesting!


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> We check them everyday and dispatch the mice we find on them. Sorry but my hatred for mice is stronger than my empathy against being cruel to them, it cant be worse than using poison.


Some people hate dogs too. . .I don't accept hatred as an acceptable reason for cruelty (is anything an acceptable reason for cruelty?). I do wish they'd be banned.

Someone told me we don't have wild mink here. Well. I saw some largish brown weasel-y critter with a short nose (shorter than a weasel's) dead on the road once. Saw a live one running across the road. Then some guy I know trapped and killed one /) that was killing his pet chickens, and yup, it was a mink. Don't tell me they don't live here!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Some people hate dogs too. . .I don't accept hatred as an acceptable reason for cruelty (is anything an acceptable reason for cruelty?). I do wish they'd be banned.
> 
> Someone told me we don't have wild mink here. Well. I saw some largish brown weasel-y critter with a short nose (shorter than a weasel's) dead on the road once. Saw a live one running across the road. Then some guy I know trapped and killed one /) that was killing his pet chickens, and yup, it was a mink. Don't tell me they don't live here!


Dogs aren't a health hazard, mice and rats are, that is a proven historical fact. I have no problems with the special or fancy ones bred for pets, I mean the vermin that come in front outside and the sewers :/


----------



## gingerkid

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Dogs aren't a health hazard, mice and rats are, that is a proven historical fact. I have no problems with the special or fancy ones bred for pets, I mean the vermin that come in front outside and the sewers :/


Hmmm... and yet there are plenty of places with health codes that don't allow dogs to be in places where food is made or sold....


----------



## Willowy

Loose, unowned dogs are as much a health hazard as rodents. Even if someone lived in a country where dogs are "vermin" I wouldn't say it's OK for them to be cruel to the dogs. It's so funny how humans categorize animals into "good" and "bad" categories just due to our own prejudices.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Dogs aren't a health hazard, mice and rats are, that is a proven historical fact. I have no problems with the special or fancy ones bred for pets, I mean the vermin that come in front outside and the sewers :/


Dogs may not be a common health hazard here, but they can be. Especially in underdeveloped countries. Feral dogs aren't only nuisance, but, there also a health hazard.

I too, find glue traps, inhumane. There are more humane methods, as others have mentioned here. My family usually use traps like these;
http://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/rat


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I don't use glue traps unless I am at a place where I can't set out poison for fear of neighbors cats (at the track) getting ahold of the dying or dead poisoned mice. At the ranch we had mice in the attic and I out poison up there, two days later I didn't hear any more mice. 

In some situations (like the one they have in Russia with their feral dog population) I would consider dogs to be a nuisance.


----------



## momtolabs

It's 12:31 AM and I can't sleep. I'm exhausted but can't call asleep. I'm glad I have a doc Appt tomorrow so I do not have to go to school until around 1:30-2. I would probably end up falling asleep in accounting......most boring class ever. 


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----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I don't use glue traps unless I am at a place where I can't set out poison for fear of neighbors cats (at the track) getting ahold of the dying or dead poisoned mice. At the ranch we had mice in the attic and I out poison up there, two days later I didn't hear any more mice.
> 
> In some situations (like the one they have in Russia with their feral dog population) I would consider dogs to be a nuisance.


poison is even worse :\


----------



## GarryMuller

OwnedbyACDs said:


> We check them everyday and dispatch the mice we find on them. Sorry but my hatred for mice is stronger than my empathy against being cruel to them, it cant be worse than using poison.


Pray tell, how do you "dispatch" a mouse on a glue trap?

It doesn't really matter how much you hate mice, that is ultimately irrelevant as it's never an excuse for unnecessary cruelty towards anything. As someone has already said, someone can use the same reasoning to be cruel to a feral dog or cat. Glue traps are repulsive in that they cause the animals to panic enough to hurt themselves pretty badly. Even if on those things for only a few hours, they can dislocate/break bones and even attempt to gnaw a paw off to escape. They are banned in many countries for exactly this reason. If animal cruelty laws are actually worth anything, they should be prohibited with no exceptions.

In addition, glue traps are not very clean traps. They allow for an animal to excrete urine and fecal matter in a quicker time over a shorter period, simply because being stuck that way induces a great amount of fear. It is not uncommon to find these traps full of their piss and poop which in itself encourages a greater health hazard as such things may contain Hantavirus (depending on where you live).

Why can't you use a well-designed snap trap instead, that at least quickly kill the animal? There are other varieties of quick killing traps as well, such as an electrocution trap and the nooski trap. They are a lot cleaner, more painless, and are cheaper in the long run.

There's really no reason to use a glue trap over these other alternatives. Perhaps I can share you a few stories of my experiences with them, and how lax some pest control companies are with these traps. Not to mention callous or squeamish householders who would rather bin the animal alive rather than humanely kill it. Part of the reason why they are illegal from public use in my state.



OwnedbyACDs said:


> Dogs aren't a health hazard, mice and rats are, that is a proven historical fact.


That is not the point. Any wild animal can be a possible vector of disease, it's just that mice and rats can get into very small areas easier and multiply a lot quicker. The argument is not "are mice and rats pests that may carry disease", it's "is it morally right to kill mice and rats with glue traps when there are more humane methods available". Now of course, morals are going to be pretty subjective here but it's interesting to see where people draw the line with an issue like this. When does it stop becoming pest control, and start turning into cruelty? There's a fine line there.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GarryMuller said:


> Pray tell, how do you "dispatch" a mouse on a glue trap?


I don't think this is the place to discuss that. :/ its done quickly, that's all I will say.



> It doesn't really matter how much you hate mice, that is ultimately irrelevant as it's never an excuse for unnecessary cruelty towards anything. As someone has already said, someone can use the same reasoning to be cruel to a feral dog or cat. Glue traps are repulsive in that they cause the animals to panic enough to hurt themselves pretty badly. Even if on those things for only a few hours, they can dislocate/break bones and even attempt to gnaw a paw off to escape. They are banned in many countries for exactly this reason. If animal cruelty laws are actually worth anything, they should be prohibited with no exceptions.
> 
> In addition, glue traps are not very clean traps. They allow for an animal to excrete urine and fecal matter in a quicker time over a shorter period, simply because being stuck that way induces a great amount of fear. It is not uncommon to find these traps full of their piss and poop which in itself encourages a greater health hazard as such things may contain Hantavirus (depending on where you live).
> 
> Why can't you use a well-designed snap trap instead, that at least quickly kill the animal? There are other varieties of quick killing traps as well, such as an electrocution trap and the nooski trap. They are a lot cleaner, more painless, and are cheaper in the long run.
> 
> There's really no reason to use a glue trap over these other alternatives. Perhaps I can share you a few stories of my experiences with them, and how lax some pest control companies are with these traps. Not to mention callous or squeamish householders who would rather bin the animal alive rather than humanely kill it. Part of the reason why they are illegal from public use in my state.
> 
> 
> 
> That is not the point. Any wild animal can be a possible vector of disease, it's just that mice and rats can get into very small areas easier and multiply a lot quicker. The argument is not "are mice and rats pests that may carry disease", it's "is it morally right to kill mice and rats with glue traps when there are more humane methods available". Now of course, morals are going to be pretty subjective here but it's interesting to see where people draw the line with an issue like this. When does it stop becoming pest control, and start turning into cruelty? There's a fine line there.


Yes, when does it start turning into cruelty? Everyone's interpretation is different. You make it sound like I go out killing puppies and kittens, I don't use those traps for fun, I use them because having mice is dirty and a risk for disease. We don't have the electrocution traps here and believe it or not the mice got smart enough to avoid the snap traps.


----------



## momtolabs

I'm at the hospital as I have to get some testing done. I have to get it done every 2 years. Usually my mom does everything. So I walked in to make sure I was in the right place and the lady very rudely told me to sit down and my name would be called. Okay but am I in the right freaking place!? Finally figure out I am and find the sign in sheet. Luckily I didn't get her to do my registration and it was a nicer gentlemen. Then when it got to signing she said "she can't sign. Her mom should of came." Um....my mom just like you is at WORK. We can't afford to take days off. The guy said "we can do a verbal agreement." And she rolled her eyes and walked away. I've never seen this lady before what the heck did I do to her!? She isn't being rude to other people it seems. I'm currently sitting waiting to be called back and she is in a great mood with others. Sorry my parents have to work and I have to go to Doc appointments myself!! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I'm at the hospital as I have to get some testing done. I have to get it done every 2 years. Usually my mom does everything. So I walked in to make sure I was in the right place and the lady very rudely told me to sit down and my name would be called. Okay but am I in the right freaking place!? Finally figure out I am and find the sign in sheet. Luckily I didn't get her to do my registration and it was a nicer gentlemen. Then when it got to signing she said "she can't sign. Her mom should of came." Um....my mom just like you is at WORK. We can't afford to take days off. The guy said "we can do a verbal agreement." And she rolled her eyes and walked away. I've never seen this lady before what the heck did I do to her!? She isn't being rude to other people it seems. I'm currently sitting waiting to be called back and she is in a great mood with others. Sorry my parents have to work and I have to go to Doc appointments myself!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Who knows what her problem was? I have had people treat me like that before, and in turn, I have talked to people that, even after the first conversation I knew I just couldn't stand. Not saying you did anything wrong, its just the way it is sometimes.


----------



## GarryMuller

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I don't think this is the place to discuss that. :/ its done quickly, that's all I will say.


Why not? The topic we're currently discussing is the killing of animals/pest control, and whether something is morally questionable. Something you feel guilty of or don't like doing?



> You make it sound like I go out killing puppies and kittens, I don't use those traps for fun, I use them because having mice is dirty and a risk for disease. We don't have the electrocution traps here and believe it or not the mice got smart enough to avoid the snap traps.


Not at all. I am merely questioning the method, and its morality. If it's guilt you think I am trying to make you feel, well then, I assume for most people it is natural to feel guilt killing something so up close and personal. I don't really equate this to butchering puppies and kittens. Which by the way, I find it interesting you chose cute, baby animals. Are you saying it is worse to be cruel to kittens and puppies? Cruelty is still cruelty, the victim may be different but it would certainly feel the same level of pain (especially considering all the animals mentioned are mammals here). Make note that I am not necessarily talking about killing per se, but the cruelty aspect of it. There's really no legit reason to go killing kittens or puppies en masse, so again, not sure why you added that in.

You say here that you use them because mice are dirty and a risk for disease, despite that I had mentioned how unhygienic glue traps actually are. I actually don't understand that reasoning, are using other traps a greater risk for disease? What makes glue traps more sanitary than everything else?

Don't have a major hardware store near you? You can always buy online. Like on Amazon for example. If mice are smart enough to avoid the traps then they either were not set properly or the wrong type of bait was used. Rats are harder to outsmart.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GarryMuller said:


> Why not? The topic we're currently discussing is the killing of animals/pest control, and whether something is morally questionable. Something you feel guilty of or don't like doing?


No, its because this is a public board and I don't think its the proper place to publicly things like this. 




> Not at all. I am merely questioning the method, and its morality. If it's guilt you think I am trying to make you feel, well then, I assume for most people it is natural to feel guilt killing something so up close and personal. I don't really equate this to butchering puppies and kittens. Which by the way, I find it interesting you chose cute, baby animals. Are you saying it is worse to be cruel to kittens and puppies? Cruelty is still cruelty, the victim may be different but it would certainly feel the same level of pain (especially considering all the animals mentioned are mammals here). Make note that I am not necessarily talking about killing per se, but the cruelty aspect of it. There's really no legit reason to go killing kittens or puppies en masse, so again, not sure why you added that in.


Because you said there was no legit reason for killing mice and rats en masse, I was just drawing a parallel.



> You say here that you use them because mice are dirty and a risk for disease, despite that I had mentioned how unhygienic glue traps actually are. I actually don't understand that reasoning, are using other traps a greater risk for disease? What makes glue traps more sanitary than everything else?
> 
> Don't have a major hardware store near you? You can always buy online. Like on Amazon for example. If mice are smart enough to avoid the traps then they either were not set properly or the wrong type of bait was used. Rats are harder to outsmart.


Look ... I have stated my opinion, you have stated yours ... lets just agree to disagree, since it seems we have hit a stalemate regarding this.


----------



## Laurelin

It is like someone dipped a shar pei in cattle dog paint....

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30220214/


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## GarryMuller

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No, its because this is a public board and I don't think its the proper place to publicly things like this.


Well if you're afraid of getting public criticism, then you could always PM me.



> Because you said there was no legit reason for killing mice and rats en masse, I was just drawing a parallel.


I said no such thing. I said there was no excuse to be _unnecessarily cruel_. That's quite a big distinction.



> Look ... I have stated my opinion, you have stated yours ... lets just agree to disagree, since it seems we have hit a stalemate regarding this.


Okay. I do think that some of your reasoning is fundamentally flawed, but okay. While that I personally think it is incredibly inhumane to subject any rodent to a glue trap, it is a matter of fact that glue traps are a lot more unsanitary. It is why the CDC do not recommend them - that is not really in dispute.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GarryMuller said:


> Well if you're afraid of getting public criticism, then you could always PM me.
> 
> 
> 
> I said no such thing. I said there was no reason to be _unnecessarily cruel_. That's quite a big distinction.
> 
> 
> 
> Okay. Despite that I personally think it is incredibly inhumane, it is a of fact that glue traps are a lot more unsanitary. It is why the CDC do not recommend them.


Uh ... ok, I have only used them on several occasions anyway, all the other times I either used poison or snap traps. and I am not going to continue a pointless discussion over PM either, and its not that I am afraid of discussing this publically, its just that there is nothing more to be said and there is nothing more to be gained from it.


----------



## gingerkid

Laurelin said:


> It is like someone dipped a shar pei in cattle dog paint....
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30220214/


Woah, what a unique looking dog!


----------



## GarryMuller

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Uh ... ok, I have only used them on several occasions anyway, and I am not going to continue a pointless discussion over PM either, and its not that I am afraid of discussing this publically, its just that there is nothing more to be said.


By "quick" I hope you mean "painless" too because there are many methods of execution I can think of that are "quick" but aren't necessarily painless. I hope you're not hiding anything sinister.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> It is like someone dipped a shar pei in cattle dog paint....
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30220214/


That is one of the most bazaar looking dogs (in a cool way) that I have ever seen! I don't know about the shar pei part or the ACD part because she has blue eyes and neither of those breeds are known for their blue eyes, it can happen, but its not that common ... maybe she has some houla in her somewhere?


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

> Yes, when does it start turning into cruelty? Everyone's interpretation is different. You make it sound like I go out killing puppies and kittens, I don't use those traps for fun, I use them because having mice is dirty and a risk for disease. We don't have the electrocution traps here and believe it or not the mice got smart enough to avoid the snap traps.


What about a trap like this? 










http://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/1082


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Laurelin said:


> It is like someone dipped a shar pei in cattle dog paint....
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30220214/


That's one neat dog! Love the piercing blue eyes.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> What about a trap like this?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/1082


We'd have to set it in the feed room and I would be afraid of the cat getting caught in it LOL, most of the feed stores do sell traps like this and if they have them small enough I might try them, I also wouldn't want to use the snap traps for fear of the cat accidently getting caught in them, I have had friends cats who got caught up in mouse traps and got their toes broken, and that would be terrible if that happened to her


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> We'd have to set it in the feed room and I would be afraid of the cat getting caught in it LOL, most of the feed stores do sell traps like this and if they have them small enough I might try them, I also wouldn't want to use the snap traps for fear of the cat accidently getting caught in them, I have had friends cats who got caught up in mouse traps and got their toes broken, and that would be terrible if that happened to her


They aren't really big enough for cats if you're buying the mouse or rat size. I have one for rats because my pet rat escaped once and only the tiniest kitten could fit in it.

That shar pei mix is incredible! Gimme!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> They aren't really big enough for cats if you're buying the mouse or rat size. I have one for rats because my pet rat escaped once and only the tiniest kitten could fit in it.
> 
> That shar pei mix is incredible! Gimme!


I know! why are all the awesome dogs so far from me


----------



## GarryMuller

OwnedbyACDs said:


> We'd have to set it in the feed room and I would be afraid of the cat getting caught in it LOL, most of the feed stores do sell traps like this and if they have them small enough I might try them, I also wouldn't want to use the snap traps for fear of the cat accidently getting caught in them, I have had friends cats who got caught up in mouse traps and got their toes broken, and that would be terrible if that happened to her


There are enclosed snap traps, or bait stations for them.


----------



## theairedale

Laurelin said:


> It is like someone dipped a shar pei in cattle dog paint....
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30220214/


:O :O :O wow!!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

There's a pathetic part of me that wants to try fostering again.. but after my last experience and all of the crazy (aggressive, BAD SA, extremely neurotic) rescue dogs I've come in contact with the past year.. I'm just really scared it would blow up in my face. But there's this dog that melts my heart that I really want to help..


----------



## DrHarmony

oh my do I need to Rant!
I am so tired of slobs running around my street. 
Yesterday a guy decided my front sidewalk is the perfect place to throw his chicken bone that he was chowing on. 
I went out and asked him nicely to pick it up, and he did. Later that eve I walked two houses down and there was that chicken bone.
Today I am coming up the alley and this other guy decided to throw his glass bottle in the air and watch it explode all over behind my place. 
I lost it on this guy. I did not lay a hand on him, but he is likely to throw the next bottle at my house. 
I just do not know how to deal with slobs like this. 

I did go out today and put a little garbage can by my gate. I am hoping this will help. 
phew..thanks for the thread.


----------



## gingerkid

DrHarmony said:


> oh my do I need to Rant!
> I am so tired of slobs running around my street.
> Yesterday a guy decided my front sidewalk is the perfect place to throw his chicken bone that he was chowing on.
> I went out and asked him nicely to pick it up, and he did. Later that eve I walked two houses down and there was that chicken bone.
> Today I am coming up the alley and this other guy decided to throw his glass bottle in the air and watch it explode all over behind my place.
> I lost it on this guy. I did not lay a hand on him, but he is likely to throw the next bottle at my house.
> I just do not know how to deal with slobs like this.
> 
> I did go out today and put a little garbage can by my gate. I am hoping this will help.
> phew..thanks for the thread.


Oh my gosh. You must live on my block, because we seriously have chicken (or pork rib) bones and broken bottles around here ALL the time. The bottles, fine, I can usually avoid those (although it's still awful). The bones though? Nearly impossible to see until Snowball has it in his mouth. We also get people that pull over along the road (there's only houses on one side) and completely empty their car of all it's trash and just... drive off. Ugh.


----------



## Melle

Today I tried to talk about the DA, dog selective, etc traits of the APBT on Instagram and ended up getting flamed and called stupid and ignorant.

On the bright side the place I commented and the length of my explanations probably at least put a handful of people in the position of wanting to research whatever "nonsense" I was spouting.

It's actually kind of funny to have 25 year olds resort to calling me stupid and a garbage spouter. Harharhar. I am 18 and I didn't even directly challenge anyone's views or opinions, not even once put the person down or disrespected them, gave my sources, and my experiences all to detail. Ohhh furmommies.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> There's a pathetic part of me that wants to try fostering again.. but after my last experience and all of the crazy (aggressive, BAD SA, extremely neurotic) rescue dogs I've come in contact with the past year.. I'm just really scared it would blow up in my face. But there's this dog that melts my heart that I really want to help..


That's how I feel about getting a new puppy, where should I go? Rescue? Shelter? Breeder? A puppy is a crap shoot any way you slice it but ... GAH! So much OMG!!! :frusty:


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

I had to bring Boss & Stormy to the vet today. There's a tv in the waiting area. Guess what was on....CM's show. >.> It makes me rather annoyed.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CrazyDogWoman said:


> I had to bring Boss & Stormy to the vet today. There's a tv in the waiting area. Guess what was on....CM's show. >.> It makes me rather annoyed.


Meh, if it's about dogs I will watch it. If the sound is low, I use it to brush up on my calming language skills and what not to do lol.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Could any raw feeders confirm that it's ok to feed chicken leg quarters with the skin? This seems kind of silly to ask but I just like to be super sure. Trying to incorporate more raw into the boys diet but am far from being well versed on the topic. Trying to learn as much as I can.  Also, there's a good deal on it today, but it's been enhanced with 15% chicken broth. Sodium is 190mg per serving. Would this be ok to feed? It's not going to be fed as a meal. Just as a snack for my super ribby boys. 









I wish my metabolism could be as fast as theirs.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Are Mudi's & Croatian Sheepdogs, the same breed? Appearance wise they look identical.


----------



## ireth0

gingerkid said:


> Oh my gosh. You must live on my block, because we seriously have chicken (or pork rib) bones and broken bottles around here ALL the time. The bottles, fine, I can usually avoid those (although it's still awful). The bones though? Nearly impossible to see until Snowball has it in his mouth. We also get people that pull over along the road (there's only houses on one side) and completely empty their car of all it's trash and just... drive off. Ugh.


Ugh I feel for you. Yesterday on our walk I had to pull cooked pork chop bone remnants from Luna's mouth. :doh:


----------



## d_ray

BubbaMoose said:


> Could any raw feeders confirm that it's ok to feed chicken leg quarters with the skin? This seems kind of silly to ask but I just like to be super sure. Trying to incorporate more raw into the boys diet but am far from being well versed on the topic. Trying to learn as much as I can.  Also, there's a good deal on it today, but it's been enhanced with 15% chicken broth. Sodium is 190mg per serving. Would this be ok to feed? It's not going to be fed as a meal. Just as a snack for my super ribby boys.
> 
> View attachment 171945
> 
> 
> I wish my metabolism could be as fast as theirs.


I always feed the quarters with skin. Sounds good to me. I second ya on the metabolism thing.


----------



## d_ray

Bubbamoose I always forget how cute your dogs are.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> Bubbamoose I always forget how cute your dogs are.


I know! Her pics always look like those pics from that weimaraner guy who always used to take the photos.


----------



## Kayota

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Are Mudi's & Croatian Sheepdogs, the same breed? Appearance wise they look identical.


I think so?


----------



## Kayota

ireth0 said:


> Ugh I feel for you. Yesterday on our walk I had to pull cooked pork chop bone remnants from Luna's mouth. :doh:


MMy moms neighbors dumped half eeaten ffoodover our fence all the time


----------



## GrinningDog

I'm sick, stressed about school and life, and a lotta lonely. This morning, Gypsy was naughty on our morning walk, and I lost my temper with her. But she forgave me, still loves me, and cuddled with me after I got home from classes. <3

I'm so busy these days, and Gypsy has been so good about accepting less attention and exercise. WHEN I have free time, it's devoted to her. I look forward to those walks and games and cuddles so, so much.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Finally got around to making vet appointments for my dogs today lol, I've been procrastinating since March! Gem and Gyp were due in March, Rusty in April, Happy In August and Paisley in October..I have done..none of them lol. I finally made appointments, Happy and Rusty(the seniors) on Oct 2nd and Gem, Gyp and Pais the following week on Oct 9th. I'm stupid lol, I usually keep it split up for cost reasons!


----------



## DaySleepers

BubbaMoose said:


> Could any raw feeders confirm that it's ok to feed chicken leg quarters with the skin? This seems kind of silly to ask but I just like to be super sure. Trying to incorporate more raw into the boys diet but am far from being well versed on the topic. Trying to learn as much as I can.  Also, there's a good deal on it today, but it's been enhanced with 15% chicken broth. Sodium is 190mg per serving. Would this be ok to feed? It's not going to be fed as a meal. Just as a snack for my super ribby boys.
> 
> View attachment 171945
> 
> 
> I wish my metabolism could be as fast as theirs.


I'd be more concerned about the enhancement than the skin. Feed very small amounts at first, if you want to try. Some dogs can handle enhanced meat, esp. when it's not a frequent thing. Others wind up with cannon butt.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I really need to start eating healthier,& exercising. I basically just eat crap,& rarely excerise. It's starting to have a neagtive effect on my too. Gah.

The issues is, many times I don't have the motivation to actually be healthy. Plus, my family is soooo unhealthy, so that doesn't help at all.

Need. Motivation.


----------



## Willowy

Well, this does say random nonsense rant. . .. Very random and nonsensical: there are some new American Express commercials out with Tina Fey. I've seen at least 2 different ones, maybe 3. Whenever it shows her swipe the card, she's swiping the side without the magnetic strip. Um, yeah, credit cards don't work if you swipe them that way. I think ad people are normally more detail-oriented than that. The first time, I thought it was an accident. But it's in all the commercials. So they must be doing it on purpose. Why? Maybe they're using a live card reader and don't actually want to swipe the card? Or they think it looks better being held that way? OR. . .Tina Fey is doing it to be funny and wants to see how many people notice? I noticed! Just for the record.

ETA: Googled it. Darn, I'm not the first to notice.


----------



## jade5280

Weird. Maybe they had her hold it like that so the "American Express" logo can be seen on the card?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Man, this poor client is never gonna want to go on a buisness trip again  she's been away on a buisness trip for several months and left her 2 dogs and a cat with us.. as of today only the cat is left  nothing we did or could have prevented, just serious health issues. I'm not sure what exactly the first one was..we didn't have her long, she was sick before she came in(like the cat and other dog were here for like a week before the first dog, who was at the vets) she came back with a million meds, then like the next day her nose Started bleeding so we took her back(it was like a side effect or something) then a few days later she came back was doing ok then just collapsed and died.. a necerapsy was done, but I font know exactly what the results were, just that she was sick. the other has been fine for months then yesterday started throwing up and coughing..we took him straight to the vet and he had among like 20 other things an enlarged mis-shapen heart, fluid in his lungs and they were twisted, a mass attached to his heart, something wrong with his spine etc... he was such a complete health disaster that he was just PTS(after discussion with his owner obviously). So the poor owner is stuck overseas, has lost BOTH her dogs while she's away, just has the cat left and has no idea when she can come home  . It's just so sad, I'm heartbroken for her :'(


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> Weird. Maybe they had her hold it like that so the "American Express" logo can be seen on the card?


I think this is the reason, because if you hold it the right way the logo wouldn't be visible to the camera.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Oh I totally got to listen to a total nutter yell at me this morning! Her dog came home yesterday without his blanket..blankets are left at your own risk, this is stated in many places on our website, in our lobby, on our waver and verbally if anyone tries to bring a blanket or bed anyway. The reason? We have hundreds upon hundreds of blankets and they are not all the same, if we take yours out for washing for any reason(pee'd on, spilled stuff on, dirty etc..) while we TRY to keep track, we have 35 staff members, minor details like blankets get lost in translation very easily. So this lady left her blanket anyway...and we have no idea where it is... it's a big place lol. So I didn't even KNOW about it but there was a note on the desk I hadn't yet seen that said to keep an eye out for it. Ok whatever..she calls and demands to know if we've found it yet..I was like..umm I dunno I check though.. I ask around, nope..its all totally different staff. I tell her, no sorry not yet and she started screaming at me! Demanding to know how we could lose a blanket, I explained that we have a lot, and she screamed at me about her dog would NEVER pee on his blanket so why the **** was it not in his kennel?....uuummm because we clean the kennels...so she started yelling at me that we had "better" know our blankets from clients..umm no, we have a LOT of different blankets thry are not standerized, a lot are donated. then she started yelling at me that "well then you owe me $20 for a new blanket" ummm no we don't, blankets are left at your own risk, you CHOSE to take that risk! But I told her we'll keep looking, all the laundry from the previous day was not through the system yet(this was very early in the am she called) and she yelled at me that we'd better find her blanket or else...erm..ok, we'll keep our eyes.out.. Lol probably not gonna find it! "Green plaid" is not that helpful of a description! It was.most likely folded away with all the other beds and redistributed to other dogs lol


----------



## gingerkid

Whoever says dogs aren't spiteful needs to come to my house and observe Foster and my Snowball. So, on and off now, since I got home this evening, Foster will chew on her antler, and when she gets distracted by something, Snowball will go in for a "take over". Sometimes he'll walk away with it, sometimes he chews on it, sometimes he just lays beside it. Regardless, he will guard it from her until he decides he's done with it. Just now, Foster was running around the house howling, she'd come stare at me and howl, and leave to walk around, and then I heard Snowball (who was on the bed) growl at her, so I went to investigate... he was just sitting on the bed. And the antler was on the other side of the bed. And every time she walked past it he growled at her. :doh:

I mean, I can take it away from him and give it to her right in front of him, and he has no problem with it, doesn't try to get it back, etc. It really, really seems like he wants it just so she can't have it. He doesn't even _like_ antlers!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Whoever says dogs aren't spiteful needs to come to my house and observe Foster and my Snowball. So, on and off now, since I got home this evening, Foster will chew on her antler, and when she gets distracted by something, Snowball will go in for a "take over". Sometimes he'll walk away with it, sometimes he chews on it, sometimes he just lays beside it. Regardless, he will guard it from her until he decides he's done with it. Just now, Foster was running around the house howling, she'd come stare at me and howl, and leave to walk around, and then I heard Snowball (who was on the bed) growl at her, so I went to investigate... he was just sitting on the bed. And the antler was on the other side of the bed. And every time she walked past it he growled at her. :doh:
> 
> I mean, I can take it away from him and give it to her right in front of him, and he has no problem with it, doesn't try to get it back, etc. It really, really seems like he wants it just so she can't have it. He doesn't even _like_ antlers!


Oh totally! Izze was the most spiteful, grudge holding **** that ever had four legs, man. And the stink eye she used to give me would melt the armor off a tank!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Lol My mom threw a shovel towards Rusty a few years ago trying to scare him into shutting his friggen trap, well it worked..he stopped barking..looked at her..ran into the house, busted down the upstairs baby gate ran up to her room, pushed her door open, kicked all her blankets and pillows into a pile in the middle of the bed, pee'd all around the pile, ran back downstairs, directly to my mom, looked her in the eyes, barked in her face and marched into his crate. Then people tell me Rusty is stupid...Rusty ain't stupid..evil? Absolutely, but not stupid lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

I think my dogs have a toy organization plan... I picked up all their toys and put them in the toy box this morning... all the toys are now back where I found them..like each specific toy has been returned to the specific spot I picked it up from..


----------



## Damon'sMom

So I put Jasper, Mason and Ginger on chains this morning outside while I fixed their breakfast. Afterwards I went outside and unhooked Ginger and Mason and let them inside to eat. I then went back out and unhooked Jasper. He walked a few steps and laid down. I called for him and he refused to budge. So I went back down and attached a leash to his collar and told him to come. Nope. Not happening. So here I am standing in my front yard with a big fury dog refusing to move. I was still half asleep and not up for the fight so I reach down and picked him up to carry him inside. Which he LOVED and gives me a kiss. hahaha I know everyone that drove past was like "WTH is that small girl carrying that huge dog for?" LMAO I mean he is 62 pounds and 23" tall, I am 5'2" and 140 pounds. LOL

And no, I have absolutely no idea why he refused to walk into the house. He has been fine ever since.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Every once in a while, Susie will go around and gather all the old bones and put them in a pile. She does not guard them or anything and as they are usually pretty old, it makes it easy for me to gather them up and throw some of them away. I don't know where some of them even come from, think she buries them, then went and dug them up.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have been fighting with the squirrels for the past few years so decided this year I am going to Win. I set up my feeders like in the picture. The white plastic around the poles sticks out about 10 inches and so far they have not been able to get past it. I also cut down any trees that were close enough for the Squirrels to jump from. Now if I can keep the deer from coming up on my porch like they did last winter, maybe I will have enough sunflower seeds to last the winter.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kyllobernese said:


> Every once in a while, Susie will go around and gather all the old bones and put them in a pile. She does not guard them or anything and as they are usually pretty old, it makes it easy for me to gather them up and throw some of them away. I don't know where some of them even come from, think she buries them, then went and dug them up.


Izze would do that with toys, bones no matter how old they are, but she would guard them! she wouldn't chew them, but she wouldn't let anyone else have them either! ***** LOL. I swear I am happy I got her and not someone else, because if anyone else had she prolly would have ended up in a shelter before she was a year old.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Since I'm in my senior year of High School(yay!), I'm starting to really look into my career. Which is a Veterinarian Technician. The thing is, I'm getting more,& more worried. Needing to euthanize dogs, seeing them in absolute horrid conditions, seeing dogs deteriorate, with no chance of improving-sounds depressing as hell. I'm naturally a very sensitive person, so, I just don't know if I can deal with everything. And, while researching, this field has one of the highest depression(& suicide rates) out of any career. Which is worrisome.

Though, there's also so much good. Helping dogs improve from horrible situations, seeing health dogs, being able to improve a dogs situation,& simply being around dogs.


----------



## Willowy

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Since I'm in my senior year of High School(yay!), I'm starting to really look into my career. Which is a Veterinarian Technician. The thing is, I'm getting more,& more worried. Needing to euthanize dogs, seeing them in absolute horrid conditions, seeing dogs deteriorate, with no chance of improving-sounds depressing as hell. I'm naturally a very sensitive person, so, I just don't know if I can deal with everything. And, while researching, this field has one of the highest depression(& suicide rates) out of any career. Which is worrisome.
> 
> Though, there's also so much good. Helping dogs improve from horrible situations, seeing health dogs, being able to improve a dogs situation,& simply being around dogs.


That's why I chose against working with animals. . .it's better just to get a job that pays well enough so you can indulge your own pet habit . And if you have the strength, volunteer with a rescue or something, but not a job that pays the bills so you can't quit. That would be too stressful for me and I'm glad I figured that out before going down that path .


----------



## momtolabs

Jazzy what about dog grooming or something?? I want to work in the animal field and I have decide on dog grooming. I was goin to do vet tech but with schooling and other things I decided against it. So I'm going to a 12 week dog grooming school. 


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----------



## Melle

Jazzy I'm in a similar situation trying to figure out what career I want to pursue. I just graduated this past June but I'm on gap year now trying to try out different jobs and stuff that might give me a better idea. Vet Tech felt a little heavy for me too, and I'm not a medical person anyway. I've also been thinking about grooming, maybe breed-specific rescue, or shelter work in general.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kyllobernese said:


> I have been fighting with the squirrels for the past few years so decided this year I am going to Win. I set up my feeders like in the picture. The white plastic around the poles sticks out about 10 inches and so far they have not been able to get past it. I also cut down any trees that were close enough for the Squirrels to jump from. Now if I can keep the deer from coming up on my porch like they did last winter, maybe I will have enough sunflower seeds to last the winter.


We did too! its like our vet says, a squirrel has 24 hours in a day to think up ways to outsmart what we do LOL. We finally put cayenne pepper in with the bird seed, it doesn't hurt the birds and the squirrels HATE it


----------



## Kayota

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Since I'm in my senior year of High School(yay!), I'm starting to really look into my career. Which is a Veterinarian Technician. The thing is, I'm getting more,& more worried. Needing to euthanize dogs, seeing them in absolute horrid conditions, seeing dogs deteriorate, with no chance of improving-sounds depressing as hell. I'm naturally a very sensitive person, so, I just don't know if I can deal with everything. And, while researching, this field has one of the highest depression(& suicide rates) out of any career. Which is worrisome.
> 
> Though, there's also so much good. Helping dogs improve from horrible situations, seeing health dogs, being able to improve a dogs situation,& simply being around dogs.


a lot of people in the vet field are very callous and can be awful to their coworkers too, so if you're sensitive it may not be the job for you.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Since I'm in my senior year of High School(yay!), I'm starting to really look into my career. Which is a Veterinarian Technician. The thing is, I'm getting more,& more worried. Needing to euthanize dogs, seeing them in absolute horrid conditions, seeing dogs deteriorate, with no chance of improving-sounds depressing as hell. I'm naturally a very sensitive person, so, I just don't know if I can deal with everything. And, while researching, this field has one of the highest depression(& suicide rates) out of any career. Which is worrisome.
> 
> Though, there's also so much good. Helping dogs improve from horrible situations, seeing health dogs, being able to improve a dogs situation,& simply being around dogs.


I was a vet tech out of high school (was able to take classes for college while I was still technically in HS because I had enough credits to graduate) and I liked it! I worked nights.


----------



## Greater Swiss

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Since I'm in my senior year of High School(yay!), I'm starting to really look into my career. Which is a Veterinarian Technician. The thing is, I'm getting more,& more worried. Needing to euthanize dogs, seeing them in absolute horrid conditions, seeing dogs deteriorate, with no chance of improving-sounds depressing as hell. I'm naturally a very sensitive person, so, I just don't know if I can deal with everything. And, while researching, this field has one of the highest depression(& suicide rates) out of any career. Which is worrisome.
> 
> Though, there's also so much good. Helping dogs improve from horrible situations, seeing health dogs, being able to improve a dogs situation,& simply being around dogs.


Jazzy....I work in a morgue. I won't go into the horrible things, and the tragedies I've seen, but I'm sure you can imagine. Honestly, I couldn't deal with it if it were animals, but that said, if you do go ahead with working as a vet tech, my philosophy might be of help....I am there to do my job, my job is not to mourn for them, but to show them all of the respect I can, and do whatever I can do for them (which is to help the pathologist determine all of the information he/she can during autopsy), and whatever I can for the family (though my contact with them is usually peripheral, I do play a role in easing the preparation of the body for the funeral home). I can't mourn for them, I can respect them and what they've been through, it is the family's job to mourn, and do what they need to do. If they don't, it is out of my control, all I can do is what I do, and do it the best I can. No use worrying about what you just can't change, or fix. Yeah, sometimes I need to step back and decompress, I'm sure you will. Sometimes things will hit you, this is NORMAL, and some things will stick with you forever....all you can do is step back before it is too much for you, if you don't, you'll burn out and be useless to those you want to help and to yourself, and returning to your duties won't be possible. In your case, if you couldn't return to your duties, there are still other things you can do, and stepping back and taking inventory of things is important to be able to continue on to do any of it. 

If you do follow through with the course, I wish you a lot of luck, and don't be scared to talk to those you work with if things get to you, they've probably been through it too. I personally couldn't do that job, despite what I do for a living....I really respect those who can!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> Jazzy....I work in a morgue. I won't go into the horrible things, and the tragedies I've seen, but I'm sure you can imagine. Honestly, I couldn't deal with it if it were animals, but that said, if you do go ahead with working as a vet tech, my philosophy might be of help....I am there to do my job, my job is not to mourn for them, but to show them all of the respect I can, and do whatever I can do for them (which is to help the pathologist determine all of the information he/she can during autopsy), and whatever I can for the family (though my contact with them is usually peripheral, I do play a role in easing the preparation of the body for the funeral home). I can't mourn for them, I can respect them and what they've been through, it is the family's job to mourn, and do what they need to do. If they don't, it is out of my control, all I can do is what I do, and do it the best I can. No use worrying about what you just can't change, or fix. Yeah, sometimes I need to step back and decompress, I'm sure you will. Sometimes things will hit you, this is NORMAL, and some things will stick with you forever....all you can do is step back before it is too much for you, if you don't, you'll burn out and be useless to those you want to help and to yourself, and returning to your duties won't be possible. In your case, if you couldn't return to your duties, there are still other things you can do, and stepping back and taking inventory of things is important to be able to continue on to do any of it.
> 
> If you do follow through with the course, I wish you a lot of luck, and don't be scared to talk to those you work with if things get to you, they've probably been through it too. I personally couldn't do that job, despite what I do for a living....I really respect those who can!


You work in a morgue? Oh my gosh I am not a squeamish person but I don't think I could do that.

Luckily the vets offices I worked for were full if caring people, so I think it depends on where you work.


----------



## Damon'sMom

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Since I'm in my senior year of High School(yay!), I'm starting to really look into my career. Which is a Veterinarian Technician. The thing is, I'm getting more,& more worried. Needing to euthanize dogs, seeing them in absolute horrid conditions, seeing dogs deteriorate, with no chance of improving-sounds depressing as hell. I'm naturally a very sensitive person, so, I just don't know if I can deal with everything. And, while researching, this field has one of the highest depression(& suicide rates) out of any career. Which is worrisome.
> 
> Though, there's also so much good. Helping dogs improve from horrible situations, seeing health dogs, being able to improve a dogs situation,& simply being around dogs.


I worked as a vet tech for years and loved it.  It can be very depressing sometimes and anyone thinking about this field needs to think about that. It also does not pay that well, but if it did I would still be working at a clinic. Being able to save a dogs life kinda helps make up for the bad. And all the wonderful owners you meet.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yeah that's another thing ... it doesn't pay well


----------



## Greater Swiss

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You work in a morgue? Oh my gosh I am not a squeamish person but I don't think I could do that.
> 
> Luckily the vets offices I worked for were full if caring people, so I think it depends on where you work.


Yeah I do, I'm a special kind of strange lol...I work in the pathology lab as well, but my main duties are in the morgue. Funny thing is, I can be squeamish. I've seen (and smelled) awful things and not flinched, but if the cat starts the "hairball heave" and barfs, I usually gag. Go figure  Honestly though, I couldn't handle seeing an animal being in pain as potentially being part of my job....(or even a human!), I think it would be too much for me, so HUGE kudos to you guys who have and do.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Since I'm in my senior year of High School(yay!), I'm starting to really look into my career. Which is a Veterinarian Technician. The thing is, I'm getting more,& more worried. Needing to euthanize dogs, seeing them in absolute horrid conditions, seeing dogs deteriorate, with no chance of improving-sounds depressing as hell. I'm naturally a very sensitive person, so, I just don't know if I can deal with everything. And, while researching, this field has one of the highest depression(& suicide rates) out of any career. Which is worrisome.
> 
> Though, there's also so much good. Helping dogs improve from horrible situations, seeing health dogs, being able to improve a dogs situation,& simply being around dogs.


I'm not a tech, but I work in a vet and assist techs when I'm not working the kennel. I'm a natural depressive, have anxiety and was always afraid of the same things. I guess working in the field has toughened me up. After awhile, some people become a bit numb to it.. so it can be a bit rough. You will get mad at owners for being irresponsible. You will try not to cry while helping with a euth. Most of it involves a lot more basic things like treatments and office visits though. It's not all bad. 

Also.. I might even argue that a lot of people who are a little depressed and unstable to begin with gravitate toward working with animals. That would account for some of the depression and suicide rates.


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## momtolabs

Did you know playing tug with your dog means your training them to he mean? Yea me either. The new rumor going around town is that I'm training Mia to be "vicious". Yes me playing tug with my dog totally means I'm training her to attack people :rollseyes: 


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## JTurner

Bleh looks like I have to go to my in laws for a birthday party. Cheers to leaving my dog home alone for hours while I get to watch them dote over theirs! Long story...


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## gingerkid

Kayota said:


> a lot of people in the vet field are very callous and can be awful to their coworkers too, so if you're sensitive it may not be the job for you.


Are they callous or just not very good with people, hence why they're in an animal field?


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## Miss Bugs

Apparently someone tried to break in last night! My brother was standing right there..he said the dude just walked into the yard, the 3 little dogs were outside and they just barked at him and he ignored them, my brother went outside and dragged the dogs in the house and shut the door and locked it.nabd the guy just started wretching at the door and pounding on it do my brother called the police and eventually the dude left... idiots lucky my dogs were in bed, they are larger and Gypsy will bite(not "i think she would" i have a muzzle for her for a reason) and Happy will bite if they try anything. Paisley and Gem would be like the little ones and just bark lol


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## JazzyTheSiberian

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I'm not a tech, but I work in a vet and assist techs when I'm not working the kennel. I'm a natural depressive, have anxiety and was always afraid of the same things. I guess working in the field has toughened me up. After awhile, some people become a bit numb to it.. so it can be a bit rough. You will get mad at owners for being irresponsible. You will try not to cry while helping with a euth. Most of it involves a lot more basic things like treatments and office visits though. It's not all bad.
> 
> Also.. I might even argue that a lot of people who are a little depressed and unstable to begin with gravitate toward working with animals. That would account for some of the depression and suicide rates.


Umm... I will admit, when I am depressed, I tend to gravitate towards animals.This may be strange,but, It's a reason why I'm going into the field, because I'd rather work with animals, then humans.



Damon'sMom said:


> I worked as a vet tech for years and loved it.  It can be very depressing sometimes and anyone thinking about this field needs to think about that. It also does not pay that well, but if it did I would still be working at a clinic. Being able to save a dogs life kinda helps make up for the bad. And all the wonderful owners you meet.


See this why I want to go into this field. Because you can save a dogs life,& meet awesome people.



Kayota said:


> a lot of people in the vet field are very callous and can be awful to their coworkers too, so if you're sensitive it may not be the job for you.


But, you can run into that in any Job, just not the Vet field. Of course, it's possible that this field,it might be more common. I won't let that be the deciding factor, whether or not I'll go into field. 

I agree with with Gingerkid. I think a lot of people who do animal field, aren't all that good with people. 



gingerkid said:


> Are they callous or just not very good with people, hence why they're in an animal field?


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## momtolabs

I tell my aunt every freaking Sunday to bring her dog in ON leash!! She always runs straight for Mia and Mia hates it!! The freaking dog jumps and scratches her face so Mia growls and snaps! One bite and the dog would be gone! I told my aunt that if she doesn't Mia could possibly kill her!! Once Athena calms the freak down all is fine. Well until she does something rude to one of my dogs again. My aunt said "if Mia kills my dogs I'm calling animal control. Your dog is mean anyway and deserves to be PTS." I'm excuse me!!?? Get the ****** out of my house!!!!! I really wish my parents would kick her out. Caleb can't even play at all and spends a majority of his days in a kennel  So usually my sister and I are out of the hous all day. Basically we have been kicked out of our OWN house because of the dang dog. The dog craps and pees everywhere!!! Including my sisters bed so my sister, Caleb ,my kitten and I have all been sharing a twin sized bed. Caleb's getting bigger to so it's becoming harder for all of us to fit  The other day Athena pounced on tanks bad hip  she may only be six pounds but it hurt him! My dogs can't even get on the couch because the dog comes after them. As soon as my aunt pulls up on Sundays my mood goes from "happy happy happy" to "I'm going to rip someone's head off." Because of te tension!! I'm constantly on high alert that one of my dogs is going to seriously hurt her because my stupid aunt doesn't listen to me. I'm tired of poor Caleb spending 65% of his day in a kennel!!! He's big and clumsy and if he accidently steps on Athena my aunt gets mad! He's a freaking 14 week old puppy who has paws to big for him!! Last week I had a melt down and it was really bad. It's only September too :'( hurry up May! 


ETA: Caleb does get out a lot as long as we are outside. He is in from 8-3:15 because of school. Out from 3:15-6 spending time outside. In the kennel from 6-7 and then out after that since I usually go up to my room and wait for my sister or I take him on another walk. Then he is out all night sleeping,lol. 

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## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I tell my aunt every freaking Sunday to bring her dog in ON leash!! She always runs straight for Mia and Mia hates it!! The freaking dog jumps and scratches her face so Mia growls and snaps! One bite and the dog would be gone! I told my aunt that if she doesn't Mia could possibly kill her!! Once Athena calms the freak down all is fine. Well until she does something rude to one of my dogs again. My aunt said "if Mia kills my dogs I'm calling animal control. Your dog is mean anyway and deserves to be PTS." I'm excuse me!!?? Get the ****** out of my house!!!!! I really wish my parents would kick her out. Caleb can't even play at all and spends a majority of his days in a kennel  So usually my sister and I are out of the hous all day. Basically we have been kicked out of our OWN house because of the dang dog. The dog craps and pees everywhere!!! Including my sisters bed so my sister, Caleb ,my kitten and I have all been sharing a twin sized bed. Caleb's getting bigger to so it's becoming harder for all of us to fit  The other day Athena pounced on tanks bad hip  she may only be six pounds but it hurt him! My dogs can't even get on the couch because the dog comes after them. As soon as my aunt pulls up on Sundays my mood goes from "happy happy happy" to "I'm going to rip someone's head off." Because of te tension!! I'm constantly on high alert that one of my dogs is going to seriously hurt her because my stupid aunt doesn't listen to me. I'm tired of poor Caleb spending 65% of his day in a kennel!!! He's big and clumsy and if he accidently steps on Athena my aunt gets mad! He's a freaking 14 week old puppy who has paws to big for him!! Last week I had a melt down and it was really bad. It's only September too :'( hurry up May!
> 
> 
> ETA: Caleb does get out a lot as long as we are outside. He is in from 8-3:15 because of school. Out from 3:15-6 spending time outside. In the kennel from 6-7 and then out after that since I usually go up to my room and wait for my sister or I take him on another walk. Then he is out all night sleeping,lol.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Even if your dogs did something and she called AC, it's doubtful she would have a leg to stand on since you told her the dog needs to be on a leash and it's your house not hers. 

What I would do is have a leash ready, put it on her dog and hold it myself, if she doesn't like it I would tell her she knows where the door is, don't let it hit her on the way out ... regardless of what my parents said.


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## gingerkid

momtolabs said:


> I tell my aunt every freaking Sunday to bring her dog in ON leash!! She always runs straight for Mia and Mia hates it!! The freaking dog jumps and scratches her face so Mia growls and snaps! One bite and the dog would be gone! I told my aunt that if she doesn't Mia could possibly kill her!! Once Athena calms the freak down all is fine. Well until she does something rude to one of my dogs again. My aunt said "if Mia kills my dogs I'm calling animal control. Your dog is mean anyway and deserves to be PTS." I'm excuse me!!?? Get the ****** out of my house!!!!! I really wish my parents would kick her out. Caleb can't even play at all and spends a majority of his days in a kennel  So usually my sister and I are out of the hous all day. Basically we have been kicked out of our OWN house because of the dang dog. The dog craps and pees everywhere!!! Including my sisters bed so my sister, Caleb ,my kitten and I have all been sharing a twin sized bed. Caleb's getting bigger to so it's becoming harder for all of us to fit  The other day Athena pounced on tanks bad hip  she may only be six pounds but it hurt him! My dogs can't even get on the couch because the dog comes after them. As soon as my aunt pulls up on Sundays my mood goes from "happy happy happy" to "I'm going to rip someone's head off." Because of te tension!! I'm constantly on high alert that one of my dogs is going to seriously hurt her because my stupid aunt doesn't listen to me. I'm tired of poor Caleb spending 65% of his day in a kennel!!! He's big and clumsy and if he accidently steps on Athena my aunt gets mad! He's a freaking 14 week old puppy who has paws to big for him!! Last week I had a melt down and it was really bad. It's only September too :'( hurry up May!
> 
> 
> ETA: Caleb does get out a lot as long as we are outside. He is in from 8-3:15 because of school. Out from 3:15-6 spending time outside. In the kennel from 6-7 and then out after that since I usually go up to my room and wait for my sister or I take him on another walk. Then he is out all night sleeping,lol.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


If it was _my_ house (not my parents, etc.) I'd send her home and tell her to come back when her dog is on a leash.


----------



## Laurelin

This dog

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30254231/

And this dog

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30281215

I am trying to figure out how far I am willing to go just to meet a shelter dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> This dog
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30254231/
> 
> And this dog
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30281215
> 
> I am trying to figure out how far I am willing to go just to meet a shelter dog.


*whispers* [l] dooooo iiiiiiiit [/I]


----------



## Koda'smom

> Are they callous or just not very good with people, hence why they're in an animal field?


I am currently going to school to be a Veterinary Technician and on the first day they told us if you aren't good with people this is the wrong career for you because its not just working with the animals all day. You have to deal with angry client and grieving clients. You have to be thick skinned to deal with Veterinarian's egos and catty coworkers on bad days. The year I worked as a Kennel tech/Assistant really showed me how nasty women can be to each other and how some Veterinarians can play favorites among employees. There were days I would go home and cry after work because one of my coworkers was always blaming her mistakes on me and she was always believed. But I would never cry in front of them to show weakness would have "chummed the water" 
Keep in mind I was still in high school and only 17 at the time having a grown woman trying to get me fired every day was heartbreaking but I'm glad I worked there because it opened my little naive eyes. Now I'm 19 and I only have 6 months of college left and I'm determined to never be that kind of technician


----------



## Miss Bugs

My dog is embarrassing! I have been walking my dogs in a new area, i walked to this park, i had my guard down just chilling in the grass, my dogs all wrestling beside me, leashes were on but I wasn't holding them with any kind of security and I wasn't paying close attention to my surroundings and my dogs and i should have been, a little kid suddenly came running at my dogs squealing..they went "OMG!!! YOUR HAVING FUN TOO??" and met the kid in the middle..Gypsy..my jumping mouthy brat, jumped at the kid and apparently mouthed him, knocking the kid over, kid didn't react at all beyond the smile wiping off his face, but the parents were nasty! The mom claimed Gypsy bit the kid...and i wouldn't put it past her at all, but there was not so much as a fading pressure mark on the kid so I seriously doubt she did anything beyond playfully mouth him..cuz..well she has a habit of that, her idea of playful affection is to put her mouth on faces, i didn't brush it off her biting claim, i just grabbed my dogs back and apologized profusely and made sure the kid was ok while the parents glared at me and left. It was so embarrassing! I'm normally hyper vigilant, but I let my guard down this one time, and thats the one time lets their kid go screaming at my dogs :redface:


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> My dog is embarrassing! I have been walking my dogs in a new area, i walked to this park, i had my guard down just chilling in the grass, my dogs all wrestling beside me, leashes were on but I wasn't holding them with any kind of security and I wasn't paying close attention to my surroundings and my dogs and i should have been, a little kid suddenly came running at my dogs squealing..they went "OMG!!! YOUR HAVING FUN TOO??" and met the kid in the middle..Gypsy..my jumping mouthy brat, jumped at the kid and apparently mouthed him, knocking the kid over, kid didn't react at all beyond the smile wiping off his face, but the parents were nasty! The mom claimed Gypsy bit the kid...and i wouldn't put it past her at all, but there was not so much as a fading pressure mark on the kid so I seriously doubt she did anything beyond playfully mouth him..cuz..well she has a habit of that, her idea of playful affection is to put her mouth on faces, i didn't brush it off her biting claim, i just grabbed my dogs back and apologized profusely and made sure the kid was ok while the parents glared at me and left. It was so embarrassing! I'm normally hyper vigilant, but I let my guard down this one time, and thats the one time lets their kid go screaming at my dogs :redface:


I would have apologized, dogs will be dogs and their kid was the one at fault not your dkgs, you were over there by yourself! I would have stood up and gave them a talking to about watching their kids better and told them to shove off. That actually has happened to me before (my dogs WERE on leashes) and same thing happened, luckily I was able to get the kids to stop.before Izze could get to them (she HATED kids and wasn't playing about biting), the parents also tried to blame me but I told them to shove off or I would call the police on them for leaving their kid unintended.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Oh I don't think they were blameless, on no planet should they have let there kid come screaming at strange dogs, but i was not blameless either, my dogs DID get away from me and out of my control and run at the kid too. I should have had proper control of my dogs..and they should have had proper control of their kid!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hence the time for a "I am sorry but" speech.


----------



## BubbaMoose

d_ray said:


> Bubbamoose I always forget how cute your dogs are.


 Thank you so much! They are my world. 



OwnedbyACDs said:


> I know! Her pics always look like those pics from that weimaraner guy who always used to take the photos.


Lol, I think you mean William Wegman? If so, thank you as that is a huge compliment! Surprisingly, that's not the first time I've got a comment like that about my pictures of the boys. Also surprisingly, my dogs normally put themselves in really funny/cute poses and I sometimes I just happen capture it with my iPhone, I rarely pose them myself.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> Thank you so much! They are my world.
> 
> 
> Lol, I think you mean William Wegman? If so, thank you as that is a huge compliment! Surprisingly, that's not the first time I've got a comment like that about my pictures of the boys. Also surprisingly, my dogs normally put themselves in really funny/cute poses and I sometimes I just happen capture it with my iPhone, I rarely pose them myself.


Yes, that's who I meant  sorry drew a blank on his name ... don't know why xD


----------



## Equinox

Went to visit a forum friend/dog trainer today to meet her dogs and a couple of other people and dogs I know from online. Met her two Malinois (got loved on by one and screamed at by another, and I adored both!!), another friend's new Malinois puppy (such a sweet and pretty girl), and two Facebook/online friends and their German Shepherds, all of whom I'd been hoping to meet for a while. Really fantastic dogs, well trained, impressive, and gorgeously built. Didn't want to bring Trent and have him be the odd one out LOL, but also because he is still a bit dog reactive and easily overstimulated, plus we have not rebuilt his tug drive up enough to keep him reliably focused. 

Ended up grabbing Trent anyway because I figured "why the hell not"  And for a dog with residual dog reactivity that hadn't been in a dog group setting in 3+ years, he made me pretty happy! Offered me eye contact continuously, listened to commands and hand signals, tried to climb on random things, showed relatively little interest in the other dogs (even while some of them played tug and barked), and was overall under control and more engaged than I thought he'd be without a toy. No corrections needed other than a few "no"s and "leave it"s. He's generally not a wild dog to have out and about, but I was not sure how he'd be with a group of other high drive dogs. But he was good! Let me chat and walk around and was able to keep to himself. Also ignored other dogs coming in and out from the other side of the gate, sometimes without a reminder. 

Far from perfect, especially in comparison to everyone else's dogs, but not bad at all. Was happy I decided to bring him in after all and that he got to meet the people there. Great socializing opportunity, and I'm encouraged to step up our game.

On another note, I have serious Malinois want and really think I might end up with one eventually. And I'm okay with that lol.


----------



## kdawnk

Can you get Post Traumatic Stress, or something like that, from watching a video?
I watched this really horrifying video that one of my friends posted on Facebook of someone dying very graphically as well as a couple videos of animal death, abuse, and fur trade, that has popped up in my news feed.
And I keep having nightmares that have me waking up crying and shaking of the guy or an animal dying very graphically and it's recorded on someone's shakey cellphone and the guy recording it is like the most unattached announcer ever, _"OOOOOH, look at that, he's probably NOT going to feel that tomorrow. *laughs*"_
And it's like the third night in a row of really graphic horrifying dreams that I'll try not to go into more detail...


----------



## d_ray

BubbaMoose said:


> Thank you so much! They are my world.
> 
> 
> Lol, I think you mean William Wegman? If so, thank you as that is a huge compliment! Surprisingly, that's not the first time I've got a comment like that about my pictures of the boys. Also surprisingly, my dogs normally put themselves in really funny/cute poses and I sometimes I just happen capture it with my iPhone, I rarely pose them myself.


I need a Weim in my life. What are they like? I've only met one and he was a pup so a total spaz. Yours look like they have so much personality.


----------



## jade5280

kdawnk said:


> Can you get Post Traumatic Stress, or something like that, from watching a video?
> I watched this really horrifying video that one of my friends posted on Facebook of someone dying very graphically as well as a couple videos of animal death, abuse, and fur trade, that has popped up in my news feed.
> And I keep having nightmares that have me waking up crying and shaking of the guy or an animal dying very graphically and it's recorded on someone's shakey cellphone and the guy recording it is like the most unattached announcer ever, _"OOOOOH, look at that, he's probably NOT going to feel that tomorrow. *laughs*"_
> And it's like the third night in a row of really graphic horrifying dreams that I'll try not to go into more detail...


Oh my gosh! I'm friends with people on FB who share that kind of stuff too. I've had to "unfollow" people because I don't want to see that stuff every day when I'm just trying to check in to see what all my friends have been up to. I unfollowed SO's mother because she kept sharing animal neglect posts.

It just makes me sick to my stomach and I can't handle it


----------



## Melle

The sister of one of my coworker friends is looking for a home for her one year old cockapoo.

Oh my god I'm gonna cry. It's so perfect and even a perfect size. Nooo. And my family would actually like it oh lawdy.


----------



## momtolabs

Melle said:


> The sister of one of my coworker friends is looking for a home for her one year old cockapoo.
> 
> Oh my god I'm gonna cry. It's so perfect and even a perfect size. Nooo. And my family would actually like it oh lawdy.


Go get it 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> Can you get Post Traumatic Stress, or something like that, from watching a video?
> I watched this really horrifying video that one of my friends posted on Facebook of someone dying very graphically as well as a couple videos of animal death, abuse, and fur trade, that has popped up in my news feed.
> And I keep having nightmares that have me waking up crying and shaking of the guy or an animal dying very graphically and it's recorded on someone's shakey cellphone and the guy recording it is like the most unattached announcer ever, _"OOOOOH, look at that, he's probably NOT going to feel that tomorrow. *laughs*"_
> And it's like the third night in a row of really graphic horrifying dreams that I'll try not to go into more detail...


I know some of that stuff is disturbing, but nightmares? I wouldn't go that far. 

I just say "hide all posts from..." whoever they shared it from ... I do the same with the political **** that used to clog my news feed.


----------



## gingerkid

d_ray said:


> I need a Weim in my life. What are they like? I've only met one and he was a pup so *a total spaz*. Yours look like they have so much personality.


That's a pretty good description of all the weims I've met. They're also usually sweet and kind of silly, IME.


----------



## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I know some of that stuff is disturbing, but nightmares? I wouldn't go that far.
> 
> I just say "hide all posts from..." whoever they shared it from ... I do the same with the political **** that used to clog my news feed.


I don't know I've just never seen someone killing themselves/being murdered tortuously before and it really screwed me up, or at least dream-me.
Also seeing that one video that is supposed to show the compassion of human beings, but starts off with like 3 minutes of people killing each others, animals getting hit and run, a bunch of other horrible things. It's usually titled _"I had to translate this because the message behind it was so moving" _on Facebook so I clicked it.
I do it to myself, though, I click every video ever posted or linked on Facebook by my friends.


----------



## Laurelin

One of my friends has an oops litter of JRT mixes she sent me pictures of... they are free....

Nope, sticking to my guns!!!!


----------



## Miss Bugs

So I'm really good at mis hearing things... i groomed a schnauzer today, just a bath, brush and a tidy up trim cuz he'd been boarding for 3 weeks. The client complimented me on the trim, said i did an awesome job instead of "thank you" my reply was "yes".... because what i thought he said was "and you gave him a trim?" I always eventually process what the person said, but its always too late to suddenly jump back to the topic lol. Fir example a few months ago my friend said to me that her BF went go carting and how she's always wanted to go...ya what i heard was "goat herding" and while that sounded like a lot of fun, i didn't realize goat herding was such a popular past time lol or when one of my co workers was trying to tell me one of the groom's had cancelled..what I heard was "one of the groom's hand soap" i was very confused! Or this morning while taking a booking over the phone the name i heard was "violet" ..but then processing I was like "wait..maybe she said Scarlett" then i looked it up in the computer...it was SILAS lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

So there is the girl who moved here recently from BC, sge worked at the kennel with ne briefly but she found it too overwhelming. Since then she's joined my clubs Demo team and she does a lot of classes with me. Anyway I've found that we have a LOT in common lol we chatted for like 3 hours over facebook because we are into the same breeds, same sports, same ethics, same wants in a dog and breeder etc.. its crazy lol we were comparing notes on Toller and BC breeders lol


----------



## Melle

momtolabs said:


> Go get it
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I want this dog SO BAD.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> I don't know I've just never seen someone killing themselves/being murdered tortuously before and it really screwed me up, or at least dream-me.
> Also seeing that one video that is supposed to show the compassion of human beings, but starts off with like 3 minutes of people killing each others, animals getting hit and run, a bunch of other horrible things. It's usually titled _"I had to translate this because the message behind it was so moving" _on Facebook so I clicked it.
> I do it to myself, though, I click every video ever posted or linked on Facebook by my friends.


I can't click on everyone because I would burn through my data if I did . But FB has auto play where all the videos in your newsfeed will play and you need to go to your account settings (or app settings I think if mobile) to turn it off.

if I don't like the video I select the I don't want to see this, if it's horrible like the ones you described, I report it.


----------



## momtolabs

Melle and laurelin do it. Both of you GO get those pups 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Melle and laurelin do it. Both of you GO get those pups
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I agree... DO IT!!


----------



## Melle

I got shut down in 5 minutes.

As much as I expect around this house. Just wish I didn't always have to listen to my coworkers brag about what they get to do with their horses and dogs all the time. Blah, I want control of my own animal :/


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Melle said:


> I got shut down in 5 minutes.
> 
> As much as I expect around this house. Just wish I didn't always have to listen to my coworkers brag about what they get to do with their horses and dogs all the time. Blah, I want control of my own animal :/


Why don't you have control?


----------



## Melle

I mean I have control over my cat, but that's about it.

If my dad isn't a certain-kind-of-animal person, I just can't have it even if he never has to see it. I just barely could have my cat for whatever reason despite having had them before.

It just majorly sucks that a dog helped my depression the most and at least in the case with two of my friends at work despite their dad not liking dogs, as long as they managed them themselves, could stay. During making my decision about Nina they said "so get a smaller dog or get a non-dog." And now won't consider anything dog at all. Totally a fair comparison - someone's dislike of animal hair and someone's clinical depression.


----------



## ireth0

kdawnk said:


> I don't know I've just never seen someone killing themselves/being murdered tortuously before and it really screwed me up, or at least dream-me.
> Also seeing that one video that is supposed to show the compassion of human beings, but starts off with like 3 minutes of people killing each others, animals getting hit and run, a bunch of other horrible things. It's usually titled _"I had to translate this because the message behind it was so moving" _on Facebook so I clicked it.
> I do it to myself, though, I click every video ever posted or linked on Facebook by my friends.


I generally don't click fb videos unless I'm reasonably sure it will be okay to watch. The ones with vague titles like "She did this thing, and you wont believe how he responded!" or "This thing/person will totally blow you away!" something like that I just avoid unless someone I actually know well recommends that I watch it. 

For the cruelty photos and such I remove them from my feed. Sometimes I also make a status update about how posting those doesn't actually help anyone and if you want to help animals in need you can donate/volunteer. Because I'm sassy.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

PayPal takes so long to clear an e check! That it all. Their customer service has been great but still! The person I sent the money to wants to be paid! I called them to ask if something was wrong and they said there wasnt, it just takes a while :frusty:


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Someone passed way in my School. I really didn't know her, but gosh, it's still really depressing,& I'm still effected by it.

I just really hope,it's not what I'm thinking it is.


----------



## ireth0

I just got confirmation that Luna's ruffwear harness is finally coming on Oct 10thish! We ordered from Amazon.ca but they were out of stock at the time.


----------



## Laurelin

I move TOMORROW.

Holy cow. Tomorrow. Eep!!!!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Melle said:


> I mean I have control over my cat, but that's about it.
> 
> If my dad isn't a certain-kind-of-animal person, I just can't have it even if he never has to see it. I just barely could have my cat for whatever reason despite having had them before.
> 
> It just majorly sucks that a dog helped my depression the most and at least in the case with two of my friends at work despite their dad not liking dogs, as long as they managed them themselves, could stay. During making my decision about Nina they said "so get a smaller dog or get a non-dog." And now won't consider anything dog at all. Totally a fair comparison - someone's dislike of animal hair and someone's clinical depression.



((((Hugs)))) I'm so sorry about Nina, & not being able to get a dog. I totally know how you feel,there are so many pets I want, but, they all got turned down. Plus, it sucks that they won't listen to me, when I try educating them on some topic. 

Dogs really help with my depression,too. For one, there just comforting to have around,because they "love" to you death. At least for me, a dog, is great exercise motivator, & exercising really helps me feel better. I just

(((Hugs))) Again. I'm really sorry you need to deal with all of this. If you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to PM me, I won't judge. 

I just want to apologize, to everyone, for my posts being so negative lately.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> ((((Hugs)))) I'm so sorry about Nina, & not being able to get a dog. I totally know how you feel,there are so many pets I want, but, they all got turned down. Plus, it sucks that they won't listen to me, when I try educating them on some topic.
> 
> Dogs really help with my depression,too. For one, there just comforting to have around,because they "love" to you death. At least for me, a dog, is great exercise motivator, & exercising really helps me feel better. I just
> 
> (((Hugs))) Again. I'm really sorry you need to deal with all of this. If you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to PM me, I won't judge.
> 
> I just want to apologize, to everyone, for my posts being so negative lately.


I a there anything you can do like, getting a note from your doctor saying you NEED an animal? They wouldn't be able to deny it, it would be like denying someone access to their prescriptions.


----------



## Laurelin

'Mia! Your yapper is being really loud'

I just actually said that.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Today when I woke up I looked out the window and watched my neighbor throw a kitten (probably 5 or 6 months old) from her porch at least 15 feet because the little 6 year old tried to bring the kitten into the house and the kitten is "dirty". Mind you that this kitten had previously been able to go inside and was their kitten but the kitten got sick and has diarrhea on her tail and legs now. WTF, the kitten gets sick and instead of cleaning him up and taking him to the vet they treat him like he's no longer a living breathing animal?

My boyfriend called the police and put in an animal abuse complaint. Our city takes animal abuse very seriously, its illegal in our city to even harm or kill feral cats let alone tame cats. I also took the kitten in my house and he got a bath, he has a rash on his tail and back legs but he should be better now that there isn't poop stuck to him.

I'm so disgusted by people, she threw that cat in front of her own child! Now the child will think it's ok to throw animals! Its beyond words, I literally don't think words can explain how I feel about this whole situation.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Minor rant...I contacted a breeder i really like.. she responded this morning saying she won't sell me a puppy because i have too many dogs close in age...huh? So?..they are not puppies..by the time I get a pup they will all be 3 or close to it..and thanks for asking WHY i have 3 dogs pretty much the same age before writing me off...hint, all 3 are ADOPTED...seperately..at different ages, the age similarity is a friggen coincidence! Well Gem and Gyp was on purpose, but I still didn't get them together, I adopted them several months apart. Paisley being the same age was a complete and utter coincidence, I didn't even KNOW how old she was until after i adopted her lol all I knew was that she was an adult. 

I responded explaining this, and listing off all their titles, haven't heard back yet though. I was just irritated by the total write off straight off the bat.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> Today when I woke up I looked out the window and watched my neighbor throw a kitten (probably 5 or 6 months old) from her porch at least 15 feet because the little 6 year old tried to bring the kitten into the house and the kitten is "dirty". Mind you that this kitten had previously been able to go inside and was their kitten but the kitten got sick and has diarrhea on her tail and legs now. WTF, the kitten gets sick and instead of cleaning him up and taking him to the vet they treat him like he's no longer a living breathing animal?
> 
> My boyfriend called the police and put in an animal abuse complaint. Our city takes animal abuse very seriously, its illegal in our city to even harm or kill feral cats let alone tame cats. I also took the kitten in my house and he got a bath, he has a rash on his tail and back legs but he should be better now that there isn't poop stuck to him.
> 
> I'm so disgusted by people, she threw that cat in front of her own child! Now the child will think it's ok to throw animals! Its beyond words, I literally don't think words can explain how I feel about this whole situation.


Did you take pics of the kitten before you cleaned him up? If not I would take some pics of the rash and such. Hope she gets the book thrown at her ... evil person.

@MissBugs I was rejected by a rescue because I didn't have enough vet history, I guess that means I didn't take my dogs to the vet enough??? so My dogs are TOO healthy? Whatever.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Someone passed way in my School. I really didn't know her, but gosh, it's still really depressing,& I'm still effected by it.
> 
> I just really hope,it's not what I'm thinking it is.


Unfortunately, It probably is a suicide. Which is devastating. Today, is such a horrible day.

So many people have been effect, myself include, even though I never really knew her. A majority of people are sympathetic, care, & aren't being judgmental, which is wonderful. There's a few people who said" She had so many Friends! Why would she kill herself?" It really isn't like that.. When you such low point in your life,or a the point, that you consider suicide, nothing really matters anymore. .And,Just because you have a ton of friends, doesn't necessarily mean you will be happy.It is really hard to fully understand,& sympathize what it's like, without being in those persons shoes 

Thankfully, no one has said anything bout it being a "selfish" thing to do. Which is wonderful.


KodiBarracuda said:


> Today when I woke up I looked out the window and watched my neighbor throw a kitten (probably 5 or 6 months old) from her porch at least 15 feet because the little 6 year old tried to bring the kitten into the house and the kitten is "dirty". Mind you that this kitten had previously been able to go inside and was their kitten but the kitten got sick and has diarrhea on her tail and legs now. WTF, the kitten gets sick and instead of cleaning him up and taking him to the vet they treat him like he's no longer a living breathing animal?
> 
> My boyfriend called the police and put in an animal abuse complaint. Our city takes animal abuse very seriously, its illegal in our city to even harm or kill feral cats let alone tame cats. I also took the kitten in my house and he got a bath, he has a rash on his tail and back legs but he should be better now that there isn't poop stuck to him.
> 
> I'm so disgusted by people, she threw that cat in front of her own child! Now the child will think it's ok to throw animals! Its beyond words, I literally don't think words can explain how I feel about this whole situation.


Gosh, that is horrible Some people are so heartless. 

Though, I am glad you were there to take the kitten in. I wish there were more people like you, & less like your neighbor.


----------



## Remaru

Trigger warning....or something maybe....

Just got the message that Duke's ashes are at the vet's office. I don't know how I feel now. I'm actually doing reasonably well with this, most of the time. Until I look at pictures or my son says something. He is just so heart broken and it is killing me. I thought we had longer, years longer. I thought he would be a teen before this happened. All of the dogs seem to know something is up and they are collecting around him. He's always been a little dog magnet but now they are very solicitous.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh no, I didn't know Duke passed away. I'm so sorry.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Remaru said:


> Trigger warning....or something maybe....
> 
> Just got the message that Duke's ashes are at the vet's office. I don't know how I feel now. I'm actually doing reasonably well with this, most of the time. Until I look at pictures or my son says something. He is just so heart broken and it is killing me. I thought we had longer, years longer. I thought he would be a teen before this happened. All of the dogs seem to know something is up and they are collecting around him. He's always been a little dog magnet but now they are very solicitous.


Oh no I'm so sorry for your loss. ((((Hugs)))) to you.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I remember that call, the call that Izze's ashes were ready for pick up, so many feelings, I cant describe, she went so quick that I was like... numb until that call, then it got real for me. Her ashes are in my room at the ranch, I just cant bring myself to spread them :'(

(((((((((hugs))))))))) to you during this difficult time, Run free, duke


----------



## Laurelin

Mia opened one of my packed boxes, shredded it (a full size moving box!), and ate the rest of the freeze dried liver that was in a container by chewing through the tub. Mia doesn't even usually like liver!!!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Mia opened one of my packed boxes, shredded it (a full size moving box!), and ate the rest of the freeze dried liver that was in a container by chewing through the tub. Mia doesn't even usually like liver!!!!!


Uh oh, look out for cannon butt


----------



## gingerkid

Oh hey dogs. Could you please shut up, for like, 10 minutes!?

Seriously. I do not know what Snowball's problem is tonight. He's gotten plenty of exercise today, (and was even playing bitey face with the foster dog!), and I got home a little bit earlier than usual, he literally JUST got home from a walk...

Normally the barking doesn't get to me, but it's not normally this bad - tonight its just been constant and it's driving me nuts.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Even weirder on the breeder dismissal because i have 3 dogs the same age front? I mentioned it to a friend of mine and she was baffled..she said she easily got on the same breeders list and she has 3 dogs all YOUNGER then my 3... she said she applied when she had an 8 wk old, a 7 month old and a 1 year old at the same time... and received an enthusiastic yes from this same breeder. She thought maybe it was that she's a preformance home..but so am i and i made that clear right off the bat. It really makes no sense at all! She appears to have completely dismissed me despite my response very politely explaining why i have 3 so close in age. Whatever, i contacted a different breeder and SHE seems thrilled with me and we set up a phone interview.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

SNUGGLES



















I want him. So much. He's in my use-to-be hometown.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> SNUGGLES
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I want him. So much. He's in my use-to-be hometown.


Are you seeing a therapist? If you are, than you can have them write out something for an ESA, which is honored like a prescription, I don't think that even your parents could say no to a doctors note.


----------



## Greater Swiss

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Are you seeing a therapist? If you are, than you can have them write out something for an ESA, which is honored like a prescription, I don't think that even your parents could say no to a doctors note.


 I agree.....though the trick may be to have your parents go along with the training/lifestyle needs and requirements. If you can though, that might be an excellent way to go!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> I agree.....though the trick may be to have your parents go along with the training/lifestyle needs and requirements. If you can though, that might be an excellent way to go!!


Yeah, maybe try to get your parents involved with it, maybe ask them to come to therapy with you and talk to the therapist, should they agree that an ESA might help your demeanor and make you get out there and be more social/active/etc. Maybe then they would be more open to it if they saw a different aspect of it.


----------



## Miss Bugs

so this girl came into work for an orientation..I don't even... . she was "fired" before she even finished the paperwork..why? because she couldn't figure out how to fill out the paperwork. what paperwork you ask? forms that detail out what you can be fired for(ie not following safety regulations, ignoring signage etc..) the top of the form says "read and sign"....she decided the bullet points were actually a multiple choice answers..so she circled the points she thought were the correct answers...(to what questions, I have no idea lol) on the lines that said "name" or "signature" she wrote "Do" or "Agree"...never a good sign that someone is capable of following directions in a job where the lives of animals depend upon people following directions...


----------



## gingerkid

I am so frustrated right now... My downstairs neighbor just came over to tell me that he was upset that my dogs were barking at his dog (who was also barking) through their window. All three of the dogs involved are barrier reactive; my two dogs were totally fine until their dog started barking (not an accusation, just a fact), at which point he ran to the window and pulled the leash out of my hand. Which meant that I had to take my foster dog over to the window to get Snowball's leash, which meant my foster dog ALSO started barking. Apparently my neighbor witnessed the whole thing from the inside, and came up to my deck after I'd gotten the dog inside to tell me how upset he was. He is concerned that my foster dog is going to kill his dog - she is super sweet and is even better with other dogs than Snowball, but is barrier and leash reactive. I tried to explain what barrier reactivity was. I tried to explain that I regularly work with aggressive dogs at the shelter, and neither of my dogs are dog-aggressive. It was like, he didn't want to hear ANYTHING I said. Even after _I staked my life on it_ that she would not harm his dog if they were to meet, and assured him that if anything _ever _happened that involved _any _of the dogs under my care that I would certainly cover any medical expenses, he just kept saying "I trust your dog, it's the big one I'm worried about".

He literally spent 15 minutes just repeating "it was upsetting" and "I trust your dog, it's the big one I'm worried about". I finally gave up and told him " I understand that you're upset and you have a right to be, I've been in a similar position before and it is very upsetting, but I don't really know what you expect me to say or do". He responded that if it were up to him, "big dogs" would be outlawed in the city because they can't have enough space and exercise and left.

I'm just sitting here like, WTF. I don't even know how to process the conversation that just happened.


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> I am so frustrated right now... My downstairs neighbor just came over to tell me that he was upset that my dogs were barking at his dog (who was also barking) through their window. All three of the dogs involved are barrier reactive; my two dogs were totally fine until their dog started barking (not an accusation, just a fact), at which point he ran to the window and pulled the leash out of my hand. Which meant that I had to take my foster dog over to the window to get Snowball's leash, which meant my foster dog ALSO started barking. Apparently my neighbor witnessed the whole thing from the inside, and came up to my deck after I'd gotten the dog inside to tell me how upset he was. He is concerned that my foster dog is going to kill his dog - she is super sweet and is even better with other dogs than Snowball, but is barrier and leash reactive. I tried to explain what barrier reactivity was. I tried to explain that I regularly work with aggressive dogs at the shelter, and neither of my dogs are dog-aggressive. It was like, he didn't want to hear ANYTHING I said. Even after _I staked my life on it_ that she would not harm his dog if they were to meet, and assured him that if anything _ever _happened that involved _any _of the dogs under my care that I would certainly cover any medical expenses, he just kept saying "I trust your dog, it's the big one I'm worried about".
> 
> He literally spent 15 minutes just repeating "it was upsetting" and "I trust your dog, it's the big one I'm worried about". I finally gave up and told him " I understand that you're upset and you have a right to be, I've been in a similar position before and it is very upsetting, but I don't really know what you expect me to say or do". He responded that if it were up to him, "big dogs" would be outlawed in the city because they can't have enough space and exercise and left.
> 
> I'm just sitting here like, WTF. I don't even know how to process the conversation that just happened.


Now I have to visit you next time I head south. Just to walk by his place with my giant


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> Now I have to visit you next time I head south. Just to walk by his place with my giant


OMG yes.

I just don't understand the "big dogs should only be in the country" mentality. I know part of it is just a huge generational gap (especially around here, where a huge fraction of people over 60 grew up on a farm/in a rural area), but I just don't get it.


----------



## Little Wise Owl

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> SNUGGLES
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I want him. So much. He's in my use-to-be hometown.


Oh. My. God. A brown Charlie. DO WANT.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Had a bit of a meltdown today, fiancée didn't finish putting a new post into the horse pens after digging the hole and for some reason I totally lost my temper about it . I hate it when I do that, it makes me feel like s huge POS after I calm down. those meltdowns are getting fewer and farther between, I haven't had a huge one like this in almost 6 months, when I was younger I used to have them all the time. But I still feel horrible about having to put the pones I love through something like that, and after I feel worthless, like I don't deserve the wonderful people I have around me .

Sorry, I'll get off my soap box now, I just had to vent that, gonna go hug my ESA now.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Are you seeing a therapist? If you are, than you can have them write out something for an ESA, which is honored like a prescription, I don't think that even your parents could say no to a doctors note.


Yes. But not for depression. For some other personal reasons, I wouldn't publicly state here.



Greater Swiss said:


> I agree.....though the trick may be to have your parents go along with the training/lifestyle needs and requirements. If you can though, that might be an excellent way to go!!


I think it is possibility, to get a dog , in this situation. Not so long ago, we were considering a dog, but, that never happened. What I'm saying is that their not totally against getting a dog.

If they do agree with it, I'd probably go with rescue, that has older dog, but is still young. Like, anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Papillon, Pug, smaller Golden mix, poodle, possible sheltie(we were consider one), would be good fits. 



OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yeah, maybe try to get your parents involved with it, maybe ask them to come to therapy with you and talk to the therapist, should they agree that an ESA might help your demeanor and make you get out there and be more social/active/etc. Maybe then they would be more open to it if they saw a different aspect of it.


When I'm around dogs, I do tend to be more active, for obvious reasons, the dog needs exercise. I agree, it's possible that would make them more likely to get a dog.

I don't feel comfortable sharing anymore info here. I'll be willing to over PM, or on FB messaging.

I still need to tell someone about my depression... Before anything.



Little Wise Owl said:


> Oh. My. God. A brown Charlie. DO WANT.


Get him,& we can share him.

Now that your mention it, he kind of does.


----------



## ireth0

gingerkid said:


> OMG yes.
> 
> I just don't understand the "big dogs should only be in the country" mentality. I know part of it is just a huge generational gap (especially around here, where a huge fraction of people over 60 grew up on a farm/in a rural area), but I just don't get it.


Here lately the talk is of dog parks. Basically the city is looking for a location to make a new one (they are closing a current one) and the people who are opposed are saying that you should have a house + land to have a dog, so the city making another dog park shouldn't even be a thing to consider, because dog owners shouldn't need dog parks, because they should have their own land for their dog to run on.

The logic is strong. Obviously. *eyeroll*


----------



## Hambonez

I just need to vent. 

I've got some medical stuff going on right now that is often restricting my activity. I am Hamilton's primary care giver because I usually work from home, so I'm here with him. I'm actually NOT working from home right now, which means when I get home from work I've often already gone over my activity for the day and can't walk Hamilton. He's used to walking with me for at least 45-60 minutes every day. My husband isn't stepping up and walking him, and I don't know how to get it through his massive thick cranium that the dog needs to be walked EVERY DAY if the weather is ok (dog won't walk in bad/cold weather). I'm doing my best to take him out at least for a little while every day, but I wish my husband would just step up more than once a week and take him out. My best friend has walked him for me a few times too, but he's less cooperative for her. Hiring a dog walker isn't an option because he absolutely would not leave the house with a stranger. He adores my best friend like crazy, but he's only just starting to be willing to take short walks with her, and it does involve some bribing and dragging at times. 

He isn't the kind of dog who will play fetch in the yard or really do any other activity that might tire him out. I bring him to play with his friend when I can, but I'm working so much even that is hard. I'm feeling so guilty that he isn't getting the exercise he's used to, though overall he's being a good boy about it. Hopefully I'll be back in shape again soon and able to resume our regularly scheduled routine before the snow starts!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> OMG yes.
> 
> I just don't understand the "big dogs should only be in the country" mentality. I know part of it is just a huge generational gap (especially around here, where a huge fraction of people over 60 grew up on a farm/in a rural area), but I just don't get it.


Here I won't own a dog under about what Josefina is (20 something inches and about 30 lbs) because of the birds of prey we have here. It's not a status thing, I have had big dogs in the city and small dogs in the city. Both work out if you give them time.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Well, we're going to a bbq tonight, and we're taking Caeda (not the kind of thing we often do). I'm kind of excited about it, but it is frustrating dealing with people that don't get that we want to keep her in sight....She is fantastic off leash, but she is fairly drivey and very independent. If we ignore her for 5-10 minutes, it is highly likely she'll be right there, but also possible she'll follow her nose or something to go explore. Some people seem to get offended when I'm having a conversation with them and pause to say "Caeda, Come", and keep talking to them....I dunno. Just frustrates me hearing "oh, don't worry, she'll be fine". Well meaning, great people, but they don't quite get it....the kind of people who are only really used to the "lazy lab" type of dog (no offence to lab owners....I think you get the kind of chill, biddable, velcro type dog I'm talking about).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> Well, we're going to a bbq tonight, and we're taking Caeda (not the kind of thing we often do). I'm kind of excited about it, but it is frustrating dealing with people that don't get that we want to keep her in sight....She is fantastic off leash, but she is fairly drivey and very independent. If we ignore her for 5-10 minutes, it is highly likely she'll be right there, but also possible she'll follow her nose or something to go explore. Some people seem to get offended when I'm having a conversation with them and pause to say "Caeda, Come", and keep talking to them....I dunno. Just frustrates me hearing "oh, don't worry, she'll be fine". Well meaning, great people, but they don't quite get it....the kind of people who are only really used to the "lazy lab" type of dog (no offence to lab owners....I think you get the kind of chill, biddable, velcro type dog I'm talking about).


Heck I always am keeping one eye on Josefina, because she is like that, she is awesome but will get on a trail or whatever and wonder off lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I am getting excited lol. I contacted a different breeder and she said I sound great, we had a little bit of a phone chat today and we're gonna talk more on Sunday, I applied for a specific litter that will be ready in January..I'm all giddy, she sounds awesome so far, I like the parents, and then I did a quick good search using the theme of the litter and the call name I have had stuck in my heads for months, and discovered the call name actually ties very nicely in with the litter theme lol. I'm like logging into my banking and setting some money aside already and I haven't even been approved yet haha


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I am getting excited lol. I contacted a different breeder and she said I sound great, we had a little bit of a phone chat today and we're gonna talk more on Sunday, I applied for a specific litter that will be ready in January..I'm all giddy, she sounds awesome so far, I like the parents, and then I did a quick good search using the theme of the litter and the call name I have had stuck in my heads for months, and discovered the call name actually ties very nicely in with the litter theme lol. I'm like logging into my banking and setting some money aside already and I haven't even been approved yet haha


What did you end up getting?


----------



## Miss Bugs

I'm getting a Toller, the only thing in question is "from where" lol. I'm really liking this breeder though, she's super nice and open to intelligent discussion on her policies.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I'm getting a Toller, the only thing in question is "from where" lol. I'm really liking this breeder though, she's super nice and open to intelligent discussion on her policies.


Awesome! Tollers are super cute! Can't wait for puppy pics


----------



## Kayota

Miss Bugs said:


> I'm getting a Toller, the only thing in question is "from where" lol. I'm really liking this breeder though, she's super nice and open to intelligent discussion on her policies.


Oh good gosh pink puppy nose cuteness! You must spam us with pics


----------



## Sarah~

I was asked to fold a set of sheets tonight from a room that had bed bugs.. they were bleached, washed and dried, I still wore a garbage bag over my clothes and plastic gloves, put the sheets in garbage bags when I was done, scrubbed my hands raw, bleached the crap out of the counter the sheets set on... I STILL have the creepy crawlies like they are on me


----------



## Greater Swiss

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Heck I always am keeping one eye on Josefina, because she is like that, she is awesome but will get on a trail or whatever and wonder off lol.


 Well, Caeda did do fantastic last night. There were a couple of jokes about "mom needs to cut the apron strings", but not much more. There were some pretty dog savvy people there too. There were also kids, something Caeda hasn't been around much, the parents were dog savvy too, which was AWESOME, we all kept our eyes out for each other's "kids" whether furry or flesh. 
It was sweet. Caeda experienced her first crying baby last night....OMG, she was SOOOO worried, and so gentle. She went up and very gently nosed at the blanket, or the kid's hand, and didn't want to go away until the crying had stopped. The baby was in a carrier at one point (but not crying yet), and Caeda went and gave the sweetest most gentle lick then just went on her way. There was a 3 year old as well, who was eating a cookie, and the kid said "No, Mine!", and Caeda backed off several steps. She's never been around kids for that long before, and she was a rockstar. There were also several new people, and after her initial zoomies and excitement, she was excellent. When we got home, she flopped on the bed and was asleep within seconds. Wore her right out. It was a fantastic night!! Still not great at chilling out and settling in that kind of situation, but she behaved beautifully. SO proud of my girl!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Greater Swiss said:


> Well, Caeda did do fantastic last night. There were a couple of jokes about "mom needs to cut the apron strings", but not much more. There were some pretty dog savvy people there too. There were also kids, something Caeda hasn't been around much, the parents were dog savvy too, which was AWESOME, we all kept our eyes out for each other's "kids" whether furry or flesh.
> It was sweet. Caeda experienced her first crying baby last night....OMG, she was SOOOO worried, and so gentle. She went up and very gently nosed at the blanket, or the kid's hand, and didn't want to go away until the crying had stopped. The baby was in a carrier at one point (but not crying yet), and Caeda went and gave the sweetest most gentle lick then just went on her way. There was a 3 year old as well, who was eating a cookie, and the kid said "No, Mine!", and Caeda backed off several steps. She's never been around kids for that long before, and she was a rockstar. There were also several new people, and after her initial zoomies and excitement, she was excellent. When we got home, she flopped on the bed and was asleep within seconds. Wore her right out. It was a fantastic night!! Still not great at chilling out and settling in that kind of situation, but she behaved beautifully. SO proud of my girl!!!


That's great  as for Josefina? Well she wears a bell for a reason lol, a bell like they have for hunting dogs (we found it in thr hunting dog section)


----------



## d_ray

Kayota said:


> Oh good gosh pink puppy nose cuteness! You must spam us with pics


Yes. This. Oh Toller pups are the cutest.


----------



## momtolabs

I rode a camel at grants farm in MO today..... I like horses better  









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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I rode a camel at grants farm in MO today..... I like horses better
> View attachment 173794
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yeah, camels feel weird!


----------



## Kayota

they do but i really enjoyed my camel ride at knoxville zoo and i'd love to have one someday!


----------



## momtolabs

Yea I enjoyed it but the hump feels so weird,lol. I didn't really know what to do with my hands/body either so I just sat awkwardly,haha. 


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----------



## Greater Swiss

So frustrated today. We went to the pet store to get Caeda a new soft sided crate (required for scent class....we've been planning on one anyway). When we were there the store was having a dog picture taking thing, $5 donation to the local SPCA. Cool, lets do it. Just a quick couple of shots (wasn't expecting much....), but, it was over in the corner, near the end of an aisle. Two ladies were waiting with their dogs. One with a little one in a carrier, another with a Schnauzer on a FLEXI LEAD, that she did NOT know how to lock, and the one with the crate kept creeping closer as I was paying and trying to get out of there. In the meantime there was NO way to get Caeda out of that corner without the absolute requirement of direct contact with the schnauzer. The schnauzer started grumbling, but it did seem like a vocal play thing, but I still tried to rush out of there, because there were leash tangles happening, and I was the ONLY one doing anything about it, Scnauzer lady just stood there and went "oh they wanna play, he does that when he plays", which got Caeda starting to get vocal, after another Schnauzer grumble she actually flipped on her back (which she only does with dogs that are bullies, or are nervous). The poor lady with the crate was standing there looking like she thought she was going to get her leg gnawed of any second, but not moving and shifting back and forth from one foot to the other going "oh my" but not getting out of anyone's way. 

I just about screamed "YOU with the crate, quit being a prissy moron and move, YOU with the Flexi, back the heck off and do NOT assume that I am ok with your dog being near mine, and do NOT assume my dog will be ok with yours, I certainly don't assume that YOU know YOUR dog if you don't have the good sense to know to give another dog some ROOM. By the way, GET A REAL LEASH, they sell them at the front of the store jerk!!!!". I know, I wasn't exactly having the most reasonable thoughts, but all I could think is how badly it could have gone if Caeda was a little pushier, or if it had been a different set of dogs in that situation. Just SO sketchy, and the poor staff member was trying to rush through giving me the ticket thing for retrieving the picture once it was printed. If that kind of situation happens again, I think I will probably pop my top. Just had enough of people putting their dogs (and others dogs), in unsafe situations. 

Sigh....rant over. I hate people today more than usual


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I still feel horrible and guility about what happened a few days ago.*sigh*



Greater Swiss said:


> Well, Caeda did do fantastic last night. There were a couple of jokes about "mom needs to cut the apron strings", but not much more. There were some pretty dog savvy people there too. There were also kids, something Caeda hasn't been around much, the parents were dog savvy too, which was AWESOME, we all kept our eyes out for each other's "kids" whether furry or flesh.
> It was sweet. Caeda experienced her first crying baby last night....OMG, she was SOOOO worried, and so gentle. She went up and very gently nosed at the blanket, or the kid's hand, and didn't want to go away until the crying had stopped. The baby was in a carrier at one point (but not crying yet), and Caeda went and gave the sweetest most gentle lick then just went on her way. There was a 3 year old as well, who was eating a cookie, and the kid said "No, Mine!", and Caeda backed off several steps. She's never been around kids for that long before, and she was a rockstar. There were also several new people, and after her initial zoomies and excitement, she was excellent. When we got home, she flopped on the bed and was asleep within seconds. Wore her right out. It was a fantastic night!! Still not great at chilling out and settling in that kind of situation, but she behaved beautifully. SO proud of my girl!!!


This whole post made me smile.

I really wish there were more people like this... It seems like there's only a small majority of people who are dog savvy.In my area, at least.

As for Cadea- that is awesome.


----------



## Damon'sMom

People are crazy. Yesterday this lady was talking to me about Mason then goes

Her: "So. Want to breed him to my little toy poodle?" 
Me: "umm, he is only 11 weeks old. I don't want to ever breed him, sorry"
Her: "no my girl is 1.5 years old! She is just small, that's what I mean by a toy!"
Me: "No, I get that. Mason, my puppy, is only 11 weeks old. I don't want to breed him ever, even when he is older."
Her: "So he can't perform? Or are you afraid he will shoot blanks?"
Me: "Excuse me?"
Her: "OH! Not trying to be rude!"
Me.  *Looks around for camcorder for some kind of trick* 
Her: "So is that a yes or no to the breeding? She will be in heat soon, like a week or so maybe a little longer..."
Me: "Listen lady, Mason is too young to be bred. He is a BABY! He is going to be 40-60 pounds when he is fully mature, so NO I will not breed to your 5 pound poodle. And I don't think you should be breeding at all if you can't grasp the fast that he IS A BABY! And that I was telling you NO in a polite way."
Her: "Wow, no need to be RUDE about it! 

She goes to walk away and then comes back

Her: Do you know anyone else that will breed to her?"
ME: "Seriously! GO AWAY! You do not need to be breeding that dog at all. You obviously know nothing about dogs!"

I was so so so soooooooooooo upset when I left that store. I wouldn't have been so upset if she hadn't been FOLLOWING me around the store!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hahaha all these posts make me smile, @damons mom that answer was awesome! I wish more people would just say what needs to be said.


----------



## momtolabs

Some days I seriously think Caleb was kicked by a horse as a puppy -_- Today for example he put Himself under a blanket, got tangled up in it then started screaming because he couldn't figure out how to get out! He is just slow all around,haha. Not to be mean to the guy but sometimes I feel we should get him an MRI done,ha! 


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----------



## Miss Bugs

momtolabs said:


> Some days I seriously think Caleb was kicked by a horse as a puppy -_- Today for example he put Himself under a blanket, got tangled up in it then started screaming because he couldn't figure out how to get out! He is just slow all around,haha. Not to be mean to the guy but sometimes I feel we should get him an MRI done,ha!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Baby dog...got herself hopelessly tied up in a crate pad(ya I can't explain that either..) and bit a hole through her own face. she was...ehm..."special".. lol


here is pics I took from when she bite her own face, he canine tooth when through the inside of her lip and protuded out the bottom..I actually had to pull her tooth out of her own lip..I was freaking out lol. one pic marks the entry and exit points of her canine and the other shows the heavy bruising where her smaller teeth bit her lip.


----------



## outlaw5695

Well let me being with this! I am 51 and a father of 5 and grandfather of 6... we had a English mastiff for 7 years... Max was the defender of the family ranch and all that entered! He loved everyone even the ups man! lol he was over 250 # very seldom did he ever leave the yard. we live next to a county road and I was working in the wife's flower bed. I had time to help being I wasn't haying or looking after the cows! I have had several dogs and I have to say I have been told many times on how well I have trained my dogs! they ride in tractors pickups go inside and are very well mannered. I have two Australian shepherds to help with the cattle. I have two German short hairs to hunt quail and pheasant with. and We had Max the Giant of all breeds..... The yard dog! We have tractors and pickups that go by our house many times a day. 
I was doing chores and seen that my wife had left the shovel in the flower bed next to the roan. I walked out and Max who follows me everywhere! to make sure we don't have any bear attacks! in Kansas! I was standing by a new tree in the flower bed and was out of site of a neighbor coming down the road with a large 4 wheel drive tractor and implement. I am guessing he couldn't see me! Max was standing on the shoulder of the road. and this wonderful man never slowed the tractor or even tried too! and moved over toward max and Killed him on the north side of the road. he was driving in the middle! He then was bouncing in the cab of the tractor! by the way I spend several hours a day in tractors year round with haying and farm work and feeding my animals! He never looked back.... never slowed or stopped. I knew who this man was! he worked for the local John deere dealer that I do lots of business with. I called on my cell and Dennis whos a friend of mine in the office was still there and new who was in the tractor! I was just crushed! I had to hold maxs head for a min or two while he gasped for air and died. I then being the size of him had to get a tractor to get him off the side of the road and take him to the grave. I was upset! I did take photos of the tire tracks and implement tracts that show he went out of his way to hit max. He called me the next morning and I am sure it was the dealer that told him he needed to call! 
He said he didn't know why he did it he just did. He said he should have slowed down when he saw max and he should have stopped. if he wasn't in a 15 ton tractor and have 6 ft tires on it! which this tractor had 8 tires on it! and the large implement behind it. what can I do? I have looked up almost everything and all I find is its my fault that I didn't have max on a leash! its been 6 days now and I am so use to going outside and yelling to max whos laying on the front steps keeping the lions tigers and bears in Kansas from attacking us here in the land of Oz..... I did do something I shouldn't have with anger! I made remarks on facebook about his cowards' way of leaving and Murdering a member of my family! I have been called several names and I am the jerk! I took down my post the next morning wishing I hadn't done it!


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> Baby dog...got herself hopelessly tied up in a crate pad(ya I can't explain that either..) and bit a hole through her own face. she was...ehm..."special".. lol
> 
> 
> here is pics I took from when she bite her own face, he canine tooth when through the inside of her lip and protuded out the bottom..I actually had to pull her tooth out of her own lip..I was freaking out lol. one pic marks the entry and exit points of her canine and the other shows the heavy bruising where her smaller teeth bit her lip.
> View attachment 174066
> 
> View attachment 174074


Poor baby dog!! Lol! 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Baby dog...got herself hopelessly tied up in a crate pad(ya I can't explain that either..) and bit a hole through her own face. she was...ehm..."special".. lol
> 
> 
> here is pics I took from when she bite her own face, he canine tooth when through the inside of her lip and protuded out the bottom..I actually had to pull her tooth out of her own lip..I was freaking out lol. one pic marks the entry and exit points of her canine and the other shows the heavy bruising where her smaller teeth bit her lip.
> View attachment 174066
> 
> View attachment 174074


Was she ... mad? Lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

> Was she ... mad? Lol


lol she was running in circles around the yard being a spaz and the next thing I knew she was screaming and her lip was stuck on her tooth!


----------



## Kayota

im really embarrassed, i usually have a card but my dad sent me cash and i was so hungry i was shaking after work so i stopped at the chinese buffet and only realized after i started eating i was 2 dollars short :doh: i was talking to the waiter about it and some people who are here gave me a couple dollars...

edit: now that i think about it i gave a homeless man a kiwi yesterday so i guess it's just karma if you believe in that kind of thing


----------



## Miss Bugs

Had another nice long phone chat with breeder i applied with, i really like her, she's super open and really chatty lol she actually made me feel comfortable to talk to her, something i haven't had with other breeders i have dealt with where i always felt like asking a question was going get me black listed or something. We went on to the next steps in her application process but she said barring any obvious red flags, she'd be happy to give me one of her puppies


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> lol she was running in circles around the yard being a spaz and the next thing I knew she was screaming and her lip was stuck on her tooth!


Oh! OK lol, I thought she bit herself cause she was mad or something lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

guess who got approved for a puppy! I am so excited! come January I will have a little Toller puppy ball of fluffiness!


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> guess who got approved for a puppy! I am so excited! come January I will have a little Toller puppy ball of fluffiness!


Yay!!! Congrats!!


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----------



## Koda'smom

Does the forum look different to anybody else? It looks a lot simpler now its happening on my phone too.


----------



## JeJo

Koda'smom said:


> Does the forum look different to anybody else? It looks a lot simpler now its happening on my phone too.



Yes! I have checked all my settings, logged out and back in, restarted my computer... I hope whatever the glitch is, that it gets fixed soon.


----------



## Melle

Koda'smom said:


> Does the forum look different to anybody else? It looks a lot simpler now its happening on my phone too.


Same here, was just about to ask everyone this.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Melle said:


> Same here, was just about to ask everyone this.


It looks like that to me too, it's really annoying and hard to read! Also when I logged into my settings, it tried to take me to this new mobile version of the site, but I went to my settings and turned on the desktop view and it went back to what you have pictured above! 

Fix it so DF, I don't like it!


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Koda'smom said:


> Does the forum look different to anybody else? It looks a lot simpler now its happening on my phone too.


Yes, same here.

I've been having replies disappear too.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Yes, same here.
> 
> I've been having replies disappear too.


That is so weird! Wonder what's happening?


----------



## Miss Bugs

It looked like that for me most of the afternoon, then it switched to a mobile app version that i hate, then i switched it back in the settings and now it looks normal for me.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Spoke to soon lol mine us back to being like that screenshot


----------



## momtolabs

I get on from an app since I'm Mobile. Hopped on the PC today and I got a headache because it looked so weird!! I haven't noticed a big difference yet on the app. 


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----------



## ireth0

Luna's Ruffwear harness has finally shipped!


----------



## jade5280

ireth0 said:


> Luna's Ruffwear harness has finally shipped!


 Did you get the front range? I'm about to order 2 of those. What size did you get? I've read they run small.


----------



## ireth0

jade5280 said:


> Did you get the front range? I'm about to order 2 of those. What size did you get? I've read they run small.


Yes, we got the front range. We went by the fit guide on the ruffwear website which said Luna was size medium. 

I really hope it fits because it has been a pain to even get one in the first place. (Ruffwear doesn't ship to Canada directly)


----------



## Remaru

I think I want one of the open range harnesses for Freyja. I'm considering one of the packs for Hobgoblin so he can carry water and a few extras (maybe my keys and wallet LOl).


----------



## Koda'smom

I really wish my hair would hurry up and grow back! I had hair that went almost to the lower part of my back. I decided I wanted something else so I got a pixie cut that evolved into a pixie undercut that then evolved into a mohawk. I had the Mohawk for about 5 months. Now that it's gonna start getting colder I'm growing it out again (plus I've been getting ponytail envy lately). Right now it's almost to the awkward mullet stage. 

I loved my mohawk and the feel of the shaved parts of my head but I just want my long hair back!


----------



## xoxluvablexox

I've been looking for boho/gypsy/vintage/whatever decor for my apartment for the last few days and I've getting really frustrated with how expensive everything is. Like, ok, if I was buying something fancy then sure thing but floor cushions should not cost 400 bucks. That's asinine. Thankfully I finally found some reasonable things that go well with my theme. Some pretty poufs and some DIY projects for making my own floor cushions once I get some nice textiles. There's these really pretty curtains that are made from different colored scarfs on ETSY for about 100 bucks that I can make on my own. 

I just think it's hilarious how much people are making off bohemian stuff. It's not supposed to be expensive. It's that whole "live free" lifestyle and you got things like Free People charging 1000s of bucks for a lace fringed skirt. I came across this woman named Mangolia Pearl who designs clothing that looks like it belongs on a peasant from somewhere in the middle ages and she's charging a min of 300 bucks per item. Like really, wth is this nonsense. 

This:








Should not cosdt 300 bucks. Are people insane, to pay that much for something like that. 

So anyways, I got a little distracted doing a pinterest search for "gypsy style" and ended up getting annoyed with that and started looking for online thrift stores. Found out goodwill has an online bidding website. Fell in love with a set of 3 turquoise necklaces and then got out bid on them and I'm just really annoyed with the whole thing at this point lol. Forever 21 is pretty much my only hope at this point... Etsy isn't too bad either on some things.

What I'm going to do with my apartment.. idk. I want to make a floor seating, hookah lounge type set up. Wondering if the Arabic section of Paterson carries stuff like this. Or if there is like an Indian section of NJ or NY that carries sari type material for cheap so I can cut it up and make cushions out of it... that would make my life so much easier. 

In other news, checking out a blog listing some good online resources for thrifty and vintage items that mentioned ebay and it mentioned hand made scale-mail for guinea pigs with a link to this:









It sold for $24,300.... 

I just don't understand...lol.


----------



## Remaru

Ok can the forum go back to normal now? Is it still weird for everyone else or is it just me? I get a headache just trying to read it so I'm avoiding coming here.


----------



## JeJo

Remaru said:


> Ok can the forum go back to normal now? Is it still weird for everyone else or is it just me? I get a headache just trying to read it so I'm avoiding coming here.


Still weird for me, too. Over on the tech support forum the administration says:



administrator said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Thanks for reporting the forum viewing issue when using a desktop/laptop. We are investigating that issue and we'll get it fixed ASAP!


Sooner than later, I hope.


----------



## Greater Swiss

xoxluvablexox said:


> In other news, checking out a blog listing some good online resources for thrifty and vintage items that mentioned ebay and it mentioned hand made scale-mail for guinea pigs with a link to this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It sold for $24,300....
> 
> I just don't understand...lol.


Bwahahahaha!!!! That made my morning!! teensy armor! Stupid expensive (along with the gypsy stuff). I will say, that scale mail is probably hand made....I could see $100, maybe a little more, it isn't easy to do and would take a lot of time, but $24000!


----------



## jade5280

ireth0 said:


> Yes, we got the front range. We went by the fit guide on the ruffwear website which said Luna was size medium.
> 
> I really hope it fits because it has been a pain to even get one in the first place. (Ruffwear doesn't ship to Canada directly)


I put in an order for Gypsy. I got a medium as well. Gypsy weighs about 47lbs. How much does Luna weigh? According the ruffwear sizing I should have ordered a small, but she was on the edge so I sized up. We'll see when it gets here.


----------



## xoxluvablexox

Greater Swiss said:


> Bwahahahaha!!!! That made my morning!! teensy armor! Stupid expensive (along with the gypsy stuff). I will say, that scale mail is probably hand made....I could see $100, maybe a little more, it isn't easy to do and would take a lot of time, but $24000!



It went to a good cause at least. It was sold by a guinea pig rescue with the money supposed to be a donation for the rescue. For something like that I could see a kind person paying a few thousand just for the cause itself. For what it sold for those guinea pigs at that rescue are probably lounging on satin pillows and eating gourmet guinea pig food lol. Whoever spent that much must really love guinea pigs.


----------



## ireth0

jade5280 said:


> I put in an order for Gypsy. I got a medium as well. Gypsy weighs about 47lbs. How much does Luna weigh? According the ruffwear sizing I should have ordered a small, but she was on the edge so I sized up. We'll see when it gets here.


Luna weighs about 65-70lbs but that is deceiving for size because dimension-wise she is the size of a 50-60lb dog, she's just very dense.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Just wanted to say that so far, my format has not changed at all other than the reply which does not make it any harder to do.


----------



## d_ray

xoxluvablexox said:


> It went to a good cause at least. It was sold by a guinea pig rescue with the money supposed to be a donation for the rescue. For something like that I could see a kind person paying a few thousand just for the cause itself. For what it sold for those guinea pigs at that rescue are probably lounging on satin pillows and eating gourmet guinea pig food lol. Whoever spent that much must really love guinea pigs.


I have a mental picture of all these guinea pigs lounging in silk robes, eating caviar LMAO


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

xoxluvablexox said:


> It went to a good cause at least. It was sold by a guinea pig rescue with the money supposed to be a donation for the rescue. For something like that I could see a kind person paying a few thousand just for the cause itself. For what it sold for those guinea pigs at that rescue are probably lounging on satin pillows and eating gourmet guinea pig food lol. Whoever spent that much must really love guinea pigs.


Or really wanted that item LOL


----------



## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> I put in an order for Gypsy. I got a medium as well. Gypsy weighs about 47lbs. How much does Luna weigh? According the ruffwear sizing I should have ordered a small, but she was on the edge so I sized up. We'll see when it gets here.


I wonder how much different the sizing is in the Front Range vs the Webmaster? Remus is 51lbs and I have a webmaster for him in a small. I was a little nervous when I ordered because he measured between sizes but it actually had plenty of adjusting space.


----------



## ireth0

Remaru said:


> I wonder how much different the sizing is in the Front Range vs the Webmaster? Remus is 51lbs and I have a webmaster for him in a small. I was a little nervous when I ordered because he measured between sizes but it actually had plenty of adjusting space.


When I was looking at the fit guide the size ranges for the webmaster were the same. The different sizing charts came into play for the joring or xback harnesses.


----------



## jade5280

Remaru said:


> I wonder how much different the sizing is in the Front Range vs the Webmaster? Remus is 51lbs and I have a webmaster for him in a small. I was a little nervous when I ordered because he measured between sizes but it actually had plenty of adjusting space.


Err hope the one I got isn't too big then! Small just doesn't sound right for a 50lb dog! I read a review that someone with a 45lb Vizsla fit in a medium, they just had to adjust down. Hoping it fits, if not I'll just have to return it.


----------



## ireth0

jade5280 said:


> Err hope the one I got isn't too big then! Small just doesn't sound right for a 50lb dog! I read a review that someone with a 45lb Vizsla fit in a medium, they just had to adjust down. Hoping it fits, if not I'll just have to return it.


The size names are a bit deceiving. I saw a review on the x-small on youtube that was on a MAS. Not exactly a breed I'd consider to be extra small.


----------



## Remaru

There may be some overlap in the sizes but the small fits very well on Remus. My fear with the medium was that he was right on the line and I didn't want to get it and it be too large for him (he is 51lbs exactly, fluffy in the winter but not heavier just more coat). It is possible the Front Range runs smaller or more true to size because if anything the Webmaster seems to run large or at least the one I have does. I was considering trying it on Freyja to decide which size to buy for her but if the Front Range is cut differently or something that may not work. She is shorter than Remus but I think body size they are the same.


----------



## jade5280

Well I'll let you know how the medium fits Gypsy when it comes in.


----------



## Laurelin

So um. I somehow found myself at the shelter. :/


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Laurelin said:


> So um. I somehow found myself at the shelter. :/


And you didn't bring anything home...?


----------



## Laurelin

Ummmmmmmm. We will see. He's a wonderful dog.

Trying to decide how impulsive I want to be. Snuggly though. 16 lbs. toy drive. Good with small dogs. 30 day trial period. May try it out. He seems confident in this crazy environment. Submissive wih other dogs. He was getting beat up by a tiny spaniel when I got there. 

Cattle dog x rat terrier mix.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Watching that DW episode with that dog holly where CM gets bit, is it wrong to say that I like to watch that episode just to see him get what he deserves?


----------



## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> Ummmmmmmm. We will see. He's a wonderful dog.
> 
> Tryin to decide how impulsive I want to be. Snugly though. 16 lbs. toy drive. Good with small dogs. 30 day trial period. May try it out. He seems confident in this crazy environment. Submissive wih other dogs. He was getting beat up by a tiny spaniel when I got there.
> 
> Cattle dog x rat terrier mix.


He sounds awesome! I know you have a picture somewhere. Share?


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Ummmmmmmm. We will see. He's a wonderful dog.
> 
> Tryin to decide how impulsive I want to be. Snugly though. 16 lbs. toy drive. Good with small dogs. 30 day trial period. May try it out. He seems confident in this crazy environment. Submissive wih other dogs. He was getting beat up by a tiny spaniel when I got there.
> 
> Cattle dog x rat terrier mix.


DO IT.

Also, the forum layout bug thing is making it really hard for me to even come on here.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> DO IT.
> 
> Also, the forum layout bug thing is making it really hard for me to even come on here.


She did I don't think she posted about it here, yet though.



Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> He sounds awesome! I know you have a picture somewhere. Share?


----------



## Remaru

Jade, thank you, I look forward to hearing what you think. I'm so on the fence about purchases right now. I'm not usually this bad but I can't seem to decide anything. 

Yes, the layout is making it a pain to get on here. I hope it is fixed soon. 

Laurelin, he is so cute! Have to watch out going to the shelter.


----------



## gingerkid

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> She did I don't think she posted about it here, yet though.



OMG. Its like Jack's head was pasted on a blue heeler body.

But he is adorable!


----------



## momtolabs

My relatives should not be allowed to own dogs!!! Okay not all of them but most! My cousin is a dog idiot and starting last year had 6 dogs. 

-spike- maes brother shot for being "aggressive" no he was not. Dog had NO exercise ever, no training and was a bag of nerves. Could of easily been worked with. 

-missy- shot for having "health issues". She had a GRAIN allergy!! Obviously easily avoidable but they did not want to put the money into it. 

Now here is where it gets all jumbled. They had Maes mom(snack), trixie(PB), axel(PB) and petey(trixie and Axels son). Trixie is sweet as can be and loves humans and other dogs. Snack was dog selective(which she lovingly passed down to Mae). Axel and Petey were DA. So what do they do!!?? Leave ALL dogs alone together!!! Yea that ended badly Petey and Axel killed Snack. Trixie is pregnant so in a separate room. So what do they do? Yup, shoot Axel and Petey. I'm BEYOND furious. There freaking idiots who did not know how to properly own DA dogs. They don't even know if Axel or Petey knocked up trixie(who is barely four and on her 3rd litter). I just.....can't! So in a years time because there freaking dog stupid have went from six dogs to one. I don't even know what there doing with the pups. In my opinion Trixie should be spayed and pups he aborted. I'm not one to say this. It's against my beliefs but it would be in the best interest for Trixie. Then Trixie should be rehomed. 

I just can't freaking believe it!!!!!! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Laurelin

Mia hates me. 

We are doing a test run to see how it works. I not there is another agility home already lined up. 

This dog's energy level is unreal. He is super sweet and neat and gonna be a fun sport dog. If he and Mia could tolerate each other that would be great.... Right now not so much. We'll see. Mia is really shrieky and fast and he is herdy. If they're chilling then theyre fine. If Mia is worked up then no. We are taking things slowly.


----------



## Laurelin

He and Summer get along great! Mia just keep growling at him.


----------



## Greater Swiss

OMG, momtolabs, that is awful!!! I would be going wild if that were one of my relatives, as in going to their house, taking their animals and refusing to give them back (admittedly, I'd probably try reporting them first). Horrible!! Dogs are NOT bic lighters, they are not disposable, you don't use them until you lose them or they are a hassle to have around. 

My rant for the day. I told my boss that I'm not interested in doing the "every second weekend thing". According to union rules "weekends must be shared equally". There are three of us, one of them is.....well....a whining idiot (if he doesn't want to do the job, he should go somewhere else!!!!). She caters to him. There was an agreement in place for the every second week thing that hasn't been lived up to, plus I want more weekends off. I've signed up for scent classes with Caeda. The boss hasn't changes the schedule at all. I'm still every second weekend for the foreseeable future (schedule done up to the end of October). I'm SO ANGRY, just don't know if I want the can of worms to open if I go to the union, but don't think a darn thing will change if I go talk to the boss again (except maybe getting fired for saying something REALLY nasty). Darn it, I just want to go to scent training with Caeda!! DH is taking her on the days I can't go, but still I want to go!!! GRRRRRR!


----------



## Remaru

Laurelin, it took Dove about a week to get over Hobgoblin and Blue still hates both Dove and Hobs. So long as neither of them get in her space she is fine and she is really slow/calm so we can forget about it most of the time. Every once in a while Hobs will make eye contact with Blue and then she will snip at him and he will start barking at her. Overall we have all just settled in to a normal. Dove and Hobgoblin decided they actually love each other (crazy, their size difference makes it funny) and Blue just ignores everyone most of the time. Hopefully everyone will be able to settle in at your house too. 

Momtolabs, that is terrible. Is calling animal control an option or would that be opening a big can of worms (maybe do it anonymously)? Or are they too rural?


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> OMG. Its like Jack's head was pasted on a blue heeler body.
> 
> But he is adorable!


I like that you said "Jack's head" because yeah. That's a Jack face. As in my Jack, rather than JRT 

He is ADORABLE Laurenline.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah Mia is about at the same level as she was with Ada the Yorkie/JRT/thing. We have some of the same issues- Mia hates change, Mia shrieks and runs when scared and new dog is pushy and drivey. It took about a month with those two so I expect the same. 

This morning we had some really good moments. They sat near each other with no growling. Both fell asleep. He played with me. Then I put him up and Mia played with me. We only had one grumble from Mia all morning. We are rewarding lots of calm around each other and trying to define clear 'time to be wild' and 'time to be calm'. 

I really like this dog. He's a mess and a half but he's SMART like I cannot believe. Biddable but it's in a different way. He wants to learn so bad and it's amazing. Summer and Mia are very biddable dogs and they like learning but I think for them I am their main motivation and for him it is actually just action and doing. He does kind of move before he thinks. And his legs are springs- he just flies everywhere.

He seems to have a nice off switch but it's going to need enforced. Anything going on is worth getting excited for but after some run around time and fetch he will choose to settle in and sleep. So that is promising.


----------



## xoxluvablexox

My dad is such a pessimist about everything and it gets really irritating. I love him to death and he really is a great dad but he's just such a worrier and always thinks the worst of things. I started volunteering at a local rescue to walk dogs that are up for adoption. So I would assume they're perfectly healthy animals if they are able to be adopted out right away. Well, I was explaining to my dad what I'm doing and why. (Major reason is because I love animals but also because it will look good to be involved in something when I start looking to get into med school, good grades just don't cut it). So, instead of being like "Oh that's nice" or something he goes off about how I'm stupid to be doing that because I'm going to bring home some disease to my dog that's going to kill him. Like really, just a tad over dramatic don't you think. Like yeah, I'm sure there's a risk of bringing germs home just the same as if a person was to go to the store and be touching germy things and catch a cold or something.. but I'm doubting that dogs that are up for adoption are going to be carrying some major deadly disease that I'll bring home to my dog... that's a bit unrealistic and would be unethical on the part of the rescue to be adopting out dogs with serious transmittable health issues, I'm sure. 

I'm really enjoying it so far. The dogs are absolutely adorable. There is this gorgeous red ACD mix in the rescue a long with a ton of pittie mixes and one chocolate brindle pittie type dog (that they have listed as a "dutch shepherd"- looks very pittie like to me but looking at some pics, ehh it could very well be a dutch shepherd mix I suppose, regardless... I want it.) The only thing I'm not fond of is taking the dogs out of the top cages. I just really don't feel comfortable having my face up that close to a strange dog that I'm a stranger to. So I think I'll just be taking out the bottom dogs until the top dogs become more familiar to me, and me to them. But otherwise, I really love it and I just wish my dad wouldn't have been such a jerk about it because the paranoid anxious part of me immediately ran to the sink to wash my hands after he said something even though I know it's really unlikely that I'll seriously get my dog sick from interacting with those dogs. UGH.


----------



## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> Mia hates me.
> 
> We are doing a test run to see how it works. I not there is another agility home already lined up.
> 
> This dog's energy level is unreal. He is super sweet and neat and gonna be a fun sport dog. If he and Mia could tolerate each other that would be great.... Right now not so much. We'll see. Mia is really shrieky and fast and he is herdy. If they're chilling then theyre fine. If Mia is worked up then no. We are taking things slowly.


When i got faxon roxie spent weeks hiding under the bed but she did come around. They even ended up playing occasionally  i bet mia will adjust!


----------



## Miss Bugs

today I found myself educating a university prof about basic genetics....I was rather amused lol I should add that I am not educated beyond high school lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

oh ya, guess what? I met an Otterhound today! lol his owner brought him in while dropping off her old english sheepdog for boarding(because the Otterhound was going to a show) i saw the dog and immediately I thought "OMG is that an otterhound??? nooo cant be, those are super rare" so I asked her what he was and she said "otterhound" lol I was all "OMG seriously?? it actually IS an Otterhound?" lol


----------



## gingerkid

Someone returned a dog to the shelter this week. They adopted her and returned her in less than a week. The reason they gave? because the dog wasn't crate trained. SO THAT'S WHY YOU TRAIN IT.

I guess its probably for the best (his particular dog, although sweet, would not do well with a lack of training... she's too smart and too independent) but it just like... WTF. Why do people think that a dog just appears in its current state?


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> I like that you said "Jack's head" because yeah. That's a Jack face. As in my Jack, rather than JRT
> 
> He is ADORABLE Laurenline.


I have to be honest, pretty much every tri-colour rattie I see, my first reaction is "Hey, it looks a lot like Jack!"

I've also had the same reaction to a couple of Pip-look-alikes.


----------



## CptJack

And every Eskie I see is Snowball.


----------



## theairedale

Guess who just graduated from the intermediate level! This cutie. We both had so much fun, the classes were awesome.

(excuse the phone quality picture)


----------



## Kayota

What an adorable pic! Congrats 

I just did Roxie's nails with minimal fighting and without quicking a single one. She flails so much usually that I end up quicking at least one. I'm pretty pleased with her right now!


----------



## Remaru

Way to go!!! He is getting so grown up too. 


I just saw Remus's twin on CL. No idea why I browsed over there but I happened across a dog that I swear could have been Remus, down to the white around his nose. He was even the same age. I almost contacted them, but I have no idea what I would do with another dog let alone another dog like Remus. From the listing seems like he has bounced around through a few homes.


----------



## Sarah~

Hurt my hand.... Don't think I broke it but it bruised with a red lump in the middle, also it is very stiff and hard to make a fist, and hurts if I use it too much. Luckily I'm left handed so it's not really that inconvenient 

Edit: oh geez, now that I look at that pic the side of my hand is pretty swollen. Better get some ice!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

theairedale said:


> Guess who just graduated from the intermediate level! This cutie. We both had so much fun, the classes were awesome.
> 
> (excuse the phone quality picture)


Congrats! 

@ Laurelin he actually looks like a PB rat terrier, but with what we JRT people call "ticking" which I believe (CAPTjack can correct if I am wrong) that rat terriers can have ticking also.


----------



## theairedale

Kayota said:


> What an adorable pic! Congrats
> 
> I just did Roxie's nails with minimal fighting and without quicking a single one. She flails so much usually that I end up quicking at least one. I'm pretty pleased with her right now!





Remaru said:


> Way to go!!! He is getting so grown up too.
> 
> 
> I just saw Remus's twin on CL. No idea why I browsed over there but I happened across a dog that I swear could have been Remus, down to the white around his nose. He was even the same age. I almost contacted them, but I have no idea what I would do with another dog let alone another dog like Remus. From the listing seems like he has bounced around through a few homes.





OwnedbyACDs said:


> Congrats!
> 
> @ Laurelin he actually looks like a PB rat terrier, but with what we JRT people call "ticking" which I believe (CAPTjack can correct if I am wrong) that rat terriers can have ticking also.


Thanks guys!! 




Sarah~ said:


> Hurt my hand.... Don't think I broke it but it bruised with a red lump in the middle, also it is very stiff and hard to make a fist, and hurts if I use it too much. Luckily I'm left handed so it's not really that inconvenient
> 
> Edit: oh geez, now that I look at that pic the side of my hand is pretty swollen. Better get some ice!


Oh no, I hope it gets better soon!


----------



## Miss Bugs

So I've been feeding my dogs raw for about 14 years now.. up to 8 dogs at a time..with nothing but the little freezer above my fridge! And guess what? I finally have a chest freezer!! My friend is moving and has no room for hers in her new place so she sold it to me for $100. Its just a small one, but its got more then enough space to hold lotsa food for my pooches! I'm so excited to be able to utilize the bulk raw feeding suppliers around here lol


----------



## momtolabs

People who shoot/torture cats because they "don't like them" really tick me off!! I don't like most of the people I know/meet but you don't see me going around and shooting them because I would be arrested as i would be put in prison!!! So what makes it right to do it to cats!? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## xoxluvablexox

I just had this horrible thing pop up on my Facebook feed about Jackson, MS where the animal control just shoots dogs out of the back of their truck. In the article this woman was talking bout how they let their dog out to go to the bathroom and when calling it back into the house, as it was crossing the street, it got shot down. Honestly, I just can't believe that's really true but it was a legitimate news article I think. I'll have to see if I can find it again...
http://m.msnewsnow.com/msnewsnow/db_330626/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=cjyW7N1Y


----------



## Willowy

momtolabs said:


> People who shoot/torture cats because they "don't like them" really tick me off!! I don't like most of the people I know/meet but you don't see me going around and shooting them because I would be arrested as i would be put in prison!!! So what makes it right to do it to cats!?





xoxluvablexox said:


> I just had this horrible thing pop up on my Facebook feed about Jackson, MS where the animal control just shoots dogs out of the back of their truck. In the article this woman was talking bout how they let their dog out to go to the bathroom and when calling it back into the house, as it was crossing the street, it got shot down. Honestly, I just can't believe that's really true but it was a legitimate news article I think. I'll have to see if I can find it again...
> http://m.msnewsnow.com/msnewsnow/db_330626/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=cjyW7N1Y


Argh, both those things are just how it is here too. Sometimes rural areas just stink. And the locals don't see a thing wrong with it! That dog who got shot in my yard earlier this year, I found his owners and they said "well, we were planning to shoot him anyway, glad the cops did it for us". Grr! And one of my co-workers said he called the cops because a puppy (!) was following him around town, and the cops were THIS CLOSE to shooting him when the owner got home for his lunch break and fortunately saw them before they did. Trigger-happy ********. . .

I won't even mention what guys have said they did to cats. My own stupid cousins included. Apparently torturing cats is top-notch entertainment for a lot of farm boys.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Some of the comments post on YouTube are really messed up. I can't believe some people have the mentality to say things like that.


----------



## Willowy

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Some of the comments post on YouTube are really messed up. I can't believe some people have the mentality to say things like that.


I was just thinking about that the other day. So many people in comments or something like 4chan, are just horrible people. What are they like in real life? Do they show their horribleness in real life? Do they ever admit it---"yeah, I'm a horrible person online. I regularly tell people to kill themselves, it's so much fun!" Who are these people?


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Congrats!
> 
> @ Laurelin he actually looks like a PB rat terrier, but with what we JRT people call "ticking" which I believe (CAPTjack can correct if I am wrong) that rat terriers can have ticking also.


Yeah i see no acd in him at all... ticking is really common in a lot of breeds from border collies to beagles and beyond


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> momtolabs said:
> 
> 
> 
> People who shoot/torture cats because they "don't like them" really tick me off!! I don't like most of the people I know/meet but you don't see me going around and shooting them because I would be arrested as i would be put in prison!!! So what makes it right to do it to cats!?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> xoxluvablexox said:
> 
> 
> 
> I just had this horrible thing pop up on my Facebook feed about Jackson, MS where the animal control just shoots dogs out of the back of their truck. In the article this woman was talking bout how they let their dog out to go to the bathroom and when calling it back into the house, as it was crossing the street, it got shot down. Honestly, I just can't believe that's really true but it was a legitimate news article I think. I'll have to see if I can find it again...
> http://m.msnewsnow.com/msnewsnow/db_330626/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=cjyW7N1Y
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Argh, both those things are just how it is here too. Sometimes rural areas just stink. And the locals don't see a thing wrong with it! That dog who got shot in my yard earlier this year, I found his owners and they said "well, we were planning to shoot him anyway, glad the cops did it for us". Grr! And one of my co-workers said he called the cops because a puppy (!) was following him around town, and the cops were THIS CLOSE to shooting him when the owner got home for his lunch break and fortunately saw them before they did. Trigger-happy ********. . .
> 
> I won't even mention what guys have said they did to cats. My own stupid cousins included. Apparently torturing cats is top-notch entertainment for a lot of farm boys.
Click to expand...

I am glad the area I live isn't like that ... or is that bad. They at least have a network of people and most of the larger shelters and SPCAs like the one in San antonio help the smaller surrounding shelters when they can.


----------



## momtolabs

I made this post on FB








And apparently my cousin thought it was about her.....it wasn't. At all. I told her that but I know she is still ticked at me for nothing,lol. That's how my whole family is! I guess if she got offended she did something wrong.... What's the saying? "If the show fits wear it?"








And how I took it was I Can't rant on FB anymore or she will yell at me?? 


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----------



## Willowy

Well, if her family are the ones who killed their dogs. . .then it was about her and they all deserved it, LOL. If people are going to be cruel/stupid they don't have the luxury of people not objecting to their cruelty/stupidity.


----------



## momtolabs

Yes it was that one but my rant wasn't about her or to "get" at her. What set me off was I was researching raw feedings and some of the comments were stupid/disgusting. Once I get ranting I just keep going.... 


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----------



## Laurelin

Yeah I honestly have no idea if he's a rat terrier or a cattle dog anymore. The general consensus is a mix of the two. Sometimes he looks very rat terrier and other times he looks very cattle dog. I suspect he's a mix though for a few reasons. He's way herdier than any rat terrier I've met. And I know they can herd too but he is very heely and nippy. He also has a stock coat vs the short smooth coat a rat terrier would have. 

It goes about 50/50 on which breed people see in him.

My agility trainer thought he looked mostly ACD.

My belgian breeder friend thought he was a very large rat terrier but then after interacting with him thought he behaved like a herder and not a terrier.

My vet thought he was an ACD/JRT. 

When I took him on a walk I got one of two things 'Oh wow, is that a little blue heeler?' and 'Oh is he a terrier?' 

Who knows. He's a Hank.

Whatever Hank is, its fun and a lot of dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo ... I just found something out something horrible about a breeder who I THOUGHT was a good one ... so disappointed


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Willowy said:


> I was just thinking about that the other day. So many people in comments or something like 4chan, are just horrible people. What are they like in real life? Do they show their horribleness in real life? Do they ever admit it---"yeah, I'm a horrible person online. I regularly tell people to kill themselves, it's so much fun!" Who are these people?


That's just wrong. You never, under any circumstances go tell someone to kill themselves. There's also videos were people comment that they deserved to get bullied, or other similar things.

I just don't get people sometimes.



OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am glad the area I live isn't like that ... or is that bad. They at least have a network of people and most of the larger shelters and SPCAs like the one in San antonio help the smaller surrounding shelters when they can.


Me too. We're not all that dog friendly per say, but, a lot of people love dogs here.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> That's just wrong. You never, under any circumstances go tell someone to kill themselves. There's also videos were people comment that they deserved to get bullied, or other similar things.
> 
> I just don't get people sometimes.
> 
> 
> 
> Me too. We're not all that dog friendly per say, but, a lot of people love dogs here.


The area here is fairly dog friendly, some stores here in our town even let well behaved dogs in!


----------



## Kayota

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> That's just wrong. You never, under any circumstances go tell someone to kill themselves. There's also videos were people comment that they deserved to get bullied, or other similar things.
> 
> I just don't get people sometimes.


One time someone told me to go tell someone they didn't like to kill theirself. I was very upset about it and i told the "friend" so and she proceeded to flip out typing in all caps at me and say I was silencing her with "anti-suicide politics" whatever the hell that means.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Boo ... I just found something out something horrible about a breeder who I THOUGHT was a good one ... so disappointed


Was if the breeder your getting the MAS from?? 


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----------



## zhaor

Willowy said:


> I was just thinking about that the other day. So many people in comments or something like 4chan, are just horrible people. What are they like in real life? Do they show their horribleness in real life? Do they ever admit it---"yeah, I'm a horrible person online. I regularly tell people to kill themselves, it's so much fun!" Who are these people?


I would venture to say the vast majority of people behave differently online (and to some degree just written replies in general) than they do in real life. Elitism and cyber bullying is simply one manifestation of that. For some, it's to compensate for what they aren't be in real life. For others, it's simply easy to be immature when there is that sense of anonymity. It's one of those things that pretty much just comes with the territory. I've learned to enjoy reverse trolling the idiots that prowl the sewers of the interweb.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Was if the breeder your getting the MAS from??
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



No, thank dog! Its an ACD breeder I and many other people in the ACD circles were cool with (at least online) but a video surfaced showing her dogs living in squalor conditions and it sucks because she has such beautiful dogs


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

zhaor said:


> I would venture to say the vast majority of people behave differently online (and to some degree just written replies in general) than they do in real life. Elitism and cyber bullying is simply one manifestation of that. For some, it's to compensate for what they aren't be in real life. For others, it's simply easy to be immature when there is that sense of anonymity. It's one of those things that pretty much just comes with the territory. I've learned to enjoy reverse trolling the idiots that prowl the sewers of the interweb.


I will admit that I am a jerk sometimes online and am actually more cordial in person ... BUT and this is a big but, don't confuse cordial with nice, or friendly, because its NOT the same thing.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No, thank dog! Its an ACD breeder I and many other people in the ACD circles were cool with (at least online) but a video surfaced showing her dogs living in squalor conditions and it sucks because she has such beautiful dogs


Phew okay good! And that just sucks  any way it could have been false or no?? 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Phew okay good! And that just sucks  any way it could have been false or no??
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


No, there is a video showing the area at the address which is the same as on her website, on her FB page she has a pic of a dog in front of the fireplace, the same fireplace as in the investigative video. Its the same person ... and it sucks, people who showed alongside her didn't even know. 

That house is in squalor, I don't know if she lives there too or not but ... ugh. She has like ... 40 dogs too.

But people suspected because I have heard that people who got dogs from her told of the dogs having problems emotionally and socially.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No, there is a video showing the area at the address which is the same as on her website, on her FB page she has a pic of a dog in front of the fireplace, the same fireplace as in the investigative video. Its the same person ... and it sucks, people who showed alongside her didn't even know.
> 
> That house is in squalor, I don't know if she lives there too or not but ... ugh. She has like ... 40 dogs too.
> 
> But people suspected because I have heard that people who got dogs from her told of the dogs having problems emotionally and socially.


That's a shame  kind of scary to but a reminder that everything is not what it seems 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> That's a shame  kind of scary to but a reminder that everything is not what it seems
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


The kennel name is "Bleu Moon" Her website looks awesome, but some of the things she says ... its hard to explain, its not like they sound ... BAD, its just like that don't sound quite right, you know?

Here is her website, see if anyone else gets the same vibes as I do ... maybe I am being paranoid, but I don't know ...

www.bleumooncattledogs.com/


----------



## momtolabs

One thing that kind of popped out was on "The girls" page at the bottom they say "A majority of the girls are under a year old." And then "we are getting XX and X from this breeder." I personally wouldn't go to a breeder where most of the bitches are under a year old.....especially with how many they have to start with. In my opinion having that many bitches under a year is not a good thing because that is tons of training and such for that many dogs! 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> One thing that kind of popped out was on "The girls" page at the bottom they say "A majority of the girls are under a year old." And then "we are getting XX and X from this breeder." I personally wouldn't go to a breeder where most of the bitches are under a year old.....especially with how many they have to start with. In my opinion having that many bitches under a year is not a good thing because that is tons of training and such for that many dogs!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


That and they all are made to "coexist" so they say, and they use "Cesar Millan's method" but on FB she mentioned her "service dog" Bre getting attacked by a "pit bull", but since her dogs supposedly "coexist" I wonder if it was a fight with one of her other dogs and she is just claiming it was an outside dog. She didn't really give too many details about the attack ... which leads me to wonder.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Here is a really interesting article about Bleu moon, per a rescue group that she took a dog for:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Bleu-...bleu-moon-cattle-dogs-my-heelers-rule-1174868


----------



## Flaming

Who or what department do I have to contact at my husbands work to schedule an appointment at home so that he can take a shower without being called and put back to work with zero pay? 


Seriously it's bad enough that we only get a day off together once every 5 weeks or so, but when he's home he has to have his phone on him and answer at all times or he'll get written up for it. We can't even "babymake" because the people at his work aren't smart enough to figure out their job on their own!

the facts
No he doesn't get paid for answering his phone at home, but if he doesn't answer it he'll get written up. He tried to take a shower today and failed because they wouldn't stop calling his phone for things that 2 seconds of thought would have shown them the answer themselves. 
He's even gotten texts and phone calls while we're in bed, when he doesn't hear it, wake up, or refuse to answer it he get written up the next day. 


I'm in Alberta and we can't afford a lawyer so if anyone knows anything about alberta law and can point us in the right direction so we can shove that phone up his manager, I will love you forever. 


/end rant


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Flaming said:


> Who or what department do I have to contact at my husbands work to schedule an appointment at home so that he can take a shower without being called and put back to work with zero pay?
> 
> 
> Seriously it's bad enough that we only get a day off together once every 5 weeks or so, but when he's home he has to have his phone on him and answer at all times or he'll get written up for it. We can't even "babymake" because the people at his work aren't smart enough to figure out their job on their own!
> 
> the facts
> No he doesn't get paid for answering his phone at home, but if he doesn't answer it he'll get written up. He tried to take a shower today and failed because they wouldn't stop calling his phone for things that 2 seconds of thought would have shown them the answer themselves.
> He's even gotten texts and phone calls while we're in bed, when he doesn't hear it, wake up, or refuse to answer it he get written up the next day.
> 
> 
> I'm in Alberta and we can't afford a lawyer so if anyone knows anything about alberta law and can point us in the right direction so we can shove that phone up his manager, I will love you forever.
> 
> 
> /end rant


No advice, just saying that SUCKS! Maybe Google for info?


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Here is a really interesting article about Bleu moon, per a rescue group that she took a dog for:
> 
> http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Bleu-...bleu-moon-cattle-dogs-my-heelers-rule-1174868


I'm reading that right now and I just... smh


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> Who or what department do I have to contact at my husbands work to schedule an appointment at home so that he can take a shower without being called and put back to work with zero pay?
> 
> 
> Seriously it's bad enough that we only get a day off together once every 5 weeks or so, but when he's home he has to have his phone on him and answer at all times or he'll get written up for it. We can't even "babymake" because the people at his work aren't smart enough to figure out their job on their own!
> 
> the facts
> No he doesn't get paid for answering his phone at home, but if he doesn't answer it he'll get written up. He tried to take a shower today and failed because they wouldn't stop calling his phone for things that 2 seconds of thought would have shown them the answer themselves.
> He's even gotten texts and phone calls while we're in bed, when he doesn't hear it, wake up, or refuse to answer it he get written up the next day.
> 
> I'm in Alberta and we can't afford a lawyer so if anyone knows anything about alberta law and can point us in the right direction so we can shove that phone up his manager, I will love you forever.
> 
> /end rant


I am writing you a PM now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> I'm reading that right now and I just... smh


I know it's terrible!


----------



## Flaming

ok just looked at those laws. Sadly they don't cover it because work does not require him to stay within a certain distance, the only thing they require it that he answers the phone and attempts to answer questions. 

Looks like I'm poking my husband to contact legal aid


----------



## momtolabs

Someone keeps going past my house EVERY SINGLE night at 10 pm and doing burn outs. It is getting really freaking annoying!! They would even do it in summer at times and I would usually have my baby cousin and it would wake her up. She was a really easy baby but was hard to get to go back to sleep and it was aggravating. Tonight they did it and for some reason it got Mia and Mae going and Mia about broke through the screen in the window!! They just went ballistic! If they keep it up any longer I'm posting on the towns FB page that it is rude to do so(I have elderly neighbors and one neighbor has a new born,1other has small kids in 1st and 2nd grade). Then weird people no one knows has moved into town. They are 3 guys and are supposably "visiting" for some reason. This is a everyone knows everyone and everyone is related town(my parents went to school with either most of the people's kids or the adults in this town now). It's a town of 500 so not hard to keep track of everyone  Anyway they are LOUD tonight. They walk around town around 9:30-10:30 PM nightly. They are just loud talkers and talk about really weird stuff. People have started locking doors, cars, barns etc up at night. One night they were in my back yard throwing stuff at my neighbors dog. I didnt know they were back there until I let Mia out since she was whining and she shot off like a rocket to the back of the barn and I heard a yell and then called for Mia and ran back there to find them running off(I don't think anyone got bit since no cop or doctors bill had came). The next day my neighbor found rocks in his dogs pen(he keeps it really nice). So now his dog sleeps in the garage at night or in the house if the dog wants in and the dog HATES it but my neighbor doesn't want it getting hurt!! I am talking to my cop friend tomorrow(my town has no cop) to see if he can do a few round tomorrow night. I'm not too worried about me(6 loud dogs 3 of which hate strangers, weapons and lots of locked doors/widows). I AM worried for some of my neighbors. Most don't have dogs or means of protection and are elderly  


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Someone keeps going past my house EVERY SINGLE night at 10 pm and doing burn outs. It is getting really freaking annoying!! They would even do it in summer at times and I would usually have my baby cousin and it would wake her up. She was a really easy baby but was hard to get to go back to sleep and it was aggravating. Tonight they did it and for some reason it got Mia and Mae going and Mia about broke through the screen in the window!! They just went ballistic! If they keep it up any longer I'm posting on the towns FB page that it is rude to do so(I have elderly neighbors and one neighbor has a new born,1other has small kids in 1st and 2nd grade). Then weird people no one knows has moved into town. They are 3 guys and are supposably "visiting" for some reason. This is a everyone knows everyone and everyone is related town(my parents went to school with either most of the people's kids or the adults in this town now). It's a town of 500 so not hard to keep track of everyone  Anyway they are LOUD tonight. They walk around town around 9:30-10:30 PM nightly. They are just loud talkers and talk about really weird stuff. People have started locking doors, cars, barns etc up at night. One night they were in my back yard throwing stuff at my neighbors dog. I didnt know they were back there until I let Mia out since she was whining and she shot off like a rocket to the back of the barn and I heard a yell and then called for Mia and ran back there to find them running off(I don't think anyone got bit since no cop or doctors bill had came). The next day my neighbor found rocks in his dogs pen(he keeps it really nice). So now his dog sleeps in the garage at night or in the house if the dog wants in and the dog HATES it but my neighbor doesn't want it getting hurt!! I am talking to my cop friend tomorrow(my town has no cop) to see if he can do a few round tomorrow night. I'm not too worried about me(6 loud dogs 3 of which hate strangers, weapons and lots of locked doors/widows). I AM worried for some of my neighbors. Most don't have dogs or means of protection and are elderly
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Forgive me but ... what is a barn out?


----------



## momtolabs

A burn out is when you stop your car then hit the gas as hard as possible(usually on loose gravel) to make your tires squeal and rocks go flying. It's a pretty stupid thing to do for safety reason and tire purposes(make them go bald faster)


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> A burn out is when you stop your car then hit the gas as hard as possible(usually on loose gravel) to make your tires squeal and rocks go flying. It's a pretty stupid thing to do for safety reason and tire purposes(make them go bald faster)
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Oh a BURN out, I read it BARN out lol, I don't know why xD. Forgive me I have been working on a fence all day lmbo

Anyway I have been guilty of burning out when I was young and had a hot, powerful car ha ha.


----------



## momtolabs

Haha!! I thought I made a spelling mistake at first(I'm mobile). I will be honest I do it in my little ole' beater but its not often and always on country roads and not at 10pm at night in a neighborhood  I usually do it when me and my friends decide to have a contest on who can do the best ones..... I usually win  


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----------



## Kayota

Do your dogs ever have nights where they're just inexplicably hyper all over the place can't walk without corrections every 5 seconds running around the house like a deranged demon? Because that's Roxie right now. The walk was frustrating but the play afterwards? Totally worth it from a dog who sleeps 90% of the time. Also frustrating was when she bolted when we were on our way to the car, she wanders off sometimes if I don't watch her but usually goes straight to the car but she never BOLTS like she did, she was across the lot next to my house and almost to the busiest road in town and I was trudging after her yelling "Roxie get back here!" (it's the only recall she knows well, thanks mom) and she just looped right around and ran back at full speed and looked at me like WASN'T THAT A FUN GAME??? :doh: And it was the first time I'd walked her out to the car off leash in a couple weeks. But yeah the way she was playing just now was hilarious, an inexperienced owner would have been racing to DF with "MY DOG TRIED TO ATTACK ME HELP" LOL


----------



## momtolabs

1. I have poison ivy on my feet and it feels like fire ants are attacking my feet. Don't know how I even got it. I always scrub my feet in the shower

2. Pulling into my driveway I popped a hole in the tire of my dads truck

3. Fell in a hole now my ankle hurts 

4. Tank is acting odd and not himself and due to hospital bills I'm broker than broke right now. 

5. My truck has a clog and tranny fluid isn't going through the truck .......luckily my uncle is a mechanic and will be fixing that this weekend 


IM DONE WITH TODAY


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----------



## Greater Swiss

One of the cats has officially reached the end of my temper.....We got Caeda a bag of food yesterday, and left it by the bins that we empty the food into (the last bag wasn't quite done yet, and I wanted to finish it to clean the container out). I was pouring my coffee this morning, looked over and the cat had CHEWED A HOLE in the bag!!!! And she was sitting there, looking at me while she ate the dog food!!! I'd fed her half an hour before, she is fat, we have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't eat the older cat's food (he is a grazer), we feed her in a special thing so she doesn't gobble her food (she used to eat a lot, fast then barf....she still does occasionally). We just paid to get my car shipped out here, partially because I've been waiting for ages to get my classic car back, and partially because we need a second vehicle, so we're really low on cash....but next paycheck, we're going to have to find the cash for a vet visit. There has GOT to be something wrong health wise with her. She has always been greedy for food, but this is another level....she is breaking into the dog food to steal it!! WOW I'm angry.....she heard the tone in my voice when I said "Hemi No"....she bolted away so fast. I don't think I would have sounded so evil if I'd at least finished my first full cup of coffee!!!!


----------



## ireth0

Greater Swiss said:


> One of the cats has officially reached the end of my temper.....We got Caeda a bag of food yesterday, and left it by the bins that we empty the food into (the last bag wasn't quite done yet, and I wanted to finish it to clean the container out). I was pouring my coffee this morning, looked over and the cat had CHEWED A HOLE in the bag!!!! And she was sitting there, looking at me while she ate the dog food!!! I'd fed her half an hour before, she is fat, we have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't eat the older cat's food (he is a grazer), we feed her in a special thing so she doesn't gobble her food (she used to eat a lot, fast then barf....she still does occasionally). We just paid to get my car shipped out here, partially because I've been waiting for ages to get my classic car back, and partially because we need a second vehicle, so we're really low on cash....but next paycheck, we're going to have to find the cash for a vet visit. There has GOT to be something wrong health wise with her. She has always been greedy for food, but this is another level....she is breaking into the dog food to steal it!! WOW I'm angry.....she heard the tone in my voice when I said "Hemi No"....she bolted away so fast. I don't think I would have sounded so evil if I'd at least finished my first full cup of coffee!!!!


I don't know if I would take her to the vet just for breaking into the dog food bag. I'm sure my two would do that as well given the chance. They're always very interested when I am refilling the dog food containers.


----------



## Kayota

yeah, our cats always tore into the dog food bag even though they had access to both their own food and the dogs' food bowl 24/7


----------



## Prozax

My foster cat always wants the dog's food. She will go into the bowl while Luna is eating and I have to remove her from there or she will bully Luna and take her bowl.. 250gr of food for a tiny 1/2 kg cat, awful )
She'll also get all excited when I open the dog food bin. I just figures she just likes the taste?


----------



## Willowy

My cats will rip open the dog food bag until it's spilling everywhere and then just be like "meh, we don't eat dog food, ew" . They just like ripping bags open I guess. . .jerks.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I know my dogs have always been interested in cat food LOL, but I didn't know it went the other way as well. All the cats I have known are always so picky.

But some cats are just pigs I guess, what about putting the dog food in a container instead of just leaving it in the bag?


----------



## Kayota

i just was woken up to ridiculously loud banging sounds so i walked outside to see what the hell was going on and it turns out the city thought 10 am was as good a time as any to have three gigantic trucks with cherry pickers cut and shred tree branches in the same location. i mean i know it's not early to most people but geez. i'm really irrationally angry over this lol

also i nearly broke my freaking ankle on the giant ball things one of the trees in back drops, i almost never use the backyard for anything so i didnt even think about it :doh: shame really, it's a gorgeous yard (when the neighbor doesnt leave trash all over their backyard which is pretty much never) but it's not fenced and the stairs are really steep and there's nowhere to tie a tieout that isn't wildly inconvenient for the guy who mows the lawn and mows over anything left in the yard so the front is just easier.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> i just was woken up to ridiculously loud banging sounds so i walked outside to see what the hell was going on and it turns out the city thought 10 am was as good a time as any to have three gigantic trucks with cherry pickers cut and shred tree branches in the same location. i mean i know it's not early to most people but geez. i'm really irrationally angry over this lol
> 
> also i nearly broke my freaking ankle on the giant ball things one of the trees in back drops, i almost never use the backyard for anything so i didnt even think about it :doh: shame really, it's a gorgeous yard (when the neighbor doesnt leave trash all over their backyard which is pretty much never) but it's not fenced and the stairs are really steep and there's nowhere to tie a tieout that isn't wildly inconvenient for the guy who mows the lawn and mows over anything left in the yard so the front is just easier.


Shoot even though I don't have to be up early anymore, I am up by 7am, but when I lived in the city, 10am was pretty much the time they started doing city maint. things


----------



## Kayota

yeah i'm just really disgruntled by having to wake up any time before noon lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> yeah i'm just really disgruntled by having to wake up any time before noon lol


do you work at night? when I worked at night I woke up at about 10 am.


----------



## Kayota

no i just have a bizarre sleep schedule. i'm only working once a week right now because all my info for my otner job was transferred to texas already. i usually go to bed around 6 am...

i keep sneezing and roxie is just staring at me like i've lost it. i think she feels the same way about me sneezing as i did about those trucks lol


----------



## Greater Swiss

Flaming said:


> Who or what department do I have to contact at my husbands work to schedule an appointment at home so that he can take a shower without being called and put back to work with zero pay?
> 
> 
> Seriously it's bad enough that we only get a day off together once every 5 weeks or so, but when he's home he has to have his phone on him and answer at all times or he'll get written up for it. We can't even "babymake" because the people at his work aren't smart enough to figure out their job on their own!
> 
> the facts
> No he doesn't get paid for answering his phone at home, but if he doesn't answer it he'll get written up. He tried to take a shower today and failed because they wouldn't stop calling his phone for things that 2 seconds of thought would have shown them the answer themselves.
> He's even gotten texts and phone calls while we're in bed, when he doesn't hear it, wake up, or refuse to answer it he get written up the next day.
> 
> 
> I'm in Alberta and we can't afford a lawyer so if anyone knows anything about alberta law and can point us in the right direction so we can shove that phone up his manager, I will love you forever.
> 
> 
> /end rant


Ugh.....SO sorry to hear this is happening to you, I've felt your pain! That kind of BS is why DH and I left out west....we were in NE BC, but it works just like Alberta Oilfield up there. He could get a call, any time, day or night, and be told to go to work....he would of course get paid to go, but the constant on call....not a dime for that. We were actually lucky that he was able to get the weekend of his wedding off. His boss (and the boss's wife) were as great as they could be given the industry....they actually had to turn jobs down because he was off....they did that, but some bosses don't. I used to get calls any time of the day, on my personal phone as well....luckily it was rare, I didn't get paid for that BS either. I really hope you manage to find a lawyer that can help you, unfortunately, if I recall, there are a TON of exemptions in AB to the labor laws, hours of work, on call and all that....Good luck though!!!


----------



## momtolabs

People ignorance when it comes to pit bulls really ticks me off!!! I'm on a lab board and everyone's comments about pit bulls makes me want to run my head over with a car!! I think most believe labs are perfect little angles and any other breed is viscous and deserves to be banned!!!! Okay probably not but that's what it seems like with pit bulls!!! 


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----------



## BubbaMoose

I just went to refill the treat jar for the dogs and honestly looked at this like what???

My dog's things literally take up two rows in the pantry. They have over 20 bully sticks and over 30 bags of Wellness training treats. A random bag of Fromm treats (that the boys really love!), two giant boxes of Wellness Wellbars, two bags of Ziwipeak and two big bags of BB Dental Chews. I also have a case of Wellness Core canned, three cases left of the Addiction Brushtail, a 10lb box of THK and an order on the way from Chewy with 60lbs of kibble and more bags of treats.

Um, I have two dogs. I need to either A. Tone it down. or B. Get another dog. 

And I think I like option B best.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank just nailed the crap out of my hand going for the tug. Owwy.


----------



## Flaming

BubbaMoose said:


> View attachment 176833
> 
> 
> I just went to refill the treat jar for the dogs and honestly looked at this like what???
> 
> My dog's things literally take up two rows in the pantry. They have over 20 bully sticks and over 30 bags of Wellness training treats. A random bag of Fromm treats (that the boys really love!), two giant boxes of Wellness Wellbars, two bags of Ziwipeak and two big bags of BB Dental Chews. I also have a case of Wellness Core canned, three cases left of the Addiction Brushtail, a 10lb box of THK and an order on the way from Chewy with 60lbs of kibble and more bags of treats.
> 
> Um, I have two dogs. I need to either A. Tone it down. or B. Get another dog.
> 
> And I think I like option B best.


I buy bully sticks in bulk...100 at a time.

I vote for option B


----------



## Kayota

BubbaMoose said:


> View attachment 176833
> 
> 
> I just went to refill the treat jar for the dogs and honestly looked at this like what???
> 
> My dog's things literally take up two rows in the pantry. They have over 20 bully sticks and over 30 bags of Wellness training treats. A random bag of Fromm treats (that the boys really love!), two giant boxes of Wellness Wellbars, two bags of Ziwipeak and two big bags of BB Dental Chews. I also have a case of Wellness Core canned, three cases left of the Addiction Brushtail, a 10lb box of THK and an order on the way from Chewy with 60lbs of kibble and more bags of treats.
> 
> Um, I have two dogs. I need to either A. Tone it down. or B. Get another dog.
> 
> And I think I like option B best.


I have one small dog and a huge bin full nearly to the top with dog food plus aa drawer full of treats and wet food... lol most of that is going to be donated


----------



## Laurelin

So I took hank to petsmart. First time in a store an he did great. It was near closing so mostly empty. They did try to sell me training because he was pulling but I explained I'd had him a whopping week. 

Anyways real story is for the second night Mia seems to have gotten onto my kitchen counter. She knocked all the things off- including knives!!! Got a microwave dinner box and chewed it up and shredded the paper towels. 

I cannot figure out how she is climbing up there!!! No freaking clue. 

Also summer had food all over her face so I'm pretty sure she partook in it all.


----------



## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> So I took hank to petsmart. First time in a store an he did great. It was near closing so mostly empty. They did try to sell me training because he was pulling but I explained I'd had him a whopping week.
> 
> Anyways real story is for the second night Mia seems to have gotten onto my kitchen counter. She knocked all the things off- including knives!!! Got a microwave dinner box and chewed it up and shredded the paper towels.
> 
> I cannot figure out how she is climbing up there!!! No freaking clue.
> 
> Also summer had food all over her face so I'm pretty sure she partook in it all.


your dogs are a handful!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Working on switching Gem over from Orijen with 4 raw meals a week to all raw for at home meals. I didn't before because she is allergic to chicken and beef so trying to afford enough raw food for an extremely active 50lbs dog without including chick/beef wasn't feasible when she isn't my only dog.. To make it worse i didn't have an extra freezer either so i couldn't even go with bulk options. However i now have a chest freezer for dog food that i got for cheap, and my work is now giving me free kibble so that cuts like $80 out of my food budget every month(for meals they eat at work) and i can take whatever i eant home to have an hand as well.. so now i can take that $80 work food money and Gem's $80 Orijen money and put it all towards raw food which i can now buy in bulk!


----------



## DaySleepers

Took Sam to the 'local' dog park a couple days ago (well, it's 15 minutes away by car, so it's a bit of a pain when you've got a dog that doesn't ride well, but it's the only dog park anywhere near us). It was during the heat spell, so they had a couple of pools and buckets of water out everywhere. Agility equipment, a ton of room, lots of seating for the owners. We went to the big dog side, because the small dog side was empty when we got there and because he can be a bit too pushy/intense for some small dogs.

He did _fabulous._ I think he's finally getting over some of his rude puppy behavior, at least when he's off leash. He did a lot of sniffing around and exploring, some low-key play. I was impressed by how good the dogs were, and how attentive the owners were, as well! Even though it was busy, there were only a couple minor snarks that were quickly interrupted and redirected by the people responsible for the dogs. Sam did get a bit keyed up at one point, and got bowled over once while running around, but overall it was a very positive experience - plus he was absolutely bushed for the rest of the day, haha. I do hope he continues to be a 'dog park dog', because we'll be living down the street from one after we move.


----------



## Kayota

I just put Roxie out and she immediately started sniffing the deck and growling... I guess a critter visited? Also, I had to throw out a nearly full large size box of Honest Kitchen because grain beetles were breeding in it... sigh. Bye bye 40 dollars.


----------



## Na-Tasha

I have a bit of a gripe/rant thingy. I went bicycling with my parents last week (without Tasha since we were riding mostly down a busy road, lots of traffic) to a very large park we'd been to only once before. After exploring the park for about an hour we headed to the front and I figured I'd come back later with Tasha and take advantage of the dozens of different types of flower arrangements and trees, pond, etc. for a photo shoot with her. Well, we get to the front of the park and I notice a sign about dogs. I figured it was a 'keep your dog leashed' type sign...and I was right...but. *sigh*... One of the requirements to walk your dog in the park is to have it muzzled. Seriously. Any dog stepping paw into the park has to be muzzled. Every other requirement was reasonable...but muzzled? Really? The fine for disobedience was quite steep...so no, I'm not ever taking Tasha there. Very disappointing, I wanted to pose Tasha with a giant dragonfly sculpture (my favorite insect) and inbetween two weeping willow trees drooping into a pond full of pink water lilies. 

On a more positive note, yesterday after I had finished walking Tasha I decided to stop by the bank on the way home. Unfortunately there weren't any parking spaces available anywhere near the bank so I ended up having to park two blocks away, in the full sun. Even rolled down windows would've been too much for Tasha waiting on me to walk two blocks there and back. So I decided to take her with me instead. This was the first time I walked her downtown and she was a bit nervous, but she did really well. She only balked a couple of times when a person hollered at us to buy fruit from their stand and when a motor scooter honked at us. The security guards in front of the bank were all smiles when they saw her and commented on how pretty she was.  It was a good experience for her, she was much more comfortable on the walk back to the car.


----------



## Kayota

You could maybe take her in with a head halter on... They get mistaken for muzzles frequently. You don't even have to walk her on it, just take it off for pics quickly and put it back on.


----------



## Kayota

i was holding rox on my shoulder like you would a baby just now and she was all excited to go out and started climbing and wiggling and she is a bit top heavy and started to tip over my shoulder and i tried to catch her but somehow ended up accidentally punting her across the room instead... luckily she didnt hit anything and just landed on the carpet. ive never dropped her before let alone accidentally tossed her... that was terrifying for both of us  she's perfectly fine though thank god. I was terrified she would snap one of her spindly legs but she landed directly on her back and got right up.


----------



## Willowy

Kayota said:


> I just put Roxie out and she immediately started sniffing the deck and growling... I guess a critter visited? Also, I had to throw out a nearly full large size box of Honest Kitchen because grain beetles were breeding in it... sigh. Bye bye 40 dollars.


You can just put it in the freezer to kill the beetles and. . .they're a good source of protein? . Storing it in the freezer in the future might also be a good idea since small dogs eat so little.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Wait..a nearly full large size box of HK only $40???? A large box of HK here is over $200!


----------



## Pasarella

BubbaMoose said:


> View attachment 176833
> 
> 
> I just went to refill the treat jar for the dogs and honestly looked at this like what???
> 
> My dog's things literally take up two rows in the pantry. They have over 20 bully sticks and over 30 bags of Wellness training treats. A random bag of Fromm treats (that the boys really love!), two giant boxes of Wellness Wellbars, two bags of Ziwipeak and two big bags of BB Dental Chews. I also have a case of Wellness Core canned, three cases left of the Addiction Brushtail, a 10lb box of THK and an order on the way from Chewy with 60lbs of kibble and more bags of treats.
> 
> Um, I have two dogs. I need to either A. Tone it down. or B. Get another dog.
> 
> And I think I like option B best.


 I see my future in this comentary. Now I'm a student so I don't have much money for treats,but they have their Acana kibble and dried meat I use for walks when I need to recall or make them focus on me. But if I would have my regular sallary,yep,I guess they would have even more of everything  My BF don't think they need any treats,so I buy some secretly from our food money he gives me


----------



## BubbaMoose

Miss Bugs said:


> Wait..a nearly full large size box of HK only $40???? A large box of HK here is over $200!


4lb boxes cost around $40-50. The 10lb box costs around $80-100. At least it does on Chewy.com, which is pretty consistent with the local pet shop in Phoenix that sells THK.


----------



## dogsule

Na-Tasha said:


> I have a bit of a gripe/rant thingy. I went bicycling with my parents last week (without Tasha since we were riding mostly down a busy road, lots of traffic) to a very large park we'd been to only once before. After exploring the park for about an hour we headed to the front and I figured I'd come back later with Tasha and take advantage of the dozens of different types of flower arrangements and trees, pond, etc. for a photo shoot with her. Well, we get to the front of the park and I notice a sign about dogs. I figured it was a 'keep your dog leashed' type sign...and I was right...but. *sigh*... One of the requirements to walk your dog in the park is to have it muzzled. Seriously. Any dog stepping paw into the park has to be muzzled. Every other requirement was reasonable...but muzzled? Really? The fine for disobedience was quite steep...so no, I'm not ever taking Tasha there. Very disappointing, I wanted to pose Tasha with a giant dragonfly sculpture (my favorite insect) and inbetween two weeping willow trees drooping into a pond full of pink water lilies.



I had that happen to me once too, took one of my girls to the park and then noticed it said no dogs, except on the walking trail around the park. Ugh. I love taking photos of real dragonflies, they are so prehistoric looking. Here is one for you since you said you like them...I took many, many photos of them this summer, all different kinds.


IMG_7198a by rzyg, on Flickr


----------



## BubbaMoose

Flaming said:


> I buy bully sticks in bulk...100 at a time.
> 
> I vote for option B


Omg, where do you buy them in bulk? I was going to ask how much you spend but I'm assuming there's really no point being that you're in Canada. Our prices are so inconstant with one another!


----------



## BubbaMoose

Kayota said:


> I just put Roxie out and she immediately started sniffing the deck and growling... I guess a critter visited? Also, I had to throw out a nearly full large size box of Honest Kitchen because grain beetles were breeding in it... sigh. Bye bye 40 dollars.


Ummm... ew! How did that happen?! Did you have the bag closed all the way? Now I feel like I have to go double or triple seal mine.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I don't work till tonight but work looks boring today! the bad weather must be keeping all the dogs away lol. my co-worker sent me a picture of the organization board(a big board that lists what kennels the dogs are in and there group numbers and which groups they are playing in), so the way we are set up is like yard Japan, has 15 kennels attached to it, yard Australia has 15 kennels attached to it, and Yards Florida, BC and Canada each have 19 kennels attached to them. we split the dogs up into groups of approx 8 dogs and rotate the groups all day. normally its VERY busy and I haven't seen all 5 yards not in constant use basically as long as they have existed. its so slow today..that they just put all the "singles"(dogs that can't play in groups or can only play with VERY select dogs) in Japan and Australia..there is not a single group in those buildings lol. I have a feeling lots of staff are getting sent home early today lol not much point in having a bunch of extra yard attendants sitting around with no dogs to supervise lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

> 4lb boxes cost around $40-50. The 10lb box costs around $80-100. At least it does on Chewy.com, which is pretty consistent with the local pet shop in Phoenix that sells THK.


ya..try $189 at the only shop that carries in in my area lol . now to be fair K9 Naturals is worse at $234 lol


----------



## Na-Tasha

Kayota said:


> You could maybe take her in with a head halter on... They get mistaken for muzzles frequently. You don't even have to walk her on it, just take it off for pics quickly and put it back on.


I haven't seen any of those for sale here(probably in a larger town they do), and could probably get away with it, there were people smoking in the park when there was a clear no smoking sign at the entrance... But I doubt I'll do it.




dogsule said:


> I had that happen to me once too, took one of my girls to the park and then noticed it said no dogs, except on the walking trail around the park. Ugh. I love taking photos of real dragonflies, they are so prehistoric looking. Here is one for you since you said you like them...I took many, many photos of them this summer, all different kinds.
> 
> 
> IMG_7198a by rzyg, on Flickr


Wow, that's a good shot of the dragonfly!  I haven't seen one like that before. Very cool. I have a lot of dragonfly photos as well, but it's hard for me to get good ones because they're fast, I'm slow, and my camera is shoddy.


----------



## Kayota

BubbaMoose said:


> Ummm... ew! How did that happen?! Did you have the bag closed all the way? Now I feel like I have to go double or triple seal mine.


I have a grain beetle infestation and i didn't think about the fact that it has grain in it and yeah. I keep almost all grains in the freezer because of the grain beetles. I almost never feed it lol, its kind of a special treat/travel thing. Also use it in winter as it's like a warm soup. So i just didnt realize there were bugs in it until it was really gross... i also misspoke, im pretty sure it was the 4 lb box.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

One of my biggest peeves is people who have their dogs from puppyhood and then give it up when it is an adult because "they don't have anywhere for it to run and play". Uhm, really? You wait until now to feel that way? That is such an excuse. You don't need a big yard to keep a dog exercised and happy. Get off your butt and walk the dog. Get a long leash and play fetch in the yard or nearest field. Geeze. No wonder rescues don't adopt to people without fenced in yards (which is another peeve of mine).


----------



## Little Wise Owl

UGH.

I'm not sure what's worse at this point. The people who are breeding crappy bracchy breeds (especially pugs and English Bulldogs) or the people who just hate on all the Bracchy breeds no matter what JUST because their faces are short. Just because they saw a few bad ones. So many other breeds have worse health issues but it's not the first thing that's pointed out when they're brought up in conversation. Just ugh.

It's emotionally draining when people look at you and your dog with disgust every day.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> One of my biggest peeves is people who have their dogs from puppyhood and then give it up when it is an adult because "they don't have anywhere for it to run and play". Uhm, really? You wait until now to feel that way? That is such an excuse. You don't need a big yard to keep a dog exercised and happy. Get off your butt and walk the dog. Get a long leash and play fetch in the yard or nearest field. Geeze. No wonder rescues don't adopt to people without fenced in yards (which is another peeve of mine).


I've never seen a dog play in a yard by itself anyways. I also like the excuse "moving and can't take them with us". Gypsy's rescue was great and didn't require a fenced in yard. We are in the process of putting one in anyways.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I don't work till tonight but work looks boring today! the bad weather must be keeping all the dogs away lol. my co-worker sent me a picture of the organization board(a big board that lists what kennels the dogs are in and there group numbers and which groups they are playing in), so the way we are set up is like yard Japan, has 15 kennels attached to it, yard Australia has 15 kennels attached to it, and Yards Florida, BC and Canada each have 19 kennels attached to them. we split the dogs up into groups of approx 8 dogs and rotate the groups all day. normally its VERY busy and I haven't seen all 5 yards not in constant use basically as long as they have existed. its so slow today..that they just put all the "singles"(dogs that can't play in groups or can only play with VERY select dogs) in Japan and Australia..there is not a single group in those buildings lol. I have a feeling lots of staff are getting sent home early today lol not much point in having a bunch of extra yard attendants sitting around with no dogs to supervise lol


That sounds like an awesome place! Do you have any pics of the place, I'd really like to see it!


----------



## Miss Bugs

A few pics I snapped. The yards were mid rotation when I snapped the pics so they are empty or almost empty lol but all the same size with big decks and cement pipes to play on and around. ignore the random kennels around the yards lol we planted tree's, the kennels are just there to protect the tree's while they grow lol


----------



## Laurelin

So I'm pretty darn sure this is Hank's brother...

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30390960/

He is housed at a no kill but was pulled from the city impound right around the time I adopted Hank (maybe a day or so before, his posting popped up the day after I got Hank out of the shelter). Same exact age listed. They LOOK SO MUCH ALIKE.


----------



## Laurelin

Also considering what petfinder did to me last week I should probably not be browsing. But look at this one!!!!

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30430726/

And this one!

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30273259/


Omg. The face.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30334260/

A Hank with a tail.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30379894/

THIS GUY is adorable.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/29642805/

Aww girl at Hank's shelter: https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30420539/

And this boy came in day after I got Hank. I like the name Rodeo.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30431462/

I still am convinced that one dog is a littermate though...


----------



## Flaming

BubbaMoose said:


> Omg, where do you buy them in bulk? I was going to ask how much you spend but I'm assuming there's really no point being that you're in Canada. Our prices are so inconstant with one another!


online 
http://www.bullysticks.ca/

have at er


----------



## Kayota

Laur after the incident with Moby I'm banned from Craigslist pets and Petfinder... lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 176945
> View attachment 176953
> View attachment 176961
> View attachment 176969
> 
> 
> A few pics I snapped. The yards were mid rotation when I snapped the pics so they are empty or almost empty lol but all the same size with big decks and cement pipes to play on and around. ignore the random kennels around the yards lol we planted tree's, the kennels are just there to protect the tree's while they grow lol


Holy crap that place is awesome! 

@ Laurelin GET HIM ... you know you want another xD


----------



## Laurelin

Lol no. Hank is currently running as fast as possible around my house holding a leash and jumping randomly. I could not have two at once.


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Holy crap that place is awesome!


Lol been there 6 years as of next month for a reason  the place is huge, the area's i took pics of and described is only the large dog area, there is a whole nuther "wing" for the little guys. We have 35 staff members and average 130-140 dogs a day. Giving tours is always hilarious, people have no idea how big the place is till they gotta walk it lol. Plans are in the works to further expand as well. Currently there is no indoor play areas for the big dogs,but we are buying the old car lot next door once the current owner finishes clearing all the junk cars and building an indoor playground for the big guys


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Man! :frusty:

So a feed company that makes an awesome horse feed is now making a line of dog food ... and it sucks  

I don't get how a company who makes such good horse feed (*coughcough*purina) can make such a crappy dog food! 

Here is the link: http://www.totalfeeds.com/Total_Canine.html


----------



## Kayota

Well I'm pretty proud of Roxie--I held a kitten with Roxie right there next to me with the other three in the litter playing just a few feet away and she didn't have a total spazz out. The kitten was fine with me but noticed Roxie as I was picking it up and hissed the whole time lol.. But even when I put it down Roxie didn't try to chase or anything. On a related note the kittens are cute but I wish my neighbor would get their cats fixed... Geez.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Some people.

So, someone in my school cat, got pregnant. Because she wanted kittens. Unfortunately, they all died due to complications. Instead of fixing her cat, or at least preventing her cat from getting pregnant again- She is deciding to breed her cat again. Ugh.


----------



## Kayota

i have never seen roxie so much as flinch at a thunderstorm and all of a sudden she is terrified. very odd.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Some people.
> 
> So, someone in my school cat, got pregnant. Because she wanted kittens. Unfortunately, they all died due to complications. Instead of fixing her cat, or at least preventing her cat from getting pregnant again- She is deciding to breed her cat again. Ugh.


Yes because there aren't enough unwanted cats :/


----------



## momtolabs

Today I got to school and there was a orange cat in the school parking lot. Our school is literally in the country with farms surrounding it so I figured it was a farmers cat. In 4th hour most of the guys were joking about how they should run it over/kick it etc when they leave(co-op) and I gave them my best glare and they shut up. They guy sitting next to me was on the floor laughing(little me is intimidating I guess ) he also was annoyed by what people were saying. Well during passing period between 7/8 hour my friend said she thinks it is her cat(lives 5 miles from the school) so she asked if we could go out to see and they okayed it. Well it was indeed her cat!! Little Ember somehow got ou of the house into the car then escaped at the school,haha. Luckily I keep a cat carrier in my truck(along with leashes and treats) and we were about to put her in the carrier and into the car. Felt bad for her having to stay in the carrier for anothe hour but better than what could of happened to her!! I'm glad my friend realized it was her cat and now of the leave early guys did anything to her!! She is very sweet and trusting to anyone!


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----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yes because there aren't enough unwanted cats :/


It's just... Frustrating. ALL of the kittens died. Instead of trying to prevent it, she decides to breed her cat again, just for the sake of herself-So she can have kittens.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> It's just... Frustrating. ALL of the kittens died. Instead of trying to prevent it, she decides to breed her cat again, just for the sake of herself-So she can have kittens.


People never cease to amaze me


----------



## momtolabs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> It's just... Frustrating. ALL of the kittens died. Instead of trying to prevent it, she decides to breed her cat again, just for the sake of herself-So she can have kittens.


I get calls daily from people asking if ican take litters in. I can hand out her number so she can see just how many there are needing homes or on the street. I'm fine with breeders(my next dog will be fom a breeder) but breeding to breed annoys me


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----------



## Miss Bugs

My oldies had their check ups today! They are in good health, Rusty is a little chunky but i knew that. Bloodwork was done but i don't have the results yet lol. And they overcharged me $200! I thought the bill was awfully high but thought "uh ok i guess" and paid it.. just as the lady was printing the itemized bill a tech runs out going "wait, wait!! I think we accidentally overcharged her for 2 blood screenings" now i had 2 dogs with me so the lady was confused, 2 dogs..should there not be 2.on the bill?..nono she meant that they accidentally charged Happy for 2 blood panels and Rusty for the 1. So i payed for 3 in total lol. I thought $700 seemed awfully high for 2 check ups and 2 blood panels lol


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> My oldies had their check ups today! They are in good health, Rusty is a little chunky but i knew that. Bloodwork was done but i don't have the results yet lol. And they overcharged me $200! I thought the bill was awfully high but thought "uh ok i guess" and paid it.. just as the lady was printing the itemized bill a tech runs out going "wait, wait!! I think we accidentally overcharged her for 2 blood screenings" now i had 2 dogs with me so the lady was confused, 2 dogs..should there not be 2.on the bill?..nono she meant that they accidentally charged Happy for 2 blood panels and Rusty for the 1. So i payed for 3 in total lol. I thought $700 seemed awfully high for 2 check ups and 2 blood panels lol


Glad they caught it!! Burger King was supposed to charge my aunt 34$ once and somehow charged her 340$ instead.....took 4 days for her money to get back to her card!!


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----------



## momtolabs

Someone just told me Mia is vicious and needs to be put to sleep 0_o I always take her to the gas station with me and she sit in the front seat. Someone walked to close to the truck so she did her normal bark/growls telling them to back off. I get out and the dude tells me she is vicious and untrained I told him "No she is not she was doing her job and telling you to back off of the vehicle. If I get her out she will be fine with you." He then says "I'm not an idiot and I'm not getting but keep your dog away from me." My friend wa also there(she was getting gas) and literally laughed made eye contact with the guy and had me let Mia out and she went straight for my friend tail wagging and whining from excitement,haha. He huffed and left. I was dying from laughter. She is fine with letting people pet her she is just protective of the truck and the house. 


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----------



## Miss Bugs

Well apparently next week for the nub butts appointment i am taking everyone lol. They gotta redo Rusty's blood work because his blood was too fatty and wouldn't run lol so i gotta fast him for 12 hours and try again, and Happy "may" have very early stage kidney disease, so she wants to get a urine sample and check. She said its nothing to panic about, if it is kidney disease its VERY early stage and she's 14. The vets gonna talk to my other vet at that clinic who does nutrition councelling for raw diets about how to alter her diet and good suppliments to help of she does have kidney disease. Since i already had an appointment with the same vet next Thursday and its right after work and my dogs come with me we figured mide as well just bring the whole crew in lol. Thats gonna be fuuunnn!


----------



## gingerkid

So Snowball has damaged one his front nails, and keeps licking it, so I put the cone of shame on. Poor guy is so, so sad. Like, infinitely sad. We went to the pet store to buy a soft cone so he can sleep better in it than the hard plastic one we have. He was okay walking into the store, and then when we stopped to look at something, he just stood there like a sad, fluffy white Eeyore, tail and head down, just standing there, not even sniffing stuff, and refused to move. 

As soon as we took the plastic cone off when we got home (to put the soft one on) he started running around. And now that the soft cone is on he's back to being extra sad.


----------



## Kyllobernese

My niece's renters were supposed to move out on the 30th. When she went up to check that they had left, they found she had left their three cats behind. She caught them and discovered the one had been nursing kittens so had to look for them. They found her three kittens, and when she fed them all, they acted like they were starved. Found out later that they had moved out a week ago. She couldn't take them all home so stopped at the Vet to borrow some crates and put an ad on Facebook to find someone who could take the three adult cats as the Vet checked the kittens and said they were old enough to be weaned. She found someone to take the three adults (2 males and 1 female, of course not spayed or neutered yet) and she will rehome them, and she took the 3 kittens home. They were not even supposed to have any cats so had snuck them in as kittens so she let them keep them but did not expect them to just desert them. I won't even start to say what a mess they left when they moved out.


----------



## gingerkid

Kyllobernese said:


> My niece's renters were supposed to move out on the 30th. When she went up to check that they had left, they found she had left their three cats behind. She caught them and discovered the one had been nursing kittens so had to look for them. They found her three kittens, and when she fed them all, they acted like they were starved. Found out later that they had moved out a week ago. She couldn't take them all home so stopped at the Vet to borrow some crates and put an ad on Facebook to find someone who could take the three adult cats as the Vet checked the kittens and said they were old enough to be weaned. She found someone to take the three adults (2 males and 1 female, of course not spayed or neutered yet) and she will rehome them, and she took the 3 kittens home. They were not even supposed to have any cats so had snuck them in as kittens so she let them keep them but did not expect them to just desert them. I won't even start to say what a mess they left when they moved out.


That is really awful! How do you take something in as a baby and then just abandon it?

I hope she gives them a poor reference next time they move.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Kyllobernese said:


> My niece's renters were supposed to move out on the 30th. When she went up to check that they had left, they found she had left their three cats behind. She caught them and discovered the one had been nursing kittens so had to look for them. They found her three kittens, and when she fed them all, they acted like they were starved. Found out later that they had moved out a week ago. She couldn't take them all home so stopped at the Vet to borrow some crates and put an ad on Facebook to find someone who could take the three adult cats as the Vet checked the kittens and said they were old enough to be weaned. She found someone to take the three adults (2 males and 1 female, of course not spayed or neutered yet) and she will rehome them, and she took the 3 kittens home. They were not even supposed to have any cats so had snuck them in as kittens so she let them keep them but did not expect them to just desert them. I won't even start to say what a mess they left when they moved out.


That is horrible I don't get how someone could ever do that.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is doing this 'love bite' thing and it is getting painful. Just now he whirled around and bit my boob as we were snuggling. 

Ouch.


----------



## Prozax

I was taking a walk with my dog last night. And this guy started shouting to get her away from him, because she will bite him. He was standing about 2 meters away from us. So I just call her over closer to me(like literally touching me with her whole body) and try to help the guy and show him that big dogs aren't necessarily evil. SO stupid of me! He started to shout even louder and everybody started to look at us like I had some killer dog with me. We left with the guy still screaming that he's afraid of dogs. She was on a leash by the way and walking nicely by my side.


----------



## gingerkid

Prozax said:


> I was taking a walk with my dog last night. And this guy started shouting to get her away from him, because she will bite him. He was standing about 2 meters away from us. So I just call her over closer to me(like literally touching me with her whole body) and try to help the guy and show him that big dogs aren't necessarily evil. SO stupid of me! He started to shout even louder and everybody started to look at us like I had some killer dog with me. We left with the guy still screaming that he's afraid of dogs. She was on a leash by the way and walking nicely by my side.


Seems unlikely that you're the one bystanders were looking at.

Also, like, why is it the responsibility of the owners of well-behaved dogs to avoid people? Why can't people who are afraid of dogs take the prerogative to like, I don't know, not go close to the thing they're scared of? You and your calm, well-behaved dog have just as much of a right to use the side walk as he does (assuming you weren't in an area where dogs aren't allowed, of course).


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I *think* someone tried to ask me to homecoming. His friend, came to where I was sitting, & told me "the guy in the blue shirt wants you.". I ddin't, because I don't even know this person,at all.


----------



## LOSt

So Today I was talking with one of my coworkers about how my brothers cat has to go get a dental because his gums are swollen, he has bad breath etc.. and that for the time being Ive been telling him to feed the cat wet or raw food and not the dry that hes been on. She then starts lecturing me how bad raw and wet food is for cats and and that he really shouldnt be feeding his cat anything but dry food, because Dry food is better for their teeth. (although, hmm.. hes been on a 95% dry diet and now his teeth are gross... wonder how that works.) Although, I do realize that she (and another ex vet tech coworker) are very pro purina, and purina can do no wrong-state of mind... so I kind of smile and nod, and continue on my way 

and also cat related.. went to the E-vet lastnight because Lola has a giant gash in her shoulder- probably an abcess, that popped open and the the cat has to wear baby clothes until it heals. (tried cone of shame, but its too heavy for her and she can barely lift her head..) plus this way shes can still be all cat like.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I hate it when people afraid of dogs move away or pull to the side away from my dogs. It makes it soooo much worse. My dogs litterally dont give a rats behind about people we pass... unless the person starts acting weird like freezing or jumping away that makes my dogs go "OMG!!! Scary person!!!" And panic and bark at them... which obviously makes the person more scared!... if they don't sketch out my dogs would not even look their way to start with lol.


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## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> I hate it when people afraid of dogs move away or pull to the side away from my dogs. It makes it soooo much worse. My dogs litterally dont give a rats behind about people we pass... unless the person starts acting weird like freezing or jumping away that makes my dogs go "OMG!!! Scary person!!!" And panic and bark at them... which obviously makes the person more scared!... if they don't sketch out my dogs would not even look their way to start with lol.


Well, I was more talking about like, crossing the street or something. I dunno. I guess walking right past something you're already afraid of and then yelling at that thing to get away from you because you're afraid of it doesn't make sense to me. Especially when it's not even moving or doing anything, and also a bigger dog that, in theory, should be visible from a good distance away.


----------



## Kayota

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I *think* someone tried to ask me to homecoming. His friend, came to where I was sitting, & told me "the guy in the blue shirt wants you.". I ddin't, because I don't even know this person,at all.


I used to have people ask me out as a dare or jokes all the time... It still upsets me even though it was years ago.

One time my mom and I were walking Padfoot and Baby and I suspect they may have had some pit so I mentioned it to a lady who asked their breed when we were going through a parking lot and she _got in her car and deliberately tried to hit the dogs._ ?????????????????


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Kayota said:


> I used to have people ask me out as a dare or jokes all the time... It still upsets me even though it was years ago.
> 
> One time my mom and I were walking Padfoot and Baby and I suspect they may have had some pit so I mentioned it to a lady who asked their breed when we were going through a parking lot and she _got in her car and deliberately tried to hit the dogs._ ?????????????????


See, that's what I'm afraid of. Since people do bully me, I didn't want to risk anything. It could of been that he just really did like me.


----------



## Kayota

The only time someone asked me out legitimately it was this weird guy who only talked to me if I was roleplaying sex scenes (it was online) and later turned out to be a pedophile.


----------



## ragamuffin

Kayota said:


> The only time someone asked me out legitimately it was this weird guy who only talked to me if I was roleplaying sex scenes (it was online) and later turned out to be a pedophile.


Why would you role play sex scenes online and expect anything less?


----------



## Kayota

ragamuffin said:


> Why would you role play sex scenes online and expect anything less?


They were my friend for over a year and i had already accepted their asking me out before we started roleplaying, don't jump to conclusions. Also i misspoke-- it was his ex who was the pedo, but regardless he had lied to me about his age and living situation, claimed to have roommates and be 21 when he was 17 and living with his parents.


----------



## Miss Bugs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> See, that's what I'm afraid of. Since people do bully me, I didn't want to risk anything. It could of been that he just really did like me.


Back when i was in school i was asked out as a joke/dare all the time, by upper grades in high school i trusted nobody and anyone who asked me out got the finger in response. Not a clue if any of them ever actually liked me lol. But I have no desire at all for romance in any way, so no harm no foul..except possibly having been really mean to guys who may have legitimately liked me lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Back when i was in school i was asked out as a joke/dare all the time, by upper grades in high school i trusted nobody and anyone who asked me out got the finger in response. Not a clue if any of them ever actually liked me lol. But I have no desire at all for romance in any way, so no harm no foul..except possibly having been really mean to guys who may have legitimately liked me lol


I had the same problem, and I always would say "if you really mean it, call me later". I never got any calls, but I didn't really care, I was too into dogs and horses to care anyway. 

I still get accused of that on occasion ha ha. I had a lot more success in the dating world as an adult then as a high school kid.


----------



## momtolabs

My friends TPd me tonight and Bentley literally watched them do it -_- little turd didnt even bark and he always barks!!! Finally Mia jumped up and went ballistic and I saw a few friends out there. I ran out the door with Mia and they took off. Then came back to help clean it up. But really Bentley!? Not even a small woof???? 


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----------



## pawsaddict

Dear someone in my neighbourhood (oh, how I wish I knew who),

For the past few weeks, you have been leaving whole peanuts in shells out for the birds to eat. Well guess what, neighbour...the birds aren't eating a lot of them! Instead, they are dropping them in my yard for my dogs to wolf down. Your stupid peanuts and peanut shells are making my one dog sick because she is allergic to them. I so love searching for peanuts and/or peanut shells in my very large backyard every time I need to let the dogs out. 

Thanks a lot, neighbour :frusty:


----------



## zhaor

Man, reading all that bullying and fake asking out stuff is depressing. I mean I was a shallow prick back in highschool but messing with girls like that is just messed up.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> My friends TPd me tonight and Bentley literally watched them do it -_- little turd didnt even bark and he always barks!!! Finally Mia jumped up and went ballistic and I saw a few friends out there. I ran out the door with Mia and they took off. Then came back to help clean it up. But really Bentley!? Not even a small woof????
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Don't feel bad, our two males would be like "hey! So happy to see you! Need some help?" Lol. Females IME are better, they seem to be more aloof and better judges of character than males.


----------



## Flaming

I have a second dog for the next 48 hours. 









She's a senior -oodle mix and her owners don't get back in town until Monday. 

I know her owners and I promised that I would care, treat and medicated her until she can be safely returned.


yes I'm allowed to post her pic


----------



## Little Wise Owl

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Man! :frusty:
> 
> So a feed company that makes an awesome horse feed is now making a line of dog food ... and it sucks
> 
> I don't get how a company who makes such good horse feed (*coughcough*purina) can make such a crappy dog food!
> 
> Here is the link: http://www.totalfeeds.com/Total_Canine.html


It doesn't look too bad to me. Very carb/grain heavy but nothing that makes me go NOPE NOPE NOPE. haha


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Little Wise Owl said:


> It doesn't look too bad to me. Very carb/grain heavy but nothing that makes me go NOPE NOPE NOPE. haha


Carb and grain heavy are no no's here. But this company makes amazing horse feed and prides itself at producing the best for animals, so naturally I expected something that was at least better than something Purina turns out.


----------



## momtolabs

The person who my aunt got her chihuahua from has another litter. There adorable!!! I am not a fan of what they produce(they are the definition of a BYB... Dogs are not kept in the best condition, not health tested, no venues etc.) but OMG so freaking cute!! If we did not have a full house I would probably convince my parents to take one (there 20$ to cover shots.... They usually never do shots this truly shocked me). They have a black/white one with tan points on the face and its a longhair! If I was ever to get a chi that's what I would want! I'm pretty disgusted by the fact that Athena is only 7 months and there is already another litter.... By the same bitch.... 


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----------



## Kayota

oh holy crap I need one...


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

It's so sad to see that Dr.Sophia Yin pass away.



zhaor said:


> Man, reading all that bullying and fake asking out stuff is depressing. I mean I was a shallow prick back in highschool but messing with girls like that is just messed up.


Yep. There's some really messed up people in my highschool. To the point of where someone took there life, because of how others treated her. Pretty messed up.

I'm starting to think it was just a joke. I did notice he was dancing with a few different girls, so... I'm not sure.It could of been, but, he never asked me to dance. I really didn't want to take the risk, because people already treat me like crap.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

There was just a snake in my bedroom ... a SNAKE! That's the first time in a long time that's happened!


----------



## Prozax

gingerkid said:


> Well, I was more talking about like, crossing the street or something. I dunno. I guess walking right past something you're already afraid of and then yelling at that thing to get away from you because you're afraid of it doesn't make sense to me. Especially when it's not even moving or doing anything, and also a bigger dog that, in theory, should be visible from a good distance away.


Exactly! That would be the logical way to go about this. I've had people cross the street, go to the opposite side of the road when they saw Luna. I don't mind. I understand that some people are afraid of dogs, but why.. why would they go near the dog and start shouting??

I usually try and explain to people that she is friendly and loves everybody. Kids have gotten over their fears and pet her. When they saw her on the street at a later time they were so excited.. It's really fun when I walk down the street with her and I hear a.. Look, mom, it's Luna !!


----------



## gingerkid

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> It's so sad to see that Dr.Sophia Yin pass away.
> 
> 
> 
> Yep. There's some really messed up people in my highschool. To the point of where someone took there life, because of how others treated her. Pretty messed up.
> 
> I'm starting to think it was just a joke. I did notice he was dancing with a few different girls, so... I'm not sure.It could of been, but, he never asked me to dance. I really didn't want to take the risk, because people already treat me like crap.


Just throwing it out there, but he may not have asked you to dance because he'd already been rejected once, why take the chance of it happening in a huge public venue like a school dance (where, if I recall from my high school days, drama and gossip spread like wildfire). Boys don't take well to rejection.


----------



## GrinningDog

Gypsy loves random little old ladies, school age boys, and middle-aged Hispanic men? 

Generalizing a couple of sweet elderly neighbors from puppyhood explains the first; my much younger brother and his friends' willingness to play explains the second; but I can't figure out the third. Haha. It's something I've noticed since moving. A lot of our neighbors are Hispanic, and she goes wigglebutt for random guys between 35 and 60. I don't know if she picks up on my enjoyment of hearing Spanish spoken, or if it's something else. Maybe her parents (and her, as a young pup) were owned by a really friendly Hispanic man or something? Anyway, it's cute, and I wonder. She'd probably love Cesar Milan.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

gingerkid said:


> Just throwing it out there, but he may not have asked you to dance because he'd already been rejected once, why take the chance of it happening in a huge public venue like a school dance (where, if I recall from my high school days, drama and gossip spread like wildfire). Boys don't take well to rejection.


I've never thought of it that way. 

It isn't that I'd reject someone,I'm just super shy,& wouldn't know what to say. But,yeah, I can totally see he would do that. 

As for the drama & gossip, it still does spread fast. Probably even more, because of social media & the internet(which I assume was existent when you were in high school.) 

I don't even know if it was an invention to dance. It's over now.


----------



## kdawnk

I've never been more angry in my entire life. I wish someone were here to be like, "breeeeathe, Kelsey, breeeeathe." 
I came home today to find Sans destroyed two couch cushions. No, my couch isn't the best thing in the world, but it's my F..... SHE ATE MY COUCH. ð©
She hadn't touched anything remotely of mine before, no shoes, none of my blankets, no couch pillows nothing. 
Now she knows there's stuffing in the couch and can never be left out to roam again. She'd been out 4months without an issue. 
I could kill her. 
Whhhhyyy I even gave her something new to chew on today and I haven't done that in a while.


----------



## momtolabs

kdawnk said:


> I've never been more angry in my entire life. I wish someone were here to be like, "breeeeathe, Kelsey, breeeeathe."
> I came home today to find Sans destroyed two couch cushions. No, my couch isn't the best thing in the world, but it's my F..... SHE ATE MY COUCH. ð©
> She hadn't touched anything remotely of mine before, no shoes, none of my blankets, no couch pillows nothing.
> Now she knows there's stuffing in the couch and can never be left out to roam again. She'd been out 4months without an issue.
> I could kill her.
> Whhhhyyy I even gave her something new to chew on today and I haven't done that in a while.


It was the cat. 


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----------



## gingerkid

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I've never thought of it that way.
> 
> It isn't that I'd reject someone,I'm just super shy,& wouldn't know what to say. But,yeah, I can totally see he would do that.
> 
> As for the drama & gossip, it still does spread fast. Probably even more, because of social media & the internet(which I assume was existent when you were in high school.)
> 
> I don't even know if it was an invention to dance. It's over now.


I understand; being shy sucks (I was in high school, and still am, generally). Just putting some outside perspective on it. IMO it takes a lot of courage to even approach someone, let alone actually ask them. And, I'm oldish but I'm not THAT old. I grew up on the internet/MSN messenger, but I was in grade 12 before phones were just starting to be able to access websites; Facebook wasn't even a thing yet. I can't imagine going through high school with social media like it is today.


----------



## d_ray

kdawnk said:


> I've never been more angry in my entire life. I wish someone were here to be like, "breeeeathe, Kelsey, breeeeathe."
> I came home today to find Sans destroyed two couch cushions. No, my couch isn't the best thing in the world, but it's my F..... SHE ATE MY COUCH. Ã°ÂŸÂ˜Â©
> She hadn't touched anything remotely of mine before, no shoes, none of my blankets, no couch pillows nothing.
> Now she knows there's stuffing in the couch and can never be left out to roam again. She'd been out 4months without an issue.
> I could kill her.
> Whhhhyyy I even gave her something new to chew on today and I haven't done that in a while.


That sucks. I wonder what brought it on?


----------



## BubbaMoose

kdawnk said:


> I've never been more angry in my entire life. I wish someone were here to be like, "breeeeathe, Kelsey, breeeeathe."
> I came home today to find Sans destroyed two couch cushions. No, my couch isn't the best thing in the world, but it's my F..... SHE ATE MY COUCH. ð©
> She hadn't touched anything remotely of mine before, no shoes, none of my blankets, no couch pillows nothing.
> Now she knows there's stuffing in the couch and can never be left out to roam again. She'd been out 4months without an issue.
> I could kill her.
> Whhhhyyy I even gave her something new to chew on today and I haven't done that in a while.


Didn't you mention a change in Sansa's exercise recently due to your scheduling issues within your personal life? I have a feeling that could have a lot to do with this. Maybe waking up earlier to exercise her will help.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Same here gingerkid. I am so used to social media now that honestly dont even recall not having it like it is! I've heard thingsand responded like "what? Such things would not have crossed my mind when i was in high school" and then all my young staff members remind me that social media as it is today didn't EXIST when i was in high school..and then i feel old


----------



## kdawnk

BubbaMoose said:


> Didn't you mention a change in Sansa's exercise recently due to your scheduling issues within your personal life? I have a feeling that could have a lot to do with this. Maybe waking up earlier to exercise her will help.


Yeah, I had started spending an hour with her in the mornings, and had gotten back into the habit of doing noon-time training exercises. I still do stuff with her in the evenings, I just don't have the time to take her on a 2 hour hike after work anymore. Can't wait until she's older so I can do the harder exercises to tire her out faster. Walking for multiple hours isn't ideal during the week, if I could do like 45 minute bike rides, or let her run at the farm when we go quadding the perimeter lines to check the fence that'd be great. Plus soon it's going to be dark by the time I get off work so I'll have to get us both used to dark-time walks and little to no off-leash time. I have horrible night vision there's no way I'd see another animal before her at night.


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

I'm so annoyed right now. I have a relative who always says "You favor Boss over the other two dogs. He's always with you, and Jacoby and Stormy stay home!", in a joking way. Today, they said basically the same thing, but in a serious and harsh way. They acted like Jacoby and Stormy are starved for attention.
Jacoby and Stormy get just as much attention as Boss does. They get plenty of play time, cuddle time, love, etc. Yes, I do take Boss with me frequently to go hiking (there are many times I bring Stormy along as well. I've tried taking Boss and Jacoby hiking, but they pull like crazy when they're together - which I'm working on.) Regardless, Jacoby and Stormy go for local walks (I have to drive for the good hiking areas), so they do get exercise other than just playtime. I have frequent panic attacks, and out of the three dogs Boss is the one that keeps me the calmest, so yes he goes with me often. That does *not* mean that I love the other two dogs any less than Boss! 
*sigh* Why do people feel the need to judge everything I do?


----------



## Greater Swiss

I made Caeda some "Beef Kidney Cookies" a two days ago. It REEKED. I've used liver for her treats before, and yeah, it stinks, but wow, the kidney!! YECK! Worst thing, is that was a couple of days ago.....I can STILL smell it! Our senior cat peed next to the litter box last night (he does that occasionally, he perches on the edge of the box, and sometimes faces the wrong way , we have a pee pad next to the box just for this) The thing is, even last night I found the kidney smell worse than the cat urine! Going to be nice when I get home from work today....gotta air this place out!!!
On the up side....we haven't had any calls about a house showing, so we didn't have people coming in to consider buying our house and smelling the kidney-bake stench (mixed blessing, but I look for the silver lining!).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

OMG I am such a terrible dog mother ... I took Josefina to agility and I forgot ... yes FORGOT to ask to get her vaccinated for kennel cough and now my anxiety is kicking in and I am freaking out about it. Every time she coughs or sneezes (she has always been a reverse sneezer, I think it's an allergy to something because she doesn't do it all the time) I am filled with dread and have to breathing exercises. 

Oh WHY couldn't I remember to tell the vet ... I'm so stupid! Is it too late to get her vaccinated now?


----------



## Pasarella

Kennel cough really isn't anything that bad.Why are you freaking out so bad?Chill! None of my show dogs are vaccinated against it,besides,people who have,told me the vaccine doesn't work,they got sick anyway,while my dogs didn't get sick. Some people here deal with it,with cough syrup for kids,helps in couple days. If it makes you feel better you can go vaccinate her,but I would'nt worry about it.


----------



## Laurelin

> About HANK(181678)-Woof!
> 
> What a beautiful dog! Hank is a small (16 pound) 9 month old Heeler mix. He has the cute perky ears and merle coat of a Heeler. You can see his cute short tail too. Hank has a fun personality! He likes to run and play and also enjoys lots of cuddle-time. Hank likes dogs of all sizes. He's a good boy!


^^^ That's the description that did me in. I still have NO idea what it was that made me have to go meet him. I'm glad I did.


----------



## d_ray

Omg my animals kill me. I go to bed super early. We are talking 9 ish. I have a king and bring wine and spend an hour or two just reading and relaxing. It's my sanctuary. Anyways the animals try to beat each other to the good spots. They start heading up at like 7 to claim the good spots. I just came up to bed and all three are passed out like beached whales on the bed. Good to know they prefer the bed over my company. Poor hubby gets home late and gets the task of kicking them off so he can get in bed.


----------



## Miss Bugs

OMG thank goodness lol, my phone switched this site back to the "mobile view" on me and i HATE it, it loads slowercand jumps all over the place on me, i can't even scroll down without the entire page blanking out on me just so it can load 1 more line, then the reply function didn't work at all, earlier today it would not even register anything, this evening it would register the action but once it opened the reply page i could do nothing at all. Then i was trying to change the view back and it wouldn't register that! It took 15 minutes of wacking the menu button with my fist just to open the menu then when i tried to click the exit mobile view button it would either do nothing or close the menu! I was losing my mind!! After like 45 minutes of smacking my phone it finally registered what i was trying to do! It's not even my phone thats the issue, everything works perfectly on every other forum and website and everything works perfectly as long as its on desktop view lol

Now what i was TRYING to respond to in the first place was the kennel cough post..like paserella said, i wouldn't worry at all. We don't require the vaccine at my work and the odd time KC goes around we do an unofficial poll asking if the coughing dog is vaccinated against it... the VAST majority of the dogs that CATCH kennel off are the dogs vaccinated AGAINST it, only a small minority that catch it, weren't vaccinated.ni always found that very interesting. I've never vaccinated against it and my dogs are in contagious environments 99.9% of their lives...I've dealt with exactly 1 case of kennel cough within my pack in the last 14 years..and only ONE of the dogs got it.


----------



## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> ^^^ That's the description that did me in. I still have NO idea what it was that made me have to go meet him. I'm glad I did.


"merle" though... I'll never understand how people get merle and ticking confused lol, they don't look anything alike


----------



## momtolabs

So all of the neighbors dogs are going nuts! And now Mia and Bentley are going ballistic(barking at the window)....... But I'm too scared to see what there barking at.... I did manage to army crawl from the living room to the kitchen to lock the door and then army crawl back to the couch..... 

Yes I'm a big chicken!!! I text my friend to let her know and she decided to tell me it's a clown with an axe and he is coming for me  I hate clowns and I hate the dark so Now I'm currently hiding under my covers typing this.... Yes they are still barking!!! 


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----------



## BubbaMoose

momtolabs said:


> So all of the neighbors dogs are going nuts! And now Mia and Bentley are going ballistic(barking at the window)....... But I'm too scared to see what there barking at.... I did manage to army crawl from the living room to the kitchen to lock the door and then army crawl back to the couch.....
> 
> Yes I'm a big chicken!!! I text my friend to let her know and she decided to tell me it's a clown with an axe and he is coming for me  I hate clowns and I hate the dark so Now I'm currently hiding under my covers typing this.... Yes they are still barking!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Lol! You definitely live in a small town to leave your doors unlocked! I live in a huge city, our doors are always locked. 

I lived in a small town until I was 18 and we left our doors unlocked all the time. I totally forgot about that! Your post just brought me back. I would feel very, very uncomfortable leaving my doors unlocked. It's not like we live in a bad neighborhood either. I kind of can't explain it. It's just not something you do here.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I live in a bigger city and my doors are only locked at night or nobody is home... i can't even comprehend locking doors all the time :/ heck in the summer the window in my front door is almost always open..weather or not we are home or awake.. with the bug screen literally duck taped to the inside... it would take 5 seconds to poke the screen off with your finger and unlock the front door and walk in lol


----------



## BubbaMoose

Miss Bugs said:


> I live in a bigger city and my doors are only locked at night or nobody is home... i can't even comprehend locking doors all the time :/ heck in the summer the window in my front door is almost always open..weather or not we are home or awake.. with the bug screen literally duck taped to the inside... it would take 5 seconds to poke the screen off with your finger and unlock the front door and walk in lol


Don't you live in Canada? Someone from Canada that was visiting Arizona came into the store I work at and he got to talking about the crime rates in his province. They were pretty nonexistent! It was crazy to hear. I'm sure not all places there are like that, but still. Does low crime activity have anything to do with why you feel that way?

It's funny that you say you can't comprehend locking them all the time as I feel quite exactly the opposite!


----------



## Willowy

Haha, yeah, here there's not a lot of stranger crime either. Before cell phones were so common, if you lived in the rurals it was just considered polite to leave your door unlocked when you weren't home so someone whose car broke down could come in and use your phone to call for help. My aunt says she leaves the door unlocked when nobody is there because anybody who wants to get inside to steal stuff WILL get inside and she would prefer they not break any windows in the process . She only locks the door at night so anybody trying to get in would make enough noise that the dog would bark and it would give them time to grab a gun. Not that anything has ever happened, but theoretically. 

I usually leave the door unlocked when I'm home during the day. Nobody is getting close to the house without the dogs barking anyway. I lock it when I'm away so nobody lets the pets out. And I lock the door at night. I'm mostly worried about the pets---I don't have anything worth stealing, stranger crime is so rare around here and I don't intend to get involved with anyone who will end up stalking me .


----------



## Kayota

I don't lock the door unless I'm out.


----------



## Miss Bugs

BubbaMoose said:


> Don't you live in Canada? Someone from Canada that was visiting Arizona came into the store I work at and he got to talking about the crime rates in his province. They were pretty nonexistent! It was crazy to hear. I'm sure not all places there are like that, but still. Does low crime activity have anything to do with why you feel that way?
> 
> It's funny that you say you can't comprehend locking them all the time as I feel quite exactly the opposite!


My city has one of the highest crime rates per capita in Canada lol my garage has been broken into a few times(and it still not particularly secure) last week someone stole our garbage(that was weird) and a few weeks ago someone tried to rob us by just walking right into our house..while we were home and staring at him.. years ago someone tried to shoot our family dog with a bow and arrow in our back yard.. the crime rate is highest in the hood, i don't live in it, but i don't live that far either. My BFF lived in the hood for a while, thats why she got a dog, the house across from hers was drug raided on a regular enough basis that she spent more time watching the house across the street then bothering with TV, she still only locked doors when she was out or sleeping lol


----------



## Laurelin

Do I want to contact the flyball people or not??? I have no clue. I keep going back and forth on it.


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> I live in a bigger city and my doors are only locked at night or nobody is home... i can't even comprehend locking doors all the time :/ heck in the summer the window in my front door is almost always open..weather or not we are home or awake.. with the bug screen literally duck taped to the inside... it would take 5 seconds to poke the screen off with your finger and unlock the front door and walk in lol


I live in a city of nearly a million, and the same. Although we're in a relatively safe neighborhood (the biggest problem around here is car theft). My mom, on the other hand, is SUPER paranoid. Lives in a small town, and locks every door on her property unless she is actively using it... on her attached garage, she locks the outside garage door, and then also locks the door connecting the garage to the house, and also locks her vehicle (while it is inside the already locked garage).


----------



## DaySleepers

Welp. Vectra 3D is a no-go. It was fine the first couple times, but today I had an allergic reaction to it, hours after it was supposed to have dried. Without direct contact of the application site. Just some minor swelling and itching, but since it was on my lip, I'm not willing to mess around with it. I've had this same reaction to human bug repellent before, so I'm 90% sure it was that and not something he got into outside. Sigh.

Well. Back to Frontline.

BTW, I'm one of those people with a ton of weird allergies/sensitivities, and some are hair trigger. I HIGHLY doubt this is a serious or common problem with Vectra. I'm just weird.


----------



## momtolabs

I live in a "town" of a little over 500  so yup VERY small! My High School alone is just a tad bit over 100 and for the whole school it's a little over 200(K-12 school). 


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----------



## momtolabs

Also if someone tried to just walk in good luck to you!! Between Caleb Bentley and Mia I don't think many would try getting through the doorway  


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----------



## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> Do I want to contact the flyball people or not??? I have no clue. I keep going back and forth on it.


Hank would be amazing. Do it!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gem say's vets are super concerning... or not.. lol








had the vet visit with all 5 this afternoon!

Rusty was just another blood test as it wouldn't run last week. he checked out clear and healthy

Happy was just a second test to check her kidneys, and we confirmed that she does have stage 1 kidney disease, but the vet isn't worried. just keep her well hydrated and because she already eats raw, just keep it up and have another blood test done in 6 months to check progression. 

Gem, Gyp and Pais are all in excellent health, the vet was very impressed, said they are super fit and it shows inside and out


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

momtolabs said:


> I live in a "town" of a little over 500  so yup VERY small! My High School alone is just a tad bit over 100 and for the whole school it's a little over 200(K-12 school).
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


There's around 500 in my graduating class.  So, my graduating class has as many people as your town...

I'm my town there's about 36,000 thousand people, so it isn't small at all. We really are by a close knit community.


----------



## momtolabs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> There's around 500 in my graduating class.  So, my graduating class has as many people as your town...
> 
> I'm my town there's about 36,000 thousand people, so it isn't small at all. We really are by a close knit community.


There is only 19 in my graduating class,lol. I love love love the small town life. I get really stressed in a city environment! 


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----------



## BubbaMoose

Miss Bugs said:


> My city has one of the highest crime rates per capita in Canada lol my garage has been broken into a few times(and it still not particularly secure) last week someone stole our garbage(that was weird) and a few weeks ago someone tried to rob us by just walking right into our house..while we were home and staring at him.. years ago someone tried to shoot our family dog with a bow and arrow in our back yard.. the crime rate is highest in the hood, i don't live in it, but i don't live that far either. My BFF lived in the hood for a while, thats why she got a dog, the house across from hers was drug raided on a regular enough basis that she spent more time watching the house across the street then bothering with TV, she still only locked doors when she was out or sleeping lol


Lol, omg!!! That's insane that someone tried to rob you. What a crazy person! What did he do when he walked in and saw you guys sitting there?! What did you guys do? Lol. Nuts. I was hoping that your response to my question would help me understand why you would feel comfortable with leaving your house unlocked, but now I'm even more confused after reading this.


----------



## BubbaMoose

momtolabs said:


> I live in a "town" of a little over 500  so yup VERY small! My High School alone is just a tad bit over 100 and for the whole school it's a little over 200(K-12 school).
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


That's the same population as what my home town was! However, it's not a rural area, so there were a few other towns nearby that had around the same populations of people. Still pretty small town, close knit feel though. There were a few high schools in the area as well and I think my graduating class had just under 200(?) students. I went to an all girls, private, catholic high school though. The public school for the towns in my area (every town in the area got combined and sent to the one coed public high school, unless they chose to go to an all girls/all boy private school) had a couple hundred more in their graduating class.


----------



## Miss Bugs

BubbaMoose said:


> Lol, omg!!! That's insane that someone tried to rob you. What a crazy person! What did he do when he walked in and saw you guys sitting there?! What did you guys do? Lol. Nuts. I was hoping that your response to my question would help me understand why you would feel comfortable with leaving your house unlocked, but now I'm even more confused after reading this.


The dude just walked into my back yard, the dogs were outside barking and lunging at him but he just kept walking like they didn't exist. My brother was staring right at the guy and yelling at him but he acted as though nothing was happening, my brother called the dogs in and shut the door in the guys face and locked it while he called the cops and the dude was banging on the door trying to get in. My brother thinks the guy was either on something or pretending to be on something to give himself an edge to do a snatch and grab.

I still can't imagine locking my doors all the time haha


----------



## momtolabs

BubbaMoose said:


> That's the same population as what my home town was! However, it's not a rural area, so there were a few other towns nearby that had around the same populations of people. Still pretty small town, close knit feel though. There were a few high schools in the area as well and I think my graduating class had just under 200(?) students. I went to an all girls, private, catholic high school though. The public school for the towns in my area (every town in the area got combined and sent to the one coed public high school, unless they chose to go to an all girls/all boy private school) had a couple hundred more in their graduating class.


Yea I live in a very rural town! We have to travel 30 mile to go shopping. For our big shopping sprees it's a little over an hour. There are cons and pros but the pros definantly outweighs the cons! My grandma lives in a town of 10,000 and her house was broke into a few weeks ago. People were stealing gas out of her garage as well(for the lawn mower) Her dog is HA so scared the house intruders off but not the gas stealers since she is inside. Crime rate in that town is nuts!! If I'm home alone I lock my doors since I'm 2 houses down from a bar(or 'pub') . I have large dogs though and know how to defend myself so I'm not worried plus the last "crime" was 4 years ago and someone stole money from a local church. Which was huge for people around here since everyone is really religious(we have 4 churches,lol). Sadly drugs are starting to take over the town :/ there is a drug house down the road from me(I'm suspecting a fighting ring as well) I was running the other night and heard dogs goin at it and some people yelling. I see PBs being taken in the house as well. The cops have been going by nightly(we had no cops at all until the beginning of summer when the druggies move in). There is another drug house a few blocks from me and there is supposably drugs being sold out of a trailer near the park about a block from me :/ 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I am considering leaving a group on FB called "beyond CM" because they look for ways to pick apart anything they see that doesn't follow their approved list of methods for training anything and even went as far as to call grant horsemen like Buck Brannaman and Ray Hunt abusive. I just ... I cant. :frusty:


----------



## Laurelin

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30510919/

Hank could be his mini me. Wouldn't that be AWESOME!?

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30370915


----------



## CptJack

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30461781/

This dog kills me.

So does this one: https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30316207/


----------



## Kayota

I should have posted the elderly Chow I found on Petfinder the other day. She was so sweet, special needs, 10 years old abandoned by her people. Poor baby, I wanted her.

My town is about 5000, the next one over is ~30000 and the one my mom moved to was 500. It had more of a slums feel than anything though because it was mostly former convicts and their families...


----------



## momtolabs

Kayota are you near Carbondale? 


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----------



## momtolabs

Okay I made a post and its now gone......

Someone took 8 puppies to the pound and I want them!! 









I'm in love with these two 








This guy was also there and he is so so sweet









There are currently 
-8 pit bull puppies 
-3 adult pit bulls in adoption kennels
-one walker coonhound 
-one redbone coonhound 
-2 pit bulls in holding kennels 
-1 mix in holding kennels 


There getting so fuel I see a euth. Day happening soon :'( they really try not to though. I wish I could foster the puppies because I'm crazy like that and would take ALL 8!! 


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----------



## Pasarella

Happens that my neighbor has drowned(or in any other way killed) his females newborn puppies. I hate that man so much!She has them every 6 months and he always gets rid of them soon after they are born. I tried to report him,but instead I got scolded in the middle of our street,because apparently our vet department doesn't think he has done something wrong. So I sometimes hate this country where police and vet department doesn't care about abused animals. I'm so furious! But I can't do anything  I could just steal her and take her to the shelter,but I'm afraid she may attack me or the owners may notice me taking their dog.


----------



## Melle

I need to find some rat babies now that I have my Critter Nation set up. But two out of three accessible breeders are inactive and the next likely one is...idk, seems MIA. The county shelter website says they have some babies so I might go scoop them up if they're still available when I can get there. Or maybe PetSmart has some bonded groups in the back to adopt out.


----------



## Kayota

momtolabs said:


> Kayota are you near Carbondale?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


sure am, just went there a couple hours ago


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

Ugh, people can really be horrible.
My mom and I went to Wal Mart today. I stayed in the car with Boss, and she went inside. Three people came out, and went to the car that was parked next to mine. One of the men fell against my car, and Boss barked at him. The guy turns around and starts yelling "Oh woof woof *bleep*ing woof! Shut you *bleep*ing dog up!". I told him that Boss was doing his job, and to please leave us alone. So he starts screaming "woof woof woof" at Boss (not sure how he thought that would help...). Boss jumped in the front seat, and continued to bark at the guy. The guy yells "Let him the *bleep out. Come on! Do it!". I rolled up my window, and tried to calm Boss down. The dude gets closer to my car, and spits on my window. I rolled my window down just enough so he could hear me, and told him if he didn't leave us the hell alone, I was calling the cops. Hearing that, he finally left.


----------



## momtolabs

I have been trying for years to get my ferret to eat raw meat! He always refused so he was on a high quality cat kibble. Well tonight I finally got him to eat a raw egg. He's getting older so I'm worried about his health and I'm so happy he is eating at least raw eggs!! I will try raw deer some time if I can convince my cousin to give me some  I think I'm going to cave and try and find someone that sells lamb and duck. 


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----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CrazyDogWoman said:


> Ugh, people can really be horrible.
> My mom and I went to Wal Mart today. I stayed in the car with Boss, and she went inside. Three people came out, and went to the car that was parked next to mine. One of the men fell against my car, and Boss barked at him. The guy turns around and starts yelling "Oh woof woof *bleep*ing woof! Shut you *bleep*ing dog up!". I told him that Boss was doing his job, and to please leave us alone. So he starts screaming "woof woof woof" at Boss (not sure how he thought that would help...). Boss jumped in the front seat, and continued to bark at the guy. The guy yells "Let him the *bleep out. Come on! Do it!". I rolled up my window, and tried to calm Boss down. The dude gets closer to my car, and spits on my window. I rolled my window down just enough so he could hear me, and told him if he didn't leave us the hell alone, I was calling the cops. Hearing that, he finally left.


I see people wanting to ****with my dog when I stay in the car and wait if OH has to like goto the bank or something. I just roll down my window and give them a "just try it and see what happens to you!" Look and they usually don't try it.

But that has only been like ... twice that's happened, maybe it's the area, there are generally less asshats here as far as dogs are concerned.


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I see people wanting to ****with my dog when I stay in the car and wait if OH has to like goto the bank or something. I just roll down my window and give them a "just try it and see what happens to you!" Look and they usually don't try it.
> 
> But that has only been like ... twice that's happened, maybe it's the area, there are generally less asshats here as far as dogs are concerned.


I'm apparently incapable of sending death glares. I've tried. I've failed.
There are way too many jerks around here, when it comes to dogs.


----------



## CptJack

It isn't supposed to stop raining here for more than an hour at a time until thursday. 

We're unsurprisingly in danger of flooding. I mean not personally in hour house but the area and even losing the bridge onto our street.

Also, the dogs aer going to be NUTS.


----------



## theairedale

This morning, I decided to give Copper a good bath. A really good, thorough bath. So I set to work, brushing, detangling, all that. Then, I gave him the bath. I should add that Copper really doesn't like them. Despite the fact that he escaped twice and pretty much flooded my bathroom, I felt that it was going well. He smelled amazing. After I towelled him off and let him have his post-bath zoomies, I left him his favourite chew toy to occupy him while I cleaned the tub.

As I worked, I heard a suspicious sound. Kind of like someone was running a hose in the house. Of course, I immediately went to check on Copper. He was peeing on my jacket. The jacket that I had hung up. Basically he pulled down my jacket from its spot and peed on it with surprising precision. He didn't hold back at all, and looked me right in the eye while he did it. I was torn between shock and amusement, so I didn't get to interrupt him.

I mean, I know dogs don't do things out of spite, but come on.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

theairedale said:


> This morning, I decided to give Copper a good bath. A really good, thorough bath. So I set to work, brushing, detangling, all that. Then, I gave him the bath. I should add that Copper really doesn't like them. Despite the fact that he escaped twice and pretty much flooded my bathroom, I felt that it was going well. He smelled amazing. After I towelled him off and let him have his post-bath zoomies, I left him his favourite chew toy to occupy him while I cleaned the tub.
> 
> As I worked, I heard a suspicious sound. Kind of like someone was running a hose in the house. Of course, I immediately went to check on Copper. He was peeing on my jacket. The jacket that I had hung up. Basically he pulled down my jacket from its spot and peed on it with surprising precision. He didn't hold back at all, and looked me right in the eye while he did it. I was torn between shock and amusement, so I didn't get to interrupt him.
> 
> I mean, I know dogs don't do things out of spite, but come on.


Oh, I think they do, and the males are the worst offenders


----------



## BubbaMoose

I love blanket statements. 



/sarcasm.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is a jerk. And Mia's a jerk. Only good dog is Summer.


----------



## momtolabs

Laurelin said:


> Hank is a jerk. And Mia's a jerk. Only good dog is Summer.


You can send both to me  


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----------



## Miss Bugs

Am I weird? Lol every Saturday i brush out my dogs and clip their nails, every other Saturday i fully groom them..bath, brush, nails, ears, tidy up trim... and i love it, i actually look forward to full groom days, its like Christmas lol, i count it down and sometimes i'm so excited about grooming day that i can't contain myself and i will do one of the dogs on Friday night to tide myself over...


----------



## GrinningDog

There's a pool locally that, after closing down for the season, hosts a K9 Splash weekend. A dogs-only swim, all day, with proceeds going to the local Humane Association. I thought _What a wonderful idea! Gypsy is good with other dogs, enjoys the dog park, and LOVES to swim. _ So I took her. 

It would have been a lovely time. Not too crowded, people seemed friendly, gorgeous day. Gypsy was swimming and fetching tennis balls. Except that the staff's technique for breaking up scuffles was to BLAST an air horn. Over and over, every time dogs even snarked at one another.

Each blast of the air horn was a slap in the face for Gypsy, even though she was nowhere near the offending dogs. I worked her through it for a while, and we had an opportunity to leave on a good note (which I should have taken, darnit). But then there was a scuffle near us and AIR HORN, AIR HORN, AIR HORN. Gypsy was done. Freaked out, done. She ran toward the entrance, ignoring me, and wouldn't recall.  So we left, with her scared and me frustrated. 

I dunno if there's a better option for breaking up dogs than an air horn. Maybe not. But it sucks. It punishes ALL dogs for the interactions of a couple. Mine, in particular.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> There's a pool locally that, after closing down for the season, hosts a K9 Splash weekend. A dogs-only swim, all day, with proceeds going to the local Humane Association. I thought _What a wonderful idea! Gypsy is good with other dogs, enjoys the dog park, and LOVES to swim. _ So I took her.
> 
> It would have been a lovely time. Not too crowded, people seemed friendly, gorgeous day. Gypsy was swimming and fetching tennis balls. Except that the staff's technique for breaking up scuffles was to BLAST an air horn. Over and over, every time dogs even snarked at one another.
> 
> Each blast of the air horn was a slap in the face for Gypsy, even though she was nowhere near the offending dogs. I worked her through it for a while, and we had an opportunity to leave on a good note (which I should have taken, darnit). But then there was a scuffle near us and AIR HORN, AIR HORN, AIR HORN. Gypsy was done. Freaked out, done. She ran toward the entrance, ignoring me, and wouldn't recall.  So we left, with her scared and me frustrated.
> 
> I dunno if there's a better option for breaking up dogs than an air horn. Maybe not. But it sucks. It punishes ALL dogs for the interactions of a couple. Mine, in particular.


Ugh that's horrible. Gypsy just can't catch a break with loud noises, can she? I went to one of these a few months ago and they did not use an air horn. I didn't see any real scuffles, but there were plenty of "lifeguards" watching too. 

Unfortunately it's then I found out that my dog, while dog friendly, is just too obnoxious and intense for a place with so many dogs. She spent the whole time barking and trying to herd the dogs that were moving the fastest because she was so overstimulated. Then she tore her paw pads open on the concrete running her brains out. Never again! I'll stick to small group play! LOL.


----------



## Kayota

I really want to go to one of those! Roxie doesn't swim but I like to go to the lake and let her screw around on the shore so it would be much the same there although obviously I'd keep a closer eye with dogs around. I'm sorry Gypsy had such a hard time, I don't think an air horn is necessary, they could use a hose or something.


----------



## momtolabs

Helping my aunt move and this cute little guy comes into the yard 









Apparently he is the "town dog" some man just lets him run loose. Poor little guy has already almost been hit


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----------



## momtolabs

Look at him!! I want him!!! 


















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----------



## Flaming

Miss Bugs said:


> Am I weird? Lol every Saturday i brush out my dogs and clip their nails, every other Saturday i fully groom them..bath, brush, nails, ears, tidy up trim... and i love it, i actually look forward to full groom days, its like Christmas lol, i count it down and sometimes i'm so excited about grooming day that i can't contain myself and i will do one of the dogs on Friday night to tide myself over...


Sunday is our day.


----------



## Miss Bugs

A random funny from work yesterday..

So this guy comes in to drop off his 2 dogs, a big Husky mix and a Chihuahua, i brought the big one through the gate, unclipped the harness, reached down, picked up the chi, took off his harness, then with the chi under my arm i went to grab the file..but i couldn't find it in the "pulled" pile, so with the Chi still under my arm, i started searching the file cabinet while confirming dates and times etc.. finally the guy looks at his Chi still under my arm, chill as can be, and says "so why do you let HER hold you like that?" Lol, i found his file, then looked at him confused and asked if the dog is normally bad, and he was like "he has a bad attitude, but not with you apparently" lol. The dog gave NO indication that he didn't like being picked up or held, if he hadn't said anything i wouldn't have had a clue lol. I was holding the dog under my arm for like 5 minutes! The owner said nothing till i had been holding the dog for a while before he was finally like "wtf???" Lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> A random funny from work yesterday..
> 
> So this guy comes in to drop off his 2 dogs, a big Husky mix and a Chihuahua, i brought the big one through the gate, unclipped the harness, reached down, picked up the chi, took off his harness, then with the chi under my arm i went to grab the file..but i couldn't find it in the "pulled" pile, so with the Chi still under my arm, i started searching the file cabinet while confirming dates and times etc.. finally the guy looks at his Chi still under my arm, chill as can be, and says "so why do you let HER hold you like that?" Lol, i found his file, then looked at him confused and asked if the dog is normally bad, and he was like "he has a bad attitude, but not with you apparently" lol. The dog gave NO indication that he didn't like being picked up or held, if he hadn't said anything i wouldn't have had a clue lol. I was holding the dog under my arm for like 5 minutes! The owner said nothing till i had been holding the dog for a while before he was finally like "wtf???" Lol


Lol I wish this forum had a like button.


----------



## CptJack

Y'all know how I was bewildered and worried about Kylie's ability to be fat eating nothing?

Yeah, well, I got up to pee at 3 a.m (like now), and found her in the pantry (sort of - it's more like a laundry/storage room), on the shelf 5 feet off the ground eating the cat food. Near as I can figure she went from the laundry hamper to the dryer to jumping both up and across onto this narrow shelf to eat the cat food. 

Guess that mystery's solved.

New Mystery: How she avoided killing herself.


----------



## Kayota

Miss Bugs said:


> A random funny from work yesterday..
> 
> So this guy comes in to drop off his 2 dogs, a big Husky mix and a Chihuahua, i brought the big one through the gate, unclipped the harness, reached down, picked up the chi, took off his harness, then with the chi under my arm i went to grab the file..but i couldn't find it in the "pulled" pile, so with the Chi still under my arm, i started searching the file cabinet while confirming dates and times etc.. finally the guy looks at his Chi still under my arm, chill as can be, and says "so why do you let HER hold you like that?" Lol, i found his file, then looked at him confused and asked if the dog is normally bad, and he was like "he has a bad attitude, but not with you apparently" lol. The dog gave NO indication that he didn't like being picked up or held, if he hadn't said anything i wouldn't have had a clue lol. I was holding the dog under my arm for like 5 minutes! The owner said nothing till i had been holding the dog for a while before he was finally like "wtf???" Lol


LOL Roxie is a huge asshole when I'm around but when I leave her at the pet store for boarding they always say she was wonderful and sweet and I'm like ???


----------



## momtolabs

CptJack said:


> Y'all know how I was bewildered and worried about Kylie's ability to be fat eating nothing?
> 
> Yeah, well, I got up to pee at 3 a.m (like now), and found her in the pantry (sort of - it's more like a laundry/storage room), on the shelf 5 feet off the ground eating the cat food. Near as I can figure she went from the laundry hamper to the dryer to jumping both up and across onto this narrow shelf to eat the cat food.
> 
> Guess that mystery's solved.
> 
> New Mystery: How she avoided killing herself.


"How she avoided killing herself"--- because she's Kylie and cool like that  


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----------



## momtolabs

So my uncle is moving and I'm trying to convince my grandma she needs to adopt back her Rottweiler from him. My grandma had to care for my grandpa and couldn't take care of ginger properly. So my uncle adopted ginger. Well my uncle recently lost his job and its effecting Ginger. Her coat is horrible and sh just needs a happy environment again. I don't want ginger out of the family. I love this dog with everything I have. If I could adopt her I would in a heart beat. If anything I will foster until I can find the perfect home for her and yes I will be super super super picky. I mean look at this face!! 


























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----------



## CptJack

momtolabs said:


> "How she avoided killing herself"--- because she's Kylie and cool like that
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


She's also grown an undercoat. She's 2.5. No idea what happened, there, but OK!


----------



## Pasarella

I'm soooo excited! I got an agreement for breeding with wonderful chocolate male.He is only 1 year old now and already has all the titles you see in the poster(was so excited I made it  ).Now his owner is working on working diploma and from what I heard he is doing great so soon he will have it. We both still have some health testing to do and I would like to take Fanta to some working trials so she has some working diploma,by the time I will be breeding her,but the winter is coming fast and now I don't have a free weekend to take her to trainings  Hope we will make it. The breeding is planned in February,so the little ones should be here in April.Can't wait!


----------



## Laurelin

At the trial today there were two ACD breeders and they both said without a doubt they thought Hank was ACD x rat terrier. One said she had a known ACD x rat and she looked identical to Hank only had an additional black patch on her back. They were very complimentary of him and said he's a nice, nice dog. Said he's very level headed for his age. 

Hank also played with a bunch of the younger agility dogs in the yard and he kept up with or outran them all. Watching him play with other dogs though he is SO puppy.

He was confident in the trial too. Just only issues being wanting to jump on people and also crate screaming. The ACD breeders told me his ability to shriek was 100% ACD lol. He has a very... unique scream. 

But he did everything I asked of him. Snappy sits, responsive nose touches, etc. That nose touch though... brilliant idea with him. It's so easy to redirect him to me with a nose touch. No spookiness at anything. He did have an issue or two watching the fast dogs run but settled in after a while. It'll be interesting taking him to a non TDAA trial where the big fast dogs are running... may make his brain explode.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> Y'all know how I was bewildered and worried about Kylie's ability to be fat eating nothing?
> 
> Yeah, well, I got up to pee at 3 a.m (like now), and found her in the pantry (sort of - it's more like a laundry/storage room), on the shelf 5 feet off the ground eating the cat food. Near as I can figure she went from the laundry hamper to the dryer to jumping both up and across onto this narrow shelf to eat the cat food.
> 
> Guess that mystery's solved.
> 
> New Mystery: How she avoided killing herself.


That's a total Mia move. Sh has actually utilized the laundry hamper many a time to climb places. Mia ate a 6 ounce bag of dog treats off my countertop recently. Took me forever to figure out HOW she got up there but it was a convoluted method of jumping around all my moving boxes.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> That's a total Mia move. Sh has actually utilized the laundry hamper many a time to climb places. Mia ate a 6 ounce bag of dog treats off my countertop recently. Took me forever to figure out HOW she got up there but it was a convoluted method of jumping around all my moving boxes.


I don't even know what to do with her sometimes, except laugh. I keep thinking she's calming down (and in some ways she is) and then she does something like that and I just don't even know. Her brain works in weird ways and they are definitely twins separated by time, space, and breed.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> That's a total Mia move. Sh has actually utilized the laundry hamper many a time to climb places. Mia ate a 6 ounce bag of dog treats off my countertop recently. Took me forever to figure out HOW she got up there but it was a convoluted method of jumping around all my moving boxes.


If someone made me guess his breed, ACD/RT would be my likely guess. but his temperament sounds all ACD LOL. Josefina looks like an ACD but doesnt act like one.


----------



## Laurelin

Lol I was talking about Mia there. 

Hank is not really... I don't know how to explain the difference between them. Hank gets in trouble for sure but his trouble is because he's so high energy and also mouthy and nippy. He shreds things, bowls things over, can be pushy, likes to chase, is just generally very wild, etc. In a lot of ways that makes him pretty hard to deal with but on the flip side he's been a lot of fun for someone wanting an active dog that wants to do all things.

But Hank doesn't come up with the kind of schemes Mia does. He is very very smart but in a different way. Not nearly as... creative? He is definitely the most trainable dog I've had. He picks things up stupid fast (except impulse control, that's a little harder) 

Mia comes up with these elaborate plots to get what SHE wants. And her brain comes up with some WEIRD things. 



> I don't even know what to do with her sometimes, except laugh. I keep thinking she's calming down (and in some ways she is) and then she does something like that and I just don't even know. Her brain works in weird ways and they are definitely twins separated by time, space, and breed.


Yes that is exactly it! I always want to know what she's thinking. xD She's crazy and I love her. My family calls her the alien. My sister is convinced Mia is not actually a dog but is some sort of extraterrestrial come to figure out how to take over the world (then she will beam back up). Even at the agility trial today I was getting asked if Summer was the nice one or the weird one. lol 

I had to laugh a bit at the ACD people today because Hank shredded some things and they were warning me about how he'd be a lot of trouble. I said honestly not as much as the black and tan papillon. I don't think they believed me about how much trouble Mia can be.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Yes that is exactly it! I always want to know what she's thinking. xD She's crazy and I love her. My family calls her the alien. My sister is convinced Mia is not actually a dog but is some sort of extraterrestrial. Even at the agility trial today I was getting asked if Summer was the nice one or the weird one. lol
> 
> I had to laugh a bit at the ACD people today because Hank shredded some things and they were warning me about how he'd be a lot of trouble. I said honestly not as much as the black and tan papillon. I don't think they believed me about how much trouble Mia can be.


Oh, do I sympathize (empathize actually) with all of that.

Molly's a sweet, smart, hyper puppy who has found her brand of trouble - flushing the toilet because hey, she figured out how and it makes it fill with fresh water and makes a neat sound - but Kylie doesn't just take the impulsive opportunity to misbehave. She's... conniving. She's been in that pantry with us dozens and dozens of times over the past few months. She didn't one day notice the cat food and go "hey, I'll climb up there and get that." and then do it. She waited until everyone was asleep. I mean I really don't think this is the first time she's pulled that stunt, both because of her weight and because we've been griping about how much the cats were eating since like July. Even aside from that, she does stuff like move objects to use as tools to climb higher, or will close Molly's crate door and shove a box or something in front of it to keep Molly from getting out again. Or bark, playbow, and knock a ball past Molly and go steal her kong and hide somewhere while Molly's chasing the ball.

Molly's very, very smart, don't get me wrong, and in a lot of ways similar to Kylie. She's freaking impressive for a puppy.

But seriously folks? I've done dogs who are Trouble and her name is Kylie. 

I'd buy alien for both of them. Because dog people think I'm lying. Heck, I kinda think I'm lying sometimes. Dog brains aren't supposed to work like that.


----------



## Laurelin

I've watched Mia do some of the most bizarre and well thought out things that I don't even know how dogs think anymore. Mia makes me question what dogs are capable of understanding pretty much constantly. 

Kylie is so my kind of dog. With Mia you just have to laugh and sometimes stand there in awe. There's just nothing else you can do.


----------



## gingerkid

So we're at my mom's for Thanksgiving this weekend; she lives in a small town. Took the dog for a walk last night before bed, and a small black dog ran all the way across the playground towards Snowball... Snowball didn't even blink, no barking nothing, just politely sniffed the other dog when it got to us. So... hooray?

But boo for random, untrained, off-leash dogs.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I've watched Mia do some of the most bizarre and well thought out things that I don't even know how dogs think anymore. Mia makes me question what dogs are capable of understanding pretty much constantly.
> 
> Kylie is so my kind of dog. With Mia you just have to laugh and sometimes stand there in awe. There's just nothing else you can do.


Josefina makes me laugh because she is so ... expressive lol. Some of her expressions just Crack me up!


----------



## Flaming

yay for smart dogs?

Manna opened the oven today and stole 5 cookies. Loaded with sugar but thankfully zero chocolate.

I'm genuinely afraid of what she'll learn or come up with next.


----------



## BubbaMoose

It's so hard for me not to click on TWD thread right now. Ugh!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> It's so hard for me not to click on TWD thread right now. Ugh!!!


I don't think we have given away any spoilers lol.


----------



## BubbaMoose

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I don't think we have given away any spoilers lol.


Ooh yay I'm gonna click it then! I thought I saw MomtoLabs write "Spoiler Alert" so I didn't want to chance it. Lol.


----------



## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> That's a total Mia move. Sh has actually utilized the laundry hamper many a time to climb places. Mia ate a 6 ounce bag of dog treats off my countertop recently. Took me forever to figure out HOW she got up there but it was a convoluted method of jumping around all my moving boxes.


i'm glad roxie is 'average dog' smart and not 'super genius crazy dog' smart LOL. she's not stupid but she's very simple.

my mom stopped talking to me suddenly when we were on tthe phone and said 'i have to go, the walking dead is on' LOL


----------



## Laurelin

Laurelin said:


> Hank is not really... I don't know how to explain the difference between them. Hank gets in trouble for sure but his trouble is because he's so high energy and also mouthy and nippy. He shreds things, bowls things over, can be pushy, likes to chase, is just generally very wild, etc. * In a lot of ways that makes him pretty hard to deal with but on the flip side he's not been a lot of fun for someone wanting an active dog that wants to do all things*.


Whew, extra 'not' in there. I meant Hank has been a lot of fun for someone wanting an active dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Whew, extra 'not' in there. I meant Hank has been a lot of fun for someone wanting an active dog.


Luckily Josefina uses most of her smarts trying to figure out how to get the squirrels xD


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I would assume that a friend of mine would have knowledge on dogs, but she doesn't, from I've seen. 

I made a very comments on that her dog was overweight. She then told me
Me: "Your dog is overweight"
Her:"Oh, I know he is, it doesn't really matter.It's cute"
Me:"But it's unhealthy"
Her:"If it was unhealthy, why is he still alive? He has eaten 2 barbie doll legs."
Me:"You should try to get him on "diet", & give less food. More exercise too"
Her:"He can still walk. He's my chubby baby"
Me:"......"
Her:"Well, my keeps feeding him food. It's not my fault."
Me:"Then tell your mom to stop."

Her dog is at least 15 pounds overweight. It's just...horrible. It isn't only that. Her dog has food allergies, & while they feed a higher quality food(Fromm, I think.) they feed low quality treats. Look, it's great that your feeding a higher quality food, but it kinds the process, when you feed treats that contain only crap.

Oh, & that isn't it. 
Me:"You should actually train your dog."
Her:"No, my dog doesn't need to trained."
Me:"Your dog only knows sit. He doesn't even come when called."
Her:"He comes when called."
Me:"Only inside the house".
Her:"So?"
She also mentioned that she doesn't train her dog. At all. Because she wasn't the one who was originally train her dog... Ugh. 

It just annoys me. Particularly about situation that happened. We went for a walk,& brought her dog. There dog does pull a lot,& there is no train whatsoever-to curb this. As mentioned as before, there do was very little recall. Especially if this dog is interacting, or simply just see's a dog.I shouldn't of done this, but, I really didn't wan to face-plant. So, I let go of the leash to prevent that. Her dog runs, & runs, until her dog meets another dog. Thankfully, her dog isn't DA. Still. She didn't even call her dog back. I was the one running after her dog.

Ugh, just...Ugh.


----------



## momtolabs

BubbaMoose said:


> Ooh yay I'm gonna click it then! I thought I saw MomtoLabs write "Spoiler Alert" so I didn't want to chance it. Lol.


I did but it wasn't anything really  I can't change the color of text on my phone,haha.


----------



## amberdyan

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I would assume that a friend of mine would have knowledge on dogs, but she doesn't, from I've seen.
> 
> I made a very comments on that her dog was overweight. She then told me
> Me: "Your dog is overweight"
> Her:"Oh, I know he is, it doesn't really matter.It's cute"
> Me:"But it's unhealthy"
> Her:"If it was unhealthy, why is he still alive? He has eaten 2 barbie doll legs."
> Me:"You should try to get him on "diet", & give less food. More exercise too"
> Her:"He can still walk. He's my chubby baby"
> Me:"......"
> Her:"Well, my keeps feeding him food. It's not my fault."
> Me:"Then tell your mom to stop."
> 
> Her dog is at least 15 pounds overweight. It's just...horrible. It isn't only that. Her dog has food allergies, & while they feed a higher quality food(Fromm, I think.) they feed low quality treats. Look, it's great that your feeding a higher quality food, but it kinds the process, when you feed treats that contain only crap. Artificial Flavors, Preservatives,BHA/BHT, & other useless, unhealthy ingredients.
> 
> Ugh, just...Ugh.


This so much.... my mom's dog AND my in-laws dog are both overweight. My in-laws have an aussie mix who is 11 years old and still eats the same amount of food as she did when she was 3 and super active. This dog has PACKED ON POUNDS. I have no idea how many pounds she needs to lose but even her whole face is fat. She looks bizarre. Father-in-law says she's not fat. Plus they're feeding Science Diet because that's what the vet recommended....


----------



## momtolabs

My uncle keeps complaining about all the animals in the house every time he comes over. It's getting really annoying. He doesn't live here so he can just shut up. It usually ends up in me an my dad fighting about the animals. Today I had the ferret running the living room so Tank,Bentley and Mae were shut upstairs(they will eat koda) and Mia the cats and the ferret are all playing in te living room. My uncle comes over to drop off our eggs and starts saying how having animals inside is gross, I spend too much on my animals etc. it's just really really annoying.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Cutest thing ever on my walk today...some person running their pug in a field, the person was running through the grass with the pug dancing around with it, then threw themselves on the grass with the dog and they were rolling around on their backs side by side...it was ridiculously adorable lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

I love Gypsy and all, but she's gonna break my face with her brand of affection.. she walks over to me, climbs on my lap and procedes to smash her skull into my face repeatedly...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

If I am not watching Josefina, and I am hugging her she will throw her face back and smack me in the glasses! I swear I don't know how that dog hasn't hurt her self ... only me xP


----------



## KodiBarracuda

I'm currently trying to break Maisy of taking her paw and "grabbing" my arms/shoulders/body and trying to drag it toward her belly for a scratching. She's such a brat and I love her to death.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

This is what I'm currently looking at since I have an empty plate she wants to lick.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I did but it wasn't anything really  I can't change the color of text on my phone,haha.


all I do is type the HTML in manually when I am on my phone. I think its [ color=white][/color ] written exactly like that only no spaces in between. even in the pet guide app and the mobile version of the site, HTML should show up.


----------



## momtolabs

My sister got Caleb a new collar but you can barely see it because of all the fur!! 








That's going to be an issue with future pup  oh well maybe it will help with my dog collar spending issues.... Okay probably not....


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> If I am not watching Josefina, and I am hugging her she will throw her face back and smack me in the glasses! I swear I don't know how that dog hasn't hurt her self ... only me xP



Hey at least she isn't deliberately smashing her head into your face, she just cant help herself  Gypsy idea of showing her affection is "hugging" which means straddling you, turning her head sideways and ramming the side of her face into your face and doing that repeatedly..i feel like she's breaking my nose as she mashes her head against my face and pressing as hard as possible, rubs her face back and forth across my eye and nose...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Hey at least she isn't deliberately smashing her head into your face, she just cant help herself  Gypsy idea of showing her affection is "hugging" which means straddling you, turning her head sideways and ramming the side of her face into your face and doing that repeatedly..i feel like she's breaking my nose as she mashes her head against my face and pressing as hard as possible, rubs her face back and forth across my eye and nose...


Ha! Izze was like that, so I feel your pain. And although I loved her and miss her every day, I DO NOT want another dog like her xD


----------



## Kayota

if i'm in bed roxie will come over and rub her body all over my face and lick me, she usually does this while i am on the phone lol


----------



## Kayota

I just held the neck of Roxie's hoodie open and she put her legs in herself after putting her head in... Before I had to pull them through...


----------



## CptJack

I ordered like 120.00 worth of expensive, pretty, dog tags. 

I typoed my phone number.


----------



## Laurelin

Heh walking Hank is an interesting endeavor right now. Every single thing that moves must be chased from that tiny gnat over there to the flag on the flagpole to that girl 100 feet away running. Especially running kids and also bikes. He also sprints through puddles and bites at them. 

And he was terrified of a middle aged lady sitting on a bench for some reason. Spooked so bad he bowled Mia over face first into the cement. Mia was angry.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Was up since 4:30am puking my guts out.. came into work purely as a courtesy for a few hours to help because its the first day after a long weekend. Came in, saud straight up i was really sick and just came to help out for a bit. A few hours later i was in the bathroom puking my guts out, my boss asks how I'm feeling, i told her..like crap and I'm hurling..mid sentence i had to bolt back to the bathroom.. i figured she was going to let ne go home...NOPE! i was offered a tums and told i could do the small room and main(100 kennels BY MYSELF) instead of the front since i "dont feel well" i barely got anything done seeing as i was tripping over myself, sweating like crazy and running for the bathroom every 10 minutes and yet i was still forced to stay till 7pm..oh BTW i work at 7am tomorrow morning. If she seriously expects me to be ar work tomorrow morning she is friggen deluded, and see if i EVER come in sick to help out as a courtesy ever again. I was livid.


----------



## Kayota

CptJack said:


> I ordered like 120.00 worth of expensive, pretty, dog tags.
> 
> I typoed my phone number.


GEEZ I would cry... Can they fix it?


----------



## gingerkid

Pretty sure some of my neighbors are involved in some really shady dealings. Its starting to really freak me out. Already called the cops, but they told me there's nothing they can do unless I actually see the people in the middle of doing something actually illegal.


----------



## CptJack

Kayota said:


> GEEZ I would cry... Can they fix it?


Noope. It's engraved metal. They've got other means of identifying them and these were mostly for pretty, but WOW am I not happy with myself.


----------



## Kayota

Miss Bugs said:


> Was up since 4:30am puking my guts out.. came into work purely as a courtesy for a few hours to help because its the first day after a long weekend. Came in, saud straight up i was really sick and just came to help out for a bit. A few hours later i was in the bathroom puking my guts out, my boss asks how I'm feeling, i told her..like crap and I'm hurling..mid sentence i had to bolt back to the bathroom.. i figured she was going to let ne go home...NOPE! i was offered a tums and told i could do the small room and main(100 kennels BY MYSELF) instead of the front since i "dont feel well" i barely got anything done seeing as i was tripping over myself, sweating like crazy and running for the bathroom every 10 minutes and yet i was still forced to stay till 7pm..oh BTW i work at 7am tomorrow morning. If she seriously expects me to be ar work tomorrow morning she is friggen deluded, and see if i EVER come in sick to help out as a courtesy ever again. I was livid.


ugh walmart was the same way, before i was dx'ed the catalyst that forced me to go back to the doctor was when i had a couple days where i could barely stand due to the pain in my legs. the night before i was literally crawling around my house. i had to work the next day and i asked for a chair and they said if i needed a chair i had to have a doctors note, even as i was standing there nearly in tears hanging onto my register for dear life. customers were literally asking me if i was okay as they went through my line. i went home after about 10 minutes.


----------



## momtolabs

If I go to jail for battery who wants to bail me out!? Okay I'm not going to but....

My aunts chi won't stop using the house as a bathroom, RGs the couch and my dogs are stressed, attacks my cat and kitten, barks ALL the dang time, if someone has food and another dog walks past she snarls/snaps and usually makes contact. I will give an example: the other day I was eating a sandwich and was walking from the kitchen to the living room and went to sit on the couch. Mia came up to me and Athena immediately was up barking/snarling and going after her Mia finally retaliated and snapped back and my aunt started crying because her little "baby" was growled at and I didn't stop my dog. Mia was far from making contact. It causes tons and tons of stress. Bentley, tank and Mae spend most of there day in the outside dog run because they enjoy it out there more then in the house. I'm obviously out there a lot with them. They have a large dog run with a hole cut into the garage with a large inside pen full of hay to lay on(they would have beds if tank would destroy them). They still come in at night or if my aunt is gone(Saturdays and Sundays and any other day we don't have school). I feel horrible for them but they get to choose where they want to be. My kitten who usually loves dogs(her Caleb and Mia always sleep together) has been living in fear the past week. She has been hiding in my room(my aunts dog isn't allowed in there). I want her out but it's not my decision. My parents are also fed up but family reasons make it to where if we kick her out it will cause a huge family dispute. We don't need that added stress(my grandma was just diagnosed with COPD, my other aunt has some rare cancer, my mom just found out she has cysts on her overies and a private legal thing is currently going on). So were all putting up with it. 

She doesn't try and train her at all or I wouldn't be as angry. She treats her like a little human. I love my dogs, I spoil them, I dress them up, I paint there nails but I set up boundaries I work with them mentally and physically I have set rules and schedules. Everyone is different with training owning etc but she is setting her dog up for failure or to possibly get killed. The other day she let her go right up to a strange GSD even after the owner said he wasn't friendly and after I said it as well(I know the owner). I was furious and so was the owner.


----------



## momtolabs

Kayota said:


> ugh walmart was the same way, before i was dx'ed the catalyst that forced me to go back to the doctor was when i had a couple days where i could barely stand due to the pain in my legs. the night before i was literally crawling around my house. i had to work the next day and i asked for a chair and they said if i needed a chair i had to have a doctors note, even as i was standing there nearly in tears hanging onto my register for dear life. customers were literally asking me if i was okay as they went through my line. i went home after about 10 minutes.


You must of worked at a really crapy Walmart!! My aunt works at one and she has some sever pains and is given a stole when needed


----------



## Kayota

momtolabs said:


> You must of worked at a really crapy Walmart!! My aunt works at one and she has some sever pains and is given a stole when needed


she probably has a doctor's note


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

Boss is going to give me a freaking heart attack, from stress, someday.

Today is my birthday, so my Mom and I went out for a few hours. When we got home, I noticed that Boss had a huge belly, and it was very firm (he literally looks pregnant). I flipped out, because my first thought was bloat. He didn't have any other symptoms, but I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. So I took him to the vet. The vet felt around, and agreed that something was off, but other than the big, firm belly he was completely fine and acting normal. She told me to watch him closely, limit food (he's supposed to only eat half of his supper), and limit water (which doesn't make sense to me, but hey she's the vet - I'm not), and call in the morning if there's any change - or go to the e vet.

Fast forward to now, three hours after the vet visit.
I randomly remember someone on DF posted about their dog getting into a bag of kibble, and the picture they uploaded looks just like Boss' belly. Hmm, better go check the dog food! The "little" brat opened up a tote (it has handles that go over the lid, to make it hard to get into...) and ate at least 5 - 7 cups of Farmina. -_-


----------



## Miss Bugs

Learned something random today lol Paisleys bobbed tail is natural, NOT docked. Her old owner told me, said the breeder was anti docking, and most of the litter had full tails, just Pais and 1 other were born bob tailed! I knew Aussies could be born bob tailed and with tails of various lengths but i had just kind of assumed her tail was docked lol


----------



## Little Wise Owl

CrazyDogWoman said:


> Boss is going to give me a freaking heart attack, from stress, someday.
> 
> Today is my birthday, so my Mom and I went out for a few hours. When we got home, I noticed that Boss had a huge belly, and it was very firm (he literally looks pregnant). I flipped out, because my first thought was bloat. He didn't have any other symptoms, but I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. So I took him to the vet. The vet felt around, and agreed that something was off, but other than the big, firm belly he was completely fine and acting normal. She told me to watch him closely, limit food (he's supposed to only eat half of his supper), and limit water (which doesn't make sense to me, but hey she's the vet - I'm not), and call in the morning if there's any change - or go to the e vet.
> 
> Fast forward to now, three hours after the vet visit.
> I randomly remember someone on DF posted about their dog getting into a bag of kibble, and the picture they uploaded looks just like Boss' belly. Hmm, better go check the dog food! The "little" brat opened up a tote (it has handles that go over the lid, to make it hard to get into...) and ate at least 5 - 7 cups of Farmina. -_-


Pretty much had the same thing happen with our Chihuahua.... Came home and turns out he was left out to his own devices while we were gone. His stomach was HUUUGE... Turns out he ate a disgustingly massive amount of cat poop. Luckily he was fine. Ugh, these dogs.


----------



## Greater Swiss

SO frustrated......For now, we've only got one vehicle. DH is working 10 hour days, I work 8, but I have to drive him to work, and pick him up. Usually there is about an hour and a bit on each side of my hours. Between dropping him off and going to work, I have just enough time to finish my morning coffee, get Caeda out for a quick pee and get to work. Its giving me an extra hour of driving every day too. I feel like I'm the one doing the long days, and poor Caeda is suffering for it. I had to drop agility.....even though I could technically make it, with about 5 minutes to spare I wouldn't have time to shower, eat, relax for a minute. Still got scent detection on Saturdays luckily. I'm still sick of this schedule though, its only two weeks and I'm bagged. I can't wait until my car gets here (of course I'll have to spend a week or two under it getting it tweaked for inspection). I'm lucky for a few days this week though, I'm starting at 9 rather than 8, so I at least have a good block of time in the morning and go straight to pick him up after work.....still sucks getting up before 6 when I don't work for 3 hours....and like heck am I doing general house cleaning chores (that have been getting left undone in the evening) before work....just don't have it in me. Managed a little bit of tired, low caffeine tug this morning though, Caeda was quite happy, and dragged my sorry butt all over the deck lol.


----------



## gingerkid

Fumiko said:


> If people no have time or car to care for dog then they should not have dog I sorry if that sound mean but I see to many puppy and dog left in apartment or crate for long hours and it make me very sad to think people selfish keep dog like that.


My dog just sleeps during the day, whether I am home or not. I don't really see how it is selfish of me to leave him alone when my being home doesn't affect his day at all (because he is sleeping).


----------



## Kayota

Fumiko said:


> If people no have time or car to care for dog then they should not have dog I sorry if that sound mean but I see to many puppy and dog left in apartment or crate for long hours and it make me very sad to think people selfish keep dog like that.


how can i afford a dog if i don't work? if i work how can i avoid leaving the dog at home? is it really selfish when my dog sleeps most of the day? what a judgmental statement.


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> My dog just sleeps during the day, whether I am home or not. I don't really see how it is selfish of me to leave him alone when my being home doesn't affect his day at all (because he is sleeping).


Yeah. I work from home most of the time. I know with absolute certainty what my dogs do during the day. They sleep - and they don't even sleep in the same room I'm in. Seriously, they get breakfast, go to sleep, and I hear not a peep from them until about 5 when it's dinner time and the time of the day they know something's happening. This is with a 5 month old border collie and a 2 year old German Shepherd-mix in the mix. Molly needed a lunch break until recently for pottying but at this point? None of them *CARE*. 

Like I'm home now. The dog closest to me is Kylie, on the other side of the room, asleep on the couch. Molly is asleep in her crate, Bug and Jack are asleep in our bed, Thud is sacked out on the kitchen floor. It is dead silent. If I got up Thud would get up to see if maybe I was going to do something cool or interesting. None of the rest would twitch. So, yeah. They're getting nothing out of me.


----------



## namedadogindiana

Kayota said:


> how can i afford a dog if i don't work? if i work how can i avoid leaving the dog at home? is it really selfish when my dog sleeps most of the day? what a judgmental statement.


I think we should show a little more sensitivity. Fumiko comes from a different culture, and there are some language barriers present. We should give her the benefit of the doubt as she tries to express herself in a foreign tongue, rather than assuming ill intent on her part.


----------



## Kayota

namedadogindiana said:


> I think we should show a little more sensitivity. Fumiko comes from a different culture, and there are some language barriers present. We should give her the benefit of the doubt as she tries to express herself in a foreign tongue, rather than assuming ill intent on her part.


IIt was pretty plain. I work for 6+ hours and leave Roxie aat home and that's what they take issue with evidently


----------



## Greater Swiss

Kayota said:


> IIt was pretty plain. I work for 6+ hours and leave Roxie aat home and that's what they take issue with evidently


Kayota, it was immediately after my post....I have a feeling it was aimed at me. I mentioned that the scheduling problems between DH's work and my work and sharing a car forced me to drop from agility with Caeda and how frustrating it is. I'm not even going to start to respond to it, even if there wasn't the issue of a language barrier, I'm just not going to even....


----------



## Kayota

Greater Swiss said:


> Kayota, it was immediately after my post....I have a feeling it was aimed at me. I mentioned that the scheduling problems between DH's work and my work and sharing a car forced me to drop from agility with Caeda and how frustrating it is. I'm not even going to start to respond to it, even if there wasn't the issue of a language barrier, I'm just not going to even....


yeah I figured it was also aimed at the general working population


----------



## theairedale

Copper had a rear-end explosion today... Indoors... Poor guy... Poor everyone who had to clean up


----------



## Miss Bugs

When a kennel/daycare asks for "important notes"..."my dog has an eye condition that causes her eye to randomly swell up and turn milky white" counts as an important note!!! Seriously! We had a friggen panic attack this morning because the dog came in, her eyes were normal, she was playing, and plays really rough and all of a sudden her eye was sunken, and milky!! We were freaking out, like what the heck? Did another dogs claw go in her eye or something? Nothing in her file, call her owner, no answer, so throw in her the car to take her to the vet..half way to the vet her owner calls back all casually " oh ya, its just a condition she has, she has eye drops and a corrective surgery scheduled".... and ya didn't think that was something we should KNOW? Lol
.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Fumiko said:


> I not trying make post at one person I speak to all. So many people like dog and want have dog for company but not able to provide best quality life. I get sad when think of dog I read about in crate all day or in small building all alone. Dog needs go outside to play and to inner act with people and animal so feel most happy. I just wish people think more of dog need and less of own need. I not try to judge people. I not perfect and make mistake to but dog have feeling and deserve happy life.


 You're preaching to the choir here.....there aren't many people on here, except for the odd one time posters, that don't give their dogs a quality of life many times better than those you are talking about. Most of us spend more time worrying about our dogs than ourselves. Of course most of us work, but that does not mean that we aren't capable in the off work hours of providing a great deal for our dogs, more than even some stay at home people provide. I understand that there is a language and cultural barrier here, but I'm sure you can see how many of us here would feel it was aimed towards us, and how those of us who work don't appreciate the implication that we are inadequate owners. It makes us sad to hear about those dogs too.....and almost as sad to hear someone that may think our dogs are among them.


----------



## momtolabs

We have 3 litter scoops for the cat boxes and I can't find any of them..... Who would want to move them?? Like seriously the cat boxs need cleaned and I can't find them......


----------



## CptJack

momtolabs said:


> We have 3 litter scoops for the cat boxes and I can't find any of them..... Who would want to move them?? Like seriously the cat boxs need cleaned and I can't find them......


My child had this problem once, when he was... I dunno, 11? Rather than try to find them he used a slotted serving spoon. 

I'm not suggesting you do th at, but years later it's funny. At the time? NO.


----------



## momtolabs

Haha!! My parents would murder me!! I still can't find one but my neighbor came to the rescue and brought an extra over,lol. I'm sure ill find them soon!


----------



## KodiBarracuda

We don't have a litter box scoop, we just repurposed a slotted serving spoon... It worked.


----------



## Kayota

i've never used silverware for something like that but i've repurposed tupperware for everything from euthanizing suffering fish to soaking skulls in peroxide... lol


----------



## SteveCooksWeinerDog

The neighbors was getting rowdy last night so I went out to see what the fuss was about and when I came back inside Trigger had knocked over my Bush Light! Thank goodness is was only half full! Earl said he would be fine his dogs do it all the time. He's good but he did have the runs this morning!! Yuck!! Hehe!


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Proably ranted about this before. It's not important or a big deal or anything but....

When people say "she is housrtrained and spade" I always think. "she doesn't pee inappropriately and she's a shovel... Ok then".


----------



## ireth0

KodiBarracuda said:


> Proably ranted about this before. It's not important or a big deal or anything but....
> 
> When people say "she is housrtrained and spade" I always think. "she doesn't pee inappropriately and she's a shovel... Ok then".


Goes hand in hand with being a pure bread.


----------



## Remaru

My dogs want to sleep all day while I am home and able to interact with them. Then in the evenings when I have errands to run or activities for the kids and need to be out they are all "hey lets go for a walk/lets play". So by the time I'm home, have made dinner and am ready to take them for a walk they are back to "nah it's nap time ma" silly dogs. Not even like I'm gone that long, maybe 2-3 hours tops.


----------



## BubbaMoose

I'm ridiculously exhausted.


----------



## Hambonez

KodiBarracuda said:


> Proably ranted about this before. It's not important or a big deal or anything but....
> 
> When people say "she is housrtrained and spade" I always think. "she doesn't pee inappropriately and she's a shovel... Ok then".


"Spaded" is worse, IMO. It makes me stabby


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Hambonez said:


> "Spaded" is worse, IMO. It makes me stabby


Stabby like you're going to stab someone? Sorry about my ignorance, its not a term I'm familiar with.


----------



## Hambonez

KodiBarracuda said:


> Stabby like you're going to stab someone? Sorry about my ignorance, its not a term I'm familiar with.


lol yea... just annoyed to the point that you want to stab someone.


----------



## momtolabs

Mia just at my pumpkin pie off my plate..... She must want to die. JK wouldn't go that far but now I gave the other dogs a treat and se didn't get one....


----------



## Miss Bugs

Coolest dog ever came to daycare today!


----------



## Remaru

Look at the fluffy tail!!!!!


----------



## Kayota

Hambonez said:


> "Spaded" is worse, IMO. It makes me stabby


What about "sprayed"? LOL


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

People think it's weird that I'm already researching. Because it at least 4 years away.

It's better then NOT being preaped. This is the same person who doesn't care if her dog is overweight. She wants a Great Dane. Why? Because their cute.

Ugh


----------



## momtolabs

I'm going to be gone from 2pm-10 PM tomorrow so I have been freezing kongs to be ready for tomorrow(for 4 of them Caleb will be with us) and my dad took all of the kongs out and gave them to the dogs..... I'm out d everything I need for the kongs.... So that means I have to get up an hour earlier now(so 5am) and run to the store..... I think my dad should have to since he gave the dogs there kongs even after I said not too!!


----------



## Miss Bugs

The schedule wasn't posted yet for the week after next..my birthday is that week and when i looked at the rotation i realized thats my night shift rotations..and i was like that friggen SUCKS. my entire family is night people so i only see people in the evening and i have to work the only time my family is awake on my birthday? Since the schedule wasn't posted yet i asked my biss if i could get off early that day cuz its my birthday and that sucks, and her response was "I'll see if i can get you the whole day off, nobody should have to work on their birthday"  she just posted the schedule and she was able to give me my birthday off, woohoo!!! Lol


----------



## CptJack

Molly lost a premolar today. Which is all well and good, except the part where she lost it while playing and bled all over the toy and floor. Scared the PEE out of me.


----------



## DaySleepers

CptJack said:


> Molly lost a premolar today. Which is all well and good, except the part where she lost it while playing and bled all over the toy and floor. Scared the PEE out of me.


Sam lost one while playing with another puppy. 

...a white, fluffy puppy.


----------



## CptJack

DaySleepers said:


> Sam lost one while playing with another puppy.
> 
> ...a white, fluffy puppy.


Oh, lord. Poor everybody in that one.


----------



## Greater Swiss

What a day!!! More rave than rant

Caeda ROCKED at scent detection...I however did not. Her first run (and we're doing blind runs now with wintergreen, I don't know where it is hidden either). Caeda was HYPED (I've actually been told, don't hype her up like the other dogs....try to keep her calmer because she has an immense drive for this...wha!!). She comes charging out when I tell her "sniff it". There were 10 bins. She bypassed 7 of them, flipped one with her paw, walked to another flipped it and paused. I thought she was pausing, expecting me to give her a hard time for tossing the bins around. I didn't, I told her sniff it.....so she walked to another bin, and another, flipped another and started throwing it around the room (yeah, my dog makes scent detection a sport....as in "its not a sport until you can lose and eye"). I put my hand up and said "alert". Nope, It was the second one she flipped....the one she paused at. Caeda mom failed  I kept her going though, and once she stopped flipping the bucket she went straight to the one she had actually alerted on in the first place. I was forgiven by the trainer, who I think was pretty impressed with Caeda's speed (the initial find was not even 5 seconds into the hunt!). We'll get better though!!! 

In other news rant and rave together. We have a showing for our house!!!! It has been over 2 months!!! Of course I had lost hope, figured nothing until spring....so yeah.....I haven't exactly been keeping up on cleaning. Going to be going wild for the next 20 hours cleaning....speaking of.....I better get my sorry butt back to work!!!


----------



## Kyllobernese

I am really disappointed. I have blockages in both my legs, only 10% blood flow so have not been able to do any Agility this year waiting to get an appointment at the Hospital. Finally came through last Thursday after waiting since Spring. I went in and they did the Angioplasty on my left leg. The next day they were supposed to do my right leg but where they went into the Artery behind my knee, it was too close to the blockage so they could not do it. Now I have to wait to get another appointment so they can go in at a different location. So, I now have one leg fixed but as they could not do the other, I am still not able to run around or even walk quickly very far. I can't drive or do much for a week, then can go back to my normal activities which won't change much from what I have been doing as my right leg is still blocked. I better not have to wait as long as I did this time or I will really be upset.


----------



## Laurelin

Hanky Pank is a swimmer. So excited. He was so into swimming and retrieving today.


----------



## momtolabs

My friend got a jack Russell puppy and brought it over.....I now want a JR,haha


----------



## Miss Bugs

So i have nothing against off leash dogs, i do it too, but i absolutely NEVER let my dogs approach a stranger or another dog, and if there is other people and dogs around i leash them. My brother and i went hiking today, lots of people were using the trails, dogs are required to be on leash. If nobody else at all is around i will letnmy dogs run but thats it. So first thing we walk in the gate and a loose dog comes running up to them... owners way back, watching and not caring. Luckily Gypsy was ok for once, most of the time she is NOT ok and will attack a dog who does that. After that my brother was walking ahead and every time he saw someone with a dog(all of them were off leash) he told the person there was an unfriendly dog around the corner lol. I actually had no idea he was doing that, i would just see an unleashed dog and think "gah, again? Please person, hold your dog when you pass me" and every time they took their dogs collar while passing me and i was greatful lol my brother only told me when we got home that he was telling people to do that because they were letting their dogs run up to Rusty. He said people were genuinely shocked at the concept of a dog that wouldn't be ok with strange dogs running up to their faces! Like seriously! Feel free to off leash wsll your dogs but for goodness sake have consideration for others and keep your dog to yourself!


----------



## momtolabs

My dad just flipped my 4-wheeler gosh I'm ticked!!!! He's fine since he bailed in time. Just looks like my fender is bent. But gah!!! He knows it doesn't have the right tires for what we drive on so you have to be careful!! The grass is wet so lets try to top it out yea smart!!!!!


----------



## momtolabs

Well the handle bars are also bent.....


----------



## Greater Swiss

Fuming mad. 
We had a viewing today of our house. It took 5 minutes (after 24 hours of frantic catch-up cleaning). They didn't even go inside. The decided it was too close to the road.....something which is VERY obvious in the pictures of the listing. They couldn't have even looked at the listing. My entire weekend (for the exception of Saturday morning scent detection) was wasted on preparations and scheduling things around this viewing. I HATE people


----------



## BubbaMoose

Do any of you know what type of spider this is? Please help!


----------



## theairedale

He pooped in the crate. Fantastic.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Kind of can't believe Christmas is so close. Moose's birthday is a few days before Christmas and Buster's is a few days after. 

I'm about ready to order their gifts. It's not much, they each get a box of treats and new antlers on their birthdays and then get to go to the pet store to pick out whatever toy they want (aka the only time of year that their toys are not required to be on sale/clearance ). For Christmas this year they're just each going to be getting a new Kong Wubbas and marrow bones.


----------



## Kayota

BubbaMoose said:


> View attachment 180338
> 
> 
> Do any of you know what type of spider this is? Please help!


looks like a harmless wolf spider with an egg sac. leave her be, she'll keep your house free of much more annoying pests


----------



## BubbaMoose

Kayota said:


> looks like a harmless wolf spider with an egg sac. leave her be, she'll keep your house free of much more annoying pests


If she had all those babies in my house could it not be the start of an infestation? Her egg sack looks bigger than her! I don't have the stomach (or the strength, lol) to let her live here, but fortunately I very rarely ever find any kind of bug in my house. We don't ever leave the windows open and are kind of sticklers about keeping doors shut, and opened/closed as quickly as possible.


----------



## souce

It's okay to hate puppies ... it really is.


----------



## Kayota

BubbaMoose said:


> If she had all those babies in my house could it not be the start of an infestation? Her egg sack looks bigger than her! I don't have the stomach (or the strength, lol) to let her live here, but fortunately I very rarely ever find any kind of bug in my house. We don't ever leave the windows open and are kind of sticklers about keeping doors shut, and opened/closed as quickly as possible.


you likely wouldn't even notice them, there's a high likelihood your house is full of spiders that you'll never even see lol


----------



## BubbaMoose

Kayota said:


> you likely wouldn't even notice them, there's a high likelihood your house is full of spiders that you'll never even see lol


I don't want to even begin to deal with processing that thought, lol. I just saw a bunch of pictures of a wolf spider and her spiderlings, and as cool as it is, there's no way that I'm going to actively CHOOSE for that to go on in my house. SO is going to release her when he gets home.


----------



## Miss Bugs

So i spoke to Paisleys old owner in detail about her issues for the first time.. and after talking to her, i started to wonder if a part of her issues are related to littermate syndrome. See i commented that i did not see the extent of Pais's fear until she was separate from Gem, because as long as Gem was at her side, she was normal. Thats when she commented that Paisley had never been on her own in her entire life..ever. she had another dog, a mini schnauzer called Bane, and she said Bane and Paisley were never ever apart from the moment she brought Pais home as a puppy, even sharing a crate..so from 8 weeks when she bought Paisley to 17 months when she surrendered her(WITHOUT Bane) she had never ever been alone. I didn't say anything, but that just clicked in my head, because i know darn well she was socialized a lot throughout her life, i didn't understand how 2 weeks of "teasing" could possibly turn such a heavily socialized dog into such an extreme bag of nerves but if she'd never had to deal with life before without Bane, and all of a sudden she was in a new situation and he was gone? That could totally amplify her insecureity.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

souce said:


> It's okay to hate puppies ... it really is.


I enjoyed this more than I'd like to admit.


----------



## souce

KodiBarracuda said:


> I enjoyed this more than I'd like to admit.


I apologize. That might indicate that puppies have left their mark on you. Once you know what they really are (under the cute, fluffy faces) you don't forget.


----------



## Kayota

roxie just ate like 5 tums :doh: i left them on my nightstand...


----------



## CptJack

I am getting real sick and tired of people saying 'high drive' when what they really mean is "completely untrained and under exercised". Usually used as some kind of excuse for WHY the dog is untrained and under exercised.


----------



## Greater Swiss

CptJack said:


> I am getting real sick and tired of people saying 'high drive' when what they really mean is "completely untrained and under exercised". Usually used as some kind of excuse for WHY the dog is untrained and under exercised.


 OOhhh, I hear ya on that one. I've met several and it drives me nuts, particularly those that take their dog to a class because their dog "has so much drive", but it can't/won't concentrate on a single thing. Then there are those that assume the opposite....a dog that is drivey is untrained and under exercised. My parents LOVE Caeda, but I play tug with her, or fetch or any other game that brings out drive and I swear they figure she is nuts, if her obedience isn't perfect under those conditions, I can see in their faces "her obedience sucks" Both sides of it bugs me. Caeda isn't even super high drive, but it still takes a fair bit of maintenance to keep her obedience under drive sharp.


----------



## BubbaMoose

This is so trivial, but I got my nails done for the first time in a while yesterday, and not only were so many aspects of the entire experience not ideal, but I really don't even like the way that they turned out. Haha, honestly, the more I look at them the more I dislike them. Which of course sucks, especially because I got a gel manicure which should last (at least) a full two weeks.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Saw a Yorkie today and both dogs were good upon meeting each other. I forget how the subject came up, but the guy says, "Well your dog is aggressive because he kicked up after he went to the bathroom." Um...what? My dog did that to hide his scent. I should've corrected him, but wasn't in the mood for a long discussion on what was right/wrong on dog behavior. So I just answered, "Only to Pit Bulls." Which I'm still working on.

But seriously, if he thinks that all dogs are aggressive who kick up after the pee, his dog isn't meeting many dogs. I wonder where he got that crazy notion from.


----------



## souce

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Saw a Yorkie today and both dogs were good upon meeting each other. I forget how the subject came up, but the guy says, "Well your dog is aggressive because he kicked up after he went to the bathroom." Um...what? My dog did that to hide his scent. I should've corrected him, but wasn't in the mood for a long discussion on what was right/wrong on dog behavior. So I just answered, "Only to Pit Bulls." Which I'm still working on.
> 
> But seriously, if he thinks that all dogs are aggressive who kick up after the pee, his dog isn't meeting many dogs. I wonder where he got that crazy notion from.


I did a quick Google search and found an article that said "Some dog owners may find this just plain annoying, rude, or feel that it is an aggressive behavior.", so apparently he isn't the first person to hold that false belief. http://www.whataboutdogs.com/2012/12/why-does-my-dog-kick-up-ground-after.html

Assuming that article is true, I, admittedly, didn't know the real reason until now.


----------



## Miss Bugs

So one of the owners of the kennel has a Euro Great Dane, her breeder comes to the kennel to purchase a particular food which we special order for her, so we see her often. Well one of the owners Danes littermate comes to daycare sometimes..we know 100% that they are littermates, owners told us the breeder and birthdate. However the dogs call name is "Turbo"..so we commented to the breeder that Gala's littermate comes too and her response? "Nope, thats impossible, all of our pups names begin with 'G'" ....:doh: because nobody has ever changed a dogs call name before..


----------



## momtolabs

My body hates me! I have been horseback riding twice this week 3+ hours at a time. Today I decide to take a go at barrels and while we only got to a gallop my body is all "NO! Your back will hurt now".


----------



## BubbaMoose

Sigh. I got the dogs a fresh bowl of water. I stood there as Moose scarfed down half of the bowl in the dog room. He seemed like he needed to clear his throat from drinking too fast. So I didn't let him pass me out of the dog room, hoping he would get whatever water went down the wrong pipe out in there. We stood there staring at each other for two minutes. Complete silence. 

I moved out of the way, he proceeded to run down our hallway, cough up water in two different spots, run into the kitchen, cough up water in another spot. I cleaned all of that up with a paper towel. 

I sat down on the couch in the living room, for the first time all day (at 10:45pm). Moose then ran back and got another sip of water. Trailed water from his jowls down the entire hallway and even into the living room. 

Yay, dogs.


----------



## CandyLeopard

I packed *some* of Logan's toys away for the move. I left a few of his "recently played with" toys out for him.
Well, of course he wants the toys that are in the box now!! He was barking and crying at the box.. which I ignored, until he started chewing at it lol.

The poor baby.


----------



## Gumiho

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Saw a Yorkie today and both dogs were good upon meeting each other. I forget how the subject came up, but the guy says, "Well your dog is aggressive because he kicked up after he went to the bathroom." Um...what? My dog did that to hide his scent. I should've corrected him, but wasn't in the mood for a long discussion on what was right/wrong on dog behavior. So I just answered, "Only to Pit Bulls." Which I'm still working on.
> 
> But seriously, if he thinks that all dogs are aggressive who kick up after the pee, his dog isn't meeting many dogs. I wonder where he got that crazy notion from.


Oh, then he would be terrified of my boy. That dog could till a field. His two favorite poddy spots went from lush grass to well tilled dirt in no time. And he uses all four feet to do it, really digs his nails in and starts flinging dirt and sod everywhere. He must be quite the killer.

But it isn't to hide their scent, its a form of scent marking. As much as my dog does it, I'm glad I can't smell it.


----------



## Gumiho

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 180073
> 
> 
> Coolest dog ever came to daycare today!


That is a beautiful, beautiful dog!


----------



## CptJack

I'm reaching the conclusion that Kylie just hates puppies. The older Molly gets, the more Kylie is willing to play with her. Today she actually asked to come out with us when I was just going to throw a ball for Molly. I figured she was just jealous but no. She actually played HARD with Molly for the whole half hour. 

Go figure.


----------



## momtolabs

The local mechanic came down to my house to check out my truck(she has issues) and saw my cat and kept insisting my cat had to be some kind of bobcat hybrid..... Yes my 5lb kitten is a bobcat hybrid just because she has no tail  this was the same guy who said my ferret would eat me...... Glad he is a good mechanic though!! 









Tank escaped from his outside kennel and tried to eat her so that's why she looks severely P'D off,lol.


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

Dear Dogs,
After you are done eating, flipping your bowls 100 times and sliding them across the floor isn't going to magically refill them. You are many things, but magical is not one of them. I will pick up your dishes after I make the human supper (yep boys, we gotta eat too!).
*bowl slides across floor*
-_- Stop. It.
With Love,
Your Eternal Servant


----------



## notgaga

Why do people not pay attention to their dogs at off-leash parks? 

Yesterday I brought Laika to a popular park in my city, which is a usual thing we do. There were maybe ten big dogs of all sorts, like a young golden and a borzoi and a malamute and a few mixes (she's ~60 lbs). She got along well with everyone and it was good. 

Then an un-neutered doberman came in. He pretty quickly targeted her and chased/tackled her twice, which caused her to flip on her side and flop like a fish and cry in fear. The doberman owner did nothing but stand off in the distance. We left pretty promptly, and other people had noticed what was going on and gave sympathetic looks as we exited. 

Like, if your dog is dog aggressive, don't take them to a park with a billion dogs. Also, neuter him. His genes are not that special. Or am I being sensitive?


----------



## BubbaMoose

notgaga said:


> Why do people not pay attention to their dogs at off-leash parks?
> 
> Yesterday I brought Laika to a popular park in my city, which is a usual thing we do. There were maybe ten big dogs of all sorts, like a young golden and a borzoi and a malamute and a few mixes (she's ~60 lbs). She got along well with everyone and it was good.
> 
> Then an un-neutered doberman came in. He pretty quickly targeted her and chased/tackled her twice, which caused her to flip on her side and flop like a fish and cry in fear. The doberman owner did nothing but stand off in the distance. We left pretty promptly, and other people had noticed what was going on and gave sympathetic looks as we exited.
> 
> Like, if your dog is dog aggressive, don't take them to a park with a billion dogs. Also, neuter him. His genes are not that special. Or am I being sensitive?


I don't think you're being sensitive, I would be upset too. While he probably wasn't being outright aggressive (because if he was I bet it the story would have gone a lot differently) it definitely sounds like he was being a bully. I totally understand how you felt when the owner didn't step in. I've witnessed my fair share of instances like that and it never gets any less mind boggling. However, it's my opinion that another person's reasoning for keeping their dog intact shouldn't really be any of your concern. And I kind of don't get why the dog having testicles even made it into this story.


----------



## DGerry

BubbaMoose said:


> However, it's my opinion that another person's reasoning for keeping their dog intact shouldn't really be any of your concern. And I kind of don't even get why the dog having testicles made it into this story.


Not sure about the person you replied to but at least around here, all the dog parks require your dog to be fixed if it's over a certain age. In-tact dogs are simply not allowed in the parks.


----------



## BubbaMoose

DGerry said:


> Not sure about the person you replied to but at least around here, all the dog parks require your dog to be fixed if it's over a certain age. In-tact dogs are simply not allowed in the parks.


That's a valid point, however, I was responding specifically to what the OP said in their post. Their reasoning was, the dogs "genes aren't that special." Because the only reason individuals keep their dogs intact is to breed them, obviously.


----------



## notgaga

BubbaMoose said:


> That's a valid point, however, I was responding specifically to what the OP said in their post. Their reasoning was, the dogs "genes aren't that special." Because the only reason individuals keep their dogs intact is to breed them, obviously.


Dogs being overbred are a big issue where I'm from. People usually just breed them to get money and don't pay attention to anything else. The shelters have free clinics for spaying and neutering, though I'm not sure if that dog was a rescue since it looked like a purebreed. It's a pet peeve of mine given how overpopulated we are with dogs. I didn't mean to be rude. Dog and owner just rubbed me the wrong way and I know there can be behavior issues with not neutering. 

And maybe I'm just not aware of why people don't fix their dogs other than breeding. Maybe they have a good reason, who knows.


----------



## BubbaMoose

notgaga said:


> Dogs being overbred are a big issue where I'm from. People usually just breed them to get money and don't pay attention to anything else. The shelters have free clinics for spaying and neutering, though I'm not sure if that dog was a rescue since it looked like a purebreed. It's a pet peeve of mine given how overpopulated we are with dogs. I didn't mean to be rude. Dog and owner just rubbed me the wrong way and I know there can be behavior issues with not neutering.
> 
> And maybe I'm just not aware of why people don't fix their dogs other than breeding. Maybe they have a good reason, who knows.


I think that does happen everywhere, unfortunately. However there is also a fair amount of responsible dog owners who keep their dogs intact for reasons other than breeding. Sorry that you haven't met any of them yet! I expected to neuter all of my animals by default, but then did some research and have actually decided to leave all of my dogs (present and future) intact for a variety of reasons, the most important reason to me being the health benefits of it. Also, its a really common misconception that intact dogs = behavioral issues, but what I really think it is, is untrained dog = behavioral issues.


----------



## notgaga

BubbaMoose said:


> I think that does happen everywhere, unfortunately. However there is also a fair amount of responsible dog owners who keep their dogs intact for reasons other than breeding. Sorry that you haven't met any of them yet! I expected to neuter all of my animals by default, but then did some research and have actually decided to leave all of my dogs (present and future) intact for a variety of reasons, the most important reason to me being the health benefits of it. Also, its a really common misconception that intact dogs = behavioral issues, but what I really think it is, is untrained dog = behavioral issues.


I had a reply written but found I wasn't logged in...

Gist of what I said - yeah it's for sure an issue. My dog had been spayed before I got her at 11 weeks because they really want to be sure it would happen, so they beat me to the punch (by a number of months). I'll have to look into reasons not to fix just because now I'm curious.

I wonder if there's any correlation between ignoring in a dog park and lack of overall training.


----------



## Remaru

Perhaps I missed something in your description of the event but that doesn't necessary even sound like aggression, possibly just a different play style that your dog doesn't like. My Dobie mix (who is just a puppy though rather large at 26inches but only 50lbs) tends to tackle other dogs in play. He isn't aggressive, he loves all dogs, but he has a physical play style. He is best suited to playing with pit bulls, boxers, and very rough and tumble labs. My husky mix and Carolina dog don't like playing with him, they are more of the "stalk and chase" variety of play. In fact the way they stare each other down is incredibly disconcerting to him the way his rough play style is to them.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Still doesn't excuse the fact that the dog wasn't able to take a hint when OP's dog was clearly upset and not reciprocating "play", nor does it explain how the owner could stand there so obviously and make no attempt to intervene.

Eta: obliviously, not obviously. Good ol' autocorrect always there when I don't need it.


----------



## CptJack

BubbaMoose said:


> Still doesn't excuse the fact that the dog wasn't able to take a hint when OP's dog was clearly upset and not reciprocating "play", nor does it explain how the owner could stand there so obviously and make no attempt to intervene.


This.

Bug has a really rude, forward, physical play-style. No way, no how, would I let her force herself on a dog who didn't want to play like that. She's also deaf so can't hear/get a lot of back off signals so that leaves it to me. But you just... don't let your dog be a rude ass to other dogs who don't enjoy it.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

That's why I rarely go to dog parks anymore. No one, but a few, are watching their dogs and I don't want mine hurt because some idiot either isn't watching or thinks, "My dog didn't do anything wrong." Yeah okay. 
-----------
We see this couple as we walk in the mornings all the time. The man's wife (or sister?) comes once in awhile and she always smiles when she sees Luke. I'm fairly certain she can't speak English or if she can it's only a couple of words to get by, but everyone understands a smile. Today she saw Luke and whips out her camera, I stand away (she still got me in the photo), but I wish she could've somehow communicated she wanted to take a picture of my dog b/c I would've sat Luke down or made him look camera ready. But oh well, it's cool. I think it's neat she wanted a picture of my dog.


----------



## Remaru

No, I was just speaking to the assumption that the dog was aggressive. A dog that tackles other dogs is not automatically aggressive or ill trained, nor does being intact cause a dog to behave that way. It is my experience that Dobermans just have a more physical play style that some dogs (clearly the OP's) may find rude. Personally if Hobs is being rough with a dog who does not reciprocate I call him off, it has never been an issue as his recall is good and he always comes. Every time I've done it the owner of the other dog has asked "why did you do that, ___ was fine" which always seemed odd to me as clearly their dog was not enjoying the situation and for whatever reason was not correcting Hobs (perhaps because he was young and had "puppy license" or perhaps they didn't feel capable of standing up for themselves). If the other dog handles correcting him on their own I just let it be, I figure it is better if the dogs handle the situation on their own. He is good about taking correction from other dogs even those far smaller and will usually wander to dogs more interested in him anyway. I tend to avoid our dog park anyway as it is really really crowded unless you go late and it is one of the "dog in a box" style that just seems like asking for trouble. Hobs does enjoy it but there are a ton of herders there which honestly aren't the ideal playmates for him. I would rather take him hiking.


----------



## CptJack

Very randomly, I have been working on the assumption that what Jack's breeder told me was true and he is actually 18" at the withers. Which is perfectly fine for RT.

Jack is in no way, shape or form 18" at the withers. He's just not. Kylie's 11 and 3/4 - actually wicketed. There is no way he is 6 inches taller than her. 

I dunno. He's as big as he is and I don't care. Probably about 16".

Also means I have NO IDEA how tall Molly is, and also fail to care. 

Go me?


----------



## Miss Bugs

my brother and I took the dogs hiking this morning, the trails were pretty empty and my brother walks fast and runs most of the trail, so i am always far behind. so my brother would get way ahead and if there was absolutely nobody between me and him and he cant see anyone ahead of him either, he would text me letting me know its safe to let my dogs run. so at one point there was a pretty big distance between us, he said it was safe so I dropped the leashes and Paisley just took off down the trail like a rocket, my brother said she was flying towards him so fast with no signs of slowing down that he was like "oh crap... this isn't gonna be good!" she blew past him a ways, turned around and bounced up and down at him till I finally caught up..Gem had run with her for a bit of it but turned around and came back to me, Happy and Gypsy didn't run anywhere in the first place lol. I wish I had gotten a video, because man oh man can that dog RUN!


----------



## notgaga

CptJack said:


> This.
> 
> Bug has a really rude, forward, physical play-style. No way, no how, would I let her force herself on a dog who didn't want to play like that. She's also deaf so can't hear/get a lot of back off signals so that leaves it to me. But you just... don't let your dog be a rude ass to other dogs who don't enjoy it.


Tried to do a reply nest but I can't seem to figure it out... 

Laika is by no means a dainty dog. She's a big hound with loads of energy. She's been run over and tackled and done her fair share in return all in the name of playing. But if ever the other dog she's playing with looks uneasy, I remove her from the situation. This dog was being a bully. Both times it happened, she was nowhere near him and suddenly he was sprinting at her and she was running away from him before being flipped over. I took the cue from her to leave because she sort of glued herself to me after it happened and was perfectly fine to make a quick exit, when usually I have to convince her to follow me. And the owner just was planted on the other side of the park.


----------



## Kayota

i feel so bas for my stepmom's dog. this dog is OBESE and she says she's just 'husky' and her mom was the same way and then today she said 'i never understood why she cant run veru far for a dog her age' uh... i wonder why?? i brought a coat down that was too big for rox and it would have fit rudy but her stomach is just so huge and flabby. she gives her a giant plate of wet food every day. i feel so so bad for her. I cant do anything about it.


----------



## Damon'sMom

souce said:


> It's okay to hate puppies ... it really is.


That. Was wonderful. lol While I am one of those freaks that ADORES raising the little biting, screaming, teething monsters I do love this video. 



notgaga said:


> Why do people not pay attention to their dogs at off-leash parks?
> 
> Yesterday I brought Laika to a popular park in my city, which is a usual thing we do. There were maybe ten big dogs of all sorts, like a young golden and a borzoi and a malamute and a few mixes (she's ~60 lbs). She got along well with everyone and it was good.
> 
> Then an un-neutered doberman came in. He pretty quickly targeted her and chased/tackled her twice, which caused her to flip on her side and flop like a fish and cry in fear. The doberman owner did nothing but stand off in the distance. We left pretty promptly, and other people had noticed what was going on and gave sympathetic looks as we exited.
> 
> Like, if your dog is dog aggressive, don't take them to a park with a billion dogs. Also, neuter him. His genes are not that special. Or am I being sensitive?


I am sorry for your poor pup. Some dogs just do not know how to properly play with others. I doubt he was being aggressive because more than likely someone would have left with some bite marks if he was. And I would just like to say that keeping a dog intact is no ones business except for the owner of said dog. There are more than one reason (breeding) to keep a dog intact. Someone do not want to put their dog under anesthesia needlessly since there is always a risk of your dog never waking up again. And some dogs can't tolerate being put under anesthesia either, their vitals will not stay up where they need to be, they start crashing, and some are sensitive to the drugs used, etc. Then there are the people that just choose not to. Their dogs have never sired a litter and they are well controlled.  I am in no way being rude, I am just stating some reasons I have heard as a vet tech that people won't or can't put their dog under to neuter/ spay them. 

I personally have 1 intact male at the moment that will say that way in my house. 2 intact males, and 1 intact female at my parents house. Never had any litters and none have behavioral issues. When I get my next dog they still stay intact as well.


----------



## CptJack

The reactions I get when I admit that I don't find a dog (of my own!) attractive is equal parts amusing and frustrating.

I PROMISE I love them, even if I think they're ugly. Or more likely very, very plain.


----------



## Mint

When Sophie wants to take a nap, she doesn't go in her crate. We have a sheet over her crate, and as of lately, she has taken to sleeping on top of the crate instead of inside it.

I think I have a cat.


----------



## Miss Bugs

many moons ago I used to do this kinda stuff with Happy and Misty

http://youtu.be/Ps_XbbnAyHw?list=UUtmD7LisvOCe6GcBmBS3ZIQ

I haven't done stuff that this is forever, so I figured I would start lol. Happy doesn't seem to remember any of it at all..either that or maybe she's mostly deaf now and just cant hear me, I dunno, but she bolts for the toy the second I drop it and completely ignores all further commands lol. Gem, Gyp and Pais have never done anything like this before so its slow going lol, so far all I can do is stay them, walk 10 feet, set the toy down(throwing or dropping it is NOT an option!) walk another 2 feet and wask them to hold the stay for about 10 seconds before releasing them at the toy..and that's a BIG improvement lol, throwing the toy and making them walk past it is sooo not happening anytime soon!


----------



## Remaru

Todays rant is brought to you by loose dogs!!! Why are those dogs still running loose in my neighborhood? I posted a thread about the chihuahuas that run loose in my neighborhood before, and how they attacked Dove. Well, they are still at it. :doh: Hubby made a report way back when the one incident happened and we hadn't seen them in just a little while but in the past week I have been attacked no less than once a day, sometimes up to three times a day! Really is it that hard to keep your dang dogs in the house/yard? Now this is by far not the only set of dogs that run loose, almost all of them are chis or chi mixes (because anytime larger dogs get loose AC comes out and picks them up) but this set happen to be really aggressive. There are three of them and they form a little pack and attack on all sides. They run when they see Hobs (no idea why as he has never even barked at them) but they will launch at any smaller dog with the two smaller barking while the larger of the three bites the dog from behind. It is impossible to get myself between them and the dog they are attacking because there are three of them. I have called, hubby has called, NOTHING! If I knew exactly which house they lived at (they come running from behind three different houses) I would go and pound on the door. At this point I am about ready to catch them myself and dump them at the shelter. GAH!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Remaru said:


> Todays rant is brought to you by loose dogs!!! Why are those dogs still running loose in my neighborhood? I posted a thread about the chihuahuas that run loose in my neighborhood before, and how they attacked Dove. Well, they are still at it. :doh: Hubby made a report way back when the one incident happened and we hadn't seen them in just a little while but in the past week I have been attacked no less than once a day, sometimes up to three times a day! Really is it that hard to keep your dang dogs in the house/yard? Now this is by far not the only set of dogs that run loose, almost all of them are chis or chi mixes (because anytime larger dogs get loose AC comes out and picks them up) but this set happen to be really aggressive. There are three of them and they form a little pack and attack on all sides. They run when they see Hobs (no idea why as he has never even barked at them) but they will launch at any smaller dog with the two smaller barking while the larger of the three bites the dog from behind. It is impossible to get myself between them and the dog they are attacking because there are three of them. I have called, hubby has called, NOTHING! If I knew exactly which house they lived at (they come running from behind three different houses) I would go and pound on the door. At this point I am about ready to catch them myself and dump them at the shelter. GAH!


I would pick them all up and drop each one off at a different shelter  that outa fix the problem.


----------



## Flaming

Miss Bugs said:


> I would pick them all up and drop each one off at a different shelter  that outa fix the problem.


large (raccoon sized) trap with canned dog food (on your property of course) then take the offenders to different shelters. I do the same with cats in my yard.


----------



## Adjecyca1

Someone on fb implied that i need to cut Lokis food, he "needs a bit more of a tuck"








i am SOOO use to hearing that he is underweight, overweight?? well that's a change


----------



## momtolabs

It must be " all stray dogs go to Deidra month or something. I was driving to a relatives house when I large black lab darts in front of me. I thought I clipped him but he was 100% fine and I found the owner quickly. Then at my relatives 2 little dogs(mixes) are in her yard so I grab them before they get hit or my uncles dog eats them(okay she wouldn't but she doesn't like small dogs). Again I found the owners quickly as they were out searching for them. Then on my way home a golden retriever is in the road!! This guy had tags and I found his owner quickly as well!! All in a days work I guess  this is also why I never go to this relatives house. The town is seriously overrun with dogs and cats. Oh and I still have Bo who is fabulous by the way


----------



## CptJack

I am constantly irritated by anything I have to do through the owner of our dog training facility. Anything that can be done/arranged directly through the trainers goes fine. Anything that has to filter through the owner? No.

Lady, I AM TRYING TO GIVE YOU MONEY. This is your full time, day time, job. It should not take you 18 years to email me back.

Yeah, I've only been trying to sign up for that treibball class since last night, but I've been trying to rent your facility for a week.

EMAIL ME BACK.


----------



## d_ray

momtolabs said:


> It must be " all stray dogs go to Deidra month or something. I was driving to a relatives house when I large black lab darts in front of me. I thought I clipped him but he was 100% fine and I found the owner quickly. Then at my relatives 2 little dogs(mixes) are in her yard so I grab them before they get hit or my uncles dog eats them(okay she wouldn't but she doesn't like small dogs). Again I found the owners quickly as they were out searching for them. Then on my way home a golden retriever is in the road!! This guy had tags and I found his owner quickly as well!! All in a days work I guess  this is also why I never go to this relatives house. The town is seriously overrun with dogs and cats. Oh and I still have Bo who is fabulous by the way


Wow, I've never heard of anyone running into so many dogs. It's like they are drawn to you or know you will help them.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Eeee... I might have a potential job at dog daycare/kennel. So excited


----------



## d_ray

Jazzy, that's great!

My rant of the day is rain. The new foster is shorter than Jewel so gets soooo muddy when we hike. She also swims. It's impossible to keep a clean house with two active dogs when it's wet!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Adjecyca1 said:


> Someone on fb implied that i need to cut Lokis food, he "needs a bit more of a tuck"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> i am SOOO use to hearing that he is underweight, overweight?? well that's a change


Adjecyca, if I might ask, what do you do to keep your dogs looking so good and fit?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Eeee... I might have a potential job at dog daycare/kennel. So excited


Sending job vibes your way. Hope everything works out.

I hope to get a seasonal job at a local pet supplies plus, the environment is quiet and the store isn't as busy or chaotic as a petsmart so I should be able to handle it.

Pulling that you get the job!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Sending job vibes your way. Hope everything works out.
> 
> I hope to get a seasonal job at a local pet supplies plus, the environment is quiet and the store isn't as busy or chaotic as a petsmart so I should be able to handle it.
> 
> Pulling that you get the job!


Thank you!

I'm really hoping that this will workout. It would be awesome if it did.


----------



## momtolabs

d_ray said:


> Wow, I've never heard of anyone running into so many dogs. It's like they are drawn to you or know you will help them.


This is a first for me!!! It was weird,lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> This is a first for me!!! It was weird,lol.


Must have been your day to be a guardian angel


----------



## Prozax

Got to work this morning with Luna and I realized I forgot her food at home :doh:
Felt so terrible, so I went out and got some chicken for her. Needless to say she was happy  Will have to stay overtime though... yey


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Puppy is coming home soon and I am FREAKING OUT


----------



## d_ray

Luna is gorgeous! Lucky girl


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Lady, I AM TRYING TO GIVE YOU MONEY. This is your full time, day time, job. It should not take you 18 years to email me back.
> 
> Yeah, I've only been trying to sign up for that treibball class since last night, but I've been trying to rent your facility for a week.
> 
> EMAIL ME BACK.


That's so irritating. I was trying to get in contact with a training facility near me to get private lessons. I e-mailed them 2x and they e-mailed back over a week later telling me to call them. I then called multiple times and no one answered. I left a message and no one called me back. Really awful customer service. Like, how does someone listen to a message and just not call them back when they are running a business. I almost wanted to leave a bad review online because it was just so unprofessional in my opinion. How do you ignore someone who is going to give you money? I went with a different facility that e-mailed me back within hours.


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> That's so irritating. I was trying to get in contact with a training facility near me to get private lessons. I e-mailed them 2x and they e-mailed back over a week later telling me to call them. I then called multiple times and no one answered. I left a message and no one called me back. Really awful customer service. Like, how does someone listen to a message and just not call them back when they are running a business. I almost wanted to leave a bad review online because it was just so unprofessional in my opinion. How do you ignore someone who is going to give you money? I went with a different facility that e-mailed me back within hours.


I was bad and pulled a 'we have had agility classes together, you know who I am, and I really want to do this thing' which, sadly, got me email back within about an hour. The other email about renting their facility (which is something they do) still got ignored, but at least I got into the treibball workshop. But still, seriously? You're trying to run a business is right. Some degree of professionalism should be standard. There is another place further away and it looks great and a little intimidating. I keep meaning to check it out but chickening out. I should email them with some questions, though, so thanks for reminding me of that.

But hey. Treibball workshop in a few weeks.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> That's so irritating. I was trying to get in contact with a training facility near me to get private lessons. I e-mailed them 2x and they e-mailed back over a week later telling me to call them. I then called multiple times and no one answered. I left a message and no one called me back. Really awful customer service. Like, how does someone listen to a message and just not call them back when they are running a business. I almost wanted to leave a bad review online because it was just so unprofessional in my opinion. How do you ignore someone who is going to give you money? I went with a different facility that e-mailed me back within hours.


I also hate when someone doesn't return my emails, very rude, esp nowadays when everyone has their email synced to their phones.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I also hate when someone doesn't return my emails, very rude, esp nowadays when everyone has their email synced to their phones.




I agree it is annoying btdt but not everyone has email synced to their phone....I have a dumb phone...don't get emails on my phone. My daughter (15) has an iphone however I feel no need to have one.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> I agree it is annoying btdt but not everyone has email synced to their phone....I have a dumb phone...don't get emails on my phone. My daughter (15) has an iphone however I feel no need to have one.


Yeah, I don't expect instant replies especially outside business hours for business related things. Even if their phone gets the email they're allowed to be off duty, so to speak. A day or two even is okay with me.

A week though? No.


----------



## Kayota

cptjack, let me know how treibball is, i really want to try that sometime.


----------



## CptJack

Kayota said:


> cptjack, let me know how treibball is, i really want to try that sometime.


I will! I'm looking forward to it. Looking forward to the all day thing, too. It SEEMS fun, anyway, though how well Kylie does with it I have no idea.


----------



## dogsule

Kayota said:


> cptjack, let me know how treibball is, i really want to try that sometime.


 
I had to look this up, never heard of it before. I could so see Belle do this...the other two would probably never want to though.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> I had to look this up, never heard of it before. I could so see Belle do this...the other two would probably never want to though.


To be honest, Kylie's going to do it because I want her to and training with me is fun. Her interest in it as a sport is likely to be nil.

But Kylie is my training wheels dog for a lot of things because she's sweet, willing, and finds playing any kind of game with me fun even if her drive for the actual sport is nil. Good practice for Molly, in so, so many ways. The main reason for doing this with her now really is that I have no idea if this is going to be repeated. It is HEAVILY subsidized by the training facility, and is being taught as a workshop. Basically, it's something the owner wants to do with her border collie so she's sharing which professionalism or not is cool. I figure I go, I get the training and I can have another game to play with Molly when she's older.

If it weren't for the cost being stupid low (and it is stupid low. It's thirty dollars for an all day working workshop with a really serious good trainer in the sport - and includes breakfast and take-out lunch, so. Basically free?) and not being sure I'd have another chance I'd probably just hold off, but I REALLY want to see what this is about and learn some things. Kylie's just willing enough to do anything I want


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> To be honest, Kylie's going to do it because I want her to and training with me is fun. Her interest in it as a sport is likely to be nil.
> 
> But Kylie is my training wheels dog for a lot of things because she's sweet, willing, and finds playing any kind of game with me fun even if her drive for the actual sport is nil. Good practice for Molly, in so, so many ways. The main reason for doing this with her now really is that I have no idea if this is going to be repeated. It is HEAVILY subsidized by the training facility, and is being taught as a workshop. Basically, it's something the owner wants to do with her border collie so she's sharing which professionalism or not is cool. I figure I go, I get the training and I can have another game to play with Molly when she's older.
> 
> If it weren't for the cost being stupid low (and it is stupid low. It's thirty dollars for an all day working workshop with a really serious good trainer in the sport - and includes breakfast and take-out lunch, so. Basically free?) and not being sure I'd have another chance I'd probably just hold off, but I REALLY want to see what this is about and learn some things. Kylie's just willing enough to do anything I want



Well that sounds like an awesome deal! Belle can find a game out of anything so I am sure she would enjoy it. I really don't think my other two would get it, or want to even. I hope you have fun and can't wait to hear about it/see pics of it. I don't think we have anything like this around here.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Well that sounds like an awesome deal! Belle can find a game out of anything so I am sure she would enjoy it. I really don't think my other two would get it, or want to even. I hope you have fun and can't wait to hear about it/see pics of it. I don't think we have anything like this around here.


I'm taking my camera. We'll see how many pictures I manage (since I'll be working, probably few of anything relevant), but I'll definitely report back.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Had the day off cuz its my birthday, went for a 2.5 hour hike with my brother(and dogs of coarse) saw a wild owl at the marsh that seriously let 2 people with 5 dogs walk almost right up to it, snapped a picture with my phone and it's the most PERFECT picture that i myself am utterly shocked i got such a clear crisp perfect photo with my cell phone, then went out for supper with my mom and got a DQ cake!. On the down side, i also figured out this morning that my phone is not receiving Text messages, i can send them fine..Everyones phones are saying i am receiving them, but..I'm not.. explained a lot lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Had the day off cuz its my birthday, went for a 2.5 hour hike with my brother(and dogs of coarse) saw a wild owl at the marsh that seriously let 2 people with 5 dogs walk almost right up to it, snapped a picture with my phone and it's the most PERFECT picture that i myself am utterly shocked i got such a clear crisp perfect photo with my cell phone, then went out for supper with my mom and got a DQ cake!. On the down side, i also figured out this morning that my phone is not receiving Text messages, i can send them fine..Everyones phones are saying i am receiving them, but..I'm not.. explained a lot lol


That's awesome! We have an owl that spends his nights in our tractor shed, because of him we have no more rats in there! Yay for owls!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I also want to know if Treibball is exciting or not! We have classes nearby.

I'm thinking of giving barn hunt a go. I was going to do herding, but I could never get a hold of the place so I gave up.


----------



## Damon'sMom

CptJack said:


> I was bad and pulled a 'we have had agility classes together, you know who I am, and I really want to do this thing' which, sadly, got me email back within about an hour. The other email about renting their facility (which is something they do) still got ignored, but at least I got into the treibball workshop. But still, seriously? You're trying to run a business is right. Some degree of professionalism should be standard. There is another place further away and it looks great and a little intimidating. I keep meaning to check it out but chickening out. I should email them with some questions, though, so thanks for reminding me of that.
> 
> But hey. Treibball workshop in a few weeks.


I LOVE LOVE LOVE Treibball. Which pups are you taking to it?

Oops, Just read Kylie. lol Do you plan on taking any of the others?


----------



## CptJack

Damon'sMom said:


> I LOVE LOVE LOVE Treibball. Which pups are you taking to it?
> 
> Oops, Just read Kylie. lol Do you plan on taking any of the others?


Kylie's my doggy sedan - reliable, consistent, gets good mileage, and is easy to work with.

I'll probably do this with Molly if it comes around again and I am 900% sure she'd love it (I'll buy some balls and work on teaching her with or without this coming around again, anyway). I'm primarily going FOR her so I can learn to teach her, even. There is just NO WAY she's going to handle a 7 hour long training day at her age. She's got good energy and work ethic and all but she's five months old. She'd be a screaming, over-stimulated, overly tired, melting down puddle of puppy by the end.

I considered Bug, but I don't think Bug would get it at alllll. Thud's just. Not a sports dog, and Jack would rather be shot. 

So. Kylie it is!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I know Josefina would love Triebbal, but I have too much going on already and I don't think I will be able to afford adding an extra thing


----------



## CptJack

At this point, right now, it looks like Kylie's doing the Treibball thing next month, both she and Molly are doing Agility in January and probably stay in through about July. Both will do the show 'n' goes in April, Kylie will TRIAL in April, one or both will trial in October, and I may, MAY, start doing flyball with Molly next year. 

But my seriousness at all of this is kind of minimal. I just want to keep taking classes, really, and we'll be pretty out of things to take re: agility by the time flyball comes around so the money from agility will be freed up. 

I keep considering rally and obedience since they're also taught around but honestly I find the idea mindnumbingly boring. I want a freestyle class or something.


----------



## Damon'sMom

CptJack said:


> At this point, right now, it looks like Kylie's doing the Treibball thing next month, both she and Molly are doing Agility in January and probably stay in through about July. Both will do the show 'n' goes in April, Kylie will TRIAL in April, one or both will trial in October, and I may, MAY, start doing flyball with Molly next year.
> 
> But my seriousness at all of this is kind of minimal. I just want to keep taking classes, really, and we'll be pretty out of things to take re: agility by the time flyball comes around so the money from agility will be freed up.
> 
> I keep considering rally and obedience since they're also taught around but honestly I find the idea mindnumbingly boring. I want a freestyle class or something.


Sounds like a lot of fun! If Molly is ball crazy she will love Flyball! Its Jasper's second favorite sport (herding being number 1). I also really enjoy it even though the handle does not do a whole lot. lol And I would love to find a free style class to do with the boys but I have not been able to find one.  




Mason starts his Obedience classes in December and they all last for 6 weeks. Beginner December 6th, Intermediate January 11th, and Advanced March 1st. Trick Classes start on April 11th, and CGC starts on June 6th and ends June 27th. He will have all of this completed before his first Birthday which is July 2nd. He will also be going to the ground work for Agility class starting some time in March or April. The Beginners class for Flyball I want to enter him in is not until next winter. And sometime in the middle of all of this he will start Dock diving, and herding as well. I am super excited!


----------



## CptJack

The flyball classes only runs annually here and it always starts in December. That works out, because there is no way I am letting her near flyball until she's over a year old. Agility's one thing, but flyball by it's very nature is more repetitive in the type of stress. 

But yes. Ball NUT. 









Or ball derp, maybe.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Kylie's my doggy sedan - reliable, consistent, gets good mileage, and is easy to work with.
> 
> I'll probably do this with Molly if it comes around again and I am 900% sure she'd love it (I'll buy some balls and work on teaching her with or without this coming around again, anyway). I'm primarily going FOR her so I can learn to teach her, even. There is just NO WAY she's going to handle a 7 hour long training day at her age. She's got good energy and work ethic and all but she's five months old. She'd be a screaming, over-stimulated, overly tired, melting down puddle of puppy by the end.
> 
> I considered Bug, but I don't think Bug would get it at alllll. Thud's just. Not a sports dog, and Jack would rather be shot.
> 
> So. Kylie it is!


Lol jack would rather be shot? He's not very early motivated, is he?


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lol jack would rather be shot? He's not very early motivated, is he?


Jack hates and despises any sort of training. Too much compulsion in his early life that he was too soft for, and too much terrier. He's well behaved, has CRAZY good basic obedience, and is really very stable and sweet. But he really, really hates training. Like a lot. I don't push the issue.


----------



## Damon'sMom

CptJack said:


> The flyball classes only runs annually here and it always starts in December. That works out, because there is no way I am letting her near flyball until she's over a year old. Agility's one thing, but flyball by it's very nature is more repetitive in the type of stress.
> 
> But yes. Ball NUT.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Or ball derp, maybe.


haha cute photo. Yes I believe Jasper was almost exactly a year when we started training in flyball. Its a good age to start, and yes, its hard on their joints. I start all of my dogs out on joint supplements at around 5-8 months old. They are all hard working dogs and I feel the extra might help them in the long run.  Jasper has been taking them since he was 4 months old, he had growing pains as a pup.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Jack hates and despises any sort of training. Too much compulsion in his early life that he was too soft for, and too much terrier. He's well behaved, has CRAZY good basic obedience, and is really very stable and sweet. But he really, really hates training. Like a lot. I don't push the issue.


sorry for being dumb LOL, but what is compulsion training? I know a bit about showing dogs (I think you mentioned that he was a conformation dog ???) and have showed in the past, but i am by no means am an expert.

Poor jack, it sucks someone did that to him


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL not the only one with a toy cray cray dog ...





I dont have any with her ball playing, but trust me, she loves that too. also, tug.


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> sorry for being dumb LOL, but what is compulsion training? I know a bit about showing dogs (I think you mentioned that he was a conformation dog ???) and have showed in the past, but i am by no means am an expert.
> 
> Poor jack, it sucks someone did that to him


He was a conformation dog and was shown but not really related to training method. 

Compulsion training is like you tell the dog to sit and push his butt to the ground to make them sit. Or tell the dog to lie down and physically make them lie down.


----------



## momtolabs

I'm thinking of getting a bark box....what all comes in them usually? Are they worth it?


----------



## Damon'sMom

Usually come with treats, a toy, and a few small items. Go to YouTube and search barkbox unboxing.You will get to see Inside a lot of boxes.

I personally like the soiled rotten box better. it's by petflow.


----------



## Laurelin

The neighbor kids are playing and SCREAMING next door. It is making Hank lose his mind.


----------



## Laurelin

I found triebball duller than dull when we tried it. It's been years but we did a little round of classes (with former member PawzK9 actually. Not her teaching that was bad, I just find the sport dull). My last agility teacher has done a few rounds but I haven't gone to a class.

Treibball is a lot of target work and such really. Teaching dogs to stay on their mat and push the ball a certain way. 

We have a busy few weeks/days ahead. Saturday is USDAA with Summer, Weds are Summer agility classes, Mondays are advanced nosework which I am not committing to full time (because $$$ or I would) but I am going to be dropping in with either Summer or Mia as we go, Saturdays starting next weekend are Hank agility classes, Sundays about 3x a month are Hank flyball practice if we like it. First try is this weekend. Sundays 1x a month are ring rentals for the TDAA ring. Thursday nights are drop in agility classes if we want to go. November 15th is a barn hunt with Hank. Saturdays 1-2x a month are free nosework practices.

I don't think I can do it all. I want to do it all though! So bad!


----------



## CptJack

Just reading that made me tired.

I get it, because I want to pounce on every possible thing to at least try. It just also really makes me want a nap.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Reading that all y'all have these opportunities makes me super jealous. I'm over here in nowhere Nebraska where there is literally no dog sports or places to train.


----------



## CptJack

If it makes you feel any better at all, any time I do any kind of class or event I travel at least an hour each way?

But yeah, I've lived places where the nearest thing would have been 3, 4 hours and just. Blergh. All the sympathy.


----------



## Laurelin

I'd keep poking around. You may be surprised at what is going on in your area. I only hear about things through agility pretty much. I wish the dog world did a better job advertising.

I would do all the things if I was rich easily. I love doing dog events but alas... nowhere near rich.  I don't understand how people are able to do everything. The big draw for flyball is it's almost completely free to practice (there's no classes, just the team practice). Just have to pay for building rental.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I'd keep poking around. You may be surprised at what is going on in your area. I only hear about things through agility pretty much. I wish the dog world did a better job advertising.
> 
> I would do all the things if I was rich easily. I love doing dog events but alas... nowhere near rich.  I don't understand how people are able to do everything. The big draw for flyball is it's almost completely free to practice (there's no classes, just the team practice). Just have to pay for building rental.


Cheap cost of living. I've yet to find classes here, at any of the 3 training facilities I've uncovered within an hour and a half/two hours of me that charge more than 15.00 per instructional hour for a class. Agility practice is free after classes, flyball is the same. Each one of those classes runs 10.00/instructional hour for varying lengths of time. Renting the agility building or field is 30/hour and so are one on one lessons. 

That said, incomes of people are proportionally smaller, too. Gas adds up for me to get to any of this but our biggest problem really is time. I don't have that much of it really free. Well, not free enough to take off for multiple hours on weekday evenings. I wish I did. Maybe when the kids are out.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh I know people that go out of state for trials every weekend or may do 2-3 events every single weekend (or most!). It amazes me. I need to find a rich dog person husband to fund me.


----------



## d_ray

I'm not usually a negative person but tonight was a stressful night. I came home to the foster having pooped all over her crate, then jj rolled in something dead on our hike, then jj got lose on street and took off after rabbit, then while I'm to bathing jj and cooking bland food to cure foster's runs, foster pissed a lake in the foyer. All I can say is I'm grateful for wine, young and the restless and poutine right now.


----------



## Miss Bugs

> Oh I know people that go out of state for trials every weekend or may do 2-3 events every single weekend (or most!). It amazes me. I need to find a rich dog person husband to fund me.


agree'd there lol. I just finished filling out my entries for a Rally trial for Gem and Paisley and I was choking at the cost of trialling 2 dogs..and I don't even trial more then 3-4 times per YEAR! i'm going have to start getting choosy when my puppy is ready to compete and alternate dogs or something, I am just hoping Gem will have up to her Versatility Excellent title and then instead of moving to C stream, switch her to working level since they are held as separate events lol


----------



## Laurelin

I used to honestly think if you got bit a lot by your own dog you were just a terrible trainer who was on a trip to prove how badass you and your dog was. 

I must hang my hat. I have been bit by Hank so much. My arms and hands are solid bruises from him missing tugs or getting overstimulated. Ok, I get it now. This is not an easy thing to work through. It's very different from my mouthy shelties and papillons.


----------



## CptJack

Thud is like that, actually - or was. Only it was almost entirely overstimulation or redirected frustration. I don't talk about it because I think it makes him sound aggressive. 

I know you're not asking for advice the only thing that worked for us was NOT riling him up. No tugs, no balls, no excitement until he got a grip and learned some impulse control and restraint, then slowly introducing it. Like a month, maybe two, of just total lock down of everything exciting and working on how to focus and be deliberate in things. I know you want to keep his energy and drive and I don't think there's much risk of him losing it. 

Either way, My unsolicited .2 cents is to remember that self-control is sometimes as much a learned skill as an off switch.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah we've been working a lot of self control. I think part of it is I love his toy drive coming off dogs with honestly meh toy drive to work with. We do need to do more though I think. Self control is a difficult thing for him. He hasn't redirected, just overstimulation. He loves to jump up and bite arms too when he's worked up. 

I think he got my hand primarily because we need a bigger frisbee though. Maybe we should stick to tugs that are long enough for me not to get my hands in the way. 

My right hand is blue right now from when he gripped my hand and not the frisbee.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Can you be super gruff with Hank to keep him riled and rarin to work? Ie smacking him around(while in the zone lol) will get you an even crazier dog? I tought Gem to take it easy by hurting her back(only when in that crazed zone) ie she bites me i "bite" her back. This made her realize the need to watch herself without losing her fun crazy. She's 3 now, Still a spaz and chompy and over excited for training but she is more careful about not eating me in the process.

Dog dependent of coarse, Gypsy is just as insane as Gem but lacks the confidence, if she gets too crazy and hurts me and i react at all she immediately shuts down.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Miss Bugs said:


> Can you be super gruff with Hank to keep him riled and rarin to work? Ie smacking him around(while in the zone lol) will get you an even crazier dog? I tought Gem to take it easy by hurting her back(only when in that crazed zone) ie she bites me i "bite" her back. This made her realize the need to watch herself without losing her fun crazy. She's 3 now, Still a spaz and chompy and over excited for training but she is more careful about not eating me in the process.
> 
> Dog dependent of coarse, Gypsy is just as insane as Gem but lacks the confidence, if she gets too crazy and hurts me and i react at all she immediately shuts down.


This is what I did with Jasper. He still gets so amped up he is shaking and jumping but learned to keep this teeth off me.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Yeah we've been working a lot of self control. I think part of it is I love his toy drive coming off dogs with honestly meh toy drive to work with. We do need to do more though I think. Self control is a difficult thing for him. He hasn't redirected, just overstimulation. He loves to jump up and bite arms too when he's worked up.
> 
> I think he got my hand primarily because we need a bigger frisbee though. Maybe we should stick to tugs that are long enough for me not to get my hands in the way.
> 
> My right hand is blue right now from when he gripped my hand and not the frisbee.


The length of the tug didn't matter with Josefina, she had (and still has when she is over stimulated enough) will go for the tug up high. I found it helped doing a lot of revv up/cool down with her and if her little teeth touch flesh, the game is over and mommy goes away ... simple as that.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My breeder has 2 litters due around the same time(more choices for me lol) and one of the litters was just born last night!! 4 boys, 4 girls! So exciting!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> My breeder has 2 litters due around the same time(more choices for me lol) and one of the litters was just born last night!! 4 boys, 4 girls! So exciting!!


That was the same with Liberty's breeder, it was awesome because the first litter had only one girl and she was already reserved. Luckily the second litter had several tricolor girls to choose from.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

It snowed. It's only going to be 39 degree's here. Oh, & there's suppose to 40+ mile per hour winds.

I seriously feel bad for anyone trick or treating tonight.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> It snowed. It's only going to be 39 degree's here. Oh, & there's suppose to 40+ mile per hour winds.
> 
> I seriously feel bad for anyone trick or treating tonight.


It's supposed to be 80 degrees today but in the high 40s tonight ... boo.


----------



## Kayota

it's going to be in the 30ss here tonight too lol


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Kayota said:


> it's going to be in the 30ss here tonight too lol


39 was the high today. It's suppose to dip down in 20's, & that is without the windchill.

ETA: I meant was.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> 39 wasn't the high today. It's suppose to dip down in 20's, & that is without the windchill.


thats why I live down here, we havent even gotten out our winter clothes yet! LOL


----------



## d_ray

It's going down to about -2C (28 F) tonight with a chance of snow. Ewwwww. I'm not ready for this.


----------



## Willowy

Ha, we got spoiled by the nice warm weather and now we're whining that it's normal . I just grabbed a sweatshirt this morning because it's been so warm and now I'm regretting it. . .that'll teach me to actually look at the forecast, LOL.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL we whine when it gets below 70 during the day LOL


----------



## CptJack

The more people ask me what sports I plan on doing with Molly and/or the more they assume that I got her to do sports.... The more I want to make my answer 'none'. 

And likewise the more I want to carry merrily along doing agility with Kylie and maybe even more with my little deaf Boston.

I am really contrary, okay?


----------



## momtolabs

Damon'sMom said:


> Usually come with treats, a toy, and a few small items. Go to YouTube and search barkbox unboxing.You will get to see Inside a lot of boxes.
> 
> I personally like the soiled rotten box better. it's by petflow.


Thank you!


----------



## Willowy

CptJack said:


> The more people ask me what sports I plan on doing with Molly and/or the more they assume that I got her to do sports.... The more I want to make my answer 'none'.
> 
> And likewise the more I want to carry merrily along doing agility with Kylie and maybe even more with my little deaf Boston.
> 
> I am really contrary, okay?


Haha, I'm contrary like that too. I totally get it!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> The more people ask me what sports I plan on doing with Molly and/or the more they assume that I got her to do sports.... The more I want to make my answer 'none'.
> 
> And likewise the more I want to carry merrily along doing agility with Kylie and maybe even more with my little deaf Boston.
> 
> I am really contrary, okay?


Hey as long as the dogs are enjoying it and you are enjoying it, who cares what other people think. I am sure people think I have lost it doing agility with Josefina when she probably won't go very far in it ... but no, I guess us enjoying it doesn't count for anything :/ i have an aunt that thinks like that.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I'm not sure why my friends are treating me the way they are. But, for whatever reason(s) it sucks. 

A friend of mine has cancelled on me three times in less then a month. We would plan hanging out with each other, then she'd cancel last minute. 

Then another friend used me last night. I thought she did want to hang out with me. Nope. She didn't. She's also been ignoring me for whatever reasons.

Makes me feel even worse about myself then I already feel.


----------



## momtolabs

I really hate being the new person at a job!! I work in a large retailer so it doesn't make it easier!!!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

momtolabs said:


> I really hate being the new person at a job!! I work in a large retailer so it doesn't make it easier!!!


Sending vibes your way. I hope everything works out.


----------



## Kayota

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I'm not sure why my friends are treating me the way they are. But, for whatever reason(s) it sucks.
> 
> A friend of mine has cancelled on me three times in less then a month. We would plan hanging out with each other, then she'd cancel last minute.
> 
> Then another friend used me last night. I thought she did want to hang out with me. Nope. She didn't. She's also been ignoring me for whatever reasons.
> 
> Makes me feel even worse about myself then I already feel.


II tried to have a birthday party last year and everyone but one person cancelled an hour before we were supposed to meet. I feel your pain.


----------



## dogsule

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> 39 was the high today. It's suppose to dip down in 20's, & that is without the windchill.
> 
> ETA: I meant was.




It was 17 out this morning when I got up. Even though the winds were calm I didn't take the dogs for a walk. I can do the 30's no problem but this morning I just wasn't in the mood. It is 37 right now (1:00) and I will be taking the dogs for a walk in a bit.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I'm not sure why my friends are treating me the way they are. But, for whatever reason(s) it sucks.
> 
> A friend of mine has cancelled on me three times in less then a month. We would plan hanging out with each other, then she'd cancel last minute.
> 
> Then another friend used me last night. I thought she did want to hang out with me. Nope. She didn't. She's also been ignoring me for whatever reasons.
> 
> Makes me feel even worse about myself then I already feel.


I hate to say it but I am usually the one canceling ... because I get overwhelmed by my anxiety and stress of the poss pet of a social situation and I panic ... it's terrible I know and I hate it but luckily my friends are very understanding about it.

Unless I am REALLY FAMILIAR with the place I am going to, like the agility place or the race track.


----------



## Prozax

I left Luna at home yesterday, when I went to work, as she was feeling a little down. I came back to her in pain, from the syringomyelia 
She is miserable, can't walk properly, can't get up without my help or go potty.. Won't eat unless I take food in bed to her. She hasn't been this worse in the past 4 months. I keep thinking that a couple of months of relatively good health and 1-2 weeks of pain is acceptable and I won't let her go because of this. I want her to be able to tell me how is it for her  I hate this situation..


----------



## Kayota

momtolabs said:


> I really hate being the new person at a job!! I work in a large retailer so it doesn't make it easier!!!


I'm at my first day of work too, good luck


----------



## JeJo

Despite Kayla dog following me around last night as I set all the clocks back and listening to my explanation of how coming off from daylight savings time meant that "we" could sleep in an hour, she would not cooperate this morning! Evidently she forgot to change her clock back. *sigh* I grumblingly got up and took out the persistent gal but made her wait an hour before feeding her breakfast (the major tick behind her internal clock). She owes me an afternoon nap! lol


----------



## Kayota

So uh. Today at the dog park a smallish mutt dog pooped directly into Roxie's mouth as she approached him from behind for a sniff. Didn't even squat, it just shot right out. Her expression was hilarious but I felt pretty bad for her. She was definitely not happy, she kept shaking her head and sticking her tongue out. Bizarre.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> It was 17 out this morning when I got up. Even though the winds were calm I didn't take the dogs for a walk. I can do the 30's no problem but this morning I just wasn't in the mood. It is 37 right now (1:00) and I will be taking the dogs for a walk in a bit.


Blech! I would die.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Kayota said:


> So uh. Today at the dog park a smallish mutt dog pooped directly into Roxie's mouth as she approached him from behind for a sniff. Didn't even squat, it just shot right out. Her expression was hilarious but I felt pretty bad for her. She was definitely not happy, she kept shaking her head and sticking her tongue out. Bizarre.


I think I just died from laughter.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Kayota said:


> So uh. Today at the dog park a smallish mutt dog pooped directly into Roxie's mouth as she approached him from behind for a sniff. Didn't even squat, it just shot right out. Her expression was hilarious but I felt pretty bad for her. She was definitely not happy, she kept shaking her head and sticking her tongue out. Bizarre.


hahaha. Oh, Poor Roxie!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I'm not sure why my friends are treating me the way they are. But, for whatever reason(s) it sucks.
> 
> A friend of mine has cancelled on me three times in less then a month. We would plan hanging out with each other, then she'd cancel last minute.
> 
> Then another friend used me last night. I thought she did want to hang out with me. Nope. She didn't. She's also been ignoring me for whatever reasons.
> 
> Makes me feel even worse about myself then I already feel.


When I had social anxiety attacks, I cancelled on people at the last minute for dumb reasons sometimes. Do any of them have anxiety problems? I'm sorry you are being ditched out on like that. It's never fun for any reason.  I had friends that just stopped talking to me without any reason for it. One day they were my friend, the next I wasn't cool enough.

I found things didn't really get much better until College.


Kayota - I'm sorry for poor Roxie but that's funny.


----------



## gingerkid

Went for a hike today at a different park than normal. It's full of bridges that cross over a small stream, along some bridges there are small walls to keep the embankment from caving in, etc. Well, today, Snowball decided it would be a good idea to jump from the embankment wall to partway along the bridge, which has full-height handrails. Naturally, he didn't make it, and fell into the stream... 

It was a drop of less than 5 ft. and he mostly landed right-side up. He's fine as far as we can tell, but dear lord, did he give me a scare. He doesn't normally take risks like that!


----------



## Damon'sMom

I spent my morning cleaning up after Mason's BLOWOUT. 3 comforters, and 2 fleece blankets were trashed. He got it on all of them, as well as the wall, and the carpet. I was mortified!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> I spent my morning cleaning up after Mason's BLOWOUT. 3 comforters, and 2 fleece blankets were trashed. He got it on all of them, as well as the wall, and the carpet. I was mortified!


Ewwww, one of my parents dog did that when he was given a food supplements t that didn't agree with it him.

Have you tried something called probios" it's Probiotics that we give the horses when they have blowout issues, but you can also give it to dogs, it comes in a powder in a white tub, or a paste.


----------



## Damon'sMom

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ewwww, one of my parents dog did that when he was given a food supplements t that didn't agree with it him.
> 
> Have you tried something called probios" it's Probiotics that we give the horses when they have blowout issues, but you can also give it to dogs, it comes in a powder in a white tub, or a paste.


haha yeah. And no I am trying to avoid meds, and supplements for now. If its not better by tomorrow night when I get off work I am picking up digestive enzymes and probiotics. lol


----------



## BubbaMoose

It's 2:00am and I've been up doing school work. Moose put himself to bed in his crate about two hours ago he's been there ever since. Just too sweet. He's not ever done that before. 

Isn't it funny how you blink your eyes, and then just like that, your puppy has somehow become a dog?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> It's 2:00am and I've been up doing school work. Moose put himself to bed in his crate about two hours ago he's been there ever since. Just too sweet. He's not ever done that before.
> 
> Isn't it funny how you blink your eyes, and then just like that, your puppy has somehow become a dog?


Josefina did that it was like "I'm a puppy, I'm a puppy, I'm a puppy ..." then BANG it was like she grew up overnight.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Oh, there is a walking dead discussion thread in the off topic forum. We are putting everything in white text so if you want to go in there but don't want to be spoiled, you don't have to worry


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Josefina did that it was like "I'm a puppy, I'm a puppy, I'm a puppy ..." then BANG it was like she grew up overnight.


it was the same with roxie, i took her to the grand opening of the dog park back home and i fully expected her to play like crazy but she just minded her own business for the most part and continues to do that to this day although she's starting to play with other dogs a bit more now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Now that she is 5, she is slower, not as energetic as she used to be, she doesn't play a a long as she used to and she sleeps more.


----------



## ireth0

Luna is having her first group play with like 8 other dogs as we speak. I am at work. Apparently she is having a blast. I am both happy and sad and relieved and terrified.


----------



## Miss Bugs

different day today lol on way home from work, stopped by an air compressor as the tire pressure was low, tried to fill it and lost more air instead! dropped to 13 PSI! so detoured to a service station to get it looked at...the problem being I had 4 dogs in the van lol, so for over an hour we chilled in a service shop, got lots of attention, got asked if Gem and Paisley were sisters once(not even the same breed...) got a surprised look when I said nope but Gem and Gypsy are lol had someone else point at Gem and Paisley and asked what they were..I pointed to Gem and said "Heeler/Shep mix" and at Paisley and said "Aussie Shepherd" and got a "eh? their not even the same?" in response lol. only one person looked at all my dogs, pointed at Paisley ONLY and said "Australian Shepherd?" why yes sire, THAT one is in fact an Aussie! lol. weirder still was that of the 2 people helping us, 1 was a lady I train with and 1 was a client at the kennel lol 

far left and far right dogs are the ones people thought were the same, and were surprised that no, the 2 of the far right are sisters, the one of the far left is completely unrelated lol


----------



## Kayota

didnt you know everything with spots is merle?


----------



## gingerkid

Can poodles be merle? I'm pretty sure I saw a merle poodle at the park this morning.

(I mean, not really - it was obviously a cross of some kind but like, woah. It was cool looking.)


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> Can poodles be merle? I'm pretty sure I saw a merle poodle at the park this morning.
> 
> (I mean, not really - it was obviously a cross of some kind but like, woah. It was cool looking.)


Aussie-doodles are things, and apparently fairly popular here. They are NEAT.


----------



## Miss Bugs

> didnt you know everything with spots is merle?


IME everything with spots is Merle...except for Merle-that's black and grey. :doh: lol

funny thing is, Paisley is NOT the only Merle dog in that group..but Gem is not the second, Gypsy(the red one) is, Gem and Gyp are not full sisters, and Gyp is sable merle..but, ya know..she's red, therefore completely unrelated to those 2 white, tan and grey/black dogs that have nothing is common beside 4 legs and no tail lol

I seriously don't understand how people thing they look the same, their colour doesn't even look the same, their structures are completely different..I mean look at Gem's head and legs and body compared to Paisley, Gem is long narrow, virtually no stop on her face and her nose is long and pointy and she's short coated, Paisley is square, with a thick blunt head and face, deep stop and really long hair!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yeah ... Josefina has been called merle before and I am sure liberty will too once people find out that her mom was blue merle ... they will find something merle on her, watch.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

CptJack said:


> Aussie-doodles are things, and apparently fairly popular here. They are NEAT.


They are. I've met one, due to a friend having one. She's really neat, but does having some reactivity issue.



gingerkid said:


> Can poodles be merle? I'm pretty sure I saw a merle poodle at the park this morning.
> 
> (I mean, not really - it was obviously a cross of some kind but like, woah. It was cool looking.)


From what I've heard-It comes from outcrossing from generations back,which is usually a herding breed(IE:Aussie.). 

Don't quote me on that. I know next to nothing about color genetics, or poodles.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Seems like everyone is breeding to get merle dogs now-a-days. I personally would love a Red or Black tri Aussie next time. 



CptJack said:


> Aussie-doodles are things, and apparently fairly popular here. They are NEAT.


There is a lady that lives around here that breeds them. She health test all of her dogs and they are all titled in some sport or another. Great dogs. She has one named Gypsy that I would kill for. lmao She also does _not _claim they are hypoallergenic which I love. They do shed a heck of a lot less than my boys do though.


----------



## CptJack

I have just realized that Molly will begin agility classes right around the time frame I expect her to go into heat. 

That means I can either: 
A-) Spay Before then.
B-) Hope it doesn't happen but plan on missing half the class.
C-) Pull the plug on the class.

I'm reallllly not likely to do C. I am fairly likely to do A. I don't like it, but there you go. 
Blah.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

The only Aussiedoodle I know is a complete neurotic train wreck of a dog. I don't really like to see my favorite breed doodled, but I understand why they exist I guess?

CptJack - I had the same problem signing up for my agility classes. I thought for SURE she was going into heat at 9 months old. Nope. Never had a heat and was spayed at 1 year because of contract. You might get lucky.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> CptJack - I had the same problem signing up for my agility classes. I thought for SURE she was going into heat at 9 months old. Nope. Never had a heat and was spayed at 1 year because of contract. You might get lucky.


I'm waffling. I'll probably keep an eye on things, wait and see and maybe just hold off until 2-3 weeks before the classes start (they're really no impact). Or - I don't know, just gamble and hope. I'd be fine with a year. If I have the option of scheduling it, I can get it done and her recovered between classes. 

Time will tell I suppose.


----------



## Laurelin

Hell Hath froze over.

Mia initiated a play session with Hank. It only lasted a couple minutes but STILL.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I have just realized that Molly will begin agility classes right around the time frame I expect her to go into heat.
> 
> That means I can either:
> A-) Spay Before then.
> B-) Hope it doesn't happen but plan on missing half the class.
> C-) Pull the plug on the class.
> 
> I'm reallllly not likely to do C. I am fairly likely to do A. I don't like it, but there you go.
> Blah.


Someone brought their dog (a show dog) who was in heat. She had diapers on but still! Good thing we didn't have any intact males in the clsss.


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Someone brought their dog (a show dog) who was in heat. She had diapers on but still! Good thing we didn't have any intact males in the clsss.


No way would that ever happen. The instructor would kill anyone who tried, and largely because it's not fair to the other dogs (intact or not, and including the one in heat) or any other dogs that use the facility. That crap's just rude.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> No way would that ever happen. The instructor would kill anyone who tried, and largely because it's not fair to the other dogs (intact or not, and including the one in heat) or any other dogs that use the facility. That crap's just rude.


Well he let them stay, but told them not to do it again in the future. Still I was like WTF


----------



## Laurelin

Hank gained 4 lbs and also gained 1.5" around his neck in the last month and a week. Hmmm.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> The only Aussiedoodle I know is a complete neurotic train wreck of a dog. I don't really like to see my favorite breed doodled, but I understand why they exist I guess?.


Yep, me too that's a good example of just breeding for profit and not thinking about the resulting dogs.


----------



## GrinningDog

Gypsy is intelligent, but she lacks common sense. While eating from her Tricky Treat Ball, she managed to knock a kibble under the door. She was snuffling, scratching, licking, desperately trying to reach the kibble.

I took pity on her. "Gypsy," I said, and she looked over. "Orbit!" Which is her command to go around and object and come back to me. She perked up, suddenly understanding, and walked _around _the door to easily reach the kibble. Omnomnom.

Doofus.


----------



## dogsule

So I started a part time job last night and I swear when I got home Belle was mad at me for being gone for 4 hours. The little stinker! She acted miffed. Then this morning I find her like this....with my new pair of shoes I wore last night....


IMG_5192a8 by rzyg, on Flickr


Thankfully I saw her before she chewed on them cause she would have if she had the chance. Still likes to sneak away and chew things up if possible. Oh and she was not home alone last night either...my teenage daughter was home with her. My daughter told me she sat by the window (facing the driveway) for a long time but then when she (daughter)went in her bedroom Belle followed and laid by her until I got home. The other two curled up on the couch and slept the whole while I was gone. Yeah...they are a little spoiled with me being home with them all day every day.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> Gypsy is intelligent, but she lacks common sense. While eating from her Tricky Treat Ball, she managed to knock a kibble under the door. She was snuffling, scratching, licking, desperately trying to reach the kibble.
> 
> I took pity on her. "Gypsy," I said, and she looked over. "Orbit!" Which is her command to go around and object and come back to me. She perked up, suddenly understanding, and walked _around _the door to easily reach the kibble. Omnomnom.
> 
> Doofus.


Oh Josefina won't even try to do something hard, she will come back to me and look up at me like "uh human? A little help?" I swear she learns by watching other dogs, because when she wouldn't go through the tunnels at agility, and she got this look on her face, I know I am anthropomorphizing but she looked at me with what I swear was a look of realization. Then she did it.


----------



## ireth0

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Oh Josefina won't even try to do something hard, she will come back to me and look up at me like "uh human? A little help?" I swear she learns by watching other dogs, because when she wouldn't go through the tunnels at agility, and she got this look on her face, I know I am anthropomorphizing but she looked at me with what I swear was a look of realization. Then she did it.


Luna tends to just move the furniture herself when something goes under it... She frequently shoves our coffee table, her crate, lamps, and our TV stand out of her way when using her food dispensing toys.


----------



## Prozax

ireth0 said:


> Luna tends to just move the furniture herself when something goes under it... She frequently shoves our coffee table, her crate, lamps, and our TV stand out of her way when using her food dispensing toys.


Sounds like a Luna thing. My Luna moved the whole couch to get a piece of kibble that rolled under. She often moves me with her nose, if any of her toys are under me )


----------



## Melle

Someone should just ship me a random puppy, any puppy, because I am dying inside without a dog. This household is crushing.


----------



## taquitos

Melle said:


> Someone should just ship me a random puppy, any puppy, because I am dying inside without a dog. This household is crushing.


What happened to your dog?


----------



## Melle

taquitos said:


> What happened to your dog?


I made the decision to rehome her back in mid-August  The restrictions being set were just ruining her quality of life because she was either in my room, or had to be long-leashed at the bottom of the stairwell, and couldn't so much as stick her nose inside a box.

Sad thing is, everyone else in the family is still very disappointed about it because they loved her, but that's what happens when you have a paranoid dad that bleaches anything an animal hair touches and thinks your pit mix puppy is going to unlock the bedroom door and eat him in the middle of the night. Somehow. I still have dreams just about being _angry_. She gave me extra courage, the motivation to get things done, and was a depression battle buddy. I didn't have to rehome her but he was ruining it and it wasn't something I could fix for her.


----------



## taquitos

Melle said:


> I made the decision to rehome her back in mid-August  The restrictions being set were just ruining her quality of life because she was either in my room, or had to be long-leashed at the bottom of the stairwell, and couldn't so much as stick her nose inside a box.
> 
> Sad thing is, everyone else in the family is still very disappointed about it because they loved her, but that's what happens when you have a paranoid dad that bleaches anything an animal hair touches and thinks your pit mix puppy is going to unlock the bedroom door and eat him in the middle of the night. Somehow. I still have dreams just about being _angry_. She gave me extra courage, the motivation to get things done, and was a depression battle buddy. I didn't have to rehome her but he was ruining it and it wasn't something I could fix for her.


Oh... I am so sorry  I can completely understand your decision to rehome Nina (that was her name, right? Sorry if I messed it up). I am the same way as you. I have been fighting depression and social anxiety for a really long time, and Meeko is sometimes the only reason why I get out of bed and go outside to face the world.

So unfortunate that you had to rehome her... you took such good care of her


----------



## Melle

taquitos said:


> Oh... I am so sorry  I can completely understand your decision to rehome Nina (that was her name, right? Sorry if I messed it up). I am the same way as you. I have been fighting depression and social anxiety for a really long time, and Meeko is sometimes the only reason why I get out of bed and go outside to face the world.
> 
> So unfortunate that you had to rehome her... you took such good care of her


I'm just hoping that she has all she had here and more with her new family. Maybe there's something there that will remind her of me every once and a while. I just hope she doesn't forget. I kind of numbed to it for a while but this week has been a little rough.

There must be such a thing as fate because yesterday someone's older lab got out in our neighborhood and decided to glue himself to my dad's side while he was doing yard work. He was still there when I got home and ran right up to me all happy and bouncy and I walked him around the neighborhood until we found his people again. God knows I needed some dog time. Sometimes it's good to be around them again and other times seeing dogs just gets part of me mad. But that was good dog time.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Melle said:


> I'm just hoping that she has all she had here and more with her new family. Maybe there's something there that will remind her of me every once and a while. I just hope she doesn't forget. I kind of numbed to it for a while but this week has been a little rough.
> 
> There must be such a thing as fate because yesterday someone's older lab got out in our neighborhood and decided to glue himself to my dad's side while he was doing yard work. He was still there when I got home and ran right up to me all happy and bouncy and I walked him around the neighborhood until we found his people again. God knows I needed some dog time. Sometimes it's good to be around them again and other times seeing dogs just gets part of me mad. But that was good dog time.


I know people like this, people who can't believe our dogs come inside our house and think that our house must look like those houses on that show "confessions animal hoarding" that used to be on and are surprised that our house is neat, clean and smells nice.


----------



## CptJack

Most of the time I tend to kind of think of Molly as unusually mature for a 5 month old puppy, but a fairly typical dog in most regards. 

Then I sort of step outside myself and realize that, nope - she really is a freaking nut. I've just gotten used to the fact that she's a freaking nut. 

She's AWESOME, but holy crap she is insane.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Argh, Josefina, why must you be the only of the dogs who likes to play around in the rain and the mud, then slip past me when I am trying to towel you off and run around and have muddy zoomies all over my freshly mobbed floor!!! I love you but RAWR!!! :frusty:


----------



## theairedale

*leaf blows by*
Copper: A THREAT! 
Me: What, no, Cop-
Copper: I WILL GET IT
Me: We're inside, you can't do anything
Copper: HUMAN DO NOT WORRY. I GOT THIS.
*almost runs into screen door*


----------



## kcomstoc

theairedale said:


> *leaf blows by*
> Copper: A THREAT!
> Me: What, no, Cop-
> Copper: I WILL GET IT
> Me: We're inside, you can't do anything
> Copper: HUMAN DO NOT WORRY. I GOT THIS.
> *almost runs into screen door*


LOL probably the most hilarious thing I've read all day  thank you


----------



## gingerkid

You know what I love? Waking up to a white dog covered in blood.

(Have vet appt in 30 minutes; likely broken tooth because blood is coming from his mouth and also OF COURSE it is).


----------



## ireth0

gingerkid said:


> You know what I love? Waking up to a white dog covered in blood.
> 
> (Have vet appt in 30 minutes; likely broken tooth because blood is coming from his mouth and also OF COURSE it is).


Oh no! I hope everything is alright.


----------



## Pasarella

Today when we were coming home from a walk we met a woman I work with. 
So she looks at my 4 dogs and asks-do they all have names?


----------



## gingerkid

ireth0 said:


> Oh no! I hope everything is alright.


One of his lower canines (I think) broke off most of the way. Luckily, vet had room in schedule today to do extraction(s) and Snowball was already fasted (although in an emergency situation like this I don't think they'd worry to much about that any way). Vet's going to x-ray all his teeth in case he sustained invisible trauma to his mouth when he fell/jumped off the bridge on the weekend.

One good thing came of it: I learned that the emergency vet clinic doesn't do dental work (even if it is an emergency), which made me feel a lot better about waiting an hour to see our vet instead of going to the e-vet.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Most of the time I tend to kind of think of Molly as unusually mature for a 5 month old puppy, but a fairly typical dog in most regards.
> 
> Then I sort of step outside myself and realize that, nope - she really is a freaking nut. I've just gotten used to the fact that she's a freaking nut.
> 
> She's AWESOME, but holy crap she is insane.


Izze was also very mature as a puppy, it's hard to explain, but she wasn't like your "normal" derpy puppy, Bear was the same way. So I was a little spoiled when I got Josefina, who was the definition of a derpy, stupid, immature puppy. As soon as I committed to love the dog I had not the dog I wanted, we both were much happier.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I'm just really not sure what dog I want next anymore. I keep going back and forth. All I know is I want a puppy only and it has to be a herding breed or mixof. I was going to go the breeder route again for a BC this time, but I keep seeing purebred (and nearly purebred) puppies popping up in shelters a few hours away (where the milling and heavy BYBs are common). Just.. so hard when you don't know how they are going to turn out. My first puppy was a shelter dog and she turned out amazing, but ended up with back/neck/knee issues by 3. I'm giving it serious thought though since I really have no idea what breed specifically I want and care more about some drive to do agility. Hard decisions are hard.


----------



## Miss Bugs

my dogs are boring since they grew up  I have active crazy breeds for a REASON and ever since Gem and Gyp hit true adulthood(they are 3 now) they have become boring lol see they have always come to work with me, then after work we would go for a walk/run/training, but tnow that they are not puppies any more they get home from work and don't wanna DO anything else...and I get it, its 9 hours of daycare with several acres of running space out there lol but it means I come home with dogs that don't wanna do anything rather then the fun crazy dogs I know and love and purposely adopted! so today I left Gem and Gyp at home and only brought Happy and Paisley to work with me, and after work I was happy to take excited dogs to the park or play lol


----------



## DaySleepers

Sooo... a dog in my neighborhood is being hospitalized for poisoning, and it's not looking good for her. Her owner thinks it's deliberate. I'm really hoping it was an accident (we have foxes, poison could've been set for them. Or, you know, rats). Yes, she did roam, and she absolutely should've been leashed/fenced/otherwise kept on her owner's property (as should several other dogs in the neighborhood), but she's an old lady and harmless. Especially worrisome is that this is a nice neighborhood with lots of kids and family dogs. I just... can't imagine someone going as far as killing a dog because she pooped on their lawn. And if it was deliberate, and it was the person the owner suspects, that's exactly what happened.

Needless to say, really glad Samwise is never outside unsupervised or unleashed right now.


----------



## Laurelin

So I accidentally treated Hank once when he put his front feet on me then spun in a circle (we were working on spin). Somehow now his go to behavior to offer me is to jump and put all 4 feet on my hip then spin/jump away from me.

So um... He should be easy to teach a rebound to. Once he's old enough to jump.

I fail at preventing him from jumping. lol

Also it is amazing, freaking AMAZING, how fast this dog picks things up. His stay is phenomenal already. His impulse control is getting to be fantastic. 

There's got to be a downside to this dog but I can't find one yet. Ok the biting is not always great. 

I spent all morning looking at rescue cattle dogs and mixes. DO NOT NEED. There's a couple tiny ones out there though. I want to hoard tiny cattle doggy and terrier things. I love this reckless abandon + brains combination. It's amazing. 

It's probably a bad sign when you're covered in bruises from your dog and are thinking you want more just like it.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> So I accidentally treated Hank once when he put his front feet on me then spun in a circle (we were working on spin). Somehow now his go to behavior to offer me is to jump and put all 4 feet on my hip then spin/jump away from me.
> 
> So um... He should be easy to teach a rebound to. Once he's old enough to jump.
> 
> I fail at preventing him from jumping. lol
> 
> Also it is amazing, freaking AMAZING, how fast this dog picks things up. His stay is phenomenal already. His impulse control is getting to be fantastic.



We're living a similar life, again.

Molly isn't into biting unless you're running but she will absolutely bounce off your chest if you've got a toy. I am TRYING to keep that dog from doing any serious jumping/twisting, but unless I just... don't play with her? It's going to happen. I toss the ball low, she'll get under it and pop it up to jump for it. Or just plain JUMP. After everything or just because fun. All the time. 

She's not even quite 6 months old yet and I just kind of... give up.

Otherwise, I'm just in love. Ok, I'm in love with the jumping, too, but I'm NOT encouraging it.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

OMG I go to get my puppy Saturday ... as in thr day after tomorrow and I am FREAKING OUT!!! Mostly about the trip because i have never been there before please God help me find my way! I don't know why I am having so much anxiety over this, I am going to ask if Mom can go with me, I hope she says yes, it would be nice to have a companion on the trip lol and someone to read the GPS.


----------



## asuna

i feel like Thors medication isnt doing squat, i really hope its nothing serious and he perks up, i cant afford another vet visit


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

asuna said:


> i feel like Thors medication isnt doing squat, i really hope its nothing serious and he perks up, i cant afford another vet visit


Poor guy, hope he is better soon


----------



## asuna

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Poor guy, hope he is better soon


 thank you


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

asuna said:


> thank you


You welcome, Thor is one of my fave DF dogs.


----------



## asuna

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You welcome, Thor is one of my fave DF dogs.


ahahwow thank you so much id never thought id hear anyone say that! hes deff a goofy little guy ...i should update his thread some more


----------



## CptJack

I hope he feels better and is doing better for you soon.

You guys - you guys LOOK WHAT I FOUND!









KYLIE HAS BALL DRIVE OUTSIDE NOW. Thank you, Molly and jealousy and that stupid little pill bottle!

I am so stupid excited about this.


----------



## ireth0

My mom asked what I was for Christmas. Is it bad that 'money for dog training classes' is my go-to response?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Have fun ownedbyacds!! I bet your so excited  my puppies litter is being born right now! (The planned litter that i applied for) 4 pups so far but only 1 female last i checked in.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I don't mind looking/walking my neighbor's dogs. But please be considerate, if you're not going to wherever....please call or text me. Don't leave me hanging thinking either you forgot or aren't going. It would be really nice of you to next time let me know if you're going or not. I get you said "may be going", but still. Do people really forget to be considerate anymore?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Have fun ownedbyacds!! I bet your so excited  my puppies litter is being born right now! (The planned litter that i applied for) 4 pups so far but only 1 female last i checked in.


Excited, anxious, stressed, terrified, freaking out etc ... so many feelings! !! Do you have pics of your pup? Can't wait to see em!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I am destroyed right now.

I have had a serious personal family emergency that has caused me to back out of the sale of my puppy. I just ... I am so numb right now I don't even know how to feel. I am sure it will hit me, all the feelings, but right now I just feel numb


----------



## Miss Bugs

9 pups total, 3 girls


----------



## momtolabs

Yay miss bugs!!!!! 


With me working every other day my mom has been the main one feeding my dogs. Bentley gains weight so easy and so you have to stick with his diet/exercise. My poor dog is like a walking table -_- well to me,lol. Ill try and get a picture later but man!!! I'm going to have to ban my mom from feeding the dogs,lol.


----------



## Melle

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am destroyed right now.
> 
> I have had a serious personal family emergency that has caused me to back out of the sale of my puppy. I just ... I am so numb right now I don't even know how to feel. I am sure it will hit me, all the feelings, but right now I just feel numb


I'm so sorry  Sending good vibes, you and your family are in my thoughts!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am destroyed right now.
> 
> I have had a serious personal family emergency that has caused me to back out of the sale of my puppy. I just ... I am so numb right now I don't even know how to feel. I am sure it will hit me, all the feelings, but right now I just feel numb


On no I'm so so sorry.((((HUGS))))


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am destroyed right now.
> 
> I have had a serious personal family emergency that has caused me to back out of the sale of my puppy. I just ... I am so numb right now I don't even know how to feel. I am sure it will hit me, all the feelings, but right now I just feel numb


I am so so sorry....I was really excited to see your new addition. I really hope that everything gets better


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Thank you all for the kind words. I am sorry I haven't been on all day, it's been a really upsetting day to say the least. I am trying to have faith that things will get better and not feel sorry for myself. 

The breeder was very awesome and understanding about it, though and I know I will be buying with her in the future when the time is right. As it looks now that might be a while. I know it's bad to feel sorry for yourself but I can't help I think it's just part of the process and I will just have to go through it.


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Thank you all for the kind words. I am sorry I haven't been on all day, it's been a really upsetting day to say the least. I am trying to have faith that things will get better and not feel sorry for myself.
> 
> The breeder was very awesome and understanding about it, though and I know I will be buying with her in the future when the time is right. As it looks now that might be a while. I know it's bad to feel sorry for yourself but I can't help I think it's just part of the process and I will just have to go through it.


 I'm glad she was so understanding, bad things happen sometimes and you know if you need to talk to anyone you know we're all right here for you


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Thank you all for the kind words. I am sorry I haven't been on all day, it's been a really upsetting day to say the least. I am trying to have faith that things will get better and not feel sorry for myself.
> 
> The breeder was very awesome and understanding about it, though and I know I will be buying with her in the future when the time is right. As it looks now that might be a while. I know it's bad to feel sorry for yourself but I can't help I think it's just part of the process and I will just have to go through it.


I'm sorry about whatever it may be that has happened, and I'm sorry you have to put the puppy on hold.


----------



## momtolabs

I know I need to call to make an appointment for Mia to be spayed before Christmas but every time I think about it I get anxiety. I know I will cry when I drop her off  I will probably have a friend go with me to drop her off. I'm also nervous about what if she bites a vet? She isn't aggressive but doesn't tolerate strangers manhandling her. She's never been muzzled so I know she is going to be so stressed! It's at least 2 weeks before I can take her in and I already feel bad,lol. I've taken Bentley and Mae in and I didn't have this bad of anxiety. I know I will have to stay calm when I take Mia in or it will make it worse for her and its going to be hard!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I know I need to call to make an appointment for Mia to be spayed before Christmas but every time I think about it I get anxiety. I know I will cry when I drop her off  I will probably have a friend go with me to drop her off. I'm also nervous about what if she bites a vet? She isn't aggressive but doesn't tolerate strangers manhandling her. She's never been muzzled so I know she is going to be so stressed! It's at least 2 weeks before I can take her in and I already feel bad,lol. I've taken Bentley and Mae in and I didn't have this bad of anxiety. I know I will have to stay calm when I take Mia in or it will make it worse for her and its going to be hard!!


Maybe tell them how she is and request for them to be extra gentle? maybe work on her at home with wearing a muzzle so she gets used to it?


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

momtolabs said:


> I know I need to call to make an appointment for Mia to be spayed before Christmas but every time I think about it I get anxiety. I know I will cry when I drop her off  I will probably have a friend go with me to drop her off. I'm also nervous about what if she bites a vet? She isn't aggressive but doesn't tolerate strangers manhandling her. She's never been muzzled so I know she is going to be so stressed! It's at least 2 weeks before I can take her in and I already feel bad,lol. I've taken Bentley and Mae in and I didn't have this bad of anxiety. I know I will have to stay calm when I take Mia in or it will make it worse for her and its going to be hard!!


I had the same issue. Kairi is just really reserved with people she doesn't know, and I was not confident strangers could handle her without some possible issues. I actually work there, so I spent all day panicking until they put her under and told them to come get me if she was bad. I cried the whole time. Cried after. I was a mess. Kairi, on the other hand did absolutely fine. She let the vets/techs handle her just fine, sedative and all. I'm sure Mia will be just fine as well, though I totally get the fear.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I had the same issue. Kairi is just really reserved with people she doesn't know, and I was not confident strangers could handle her without some possible issues. I actually work there, so I spent all day panicking until they put her under and told them to come get me if she was bad. I cried the whole time. Cried after. I was a mess. Kairi, on the other hand did absolutely fine. She let the vets/techs handle her just fine, sedative and all. I'm sure Mia will be just fine as well, though I totally get the fear.


Or maybe have them sedate her in the exam room with you still there before you leave? I dont think they will do that since you drop them off the night before, or maybe ask then if they could sedate her in her cage first than being her to the operating room?


----------



## momtolabs

Our vet does it the day you drop them off but wait a few hours usually. I might just tell then when I call I'm not sure how she is act with them and ask for a muzzle. Or I will just by one to train her with it on so she is used to it. With Bentley and Mae I knew they would be fine since they love people but Mia doesn't. She tolerates strangers to a level but is usually "okay leave me alone now" after a few minutes.


----------



## jade5280

Gypsy grabbed a chocolate muffin off of the table this morning. Thank god she only had it for a couple seconds before I was able to pry it out of her mouth. Really glad she doesn't resource guard.


----------



## Laurelin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Soldier_with_cattle_dog.jpg










That dog looks a lot like Hank in size/build.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Our vet does it the day you drop them off but wait a few hours usually. I might just tell then when I call I'm not sure how she is act with them and ask for a muzzle. Or I will just by one to train her with it on so she is used to it. With Bentley and Mae I knew they would be fine since they love people but Mia doesn't. She tolerates strangers to a level but is usually "okay leave me alone now" after a few minutes.


Momtolabs, Izze was the same way, what I did was in the weeks prior to her going there I conditioned her to wearing a muzzle, she never liked it, but I was able to get her to tolerate it and become familiar with it. And she wouldnt even tolerate strangers, she was a "screw you, get away from me." kind of dog. Maybe also have strangers manipulate her with you there? I dont know, thats all I have. I understand, I really do, I am a nervous wreck when my dogs have to go "in the back" for anything!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

The breeder (who is one of my friends on FB) is advertizing the puppy I was going to get for sale, I know she has to and I dont blame her, but still, it causes a stab of pain in my heart every time I see it. I hope she gets a really great home and the people love her as much as I would *cries*. 

but in my situation, I would have zero time for her and it wouldnt be fair to her, as things have developed, I barely have time for Josefina as it is, I even thought I would have to stop going to agility, but I was able to at least do that.

I hate life sometimes


----------



## CptJack

I am absolutely never, ever going to do flyball. I MIGHT take the classes because as an activity it looks fun, but I would yank all my hair out and commit some kind of violent crime if I had to spend hours locked in with that level of noise. 

Fun! But HOLY HECK.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I am absolutely never, ever going to do flyball. I MIGHT take the classes because as an activity it looks fun, but I would yank all my hair out and commit some kind of violent crime if I had to spend hours locked in with that level of noise.
> 
> Fun! But HOLY HECK.


I have two teenage malinios in my agility class, so I feel your pain, I just make sure I have plenty of migraine pills in the car at all times.


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I have two teenage malinios in my agility class, so I feel your pain, I just make sure I have plenty of migraine pills in the car at all times.


I can handle dogs barking. I mean it bugs me but I can handle it.

Dozens of dogs barking at once? No. I want to murder everyone and everything. Violently.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I got desensitized to it ... I used to go to terrier trials LOL.


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

I am SO sick of off leash dogs, that have zero recall.
Since it's deer season, I only feel comfortable taking the boys trail walking on Sunday (Maine's no hunting day). I attempted to take Boss and Jacoby to a trail, and there was a Shiba Inu who had zero recall. Before I even tried to get out of the car, this dog runs full tilt and body slams my car, scratching the doors and snarling at my dogs (Jacoby is dog aggressive, but he's been getting more tolerant with training. I -really- hope this doesn't cause a setback.). The people just.keep.walking. Seriously!? They finally responded after the fifth time I honked my car horn, and glared at me like it was my fault...


----------



## jade5280

CrazyDogWoman said:


> I am SO sick of off leash dogs, that have zero recall.
> Since it's deer season, I only feel comfortable taking the boys trail walking on Sunday (Maine's no hunting day). I attempted to take Boss and Jacoby to a trail, and there was a Shiba Inu who had zero recall. Before I even tried to get out of the car, this dog runs full tilt and body slams my car, scratching the doors and snarling at my dogs (Jacoby is dog aggressive, but he's been getting more tolerant with training. I -really- hope this doesn't cause a setback.). The people just.keep.walking. Seriously!? They finally responded after the fifth time I honked my car horn, and glared at me like it was my fault...


WHAT!? Scratching your car!? What is wrong with people???? They have no respect for anyone. Ridiculous!


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

Yep, scratching my car. I am not happy about it, at all. Thankfully my car is old and already had some scratches, but still...


----------



## Greater Swiss

Sigh....a friend of mine that I haven't seen much for years crashed at our house. He's got a dog, a runt bullmastiff (about 100lbs, all brindle, gorgeous dog!). She is SUCH a sweet dog, but really doesn't seem to like Caeda much. Not sure if it is that she is protective of her human, of all humans or what. She is a bit of a bully, very vocally grumbly and such. I'm pretty sure she's "all bark no bite", but it is SO annoying that every time Caeda even moves in her vicinity she gives out a tiny grumble, if Caeda is excited, its full on growls. I'm not comfy letting them just "go play" because of this. She might just be vocal, and might play (though is a pretty huge and mellow dog), but the body language irks me a bit....SEEMS ok, then the grumble comes. Caeda goes away, and she gets up and follows her. Caeda feels the need to constantly roll onto her back....not something she used to do very often. The owner is pretty decent, not at all bad with dogs, but seems to think wagging = ok. Nope, not always...Love seeing my friend again, but its annoying feeling the need to be hypervigilant with the dogs.


----------



## momtolabs

Well Caleb can no longer fit on my 4-wheeler. So now comes the task of training him to run beside it. Luckily he does what Mia does most of the time. I had him following yesterday and he did pretty good(I was at a crawl,lol). Now I just got to put commands into the turns and hopefully he will catch on? Mia had no other dog to follow and learn and I had to teach her from scratch and it took about 4 days. Caleb is a little uh..... Slow so I'm expecting it to take a bit longer.


----------



## Laurelin

Summer had a really bad seizure this morning. I can't shake the thought that it is a brain tumor. :/

We are trying some anti-seizure medications. This thing last from 6:50 to 8:20 am, making it the longest she's had.


----------



## CptJack

I am so sorry. I hope the medication helps.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Really sorry to hear about Summer, hope the medication helps. The Vet gave me some rectal Atavan to give Remmy if his seizure lasted very long. It is very easy to administer, comes in a little tube and you just administer it up their rectum. Remmy was having a seizure a month but has now not had one since the end of July. Really hard when you have no way to find out what is causing seizures.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Summer had a really bad seizure this morning. I can't shake the thought that it is a brain tumor. :/
> 
> We are trying some anti-seizure medications. This thing last from 6:50 to 8:20 am, making it the longest she's had.


Oh no, Summer. I am so sorry.


----------



## gingerkid

Laurelin said:


> Summer had a really bad seizure this morning. I can't shake the thought that it is a brain tumor. :/
> 
> We are trying some anti-seizure medications. This thing last from 6:50 to 8:20 am, making it the longest she's had.


So sorry to hear this.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Laurelin said:


> Summer had a really bad seizure this morning. I can't shake the thought that it is a brain tumor. :/
> 
> We are trying some anti-seizure medications. This thing last from 6:50 to 8:20 am, making it the longest she's had.


Oh no. I am so sorry.(((HUGS))) I really hope the medication helps out.


----------



## Laurelin

Thanks. This one had an hour and a half recovery time with it. She usually comes out faster than that.

I never see any actual convulsions on these. She was fine going out to potty and then after I got out of the shower she jumped in my lap and was shivering. I set her down and she couldn't walk. The whole time we were at the vet she was shivering and panting like crazy and couldn't keep her feet under her. The vet said her dog's seizures look very similar in the post-ictal stage.

Once she was out of it though, she was back to happy Summer and running around. 

I really think it's a tumor, though.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Thanks. This one had an hour and a half recovery time with it. She usually comes out faster than that.
> 
> I never see any actual convulsions on these. She was fine going out to potty and then after I got out of the shower she jumped in my lap and was shivering. I set her down and she couldn't walk. The whole time we were at the vet she was shivering and panting like crazy and couldn't keep her feet under her. The vet said her dog's seizures look very similar in the post-ictal stage.
> 
> Once she was out of it though, she was back to happy Summer and running around.
> 
> I really think it's a tumor, though.


Oh no! I am so sorry  summer is in my thoughts.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I just .... can't believe how much rotten luck I am having right now. My fiancee is angry with me because I told him I wasn't comfortable with going up there and staying at the ranch he is working at for a week or so. I also have things going on here and a horse and dog here, I can't just leave them. Really, universe, really?!

I'm sorry to be such whiny baby ... but ... damn!


----------



## Melle

I had a dream I had a red and rust Dobie girl, a puppy. Hmm.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Laurelin said:


> Summer had a really bad seizure this morning. I can't shake the thought that it is a brain tumor. :/
> 
> We are trying some anti-seizure medications. This thing last from 6:50 to 8:20 am, making it the longest she's had.


I am so sorry. My thoughts are with you all. Piper my last boxer had seizures and a brain tumor. I really hope the meds help you all.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Anyone's help/ opinions on the Basenji Health thread I just posted would be GREATLY appreciated. I am at a loss for how to help them. Its long and I do appologies in advance!

In other news Masons tummy is getting better! I have hopes of him being back on kibble (no rice and chicken) this Friday! I am super excited to stop cooking for him. I have a ton of rice and boiled chicken mix in my refrigerator. LOL The sooner he gets back on kibble the sooner I can get his weight back to where it needs to be.

And in Exciting news! Jasper got his OAJ title in Agility!!! So proud of this boy!


----------



## CptJack

I'm letting Molly be out of her crate for the first time while I work today. It's a test run, but she's sleeping on the couch with Kylie and periodically opens her eyes and looks at me and then wags her tail before going back to sleep. It's very "You're sure? Really? Oh yay." and it's MELTING me.


----------



## CptJack

And then our dog trainer made me cry by suggesting we bring Molly to watch our drop in agility classes so she can work on making friends with Molly and letting Molly get some GOOD counter conditioning opportunities with well behaved dogs and dog people. It's not like Molly's a wreck but that she thought to offer that up just delights me.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I'm letting Molly be out of her crate for the first time while I work today. It's a test run, but she's sleeping on the couch with Kylie and periodically opens her eyes and looks at me and then wags her tail before going back to sleep. It's very "You're sure? Really? Oh yay." and it's MELTING me.


That's how Josefina was the first time I let her stay out of the crate at night, and when I was home. It was cute!


----------



## Miss Bugs

End of the night last night at work, my dogs were up front, we were doing final checks, new girl walks to the back to tell me "your dog bit my nose" i looked at her and said "Gem?" She said yes, i was like "yup she does that!" Its not a problem, its a feature  if she likes you she jumps up and bites/head rams your nose so hard you will be pretty sure she broke your nose lol. When she was younger it was ears as well, when she was happy she would sneak up behind you and nibble your ear lol. I prefer this to Gypsys idea of affection.. engulfing your face with her whole mouth or pushing her head as hard as she can across your face...


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Melle said:


> I had a dream I had a red and rust Dobie girl, a puppy. Hmm.


When I was hoping for a Merle Aussie from one breeder, I had a dream that I went with a different breeder and ended up with a Black Tri. Guess what happened? Lolz. Red Dobes are super pretty.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> When I was hoping for a Merle Aussie from one breeder, I had a dream that I went with a different breeder and ended up with a Black Tri. Guess what happened? Lolz. Red Dobes are super pretty.


...I had a dream that I had a smooth coat red and white BC? 2 out of 3 ain't bad, I guess.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> ...I had a dream that I had a smooth coat red and white BC? 2 out of 3 ain't bad, I guess.


Heh. Dreams don't always come true, but it's kinda weird when they do. What I wouldn't give for a red or red tri smooth coat BC though. With mostly standing ears! <3


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Heh. Dreams don't always come true, but it's kinda weird when they do. What I wouldn't give for a red or red tri smooth coat BC though. With mostly standing ears! <3


Yep, that was my dream. Real irony? *I don't like red dogs*. LOL.


----------



## Melle

I've spent a long time spazzing over GSDs imagining a bicolor female (UGH those dogs do somethin' to me) but ever since my Dobe dream my heart just beats a little faster when I think about getting a pup. And all the leather collars that would stand out on her too!

My irony is that I swore I would never consider Dobes as my breed because of their health. Well, that's what I said about pet rats too but you know what?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Have i said before how much i adore this dog? She makes me happy!


----------



## Laurelin

I always dream I have random breeds like a husky or a bulldog. Something I'd never get or seek out. I did dream about a blue speckled dog named Stetson once. He looked nothing like Hank though...

A couple nights ago I dreamed I got the sheltie I was originally planning on in addition to Hank. It was weird.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

My dog is freaking weird. Sometimes when she is playing with a toy, she walks over to the fireplace and puts the toy in front of it. Then she stares at her reflection in the glass or something for a few seconds. Then she picks the toy up again, while continuing to stare and squeaks the toy a few times at it. Then she gets bored and walks away. I'm not really sure what this means..


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Three people in agility class have MAS ... oh universe, why must you torture me so!!!


----------



## gingerkid

Either the cat or the dog is having wicked gas right now. I can't tell which one because they're both sitting beside me on the couch... but MAN it REEKS.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> When I was hoping for a Merle Aussie from one breeder, I had a dream that I went with a different breeder and ended up with a Black Tri. Guess what happened? Lolz. Red Dobes are super pretty.


I've had so many dreams about getting a puppy-It's not usually a specific breed. I always wake up unsatisfied.

One day I will have a dog. One day. And that will be one of the best days of my life, if not that best day of my life.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL at the end of the class someone was playing with a toy that lit up when it was bounced and Josefina thought that was the BEST THING EVER, lol. I am glad that she saw that at the end of the class not the beginning.


----------



## Miss Bugs

So far it looks pretty likely that my Toller pup is gonna be a black pigmented girl, of the 3 females in the litter 2 are developing black pigment..that'll be weird lol? I am soo not used to Tollers with the black pigment!


----------



## Damon'sMom

I am so nervous about Sophie's vet apportionment tonight. Only 3 more hours. I just hope she is okay. :/

It doesn't help that she is horrible at the vet. Like muzzle on before we walk inside bad. ugh.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Either the cat or the dog is having wicked gas right now. I can't tell which one because they're both sitting beside me on the couch... but MAN it REEKS.


Lord and cat gas is the worst ... ten times worse than dog gas. 

One of the dogs at agility class this week had horrible gas, I mean I am used to dog gas but this was nuclear. Even Josefina smelled it and looked it me like "ewww! "


----------



## BubbaMoose

Sad because I asked Bubba to jump up on me (like he has been doing for nearly the past 10 years) and he just couldn't. I coaxed him a bit more and he attempted to, and landed on me half as high as normal and looked very uncomfortable. He doesn't seem in pain, and I'm trying to stay calm, but when I got his hips x-rayed a year and a half ago I found out that his hips weren't in good condition. I'm keeping Moose away from him (he can be rough), taking him to the store after work so that he can pick out a tempurpedic bed/getting him a cheese burger for dinner and also just trying not to cry. Because he's my special boy... and seeing the dog you've had for the past 9 and 1/2 years really start to slow down just sucks. 

Vet appointment on Monday for advice, a check over and pain management if needed.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> Sad because I asked Bubba to jump up on me (like he has been doing for nearly the past 10 years) and he just couldn't. I coaxed him a bit more and he attempted to, and landed on me half as high as normal and looked very uncomfortable. He doesn't seem in pain, and I'm trying to stay calm, but when I got his hips x-rayed a year and a half ago I found out that his hips weren't in good condition. I'm keeping Moose away from him (he can be rough), taking him to the store after work so that he can pick out a tempurpedic bed/getting him a cheese burger for dinner and also just trying not to cry. Because he's my special boy... and seeing the dog you've had for the past 9 and 1/2 years really start to slow down just sucks.
> 
> Vet appointment on Monday for advice, a check over and pain management if needed.


I'm sorry, I hope everything is ok, that's always scary when they do something like that.


----------



## Melle

I always seem to end up falling for dogs that generally or apparently have off-the-wall energy or need tons of exercise. Generally that's what I get when they meet the rest of my criteria.

Don't get me wrong, I love being active with a dog and getting out and doing things but I also don't like the pressure of the looming threat of it going crazy if we can't do an hour daily, or go on a four mile walk or something daily.

I like a good 2 mile walk daily or so, fetch in the yard, biking if it were reasonable, but I also like to just sit around outside. I enjoy the freedom of doing a lot when I'm up to it, but not feeling like I have a quota to meet. And also, how do I know how much dog is too much dog? I remember someone once jokingly said they thought Nina would be too much dog for them, but all I thought was too much was the reactivity. Otherwise we played tug, did flirtpole everyday, and maybe 30 minute walks. It's hard for me to gauge "how much dog" that was, or that I can be comfortable with, and match what living with Nina was like, when people tell me about their experiences, mostly because I don't even get to interact with dogs almost at all.


----------



## CptJack

Eh. I'm an exceptionally lazy person. Most of my dogs are high energy - one of them is a teenage border collie. I will tell you that energy level alone doesn't turn me off crap because I am fully capable of sitting on my butt and exercising the dog. Fetch is an amazing, amazing thing. I also believe that a lot of dogs who 'need' more than 2 or so hours of exercise a day to keep from being obnoxious are created by their owners. You give them reasonable exercise, you work their minds as well as their body and you train for an off switch.

That said, the border collie isn't too much for me. 

Thud was, and in some ways still is.

It's not because he's high energy and likes to move. It's because he is a lot of very forward, assertive, not particularly biddable, dog who requires absolutely everything I do with him be 200% WITH HIM. Molly will trail around the house and stick her nose into what I'm doing. She's curious and wants to be involved in what's happening. Thud's... kind of typical GSD from what I understand in that he doesn't want to know what I'm doing, Thud wants to be the ONLY thing I'm doing. He either wants me all in, 100% engaged and focused or he has no use of me at all. That's ROUGH for me to maintain long enough to get anywhere with him sometimes.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> Eh. I'm an exceptionally lazy person. Most of my dogs are high energy - one of them is a teenage border collie. I will tell you that energy level alone doesn't turn me off crap because I am fully capable of sitting on my butt and exercising the dog. Fetch is an amazing, amazing thing. I also believe that a lot of dogs who 'need' more than 2 or so hours of exercise a day to keep from being obnoxious are created by their owners. You give them reasonable exercise, you work their minds as well as their body and you train for an off switch.
> 
> That said, the border collie isn't too much for me.
> 
> Thud was, and in some ways still is.
> 
> It's not because he's high energy and likes to move. It's because he is a lot of very forward, assertive, not particularly biddable, dog who requires absolutely everything I do with him be 200% WITH HIM. Molly will trail around the house and stick her nose into what I'm doing. She's curious and wants to be involved in what's happening. Thud's... kind of typical GSD from what I understand in that he doesn't want to know what I'm doing, Thud wants to be the ONLY thing I'm doing. He either wants me all in, 100% engaged and focused or he has no use of me at all. That's ROUGH for me to maintain long enough to get anywhere with him sometimes.


Do you think this would work with most dogs? I've really kinda put myself off with a lot of dogs that I would really like to own because of high energy. So play fetch, walk them for an hour or so, mental stimulation, do some classes with them (obedience, agility) and then rest of the time is chill time?


----------



## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> Do you think this would work with most dogs? I've really kinda put myself off with a lot of dogs that I would really like to own because of high energy. So play fetch, walk them for an hour or so, mental stimulation, do some classes with them (obedience, agility) and then rest of the time is chill time?


I... am going to try to tease this out in a way that makes sense, so bare with me? 

My dogs don't get taken on leashed walks during the week at all. Any of them. Molly and Thud get the most physical exercise and what they get is basically a half hour in the morning of HARD and fast fetch or flirtpole, Molly gets another half hour at lunch, and then in the evening everyone gets somewhere between an hour and a half and two hours of hard running off leash (balls, frisbees, each other - just fast, heart-rate up moving). A couple of times a week we do some off leash hiking which is really more about places to stop and swim and run than the hike itself -at least those are what the dogs consider rewarding and useful. We do classes here and there, but not constantly. Molly has yet to have her first class. 

I kind of figure between 2 and 3 hours a day, depending on dog is more than ample opportunity to be fit and burn off energy. None of the exercise involves ME doing a whole lot of exercise. If I tried to run step for step with the dogs, I would keel over and DIE. I am not athletic. I am not high energy. I am not YOUNG. I'm middle aged, I'm overweight and I smoke. It's just not happening.

I train for usually 15-20 minutes a pop a few times a day, and which dog that is varies. I doubt seriously that any dog gets an hour of training a day, much less than an hour. Maybe, if you throw in 'hey, commercial break, come here and let's work on paw targeting for a minute'. 

But I can't really necessarily say they chill out the rest of the time, either. Like, yeah, Molly and Thud come in after their morning romp and sleep until noon (Kylie, Jack and Bug don't wake up until noon), eat their lunch and then sleep until early evening when work is done. But weekends, evenings and nights Kylie, Thud and Molly are all up in EVERYONE's business, all the time. Folding laundry, taking out the trash, to doing dishes and cooking. Molly is Very Serious (tm) about seeing the kids on and off the bus. I think, for a lot of these breeds - not all of them!- and dogs, that's kind of the key component. They're energetic, but they also want to be really closely involved in what you're doing and your life. Even Thud who only wants you're attention if you're REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO HIM needs the attention and engagement more than he needs to run.

So... exercise I'm not sure should put everyone off, if they have an even moderately active lifestyle and willingness to get the dog what it needs, but I think level engagement SHOULD. IMO, the dogs often touted as being most high energy really need... engagement and involvement and someone who makes the dog a major part of their life and lifestyle. Someone who basically makes a hobby of THEM. 

I could run Molly or Thud for 8 hours a day basically and still have them take the house apart, honestly. What they need is focus, attention, and involvement and engagement with their people. And active teaching rather than just passive learning. Passive learning and what they learn isn't going to be good.

Does that make any sense at all?


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## kcomstoc

That makes sense to me, basically it's more about focusing on them and giving them your attention with exercise and mental stimulation right?


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## Laurelin

I would try to meet dogs and you'll figure out what you like on your own, imo. I find Hank to be really easy to live with despite being exactly what you believe a cattle dog terrier mix would be like.

I don't have a set amount of time I give Hank exercise. My life doesn't work that way. Monday was really stressful with Summer's health and I worked all day. It's dark by the time I get home too and freezing this week. Hank and I walked a mile and he came shopping with me for winter stuff (stayed in my car at all but the pet store). Played a little tug and that was it.

Generally he gets trained 20-30 minutes 2x a day. By train I usually mean we play and do some stuff in the middle of the playing. We do agility every day at lunch for 20 mins. If the weather is not deathly cold we usually do a 3 mile walk even if it's dark. He plays a lot. Chews a lot. He's a shredder. All my days off he is getting something most the day- either training, workshops, park, etc. Probably 3ish + hours of hard running and he's out of the house most the daylight hours. But Mon-Thurs is a lot less, certainly no hours of running. Before it got dark we'd go to the dog park some after work and he'd run for about an hour. 

He is a ton of my free time though. He is not a dog I'd say would fit in with people that don't enjoy dog stuff whether that just be walking and playing or preferably training. He could fit a pet home fine if they were very active. He does best with training though- he's just meant for it and loves it. He also bites and jumps and shreds things. Literally bounces off the walls. I am banged up and bruised from biting during training and when he's overstimulated. Even with the exercise he gets he does this. He turns off well at night but during the day does not really 'chill' unless he's had a marathon day. But I can't give him that every day. 

He is very different... but it's a fun different for me. I could see myself with an even higher energy dog next and being happy. But I think a lot of people would not enjoy living with him. If you value peace and quiet it might not be a good fit.


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## CptJack

> I think a lot of people would not enjoy living with him. If you value peace and quiet it might not be a good fit.


This is kind of what I'm getting around to, though Molly and Hank are way different (as are Molly and Thud, though both drivey and high energy in different ways). It's not so much that you can do X, Y, and Z and have them chill. It's that chilling really isn't what they do? 

If Bug and Jack follow me to the bathroom, it's because they want to be close to me and be pet.

Frankly speaking, neither Thud or Molly (or even Kylie) give two craps about being close to me. Nor are they particularly into being pet, though Thud enjoys it if it's violent enough. They want to DO THINGS. If they're in the bathroom with me, it's to shove a toy my direction or to stare intently and figure out how to flush the toilet and turn on the sink tap (I am not joking - I am looking at Molly). It just... doesn't have to be athletic things designed to burn energy all the time - for my dogs - or even formal training sessions.

Molly isn't hard for me to live with because I really, really want to DO STUFF with my dogs. If I tried to pal around the house with Molly, Thud or even Kylie, it would not work. Bug and Jack like doing, but they don't NEED to be doing. They need to be close. There is a difference. You have to be DOING with the younger three. It's just doing with them can be teaching them to unload the dryer as easily as it can be agility. Active engagement, focus and learning. I can't even call it attention because Jack and Bug want attention and consider cuddling on the couch the ultimate attention giving - Thud, Molly, and Kylie Do NOT consider that anything.

And I will say that while people warn up one side and down the other about how high energy border collies are, there's a real lack of emphasis on just how reactive many of them are. As well as prone to shyness, fearful behavior, and 'superstition' because of the speed at which they form connections.

(Also my husband informed me when we talked future I am never allowed to have just one dog, because in spite of my physical laziness I will wear that dog out. I just don't... passively interact well with dogs, I guess.).


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## Laurelin

One other thing, some of the breed traits you get warned about- per say the biting with an ACD mix- you can't exercise that out. There is no set amount of exercise you can give and then the dog behaves and does not bite. That's impulse control and training and setting boundaries. And those kinds of things are way more important than exercise- at least for Hank.


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## d_ray

I'm active, but I've actually slowed down a lot since getting an active dog. We very rarely leash walk. We "hike" off leash for a couple hours a day. I say "hike" because it is flat and I can walk at whatever pace I want and Jewel zooms around. I often bring a friend and a coffee and it's very leisurely for me and the dogs get amazing exercise. I've done this with both fosters also and they have all been "high energy", young dogs. 2 hours of running a day makes the dogs pretty well sleep the rest of the time. It may be a breed thing, but they are either running off leash or lazy on the couch. There isn't much in between. We have recently added a morning hike in addition to the evening hike due to our current foster's energy and let's just say my crazy houlas puts themselves to bed at 7pm. 

It works very well for us and I am blessed to have the trails and river pretty well in my backyard!


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## CptJack

And Thud. All the exercise in the world would not make hims top biting. A year + of training DID. 

I'd also like to flip around to my talk of reactivity lately - don't think you get a BC and socialize it well that it's not going to be reactive or afraid of anything or weird about things. Also don't think for a second you're going to socialize it into playing nicely with other dogs or being perfect with cats. It's not. Also more boundaries, training, impulse control and consistency. They're weird dogs and they're wired in some unusual ways.

(And this is not me back peddling - I still think any novice owner who really wanted to deal with it could and I know BCs etc. aren't unique - lots of breeds have these traits, especially amongst herders. I think there's just a lot of misinformation out there that emphasizes the wrong stuff - or rather doesn't emphasize everything that should be emphasized.)


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## kcomstoc

So it's more of an individual thing...but I wasn't saying that exercise would get rid of nipping or any other behavior I was just talking about mentally and physically tired high energy dog.


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## Laurelin

Hank is pretty straightforward really. Pretty confident overall and well balanced. Just bitey and motion reactive. But really he's been very easy. 

I have a dark purple welt the size of a quarter on the top of my hand from agility at lunch. I actually had to explain my bruises all up and down my arms were from training my dog. Coworkers asked. Then of course they looked horrified about it thinking he was vicious. Lol


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## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> So it's more of an individual thing...but I wasn't saying that exercise would get rid of nipping or any other behavior I was just talking about mentally and physically tired high energy dog.


Eh, I don't think tired even needs to be the goal. Just satisfied and that's more about commitment and engagement than any amount of formal training or exercise. I mean formal training here as 'we're going to learn to heel, today' and then working on it for half an hour. Just don't expect to hang around and cuddle with your dog instead of doing stuff I think is the most important.

The other - well, breed traits matter a lot and so does individuality. Molly's reactive as crap but she hasn't been a major nipper (compared to Thud). She will grab at arms and clothes when you're running, but she's reactive as CRAP toward other dogs, sometimes people, and anything that moves fast or she deems 'weird' or out of place.

I guess what I'm getting at here is you can expect some behaviors not related to energy level or how much exercise they get, and I think that's what Laurelin's saying, too.


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## Laurelin

kcomstoc said:


> So it's more of an individual thing...but I wasn't saying that exercise would get rid of nipping or any other behavior I was just talking about mentally and physically tired high energy dog.


Definitely individual. I know a very low energy low drive purebred cattle dog. All dogs are individuals. 

I guess what I meant though with a lot of these breeds it's not energy but other breed traits that get them in trouble more often. Like the biting or destruction or protectiveness. Motion reactivity or reactivity in general. 

I do think it depends on what you mean by tired too. Hank has had days where he literally sprinted hours on end as hard as possible and did training class and played. And while he would settle he was still more than capable of doing more and doing more at the same intensity level. It is rare with him to see any signs of mental or physical fatigue. My other dogs have all tended to be 'done' at some point. Hank will run most other dogs into the ground. He has never quit on me yet either. 20 mins of agility where it is pretty much constant working is a lot for most dogs but with Hank it is the same at the end of a session as the beginning. It is usually not till after we finish an activity that he'll settle. He would keep on till he drops. I have to call the end to things, not him. But he is very good at listening.


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## OwnedbyACDs

When it's cool, I play fetch with mine twice a day for as long as they want to play, but usually I end up cutting them off because they will long outlast my arm lol even with a chuck it. I also mentally stimulate them a lot using games and hide and seek games with toys and treats.


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## kcomstoc

It's hard to wrap my mind around a dog that's equivalent to an energizer bunny lol Jake just got his 15 minute walk and then we played fetch *and some tug* for about 10-15 minutes. Also in between throws I also throw in a "sit" or "down" or "up" command and he's tired. Actually until his 15 minute walk he's been sleeping on and off, he's so easy but also I have to attribute some of this to the fact that he's 7 years old. I would've kept throwing the ball but he stopped bringing it back (which I indicate as "I'm done"). Then later we'll play again but usually he'll call it quits after 10 minutes or so. All together I think it's about an hour of actual exercise a day that he gets and the rest is sleep.


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## Laurelin

Wow this dog Crush (top of the page). It's an orange Hank!!!

http://www.pacocollars.com/about-us/team-paco/


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## Melle

Yeah I count myself as a fairly average owner. I know at one point I thought dock dogs or something would be something Nina could do or would be neat, but sports haven't ever really been an interest to me. Even in the classes category, I was pretty much happy to only train her at home and she was cool with that too. She was medium energy I suppose - enjoyed engagement and training, but not like we needed structure. If her leash skills were sloppy, we'd walk on that. We would do obedience outside for fun sometimes. Maybe every now and then we'd walk to the small trail area near the creek or chill out and walk in the botanical garden. But she was never obnoxious, overly bouncy or anything. A little rough around the edges and impulsive if she hadn't gotten her 20 to 30 minutes of flirtpole that day, but that wasn't demanding because all I had to do was spin in a circle and run from her. She was enough for me when coupled with her dog reactivity.

I need something like that, I think, but the more I read I don't know if it's feasible to look for that personality in the Dobe or GSD breeds. I've ended up leaning toward Dobes because many have told me theirs are very adaptable to whatever their people persons want to do. By the time I get a dog I'll have a lot more space and it won't be such a bunched up suburb, so walking and biking and hiking would happen a lot more but at the same time, I generally think I'm in the most casual category of involved ownership since it seems most people with those breeds pursue formal obedience or agility classes and I just like an active, engaged companion but nothing demanding. But I don't want many of the smaller breeds that get recommended sometimes, or anything with intense grooming like an Aussie. But the dogs I enjoy the look and personality of have owners telling me they do agility X-times a week and they do formal rally or something and their dogs are still quite bouncy everywhere.


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## CptJack

This is going to maybe sound harsh, and I don't mean it to, but I'm saying it anyway and hoping you can know I'm not trying to be.

It sounds almost like you're saying that you're drawn to intense, dogs but you don't really want to LIVE with an intense dog. What you're describing wanting? Any dog could do that and do that well, including a ten year old pomeranian. Which I understand isn't at all what you want, but.

Maybe look into older rescue dogs of the breeds you do like? And by older I mean 5, 6, 7 years old, not 2. 

Otherwise, I think you'd just be setting yourself up for misery. I believe anyone CAN handle any breed, but that doesn't mean they want to and to be honest any time I hear someone say they will do more because something external is going to change I get nervous. Usually people live pretty much the life they like/are comfortable with. Trying to turn it upside down to keep a dog happy usually just means the owner gets UNhappy.


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## Melle

Nope not harsh at all c: It's a conversation I have with myself a lot. Half of it is my experience with family members who have owned certain breeds and they're just very average owners with very fine dogs and I think "Hey I could do that! Hike the weekends, do all this fun balancing/body training, bike, play, whatever." And the other half of my learning is when I go online where owners are much more involved and suddenly the dogs just sound very, very intense and I think "Well that's not what the dogs I know are like." It could just be the breeding of them and of course, them as individuals, and there's probably not one experience or the other that is particularly right or wrong or correct.

Kind of like my experience with Weims. My closest cousins have had two Weims that we grew up with from a reputable breeder. They were active, protective, loving and sporty but were nothing like what I hear about them when I come online. Sure they were intense when they were young but they were the average family dog. They romped hard in the yard, went to a huge dog park with acreage during the weekday and that was kind of it. They didn't even train like I trained with Nina, and they fit the standard temperament as far as I know but were adaptable. Came back in the house and would just lope around, follow you, lie down. I come online and get experiences like "Extremely high energy! Must run for two hours! Need rigid, structured active schedules!" They were active with the family, but not the "neurotic" dogs people tell me Weims are online. Pretty much sums up my dog experiences in life in trying to figure them out and what tends to ring true for a breed.

Same went for my other side of the family's Rotties, and someone's Dobe. They weren't involved to the extent of a lot of people I meet on forums but grew up with firm rules, rumbled around with the family, got their walks, and were just normal fine dogs. So yeah when it comes to what I'm looking for, I guess I kind of don't know what to expect or if it's worth looking into some breeds.


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## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> This is going to maybe sound harsh, and I don't mean it to, but I'm saying it anyway and hoping you can know I'm not trying to be.
> 
> It sounds almost like you're saying that you're drawn to intense, dogs but you don't really want to LIVE with an intense dog. What you're describing wanting? Any dog could do that and do that well, including a ten year old pomeranian. Which I understand isn't at all what you want, but.
> 
> Maybe look into older rescue dogs of the breeds you do like? And by older I mean 5, 6, 7 years old, not 2.
> 
> Otherwise, I think you'd just be setting yourself up for misery. I believe anyone CAN handle any breed, but that doesn't mean they want to and to be honest any time I hear someone say they will do more because something external is going to change I get nervous. Usually people live pretty much the life they like/are comfortable with. Trying to turn it upside down to keep a dog happy usually just means the owner gets UNhappy.


Didn't sound harsh, but I don't want it to be confused that I couldn't handle more energy it's just Jake doesn't require that much energy. My mom's fiance has an aussie and he has more energy than Jake has and I was completely prepared to take him instead but he wanted to keep him so I got Jake. I plan on getting a rough collie puppy in the next 3-4 years (only because I want to get a house before I get a puppy)


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## CptJack

A lot of this, I think, is why we always encourage people to meet the dogs and their owners, because so much of it's personality. I mean some of it absolutely is (I believe) people creating the dog they have. I think it's really easy to take a dog and turn it into a monster who destroys your house if it's routine is disrupted or it doesn't get the amount of exercise its used to. I also think there's a lot of ego and pride online in owning dogs that are 'hard' and will take your house apart if you don't do all this stuff all the time. And I know that individual breeding matters, but that's not really anything anyone questions.

But I also firmly believe that that a lot of it's just people/dog personality match. More than energy, per-se, even, or intensity but how that personality meshes with the owner. It's sort of... What stands out, what grates, what's irritating, whether you're working with the dog or it's going against the grain and rubbing you the wrong way. Objectively, Molly is higher energy than Thud. Objectively, Molly has more behavioral issues than Thud. Molly can run Thud into exhaustion and be looking for more, and she's reactive as heck. 

Molly is 200% easier for me to live with than Thud. Thud is a 'hard' dog. Thud is an exuberant and physically affectionate dog. Thud is... An outgoing, extroverted, big dog with a huge heart and I adore him but his personality is utterly wrong for me. So the stuff I work on? I really, really, notice. The things I do to train and manage with him? I notice. The things that are just him and aren't wrong but get under my skin? I notice, and it all makes me a little insane and leaves me with the impression that I'm doing more work with him than the other dogs. Because the fit's not right - on a personality level. 

Life with Molly? Eh, I worry about her reactivity and we work on it. The rest of everything with her is play. If she's flushing the toilet 900 times in a row, I'm laughing about it and getting better about locking the bathroom door. I LIKE training with her because I know how her brain works and how to get to what I want and it's still play. 

I'm not saying there aren't dogs who need jobs and structure and work, but I think a ton of things is just in the fit between dog an owner and sometimes you see that reflected in both reports of the dogs and actuality of the dog in a home. I don't LIKE extroverted, hard, mouthy, independent dogs. Ergo, I love Thud, I'm proud of Thud, I even like Thud a lot as an individual but he's WORK. Molly, Kylie, agility, throwing balls, training, whatever? It's just fun for me. It's a dog who likes to do the things I like to do, and who 'communicates' with me in the right way. 

And Molly and Kylie would be constant work and misery with someone else and have people saying they needed structure and jobs and formal activities and 9 hours of exercise/training a day. But because of how they slot into my life, for me? They're EASY.



kcomstoc said:


> Didn't sound harsh, but I don't want it to be confused that I couldn't handle more energy it's just Jake doesn't require that much energy. My mom's fiance has an aussie and he has more energy than Jake has and I was completely prepared to take him instead but he wanted to keep him so I got Jake. I plan on getting a rough collie puppy in the next 3-4 years (only because I want to get a house before I get a puppy)



No worries, I was addressing Melle.


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## Laurelin

Sometimes online it's hard to explain without being able to show what you mean. Also people want to know a set amount of time a dog takes when really there isn't a set amount. 

I still say meet a bunch of dogs and see if you enjoy the breed temperament and would like to live with it for 10-15 years. Nothing's better than real life experience.


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## theairedale

Copper's asleep. Not in his crate, just beside me. I am beyond happy right now. Finally, moments of peace! Honestly, if he continues maturing in personality like this, he'll be a great dog. He has his good moments, and they're getting more frequent. Hooray for not reducing me to tears!


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## kcomstoc

CptJack lol oh didn't know


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## Kayota

this was an interesting discussion and i feel a little more confident about my desire for a dalmatian now. i am pretty average--i train, walk, play with my dogs quite a bit when i am home. any time she wants to i'm fetching or wrestling with roxie. we don't do a ton of training any more but if i had the money we'd be in agility. roxie is lazy so it's alright, but when i get that dalmatian i want i will definitely be involved in agility with it. i also intend to get an older dog, 4 years minimum probably unless a younger dog has the personality that clicks with me and rox. actually i got a new job so i may be able to take agility classes with rox again depending. my schedule is a little random though.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I was afraid I couldn't own an Aussie because I'm not the most active person in the world. I am, however, committed to my dogs and work hard to make sure their needs are met. I'm the type of person to get off my butt and do something for my dog. I don't want to go walking in the cold.. but my dog deserves it. If I'm too lazy, food toys, flirt pole, quick training sessions etc. 

Owning an Aussie has been an experience. I'm just now figuring out what herding breeds are really like with the crazy amounts of reactivity and whatnot. Puppy raising was just a breeze compared to most. Even my Aussie that is on the slightly independent and not very soft side, quickly figures out the rules and wants to please me. As far as energy goes.. all I can really do is compare it to my Labx that I had, that I would consider higher energy in her younger years. 

If I haven't done anything with the dog yet all day, they are bored, but I still have something else to do and ignore them. Labx will be in my face with a ball, barking at me. She might be pacing the house, pawing at me, whining, etc. 

AUSSIE on the other hand might go get a toy and do something weird with it, or go in the next room thinking of something naughty to do. ALSO if I don't do something with her, she tends to turn neurotic. She will start licking herself, or the couch/floor. I personally would rather live with neurotic energy than bouncing off the walls obnoxious energy though. I'm neurotic myself, so I tend to just mesh with that kind of personality. Others might prefer the Lab.

So it's not really about high energy I guess.. maybe more about what kind of high energy?


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## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I was afraid I couldn't own an Aussie because I'm not the most active person in the world. I am, however, committed to my dogs and work hard to make sure their needs are met. I'm the type of person to get off my butt and do something for my dog. I don't want to go walking in the cold.. but my dog deserves it. If I'm too lazy, food toys, flirt pole, quick training sessions etc.
> Owning an Aussie has been an experience. I'm just now figuring out what herding breeds are really like with the crazy amounts of reactivity and whatnot. Puppy raising was just a breeze compared to most. Even my Aussie that is on the slightly independent and not very soft side, quickly figures out the rules and wants to please me. As far as energy goes.. all I can really do is compare it to my Labx that I had, that I would consider higher energy in her younger years.
> 
> If I haven't done anything with the dog yet all day, they are bored, but I still have something else to do and ignore them. Labx will be in my face with a ball, barking at me. She might be pacing the house, pawing at me, whining, etc.
> 
> AUSSIE on the other hand might go get a toy and do something weird with it, or go in the next room thinking of something naughty to do. ALSO if I don't do something with her, she tends to turn neurotic. She will start licking herself, or the couch/floor. I personally would rather live with neurotic energy than bouncing off the walls obnoxious energy though. I'm neurotic myself, so I tend to just mesh with that kind of personality. Others might prefer the Lab.
> 
> So it's not really about high energy I guess.. maybe more about what kind of high energy?


Well, physical activity really doesn't tire them out, I can play flirt pole or fetch with her all day, but put her through obedience exercises or give her a puzzle game and she is tired out in less time


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## CptJack

More and more I just think it's the wrong stuff that gets emphasized with a lot of the hype surrounding high energy dogs. I also think the wrong stuff is used to try to dissuade people who would maybe not be so thrilled with the match.

Energy ain't the issue, IMO, for most people. Draining energy isn't hard. The other stuff -yeah. You know how common reactivity is amongst herders? And yet what's most touted as making them problematic for people is their energy level and sometimes their intelligence - and a need for 'space' (ie: best for a farm). the space thing is a whole different peeve. 

I actually got curious and did some searches. Most common sites don't mention it at all. Go do a reactivity search on a BC board and you get a whole different picture. 

It's just... frustrating for me.


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## CptJack

http://pawsitivestridesrehab.com/2014/08/

I also like this article a lot.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I didn't know how common the reactivity was either until these past few months. I thought I just got a crazy Aussie.  We definitely should be emphasizing that more.

I'd much rather deal with a reactive dog than a dog with separation anxiety. I actually have fun working with Kairi's issues.


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## CptJack

I wouldn't mind separation anxiety - I mean, comparatively. I don't often leave the house without dogs, anyway. The reactivity's not the end of the world or anything but really, really something people need to know about going in. It's a potential deal breaker for good reason. (As is separation anxiety, I just have a lifestyle that makes that easier).


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> I wouldn't mind separation anxiety - I mean, comparatively. I don't often leave the house without dogs, anyway. The reactivity's not the end of the world or anything but really, really something people need to know about going in. It's a potential deal breaker for good reason. (As is separation anxiety, I just have a lifestyle that makes that easier).


Absolutely, that was just my preference. Reactive stuff isn't easy to work with by any means and people should know how common it is. Before I was just calling it "herding behavior" and telling people that I was having a hard time breaking it when I really meant "reactive behavior". I like the article you posted too. Maybe someday, I can own a Mal after all.


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## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> More and more I just think it's the wrong stuff that gets emphasized with a lot of the hype surrounding high energy dogs. I also think the wrong stuff is used to try to dissuade people who would maybe not be so thrilled with the match.
> 
> Energy ain't the issue, IMO, for most people. Draining energy isn't hard. The other stuff -yeah. You know how common reactivity is amongst herders? And yet what's most touted as making them problematic for people is their energy level and sometimes their intelligence - and a need for 'space' (ie: best for a farm). the space thing is a whole different peeve.
> 
> I actually got curious and did some searches. Most common sites don't mention it at all. Go do a reactivity search on a BC board and you get a whole different picture.
> 
> It's just... frustrating for me.


I never had any reactivity issues with my herders, strange I know. The most I have had is redirecting their herding drive towards the horses, whose pasture is right behind the house/dog yard, but even that wasn't hard to achieve. All it takes is a little understanding behind what drives the dog. 

What drives those malinois in my agility class? I am at a loss at saying what drives them, or how to reach them. I know a breed like that, the has WORKING drive, not herding drive or retriever drive, because I have no qualms in admitting that they would be too much for me.


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## KodiBarracuda

I've seen protective issues and/or human aggression in at least 3/4 of the herders I know. I don't know if I'm just unlucky or if it's actually a thing.


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## CptJack

Protective is a thing with some breeds more than others, but the vast majority I know are very... Responsive rather than thoughtful dogs. And a lot of the BC I know tend toward becoming fearful too, because of motion and noise sensitivity and intelligence playing together.

A lot of them are just weird dogs.

But on the misunderstood topic? Prey drive isn't herding desire but the desire to herd is prey drive. That's all. It's not entirely separate. They just want to chase prey more than eat it. (that ones not directed at you just my random mobile rant).


----------



## Melle

I used to think Aussies or other herders would be THE breed for me but after my experience with reactivity through Nina and learning about how common it is in them, I've decided it's just not the thing for me. Nor are breeds prone to SA. So out of all the herders, the only ones I'd consider now are Collies or *some* GSDs.

I like dogs that won't get tired if I want to go hiking in the woods or bike around, but won't go neurotic or destroying things because we missed a day. Especially because, being honest with myself, a good, handler-sensitive, in-tune dog that wants to engage helps my depression, but when I'm going through an intense period, I may not be up to it, I might be more low-key, fatigued, sensitive, whatever, and it would just make it worse.

I agree about the types of drive and energy making a difference. A dog with play drive would buoy me up and help me and I'd love to engage. But a dog that was just plain intense and extremely serious, or a dog with very high prey drive that I had to constantly manage when a squirrel crossed our path or that freaked because another dog came into view and I had to work on it every outing or change the walking route based on that wouldn't mesh with me.


----------



## Remaru

Freyja is "that dog". She is just so easy. You want to go for a walk or a hike, yep she can do that. Want to play fetch? Yep she can do that. Want to spend two days just cuddling and watching movies? Oh she would love to do that too. Now training went into that of course, I've had her since she was 8weeks old and default settle was about the first thing she learned but I also lucked out on her. She just isn't an intense dog. She loves to learn tricks, loves to do things but she doesn't need to be doing things all of the time, in fact she would kind of rather not really. I had to make the decision to wash her as a SD prospect because she just doesn't have the best work ethic (and she likes hubby better than me LOL). She is really sweet though, and easy going if a bit over soft which I find harder to work with. She could probably fit in anywhere. She loves everyone. She has a touch of prey drive but not to the point where she is going to bolt after everything she sees and she is super easy to call back even at under a year old and in the middle of adolescence. She is a Husky x GSD. 

Hobgoblin (Dobe and we assume GSD) is intense but it isn't an energy level thing really. The shelter said he was hyper and he can be I guess, he is still a puppy and he has his moments but honestly he is just needy. He needs to be interacted with constantly. He needs me to be focused on him and working with him. A 20-45 minute walk is plenty for him, and if we miss it no big deal though I wouldn't want to miss too many. His walks are not super fast, all are training which is really the key with him. We train an hour a day or more (some weekends we don't train more than the walks). He can go forever if I want him to, miles of hiking or playing at the dog park for hours and he still has tons of energy he just isn't one of those dogs that destroys a house because he has pent up energy. He does get antsy and troublesome if he isn't getting attention.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gem is great lol, even when she's bad she's having so much fun, you can hardly be mad! Took her to a fun match tonight.. halfway through the coarse she paused, picked up her leash from the start line and took it with her lol. So many times i do stuff with her, and she's supposed to be serious and precise and she does stuff that just makes me pause..look at her confused, throw my hands in the air and go "sure" and keep going lol


----------



## CptJack

We're off to Treibball. It's 19 degrees. We're going to freeze.


----------



## momtolabs

CptJack said:


> We're off to Treibball. It's 19 degrees. We're going to freeze.


Have fun and stay warm!! What I do is buy hand Warmers and I keep them in coat pockets and it helps keep me warm!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> I've seen protective issues and/or human aggression in at least 3/4 of the herders I know. I don't know if I'm just unlucky or if it's actually a thing.


My last cattle dog was protective of me, she would have been great at bite work. But if I ok'd someone, she was cool with it, she wasnt a friendly dog, not even to me LOL. She liked being with me, but she wasnt big on lovins'. I loved her, I really did and I miss her every day, but she was a very stressful dog to own because of her reactivity issues and strong herding drive, Josefina is a lot easier to own because she is a gentle, sweet, friendly dog who, even if some kid came up behind her and hugged her she wouldnt care (not that I would let that happen but its nice to know she wouldnt take the kids face off if it ever does).


----------



## Kyllobernese

If I had read up on a Doberman forum before I got Kris, I would have been really put off getting her. She has not been like they describe at all. She has never been mouthy although on the forums they all say how bad they are. She has lots of energy but runs it off mostly on her own as I do not leash walk her. I do take her to Obedience training two or three times a week which does tire her out more than any exercise would. I do not do much training at home, other than good house rules and she has always been good about settling in the house, no rough play allowed. She learned right from the start to play on her own as the little dogs did not like getting stomped on by her as she plays rough with her feet. She does love to play fetch but it is not an every day thing.

With our freezing temperatures right now, other than going to Obedience which is in a heated building, she will not be spending a lot of time outside but still comes in and lies around most of the day.


----------



## taquitos

Is it weird that reactivity doesn't turn me off THAT much? After dealing with my last foster with some SERIOUS SERIOUS aggressive reactivity, most reactive dogs do not make me blink an eye.

I think I could handle a dog with reactivity issues much more easily than a dog with SA. SA is absolutely something I CANNOT deal with. I was so apprehensive about Meeko possibly having SA (you know, the whole puppy mill thing and then getting bonded to me quite quickly, etc.), but I lucked out.


----------



## jade5280

taquitos said:


> Is it weird that reactivity doesn't turn me off THAT much? After dealing with my last foster with some SERIOUS SERIOUS aggressive reactivity, most reactive dogs do not make me blink an eye.
> 
> I think I could handle a dog with reactivity issues much more easily than a dog with SA. SA is absolutely something I CANNOT deal with. I was so apprehensive about Meeko possibly having SA (you know, the whole puppy mill thing and then getting bonded to me quite quickly, etc.), but I lucked out.


I'm wicked lucky because I get both. LOL Yeahhh I'll take reactivity over SA. When I first experienced Gypsy's reactive behavior I was way overwhelmed because I had no idea what to do. Now it's easier because if not dealt with it can just be managed. It sucks to bring her to the vet and stuff, but that happens a couple times a year. SA was every day. It was all I thought about at work. It totally consumed my life and made us all miserable.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

taquitos said:


> Is it weird that reactivity doesn't turn me off THAT much? After dealing with my last foster with some SERIOUS SERIOUS aggressive reactivity, most reactive dogs do not make me blink an eye.
> 
> I think I could handle a dog with reactivity issues much more easily than a dog with SA. SA is absolutely something I CANNOT deal with. I was so apprehensive about Meeko possibly having SA (you know, the whole puppy mill thing and then getting bonded to me quite quickly, etc.), but I lucked out.


Nope, not weird. I think it's fun to work with. It's making me a better trainer. I will continue to get herding breeds because I feel like I can deal with reactivity and everything else makes it worth it. I can't deal with separation anxiety because I'm a naturally anxious person and wouldn't ever be able to leave my house in fear of my dog hurting itself or the house. I know because I had a foster with it and I cried so many times over that dog. 

Also, not all herding dogs have reactivity issues, or all are super severe. The BC in my agility class takes a lot of amping up to get to the point of reactive. If the owner was a little more savvy, they would have no issues what-so-ever. Kairi was REALLY bad with he reactivity, but it's not that bad anymore. She mostly grew out of it, and continues to get better. She's only reactive around dogs that RUN because she wants to chase.


----------



## GrinningDog

I just kicked a dog. Intentionally. First time I've kicked an animal in my life, and hopefully the last time.

There's this little black dog in our apartment complex, maybe 20 lbs, ALWAYS off leash, often completely unsupervised. I've seen it running up to people, running up to other dogs aggressively, running around in the parking lots, crapping wherever. It's run over to us before with it's hackles up. I usually just ignore it, and we walk by unscathed.

Today, however, it's owner was outside with her kid and this dog. We approach, dog runs up, we pass, no problem. Then as we're a ways a way, I hear angry snarling, and the dog flies around Gyp (who was previously TOTALLY ignoring her) and nails her in the face.

So I kicked it and YELLED. And I tore the owner a new one. I told her that had better NEVER happen again.


----------



## jade5280

GoGoGypsy said:


> I just kicked a dog. Intentionally. First time I've kicked an animal in my life, and hopefully the last time.
> 
> There's this little black dog in our apartment complex, maybe 20 lbs, ALWAYS off leash, often completely unsupervised. I've seen it running up to people, running up to other dogs aggressively, running around in the parking lots, crapping wherever. It's run over to us before with it's hackles up. I usually just ignore it, and we walk by unscathed.
> 
> Today, however, it's owner was outside with her kid and this dog. We approach, dog runs up, we pass, no problem. Then as we're a ways a way, I hear angry snarling, and the dog flies around Gyp (who was previously TOTALLY ignoring her) and nails her in the face.
> 
> So I kicked it and YELLED. And I tore the owner a new one. I told her that had better NEVER happen again.


Wow good for you! SO kicked a dog once that bit Ryker. It was aggressive towards dogs and people and the owner never leashed it and it charged us every time we walked by their house. People are so inconsiderate. How hard is it to put a leash on your dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> I just kicked a dog. Intentionally. First time I've kicked an animal in my life, and hopefully the last time.
> 
> There's this little black dog in our apartment complex, maybe 20 lbs, ALWAYS off leash, often completely unsupervised. I've seen it running up to people, running up to other dogs aggressively, running around in the parking lots, crapping wherever. It's run over to us before with it's hackles up. I usually just ignore it, and we walk by unscathed.
> 
> Today, however, it's owner was outside with her kid and this dog. We approach, dog runs up, we pass, no problem. Then as we're a ways a way, I hear angry snarling, and the dog flies around Gyp (who was previously TOTALLY ignoring her) and nails her in the face.
> 
> So I kicked it and YELLED. And I tore the owner a new one. I told her that had better NEVER happen again.


I almost kicked one of those malinios that was in agility class when it lunged at Josefina while we were waiting our turn (she was just standing there, facing away from him) he is really strong and the lady couldnt hold him, he almost got Josefina's tail, but i was able to pull her away, luckily her tail wasnt longer or he would have grabbed it ... and I would have punted the crap out of him.


----------



## Flaming

I've punted many reactive off leash dogs under 30 pounds. 

Apparently Manna is an aggressive small/med dog magnet. She just ignores them usually (or thinks they're playing and wants to play too)


----------



## GrinningDog

jade5280 said:


> Wow good for you! SO kicked a dog once that bit Ryker. It was aggressive towards dogs and people and the owner never leashed it and it charged us every time we walked by their house. People are so inconsiderate. How hard is it to put a leash on your dog.


It's not. Hard. At all. I mean, I totally understand the lure of letting one's dog off leash. I have a dog that has fabulous off leash manners, recalls as well as any dog can, does NOT approach people or dogs, and is completely non-aggressive. But! I still do not let her off leash around here. Because it's a highly populated, high distraction environment and I do not even want to risk her approaching and making someone uncomfortable. 

But some people have _aggressive_, untrained animals and they just don't care. I do not understand how someone can be that inconsiderate.



> I almost kicked one of those malinios that was in agility class when it lunged at Josefina while we were waiting our turn (she was just standing there, facing away from him) he is really strong and the lady couldnt hold him, he almost got Josefina's tail, but i was able to pull her away, luckily her tail wasnt longer or he would have grabbed it ... and I would have punted the crap out of him.


Are the mals aggressive? I'm surprised they're in an agility class with other dogs.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> It's not. Hard. At all. I mean, I totally understand the lure of letting one's dog off leash. I have a dog that has fabulous off leash manners, recalls as well as any dog can, does NOT approach people or dogs, and is completely non-aggressive. But! I still do not let her off leash around here. Because it's a highly populated, high distraction environment and I do not even want to risk her approaching and making someone uncomfortable.
> 
> But some people have _aggressive_, untrained animals and they just don't care. I do not understand how someone can be that inconsiderate.
> 
> 
> 
> Are the mals aggressive? I'm surprised they're in an agility class with other dogs.


Not really aggressive per say, I would say more overstimulated adolescents than anything, therre was another dog doing its run and he was really excited and decided to try to redirect on the nearest thing to him.

I was quick to pull Josefina behind me and I was poised to kick, my first priority is her safety. Luckily my removing her from his line of sight did the trick and I didnt have to resort to kicking.


----------



## GrinningDog

Flaming said:


> I've punted many reactive off leash dogs under 30 pounds.
> 
> Apparently Manna is an aggressive small/med dog magnet. She just ignores them usually (or thinks they're playing and wants to play too)


I hated kicking the dog, but I wasn't about to reach down to try to grab it away OR let Gypsy get bitten again. 

Those dog owners are lucky Manna is so easygoing. I gotta wonder what people are thinking when their dog picks a fight with a dog >2x the size. If Gypsy wasn't so passive and I wasn't so quick to react, the little black dog that attacked her would likely be pretty well injured.


----------



## DGerry

So Chester's brother Bugs is still available for adoption, I just saw a recent picture of him and he looks almost exactly like Chester but just a solid light(lighter than caramel) brown with a white patch on his chest(like Chester). Must. Resist. But...want


----------



## Melle

I want to get Tobias a collar from EL with blue turquoise stones but I don't know if black or honey brown leather would look better on his fur.


----------



## Flaming

GoGoGypsy said:


> I hated kicking the dog, but I wasn't about to reach down to try to grab it away OR let Gypsy get bitten again.
> 
> Those dog owners are lucky Manna is so easygoing. I gotta wonder what people are thinking when their dog picks a fight with a dog >2x the size. If Gypsy wasn't so passive and I wasn't so quick to react, the little black dog that attacked her would likely be pretty well injured.


I can't let Manna's training suffer too much. I need her to be calm in all situations before she can be my balance dog full time. If I have to kick a few dogs to prevent her from retaliating then I will, because we all know that when a 147 lbs dog bites a 1-20 lbs dog, the big dog is the one in trouble no matter which dog started it. 

I can't afford that and neither can she.


----------



## CptJack

We went. We're home. There was some stuff there that I think will be legitimately useful - like teaching her to push things with her nose (unrolled a yoga mat for treats, pushed toy cars and water bottles and hamster balls as well as the big balls) and she learned stuff. Given how unwilling she's been historically to use her mouth/nose instead of feet, it was well worth the money and time just for that. Would have been fun pre-agility, too, for learning targets and directions and following body signals. 

That said, the actual 'point' of the game is lost both on me and Kylie. Lots of fun, nice people, good food, and I got to meet a couple of people who will be in Molly's foundations agility class and Kylie got good socialization (and exhausted) but not something I'd necessarily pursue for itself. Also, I don't think I like workshops. Kylie's dead, but so am I. Too. Long.


----------



## Kayota

GoGoGypsy said:


> I just kicked a dog. Intentionally. First time I've kicked an animal in my life, and hopefully the last time.
> 
> There's this little black dog in our apartment complex, maybe 20 lbs, ALWAYS off leash, often completely unsupervised. I've seen it running up to people, running up to other dogs aggressively, running around in the parking lots, crapping wherever. It's run over to us before with it's hackles up. I usually just ignore it, and we walk by unscathed.
> 
> Today, however, it's owner was outside with her kid and this dog. We approach, dog runs up, we pass, no problem. Then as we're a ways a way, I hear angry snarling, and the dog flies around Gyp (who was previously TOTALLY ignoring her) and nails her in the face.
> 
> So I kicked it and YELLED. And I tore the owner a new one. I told her that had better NEVER happen again.


I was walking Roxie once and the neighbor's dog was lying loose in her yard and as soon as she saw us she got up and was on Roxie in a second, that dog was at least 20 lbs and I kicked her so hard I lifted her right off her feet and sent her flying.


----------



## gingerkid

taquitos said:


> Is it weird that reactivity doesn't turn me off THAT much? After dealing with my last foster with some SERIOUS SERIOUS aggressive reactivity, most reactive dogs do not make me blink an eye.
> 
> I think I could handle a dog with reactivity issues much more easily than a dog with SA. SA is absolutely something I CANNOT deal with. I was so apprehensive about Meeko possibly having SA (you know, the whole puppy mill thing and then getting bonded to me quite quickly, etc.), but I lucked out.


Totally feel exactly the same. Reactivity is frustrating, but at least there are clear and obvious procedures that I can implement to effectively manage it and reduce it over time.

Not that anxiety is totally impossible to manage or reduce, but now that I've been desensitized to dog reactivity, I find it less emotionally draining than anxiety.


----------



## CptJack

A lot of the reason I find reactivity frustrating is because of what I do with my dogs. A dog who is anxious/has separation anxiety is going to have much less impact on my life than a dog who reacts to other dogs. I don't leave home a lot, and when I do usually someone is here - if that weren't the case, it would bother me more. 

But I do things with dogs that involve having to be around other dogs, PERFORM around other dogs, and basically, regardless of reason, disregard the presence of other dogs at close quarters and also performing (running, moving, acting, often barking) as worthy of notice. 

I'll get there with Molly, I'm sure and it's not the end of the world and I DO kind of enjoy working on it, but the impact on my life is greater than it would be if I *didn't* do dog sports or want to and didn't have a weird sense of embarrassment/apply pressure to myself about it, and separation anxiety would have more impact if my house was empty of all people more than about 3 times a year.

To be honest any one of my dogs COULD have separation anxiety. I'm not sure I'd notice. None of them have been totally alone since July 2013.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank did a barn hunt workshop and agility class today. 

Whew. 

He did great overall with both. Agility is real basic, still just tunnels and then basic clicker/shaping stuff.

He was really pretty into the barn hunt though. Definitely moreso than Mia was.


----------



## Damon'sMom

GoGoGypsy said:


> I just kicked a dog. Intentionally. First time I've kicked an animal in my life, and hopefully the last time.
> 
> There's this little black dog in our apartment complex, maybe 20 lbs, ALWAYS off leash, often completely unsupervised. I've seen it running up to people, running up to other dogs aggressively, running around in the parking lots, crapping wherever. It's run over to us before with it's hackles up. I usually just ignore it, and we walk by unscathed.
> 
> Today, however, it's owner was outside with her kid and this dog. We approach, dog runs up, we pass, no problem. Then as we're a ways a way, I hear angry snarling, and the dog flies around Gyp (who was previously TOTALLY ignoring her) and nails her in the face.
> 
> So I kicked it and YELLED. And I tore the owner a new one. I told her that had better NEVER happen again.


Sorry that happen to you. Is Gypsy okay? I have kicked a handful of dogs or so because they were being aggressive. The one that attacked Jasper in the pet store, the one that caused Jasper's DA. I kicked that dog 3 times before he left go of Jasper, it lunged again and I kicked it so hard it flew into a display and knocked everything over. He was a 35-40 pound ACD I always feel bad about it, but my dogs come first 100% of the time. So don't feel bad, many people here have had to do it, and I am sure the little dog is fine.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My parents one dog is the most irritating dog ever. She was deprived of oxygen as a puppy (something I didn't know and my former friend neglected to tell me) I have tried shaping, OC, ignoring the bad and rewarding the good, even positive punishment and negative reinforcement and nothing works, she is house trained and I thank God for that at least. On top of that her breeding probably wasn't thought out. She was originally supposed to be a foster dog but I haven't been able to find a home for her due to her temperament so I guess we are stuck with her.

I feel like such a horrible dog person when I say that I can't stand her, she picks fights with the other dogs and has to be separated when no one is outside to supervise because if the other dogs get to playing she will go out of her way to fun police them and cause fights.


----------



## momtolabs

Mia has thrown up 4 times since we have woken up at 8:30 and its now 11. I don't know what she ate but I hate cleaning up puke! I'm just glad they haven't been huge piles and that we got rid of carpet and have hardwood floors!


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Yes Gingerbread, on a day I have a closing shift and get to sleep in for once, I really appreciate being tackled by you when I emerge from my room and join the household. And then knocked into a wall and punched in the throat by your follow-up jump.

--

In other news, Cupcake has a UTI. I feel horrible because her first accident was over a week ago but I thought nothing over it. Fast forward to another accident a few days later that smelly liked salmon, and then I got a little suspicious. BUT we had just switched to a salmon flavored food, she wasn't asking to go out frequently, and no blood in her urine. And we can't pick up the meds until tomorrow  

Also somehow Cupcake is 68 pounds. What??



Not the best quality but there is some sort of scale in that pic. Kind of.


----------



## CptJack

Nothing like enthusiastic love when you're sleepy.

She's a beautiful, beautiful girl. And a big one!


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Ha, exactly. I think Ginger is mostly lab in her enthusiasm  Something has got her really stir-crazy today D:

Thank you  I really thought she was like 55-60 pounds max. I don't know why 68 is so weird. Because it rounds up to 70? (I envision PoundCake as an unholy union as Thud and Molly sometimes. Is that weird?). Even more scary is that the vet said she might keep growing? She is about 9 months. Is that reasonable?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Mia has thrown up 4 times since we have woken up at 8:30 and its now 11. I don't know what she ate but I hate cleaning up puke! I'm just glad they haven't been huge piles and that we got rid of carpet and have hardwood floors!


Agreed on the no carpet  I sure hope Mia feels better soon, though  being sick sucks and I hate when it's them.


----------



## notgaga

Why do some dogs have to be creepy and just stare at people (me) for uncomfortable amounts of time? Stop that.


----------



## momtolabs

Look at what I found on twitter.....


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gem broke my face...like actually, she smashed into my face so hard it split my gums and my nose won't stop running... darn dog is dangerous!


----------



## Remaru

momtolabs said:


> Look at what I found on twitter.....
> 
> View attachment 183409



There are adds like that on CL too. With a number for a doctor who will write you a letter and everything. Add that to people who don't understand the difference between an ESA and a SD and it is just so frustrating. "no it is totally ok that I take fluffy to the grocery store with me, I have this note from my doctor" cue dog shaking, peeing and barking at everyone because it isn't trained at all but hey they paid to have some one on the internet send them some papers saying the dog was an ESA. Makes me absolutely crazy.


----------



## d_ray

taquitos said:


> Is it weird that reactivity doesn't turn me off THAT much? After dealing with my last foster with some SERIOUS SERIOUS aggressive reactivity, most reactive dogs do not make me blink an eye.
> 
> I think I could handle a dog with reactivity issues much more easily than a dog with SA. SA is absolutely something I CANNOT deal with. I was so apprehensive about Meeko possibly having SA (you know, the whole puppy mill thing and then getting bonded to me quite quickly, etc.), but I lucked out.


 I'll take reactivity any day over SA. We both work full time and have social lives and SA is so difficult to manage. We went through it with jewel and now our current foster. It becomes all you think about and consumes you. It's mentally exhausting and such a hard thing to "cure". Jasmine is leash reactive. Although it's a pita, it isn't a deal breaker and barely phases me.


----------



## gingerkid

There has been a lot of really weird stuff in my FB thread today. Not necessarily good or bad, just... weird.


----------



## theairedale

Watching Copper leap and bound through the snow gives me life. He's hilarious, honestly. This is going to be a fantastic winter.


----------



## Foresthund

momtolabs said:


> Look at what I found on twitter.....
> 
> View attachment 183409


As having an emotional support dogs,I call bull. I did not just pay money and still am refused legally by anyone that wants to. Especially sense he is a Rottie after all and insurance companies don't have to take in certain breeds. They also will not let him in stores although never really tried and is over all pretty much just a pet,the pet deposits and treatment very much the same. If they want a dog that's easy to find rentals and to bring everywhere they can just get a small dog,sense I have like zero privileges still. I did how ever use it to live in a crappy apartment for a year to get back to a place I actually wanted to live,but even than it is really hard to find any place with a large dog or a controversial breed.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Is the proper spelling for APBT's Pit bull or Pit Bull? I always thought it was Pit Bull, but then saw a knowledgable long time member here say it was Pit bull (or at least I thought I did). Then I typed it as Pit bull (for a paper in school) and it was corrected during a peer review as Pit Bull. 

Haaaalp plz.


----------



## Kayota

dog breeds are formal nouns so for the purpose of a paper it should be capitalized but in casual conversation i dont think it matters


----------



## Willowy

BubbaMoose said:


> Is the proper spelling for APBT's Pit bull or Pit Bull? I always thought it was Pit Bull, but then saw a knowledgable long time member here say it was Pit bull (or at least I thought I did). Then I typed it as Pit bull (for a paper in school) and it was corrected during a peer review as Pit Bull.
> 
> Haaaalp plz.


I believe that if you're just referring to the usual bully-type dog, you don't capitalize it at all (pit bull). But if you're referring to an APBT, you'd write Pit Bull because those are the P and the B .


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Foresthund said:


> As having an emotional support dogs,I call bull. I did not just pay money and still am refused legally by anyone that wants to. Especially sense he is a Rottie after all and insurance companies don't have to take in certain breeds. They also will not let him in stores although never really tried and is over all pretty much just a pet,the pet deposits and treatment very much the same. If they want a dog that's easy to find rentals and to bring everywhere they can just get a small dog,sense I have like zero privileges still. I did how ever use it to live in a crappy apartment for a year to get back to a place I actually wanted to live,but even than it is really hard to find any place with a large dog or a controversial breed.


Having an ESA is not bull for the people who need them, like me for instance. She is not an SD, I don't pretend she is, but she can live in any housing even at the race track. She mediates my anxiety and even preforms tasks to help me when I am having a stress induced break down or anxiety attack.


----------



## CptJack

Laws regarding emotional support animals vary by state. 

---

I'd like to take back everything I've ever said about Molly being sane. It's really freaking cold so outside time is limited and she's playing 'the floor is lava'. She actually ran up the wall at one point. 

She gets spayed in 2 weeks (I know). It's going to be a fun winter.


----------



## notgaga

Maybe it's just the sudden onset of cold (today's high didn't get above freezing and yesterday wasn't much better), but Laika has been insisting on sleeping on me for her naps. She's normally near me, but not _on top_ of me like she is right now, or sometimes she'll be across the room napping. The heat's at 66 bc any warmer than that and the bedrooms turn into saunas.

I guess she's just cold? She loves being outside in weather like this, apparently, so I've become a popsicle in the past couple of days. She's been eating, playing, and pooping just fine. She does have some mild eye goobers going on, though.

Not that I'm complaining about the cuddles, especially bc she normally doesn't.


----------



## Greater Swiss

SO upset that we can't go to the Scent Detection trial. I was looking forward to that a lot, I haven't been that excited about something in a while (yeah I'm a fun one aren't I lol....). Came to the conclusion over the weekend that my classic car I had shipped from storage out West isn't something we can get ready in time for winter....so we had to go buy a second car because of the difference in hubby's and my schedules.....there goes the money for the trip. 
Bummed.....at least Caeda doesn't understand well enough to be disappointed too!


----------



## momtolabs

If anyone here is in Buffalo,NY stay warm and safe!!! It's nuts how much snow they have and it's not even Thanksgiving yet!


----------



## CptJack

the dogs and cats both kill things regularly. I'm not a bleeding heart about it. 

Last night, though, something in my brain snapped. It was _bitter_ cold and this came out of wherever she was hiding.










I'm not keeping it, obviously, but here: have photographic evidence of my ridiculousness.


----------



## DGerry

Awwwww haha, now what are you going to do with it! I helped a neighbors cat the other day, he was howling at their back door when I took Chester out to go to the bathroom(because it was so cold, I think) so I walked him around front and knocked on their door so they could let him in...as much as I'd feel bad for a mouse out in the freezing cold like that, I'm not sure I'd go as far as you...I'd end up wanting to keep it lol

On a different note, I know it's hard because he's a mixed breed and we're not even 100% sure what the mix is but what do you all think Chester will weigh when he's full-grown? He's 42lbs right now at 28.5 weeks, and he's pretty lean(the vet said maybe just a *bit* too lean but not too bad, especially considering he's had so much diarrhea and probably not been getting all the nutrients he should have from his food). Any estimates? Using those online calculators I've gotten anywhere from 55lbs to almost 80lbs! I'm curious just how big he's going to be lol, the rescue's original estimate was 60lbs but I wouldn't be unhappy with something closer to 80 but I don't know how reliable those estimators/calculators are especially when you don't know the breeds. I don't really know how tall he is for sure, he just won't stand still while I'm trying to measure him...he has to be looking at what I'm doing with my hands lol


----------



## kcomstoc

momtolabs said:


> If anyone here is in Buffalo,NY stay warm and safe!!! It's nuts how much snow they have and it's not even Thanksgiving yet!


Thankfully not in Buffalo but near rochester, they shut down the I-90 I was so confused because near rochester it's not bad at all. Poor buffalo people


----------



## CptJack

Practice taking pictures through plastic?

Nah, I more or less plan on it not being 3 degrees and taking it somewhere that's got decent coverage like a wood pile and hoping for the best. I know keeping wild animals is a terrible idea for all sorts of reasons, including legality.

Re: Chester's weight - 60-80 sounds about right  Depends on how close to done he is and that's pretty much dependent upon ultimate size and... makes it hard to guess.


----------



## DGerry

Haha, fair enough  I hate not knowing! Part of me wants him to hurry up and be full grown, and part of me wants him to stay a puppy forever  lol

That little guy reminds me of a gerbil I used to have...you're making me want another one >_< I'm sure he'll be alright if you find a good spot to let him go at. In the immortal words of Jeff Goldblum; "Life, uh...finds a way."


----------



## jade5280

SO asked what I wanted for Christmas. I suggested that we don't buy each other anything and just get presents for the dogs. Is it sad that I'm excited about the dogs getting new stuff? I already have a list going.


----------



## CptJack

And then I checked my on-line banking and realized the ipad had become linked to my bank account at some point and my autistic kid used it. A lot. A WHOLE LOT. 

I don't know if I'm going to laugh, cry, or throw up.

Maybe all three, but not until I'm done trying to make phone calls and hoping like HELL I can get some of this reversed. Otherwise we're so, so screwed. Short term screwed, but screwed.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> And then I checked my on-line banking and realized the ipad had become linked to my bank account at some point and my autistic kid used it. A lot. A WHOLE LOT.
> 
> I don't know if I'm going to laugh, cry, or throw up.
> 
> Maybe all three, but not until I'm done trying to make phone calls and hoping like HELL I can get some of this reversed. Otherwise we're so, so screwed. Short term screwed, but screwed.


Oh no  I hope everything can get straightened out  I know when we let Josh's little brother (he has aspergers) play with Josh's phone that we have to make sure he's only going on youtube or looking at the weather


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> And then I checked my on-line banking and realized the ipad had become linked to my bank account at some point and my autistic kid used it. A lot. A WHOLE LOT.
> 
> I don't know if I'm going to laugh, cry, or throw up.
> 
> Maybe all three, but not until I'm done trying to make phone calls and hoping like HELL I can get some of this reversed. Otherwise we're so, so screwed. Short term screwed, but screwed.



Oh no. I hope you can get something worked out. Luckily my oldest has not figured this out. His is only linked to my amazon account and it has a password lock on it (yay parent controls). My friend's foster child did this as well as running up a significant bill in netflix viewing (sneaking in the middle of the night and watching some not so appropriate things). He had figured a loop around the parental controls ordering things right after an order had just processed or something. I don't know that he ever got the charges reversed.


----------



## CptJack

I... suspect my husband left the bank account information linked/parental controls down after HE bought something? But I don't really know. Either way it's 1. We'll see what we can work out with some phone calls. 

We'll be okay though not comfortable but JEEZE that was not a good surprise.


----------



## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> SO asked what I wanted for Christmas. I suggested that we don't buy each other anything and just get presents for the dogs. Is it sad that I'm excited about the dogs getting new stuff? I already have a list going.


Not sad at all. We omitted Christmas gifts last year and gave a substantial donation to the rescue we got Jewel from. Since we are now fostering so helping out in other ways, we may not go that route this year. I am in dire need of some new clothes


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> I... suspect my husband left the bank account information linked/parental controls down after HE bought something? But I don't really know. Either way it's 1. We'll see what we can work out with some phone calls.
> 
> We'll be okay though not comfortable but JEEZE that was not a good surprise.


Sorry to hear. That sucks. Hopefully some nice customer service people will feel for you and help you reverse the charges. Good luck!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Well i spent my morning in a rage lol. I think i scared some of my employees... I'm never angry..ever.. I've worked at this place for 6 years and can cound one 1 hand the number of times i have been absolutely blindingly angry. The first was xmas a few years ago, i had a very specific system that worke extremely efficiently for ensuring the care and safety of the number of dogs we get at xmas, thatssystem involves everyone working together... they knew the system, and a couple of the girls decided "hey let's all split up instead" and wandered off, because of that we were there 45 minutes longer then necessary? I was yelling and swearing, i was sooo mad lol. So this morning it was crazy busy up front, i was trying to get names to the back for groups, but people kept coming in, then these 2 new boarding dogs came in, they needed to go straight to their kennel at the end of the far building, one of the front girls takes the one, the other front girl is trying to help all these other clients coming in and I'm trying to get names to the back, we put the second in the front hallway so we can get these other dogs through. Thats when tjis girl, working i the back..where this dog needs to go, walks up front, looks at the dog and WALKS AWAY. I said "hey, can you take this dog to the back with you please" she looks at the dog..sats NO and shuts the door and proceeded to walk directly to that very dogs kennel in the back! This meant i now had to go "screw you dogs out in the cold" and take that dog all the way to the back back building? Come all the way back up front to get names and go back to the back again so they could bring dogs in from outside. It doesn't sound yoo bad but our facility is HUGE it takes a long time to walk to that end of the building and back? And it was 100% unnecessary, how hard is it to take a dog with you to the exact spot you are going anyway? Thats her friggen JOB!! apparently the weekend supervisor this weekend went to the owner and said he can't work with that girl, its him or her..i have to tay...i get it. I understand exactly where he is coming from!


----------



## gingerkid

Is anyone else's dog a really heavy dreamer? Sometimes Snowball freaks me out with his dreaming; I know its normal for their paws to twitch but sometimes his whole body twitches while he's dreaming. Like, not all at the same time, which is why I'm fairly certain its not a seizure or something (he also stops when I say his name or move), but his nose will be sniffing and his ears will be twitching and swivelling or sometimes they'll just be back and his paws will be jerking around, and sometimes he takes a few really heavy, fast breaths like he's panting but without his tongue out, and his eyes will "blink".

But it's never happening all at once (just one thing at a time), and as soon as I say his name, he wakes up and gives me The Look for disturbing his nap.


----------



## DGerry

gingerkid said:


> Is anyone else's dog a really heavy dreamer? Sometimes Snowball freaks me out with his dreaming; I know its normal for their paws to twitch but sometimes his whole body twitches while he's dreaming. Like, not all at the same time, which is why I'm fairly certain its not a seizure or something (he also stops when I say his name or move), but his nose will be sniffing and his ears will be twitching and swivelling or sometimes they'll just be back and his paws will be jerking around, and sometimes he takes a few really heavy, fast breaths like he's panting but without his tongue out, and his eyes will "blink".
> 
> But it's never happening all at once (just one thing at a time), and as soon as I say his name, he wakes up and gives me The Look for disturbing his nap.


Haha, Chester definitely is. He'll bark and make this weird..."woofwoofwoofwoof" sound but it's like weird and high-pitched and I don't even know how to describe it...and all his legs will be twitching and everything, sometimes it worries me lol


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Having very little appetite sucks. It's really unsusal for me too, because I use to always be hungry. Food isn't even all that appealing anymore.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Random hilarity from this morning..i get to work and right away im told "we need your help, this dog came in last night and he's alone cuz he's a trained protection dog, but we dunno if he's safe for us to handle, he looks like he's gonna eat ys if we go near him" sooo..you want ME to walk into the kennel of a dog that looks like it's gonna murder you, its a trained protection dog and its handler is obviously out of town... guess I'm guard dog bait? Lol the dog was fine in any case, he was throwing himself at the kennel barking and snarling, i just barked back at him to cut it out and sit down..he did..i walked into the kennel and he turned into a big ol love bug, whining and wiggling his whole body lol

I get their fear though lol, who wouldn't be scared if they walked up to the kennel of a dog they are supposed to take care of, and inside is a Malinios throwing himself at the kennel door barking and spitting and snarling lol, they were all like "umm..no thanks, wait for Shayna, she can see if he's safe or not" lol. It was intended as a compliment, as i can usually handle agressive dogs no problem, but it still came across like "hey, can you go in this aggressive acting dogs kennel and see if you survive?" Lol


----------



## momtolabs

Lol Miss bugs!!! 

So I taught Mia to spin on command and for some reason she now pounces off of me in the middle of a spin,haha!! It hurts though. But now i think I may teach her to do a back flip on command since she already uses me as a spring pole -_- she can do them(she does it all the time when playing). I feel i am goin to he hurt on this one,haha!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DGerry said:


> Awwwww haha, now what are you going to do with it! I helped a neighbors cat the other day, he was howling at their back door when I took Chester out to go to the bathroom(because it was so cold, I think) so I walked him around front and knocked on their door so they could let him in...as much as I'd feel bad for a mouse out in the freezing cold like that, I'm not sure I'd go as far as you...I'd end up wanting to keep it lol
> 
> On a different note, I know it's hard because he's a mixed breed and we're not even 100% sure what the mix is but what do you all think Chester will weigh when he's full-grown? He's 42lbs right now at 28.5 weeks, and he's pretty lean(the vet said maybe just a *bit* too lean but not too bad, especially considering he's had so much diarrhea and probably not been getting all the nutrients he should have from his food). Any estimates? Using those online calculators I've gotten anywhere from 55lbs to almost 80lbs! I'm curious just how big he's going to be lol, the rescue's original estimate was 60lbs but I wouldn't be unhappy with something closer to 80 but I don't know how reliable those estimators/calculators are especially when you don't know the breeds. I don't really know how tall he is for sure, he just won't stand still while I'm trying to measure him...he has to be looking at what I'm doing with my hands lol


I am morbid, I would let the dogs kill it. but for every one you see there are more, trust me. we had like ... a family living in our attic because if was so cold last winter, I dont care, put poison up there, now I have no more mice.


----------



## d_ray

So I'm looking for Jasmine last night and couldn't find her. Low and behold, she was on the kitchen counter eating butter. ON THE COUNTER. There isn't even space to run so she must of jumped from a standing position. It took me by surprise. I expect this from my cats, but a 45 pound dog, I would never have thought could do this.


----------



## Boleyn

Anyone have family members who are irresponsible pet owners? Mini rant because I just fond out about the following:

A relative of mine and her SO have two dogs; a female Am. Bulldog mix (11) and a male Pit mix (under 2). The Am Bulldog has aggression issues towards strangers and strange dogs, the Pit his very fearful but they don't work on it because they think it is "funny" or "cute" to have a Pit that is scared of so much. They work full time and then go out afterwards, so much of the daily care is done by an elderly relative who lives with them. She has had one bite and several close calls with the female. 

Both dogs are intact. Their usual method for dealing with the female's heat cycles is to tell the male "no" when he tries to mount. Well, you guessed it, someone turned their back too long this time and the dogs tied. I'm amazed it has taken this long to happen. The female has a long history of false pregnancies but they think she is truly pregnant this time. They do not feel the need to take her to the vet to confirm or develop a plan because "it's too late now". The icing on the cake? They want to keep a puppy! I'm banging my head against the wall and hoping she is not pregnant.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Last night, Gypsy was petting me. My dog is weird. I don't mean hitting me with her feet, i mean she snuggled up to me and repeatedly and gently stroked my head with her paw. It was adorable, but still weird lol


----------



## Kayota

something is up with roxie today but the symptoms are so vague i have/no clue what could be going on... when i got home her ears were pinned against her head and she wasn't as bouncy as usual and i noticed she was shaking when she got on my lap. she didnt hop up when my stepmom made her dog's food and she didn't jump on me when i asked 'are you hungry?' or 'want to go for a ride?' barely even flinched. and then when i went upstairs she only made two or three stairs and i had to go down and carry her up. I fed her when i got up and she wouldn't touch her kibble. she got off the bed last night and i found her sitting by it and shaking because she wouldn't jump on. When she walks around sshe's kind of slinking and she hid behind the couch for a while. I'm so worried about her... if she's not better by Monday I'll take her to the vet. Right now she's laying with her head on my knee shaking and staring into space.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Kayota said:


> something is up with roxie today but the symptoms are so vague i have/no clue what could be going on... when i got home her ears were pinned against her head and she wasn't as bouncy as usual and i noticed she was shaking when she got on my lap. she didnt hop up when my stepmom made her dog's food and she didn't jump on me when i asked 'are you hungry?' or 'want to go for a ride?' barely even flinched. and then when i went upstairs she only made two or three stairs and i had to go down and carry her up. I fed her when i got up and she wouldn't touch her kibble. she got off the bed last night and i found her sitting by it and shaking because she wouldn't jump on. When she walks around sshe's kind of slinking and she hid behind the couch for a while. I'm so worried about her... if she's not better by Monday I'll take her to the vet. Right now she's laying with her head on my knee shaking and staring into space.


My friend's Chi had similar symptoms and it ended up being Colitis.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> something is up with roxie today but the symptoms are so vague i have/no clue what could be going on... when i got home her ears were pinned against her head and she wasn't as bouncy as usual and i noticed she was shaking when she got on my lap. she didnt hop up when my stepmom made her dog's food and she didn't jump on me when i asked 'are you hungry?' or 'want to go for a ride?' barely even flinched. and then when i went upstairs she only made two or three stairs and i had to go down and carry her up. I fed her when i got up and she wouldn't touch her kibble. she got off the bed last night and i found her sitting by it and shaking because she wouldn't jump on. When she walks around sshe's kind of slinking and she hid behind the couch for a while. I'm so worried about her... if she's not better by Monday I'll take her to the vet. Right now she's laying with her head on my knee shaking and staring into space.


Oh no! sorry to hear that  I hope its nothing serious and that she is better soon!


----------



## Miss Bugs

sorry to hear about Roxie, hope she feel's better soon!


some random dude started plastering my works facebook page with comments like "scammers" and "never going there again"..like not on the wall, just pulling up random posts and commenting. none of us have any idea who the person IS though..clearly never been before, we looked at his profile, lots of pics of his dog..I'v been there 6 years and work full time... I have never seen the dog before in my life, the other supervisors looks as well, non of them had ever seen the dog before either, we were all like getting all these notifications going "uhhh..wha?? who is this crazy dude?" lol


----------



## Kayota

my parents think i'm overreacting but it's kind of weird to let my dog out and find her sitting by a bush and shaking... they said 'maybe she was just cold' but she's been shaking all morning.


----------



## Greater Swiss

Went to get into bed last night....Caeda hopped up on the bed on my side (as usual....though as soon as I'm done changing and come over she moves). Instead of her usual settle and sigh she looked at a spot on the bed, looked kind of disgusted and backed up. Well, apparently one of the cats had either let a little tiny food-barf out, right next to the pillow, or one of them left me skid marks....still don't know which, but it smelled more like #2. Its a good thing Caeda acted funny, I was SO tired and the lights were really dim, I could have easily just flopped into bed and not noticed it until the smell got me (and I'd have likely rolled in it). 
My big question now....which cat? *Sigh*


----------



## Kayota

Roxie is doing a whole lot better now. Thanks to everyone who wished her well


----------



## Equinox

Excited and terrified for the new girlie. I need to finish shopping!!!


----------



## Kayota

omg you're getting a new dog? how did i miss that??


----------



## CptJack

Kayota said:


> omg you're getting a new dog? how did i miss that??


I missed it, too.

TALK TO US.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Equinox said:


> Excited and terrified for the new girlie. I need to finish shopping!!!


Wut. Spill it.


----------



## Laurelin

I know. I feel so privileged.


----------



## Equinox

Kayota said:


> omg you're getting a new dog? how did i miss that??





CptJack said:


> I missed it, too.
> 
> TALK TO US.





ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Wut. Spill it.


OMG I totally forgot that I never mentioned anything on this forum, and that what I share on Facebook doesn't magically extend to the forums. Hahaha, whoops! 

Maybe I'll keep it a surprise until I actually have her  Only a matter of figuring out timing and booking a flight, but yes, in a week or two I'm getting another dog! She's an adult dog (so nope, not a puppy), medium sized and female, and that's all I'm going to say. Won't be long now, I just need to remember what else I have to buy! 



Laurelin said:


> I know. I feel so privileged.


You are  Super Special Secret Keeper #1. But really though, WHAT AM I DOING THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA I CAN'T WAIT WILL BE SO MUCH FUN.


----------



## kcomstoc

OMG excited  I'll be checking the picture thread for your name


----------



## momtolabs

My parents put the Christmas tree up and it's not evn thanksgiving yet -_- The good thing is Caleb has not tried attacking it like Mia did.....


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Equinox said:


> OMG I totally forgot that I never mentioned anything on this forum, and that what I share on Facebook doesn't magically extend to the forums. Hahaha, whoops!
> 
> Maybe I'll keep it a surprise until I actually have her  Only a matter of figuring out timing and booking a flight, but yes, in a week or two I'm getting another dog! She's an adult dog (so nope, not a puppy), medium sized and female, and that's all I'm going to say. Won't be long now, I just need to remember what else I have to buy!


Grr, I hate surprises! Oh well. Congrats!!!


----------



## Damon'sMom

Equinox said:


> Excited and terrified for the new girlie. I need to finish shopping!!!


Congratulations!!


----------



## Laurelin

I hate when people put out craigslists ads and say 'Please don't make me take my dog to the pound!' 

Ummm yeah. Not the fault of the people who are not adopting your dog.


----------



## CptJack

2, related, things.

Molly jumped into my kitchen sink while I was making lunch.

I'm missing a bunch of plastic bowls that were in the dish drainer.

If you were a border collie, where would you hide dishes?


----------



## Pasarella

I'd hide them somewhere safe to chew. But I think I'm thinking more like a dachshund than border collie


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> 2, related, things.
> 
> Molly jumped into my kitchen sink while I was making lunch.
> 
> I'm missing a bunch of plastic bowls that were in the dish drainer.
> 
> If you were a border collie, where would you hide dishes?


The image of Molly standing in the sink made me literally laugh out loud.


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> The image of Molly standing in the sink made me literally laugh out loud.


I had to face the wall and cover my mouth with both hands to keep from laughing aloud because if I laugh and she knows it she'll do it again.

Funniest thing I've ever seen.

Still don't know where those bowls went, though.


----------



## CptJack

Then she turned up with this, which I don't think I've ever seen before but makes chicken noises.

Apparently she's trading my tupperware for toys? In the time it takes me to pee. 

(Ican'tstoplaughing)


----------



## Damon'sMom

Agh! This dog! Mason has decided that running full speed, leaping into the air and shoving off me with his back feet is amazing. Agh! I have purple bruises everywhere. He also thinks that when I get home running full speed at me and doing a leap of faith is incredible.  

Keeping this dog on the ground is just about impossible. He is more of a bird or flying monkety


----------



## momtolabs

This week/end is crazy for me. Yesterday I was running around doing things for my cousin and taking care of her dogs, today I had a Jr.high basketball game to go to(my brother plays) came home and cleaned, tomorrow I am going to be at school from 8am-11pm because we have homecoming and then coronation afterwards and I have to stay for both. Thursday I have thanksgiving with my dads family, Friday I have thanksgiving with my grandma on my moms side and we are hosting it so it will be crazy with dog shuffling and such then I have to pack that night and be up at 3:30am with the rest of my family and 15 of us are headed to Missouri for thanksgiving with my grandpa and relatives oh and the best part?? We're all going in one vehicle and ages range from 1 year old-37 years old......I'm going to go nuts,lol. I get to come back Sunday night late and finish homework I know I won't get done. Run the dogs like crazy because there going nuts and then I finally get to sleep,lol. Doesn't sound like a lot but I'm just thinking of all the work I have to do tomorrow at the game and the thanksgivings and I just want to sleep forever.


----------



## jade5280

When you watch the office across the street get to go home early because of the snow storm and you're still at work :/


----------



## DaySleepers

...99% sure Sam's got tapeworm. Joy. When he's been on flea preventative all year, too. And guess whose vet is closed for the holidays?

Thank goodness for OTC dewormers. Got him some praziquantel from the Petco and will give the vet a call next week. He sure does have great timing, though.

On a happier note, we got our first big snow today and he was ecstatic. Now he's passed out cold across my legs, haha.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Knew it had to come sometime but it snowed all night and all today. We have over a foot of snow now and it is still coming down. I took Kris into town for her Obedience practice and when I came home they had plowed the road and of course, left a big pile across my driveway. I could not get a good run at it so got stuck halfway up. Had to just park it and walk the rest of the way. Kris loves the snow and was racing everywhere but the little dogs had to follow the tracks I left this morning or they had to leap to get through the snow. Not looking forward to all the shovelling I have to do tomorrow and could not find my snow shovel.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I was super smart and smashed my foot with a shovel today...


----------



## kcomstoc

Even though I said it in the other pet thread I gotta say it here too....I'M GETTING A BALL PYTHON IN 3 DAYS SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!  I feel better now


----------



## momtolabs

Someone is selling Caleb's brother on a pet rehome site..... Color wise they are different but structure wise there pretty similar. Caleb is thicker and has more coat but I'm not sure how old the dog was with the pictures they shared. I'm guessing around 4 months...... They have two the one there selling is the red/white on the floor









Has Caleb's face,lol


----------



## KodiBarracuda

I've been shopping for 7 hours now. My feet hurt!


----------



## Kyllobernese

Looked outside this morning and we had another almost foot of snow during the night and it was -20C. All the snow I shovelled off yesterday is back for me to do again today. I think our weatherman does not look out the windows as they never mentioned snow, just that we were going to get colder weather. Decided it was a two cups of coffee morning.


----------



## Kayota

i left my phone in the bathroom for MAYBE 5 mins during black friday, went to check the time, realized it wasn't in my pocket, ran back to the bathroom and it wasn't there, asked a million managers and checked lost and found, ended up concluding that my phone was stolen and buying a new one. :doh:

also i still can't figure out why they had literally every employee there for 12 hours today. we barely did anything and no one showed up for the last event. it was the worst work day i have ever had and i am very tired.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My co-worker was making fun of me this morning lol, sge didn't know what was happening but could hear me talking in the small dog area, she said i was talking to a dog in the nicest tone but saying things like "you need to learn some manners" and "if you don't behave yourself your not gonna have any friends" lol. She was teasing me and i had to think for a while trying to recall who i was talking too because i totally didn't remember this conversation i had with a dog lol. I did remember after, i was talking to some puppies, there was 2 a baby boxer and a baby husky x my first conversation was with the Husky mix, she was terriblely rude, climbing over me, clawing my head... the second was the boxer pup, she's a jerk lol, VERY dominant attitude, she's seriously like 12 weeks old and pinned the Husky pup standing stiff over her with hackles raised, i was like "are you for real little puppy?" And pulled her off while apparently having a stern chat with her lol. She later tried the same thing with ME, heckles up, body stiff and tried to posture over me lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> My co-worker was making fun of me this morning lol, sge didn't know what was happening but could hear me talking in the small dog area, she said i was talking to a dog in the nicest tone but saying things like "you need to learn some manners" and "if you don't behave yourself your not gonna have any friends" lol. She was teasing me and i had to think for a while trying to recall who i was talking too because i totally didn't remember this conversation i had with a dog lol. I did remember after, i was talking to some puppies, there was 2 a baby boxer and a baby husky x my first conversation was with the Husky mix, she was terriblely rude, climbing over me, clawing my head... the second was the boxer pup, she's a jerk lol, VERY dominant attitude, she's seriously like 12 weeks old and pinned the Husky pup standing stiff over her with hackles raised, i was like "are you for real little puppy?" And pulled her off while apparently having a stern chat with her lol. She later tried the same thing with ME, heckles up, body stiff and tried to posture over me lol


LOL My fiancee did the same thing to me when I worked as a groom and he cauught mee talking to the horses. he came around and was like "I thought you were talking to another person!" LOL


----------



## momtolabs

So Caleb is going to the vet. He has always been uh.....slow. He's smart just slow and a clutz. He seems to be running into more things then usual lately. I'm not sure if he is loosing his eye sight or if he just doesn't watch where he is going. He ran into the Christmas tree today and seems to be very touchy lately. He is going in for a 6 month check up anyway so im going to being it up. When he was around 8 weeks he had a chronic ear infection(worst one my vet has seen on a pup) and I don't know if maybe there was damage done from that causing him issues or not. It could very well be possible that he is just not watching where he is going but I want to be safe.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Months ago a Toller turned up at ny local shelter..my friend sent me the link and my first thiyght had been "pulease..its probably a spaniel or a collie x or something, clicked the link and had a "holy crap thats actually a Toller" moment! Tollers in my province are uncommon and there is exactly zero breeders, so you have to go pretty out of your way to get a Toller in these parts, so the chances of one turning up in a shelter? Pretty slim. Found out today that a local Toller friend adopted him, she Said she had the same reaction, someone told her about the Toller in the shelter and she looked thinking "pfft, ya right" only to see the dog and go "holy crap, that's actually a Toller" lol she said she went straight there and adopted him with the intent of finding his owner(because he was listed as having been a stray) found out instead that he was actually an owner surrender! And she wound up keeping him, said he's super sweet! I'm still baffled as to how a Toller wound up surrendered, wheres his breeder? and why would you jump through the hoops it takes to get a Toller here and then dump it at the shelter?


----------



## rangerpuppy

I had to Google images to see what a Toller was.... What a beautiful looking dog!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I am visiting OH for a week or two and he doesnt have cable so I will have to watch the mid season finale online if I can after it airs  I hope I dont have to wait too long for them to put it up, I even have the page bookmarked!


----------



## kcomstoc

I GOT HIM AND HE'S PERFECT!!!  his name is Firefly


----------



## Kyllobernese

Went into my Obedience practice yesterday but the Agility was cancelled as it was too cold. I was going to go in again today but it went down to -35C (-31F) last night and my Van would not start this morning even though I had the block heater plugged in. My battery went dead so I put it on the charger and got it started later on but too late for the Obedience. It is supposed to start warming up this week so sure hope it does. Too cold to be outside for very long, the dogs spent most of the day sleeping by the furnace.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kyllobernese said:


> Went into my Obedience practice yesterday but the Agility was cancelled as it was too cold. I was going to go in again today but it went down to -35C (-31F) last night and my Van would not start this morning even though I had the block heater plugged in. My battery went dead so I put it on the charger and got it started later on but too late for the Obedience. It is supposed to start warming up this week so sure hope it does. Too cold to be outside for very long, the dogs spent most of the day sleeping by the furnace.


it was 82 degrees today xD. but even so, i am lucky that our agility place is indoors


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Maisy just flipped bananas on me. Hard core freaked out and barked the house full and gave me a strong "i will bite" warning. I snuck into a room where she was sleeping and then just stood there like a weird person until she woke up (it was like 2 seconds, I snuck in to see of she was counter surfing or getting into trouble and was taken aback to find her sleeping on the floor surrounded by fully intact toys.) When she did wake up she didn't recognize me and went nuts while side stepping to get behind an end table.

It was a good reminder that any dog, even a dog that loves and trusts you can get violent if woken up abruptly or is confused when they wake up. 

Now she is sleeping under me at my desk in my office.


----------



## Kayota

Something similar happened to me yesterday although it wasn't Roxie, a guy was petting a poodle at the dog park and I leaned down to pet him as well and before I even touched his back he startled and started barking like crazy lol, after that he wouldn't let anyone pet him.

And on the other hand there are a few huskies who are regulars there who have their CGCs and I ended up cuddling two of them at once because they came over when I squeaked Roxie's toy and ended up laying on the table lol, they were so sweet and I ended up with my head on one of them because they were so darn soft (owner and dog both didn't mind, I wouldn't do that if they did)


----------



## CptJack

Molly's at the vet being spayed. She had to be pried out of bed with me to go and kept trying to come back. Break my heart, why don't you?

I'll... go back to breathing when she's home. Or three days later, depending.

*ETA:* And apparently she had to be muzzled to be sedated :/ She's going to be so miserable being stuck there.


----------



## NyxForge

Rory nearly locked me out of the house this morning. That would not have been a good start to our day.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Miss Bugs said:


> Months ago a Toller turned up at ny local shelter..my friend sent me the link and my first thiyght had been "pulease..its probably a spaniel or a collie x or something, clicked the link and had a "holy crap thats actually a Toller" moment! Tollers in my province are uncommon and there is exactly zero breeders, so you have to go pretty out of your way to get a Toller in these parts, so the chances of one turning up in a shelter? Pretty slim. Found out today that a local Toller friend adopted him, she Said she had the same reaction, someone told her about the Toller in the shelter and she looked thinking "pfft, ya right" only to see the dog and go "holy crap, that's actually a Toller" lol she said she went straight there and adopted him with the intent of finding his owner(because he was listed as having been a stray) found out instead that he was actually an owner surrender! And she wound up keeping him, said he's super sweet! I'm still baffled as to how a Toller wound up surrendered, wheres his breeder? and why would you jump through the hoops it takes to get a Toller here and then dump it at the shelter?


That's crazy! I would try to find the breeder so that they know. 

I've been off DF for a whole week. Did I miss anything exciting? Haha.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

KodiBarracuda said:


> Maisy just flipped bananas on me. Hard core freaked out and barked the house full and gave me a strong "i will bite" warning. I snuck into a room where she was sleeping and then just stood there like a weird person until she woke up (it was like 2 seconds, I snuck in to see of she was counter surfing or getting into trouble and was taken aback to find her sleeping on the floor surrounded by fully intact toys.) When she did wake up she didn't recognize me and went nuts while side stepping to get behind an end table.
> 
> It was a good reminder that any dog, even a dog that loves and trusts you can get violent if woken up abruptly or is confused when they wake up.
> 
> Now she is sleeping under me at my desk in my office.


LOL I am visiting fiancee, and I was out playing with Josefina in the field by his apartment (he lives on the ranch premises) and he came back from work on his bike and she went bat poop crazy barking at him and charged him all puffed out with her hackles up like "RAWR dont get near my mom creepy stranger!!!" forgive me but it was so CUTE, because she is so small and fluffy and she looked so cute all puffed out being all tough acting. As soon as he spoke to her, though she realized it was him and was like "Oh, ok you're cool"

And she is like the friendliest dog ever, so that proves that even friendly dogs can get guardy LOL


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Molly's at the vet being spayed. She had to be pried out of bed with me to go and kept trying to come back. Break my heart, why don't you?
> 
> I'll... go back to breathing when she's home. Or three days later, depending.
> 
> *ETA:* And apparently she had to be muzzled to be sedated :/ She's going to be so miserable being stuck there.



Aww...hope all goes well and you get the call soon that it is done and she is waking up. Will you be picking her up this afternoon? I hate dropping them off for anything that they will be put under for. None of mine mind the vet but they seem to know when they have to be left there cause only then will the pull on the leash to get back to me. My last one (Belle) had an odd reaction to her spay. She wasn't normal for the next seven days! I was starting to get worried when she finally snapped out of it. She is highly reactive to things though.


----------



## Miss Bugs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> That's crazy! I would try to find the breeder so that they know.
> 
> I've been off DF for a whole week. Did I miss anything exciting? Haha.


AFAIK she did. She's a vet, a judge for various dogsports and has been training and competing with multiple Tollers for longer then me(8 years for me) so she knows the ropes when it comes to figuring out that sorta thing lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Molly's at the vet being spayed. She had to be pried out of bed with me to go and kept trying to come back. Break my heart, why don't you?
> 
> I'll... go back to breathing when she's home. Or three days later, depending.
> 
> *ETA:* And apparently she had to be muzzled to be sedated :/ She's going to be so miserable being stuck there.


Still beats the alternative (heat cycles/puppies) and once she is recovered, its done, no more worrying. I know its stressful, but in the end IMO its worth it.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Aww...hope all goes well and you get the call soon that it is done and she is waking up. Will you be picking her up this afternoon? I hate dropping them off for anything that they will be put under for. None of mine mind the vet but they seem to know when they have to be left there cause only then will the pull on the leash to get back to me. My last one (Belle) had an odd reaction to her spay. She wasn't normal for the next seven days! I was starting to get worried when she finally snapped out of it. She is highly reactive to things though.


I am on the phone TRYING to convince them to let me pick her up - they let dogs spayed on Fridays go, they've sent home dogs same day because of weather and holidays. They're fighting with me about it because of their schedule but - I hate the idea of her there overnight, mostly because her level of stress. The freaking clinic is unstaffed all night, anyway.

Poor Belle and poor you! I'm glad it passed!



OwnedbyACDs said:


> Still beats the alternative (heat cycles/puppies) and once she is recovered, its done, no more worrying. I know its stressful, but in the end IMO its worth it.


Eh, I'm not upset about having decided to spay her. My life does not allow me the admittedly minimal assurances that would let me prevent puppies and I'm not interested in curtailing what I do with them, either. 

I am concerned about her physical well being, but only mildly. 

Mentally? I'm worried. She was so terrified she peed herself and needed muzzled because she was snapping. It's a new set of people and not our regular vet, it was loud, noisy, chaotic and I'm sure all of that plays into the intensity of her response but I'm both worried about her reaction and the future in general. She does NOT let things go easily and rarely ever just 'gets over' ANYTHING.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> I am on the phone TRYING to convince them to let me pick her up - they let dogs spayed on Fridays go, they've sent home dogs same day because of weather and holidays. They're fighting with me about it because of their schedule but - I hate the idea of her there overnight, mostly because her level of stress. The freaking clinic is unstaffed all night, anyway.
> 
> Poor Belle and poor you! I'm glad it passed!
> 
> 
> 
> Eh, I'm not upset about having decided to spay her. My life does not allow me the admittedly minimal assurances that would let me prevent puppies and I'm not interested in curtailing what I do with them, either.
> 
> I am concerned about her physical well being, but only mildly.
> 
> Mentally? I'm worried. She was so terrified she peed herself and needed muzzled because she was snapping. It's a new set of people and not our regular vet, it was loud, noisy, chaotic and I'm sure all of that plays into the intensity of her response but I'm both worried about her reaction and the future in general. She does NOT let things go easily and rarely ever just 'gets over' ANYTHING.



Oh, I hope they let you go get her! Our vet typically keeps the dogs overnight after a spay also but no one is there at night so no way am I leaving my dog there. My vet had no problem with me bringing Maya or Belle home after their spays. They are pretty groggy that first day yet anyway and pretty much sleep but I would rather have them sleeping at my house for me to watch for things than at the vet when no one is there. That would be even rougher knowing how much your dog was stressed at being there. Good luck and hopefully Molly is sleeping at your house tonight!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I am on the phone TRYING to convince them to let me pick her up - they let dogs spayed on Fridays go, they've sent home dogs same day because of weather and holidays. They're fighting with me about it because of their schedule but - I hate the idea of her there overnight, mostly because her level of stress. The freaking clinic is unstaffed all night, anyway.
> 
> Poor Belle and poor you! I'm glad it passed!
> 
> 
> 
> Eh, I'm not upset about having decided to spay her. My life does not allow me the admittedly minimal assurances that would let me prevent puppies and I'm not interested in curtailing what I do with them, either.
> 
> I am concerned about her physical well being, but only mildly.
> 
> Mentally? I'm worried. She was so terrified she peed herself and needed muzzled because she was snapping. It's a new set of people and not our regular vet, it was loud, noisy, chaotic and I'm sure all of that plays into the intensity of her response but I'm both worried about her reaction and the future in general. She does NOT let things go easily and rarely ever just 'gets over' ANYTHING.


sounds like when Izze was spayed, except she sent two people to the hospital before they were able to get her sedated  stupid clinic, it was their fault, I told them they should sedate her in the exam room with me holding her, but nooooo they wanted to take her in the back, and wouldnt let me back there with her, served them right IMO

I was so mad that I changed vets to the one I have now, and I have never been happier, they are a little country clinic that is willing to work with owners of dogs who have behavioral issues like issues with handling by strangers and such. It sucks, because of that one bad experience, she was horrible at the vet until she died unless i was right there to restrain her, i wouldnt let them take her to the back for any reason.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Oh, I hope they let you go get her! Our vet typically keeps the dogs overnight after a spay also but no one is there at night so no way am I leaving my dog there. My vet had no problem with me bringing Maya or Belle home after their spays. They are pretty groggy that first day yet anyway and pretty much sleep but I would rather have them sleeping at my house for me to watch for things than at the vet when no one is there. That would be even rougher knowing how much your dog was stressed at being there. Good luck and hopefully Molly is sleeping at your house tonight!!


Yeah, Kylie honestly didn't do anything the first night either, but I'd rather her not be stuck there and absolutely miserable and alone. I don't care if they think I'm ridiculous, and I am sure she will be okay waiting until 7 a.m for a pick-up but I really really want her home. 

I'll update when I know something :/ Working up my chain of command, now. I'm not feeling hopeful.

And not using this place for any more spays if I'm not successful. Neuters, fine, those come home. Spays, no. ...Not that I have anything else that needs spayed, but still.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Yeah, Kylie honestly didn't do anything the first night either, but I'd rather her not be stuck there and absolutely miserable and alone. I don't care if they think I'm ridiculous, and I am sure she will be okay waiting until 7 a.m for a pick-up but I really really want her home.
> 
> I'll update when I know something :/ Working up my chain of command, now. I'm not feeling hopeful.
> 
> And not using this place for any more spays if I'm not successful. Neuters, fine, those come home. Spays, no. ...Not that I have anything else that needs spayed, but still.


Our vet always keeps them overnight too and its hard  I hope you can get her and that she recovers quickly. I hate to say this but I had to keep Izze doped for that time they are supposed to be quiet, because as a teenaged ACD that was clearly not going to happen on its own.


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Our vet always keeps them overnight too and its hard  I hope you can get her and that she recovers quickly. I hate to say this but I had to keep Izze doped for that time they are supposed to be quiet, because as a teenaged ACD that was clearly not going to happen on its own.


LOL. Yeah, I had to do that with Kylie a little bit - but the drugs actually made her worse, so we just had to deal. I'm sure I'll be fine in that regard. Molly's off switch is better than Kylie's was at that age.


----------



## CptJack

They're letting us pick her up. Back soon. (I'm so relieved I'm crying. Shut up.)


----------



## taquitos

Haven't been doing much with Meeko as of late.

Consequently he has started barking his head off.

I am starting to think most small dogs are not actually yappy if their needs are met.

Meeko's bark is so hoarse and shrill... ugh... I guess I'm going to have to take a break from studying and take him for a quick walk at least to burn off some excess energy.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> LOL. Yeah, I had to do that with Kylie a little bit - but the drugs actually made her worse, so we just had to deal. I'm sure I'll be fine in that regard. Molly's off switch is better than Kylie's was at that age.


We had some acepromazine (for the horses) and I gave her a little of that, I hated doping her, but it was either that or she rip her stitches, so I chose the drugs, I only gave her enough to take the edge off (like a rousing play session or a good run would do) and just mentally worked her and that combo worked til she was well enough to go back to her normal routine.

vibes poor Molly gets well soon and she doesnt need drastic measures like that LOL


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> We had some acepromazine (for the horses) and I gave her a little of that, I hated doping her, but it was either that or she rip her stitches, so I chose the drugs, I only gave her enough to take the edge off (like a rousing play session or a good run would do) and just mentally worked her and that combo worked til she was well enough to go back to her normal routine.
> 
> vibes poor Molly gets well soon and she doesnt need drastic measures like that LOL


Yeah, no. Not happening. She can pull a Kylie and be miserable and scream about boredom and vibrate with pent up energy. If necessary she can spend the entire week coned and crated or leashed and tethered to me while screaming -and it probably will be necessary and that's okay by me. I would never be able to justify giving my dog sedation post spay (as a primary purpose, unlike the pain killers they get for three days). I am just monumentally not all right with that. 

In other news, Molly is home and she really isn't anywhere near as groggy as I expected. She's finally settled in her crate and appears to be crashing out though, after clinging to me and resting her head on my shoulder and whinging/whimpering/moaning/woofing about her terrible day for about half an hour. Not surprised she was only about 4 hours out from surgery when we picked her up.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My manager comes to me this am and shows me something and tells me to read it, im reading and just just a list of prices..she says "keep reading" so i continue and start laughing the more i read, it said "unlike other kennels we do not charge.." followed by our price list verbatim lol. My manager then says that its the price page(new, they never used to list prices) of our only competition. She was like "I'm flattered that they felt the need to dedicate a whole page to us" lol. Why i don't understand, its not like were a threat to them, they are always full and we share a client base lol. Yup our prices are higher..that's WHY we share a client base, many of or daycare clients chose to board with them because its cheaper. Whatever, doesn't harm us any and gives them more clients so not sure why the dedicated attack was felt necessary lol


----------



## kcomstoc

So I'd better watch out or my snake is going to eat my dog >.> that's right a 215 gram (.47 pounds) snake is going to eat a 24 POUND dog or me (145 pounds)....the things my clueless co-workers say. Seriously if you know NOTHING about snakes except what you watch on "when animals attack" then maybe you should say NOTHING. I explained to her that it would be pretty IMPOSSIBLE for my snake to eat my rabbits when it's FULL GROWN let alone my dog which is 3-4x's bigger than my rabbits *face palm*


----------



## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> So I'd better watch out or my snake is going to eat my dog >.> that's right a 215 gram (.47 pounds) snake is going to eat a 24 POUND dog or me (145 pounds)....the things my clueless co-workers say. Seriously if you know NOTHING about snakes except what you watch on "when animals attack" then maybe you should say NOTHING. I explained to her that it would be pretty IMPOSSIBLE for my snake to eat my rabbits when it's FULL GROWN let alone my dog which is 3-4x's bigger than my rabbits *face palm*



Buckle up, the excitement has just begun. Yeah, I get that a lot. Also a lot of people think all pythons are Burmese pythons and your snake is going to grow to be like 15 feet long and eat YOU.

At this point I just snort and mock. I'm not a nice person, though, not really.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> Buckle up, the excitement has just begun. Yeah, I get that a lot. Also a lot of people think all pythons are Burmese pythons and your snake is going to grow to be like 15 feet long and eat YOU.
> 
> At this point I just snort and mock. I'm not a nice person, though, not really.


Oh yea I said ball python and that's what they said to me (that it was going to eat me) it's like all they heard was the word python...I was like "are you serious?!!?" she's a nice person just SUPER clueless, she also said "I'm gonna be worried about you now" (like while I'm sleeping my snake is going to eat me) PUH-LEASE like I would just get an animal without researching it first and then proceed to buy it even if I couldn't handle it.


----------



## momtolabs

Someone overheard me saying how I was going to a breeder for my next dog and jumped down my throat saying how I was killing a dog if I got one from a breeder. I felt bad but I was angry and said "you had your own kids right?" She said "yea" so I responded "there are thousands of homeless dying children so you killed 2 kids by having your own 2 kids." Shut her up pretty quickly......I may start usin that one. I mean was it right for me to say it probably not but I was angry and she lit my fuse!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Someone overheard me saying how I was going to a breeder for my next dog and jumped down my throat saying how I was killing a dog if I got one from a breeder. I felt bad but I was angry and said "you had your own kids right?" She said "yea" so I responded "there are thousands of homeless dying children so you killed 2 kids by having your own 2 kids." Shut her up pretty quickly......I may start usin that one. I mean was it right for me to say it probably not but I was angry and she lit my fuse!!!


Yep, I had to endure that, too, and once they found out I was getting an MAS, **** really hit the fan, let me tell you. Of course it didnt matter that I donate food, money, toys, and when I can, time to my local shelters, or that only two of my dogs are from breeders nono, they dont hear any of that, they just hear the word "breeder" and go bat poop crazy.


----------



## Laurelin

I hear Hank tearing something up. I know I should go see what it is. But I don't wanna get up.

Also, I need a couch. All 3 dogs keep insisting on sitting on the love seat with me. There is no room.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Yeah, no. Not happening. She can pull a Kylie and be miserable and scream about boredom and vibrate with pent up energy. If necessary she can spend the entire week coned and crated or leashed and tethered to me while screaming -and it probably will be necessary and that's okay by me. I would never be able to justify giving my dog sedation post spay (as a primary purpose, unlike the pain killers they get for three days). I am just monumentally not all right with that.
> 
> In other news, Molly is home and she really isn't anywhere near as groggy as I expected. She's finally settled in her crate and appears to be crashing out though, after clinging to me and resting her head on my shoulder and whinging/whimpering/moaning/woofing about her terrible day for about half an hour. Not surprised she was only about 4 hours out from surgery when we picked her up.



Glad to hear Molly got to come home. Hopefully recovery goes well. I thought I would have a problem with Belle and not being able to keep her quiet until her stitches came out but because she reacted so funny it wasn't hard at all. Vet said it couldn't have been from the anesthesia but I think it was. All she wanted to do for the next seven days was hide under the bed, under the couch, under pillow, behind the couch....she was obsessive and even places she never could get into she got into even with a cone on her head! She was just not herself at all. I called the vet after four days of this and they thought it was due to depression from the surgery/ the cone etc but seven days was a little excessive for this behavior. I did get her out and get her to walk around a bit on leash and she would seem fine but wasn't her energetic self at all, like she was dopey yet. Then after four weeks, she ended up with an infection in the incision! Caught it right away though so it didn't get bad.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Glad to hear Molly got to come home. Hopefully recovery goes well. I thought I would have a problem with Belle and not being able to keep her quiet until her stitches came out but because she reacted so funny it wasn't hard at all. Vet said it couldn't have been from the anesthesia but I think it was. All she wanted to do for the next seven days was hide under the bed, under the couch, under pillow, behind the couch....she was obsessive and even places she never could get into she got into even with a cone on her head! She was just not herself at all. I called the vet after four days of this and they thought it was due to depression from the surgery/ the cone etc but seven days was a little excessive for this behavior. I did get her out and get her to walk around a bit on leash and she would seem fine but wasn't her energetic self at all, like she was dopey yet. Then after four weeks, she ended up with an infection in the incision! Caught it right away though so it didn't get bad.


She's acting pretty strange at the moment, but to be honest most of my dogs have after being spayed and she hasn't been 'up' for very long at all. She's not dopey/groggy, but clingy and restless at the same time. She's still riding morphine they gave her before she woke up but she's just... not happy and I honestly suspect most of her discomfort is honestly trauma related. 

I'm not somebody who says that kind of thing easily, but she apparently pretty thoroughly lost it when they took her back and tried to restrain her (was okay up to that point, even obeying commands from them) but after? She was just gone. The REASON the vet agreed to let her come home is she was completely shut down in her cage. Like non-responsive shut down.

So I expect it to take a bit for her to... stop cowering and clinging. :/

Fortunately, there are no stitches to worry about. She's got internal dissolving one, external is just surgical glue.


----------



## Laurelin

This was Mia post-spay. It was so sad.


----------



## kcomstoc

Poor Molly I hope she's feeling better soon, at least it's a one time deal and this will never have to be done ever again  bright side


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> This was Mia post-spay. It was so sad.



Awww....Mia look so sad!


This was Belle the day she was spayed...


IMG_8515a by rzyg, on Flickr


This was four days later....still all unhappy...Angel tried to get her to play with the red dog toy but she wouldn't.
IMG_8903a by rzyg, on Flickr


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CRAP !!! I am doing laundry here and I put what I thought was softener in the softener deal (its a front load machine, so it has a slot where you put all the stuff in at the start of the wash) and I looked after the fact only to realize that it was detergent ... with softener IN it ... shoot the detergent letters were super small and I missed them! I cant believe I did that!!! I put it on extra rinse and I hope to GOD everything comes out ok!!! I cant believe i did that!!! >_<

I am freaking out right now because most of the clothes are fiancee's and my anxiety is going through the roof!!! I am literally shaking right now.


----------



## BubbaMoose

How's miss Molly this morning CptJack?



OwnedbyACDs said:


> CRAP !!! I am doing laundry here and I put what I thought was softener in the softener deal (its a front load machine, so it has a slot where you put all the stuff in at the start of the wash) and I looked after the fact only to realize that it was detergent ... with softener IN it ... shoot the detergent letters were super small and I missed them! I cant believe I did that!!! I put it on extra rinse and I hope to GOD everything comes out ok!!! I cant believe i did that!!! >_<
> 
> I am freaking out right now because most of the clothes are fiancee's and my anxiety is going through the roof!!! I am literally shaking right now.


I'm sure it will be fine. You may just have to rinse the clothes again.


----------



## CptJack

BubbaMoose said:


> How's miss Molly this morning CptJack?


She seems all right, over all. She woke up crying at 2 this morning and after a potty trip and some reassurance settled down on the couch to sleep with me until about 6:30. She's out again now. She's still kind of... desperate and frantic, but she seems to be winding down and actually sleeping better/longer/more deeply. 

I think she'll be all right. I'll feel better a few days out when she's had a little healing time physically.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> How's miss Molly this morning CptJack?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure it will be fine. You may just have to rinse the clothes again.


I have it on extra rinse ... I cant believe i did that LOL, I mean it had SOFTENER in huge letters and only AFTER i put the clothes in did I really look at it when I was putting the bottle back.

Update: Oh, thank god! they came out okay!!! Whew! what a relief!


----------



## Laurelin

I kinda just went on a dog shopping spree of epic proportions. 

But chewy had such good sales. 

Hank totally needs 18 new toys right? And 3 gundog supply collars and three boxes of treats from BBS and 4 new clean run tugs. 

Right? Right?


----------



## Melle

Do I get Tobias an embroidered suede and leather breakaway collar?? Is it practical? I mean it's winter. And I like his natural look. But I could also put name and phone number on it. And he'd be a fancy cat man. But do I?? I'm a sucker for nice leather on a pet.

Or I could get him a vertical scratching tower. He's been pricking up the carpet and he's too big for his horizontal sisal wavy thing.


----------



## Laurelin

Annnnnnnd now a Paco.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ok let me run this by you guys (will be long, sorry for that)
General question: I am here visiting my fiancee, he works at this private ranch, about three times a day (during the day when everyone is at work) I walk Josefina in the wooded areas around where his apartment is, now across the street (the ranch has a internal paved road that snakes all through the place) is the main house where the owner is, and on my side of the street is the house where the foremen lives. Now he has a area where the yard is very well manicured and we keep off that, keeping to the shaggy wooded/leafy areas. well long story short fiancee told me today that I was wrong in doing that. He says I would be better walking along the ranch's road where there are thin strips of grass on each side, flanking the pastures. But I dont feel right letting her poop there where its all neat and manicured, which is why I take her to the wooded area. while we are there, she doesnt make a ruckus, we just quietly walk around and do our business and go, I never go there really early in the morning or at night.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Of Course they needed all that stuff!!


I too went crazy and have bought the dogs tons of stuff in the last few days.
1 Box of greenies
4 bags of training treats
20 toys 
1 bag of 4 large-Xlarge tennis balls
Reindeer outfit
Santa hat collar
Elf hat
2 bags of food
24 cans of wet food
Harnesses for both of them

I am sure I am forgetting something. And I am sure I will buy more before the sales are up, the boys go threw SO MANY toys every month I get them when I can.

ETA: OH! And one of the new toys is something i have not seen before. Its a giant pig that you stuff an empty 2 liter of pop into.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I love that crinkly bone thing I have seen at TSC LOL, the one with a bit of plastic in the middle that crinkles when you squeeze it, I want to get one for me xD


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Dear Neighbor,

Of course I don't mind helping you out by walking your dog. I like to help people and if that includes walking your dog, I'm free for that day and will do it. But please please be considerate and if you don't need my help, send me a text or call me. Just don't assume if you don't text/call it means you don't need me. I await your text/call and have my phone with me the whole day in case I might miss you. It would be really considerate of you to just drop me a line and tell me when I'm needed or not needed.

From,
Your Neighbor


----------



## Willowy

Argh. There's a World Wildlife Fund commercial that plays on Comedy Central during The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. At nearly every commercial break. It starts "Whether you love tigers because they epitomize the wild or simply because they're the most magnificent of the big cats. . .". Gah. What does that mean, "they epitomize the wild"? And who said they're the most magnificent of the big cats? Sounds terribly subjective to me. And why would that be "simply"? I don't know if it's because it plays so often or if the wording really is that obnoxious but that commercial is really getting on my nerves.


----------



## Damon'sMom

So I went to the car lot today and am now test driving a 2007 Ford Edge for the next few days!!! I love this SUV so far, I am going to be trading in my 2005 Mini cooper for it sometime later this week if I end up liking it overall. Super excited to have more room again like I did when I had my Blazer. The lower MPG is going to suck but still.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> So I went to the car lot today and am now test driving a 2007 Ford Edge for the next few days!!! I love this SUV so far, I am going to be trading in my 2005 Mini cooper for it sometime later this week if I end up liking it overall. Super excited to have more room again like I did when I had my Blazer. The lower MPG is going to suck but still.


I am a total SUV/truck girl all the way, I have tried to drive an eco car but I just cant do it. give me lower MPG any day I say! and my truck isnt really that bad, it gets over 20 MPG


----------



## Damon'sMom

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am a total SUV/truck girl all the way, I have tried to drive an eco car but I just cant do it. give me lower MPG any day I say! and my truck isnt really that bad, it gets over 20 MPG


Yeah so I am I. I have only had the mini for a little over a year (1 month over to be exact. lol). I got it because it I was spending so much in gas for my Blazer. When the Blazer died I decided it was time to get something small and good on gas. When I got that mini I saved enough in gas money to get full coverage insurance, pay my monthly car payment, and fill my car up every week in gas. It was amazing. haha But now I am not driving 80 miles a day anymore and I have two large dogs that ride in my car AT LEAST twice a day everyday of the year. With Mason growing bigger and bigger it was just NOT working out.  lol


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ok let me run this by you guys (will be long, sorry for that)
> General question: I am here visiting my fiancee, he works at this private ranch, about three times a day (during the day when everyone is at work) I walk Josefina in the wooded areas around where his apartment is, now across the street (the ranch has a internal paved road that snakes all through the place) is the main house where the owner is, and on my side of the street is the house where the foremen lives. Now he has a area where the yard is very well manicured and we keep off that, keeping to the shaggy wooded/leafy areas. well long story short fiancee told me today that I was wrong in doing that. He says I would be better walking along the ranch's road where there are thin strips of grass on each side, flanking the pastures. But I dont feel right letting her poop there where its all neat and manicured, which is why I take her to the wooded area. while we are there, she doesnt make a ruckus, we just quietly walk around and do our business and go, I never go there really early in the morning or at night.



Do you pick up the poo? If so I say walk where you fiancée tells you to. lol! Or where you feel most comfortable. Is there a way to find out what the owner thinks?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> Yeah so I am I. I have only had the mini for a little over a year (1 month over to be exact. lol). I got it because it I was spending so much in gas for my Blazer. When the Blazer died I decided it was time to get something small and good on gas. When I got that mini I saved enough in gas money to get full coverage insurance, pay my monthly car payment, and fill my car up every week in gas. It was amazing. haha But now I am not driving 80 miles a day anymore and I have two large dogs that ride in my car AT LEAST twice a day everyday of the year. With Mason growing bigger and bigger it was just NOT working out.  lol


One of the ladies in my last agility class (before i advanced) had a little beetle (a new one) and somehow fit a large malinios and a full size aussie in that car! I still dont know how she did it, I had visions of the clown car from the circus LOL.

My vent: Its cold and my exercised induced asthma is especially bad this winter, it kicks in when the weather is cold and/or really dry humidity. I dont know how I will be able to keep up with my running schedule this winter because when I get to running, i start coughing and can barely breathe ... cold weather sucks


----------



## CptJack

I found a way to keep Molly occupied. Agility videos.

Please ignore the streaks. Flash makes it look worse than it is, and my autistic kid can't keep his hands off the screen, so it's always kinda streaked and finger printed up.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Paisley's entire extended family is going to be working at the kennel... I work there of coarse, her old owner works there, the lady who runs the rescue she was surrendered too works there and her foster mom just got a job with us lol



> One of the ladies in my last agility class (before i advanced) had a little beetle (a new one) and somehow fit a large malinios and a full size aussie in that car! I still dont know how she did it, I had visions of the clown car from the circus LOL.


years ago the owner of the kennel had a little Sprint..and he would load 3 great danes and 2 Pyr's into that car with him, it was hilarious lol


----------



## momtolabs

The moment your dogs are more popular then you..... When I walk Bentley and Mia everyone goes "hey Bentley hey Mia" and they usually forget my name,haha. Today I had both of them with me and drove to the gas station. Bentley was in the bed and Mia in the cab and people would walk past and go "get Bentley" and give him a pet and walk inside. I'm glad people know my dogs so if they get loose they know who they belong to but man I wish I was as popular as my dogs ,haha


----------



## momtolabs

Hanks twin is in the local HS.....


----------



## Miss Bugs

A house exploded in a nearby town today...like..litterally exploded..completely leveled, peices the the house in every direction and severe damage to surrounding buildings(collpased roofs, collpased walls). Apparently there was a gas leak in a pipeline under the street that caused the explosion..thankfully nobody was home! The photos of the damage are insane though(google Regina Beach house explosion, I'm on my phobe, linking is hard lol)


----------



## Laurelin

momtolabs said:


> Hanks twin is in the local HS.....
> 
> View attachment 184786


OMG. 

OMG.

I want.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> The moment your dogs are more popular then you..... When I walk Bentley and Mia everyone goes "hey Bentley hey Mia" and they usually forget my name,haha. Today I had both of them with me and drove to the gas station. Bentley was in the bed and Mia in the cab and people would walk past and go "get Bentley" and give him a pet and walk inside. I'm glad people know my dogs so if they get loose they know who they belong to but man I wish I was as popular as my dogs ,haha


yeah no one ever says hey to me its always "Oh Hi Josefina!" LOL then they TALK to me, but they dont actually say "hey formally." Like i am an after thought LMBO


----------



## momtolabs

Laurelin said:


> OMG.
> 
> OMG.
> 
> I want.


He is the 3rd rat terrier/ACD mix they have had in. I think someone around here had a litter because I seem one at the gas station the other day that is around the same age as the others at the shelter!! Ever since you got hank I see the mix everywhere,hahaha.


----------



## elrohwen

I'm so proud of Watson. Last night after rally class we let him play with a 6 month old sheltie pup, a 1.5 year old sheltie, and an older poodle. He's been weird with other dogs lately, sometimes barking right in their faces. It seems to be a defensive/insecurity based thing, but it's aggressive enough that it could get him in trouble. A couple weeks ago he barked at the sheltie puppy and was completely inappropriate so we separated them.

This week he was fantastic. The two older dogs snarked at him and he took it well (backed off and play bowed) and he was gentle with the puppy. He didn't obsess over the other dogs when they didn't want to play and was completely like his old friendly self before he turned weird. It made me so happy  I had some fears that his new behavior was going to be his permanent adult behavior towards strange dogs, but maybe it's an adolescent phase.


----------



## elrohwen

Also, I'm currently working out the details for Watson's first breeding! The female goes into heat in January which is coming up soon. Her first litter was with Watson's father, 1.5 years ago, and the puppies have turned out really nicely. Watson's eye test was perfect, but both his father and the dam have a risk factor for glaucoma, so they are hoping a breeding with Watson will give them the same great temperaments and lovely movement, along with better eye health. 

Now I have to try very hard not to take home a puppy if this works out. Haha.


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Also, I'm currently working out the details for Watson's first breeding! The female goes into heat in January which is coming up soon. Her first litter was with Watson's father, 1.5 years ago, and the puppies have turned out really nicely. Watson's eye test was perfect, but both his father and the dam have a risk factor for glaucoma, so they are hoping a breeding with Watson will give them the same great temperaments and lovely movement, along with better eye health.
> 
> Now I have to try very hard not to take home a puppy if this works out. Haha.


 Get a puppy!!!!!! You need a Watson Jr.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Get a puppy!!!!!! You need a Watson Jr.


But he's finally turning into an adult and not an obnoxious adolescent! Haha.

I have a few good reasons I don't want a puppy right now, but we could make it work if we really wanted to which is why I have to keep talking myself out of it. Neither my husband nor I are impulsive at all and we plan everything, so I think we'll be able to resist.

My big reasons are:
1. We want to have a kid in the next 5 years and having one adult dog + baby will be so much easier.
2. I don't even know where I'll be living in May becasue of job stuff, though arguably I will know within a couple months. If I am still living in my house, a puppy wouldn't be too bad (work is flexible, and we live so close that going home during the day is easy), but if we have to move up north a puppy would be way too much. We wouldn't live close enough to go home at lunch, and my job here has long hours that wouldn't be good for a puppy.
3. We don't have a fenced in yard, so two dogs will be a pain, though Watson didn't really need to be on leash until 8 months so it's possible that won't be as big of a deal. 

But yeah, I do really really want a baby Watson running around (though a girl puppy this time!). It's going to be so hard to say no.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> But he's finally turning into an adult and not an obnoxious adolescent! Haha.
> 
> I have a few good reasons I don't want a puppy right now, but we could make it work if we really wanted to which is why I have to keep talking myself out of it. Neither my husband nor I are impulsive at all and we plan everything, so I think we'll be able to resist.
> 
> My big reasons are:
> 1. We want to have a kid in the next 5 years and having one adult dog + baby will be so much easier.
> 2. I don't even know where I'll be living in May becasue of job stuff, though arguably I will know within a couple months. If I am still living in my house, a puppy wouldn't be too bad (work is flexible, and we live so close that going home during the day is easy), but if we have to move up north a puppy would be way too much. We wouldn't live close enough to go home at lunch, and my job here has long hours that wouldn't be good for a puppy.
> 3. We don't have a fenced in yard, so two dogs will be a pain, though Watson didn't really need to be on leash until 8 months so it's possible that won't be as big of a deal.
> 
> But yeah, I do really really want a baby Watson running around (though a girl puppy this time!). It's going to be so hard to say no.


Though, if you look at it this way, the pup would probably be mature or close to it by the time baby comes around.

come oooooooon ... you know you want a baby watson


----------



## jade5280

Ahh yeah, we pretty much had to fence in the yard when we got Gypsy. I couldn't imagine having to take 2 dogs out on leashes just for potty breaks!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH fiancee just mentioned that the people who work here at this ranch want to throw a party for me ... and I am DREADING it, I am very anti social and introverted and have social anxiety, just thinking about it is stressing me out majorly. I dont want to go but I will have to or it will be very rude not to show up.

Still ... UGH.



> Ahh yeah, we pretty much had to fence in the yard when we got Gypsy. I couldn't imagine having to take 2 dogs out on leashes just for potty breaks!


Also kids need a fenced yard, too! so you could say you are doing it for the future munchkin LOL.


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Though, if you look at it this way, the pup would probably be mature or close to it by the time baby comes around.
> 
> come oooooooon ... you know you want a baby watson


Ack, I know. I've also argued with myself that I won't want a puppy and a toddler either, so maybe it's better to get a puppy now so that Watson is 4-5 and puppy is 2 when we have a kid.



jade5280 said:


> Ahh yeah, we pretty much had to fence in the yard when we got Gypsy. I couldn't imagine having to take 2 dogs out on leashes just for potty breaks!


We have 10 acres, but most is woods and the yard area around the house is small and not a good size/shape to fence in. So it's great while the puppy can do potty breaks off leash (Watson did for months) but I don't want two dogs who have to be on long lines around the property. Though there is also a high probability that we will move up north in the next couple years even if we don't move in the spring, so we'll be looking at new houses anyway and a fenced yard or yard we can fence will be a priority.


So basically, if I stay in my house this spring, it will actually be the perfect time to get a puppy. Once I'm living up north permanently a puppy will be more difficult just due to work schedule and how close we will likely live to work. I feel like I'm talking myself into this puppy. Haha


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Ack, I know. I've also argued with myself that I won't want a puppy and a toddler either, so maybe it's better to get a puppy now so that Watson is 4-5 and puppy is 2 when we have a kid.
> 
> 
> 
> We have 10 acres, but most is woods and the yard area around the house is small and not a good size/shape to fence in. So it's great while the puppy can do potty breaks off leash (Watson did for months) but I don't want two dogs who have to be on long lines around the property. Though there is also a high probability that we will move up north in the next couple years even if we don't move in the spring, so we'll be looking at new houses anyway and a fenced yard or yard we can fence will be a priority.
> 
> 
> So basically, if I stay in my house this spring, it will actually be the perfect time to get a puppy. Once I'm living up north permanently a puppy will be more difficult just due to work schedule and how close we will likely live to work. I feel like I'm talking myself into this puppy. Haha


DO IT.

Nothing is ever "perfect" or the way we exactly wwant it, for kids or puppies/dogs. the best we can hope for is to get it as close as we can. And it sounds like your situation is pretty damn close, you have even thought about the whole "if things change" deal.


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> DO IT.
> 
> Nothing is ever "perfect" or the way we exactly wwant it, for kids or puppies/dogs. the best we can hope for is to get it as close as we can. And it sounds like your situation is pretty damn close, you have even thought about the whole "if things change" deal.


Yeah, that's true. Both my husband and I are very guilty of wanting things to be "perfect". So we are patient and willing to wait for things, but I also don't want to miss out on a good opportunity because we're too cautious. I am worried about waiting so long for a puppy that Watson is an old man. I've never met the dam but I'm in love with the female show puppy from her first litter so I think the puppies from this litter will be a good match for what I want in a Welsh.

If we move up north it will be a definite no for the puppy - too much change and chaos exactly around the time they will be going home. But if we are still in our house, I think I'm going to really consider it. I've requested to go home in April when my contract is up so I'm already pushing for that outcome, but the company has started to twist my arm (well, mostly my husband's arm) about how much they want us up north, so who knows. We'll have a final decision by March which is when the puppies should be born.


----------



## CptJack

> Ack, I know. I've also argued with myself that I won't want a puppy and a toddler either, so maybe it's better to get a puppy now so that Watson is 4-5 and puppy is 2 when we have a kid.


This is honestly what I was thinking. If you're going to have a kid in the next 5 years, and you're going to want to wait until the kid is probably 4-5+ before you get another dog, and basically a year for pregnancy....

It might be now or when Watson is at least 8 and could be what, 13 or 14?

That would be ROUGH unless you decide you just want one dog.

(And hey, if you do some fencing somewhere, the kid would benefit too)

*ETA:* you were posting as I was and definitely get it about the move - but I would try not to hold off on the puppy until you have the kid, but reverse that. Hold off on the kid until the pup's a couple of years old, unless you're okay with a single dog. Kids take a lot longer to 'grow out' than dogs, and Watson's timeline for it working is a lot shorter than yours will be. (My unsolicited advice which is worth exactly what you paid for it).


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> *ETA:* you were posting as I was and definitely get it about the move - but I would try not to hold off on the puppy until you have the kid, but reverse that. Hold off on the kid until the pup's a couple of years old, unless you're okay with a single dog. Kids take a lot longer to 'grow out' than dogs, and Watson's timeline for it working is a lot shorter than yours will be. (My unsolicited advice which is worth exactly what you paid for it).


Yeah, it's a really good point. I think when we initially decided that we thought we might have the kid sooner, but at this point we're 30 and still have no plans to have a kid right away, so who knows when it will happen - definitely not for 2 more years. I really don't want to wait until Watson is an old dog to get a puppy, because he would have so so much fun with another dog around.

I don't think I would go out looking for a puppy right now, and I didn't think he'd be bred so quickly, but if a puppy I really want is going to practically fall into our laps, I might have to do it.


----------



## ireth0

Erhmergherd Watson puppies! Gah they are going to be so beautiful! If I were in the market... hahaha.


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Erhmergherd Watson puppies! Gah they are going to be so beautiful! If I were in the market... hahaha.


You know you want one!

Actually, there is a breeder who lives near you, though she just had a litter last year and by the time she has another one I think she'll be living in Rhode Island or something. But you should get a Welshie!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, that's true. Both my husband and I are very guilty of wanting things to be "perfect". So we are patient and willing to wait for things, but I also don't want to miss out on a good opportunity because we're too cautious. I am worried about waiting so long for a puppy that Watson is an old man. I've never met the dam but I'm in love with the female show puppy from her first litter so I think the puppies from this litter will be a good match for what I want in a Welsh.
> 
> If we move up north it will be a definite no for the puppy - too much change and chaos exactly around the time they will be going home. But if we are still in our house, I think I'm going to really consider it. I've requested to go home in April when my contract is up so I'm already pushing for that outcome, but the company has started to twist my arm (well, mostly my husband's arm) about how much they want us up north, so who knows. We'll have a final decision by March which is when the puppies should be born.


That another thing I think about, too. Josefina is five years old now, by the time the puppy is mature (both mentally and physically) she will be like 7 or 8. i waited too long I think to get Josefina, I did so when my last dog was 10 years old and I knew I waited too long, she had gotten too old and grouchy to enjoy playing with a puppy .

My personal situation has cleared up for the most part (there is that perfect thing again LOL, I guess I am guilty of that, too) so I might revisit the subject of a new addition to our dog family, fiancee already has said that if I think its ok, then he supports me and to go for it.


----------



## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> You know you want one!
> 
> Actually, there is a breeder who lives near you, though she just had a litter last year and by the time she has another one I think she'll be living in Rhode Island or something. But you should get a Welshie!


Seriously Welshie puppies are some of the cutest ever. Don't temp me! (but seriously post all the pictures. ALL. THE. PICTURES.)


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My personal situation has cleared up for the most part (there is that perfect thing again LOL, I guess I am guilty of that, too) so I might revisit the subject of a new addition to our dog family, fiancee already has said that if I think its ok, then he supports me and to go for it.


What happened with the MAS puppy you were going to get?


----------



## Melle

See now I want Watson puppies.

Or an MAS.

Or on the other flipside of the coin, something big and smooth-ish coated and relatively mild.


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Seriously Welshie puppies are some of the cutest ever. Don't temp me! (but seriously post all the pictures. ALL. THE. PICTURES.)


Oh yes! I hope to visit them at least once or twice even if I don't end up with one. Lots of pics!


----------



## Kayota

elrohwen said:


> What happened with the MAS puppy you were going to get?


She said she had some personal problems and couldn't handle a puppy right now.


----------



## elrohwen

Kayota said:


> She said she had some personal problems and couldn't handle a puppy right now.


Ah, I missed that. Thanks!


----------



## Laurelin

Shelter stats are really depressing. I can't help but wonder how many Hanks exist out there- perfectly good dogs with good temperaments that are getting put down. 

One nearby shelter- adoption rate is 27%. Makes me so depressed.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Shelter stats are really depressing. I can't help but wonder how many Hanks exist out there- perfectly good dogs with good temperaments that are getting put down.
> 
> One nearby shelter- adoption rate is 27%. Makes me so depressed.


Very sad. I'm seriously considering the shelter route for my next pup (probably in the spring) but my husband was so spoiled by Kairi's awesomeness that he wants another from a breeder. I'd love another one from Kairi's lines.. but I don't think timing is going to pan out on that. If I can't have a Kairi relative.. I can't seem to trust any of the other breeders around here or decide what I really want anyway. If I don't know what I want.. well.. a shelter dog is what I always tell others. Why not myself. I know of some shelters a few hours away that have puppies a lot.. sometimes even purebred.. and they don't fix them. It's just gonna be a pain to go all the way there and hope that one of them is the right temperament/breed/gender I'm looking for.

elrohwen: YOU NEED A WATSON PUPPY. No BUTS. It IS happening.


----------



## Laurelin

There is a PERFECT smooth 25 lb BC mix(?) up for adoption 3 hours from me. WHY AM I STILL LOOKING AT PETFINDER?

I think it's mostly sadness from having to retire Summer. I don't need 2 11 month old dogs at once. She has a very sweet face and neat markings though- lots of white but solid black head. And she looks fast. Sounds really easy going with dogs and people and playful too... Hank would love a dog that would play with him but alas that would be 1 dog too many. 

I am enjoying my shelter guy for what it's worth. He's a fantastic dog. Not exactly what I intended to get but I'm having a blast with him and he's just such a GOOD dog. He's got the best temperament of any dog I've had.

I do wonder how he got there and if he was a kid's dog (he loooves kids). He's just got nothing wrong with him and it seems weird he'd end up unwanted. I can't take him anywhere without people fawning all over him and telling me how fantastic he is- very sincerely too. Dog people, sports people, general public... they all adore him.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Ah, I missed that. Thanks!


Yes I had a death in the family Aunt on dad's side. She didnt tell us just how bad things where, plus her doctors were crap and giving her bad advice which she blindly followed. She had colon cancer a while back and had most of her colon removed but it came back abd by the time they found it it was too late . Of course there wasnt a will, so you know the fiasco that ensued over who gets what and all that. Its just now getting sorted out to the point where we can all go back to our lives now and I feel comfortable talking about it a little, now that everything is settled pretty much.

I am really anxious about approaching the breeder again, I dont want her to think I am some kind of crackpot :/, I just have the worst. luck. ever. sometimes.


----------



## Melle

I'm probably not too broke for an 18 year old that just started working part time right after graduating but I am SO BAD at keeping money in my checking account and it doesn't help that PetSmart and Etsy sellers are having holiday season specials and sales and I love my cat so much and he NEEDS ALL THE STUFF.

Which means he's getting a suede collar, a custom tag, a new toy, a harness, and a leash.

The boyfriend is judging me. I need to save. _But pet sales._


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Melle said:


> I'm probably not too broke for an 18 year old that just started working part time right after graduating but I am SO BAD at keeping money in my checking account and it doesn't help that PetSmart and Etsy sellers are having holiday season specials and sales and I love my cat so much and he NEEDS ALL THE STUFF.
> 
> Which means he's getting a suede collar, a custom tag, a new toy, a harness, and a leash.
> 
> The boyfriend is judging me. I need to save. _But pet sales._


Your boyfriend and my fiancee must be twins separated at birth LOL, because I love my dog and therefore also believe that she needs ALL THE THINGS, he on the other hand is like "you have this collar already, why do you need another one?" BECAUSE ITS CUUUUUUTE!

Also, level 315 of candy crush is going to be the death of me ... ugh.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Miss Bugs said:


> A house exploded in a nearby town today...like..litterally exploded..completely leveled, peices the the house in every direction and severe damage to surrounding buildings(collpased roofs, collpased walls). Apparently there was a gas leak in a pipeline under the street that caused the explosion..thankfully nobody was home! The photos of the damage are insane though(google Regina Beach house explosion, I'm on my phobe, linking is hard lol)


This is crazy. A house just exploded in a neighboring town from me last night, they think there was a fatality. AND there was one that exploded in Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania. Three explosions in 24 hours, crazy.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

So there's this "rescue" in my area that has only puppies. They claim they take in the unwanted puppies from Amish breeders (which is common around here). Sometimes they pay a small fee to puppy mills. They say they run in foster homes and meet you basically in a parking lot. They always have obvious mixes and purebreds. They charge $300 and they are not fixed (which isn't really a bad thing.. just for that price you'd think..). Does this not sound like a puppy flipper posing as a rescue? Unfortunately.. they have some really awesome puppies that I wish I could have.. but I don't trust the rescue.


----------



## momtolabs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> So there's this "rescue" in my area that has only puppies. They claim they take in the unwanted puppies from Amish breeders (which is common around here). Sometimes they pay a small fee to puppy mills. They say they run in foster homes and meet you basically in a parking lot. They always have obvious mixes and purebreds. They charge $300 and they are not fixed (which isn't really a bad thing.. just for that price you'd think..). Does this not sound like a puppy flipper posing as a rescue? Unfortunately.. they have some really awesome puppies that I wish I could have.. but I don't trust the rescue.


Sounds fishy to me...... There is a rescue about 45 minutes from me that usually only takes puppy's. There pups are around $175 comes UTD on shots and fixed. The local pound has sent a few pups there and this rescue took in a litter from someone I knew who could not keep them(found mom dog pregnant but couldn't afford puppies). So they are legit. If you don't think they are legit I would go with your gut instinct and not go with them.


----------



## Miss Bugs

So yesterday my co-worker was telling me that we wouldn't be seeing Penny and Oscar for a while(a pair of regular daycare dogs) because theyvare in California till next football season, I was confused, what does this guy just really like our football team or something? She looked at me incredulously and repeats the dogs last name..i know the owners name, whats her point? Ya..apparently the dudes a CFL football star lol, i see him all the time when he picks up and drops off, know his name etc.. still had no clue he was "famous" lol


----------



## Kayota

Melle said:


> I'm probably not too broke for an 18 year old that just started working part time right after graduating but I am SO BAD at keeping money in my checking account and it doesn't help that PetSmart and Etsy sellers are having holiday season specials and sales and I love my cat so much and he NEEDS ALL THE STUFF.
> 
> Which means he's getting a suede collar, a custom tag, a new toy, a harness, and a leash.
> 
> The boyfriend is judging me. I need to save. _But pet sales._


Oh my god I am too, I'm 21 and still getting used to having money especially after being unemployed for almost a year and I'm just like buy ALL the things lol


----------



## Melle

IT'S SO BAD.

Plus I'm trying to save so I can get a used car and eventually vanish into De's countryside but oh my gosh just when I think I'll have more money than last week...cat needs this, rats, need that, look at all this beautiful junk on sale!


----------



## Kayota

I just got hired again and I bought SO much this past month it's not even funny:

-3 toys for Roxie
-3 beef tracheas, a duck foot and a slice of some kind of bone for Roxie
-A Digibird (they are super cute new toys, I love it)
-Just Cause package deal
-A membership to a TF2 server
-New phone (old one was stolen tho)
-Phone case
-Portable phone charger
-A small my Little Pony toy (I collect them lol)
-Computer speakers
-Reusable cloth pantiliners
-Yarn
-New coat
-A stupid Thanksgiving shirt

etc... I'm done now though lol, I might buy a key on Team Fortress 2 but that's it.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

momtolabs said:


> Sounds fishy to me...... There is a rescue about 45 minutes from me that usually only takes puppy's. There pups are around $175 comes UTD on shots and fixed. The local pound has sent a few pups there and this rescue took in a litter from someone I knew who could not keep them(found mom dog pregnant but couldn't afford puppies). So they are legit. If you don't think they are legit I would go with your gut instinct and not go with them.


I know two people who have dogs from there. They are also a 501c3. They are just.. so shady looking though..


----------



## Gumiho

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> So there's this "rescue" in my area that has only puppies. They claim they take in the unwanted puppies from Amish breeders (which is common around here). Sometimes they pay a small fee to puppy mills. They say they run in foster homes and meet you basically in a parking lot. They always have obvious mixes and purebreds. They charge $300 and they are not fixed (which isn't really a bad thing.. just for that price you'd think..). Does this not sound like a puppy flipper posing as a rescue? Unfortunately.. they have some really awesome puppies that I wish I could have.. but I don't trust the rescue.


Point Blank: If they don't spay / neuter / vaccinate.... Its *NOT* a rescue. 501c3 or not. (and non-profit my fanny. $300 for an unvetted pup? That money obviously isn't going to the dogs, but its certainly going *somewhere*)

More than likely, its a flipper that buys up amish pups from puppy auctions and brokers, the same way many pet shops get them.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

God i wish puppy mills were illegal already :frusty:


----------



## Miss Bugs

Rotfl, got into an instagram debate with soneone who got so angry at me for saying their dogs breeder is only human that they told me to get the heck off their page haha. I totally didn't even say it in a belittling way, quite the opposite, i specifically said there was absolutely nothing wrong with them, looks like a good breeder. She just tried to claim the breeder was perfect and comprised on nothing, which simply wasn't true, everyone compromises somewhere, its genetics at a breeding level, at each aspect you have to compromise somewhere. Its not a bad thing its the way things work, unfortunately dogs are not manufactured machines lol how DARE i point that out, her poor ego lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Rotfl, got into an instagram debate with soneone who got so angry at me for saying their dogs breeder is only human that they told me to get the heck off their page haha. I totally didn't even say it in a belittling way, quite the opposite, i specifically said there was absolutely nothing wrong with them, looks like a good breeder. She just tried to claim the breeder was perfect and comprised on nothing, which simply wasn't true, everyone compromises somewhere, its genetics at a breeding level, at each aspect you have to compromise somewhere. Its not a bad thing its the way things work, unfortunately dogs are not manufactured machines lol how DARE i point that out, her poor ego lol


Thats ok, I had a few people send me hate PM's and unfriend mee when they realized that our nextdog was going to be from a *gasp* breeder. they went on a tirade, saying that all I wanted in a dog could be found at a shelter, while that may very well be true, I wanted this time to stack the oods in my favor OF getting the dog I wanted, instead of adopting one (even a puppy) of unknown parentage, who came from who knows where, and crossing my fingers everthing works out just so I can save a life. I still help out our local shelters in other ways ... but I guess that doesnt matter ... geeze some people be cray cray!


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Not sure if it will work on mobile but...

It's a Thud!
http://cdn.prod.petfinder.nestle.co...uULnajkmCxHGR5yD5TF6D83RIJlvqwcl02qiBxSRmAnza


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Not sure if it will work on mobile but...

It's a Thud!
http://m.petfinder.com/petdetail/30...l=dog&breed=&age=Baby&gender=&size=&offset=25


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I haven't been that act DF here lately. I seriously didn't know I'd miss this place that much. And, I even feel horrible about it(don't even know why.)



Laurelin said:


> Shelter stats are really depressing. I can't help but wonder how many Hanks exist out there- perfectly good dogs with good temperaments that are getting put down.
> 
> One nearby shelter- adoption rate is 27%. Makes me so depressed.


It's so tough seeing this happen. It just breaks my heart.

Go to the Animal Shelter makes me all feel so down. I wish I could take them all home. But, that's unreasonable.

Heck, even petfinder makes me sad! 



OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yes I had a death in the family Aunt on dad's side. She didnt tell us just how bad things where, plus her doctors were crap and giving her bad advice which she blindly followed. She had colon cancer a while back and had most of her colon removed but it came back abd by the time they found it it was too late . Of course there wasnt a will, so you know the fiasco that ensued over who gets what and all that. Its just now getting sorted out to the point where we can all go back to our lives now and I feel comfortable talking about it a little, now that everything is settled pretty much.
> 
> I am really anxious about approaching the breeder again, I dont want her to think I am some kind of crackpot :/, I just have the worst. luck. ever. sometimes.


Oh no, that's horrible. I'm so sorry for your loss.(((HUGS)))



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> So there's this "rescue" in my area that has only puppies. They claim they take in the unwanted puppies from Amish breeders (which is common around here). Sometimes they pay a small fee to puppy mills. They say they run in foster homes and meet you basically in a parking lot. They always have obvious mixes and purebreds. They charge $300 and they are not fixed (which isn't really a bad thing.. just for that price you'd think..). Does this not sound like a puppy flipper posing as a rescue? Unfortunately.. they have some really awesome puppies that I wish I could have.. but I don't trust the rescue.


Yeah. It sounds really fishy to me, unfortunately. It's sad to see rescues do this.


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Thats ok, I had a few people send me hate PM's and unfriend mee when they realized that our nextdog was going to be from a *gasp* breeder. they went on a tirade, saying that all I wanted in a dog could be found at a shelter, while that may very well be true, I wanted this time to stack the oods in my favor OF getting the dog I wanted, instead of adopting one (even a puppy) of unknown parentage, who came from who knows where, and crossing my fingers everthing works out just so I can save a life. I still help out our local shelters in other ways ... but I guess that doesnt matter ... geeze some people be cray cray!


Lol she took it as an attack on her dog and his family, i was genuinely baffled at her response since at no point did i say a single word about her dog and i don't even know who her dogs family IS lol. All i said was that her breeder was as human as everyone else lol. She blocked me from her page in any case, i can't help feeling like i won the debate when the other party can only manage to bluster about nothing and block me lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I haven't been that act DF here lately. I seriously didn't know I'd miss this place that much. And, I even feel horrible about it(don't even know why.)
> 
> 
> 
> It's so tough seeing this happen. It just breaks my heart.
> 
> Go to the Animal Shelter makes me all feel so down. I wish I could take them all home. But, that's unreasonable.
> 
> Heck, even petfinder makes me sad!
> 
> 
> 
> Oh no, that's horrible. I'm so sorry for your loss.(((HUGS)))
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah. It sounds really fishy to me, unfortunately. It's sad to see rescues do this.


Thanks, I wasnt that close to her, not by my choice, she kept everyone away. she had mental issues and was very hermit-like, especially after my grandmother (dad's mom) passed away, she really went down hill mentally after that, because grandma was her only constant companion. Dad took it very hard, of course because it was his sister and he blames himself for not trying to do more, but he did all he could, she shut people out, sad situation over all. 

I hate seeing rescues do this! because its hard enough for legit rescues to get help as it is without bad ones making it tougher.



Miss Bugs said:


> Lol she took it as an attack on her dog and his family, i was genuinely baffled at her response since at no point did i say a single word about her dog and i don't even know who her dogs family IS lol. All i said was that her breeder was as human as everyone else lol. She blocked me from her page in any case, i can't help feeling like i won the debate when the other party can only manage to bluster about nothing and block me lol.


Yeah this person PM'ed me, ranted at how I was "not part of the problem" because I was getting a dog from a breeder instead of rescue, and then blocked me. At least you had a chance to defend yourself, this person was a coward who knew they were wrong and blocked me so I couldnt respond


----------



## ireth0

Jeeze. Just had a bit of a panic attack because I thought the new amendments to our Animal Protection Act said that your dog had to be crated while in the car. I was like "What?! My car isn't big enough for Luna's crate!!"

Turns out they only have to be crated if they are outside the passenger area of the car, like in the back of a pickup or something. Whew.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Kris is crated in the back of my Van. I had a plastic airline crate for her but thought for the summer I would get her a wire crate so it would not be as warm. When I purchased it at Walmart, the salesperson said "do you know it is illegal to transport a dog in a wire crate?" Have never heard of that and certainly cannot find any law like that.

I know when it was so cold last week that I could not get the backdoor on my Van open, Kris had to ride on the passenger seat in the front. She was good and just sat there but I was not comfortable with her there in case I had to stop suddenly.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I with more states here would make a law saying that dogs in the back of trucks have to be crated. 

Also I am watching the guys swim the horses in the big lake (it has a swimming walk thing, where they walk in a circle and swim the horses) but it also has a ramp out of the water and a PERFECT dock for practicing dock diving with Josefina, but alas, I dont think that people would approve . Boo hiss ... so much fun stuff I cant do   so much pity sad.

the up side? at least I have TV now and the good thing was that there was a ddish already here that the people who lived here before us must have had and he was able to use that! awesome!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Gumiho said:


> Point Blank: If they don't spay / neuter / vaccinate.... Its *NOT* a rescue. 501c3 or not. (and non-profit my fanny. $300 for an unvetted pup? That money obviously isn't going to the dogs, but its certainly going *somewhere*)
> 
> More than likely, its a flipper that buys up amish pups from puppy auctions and brokers, the same way many pet shops get them.


They do vaccinate and I think there is some kind of adoption application. They claim puppies are too young to speutered and offer a $50 voucher for S/N at their vet. I prefer that over already fixed puppies (but I know the public isn't really trustworthy, especially with the breeds they sometimes have).. but they just have to be making a profit at that price. 

Anyone who is curious can send me a PM and I'll send the link to the rescue.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I had a rude shock... apparently my puppy is coming sooner then I expected lol all this time I have "Jan 7th" in my head because the pups were born Nov 7th.. I was thinking "damn it getting close I need to figure out travel arrangements because I need to take the time off work to go get her. I had "Jan 7th" tentatively booked off. so breeder starts a travel arrangements thing because there is flight emargo's for pets during that time frame and she listed my litter as ready to go Jan SECOND..I was like "huh??" thinking it was a typo, almost said something, before I opened my calender and counted out the weeks.. and well look at that, they are 8 weeks on Jan SECOND not SEVENTH. now yay..puppy sooner, but not yay I work in a kennel, I cannot under any circumstances get Time off till the after the 3rd at the absolute earliest, lots of dogs are not gone till the 6th though, so I was really banking on the 7th thing... lol


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> I had a rude shock... apparently my puppy is coming sooner then I expected lol all this time I have "Jan 7th" in my head because the pups were born Nov 7th.. I was thinking "damn it getting close I need to figure out travel arrangements because I need to take the time off work to go get her. I had "Jan 7th" tentatively booked off. so breeder starts a travel arrangements thing because there is flight emargo's for pets during that time frame and she listed my litter as ready to go Jan SECOND..I was like "huh??" thinking it was a typo, almost said something, before I opened my calender and counted out the weeks.. and well look at that, they are 8 weeks on Jan SECOND not SEVENTH. now yay..puppy sooner, but not yay I work in a kennel, I cannot under any circumstances get Time off till the after the 3rd at the absolute earliest, lots of dogs are not gone till the 6th though, so I was really banking on the 7th thing... lol


Could you possibly ask the breeder to keep your pup till the 7th!!??


----------



## jade5280

SO applied for a higher up position within his company. It would be so awesome if he got the job. On the other hand, if he did get the job we would need to relocate to northern NH/southern ME. I'm excited and nervous. I hope he gets it, but if he does that means we would have to move. The cost of living up there is less so we could afford more land for the dogs. I would miss my family and the small circle of friends that I have though.


----------



## Miss Bugs

> Could you possibly ask the breeder to keep your pup till the 7th!!??


I may actually have another option, there is another pup coming to my province and they are looking into flying up and bringing their puppy back are carry on, because there is 2 of them and 4 pets allowed per flight they said they could probably bring my pup as well and then I would just need to go to their place(3.5 hours away) to go pick her up from them..that beats 16 hours one way lol


----------



## CptJack

I had the strangest dream.

But I think I was running Kadylady's new pup Skye in an agility class.


----------



## Kayota

Miss Bugs said:


> I may actually have another option, there is another pup coming to my province and they are looking into flying up and bringing their puppy back are carry on, because there is 2 of them and 4 pets allowed per flight they said they could probably bring my pup as well and then I would just need to go to their place(3.5 hours away) to go pick her up from them..that beats 16 hours one way lol


I dont really understand why you cant wait for the original pup on the seventh?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Kayota said:


> I dont really understand why you cant wait for the original pup on the seventh?


This IS the original pup, i thought 8 weeks was going to be Jan 7th as they were born Nov 7th but there is 4.5 weeks in December making them 8 weeks on the 2nd not the 7th, it was a miscalculation on my part. Something i really ought to have clued into as i knew the other litter was available around Dec 27th and my litter is 1 week younger..Dec 27th to Jan 7th is more then 1 week lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

Want weird?? Today the warmest day its been in about 2 weeks..it was -10*C..its been -30 to -40*C, everything is frozen solid. Dog lice has been going around the city so all the dogs are on flea/tick prevention..today we pulled 6 live ticks off dogs at work and a friend of mine found FLEA's on her dogs today..first off how the frigg are TICKS not dormant right now? And second, FLEA's?? I've lived here for 25 years and i have never even HEARD of Fleas here, so ya know..why not show up when everything is frozen solid and its been -40 for 2 weeks...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo, Josefina is starting to show periodic like .... not pain per say, but sometimes (usually when she is tired from exercising) she has trouble with stairs and getting up onto the couch or into the truck, plus her pacing has gotten more pronounced, and she is less willing to play for as long as she used to. She is 5 years old ... I might have to get her x rayed soon  I sure hope there isnt anything wrong that will cause us to quit agility ... she so very much loves it  and so do I.


----------



## gingerkid

Sometimes Snowball is just absolutely clueless.

I sometimes feed him in a muffin tin with tennis balls in the cups, but it's super easy for him. Tonight, to make it more challenging, put plastic cups upside down over the tennis ball. He has spent the last half an hour looking at the puzzle, and then looking at me sadly. I even showed him there was food there, and moved one of the cups to make it easier to take off, but he is just... refusing to even interact with it.

Meanwhile I think the cat has it pretty much figured out because he started trying to bat the cups off. :doh:


----------



## kcomstoc

So...Jake was being weird this morning, usually when I put food in his bowl he immediately starts eating but this time I put food in the bowl and then went into the bedroom to spray down Firefly's cage (keep the humidity up) and I came back out and there were 3 distinct pieces of kibble and it looked like a face. There were 2 pieces lined up side by side (but space inbetween) for the eyes and then one just below those in the center. To do this he would've had to go to his food bowl 3 times because he would only carry 1 piece of food in his mouth if he was carrying it *I know this for a fact I've seen him do it. It's just super weird and it freaked me out. I looked over at his food dish and he hadn't even eaten any of it. I wish I could've snapped a picture because it was so weird but he quickly ate them after I saw them....getting rid of the evidence I guess? Then after I took him out to pee he came in and ate all his food...now he's curled up next to me looking at the laptop as I write. If I'm not on here for a little while assume I'm dead jk lol it looked kind of like this but pretend that the greater than signs or dots >.>


----------



## elrohwen

I brought up the idea of a puppy in May to my husband and to my surprise he was immediately ok with the idea. I was shocked. I've had to talk him in to every animal we have but this was easy. Of course, it still depends on whether the dam gets pregnant and whether we are still living in our house (which I've been lobbying for anyway) but we might have a puppy in the spring!


----------



## momtolabs

elrohwen said:


> I brought up the idea of a puppy in May to my husband and to my surprise he was immediately ok with the idea. I was shocked. I've had to talk him in to every animal we have but this was easy. Of course, it still depends on whether the dam gets pregnant and whether we are still living in our house (which I've been lobbying for anyway) but we might have a puppy in the spring!


Yay!!!! I'm also getting a small baby animal in the spring but what will have to be a surprise


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

HAHA I am such a derp! I was typing in an address on google maps and the time to get there seemed very ... long for the milage (like 150 miles or so) it was showing that it would take like 16 hours to get there and I was like wuuut? Then I looked and realized I had it set on "trek" instead of "driving distance" once I changed it, it showd the trip taking like, two hours xD


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> HAHA I am such a derp! I was typing in an address on google maps and the time to get there seemed very ... long for the milage (like 150 miles or so) it was showing that it would take like 16 hours to get there and I was like wuuut? Then I looked and realized I had it set on "trek" instead of "driving distance" once I changed it, it showd the trip taking like, two hours xD


Are you saying you DIDN'T want to walk? how strange? It's only 16 hours come on  (joking voice)


----------



## Pasarella

We are home from a show. I'm disappointed. If I would've know this before I wouldn't go. The judge didn't like exotic colors in dachshunds so much she didn't care about anything else , she gave the top places to dogs who obviously wasn't so good , but was in classic colour (black and tan , red). Mimi was in one class with her b & t sister . I'm disappointed in her. She is overweight , she still has one baby canine , that means she had 5 canines today , not so good socializied, she was scared didn't stack , didn't walk and she gave her first place and best puppy just because she is in classic colour. Really? Dapple is in standard! I don't care you don't like the colour! Judges should judge the standard not look at what they like better. I mean Mimi walked great ,stacked almost perfect ,she is in excellent shape now,she was very calm , wasn't afraid any second,her tail waged all the time , but she is dappled. Am I wrong?


----------



## Melle

So I know I'm gonna get him a bunch of toys today, but I don't know what to do about his harness and leash.

I could get a matching set for cats off of Lupine. In addition to that his collar and tag are going to cost a little off of Etsy. I wonder how suede would hold up to cat claws? There was a really nice turquoise one made out of merino (I think it was) felt embroidered into the collar but apparently cats' claws were pulling it out too easily and I'm getting him a new collar because he destroyed the nylon threads with scratching.

I'm gonna come home with so much junk he doesn't need. I love the day after payday. Makes retail worth it.
''


----------



## Kayota

momtolabs said:


> Yay!!!! I'm also getting a small baby animal in the spring but what will have to be a surprise


Just out of curiosity... you have four dogs and several other pets and youre still living with your parents. What are you going to do with all your animals if you move out or go away to college?


----------



## momtolabs

Kayota said:


> Just out of curiosity... you have four dogs and several other pets and youre still living with your parents. What are you going to do with all your animals if you move out or go away to college?


1. I only have 3 dogs of my own...

2. The small pets are family pets. 


I have thought everything through and I'm not going away for college and have all of that planned and thought out. I'm not going to get an animal just to have it a year and then dump it because I'm moving or something happens in my life.


----------



## GrinningDog

I had a dream last night that I finally got a silken windhound puppy. I was outside with it, trying to persuade it to pee, but it was too busy running around. Haha.

And then I woke up and remembered I have 6 final exams to study for. Cry.


----------



## taquitos

GoGoGypsy said:


> I had a dream last night that I finally got a silken windhound puppy. I was outside with it, trying to persuade it to pee, but it was too busy running around. Haha.
> 
> And then I woke up and remembered I have 6 final exams to study for. Cry.


LOL THIS IS MY LIFE.

Except I had a dream that I had a Gargoyle Gecko hahahaha and then I woke up and was like "oh, I have three papers to write and an exam to study for"


----------



## Miss Bugs

Haveva staff meeting today at 4..boss masseges me asking if i can come in earlier, I'm a manager and part of leading the meeting and i don't even know what its about yet so o expected that, thinking she means like 3-3:30 to go over meeting notes before the meeting. I replied asking how early..she responded 11-12! Umm heck no!! I am NOT spending my entire day off at friggen work! Like..just..no!


----------



## CptJack

James (who is 16) took Bug out on a walk. When he came back there was this unneutered male lab-x thing with him that weighed probably 70lbs. It CAME INTO THE HOUSE behind James (and James let it). Thud leaped over a 3foot tall gate at the top of the stairs, halfway down the stairs, roaring and snarling and just - angrier than I have ever seen this dog. I grabbed the dog, hauled it up by the scruff, spun it around and basically tossed it out our front door. Somehow. 

Husband and kid are now walking the dog back to where it followed the kid from but Jesus Christ that was excitement I did not need in my day.

Just. Jesus, Thud.


----------



## momtolabs

Jeesh thud!!! Captjack I didn't realize you had a son the same age as me(well I'm 17) I for some reason thought you had all younger kids!


----------



## d_ray

Frig jazzy has taken counter surfing and dog proofing to a new level. Came home to an empty baguette bag and empty bread bag. I had put these on top of the fridge. This dog is a ninja.


----------



## momtolabs

When will people realize I actually train and exercise my dogs and that's why they behave and are not walking tables?? I get asked all the time how come my dogs are so well trained and how I keep them in shape. Uh....all I do is basic obedience and walk them daily? Yea every Saturday my dogs are on a farm working and running miles and miles all day but really I don't do that much with them... Mia is the best one trained psi of all my dogs. I have put tons of time into her though. Tank and Bentley are decently well trained as well but wouldn't make it in the Obedience ring... They would probably be disqualified and me told I could never come back  But in all seriousness and the reason for this post... Today I walked to the gas station with my sister and I put Bentley in a down and we sat at the patio and waited for her to come out. 5 people commented on how good looking he was and well behaved. Then 2 of them told me how if it was there dog they woul be jumping on people and barking and asked how in the world my dog was so well behaved. I was kind of speechless,lol. All I said was "Obedience training" and they acted like I was a dog whisperer or something!! I got Bentley in 8th grade.....if I could figure that out in 8th grade I would think adults could too......


----------



## CptJack

momtolabs said:


> Jeesh thud!!! Captjack I didn't realize you had a son the same age as me(well I'm 17) I for some reason thought you had all younger kids!


Yeaaah. Total *****cat with known dogs (and people) but do NOT barge into his house.










Also yeah. I'm old. In fairness the kid won't be 16 until early Feb, but close enough.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Being Dogless sucks. 

I can't wait until it's about four years from now, which is the estimated time that I plan to own my first dog.



CptJack said:


> James (who is 16) took Bug out on a walk. When he came back there was this unneutered male lab-x thing with him that weighed probably 70lbs. It CAME INTO THE HOUSE behind James (and James let it). Thud leaped over a 3foot tall gate at the top of the stairs, halfway down the stairs, roaring and snarling and just - angrier than I have ever seen this dog. I grabbed the dog, hauled it up by the scruff, spun it around and basically tossed it out our front door. Somehow.
> 
> Husband and kid are now walking the dog back to where it followed the kid from but Jesus Christ that was excitement I did not need in my day.
> 
> Just. Jesus, Thud.


I feel horrible mentioning this, but, I didn't even know you had kids. I assumed you only had dogs. Not sure why I the assumption. 

Do you have any other Children(if you don't mind me asking.)?

We use to have a intact Vizsla run around our neighborhood. It was annoying as heck ,& the owners didn't even care to look for him. It use to be a really common occurrence, but it's stopped now, thankfully.


----------



## CptJack

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I feel horrible mentioning this, but, I didn't even know you had kids. I assumed you only had dogs. Not sure why I the assumption.
> 
> Do you have any other Children(if you don't mind me asking.)?.


I have 2. The oldest is almost 16, as I mentioned, the other is 14. Nope, don't mind you asking at all. I don't talk about them tons here, though, since. Dog forum. Also because they're old enough that I like them to be able to decide how much of an internet presence they have (or don't). And they might kill me if I talked too much, anyway 

We ended up having to flag down a cop, and have him call animal control for the dog. He was sweet as could be, exhausted, hungry, thirsty, had been called about a couple of other times but they didn't... pick him up even knowing he lived nowhere. The police made them take him. I feel bad but no way could I house him -Thud wanted to eat him, and Molly was just spayed and I'm out of places to separate. 

I think the cop may adopt him after his stray hold, though.


----------



## momtolabs

CptJack said:


> I have 2. The oldest is almost 16, as I mentioned, the other is 14. Nope, don't mind you asking at all. I don't talk about them tons here, though, since. Dog forum. Also because they're old enough that I like them to be able to decide how much of an internet presence they have (or don't). And they might kill me if I talked too much, anyway
> 
> We ended up having to flag down a cop, and have him call animal control for the dog. He was sweet as could be, exhausted, hungry, thirsty, had been called about a couple of other times but they didn't... pick him up even knowing he lived nowhere. The police made them take him. I feel bad but no way could I house him -Thud wanted to eat him, and Molly was just spayed and I'm out of places to separate.
> 
> I think the cop may adopt him after his stray hold, though.


I always feel bad when I call :/ But then I remember I saved them from being hit, getting into fight etc. and it keeps them from pooping in my yard....I have enough of that to clean up


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> Are you saying you DIDN'T want to walk? how strange? It's only 16 hours come on  (joking voice)


sorry I meant 16 DAYS not hours ... sorry I was a little tired when I typed that last night!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

taquitos said:


> LOL THIS IS MY LIFE.
> 
> Except I had a dream that I had a Gargoyle Gecko hahahaha and then I woke up and was like "oh, I have three papers to write and an exam to study for"


this is my life, too, except insert MAS where silken windhound is  and the breeder sold the female I was going to contact her about when I got home ... : so much sad ... now I dont know how long I will have to wait for another chance.


----------



## Melle

Boyfriend disagrees with my MAS want. He thinks they're too small and wonky >


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My fiancee thinks they are "cool" (I am sure he means "cute" but you know guys dont think things are "cute"). I showed him one of this MAS frisbee dog called "chopper" (you can find him on you tube, his owner is this big macho looking guy, so maybe that might change BF's tune?). Maybe you can have "his" and "her" dogs


----------



## momtolabs

Is anyone else watching this crazy man get eaten by a snake!!!??? It's pretty intense right now and there is no way I could do that!! I would poop my pants O_O


----------



## Miss Bugs

http://youtu.be/duZWMbI87-Q

Just Watch this video lol. Its Gyp, Gem and Paisley this morning when i was taking Christmas pictures lol people ask how i get all my dogs posing together looking at the camera.... because this is my dogs.. lol


----------



## Melle

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My fiancee thinks they are "cool" (I am sure he means "cute" but you know guys dont think things are "cute"). I showed him one of this MAS frisbee dog called "chopper" (you can find him on you tube, his owner is this big macho looking guy, so maybe that might change BF's tune?). Maybe you can have "his" and "her" dogs


That's definitely an idea! Who knows what I'll end up with though, I'm swirling in the possibilities. I keep coming back to Aussies and herders in general though. Ugh, so gorgeous, so fun to work with! Maybe he can get what he wants and I'll just have one of everything, haha.



momtolabs said:


> Is anyone else watching this crazy man get eaten by a snake!!!??? It's pretty intense right now and there is no way I could do that!! I would poop my pants O_O


I literally just had that page open on my browser. Crazy.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Is anyone else watching this crazy man get eaten by a snake!!!??? It's pretty intense right now and there is no way I could do that!! I would poop my pants O_O


what station?

@Melle Yeah he is this bad ass frisbee dog, below are his videos, since I am on the computer I can link vids LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8f_-1Kjp08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhB739uudDo


----------



## Melle

That was awesome to watch.

Yep, yep, I think I'm pretty much sold. I want an Aussie!


----------



## momtolabs

It's on the discovery channel!!


----------



## Kayota

Im actually not happy about that stunt, i didnt watch it but i assume the snake would have to be killed to get the man out and that to me is animal cruelty.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yesh I am watching blazing saddles instead lol


----------



## KodiBarracuda

I'm disappointed now. I was expecting him to actually be eaten, not quit after an hour of being constricted. I mean I get that he doesn't want to die, but don't name a show eaten alive if no one is actually being eaten alive.


----------



## Willowy

They SAID they wouldn't kill the snake--- they'd make the snake regurgitate him. . .which isn't very nice either. But now it sounds like he wasn't even swallowed? Rip-off . I didn't even think about watching it but you'd think he would at least do the whole job.


----------



## momtolabs

He didn't want his arm to break so called it quits when it coiled around his arm.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> what station?
> 
> @Melle Yeah he is this bad ass frisbee dog, below are his videos, since I am on the computer I can link vids LOL
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8f_-1Kjp08
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhB739uudDo





That was awesome! Lots of this dogs moves remind me a lot of Belle and how she moves. She would probably be pretty good at this too.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> That was awesome! Lots of this dogs moves remind me a lot of Belle and how she moves. She would probably be pretty good at this too.


I tried teaching Josefina but with that its an either "you got it or you dont" think and she ... doesnt, clumsy owner + clumsy dog = FRISBEE FAIL! LOL


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I tried teaching Josefina but with that its an either "you got it or you dont" think and she ... doesnt, clumsy owner + clumsy dog = FRISBEE FAIL! LOL



LOL, I have never tried Frisbee with Belle. She would play tug of war all day if she could find a way to do that. She thinks stuffies are for playing tug of war. She loves it though if I take a dog toy and toss it at her and she will jump up and flip around like the dog in the video when she catches it. Maybe this summer I should try a Frisbee. 


Her most favorite toys though are sticks and rocks...such a goofy dog. She loves to pick up rocks and toss them around. Also loves to chase sticks. Ever see that one photo on facebook of the old dog that says "When I was a pup, I had one toy.....and it was a stick!" That soooo reminds me of Belle. lol!


----------



## momtolabs

When your cold and want your blanket but your dog looks to comfy to make her move.....


----------



## Melle

I should probably seriously consider English Shepherds if I really want a herding breed where I'm not feeling like I'm trying or pressured to meet a quota, but I'm always drawn to the coat types and color varieties of the others.

I know it's super petty, because ES are pretty perfect for me but there's just this certain _type_ and _look_ and _coat_ that I love. And the majority of them just don't quite have it. Or a lot have a heavy coat, or they're all just sable, or it's more hairy than furry, or they have a dome-head. Idk. I'm so darn picky.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Puppy fever so bad. I at least gotta make it until after new year... after that all bets are off. Haha..


----------



## ireth0

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Puppy fever so bad. I at least gotta make it until after new year... after that all bets are off. Haha..


You don't wanna join the 2014 new dog/puppy club?!


----------



## Laurelin

Weirdo.

funnyface by summerpapillons, on Flickr

He has taken to toilet papering my house lately. *sigh*


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Laurelin said:


> Weirdo.
> 
> funnyface by summerpapillons, on Flickr
> 
> He has taken to toilet papering my house lately. *sigh*


Ahaha. He seems so pleased with himself.


----------



## LOSt

Laurelin said:


> Weirdo.
> 
> funnyface by summerpapillons, on Flickr
> 
> He has taken to toilet papering my house lately. *sigh*


oh wow he looks like such a goodball! so adorable!


----------



## GrinningDog

taquitos said:


> LOL THIS IS MY LIFE.
> 
> Except I had a dream that I had a Gargoyle Gecko hahahaha and then I woke up and was like "oh, I have three papers to write and an exam to study for"


I love gargs! I had one for a couple of years! Unfortunately, he (along with my longtime crestie and husband's two cresties) passed during the move from OH to FL. When we were unpacking and moving stuff into the apartment, it was chaos, and there was miscommunication about getting the reptiles out of the car. They were left for about a half hour in 90+ degree weather. That was all it took. I still feel sick to my stomach when I think about it. 

Someday I'll get another one. They're such awesome little geckos. My husband got me another crestie for my Birthday, but I think I like gargs more overall.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

ireth0 said:


> You don't wanna join the 2014 new dog/puppy club?!


I sooo wish I could. If I didn't have some very important things to do over the holidays.. I'd be keeping an eye out.


----------



## Equinox

AHHH HANK. He is so cute, what a gooberboy. 



elrohwen said:


> I brought up the idea of a puppy in May to my husband and to my surprise he was immediately ok with the idea. I was shocked. I've had to talk him in to every animal we have but this was easy. Of course, it still depends on whether the dam gets pregnant and whether we are still living in our house (which I've been lobbying for anyway) but we might have a puppy in the spring!


I am so excited for this!! Plus, I don't think any of us figured you'd be able to resist a Watson puppy when/if you saw them in person.



GoGoGypsy said:


> I had a dream last night that I finally got a silken windhound puppy. I was outside with it, trying to persuade it to pee, but it was too busy running around. Haha.
> 
> And then I woke up and remembered I have 6 final exams to study for. Cry.


LMAO remember how you posted a photo thread for your kitten and I was so stoked for Silken Windhound photos? I want it to happen for you too!! How much longer do you have to wait?

I mean, for the record, I am a senior in undergrad (also trudging through final exams at the moment) and I'm getting a new dog this weekend so idk. I'm kind of going crazy and all for everyone getting dogs at less than ideal times 



taquitos said:


> LOL THIS IS MY LIFE.
> 
> Except I had a dream that I had a Gargoyle Gecko hahahaha and then I woke up and was like "oh, I have three papers to write and an exam to study for"


Pfft, I was wide awake and had my Jungle Carpet Python on my shoulder and was thinking..."you know what would make me so happy? Another Jungle Carpet Python." Reptiles are just so easy to add. Good thing I won't be able to go to the reptile expo next month because of a dog show. 



Melle said:


> I should probably seriously consider English Shepherds if I really want a herding breed where I'm not feeling like I'm trying or pressured to meet a quota, but I'm always drawn to the coat types and color varieties of the others.
> 
> I know it's super petty, because ES are pretty perfect for me but there's just this certain _type_ and _look_ and _coat_ that I love. And the majority of them just don't quite have it. Or a lot have a heavy coat, or they're all just sable, or it's more hairy than furry, or they have a dome-head. Idk. I'm so darn picky.


Have you met any English Shepherds in person yet? Otherwise it'd probably be a stretch to say they are perfect for what you're looking for  There's quite a variety in the breed, and I'd definitely want to meet the parents and (if possible) see what they have produced in the past if I were getting an ES. With that said, they are one of my favorite breeds and I'd really like to own one eventually. 

And it's fine to have an aesthetic preference. If you don't like something, you don't like it. Was talking to a friend of mine about them and she kept complaining about their ears, which actually made me realize that they DO kinda have a wonky earset. Still love them though lol

Not sure what you mean about meeting a quota either, but don't worry about what others think you should be doing with your dog. I'm always going to be a pet person first and foremost, and I'm very happy with that!


----------



## Melle

Equinox said:


> Have you met any English Shepherds in person yet? Otherwise it'd probably be a stretch to say they are perfect for what you're looking for  There's quite a variety in the breed, and I'd definitely want to meet the parents and (if possible) see what they have produced in the past if I were getting an ES. With that said, they are one of my favorite breeds and I'd really like to own one eventually.
> 
> And it's fine to have an aesthetic preference. If you don't like something, you don't like it. Was talking to a friend of mine about them and she kept complaining about their ears, which actually made me realize that they DO kinda have a wonky earset. Still love them though lol
> 
> Not sure what you mean about meeting a quota either, but don't worry about what others think you should be doing with your dog. I'm always going to be a pet person first and foremost, and I'm very happy with that!


I had a reply and then I hit back in the browser lol.

I met a sibling pair in the park one day and they pretty much matched what I often read about them. It's one of those breeds where they sound like they match up everything I'm looking for but I just don't _feel_ it. Plus there's just kind of a very specific appearance I like - like the ones that have more of a BC-like head and moderate coat? But generally I just don't see it in the majority.

With the quota, it's just me trying to figure out what I can give a dog. I know there's been some conversations where people determined sometimes exercise talk in herding breeds is exaggeration but no doubt they need a substantial amount of stimulation. There's just something more intimidating to me about reading and hearing about it than actively doing it was.

But _Aussies and GSDs get me super excited out of all of them and I cannot stop the want._


----------



## Equinox

Melle said:


> I had a reply and then I hit back in the browser lol.
> 
> I met a sibling pair in the park one day and they pretty much matched what I often read about them. It's one of those breeds where they sound like they match up everything I'm looking for but I just don't _feel_ it. Plus there's just kind of a very specific appearance I like - like the ones that have more of a BC-like head and moderate coat? But generally I just don't see it in the majority.


Oh I hate it when that happens. I do that all the time, too. 

And okay yeah, that makes sense! I just know that as far as temperament and looks they can vary although I do have a general idea of the breed in my mind. It's just funny because then I'll meet a dog or hear about one from a friend that doesn't match up to it at all LOL Happens with any breed, I guess, regardless of popularity! I know what you mean about appearances too, I know there are some that look very generic in a farm collie mix kind of way, and that's not really what I'd look for either. Others look very Aussie-ish and that's not what I want either 



Melle said:


> With the quota, it's just me trying to figure out what I can give a dog. I know there's been some conversations where people determined sometimes exercise talk in herding breeds is exaggeration but no doubt they need a substantial amount of stimulation. There's just something more intimidating to me about reading and hearing about it than actively doing it was.
> 
> But _Aussies and GSDs get me super excited out of all of them and I cannot stop the want._


I get that, and yeah it definitely can be an exaggeration but...on the other hand, there's a reason why people exaggerate about it, you know? And it's not always because they think herders are superior or don't want others to choose "their" breed. It's also because when it's bad, it gets pretty bad, and exercise requirements are easier to explain than drive and thresholds and reactivity and nerves. In practice it's not as complicated to understand, but it can be difficult to live or work with _depending on the context_. Though again, a lot depends on the breed, individual dog, and how willing you are to adapt to the dog. But it really can be hard getting a feel for a new breed without having lived or worked with one already LOL 

Just remember that low drive individuals of higher drive breeds exist! You don't even have to pick one breed, you can just start looking into breeders, and find someone you trust enough to make that call for you. Meet their dogs, let them know what you're looking for, etc. No problem with looking into two breeds at once if you like them both equally.


----------



## CptJack

Equinox said:


> I get that, and yeah it definitely can be an exaggeration but...on the other hand, there's a reason why people exaggerate about it, you know? And it's not always because they think herders are superior or don't want others to choose "their" breed. It's also because when it's bad, it gets pretty bad, and exercise requirements are easier to explain than drive and thresholds and reactivity and nerves..



This. I mean I will be the first to say that I don't think you need experience -and I know you're with me there, and we've all had discussions - and I freaking hate 'beginner' vs. 'advanced' dogs crap, I think that's just absolute bullcrap. 

But... warnings about factual information about likely breed tendencies and honest assessment on the part of the person are hugely important. Exercise isn't really a big deal, IMO. I mean, don't get me wrong, on leash walks would never cut it for Molly but you don't have to be a crazy active person yourself to adequately exercise most dogs, provided you have a suitable space and time most of the time.

But reactivity is a huge, huge, very common thing amongst many of the herding breeds. I seem to remember you not doing so well with/being stressed by that in your last dog, so really take a look at that. Prey-drive is also huge in them, because that's where herding comes from. Protectiveness often also expresses in weird ways. *THAT* is the kind of stuff I think people really, really need to listen to most and do some soul searching about. 

Honestly, if I were you I'd both meet some dogs but also hang out on some forums dedicated to the breed. IME you get more real life experience lurking that way than you will from brief meetings in the park or asking outright. I mean, ask too, but what people are posting about themselves tends to be a pretty good glimpse into a bigger picture of life with the breed.

(This isn't directed specially at you, just me thinking aloud).

Speaking of: There's this guy over on one of my BC forums who wants a BC to do agility with, but describes himself as loud and physical. Like shouting a lot, grabbing his dog by the scruff to pull it back in type things. What he doesn't want to hear and isn't accepting is that this is a horrible fit for a BC because even not meant badly they're generally soft dogs. He just wants a border collie to go to Nationals. The thing is, when the match between dog and owner is that bad, then there's no chance of success on any level, really, because the communication isn't there. 

Fit MATTERS, but the most important part of the fit are all the things that are really really hard to define and explain and quantify.


----------



## Melle

Reactivity is certainly not my cup of tea, although I have to admit a lot of it was contextual. I had a lot of pressure from my dad to have her be the epitome of America's good dog. He commented on everything, he didn't like her, so usually in those situations where she reacted, looking back, plenty of it was on me being stressed and tense before we even left the house. Unfortunately my anxiety might continue to affect that sort of thing whenever it gets really bad, but it did begin to ease up and she would suddenly be a new dog in those situations. I think about it a lot and what it might mean in the future.

I'm a little less worried about it in part too because I'll be in the middle of nowhere. And it seems since then I realized a lot of dogs around my neighborhood are more reactive than she was and the parental cloud lifted now so I judge it less.

But. That said. Reactivity is still ehh so I'm heavily considering it. I've always been drawn to herders but if I want to trade out some of that risk, I've also got collies and some sporting breeds to look at. I really want to get out and meet but, alas, no car. Unfortunately experience will be limited for a while.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I totally love this one client of ours lol everytime someone complains about something stupid("my dog is a little dirty"...the yards are outdoors and have dirt in them..you knew that when you brought your dog lol or "i requested pictures today and you didn't get any"..we state up front that we try our best but sometimes we get so many picture requests that we miss some, we do our best to ensure we get some the next time the dog is in) so this client we love..he once when he heard someone throw a fit that thete dog was dirty, yelled out of one of the bath stalls "they offer free use of the tubs, wash your own damn dog, you knew they could get dirty!" Lol and the other day he responded to a clients picture complaint with "they have 200 dogs sometimes, they try there best and do a great job, ya sometimes they miss some and its disapointing but christ just be greatful for how hard they try to accomidate everyone!" And we're like "we love you good sir!" Lol the person who complained drives us nuts, we get pics of her dog nearly everytime she comes but she only comes like twice a month! Then she throws a fit the odd time we miss her dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL I have never hit back on my browser before, but I have accidently pushed a key ... or combination of keys (I still dont know which ones because I look at the screen when I type LOL) on the keyboard that deletes all the text and I have to start ALL over again ... esp annoying when I have this long reply typed out LOL. It usually only happens when my hands are cold and fumbly.

I still havent heard back on the job I applied too, they said to check my email inbox and everytime my phone notifies me of a new email my hopes shoot up, hoping its them, but it never is .

Also the female puppy I was going to get from a breeder sold on saturday  but the male (VERY nice male) is still available, but someone is coming to look at him today and I KNOW they will leave with him, because he is that nice. There is also this other puppy from this other breeder (who the breeder I was going to go with reffered me to if her male sells) who also has a very nice red tri male ...BUT she promised this dude OOS that she would hold him until she could look into shipping quotes for the guy and to get back with her in a week ... well shoot ... a week when one has puppy fever and their life is FINALLY starting to come together (knocks on wood!) is a LONG time!


----------



## GrinningDog

Equinox said:


> LMAO remember how you posted a photo thread for your kitten and I was so stoked for Silken Windhound photos? I want it to happen for you too!! How much longer do you have to wait?
> 
> I mean, for the record, I am a senior in undergrad (also trudging through final exams at the moment) and I'm getting a new dog this weekend so idk. I'm kind of going crazy and all for everyone getting dogs at less than ideal times


YES, hahaha. I felt so bad disappointing you guys. I hate waiting too! As much as I love the kitten, she does absolutely nothing to curb my massive, longtime windhound want. 

A while, unfortunately.  I could have probably pulled off a new puppy during undergrad, even while also working, but now that I've started grad school? I'm in class from 8 AM-5 PM most days, and I study from about 6-10 PM. My program is set up to be highly intensive. No way I could do a pup, not responsibly.

My didactic year ends with the start of clinical year, next summer, and I'll have most of my evenings back. But still. 4th floor apartment, challenging grad program, living on student loan debt. Realistically, I'm about 2 years away from puppy. Until then, I shall obsess and live vicariously through all of you forumgoers getting adorable puppies and new dogs.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, I'm so excited for Miss Malinois to move in! You're going to have so much fun with her!


----------



## CptJack

https://vine.co/v/OrwladLVIdw

Yep.


----------



## CptJack

Molly really likes squeaky toys. When she gets a toy, especially a soft/plush/stuffed one she always looks for the squeaker. 

So, today I'm wearing a new fuzzy sweater and she's been pushing at my stomach with her nose, or grabbing my arm in her mouth and biting down lightly all along it. I had no clue what was wrong with her, but watching her with a squeaky toy now? I am... pretty danged sure she is _trying to make me squeak_.

I'm dead.


----------



## Melle

If I bred Tollers on this dog sim, I'd name my kennel Red Dog Run.

If I bred Aussies, I'd name it Veritas.

But I'm indecisive and I'll never choose and everyone in the game will be ahead of me


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Melle said:


> If I bred Tollers on this dog sim, I'd name my kennel Red Dog Run.
> 
> If I bred Aussies, I'd name it Veritas.
> 
> But I'm indecisive and I'll never choose and everyone in the game will be ahead of me


Veritas is a real Aussie kennel! I stalk a FB group called "Australian Shepherds for Sale AKC/ASCA" (only health testing breeders are allowed on it) and somehow ended up looking at them. Random fact of the day, haha.


----------



## Melle

Oh gosh that's freaky! LOL

Then again, it's a majestic name. I like giving my virtual kennels Latin names, last one was Carpe Noctem.


----------



## Kayota

Melle said:


> If I bred Tollers on this dog sim, I'd name my kennel Red Dog Run.
> 
> If I bred Aussies, I'd name it Veritas.
> 
> But I'm indecisive and I'll never choose and everyone in the game will be ahead of me


What game is it? I play furry paws off and on


----------



## Melle

Kayota said:


> What game is it? I play furry paws off and on


Yep, FP c: I always binge on one breed and then let them go though, I'm so bad at being consistent. Plus I usually only pick breeds I could get along with in real life so when I get others I end up falling out very fast because I just don't feel it


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I never could get into Virtual Dog games.. well except for showing Petz but that was a bit different. My kennel name was "Hurricane" which is really kinda lame now. Haha. 

Just like my username here is really lame because I made it when I was like 16.


----------



## asuna

*sigh* my hamster passed away tonight, from a sudden death..i feel really guilty like i did ..not sure what to do with his remains as its winter and the ground is frozen


----------



## Laurelin

I put Summer in the bath tub because she pooped on herself a bit. I filled the tub then told her to stay while I got the shears. I walked back into the bathroom. Mia looked at me then promptly slinked to the tub and got in a full tub on her own!

I laughed so hard. Obviously she thought she was getting a bath too so just decided to get it over with. She HATES baths.


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I never could get into Virtual Dog games.. well except for showing Petz but that was a bit different. My kennel name was "Hurricane" which is really kinda lame now. Haha.
> 
> Just like my username here is really lame because I made it when I was like 16.


Holycow! Really!?

There's quite a few former Petzers on here.  Mostly PKC.


----------



## Kayota

Melle said:


> Yep, FP c: I always binge on one breed and then let them go though, I'm so bad at being consistent. Plus I usually only pick breeds I could get along with in real life so when I get others I end up falling out very fast because I just don't feel it


I have mostly Akitas, Lundehunds and Carolina Dogs. With a few other breeds. The Akitas are my main focus though.

ForTheLoveOfDogs-- I used to show Petz too  I loved your Aussie file. I had a lot of PF Magic Chis. I was the only one who could pose them right lol, even had a couple BIS. I'm also a companion judge on PKC. I dabble in it again every now and then.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Holycow! Really!?
> 
> There's quite a few former Petzers on here.  Mostly PKC.


Yes really! I LOVED showing in PKC. I never did very good at it but I did champ a few Tosas at the end of my career. I can't get into it now because I don't have a frigging password or the email that could retrieve it. That's how I ended up on this forum instead. 

Kayota - Thanks! I'm really glad people liked my Aussie file! I couldn't even use it because I got tired of looking at it and all the flaws.. haha. It did have a really cute face though. I was working on a v2 before my life went crazy and I basically got locked out of PKC. I'm curious.. is PKC still active? It's been so long I'd think it was done for!


----------



## GrinningDog

I showed PKC way back, probably 10 years ago, or before and shortly after Petz 5 came out, whenever that was. I didn't like dogs at that point in my life (CRAZY, RIGHT?), so I only had the Catz games. I had munchkins and Norwegian forest cats mostly.


----------



## Laurelin

Woooow. Mind blown. I showed PKC for a long time and was a judge twice. Haha


----------



## Miss Bugs

Not dog related but this bird store has be so flippen irritated.. ivam desperatly low on bird food..the local store closed on me so i wound up almost out and suddenly nowhere local to get more. Found an online shop in Calgary that had both foods i needed..placed order TWO WEEKS AGO, been carefully trying to stretch my food supply till it comes, check order status thinking it should be here by now.. so has it shipped? Nope, hasn't even been processed! What the frig? I'm seriously down to like 2 tbsps of bird food and in the span of TWO WEEKS this place has not even bothered to process my friggen order??!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Melle said:


> Yep, FP c: I always binge on one breed and then let them go though, I'm so bad at being consistent. Plus I usually only pick breeds I could get along with in real life so when I get others I end up falling out very fast because I just don't feel it


Lol there already is a Veritas, here in texas.

I used to be a loyal ACD nut, but my needs and wants in a dog have changed, so that's why I decided to go with the MAS this time, and I usually go for females, but since I have a female here who doesn't get along well with most other females, I decided to choose a male.


----------



## theairedale

Aaaaaand I've got myself an escape artist. He figured out how to open the crate (ie. perseverence and brute force). He's done it three times already. I mean, I said I wanted a smart dog, but I guess I forot about this whole element of it.


----------



## Kayota

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Yes really! I LOVED showing in PKC. I never did very good at it but I did champ a few Tosas at the end of my career. I can't get into it now because I don't have a frigging password or the email that could retrieve it. That's how I ended up on this forum instead.
> 
> Kayota - Thanks! I'm really glad people liked my Aussie file! I couldn't even use it because I got tired of looking at it and all the flaws.. haha. It did have a really cute face though. I was working on a v2 before my life went crazy and I basically got locked out of PKC. I'm curious.. is PKC still active? It's been so long I'd think it was done for!


It is, actually. I dabbled a little in the beginning of the year. It's pretty slow but it's still going and there's a lot of old faces.


----------



## d_ray

Oh god, the girls figured out that the curtains on the the front door is on a magnetic curtain rod. I keep coming home to the curtain down.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> Oh god, the girls figured out that the curtains on the the front door is on a magnetic curtain rod. I keep coming home to the curtain down.


Lol. Yeah I had to get rid of our front door curtain because Ryker would rip it down and eventually he just bent the rod.


----------



## d_ray

At least I got to peek at them to see what they were up to while we were out. I was happy to see them both sleeping in their dog beds.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Can someone give me a quick run down on what pkc is? I've never even heard of it.


----------



## Kayota

KodiBarracuda said:


> Can someone give me a quick run down on what pkc is? I've never even heard of it.


Petz kennel club, website to show pets from a computer game from the 90s. The game is one of the most modifiable and interactive pet games out there and as such it remains fairly popular.


----------



## Melle

So far I've picked Aussies for my primary breed in my kennel, but for secondary I'm stuck between Welshies and everything else on FP that isn't too popular. Only trying to pick breeds I'd really own so I just don't fall out of this time around but for my secondary I want something I can actually make an impact in. Welshies _are_ boo-tee-fulll.


----------



## Kayota

Melle said:


> So far I've picked Aussies for my primary breed in my kennel, but for secondary I'm stuck between Welshies and everything else on FP that isn't too popular. Only trying to pick breeds I'd really own so I just don't fall out of this time around but for my secondary I want something I can actually make an impact in. Welshies _are_ boo-tee-fulll.


If you want I can send you a couple of my Akitas. If you'd be interested in the breed  Also I'm tempted to start back... I'm #488767 

edit: HOLY COW the new item art is AWESOME!


----------



## elrohwen

Melle said:


> So far I've picked Aussies for my primary breed in my kennel, but for secondary I'm stuck between Welshies and everything else on FP that isn't too popular. Only trying to pick breeds I'd really own so I just don't fall out of this time around but for my secondary I want something I can actually make an impact in. Welshies _are_ boo-tee-fulll.


I have no idea how this game works, but you should pick Welshies, obvi.

How does the game work, btw?


----------



## Melle

elrohwen said:


> I have no idea how this game works, but you should pick Welshies, obvi.
> 
> How does the game work, btw?


Yep now I've picked Aussies and Welshies (there's so few in the game! :c )

So basically you sign up and make a kennel, give it a name, and raise, breed, train, and compete with any breeds you want. There's also an art and forum aspect to it that gives the community some depth (though I'll admit it's...backfired at times). It's pretty realistic in that you can set up stud fees, show your dogs, hand pick the shows if you want, and all the breed groups have certain "Main Stats" that you can boost through their training, depending on the sport and venue and the items and food your dogs wear and eat.

If you wanted something less click-and-play and a little more challenging, there's also one called K9, but I find it a little harder to get into because it has a smaller community, less talk, etc. And I like all the art on FP, lol.

I also think I wanna add Akitas and Beaucerons, actually, but I'll just nitpick over how we'd clash in real life LOL. I'm way too picky. Maybe I'll give in. Who knows. But they're gorgeous.

*Edit:* Oh! And on there I'm #859587


----------



## elrohwen

How does the training work? How do you show virtual dogs and decide which ones win?


----------



## CptJack

Molly's coat fits Jack better than Molly and vice versa. So we traded.









Jack doesn't care.

Pick coat is warmer, anyway.


----------



## Melle

On the pages of your individual dogs, there's all the buttons in a panel on the side for caring for them. So, feed, water, play (you have to find their toy of choice based on personality), train (in the sport you picked), and compete.

When you first buy the dog or pup, the first time you click on train it takes you to a page where you can see the sports they'd do best in based on their Aptitude and major stats. So Border Collies usually come up with Agility, Herding, and Flyball because the Drover group's major stats are Speed, Agility, and Intelligence, I think? Train them each day and their respective stats for that sport improve, and if you show them daily, their competition scores rise until they have enough to level up. And for the milestone levels, you get better equipment like leashes and collars and foods that'll improve their stats too.

In the competitions, they run automatically overnight and I think it's the best stat'ed dogs that win or something. Can't remember specifically but that's basically how that works.


----------



## Kayota

Melle said:


> Yep now I've picked Aussies and Welshies (there's so few in the game! :c )
> 
> So basically you sign up and make a kennel, give it a name, and raise, breed, train, and compete with any breeds you want. There's also an art and forum aspect to it that gives the community some depth (though I'll admit it's...backfired at times). It's pretty realistic in that you can set up stud fees, show your dogs, hand pick the shows if you want, and all the breed groups have certain "Main Stats" that you can boost through their training, depending on the sport and venue and the items and food your dogs wear and eat.
> 
> If you wanted something less click-and-play and a little more challenging, there's also one called K9, but I find it a little harder to get into because it has a smaller community, less talk, etc. And I like all the art on FP, lol.
> 
> I also think I wanna add Akitas and Beaucerons, actually, but I'll just nitpick over how we'd clash in real life LOL. I'm way too picky. Maybe I'll give in. Who knows. But they're gorgeous.
> 
> *Edit:* Oh! And on there I'm #859587


Alright, let me know if you're interested and I can breed or give you a couple! BTW are you sure you typed that right because I can't find you! It says "could not locate that kennel"

I really like FP because It's so QUICK to get everything on there done. I have 57 dogs (does that make me a BYB? I also have like 8 breeds LOL) and I can breeze through them in less than 30 minutes. It's nice since I work full time. A long time ago you had to pay to get a show entry form and it could take hours if you had more than a handful of dogs to painstakingly enter each show one by one. I'm so glad they made it universal.


----------



## Melle

Oops! #859857

And yeah it's so speedy. Exactly how I end up with 20 dogs in one day :laugh: I used to be able to get through them all before school.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Puppy time is getting so close its crazy! The litters are 5 and 6 weeks today! I'm gonna know who's mine pretty soon  so exciting!


----------



## Laurelin

Apparently 'Did he come with a short tail' does not mean 'Did he have a short tail when you adopted him?' 

I answered yes he came with a short tail but then the person got sad when they realized he was docked. 

I DIDN'T DOCK HIM HE WAS 10 MONTHS OLD WHEN I GOT HIM. ALREADY TAILLESS.


----------



## CptJack

Every time we discuss products here I buy stuff, but

How perfect is this collar for Molly?









It's rainbows and sheep and red!


----------



## Kayota

Holy crap what a gorgeous collar, where is it from?


----------



## jade5280

That collar is the cutest thing ever!!!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Melle said:


> Oops! #859857
> 
> And yeah it's so speedy. Exactly how I end up with 20 dogs in one day :laugh: I used to be able to get through them all before school.


What game is this? It sounds fun


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Apparently 'Did he come with a short tail' does not mean 'Did he have a short tail when you adopted him?'
> 
> I answered yes he came with a short tail but then the person got sad when they realized he was docked.
> 
> I DIDN'T DOCK HIM HE WAS 10 MONTHS OLD WHEN I GOT HIM. ALREADY TAILLESS.


People say that to me about Josefina, too I am like STOP DEMONIZING ME I am not the one who lopped her tail off!!!


----------



## Kayota

It's called Furry Paws. A quick google should bring it up.

People ask if I shave Roxie a lot because she has a natural back mohawk lol


----------



## CptJack

Kayota said:


> Holy crap what a gorgeous collar, where is it from?


Woof Couture International on etsy. Theyv'e got a lot of neat stuff.



jade5280 said:


> That collar is the cutest thing ever!!!!!


YES.


----------



## GrinningDog

Finals week is DONE. 8 final exams in 7 days. I'm utterly exhausted but also proud. I have learned so much this semester, and I'm one step closer to my professional career. 

I have the next 3 weeks off. I won't know what to do with the free time!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I got it, my first dog I'd a male tri MAS named "koga"  it's fun


----------



## Kayota

If any of you FP players like Border Collies and want a jump start I'm selling all of mine--5k each for the store bought ones and 10k for the nice ones. I'm also selling my Dalmatians, Jindos and one Eurasier. I'm switching to Chihuahuas for my side breed and also keeping my Cresties and my four GSDs.


----------



## Kayota

CptJack said:


> Woof Couture International on etsy. Theyv'e got a lot of neat stuff.
> 
> 
> 
> YES.


why did you go and tell me that? Why??? lol!


----------



## CptJack

Kayota said:


> why did you go and tell me that? Why??? lol!


You asked!



No, seriously. I like... can't stop spending money on the dogs. IDK what's wrong with me. Christmas brainwashing?


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Apparently 'Did he come with a short tail' does not mean 'Did he have a short tail when you adopted him?'
> 
> I answered yes he came with a short tail but then the person got sad when they realized he was docked.
> 
> I DIDN'T DOCK HIM HE WAS 10 MONTHS OLD WHEN I GOT HIM. ALREADY TAILLESS.


I get that kind of thing a lot. Like, "Why is his tail like that?" or "Was he born that way?" I don't think there's a lot of understanding about how docking works.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> If any of you FP players like Border Collies and want a jump start I'm selling all of mine--5k each for the store bought ones and 10k for the nice ones. I'm also selling my Dalmatians, Jindos and one Eurasier. I'm switching to Chihuahuas for my side breed and also keeping my Cresties and my four GSDs.


I want to add a female, but it says my kennel isn't big enough? How to I make a bigger kennel?


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I want to add a female, but it says my kennel isn't big enough? How to I make a bigger kennel?


 Go to "manage" and then you can buy an upgrade if your user level is high enough and you have enough money.


----------



## Kayota

CptJack said:


> You asked!
> 
> 
> 
> No, seriously. I like... can't stop spending money on the dogs. IDK what's wrong with me. Christmas brainwashing?


I did, and those are nicer AND cheaper than the ones I was looking at so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna end up with one... :doh:


----------



## Laurelin

Today is one of those Hank days.

1. I was raking leaves. Made a big pile. Hank squatted and peed in them before I got them bagged.

2. Hank ate through his tie out while in the front yard.

3. I have a blood blister on my forearm from doing his nails. He just pinches and does not let go.

Thank you for letting me vent for a second. I'm sure he'll go back to being his normal wonderful self soon... hopefully.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> Go to "manage" and then you can buy an upgrade if your user level is high enough and you have enough money.


How to I earn money on that game, geeze I thought real dog stuff was expensive!!


----------



## momtolabs

I should be studying for exams that I have next Thursday and Friday but I have little to no motivation at all. The only good thing about exams is the free food we get between exams,lol


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Heard of a shelter a few hours south of me that gets in more puppies than people adopting (rural area I guess?). I might have to take a trip in January...


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> How to I earn money on that game, geeze I thought real dog stuff was expensive!!


There are a few games you can play or you can host shows aftet setting up a.trainong area


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> There are a few games you can play or you can host shows aftet setting up a.trainong area


Lol maybe we should make a separate "furry paws" thread ... I might do that if someone doesn't so I don't keep mucking up this thread with FP posts lol.


----------



## Melle

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lol maybe we should make a separate "furry paws" thread ... I might do that if someone doesn't so I don't keep mucking up this thread with FP posts lol.


I definitely think an FP thread is in order


----------



## Miss Bugs

Seriously..puppy time is getting so close that travel arrangements are being made and i have a pretty good idea which puppy will be mine, well at least the breeder said "i think i know which is your favorite" lol the description(little firecracker) sounds like my kinda dog haha. I will know for sure in a few days who my new baby girl will be though  I'm so friggen excited! 

Funny moment today as i was leaving work one of my clients was asking about my dogs and she asked how many and i told her and said plus 1 in a couple weeks, she asked what breed, I told her Toller, and she was like "no way!! My other dog is a Toller!" I wasn't even aware she HAD another dog lol. So now she is super pumped about my Toller puppy too haha


----------



## momtolabs

I realized today mia has spoiled me in the since of puppy's. she is just great!!! She was the easiest puppy ever and even at 1 1/2 is still te best behaved. Caleb though?? Drives me nuts!! I realize he is a normal puppy but jeesh! Drives me nuts with all the counter surfing and just puppy things!! It makes me scared to get a puppy again,lol. I keep thinking "can I really handle it!" I remember Bentley At 6 months and I still have nightmares about that,lol. Maybe I can just keep cloning Mia


----------



## Miss Bugs

Psst..this may be mean but... look up Beadie Babies on Etsy, cute beaded fully functional dog collars that won't break coat and have a tensile strength of 300lbs(the beads are threaded on steele cable)... unbreakable guarantee, person who makes them grew up with Newfies, she has no delusions about how to make stuff strong


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Melle said:


> I definitely think an FP thread is in order


Just made one ... in the off topic section


----------



## CptJack

Life with my teenaged border collie: 
She slept until almost 10, I threw a ball for half an hour,mcame in, ran her through maybe half a dozen commands for her breakfast, then sat on the couch to work on a crocheted Christmas gift in front of the tv. She's been sitting there, watching cartoons while I crochet for an hour +. Not Sleeping, mind. Actually watching tv.

And she'll stay there until I move/am done. At that point she will be up and ready to go, but she's good with this for as long as it takes. 

she's so hard to live with


----------



## GrinningDog

CptJack said:


> Life with my teenaged border collie:
> She slept until almost 10, I threw a ball for half an hour,mcame in, ran her through maybe half a dozen commands for her breakfast, then sat on the couch to work on a crocheted Christmas gift in front of the tv. She's been sitting there, watching cartoons while I crochet for an hour +. Not Sleeping, mind. Actually watching tv.
> 
> And she'll stay there until I move/am done. At that point she will be up and ready to go, but she's good with this for as long as it takes.
> 
> she's so hard to live with


You lucky woman, you. My BC never watched TV. She also, as an adolescent, never really sat still, unless directed to. She DID do a lot of watching, but she was usually watching ME. Staring, actually. She still does a lot of staring, but she also naps these days. HOORAY.

On a totally unrelated topic, there is someone blasting bass through the walls of this apartment complex. I'm hoping it's just a car in the parking lot that will go away soon. It's really, really bothering my ears. Not just on an annoyance level, on a physical pain level. Please stop, whoever you are!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> You lucky woman, you. My BC never watched TV. She also, as an adolescent, never really sat still, unless directed to. She DID do a lot of watching, but she was usually watching ME. Staring, actually. She still does a lot of staring, but she also naps these days. HOORAY.
> 
> On a totally unrelated topic, there is someone blasting bass through the walls of this apartment complex. I'm hoping it's just a car in the parking lot that will go away soon. It's really, really bothering my ears. Not just on an annoyance level, on a physical pain level. Please stop, whoever you are!


Josefina watch TV either ... she just watches ME


----------



## CptJack

Molly is active, does watch me quite a lot and likes to move most, but her off switch is better than any of the other young dogs. If I'm sitting and boring, she's cool with sitting forever.

Or until she has to pee. As long as she's close to me.

Heck even a week post spay she took in pretty good grace. Nowhere near as bad as Kylie. 

Prettyyt perfect IMO. Hours of activity when I want it, But willing to chill when I can't.


----------



## Miss Bugs

The other day my friend told Gem to jump on the front desk at work(because Paisley wouldn't and apperently she was unsatisfied with that and knew Gem would, why she wanted anyone on the desk is beyond me lol)..then she immediately said entirely the wrong word to my obedience trained dog.. after Gem was standing on the desk, she said "ok now get DOWN" when she meant "get OFF"... and Gem promptly hit the desk, throwing off everything in her way or crumpling it all under her lol and suddenly my friend was panicking like "OMG thats not what i meant!!" And i laughed at the mess my friend now had to clean up because she used the wrong word to the wrong dog haha


----------



## GrinningDog

CptJack said:


> Molly is active, does watch me quite a lot and likes to move most, but her off switch is better than any of the other young dogs. If I'm sitting and boring, she's cool with sitting forever.
> 
> Or until she has to pee. As long as she's close to me.
> 
> Heck even a week post spay she took in pretty good grace. Nowhere near as bad as Kylie.
> 
> Prettyyt perfect IMO. Hours of activity when I want it, But willing to chill when I can't.


That's wonderful!


----------



## CptJack

GoGoGypsy said:


> That's wonderful!


I, um, may be smitten and prone to random fits of bragging about my absolutely perfect puppy ('perfect' my butt) with little/no provocation. 

Don't mind me.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Totally random..

What the heck is up with all the BCs i see lately with Spitz tails? i dont mean "when not working", Mistys tail was always high and curled when not working..i mean the base of the tail set super high straight upwards with a PERMANENT super tight curl, and never ever down in the classic "hook". I've just..seen this a lot lately and it looks so weird!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Totally random..
> 
> What the heck is up with all the BCs i see lately with Spitz tails? i dont mean "when not working", Mistys tail was always high and curled when not working..i mean the base of the tail set super high straight upwards with a PERMANENT super tight curl, and never ever down in the classic "hook". I've just..seen this a lot lately and it looks so weird!!


Where are your puppy's pictures!!! I wantz to seeeeeeeee!


----------



## Miss Bugs

i dunno for sure which one is mine yet! I have a decent idea, but until i know for sure(should be soon) I'm keeping hush hush, i don't wanna jinx it lol. I will say i should have her about Dec 30-Jan 1st ish(flights are being arranged shortly) that is slightly under 8 weeks but close enough, as it will be easier to get her with this arrangement


----------



## Miss Bugs

Warning- i do swear in this video. 

These are my dogs..they are nuts.. lol

http://youtu.be/2fpXqzGGTbE


----------



## Miss Bugs

Ha so my friend who is a dog trainer and does a little bit of doggy daycare had another trainer contact her to ask some questions to find out if she's "worth reccomending" .. my friend sent me screen shots of the questions.. she first asked "how would you respond to a daycare dog growling at another over food" ..and my friend was like.."why would i have strange dogs together around food?" So this other trainer tried again and asked "what would you do if a dog you were training growled" and my friend was like.. it depends on the situation, there are so many other things that could be going on besides the growl that every situation has to be taken on an individual basis.... the the other trainer never responded... i feel like those questions told me more about THAT trainer then anything else lol


----------



## GrinningDog

Beautiful day in sunny FL, so I took my beast on a walk through surburbia. On our return trip, a car passed us, slowed, and pulled to the side of the road. It took Gyp and I a couple minutes to catch up, but as we did, a man hung out of the window, called across the street, and asked if I wanted a puppy. Apparently he just purchased the pup and found out he was going on a business trip. He had planned to return the dog, but wanted to know if I wanted it instead. For free. Haha. I thanked him, and told him as much as I wanted another dog, couldn't have more pets in my apartment.

I fancy I give off responsible dog owner vibes.



CptJack said:


> I, um, may be smitten and prone to random fits of bragging about my absolutely perfect puppy ('perfect' my butt) with little/no provocation.
> 
> Don't mind me.


No shame in that, hehe.  She's perfect for you, and you should want to talk about that!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

No TWD ... what am I supposed to do with my Sundays now?


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No TWD ... what am I supposed to do with my Sundays now?


I made the mistake of saying that and now I get to clean horse stalls and dogs kennels on Sunday nights  


On the way home from riding tonight it was heavy fog and you couldn't see too far in front of you. In the distance I see a caution light blinking and soon realized it was a tractor and so I slow down to around 10MPH(country roads) and all of a sudden a GSD come running around one side of the tractor and I almost hit him. I didnt see this dog at all and there was a car behind me I saw in my mirror so I hit my hazards and went around and this dog is running almost under my tire he gets so close. I get around and turn my hazards off and as I glance up I see the car behind me almost take out the dog. The owner wasn't even calling him!! I would of had a panic attack!! Then as I'm driving down the road a car is coming the opposite directions WITHOUT headlights on!!! I couldn't see them till we were almost passing. That is my biggest pet peeve when it is thick fog and people don't have there headlightss on. TURN THEM ON!! It's an accident waiting to happen. 

This is a picture I snapped on my way home. The fog was thicker but hard to capture with my phone.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I made the mistake of saying that and now I get to clean horse stalls and dogs kennels on Sunday nights
> 
> 
> On the way home from riding tonight it was heavy fog and you couldn't see too far in front of you. In the distance I see a caution light blinking and soon realized it was a tractor and so I slow down to around 10MPH(country roads) and all of a sudden a GSD come running around one side of the tractor and I almost hit him. I didnt see this dog at all and there was a car behind me I saw in my mirror so I hit my hazards and went around and this dog is running almost under my tire he gets so close. I get around and turn my hazards off and as I glance up I see the car behind me almost take out the dog. The owner wasn't even calling him!! I would of had a panic attack!! Then as I'm driving down the road a car is coming the opposite directions WITHOUT headlights on!!! I couldn't see them till we were almost passing. That is my biggest pet peeve when it is thick fog and people don't have there headlightss on. TURN THEM ON!! It's an accident waiting to happen.
> 
> This is a picture I snapped on my way home. The fog was thicker but hard to capture with my phone.
> View attachment 186154


Omg how scary!!!

I thought "what am I supposed to do!" Than I am like "oh! Right ... I have a puppy now" lol ... and what's better is quiet through the night by the time February 8th rolls around ha ha.


----------



## Flaming

Just bought 2 thick new collars for Manna. One fancy leather one and 1 mesh weave comfy one, both are 2" wide. 

BOTH get swallowed in fur so you cannot see them AT ALL! 

grrrr....bright pink 2" wide collars just disappear when done up


----------



## momtolabs

I'm teaching Mia to close doors so I don't have to get up to do it myself.....do I win the laziest owner award!!?? Seriously we did a five minute training session and she almost has it down....this dog is so smart I just love it!!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I, um, may be smitten and prone to random fits of bragging about my absolutely perfect puppy ('perfect' my butt) with little/no provocation.
> 
> Don't mind me.


I envy this as I listen to mine screaming and throwing a fit in his crate right now lol.

I know it will pass but lawdy lawd this boy has a set of lungs on him.


----------



## Laurelin

I kind of wonder if the terrier in Hank is not JRT instead of RT. I think it could go either way, but he just acts so JRT. His ears look like rat terriers. But he's a bit low in the leg like so many JRTs are.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I'm teaching Mia to close doors so I don't have to get up to do it myself.....do I win the laziest owner award!!?? Seriously we did a five minute training session and she almost has it down....this dog is so smart I just love it!!!!


Careful what you teach those ACDs and ACD mixes LOL, they are known for using that knowledge for evil xD


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I kind of wonder if the terrier in Hank is not JRT instead of RT. I think it could go either way, but he just acts so JRT. His ears look like rat terriers. But he's a bit low in the leg like so many JRTs are.


He could certainly be JRT instead of RT - they're really close sometimes.

Though we also have 'type b' rat terriers:


----------



## Kayota

Oh my god, i love that rt. What a cutie! I want.


----------



## Remaru

Urgh...Hobgoblin has suddenly decided that he really likes to eat dog beds. He has eaten 3 (well two beds and a mat) in the past two weeks. The first one I left in the entryway for him to sleep on at night and while we were out. We were out one day and came home to find fluff everywhere. Ok so annoying but it wasn't a particularly expensive bed (bought it on sale Black Friday) and I figured it was a fluke. Looked like he had been trying to rip the tag off and it just ripped open on him so he kept going. We left a few days later and I tossed his mat in the entryway for him. Our entryway is tile and he is really bony. Came back and he had shredded his mat. Grrrrrr So next time we left he had nothing. Come home a few days later and he had chewed up the baby gate and pushed it down......Um yeah......Bought new gate. Two days ago I went to walk Magic, the kids were home with him (keep in mind my kids are 13 and 9 and I only walk Magic about a mile so 20minutes or so for her to do her business and get some energy out). Come home and he has chewed a hole in the center of the last bed (Duke's old bed that all of the dogs were now using in the corner of our living room) and was pulling all of the memory foam stuffing out. Well my boys got a talking to about actually watching the dogs while I am gone (apparently they were really enthralled with a movie on TV and weren't paying attention) but now I'm super frustrated. Freyja and Remus will just lay on the floor but Hobs will not lay down, he just paces all day long because he doesn't have a bed. I don't particularly feel like buying him another bed to chew up. I know ultimately I will have to, we have hard floors and it isn't good for him to lay on them all of the time but for right now I feel like he needs to just deal with it. Maybe he will think before he eats the next one. Jerk Face.


----------



## d_ray

We went and spent a decent amount of money on a nice drape for the front door as it has a big window in it. Previously, we had a cheap cotton curtain hanging there, but it was getting old. The curtain rod is magnetic and the dogs have realized this and take it down every time we leave. The first couple times, we thought it was a one off, but they continued doing it and broke the rod in the process. So now we have to remove it every time we leave. I hate the idea that anyone who walks by can see into my house. They never tried to pull the old one off and they can still look at the window with the new one, they just have to move it. Weirdos!


----------



## Miss Bugs

:llama: :rockon: flights are booked, Puppy fly's in on the evening of Dec 29th, I go pick her up on Dec 30th! :whoo: I still don't know for sure which puppy is mine, but I don't care, I am so friggen excited!!! :whoo:


----------



## Laurelin

Ermg. It is a red female Hank.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31014776/

I think Hank could be either part JRT or RT. He reminds me a lot of my aunt's JRT.

EDIT: Ahhhhhhh this one!

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/29027825


----------



## Kayota

A large dog walked up to me and peed on my leg at the dog park, presumably because i was wearing all black on a black bench and he didn't notice me. I... honestly didn't even care LOL I'm kind of bombproof to doggie antics at this point i guess.

In other news does anyone have suggestions for getting my stepmoms dog to stop barking like crazy every time i play with roxie upstairs? My parents and i play with rudy all the time so it's not like she's deproved but shr freaks out every time i play with roxie by herself. Roxie won't play with rudy around so it's not really fair to us that if my parents are home we can't play. One of them is usually home at all times so not playing only when they are here isn't really an option.


----------



## Laurelin

juhdeo;fhj;3ehjwfioehwijfhejwhferjk

Hank just ripped a huge hole in my favorite new sweater. Playing agility. Launched and grabbed my arm. 

He also ate my comforter this week. Well not ate but shredded it.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Careful what you teach those ACDs and ACD mixes LOL, they are known for using that knowledge for evil xD


Oh I know,lol. I recently taught her "double" which is a double high five and she uses it to get me up in the mornings,lol


----------



## Melle

I have a feeling getting my future dog will be more about breeders than breed. I've pretty much settled on Aussies, GSDs, and Welshies despite the variation. If I could have one now under parental restrictions, it would probably be a Welshie. If dad didn't vehemently dislike bigger dogs, I'd look at Aussies and GSDs more.

If things go the way I think it will, then considering what the boyfriend wants would leave out the Welshie. And I could go either way on the other two. And that's probably my little circle of breeds unless something pops up and surprises me but my preferences have otherwise remained consistent. I have puppy fever SO bad right now.


----------



## momtolabs

It has been cloudy/rainy for the past TWO weeks!! It needs to stop! My dogs are going nuts which is making me go nuts!!


----------



## Flaming

Question

Should I say yes to a baby newfie landseer?


----------



## Laurelin

What kind of question is that?


----------



## Kayota

Flaming said:


> Question
> 
> Should I say yes to a baby newfie landseer?


Hell yes! Lol


----------



## Prozax

While walking to work this morning, a pack of stray dogs(about 5) came charging at us. For the first time in her life, Luna rushed at them so they backed off. She almost ripped my arm off, but stopped when I called her. 
It must be a new pack, as we go through this park every single day and we've never seen them before. Yey stray dogs


----------



## JeJo

Flaming said:


> Question
> 
> Should I say yes to a baby newfie landseer?


Only if it's white & black and fluffly cute all over!


----------



## d_ray

Flaming said:


> Question
> 
> Should I say yes to a baby newfie landseer?


Ummmmm YAh lol


----------



## d_ray

Jasmine decided to bolt out this morning and go to the trails herself. Thank God there were no cars out. She bolted out and down the street and into the trails that we go to every morning. She seemed really proud of herself and was waiting for us when we got there. Jewel was ultra Jealous.


----------



## taquitos

d_ray said:


> Jasmine decided to bolt out this morning and go to the trails herself. Thank God there were no cars out. She bolted out and down the street and into the trails that we go to every morning. She seemed really proud of herself and was waiting for us when we got there. Jewel was ultra Jealous.


Hahahaha I love it when they have this misplaced sense of pride like "LOOK MA, LOOK WHAT I DID ALLLL BY MYSELF! AREN'T YOU PROUD?!?!" haha. Meeko did the same the other day. The cats stole a wine cork from the counter, and he stole it from them and brought it back to me like "LOOK WHAT I DID MOMMMM" even though I don't really care if they play with it lol


----------



## d_ray

taquitos said:


> Hahahaha I love it when they have this misplaced sense of pride like "LOOK MA, LOOK WHAT I DID ALLLL BY MYSELF! AREN'T YOU PROUD?!?!" haha. Meeko did the same the other day. The cats stole a wine cork from the counter, and he stole it from them and brought it back to me like "LOOK WHAT I DID MOMMMM" even though I don't really care if they play with it lol


Too funny. They really keep ya on your toes! But they are so entertaining!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Urgh...Hobgoblin has suddenly decided that he really likes to eat dog beds. He has eaten 3 (well two beds and a mat) in the past two weeks. The first one I left in the entryway for him to sleep on at night and while we were out. We were out one day and came home to find fluff everywhere. Ok so annoying but it wasn't a particularly expensive bed (bought it on sale Black Friday) and I figured it was a fluke. Looked like he had been trying to rip the tag off and it just ripped open on him so he kept going. We left a few days later and I tossed his mat in the entryway for him. Our entryway is tile and he is really bony. Came back and he had shredded his mat. Grrrrrr So next time we left he had nothing. Come home a few days later and he had chewed up the baby gate and pushed it down......Um yeah......Bought new gate. Two days ago I went to walk Magic, the kids were home with him (keep in mind my kids are 13 and 9 and I only walk Magic about a mile so 20minutes or so for her to do her business and get some energy out). Come home and he has chewed a hole in the center of the last bed (Duke's old bed that all of the dogs were now using in the corner of our living room) and was pulling all of the memory foam stuffing out. Well my boys got a talking to about actually watching the dogs while I am gone (apparently they were really enthralled with a movie on TV and weren't paying attention) but now I'm super frustrated. Freyja and Remus will just lay on the floor but Hobs will not lay down, he just paces all day long because he doesn't have a bed. I don't particularly feel like buying him another bed to chew up. I know ultimately I will have to, we have hard floors and it isn't good for him to lay on them all of the time but for right now I feel like he needs to just deal with it. Maybe he will think before he eats the next one. Jerk Face.


Lincoln ate a hole through his last night in his crate :/ so I guess that means no more beds for him in his crate for a while since he is entering that chewing stage ... I had to take up the beds I have for them outside, too :/


----------



## Flaming

Ok nvm that landseer mix got snatched up.

Should I say yes to a pry x newfie x german shepard male 12 week old pup?

Its a farm rescue raid


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lincoln ate a hole through his last night in his crate :/ so I guess that means no more beds for him in his crate for a while since he is entering that chewing stage ... I had to take up the beds I have for them outside, too :/


Fleece blankets are a good alternative and super cheap


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Flaming said:


> Ok nvm that landseer mix got snatched up.
> 
> Should I say yes to a pry x newfie x german shepard male 12 week old pup?
> 
> Its a farm rescue raid


I would have said absolutely yes to the Landseer mix. I know 2 GSDxPyr mixes and they are a HANDFUL. That German Shepherd craziness, with giant dog package, plus the aloof stubbornness of the LGD. I'm not saying don't do it, but definitely meet the puppy first and consider all the breeds. It will probably be a lot different than a Newfie.

Edit - yeah that came off scarier than I meant it to. Sorry. Maybe go off of whether or not you want a Thud, because he sounds similar to the GSDxPyrs I know.


----------



## Remaru

I have two GSD mixes and adore them both. They are both super duper easy dogs. I don't really have a ton of experience with newfies to compare but, I would call my two moderate energy level (Freyja is actually pretty low energy/lazy). Hobgoblin has to get out and do something or after a couple of days he gets antsy but he is also an 8month old puppy. I do spend hours on training, he is my SD prospect but seriously easy to train, he would turn himself inside out to please me. Both are sensitive/soft. That said pyrs are different. The ones around here are more commonly kept as house pets and don't have quite the aloofness of the working lines but I wouldn't necessarily count on it. I've known many pyrs. My aunt had one when I was a child, one of my best friends had one when we were teens and I've spent a bit of time with the pyr rescue group (not a ton). They are bit "harder" and less biddable than the herders or bullies I usually prefer to keep. My aunt's female was dog selective but my friend's dog loved other dogs (he had high prey drive).


----------



## momtolabs

Hello my name is Caleb and I have a fetish for pencils. I see my aunt studying for exams and decide to steal her pencils. So since moms at school I cuddle up on my aunt like this so I don't get in trouble.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I would have said absolutely yes to the Landseer mix. I know 2 GSDxPyr mixes and they are a HANDFUL. That German Shepherd craziness, with giant dog package, plus the aloof stubbornness of the LGD. I'm not saying don't do it, but definitely meet the puppy first and consider all the breeds. It will probably be a lot different than a Newfie.
> 
> Edit - yeah that came off scarier than I meant it to. Sorry. Maybe go off of whether or not you want a Thud, because he sounds similar to the GSDxPyrs I know.



Yeah, that. 

I mean if you think you'd enjoy that go there, but thank carefully. Not so much because he's a difficult dog to own but because he is not a dog many people would enjoy owning.


----------



## Flaming

Ok so the pups come from a newfie mother. Thats confirmed but the dad although looks like a pyr, is labeled as a pry x gsd.

The pups look like extra fluffy newfies and so far are all goof balls.

I prefer aloofness in my dogs, Manna being the exception 

I'm still debating it though


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> Fleece blankets are a good alternative and super cheap


Tried that ... and he shredded that, too :/ or was going to had I not taken it away ... oh well ... he was find in his crate without it, he settled right down and I didn't hear anything from him.


----------



## gingerkid

So, today on my drive home, I saw a beautiful golden retriever out for a walk on a halti with his people. Who were 20 feet away at the end of a retractable leash.

I have nothing against haltis (when they're used correctly and with restraint) and although I think retractable leashes are annoying and stupid, they're not generally super dangerous. But in what situation is a halti + retractable leash a good idea!? None, that's when. The owners obviously have no clue how a halti even works...!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> So, today on my drive home, I saw a beautiful golden retriever out for a walk on a halti with his people. Who were 20 feet away at the end of a retractable leash.
> 
> I have nothing against haltis (when they're used correctly and with restraint) and although I think retractable leashes are annoying and stupid, they're not generally super dangerous. But in what situation is a halti + retractable leash a good idea!? None, that's when. The owners obviously have no clue how a halti even works...!


The stupid is strong.


----------



## Laurelin

I kind of love this dog.


----------



## Melle

I feel like I'm just going to waste away without my dog battle buddy and no one in this forsaken anywhere-near-me understands what it was doing for me.


----------



## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> I kind of love this dog.


That's super adorable! That dog's mannerisms remind me so much of Gyp.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Tried that ... and he shredded that, too :/ or was going to had I not taken it away ... oh well ... he was find in his crate without it, he settled right down and I didn't hear anything from him.


Well... they're cheap  so easily replaced.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Hello my name is Caleb and I have a fetish for pencils. I see my aunt studying for exams and decide to steal her pencils. So since moms at school I cuddle up on my aunt like this so I don't get in trouble.
> 
> View attachment 186377
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 186385


He kind of looks like a brown Josefina, same funny smile and goofy personality.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> Well... they're cheap  so easily replaced.


I was more worried about the little guy swallowing some of the material, more than the actual destruction. I don't think he is one of THOSE dogs, but just in case, lol.


----------



## dogsule

I had ordered a giant stuffed dog bone toy for Angel for her birthday, she was a shelter pup and we celebrate it shortly after Christmas....no set day just whatever works for us. It came yesterday and I cannot wait to give it to her....it is 22 inches long. Not sure how much it will get played with actually since it is so big but it will be fun to see. It has a squeaker in each tip of the bone (4 squeakers). Hopefully Belle won't kill it like she does all the other toys around here. I got it from Amazon....http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHQCBW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I was more worried about the little guy swallowing some of the material, more than the actual destruction. I don't think he is one of THOSE dogs, but just in case, lol.




Belle is one of those dogs....unfortunately. She will chew parts off of her stuffies and eat them...wth?? No clue why, I have to watch her all the time. She loves to destroy things too but so far mostly dog toys or kids toys or ponies for your hair. I thought Maya and Angel were bad when they were puppies but they didn't come near to the amount of things Belle has destroyed!


----------



## kcomstoc

Gamgee is so horrible in the morning I'd swear he was part demon, he likes to wake us up purposely so that we can give him food so he'll stop (morning food not extra food). He picks up the litterbox and then lets go making this slamming sound, so we tied down the litterbox, then he chews through the tie or undoes the tie and continues to slam the litterbox. This time he did it even after I fed him so I picked him up and put him on the lowest level because he can't move that litterbox. Evil mean rabbit, after I put him on the lowest level he thumped at me and then went over to the corner and layed down (jerk). It's like "that's fine momma I was tired anyway, oh you're awake now? good. night"


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> Gamgee is so horrible in the morning I'd swear he was part demon, he likes to wake us up purposely so that we can give him food so he'll stop (morning food not extra food). He picks up the litterbox and then lets go making this slamming sound, so we tied down the litterbox, then he chews through the tie or undoes the tie and continues to slam the litterbox. This time he did it even after I fed him so I picked him up and put him on the lowest level because he can't move that litterbox. Evil mean rabbit, after I put him on the lowest level he thumped at me and then went over to the corner and layed down (jerk). It's like "that's fine momma I was tired anyway, oh you're awake now? good. night"


Wow! I had no idea rabbits could be like that! when I read your post I thought you were talking about a dog until I looked at your siggy and saw who "Gamgee" was LOL


----------



## Miss Bugs

kcomstoc said:


> Gamgee is so horrible in the morning I'd swear he was part demon, he likes to wake us up purposely so that we can give him food so he'll stop (morning food not extra food). He picks up the litterbox and then lets go making this slamming sound, so we tied down the litterbox, then he chews through the tie or undoes the tie and continues to slam the litterbox. This time he did it even after I fed him so I picked him up and put him on the lowest level because he can't move that litterbox. Evil mean rabbit, after I put him on the lowest level he thumped at me and then went over to the corner and layed down (jerk). It's like "that's fine momma I was tired anyway, oh you're awake now? good. night"


ROTFL my Jenny rabbit is 100% cage free because i got sick and tired of her waking me up in the middle of the night thumping non stop..my dogs are terrified of the thumping and suddenly i would have a full pack of dogs cowering on top of my face. She litterally hasn't thumped once since i removed the pen(which was huge by the way, took up most of my room and was 3 stories high, AND she was only penned in at night). She is a litterbox thrower if i don't clean it often enough for her taste(which is a lot lol). Oh and i am not allowed to sleep in, its unacceptable, if i am in bad past 7 am, she will start running laps on my bed, pausing with her front paws on my pillow and staring me down till i get up.


----------



## elrohwen

And that's why my rabbits have their own room far away from my bedroom. I've shared a room with them a couple times while traveling and they woke us up at 5 every morning.


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wow! I had no idea rabbits could be like that! when I read your post I thought you were talking about a dog until I looked at your siggy and saw who "Gamgee" was LOL


Oh yea, rabbits are adorable evil beings that convince you they couldn't be evil because they are so fluffy and adorable but they are. I wish I could just give them their own room because they are loud when they want to be >.> the only well behaved rabbit is Caleb and he is the picture of angelic bunny behavior, quiet and loving but he loves Gamgee so much and is always with him no matter what. When I put Gamgee on the lowest level Caleb ran down the ramps to the lowest level too like "it's ok brother I'll always be with you even if mommy is being mean *they aren't actually brothers*" I swear rabbits are way more work then dogs >.>


----------



## elrohwen

Dogs are definitely more work than the rabbits! Mine are pretty easy, honestly. They are more work than cats I think, but not by much. Hannah likes to make trouble, and she's wicked smart, but still way less of a PITA than the dog, mostly because she's little and can't bark. They do make a much bigger mess than the dog though.


----------



## Miss Bugs

> Dogs are definitely more work than the rabbits! Mine are pretty easy, honestly. They are more work than cats I think, but not by much. Hannah likes to make trouble, and she's wicked smart, but still way less of a PITA than the dog, mostly because she's little and can't bark. They do make a much bigger mess than the dog though.


depends on the bunny I think! Jenny yes, more work then a cat but not as much work as a dog. but my dwarf Hotot Peepers? the best way i could describe what she was like is... take the trouble of an 8 week old puppy... and keep it that way forever and ever, that puppy never ever grows up and never ever matures. that is what Peepers was like, I don't mean that in a bad way lol, she was the best rabbit ever and I want another Dwarf Hotot, but she was TROUBLE. I had to rig traps around my garbage and recycling and change them constantly because she was forever raiding the bins, and would just find a way to circumvent the traps so I needed new ones all the time, she stole my dogs food from them(while they were eating, she would just eat with them, and my dogs would be like "uhhhhh....." lol she stole their crates and doghouse for herself, I couldn't eat anything without her stealing it, she would flat out fight me over the food on my plate(not in a nasty way, but she would snatch it, I would take it back, she would snatch it back and so on), she would jump the upstairs gate and sneak into my brother room upstairs and get into his stuff etc..


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> depends on the bunny I think! Jenny yes, more work then a cat but not as much work as a dog. but my dwarf Hotot Peepers? the best way i could describe what she was like is... take the trouble of an 8 week old puppy... and keep it that way forever and ever, that puppy never ever grows up and never ever matures. that is what Peepers was like, I don't mean that in a bad way lol, she was the best rabbit ever and I want another Dwarf Hotot, but she was TROUBLE. I had to rig traps around my garbage and recycling and change them constantly because she was forever raiding the bins, and would just find a way to circumvent the traps so I needed new ones all the time, she stole my dogs food from them(while they were eating, she would just eat with them, and my dogs would be like "uhhhhh....." lol she stole their crates and doghouse for herself, I couldn't eat anything without her stealing it, she would flat out fight me over the food on my plate(not in a nasty way, but she would snatch it, I would take it back, she would snatch it back and so on), she would jump the upstairs gate and sneak into my brother room upstairs and get into his stuff etc..
> 
> View attachment 186409
> 
> 
> View attachment 186417


Quite making me want to go get one  Seriously after talking to you and doing my own research I want one!!! I'm having a problem finding a breeder near me though.


----------



## Miss Bugs

momtolabs said:


> Quite making me want to go get one  Seriously after talking to you and doing my own research I want one!!! I'm having a problem finding a breeder near me though.


do it!!! only reason I haven't got another since Peepers is because I am waiting till the basement gets fixed(we have to move out for a couple months) once the basement is fixed, there will be more little Hotot's running around my house for sure lol 

as for finding breeders-I suggest advertising that you are looking for one. I had wanted one forever before I got mine, but no matter how hard I looked I couldn't find a breeder anywhere near me. I got mine by sheer luck! I am a member of a local show dog e-mail list and there is a breeder that I have known for years because has exotics as well as dogs, he imported some exotics with us, and had some of our Gerbils etc.. turned out he was an Dwarf Hotot breeder, I had absolutely no idea! I only found out when he posted on the e-mail list that due to the lack of rabbit shows within a drivable distance anymore, he was getting out of rabbits and offering them up for best offer, and listed off the numbers and breeds he had available, 4 of which were dwarf Hotot's! I was not looking for another rabbit, I just saw "Dwarf Hotot" and immediately made him an offer lol. a few months ago I also ran across an ad for Dwarf Hotot's in my area and contacted her, apparently she's been a local Dwarf Hotot breeder for quite a while, I didn't have idea idea she existed and she didn't even seem to know that she wasn't the only one as she was quiet surprised that I had one and it wasn't from her


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> do it!!! only reason I haven't got another since Peepers is because I am waiting till the basement gets fixed(we have to move out for a couple months) once the basement is fixed, there will be more little Hotot's running around my house for sure lol
> 
> as for finding breeders-I suggest advertising that you are looking for one. I had wanted one forever before I got mine, but no matter how hard I looked I couldn't find a breeder anywhere near me. I got mine by sheer luck! I am a member of a local show dog e-mail list and there is a breeder that I have known for years because has exotics as well as dogs, he imported some exotics with us, and had some of our Gerbils etc.. turned out he was an Dwarf Hotot breeder, I had absolutely no idea! I only found out when he posted on the e-mail list that due to the lack of rabbit shows within a drivable distance anymore, he was getting out of rabbits and offering them up for best offer, and listed off the numbers and breeds he had available, 4 of which were dwarf Hotot's! I was not looking for another rabbit, I just saw "Dwarf Hotot" and immediately made him an offer lol. a few months ago I also ran across an ad for Dwarf Hotot's in my area and contacted her, apparently she's been a local Dwarf Hotot breeder for quite a while, I didn't have idea idea she existed and she didn't even seem to know that she wasn't the only one as she was quiet surprised that I had one and it wasn't from her


I really do want to get one but ill have to talk to my grandma about it since I'm moving in with her permanently in May. I'm there off and on but once school ends my dogs and I will be moving in with her. Hopefully my uncle is out of there by then  one can only hope,haha!! I found a Netherland dwarf breeder near me so if I can't find a Hotot breeder I may go with her since she is only 10 minutes away from my grandmas house.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Watching nightmare on elm street 2 on chiller and remembering why most fans hate it and consider nightmare 3 the 2nd installment.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Just incase anyone wanted an adorable fix ♥♥ 

Gypsy adores Bunnies sooo much its the cutest thing in the world!


----------



## DaySleepers

Dropped Sam off at the groomer's this morning. I usually do his grooming myself, but once a year-ish I let a professional clean up my amateur attempts. On my way HOME I kept thinking 'gotta let Sam out of his crate when I get home!' I'm so not used to this boy not being right next to me in the house. It's so bizarre.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I really do want to get one but ill have to talk to my grandma about it since I'm moving in with her permanently in May. I'm there off and on but once school ends my dogs and I will be moving in with her. Hopefully my uncle is out of there by then  one can only hope,haha!! I found a Netherland dwarf breeder near me so if I can't find a Hotot breeder I may go with her since she is only 10 minutes away from my grandmas house.


Ya'll stop it! I just Googled them and was assaulted with so much cute, I almost died lol. I absolutely can NOT have another animal right now but GAH! So cute!


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ya'll stop it! I just Googled them and was assaulted with so much cute, I almost died lol. I absolutely can NOT have another animal right now but GAH! So cute!


I know the feeling! I found a breeder finally who is only 2 hours away from me.... I contacted them and they have a litter planned for Spring.....


----------



## Miss Bugs

Here allow me to help.. ?


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> Here allow me to help.. ?
> 
> View attachment 186801
> View attachment 186809
> View attachment 186817
> View attachment 186825


Hey be nice,haha!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Here allow me to help.. ?
> 
> View attachment 186801
> View attachment 186809
> View attachment 186817
> View attachment 186825


stop it! STOP TORTURING ME!


----------



## momtolabs

So..... Talking to my parents and my grandparents if money is right in the spring we will be adding a Netherland Dwarf of a Hotot. The Netherland breeder is having a litter for sure in the spring and the Hotot breeder is unsure if she will have one or not. The Netherlands breeder is also a lot closer(15 minutes but Hotot is almost 3 hours)


----------



## Kayota

I really want a Dwarf Hotot for my next bun, I've wanted one for ages.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I had no idea there were so many breeds of rabbit!


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I had no idea there were so many breeds of rabbit!


There really are  Caleb is a holland lop (my personal favorite plus I love lops) and Gamgee is a mini rex *or possible rex mix, he was a rescue* but there are tons more  I also like flemish giants but that would be a big step lol literally


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lop eared bunnies are my faves, they are so cute!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I feel like I'm being so paranoid with Nika. A friend of mine has the Flu [ which I wasn't aware that she had it until today], & now it's worryng me that it'll transfer to her. Every little thing worries me about her. Things I probably shouldn't worry. *Helicopter Parent.*


----------



## Laurelin

Someone remind me that DNA tests are useless. The dog in Hank's agility class that looks and acts a lot like him got one done and hers came back with various terriers and BC (and some mystery mix). Seems plausible though I think some of the more exotic terrier breeds were just picking up some sort of generic 'terrier'. She's softer tempered, longer legged, and more reactive than Hank but they're eerily alike. Both ticked (she's split faced), smooth coats, high drive, BOUNCY, high energy dogs.

But it makes me want to send him in to see if my herder x terrier guess is correct. 

Then I go looking at the gallery and half the 'papillon mixes' listed look like pit bulls. So...? Worth it or not?


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lop eared bunnies are my faves, they are so cute!


Here  have your fill lol https://www.facebook.com/keriulovesjoshu2010/media_set?set=a.10203293057432425.1073741826.1389656278&type=3 there are more if you wanna browse my facebook, go for it


----------



## momtolabs

Laurelin said:


> Someone remind me that DNA tests are useless. The dog in Hank's agility class that looks and acts a lot like him got one done and hers came back with various terriers and BC (and some mystery mix). Seems plausible though I think some of the more exotic terrier breeds were just picking up some sort of generic 'terrier'. She's softer tempered, longer legged, and more reactive than Hank but they're eerily alike. Both ticked (she's split faced), smooth coats, high drive, BOUNCY, high energy dogs.
> 
> But it makes me want to send him in to see if my herder x terrier guess is correct.
> 
> Then I go looking at the gallery and half the 'papillon mixes' listed look like pit bulls. So...? Worth it or not?


I don't think there worth it honestly. I've heard of people sending in there purebred dogs DNA and it coming back as being a mixed breed even though the dog came from a very reputable breeder.....


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I feel like I'm being so paranoid with Nika. A friend of mine has the Flu [ which I wasn't aware that she had it until today], & now it's worryng me that it'll transfer to her. Every little thing worries me about her. Things I probably shouldn't worry. *Helicopter Parent.*


Oh I am that way with Lincoln, it's weird because I have never been a helicopter parent with my other puppies, I don't know what it is about him that makes me that way. He has only been here a week today and already we don't know what we would do without him. I know he can be a butt head sometimes but we still love him to death.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gaahh, snags in puppy plans are not allowed!! Not welcome, go away snags!


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> Gaahh, snags in puppy plans are not allowed!! Not welcome, go away snags!


What!?? Hopefully they aren't keeping you from getting the pup


----------



## Miss Bugs

momtolabs said:


> What!?? Hopefully they aren't keeping you from getting the pup


Just a possible wrench into HOW i get my pup. She's supposed to fly up next Monday and i would pick her up next Tues but the airline might refuse to let her on board because she will be 3 days shy of 8 weeks. Amd i no longer have the time off to drive up there and there us a embargo on flying pets cargo till the middle if January


----------



## d_ray

I love that the girls are suddenly bffs. But the constant playing esp in the bed is getting a little annoying.


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> Just a possible wrench into HOW i get my pup. She's supposed to fly up next Monday and i would pick her up next Tues but the airline might refuse to let her on board because she will be 3 days shy of 8 weeks. Amd i no longer have the time off to drive up there and there us a embargo on flying pets cargo till the middle if January


Darn hopefully you all can talk the airline into flying her  Why is the cut off date at 8 weeks?


----------



## Miss Bugs

The airline reqires the puppies be at LEAST 8 weeks, but she will be just barely shy of 8 weeks


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Gaahh, snags in puppy plans are not allowed!! Not welcome, go away snags!


Oh no! I hate snags  hope everything works out! Stupid airline


----------



## Miss Bugs

Crisis averted!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Crisis averted!!


YAY!!!  I hope to see pics of the little cutie soon!!!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Why is getting help so hard? 

Ugh. Depression sucks.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Why is getting help so hard?
> 
> Ugh. Depression sucks.


Sorry  you sound a lot like me, new baby animal, should be happy but you arent, I get it, I really do.


----------



## elrohwen

My Otto (the one in my avatar) is also a holland lop, and Hannah is a mini lop. The mini is actually larger than the holland - Otto is about 4.5lbs and Hannah is around 6lbs.

I love lops!


----------



## elrohwen

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Why is getting help so hard?
> 
> Ugh. Depression sucks.


Do you have a counselor or anything at school? Have you seen a therapist?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Who abandons their dog of 6 years at Christmas when several better options are open to them? Ok so when i started at the kennel 6 years ago there had been 2 8 month old puppies abandoned there, Lux and Pru. They got adopted by family members of one of the kennels owners. So either last night or this morning the family member that adopted Pru dumped her at the shelter! They had FREE access to a kennel for heavens sake, if they didn't want her anymore they could have just said so and we would have taken her back and found a new home for her. But instead they boarded her last week, chatted with a few of the kennels owners for over an hour just the other day and didn't say a word! The kennel owner who's family this was is PISSED, and the other owners went down to the shelter today and pulled her outa there, so she's safe. But we all love that dog, everyone was so upset and just flabbergasted that anyone would do that. The dog is 7 and dog aggressive, like she wouldn't have stood a fighting chance of being adopted


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> Who abandons their dog of 6 years at Christmas when several better options are open to them? Ok so when i started at the kennel 6 years ago there had been 2 8 month old puppies abandoned there, Lux and Pru. They got adopted by family members of one of the kennels owners. So either last night or this morning the family member that adopted Pru dumped her at the shelter! They had FREE access to a kennel for heavens sake, if they didn't want her anymore they could have just said so and we would have taken her back and found a new home for her. But instead they boarded her last week, chatted with a few of the kennels owners for over an hour just the other day and didn't say a word! The kennel owner who's family this was is PISSED, and the other owners went down to the shelter today and pulled her outa there, so she's safe. But we all love that dog, everyone was so upset and just flabbergasted that anyone would do that. The dog is 7 and dog aggressive, like she wouldn't have stood a fighting chance of being adopted


I hate people!!! 


On another not the Hotot breeder I was going to go to contacted me saying she can pick me up a year old doe this Saturday and I had to decline  She was a sport so had more spots as well....blah. I wish my dad would hurry and get my cage built but we have to wait until spring. Also travel is out of the question right now and the breeder is over 2hrs away. I know it doesn't sound bad but I have an unreliable vehicle at the moment.


----------



## d_ray

Knew I shouldn't have left the tp pack out.


----------



## momtolabs

d_ray said:


> View attachment 186985
> 
> 
> Knew I shouldn't have left the tp pack out.


Hey that looks like a familiar mess. *glares at caleb*


----------



## ireth0

The 'what breed is your dog?' question is getting old... Maybe I should start telling people she's a teacup Cane Corso.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Merry Christmas Eve!




elrohwen said:


> JazzyTheSiberian said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why is getting help so hard?
> 
> Ugh. Depression sucks.
> 
> 
> 
> Do you have a counselor or anything at school? Have you seen a therapist?
Click to expand...

Yes, I do.However, I'm on break, so that really isn't possible. But...I haven't told anyone [that could help] yet. Which is fully my fault,& my responsibility-I really shouldn't be this scared to tell someone, but I am,& it sucks. 

No I haven't seen one recently, but I do want to see one.

( ETA:Sorry for being such a downer! I have noticed that I tend to do that way too much here,& I'm terribly sorry for that (and for just bugging others.). Next year, I'm really going to try to stop doing this.)


d_ray said:


> View attachment 186985
> 
> 
> Knew I shouldn't have left the tp pack out.


LMAO. I love it


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Merry Christmas Eve!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, I do.However, I'm on break, so that really isn't possible. But...I haven't told anyone [that could help] yet. Which is fully my fault,& my responsibility-I really shouldn't be this scared to tell someone, but I am,& it sucks.
> 
> No I haven't seen one recently, but I do want to see one.
> 
> ( ETA:Sorry for being such a downer! I have noticed that I tend to do that way too much here,& I'm terribly sorry for that (and for just bugging others.). Next year, I'm really going to try to stop doing this.)
> 
> 
> LMAO. I love it


Remember, if you ever need to talk, I am just a PM or FB message away


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Remember, if you ever need to talk, I am just a PM or FB message away


Same here <3


----------



## Miss Bugs

When your about to go to work and you bring your dog inside and they suddenly have a giant gash inside their leg and you panic, you rush dog to vet while calling your boss to tell them you need to rush your dog to the vet and your so distressed you cant think straight, and your boss immediately leaves work to meet you at the vet, helps you talk to the vet and get your dog fixed up, puts your dog under their account, after surgery to stich up the leg, goes to the vet pays the bill, picks up your dog and brings them to you.... then you know you have a great boss. 

*this happened to my co-worker yesterday and this was what our boss did for her.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Nika plays fetch,& she loves it.







OwnedbyACDs said:


> Remember, if you ever need to talk, I am just a PM or FB message away





Kayota said:


> Same here <3


Aww<3 Thanks the both of you.I really appreciate it. It's relieving knowing that people actually care about me, and that it just isn't "to be nice seen as nice.(because it feels like that a lot).

Thanks again!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Nika plays fetch,& she loves it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Aww<3 Thanks the both of you.I really appreciate it. It's relieving knowing that people actually care about me, and that it just isn't "to be nice seen as nice.(because it feels like that a lot).
> 
> Thanks again!


No, it is not, and if I don't answer right away it's because I am away from my phone or my service is being wonky (don't get the best reception out here lol) but rest assured I WILL answer.

Your kitten is very cute by the way! And I don't know about you but when I am feeling down, just seeing Lincoln and his tailess butt wiggle lofts my spirits ... even when he is being a PITA lol.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

*
Merry Christmas!*​


----------



## xChlorineAddict

Thanks Jazzy and Merry Christmas! I got loads of petstore giftcards, mainly for the hamster & cats but I'm defiantly going to be getting some dog supplies for the future. We are planning that we will have a dog by next christmas! <3


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yay nothing wrong with pet store gift cards


----------



## Melle

At my job we won a contest and all got $50 gift cards. I'm still trying to figure out what to get. I have Inside of a Dog, The Other End of the Leash, and Dog Sense. Any other dog behavior books you guys think are a good read?


----------



## CptJack

So, Kylie went to Christmas Eve at my mom's. 

I did not recognize my dog. She solicited complete strangers for attention and played with small children and got along peacefully with strange (rude, and pushy) dogs. 

...OK, then. I mean I've seen bits of this coming for a while but my mental image of her is still as shy and defensive and that's just not there at all anymore. She'd still prefer not to be pet over the head but that is literally IT, anymore. 

Guess a lot of what she needed really was just some maturity.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> So, Kylie went to Christmas Eve at my mom's.
> 
> I did not recognize my dog. She solicited complete strangers for attention and played with small children and got along peacefully with strange (rude, and pushy) dogs.
> 
> ...OK, then. I mean I've seen bits of this coming for a while but my mental image of her is still as shy and defensive and that's just not there at all anymore. She'd still prefer not to be pet over the head but that is literally IT, anymore.
> 
> Guess a lot of what she needed really was just some maturity.


 That's awesome that she was so good, it surprised me but Jake was really good at my mom's house too  he got along with strange dogs (which he usually barks/growls/lunges at and he was completely fine after a little bit of time


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

@ Miss Bugs- You are the one getting the Toller, are you not? I am watching agility coverage at the national championship and they seem like awesome dogs!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Yup! I pick her up Tuesday  yes i love them, its not my first, i lost Baby in april to liver failure, she was a toller as well.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Yup! I pick her up Tuesday  yes i love them, its not my first, i lost Baby in april to liver failure, she was a toller as well.


Wow I watched a few Tollers run agility online at the national championship, and they are awesome little dogs!


----------



## Miss Bugs

I've "known" for a about 2 weeks which puppy was mine, but i didn't have the "official" word until now, so without further ado...meet my baby!!


----------



## kcomstoc

OMG what a cutie


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 187074
> 
> 
> I've "known" for a about 2 weeks which puppy was mine, but i didn't have the "official" word until now, so without further ado...meet my baby!!


OMG the cuteness *dies*

Lincoln was the biggest puppy in his litter, I wish I had some early pics of him, he looked like one or those small dog food rolls lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

Lol! I'm so grateful for my breeder, she takes lots of pics and videos from birth including professional photos every couple weeks so i get photo documentation of her from birth  she's super tiny, a LOT smaller then her littermates but she has a big attitude, I've watched videos of her just wsnder over to puppies nearly twice her size and take their toys, they roll and pin her for it and she's just like "still mine suckers" lol. In the one video she is the only puppy that refuses to resign herself to being contained, and looks for ways to get into trouble from within the pen if necessary lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Lol! I'm so grateful for my breeder, she takes lots of pics and videos from birth including professional photos every couple weeks so i get photo documentation of her from birth  she's super tiny, a LOT smaller then her littermates but she has a big attitude, I've watched videos of her just wsnder over to puppies nearly twice her size and take their toys, they roll and pin her for it and she's just like "still mine suckers" lol. In the one video she is the only puppy that refuses to resign herself to being contained, and looks for ways to get into trouble from within the pen if necessary lol


Lincoln's breeder did, too. But I didnt save those because I was committed to another puppy at the time, but things didnt quite work out the way I hoped, but in the end it was better because I think Lincoln is a better puppy than his sister would have been.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I meant it all comes with the puppy lol so even if i wasn't following along saving pics myself I would still have professional photo documentation of her from birth  i have pictures of Happy and Misty and Baby from birth too that i saved, but if i hadn't saved them myself, i wouldn't have them. In this puppies case photos from birth are part of the puppy package


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I emailed Lincoln's breeder and asked her if she could send me some pics of when he was a little kid, I hope to hear back soon.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 187074
> 
> 
> I've "known" for a about 2 weeks which puppy was mine, but i didn't have the "official" word until now, so without further ado...meet my baby!!


So much cute!!!! You are so lucky! Toller is on my breed list for someday too!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

OMG is almost looks like a MAS! so cute!!!


----------



## Kayota

Her color is so different from what i usually see in tollers, she's gorgeous


----------



## Miss Bugs

Kayota said:


> Her color is so different from what i usually see in tollers, she's gorgeous


Curious what you mean? Your not the first to say this, and i am completely baffled as to what most people "usually see" thats so different from her? I had always thought Baby dog was the unusual looking one but apparently not? Lol


----------



## Willowy

I was gonna say something about her color too. . .aren't Tollers usually a darker red? Or maybe just the ones in shows on TV .


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Buggs I'm guessing its because she isn't as dark as the adults yet. She is a lighter color then the usually dark red


----------



## Miss Bugs

Lol ok, that's what others said as well, that she's paler orange then they are used too your probably thinking more like Jack and Cassie here















Shading varies a lot  Baby dog was paler orange as well as you can see her, Baby dog beside Cassie










Nothing to do with age, the range of reds just vari lol, Baby was very pale orange too so thats what i am accustomed too lol. My pups sir is a lighter orange as well, mom a tad darker but not a lot, so she's never gonna be a deep red colour


----------



## Miss Bugs

I find it pretty funny actually that so many people seem weirded out by her being a paler orange, i totally thought more people would be thrown by her black nose haha


----------



## d_ray

Adorable. The tollers I know are also a lot darker orange. I love the breed. Congrats.


----------



## Kayota

Miss Bugs said:


> Lol ok, that's what others said as well, that she's paler orange then they are used too your probably thinking more like Jack and Cassie here
> 
> View attachment 187153
> View attachment 187161
> 
> 
> Shading varies a lot  Baby dog was paler orange as well as you can see her, Baby dog beside Cassie
> 
> View attachment 187169
> 
> 
> 
> Nothing to do with age, the range of reds just vari lol, Baby was very pale orange too so thats what i am accustomed too lol. My pups sir is a lighter orange as well, mom a tad darker but not a lot, so she's never gonna be a deep red colour


The nose was also what I was commenting on lol, I know they come in those colors (lighter orange and/or black nose) but it's just not as common  Like if you do a google image search of tollers they're all a lot darker than her.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Lol gotcha  I'm used to what i usually "see" vs what i see online in pictures, and most of the Tollers i see in real life are paler orange, aside from Jack and his "brother" Billy. So i actually find that the deeper red looks odd! The black nose is different though, AFAIK Jack is the only other black nose Toller in my area, only a couple breeders in western Canada with black noses in their lines!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Curious what you mean? Your not the first to say this, and i am completely baffled as to what most people "usually see" thats so different from her? I had always thought Baby dog was the unusual looking one but apparently not? Lol


Yes I was always under the assumption that they were like ... closer to a burnt orange color. Maybe her color is like a cattle dogs coat in that it will darken as he/she gets older?


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yes I was always under the assumption that they were like ... closer to a burnt orange color. Maybe her color is like a cattle dogs coat in that it will darken as he/she gets older?


They do come in that lighter orange and she'll probably stay that shade.


----------



## Miss Bugs

2 pale Tollers  my Baby dog and her friend Dance










vs Baby dog and Cassie










that said lighting plays a big role

as this is also Baby dog..taken same day as the pic of Baby dog and Cassie lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

here is a pic of my pup in different lighting, doesn't look AS pale..basically looks like the same shading as baby dog was just with a black nose and more white lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Wow shading does make a difference ... that is interesting!


----------



## gingerkid

Never mind.


----------



## Kayota

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 187217
> 
> 
> here is a pic of my pup in different lighting, doesn't look AS pale..basically looks like the same shading as baby dog was just with a black nose and more white lol


To me she still looks lighter than any of the other dogs you posted lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> To me she still looks lighter than any of the other dogs you posted lol


me too but who knows ... puppies can change a lot, and when she sheds her puppy coat, it might be different.


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> Lol ok, that's what others said as well, that she's paler orange then they are used too your probably thinking more like Jack and Cassie here
> 
> View attachment 187153
> View attachment 187161
> 
> 
> Shading varies a lot  Baby dog was paler orange as well as you can see her, Baby dog beside Cassie
> 
> View attachment 187169
> 
> 
> 
> Nothing to do with age, the range of reds just vari lol, Baby was very pale orange too so thats what i am accustomed too lol. My pups sir is a lighter orange as well, mom a tad darker but not a lot, so she's never gonna be a deep red colour


The coat doesn't become darker or anything once the puppy coat is shed? Interesting! I would think it would,lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh ... I feel like a terrible person but I really ... hate one of my parents dogs, like as in absolutely cant STAND her! Granted she has brain damage from a rough start in life (she was a rescue we took in because we are bleeding heart suckers  ). Its just ... her personality just grinds on my nerves for some reason, its not just me, the other dogs dont really like her, either LOL. Which is why she has to be seperated when we arent out there because she will do things to annoy the other dogs and a fight will ensue. 

This is literally the first dog EVER that I have totally disliked.


----------



## Laurelin

I feel mildly insane but I think I am going to aim for a goal of late 2016/early 2017 puppy.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I feel mildly insane but I think I am going to aim for a goal of late 2016/early 2017 puppy.


YAY! may I ask which breed? *cough*MAS*cough*


----------



## Laurelin

As of now I don't know. I am trying to grapple with a couple little dilemmas about some things.


----------



## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> I feel mildly insane but I think I am going to aim for a goal of late 2016/early 2017 puppy.


Ooo!

That's about my puppy time-frame too.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My baby is on route to the airport!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> My baby is on route to the airport!


WEEEE so exciting!!!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I could pop over to the shelter today and see what might be available, but I'm trying really hard to wait until late winter/early spring. Self control.. I've got this.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I could pop over to the shelter today and see what might be available, but I'm trying really hard to wait until late winter/early spring. Self control.. I've got this.


I was going to go with a shelter dog ... but I wanted something very specific this time, so i went with a breeder.


----------



## Kayota

GoGoGypsy said:


> Ooo!
> 
> That's about my puppy time-frame too.


That's my "i would really like a second dog by then but I'll probably be living in an apartment with restrictions and not have a great job" timeframe lol


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I was going to go with a shelter dog ... but I wanted something very specific this time, so i went with a breeder.


Nothing wrong with that. It's not like you're going to find a MAS puppy in shelter very easily. I went the breeder route with Kairi because I was very specific about my wants, including the experience of buying a dog instead of adopting. 

I don't care if my next dog is a mix, as long as it has mostly BC, Aussie, ACD or a combo of any of them. It still has to be female, less than 16 weeks, friendly, fairly confident, playful and not spayed.. so finding the right dog is probably going to take a long time. If I can't find what I'm looking for I will gladly talk to some breeders instead.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Nothing wrong with that. It's not like you're going to find a MAS puppy in shelter very easily. I went the breeder route with Kairi because I was very specific about my wants, including the experience of buying a dog instead of adopting.
> 
> I don't care if my next dog is a mix, as long as it has mostly BC, Aussie, ACD or a combo of any of them. It still has to be female, less than 16 weeks, friendly, fairly confident, playful and not spayed.. so finding the right dog is probably going to take a long time. If I can't find what I'm looking for I will gladly talk to some breeders instead.


You have a female already, right? I would get a male, then. 
I was dead set on a female, but a friend told me that I wold be better off getting a male, since I have a mixed pack and males get along better with other males then females do with other females, and since I have a awful, retarded dog (parents dog) and Josefina who can also be catty with other females, we, on a whim decided to get a male and he worked out much better then I think his sister would have, his sister, you could tell was MUCH more pushier than he was and already starting to show cattiness LOL, so its a good thing things worked out when they did.

I dont know why no one wanted Lincoln, I suppose its because he wasnt a merle, didnt have really flashy markings (full white collar, blue eyes etc ...) but their loss is our gain!!!

Heck there werent even any aussies or ACD mixes in the shelters here, they were all bully mixes, which is fine, I have nothing against owning bullies, but I am concerned about BSL, should we ever have to move. 

But I am totally a MAS person from now on, they have totally stolen my heart ... as I knew they would LOL.


----------



## Pasarella

Can I ask what MAS stands for?


----------



## momtolabs

Pasarella said:


> Can I ask what MAS stands for?


Miniature American Shepherd I believe.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

MAS is Miniature American Shepherd (formerly Mini Aussie)

Kairi plays well with dogs of both genders, but actually seems to prefer females. She is not the type to fight and will ignore/avoid a snappy dog. My old girl that just passed a couple months ago hated her (and all dogs), and Kairi made sure to always give her space. I trust that 2 girls will be fine with Kairi's personality. Plus.. my husband and I both have had all girls growing up with no issues. I'm hoping to convince my husband for a male Aussie down the road for dog number 3, but he REALLY does not care for male dogs. I haven't had a good experience with male fosters either, but I think I'd feel differently with an Aussie pup I raise.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You have a female already, right? I would get a male, then.
> I was dead set on a female, but a friend told me that I wold be better off getting a male, since I have a mixed pack and males get along better with other males then females do with other females,



I don't get why people always say don't have females with other females. We have always had all females (3 at a time) and never had a problem. They get along great together and there is no one dog that thinks they run the show. I even had one unspayed one for four years and she got along great with the other two spayed females. I personally never saw any difference in her when she was in season from when she wasn't so not sure if it would have made a difference if the others weren't spayed or not. She was my second dog that I had not spayed for four years and the previous one you couldn't tell when she was in heat either other than the bleeding/licking. Maybe because they were cockers, not sure. Maybe females of other breeds are more upitty than cockers. When we lost one of our girls in 2013 we added another female puppy and they all get a long just fine too.


----------



## Miss Bugs

be jealous  























the lovely couple who is bringing her back for me has been texting me piles of pictures and updates! these are just a few of the pictures, she says she's super good! the pups have had a long day already! long drive that included a ferry ride to the airport with the breeder, now they are on the plane and are due to arrive at about 8pm tonight!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

dogsule said:


> I don't get why people always say don't have females with other females. We have always had all females (3 at a time) and never had a problem. They get along great together and there is no one dog that thinks they run the show. I even had one unspayed one for four years and she got along great with the other two spayed females. I personally never saw any difference in her when she was in season from when she wasn't so not sure if it would have made a difference if the others weren't spayed or not. She was my second dog that I had not spayed for four years and the previous one you couldn't tell when she was in heat either other than the bleeding/licking. Maybe because they were cockers, not sure. Maybe females of other breeds are more upitty than cockers. When we lost one of our girls in 2013 we added another female puppy and they all get a long just fine too.


I don't really get it either. I've been fine (and know plenty of others as well who have) with all gals and I have a friend who is all about just boys. I know some breeds are possibly more prone to same sex aggression, but it's just not a thing I've come in contact with. I pretty much just believe "it depends on the dogs" more than anything. My dog will be fine with any gender I bring in. She might not be fine with a certain personality I bring in, regardless of gender.


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> be jealous
> 
> View attachment 187497
> 
> View attachment 187505
> 
> View attachment 187521
> 
> 
> the lovely couple who is bringing her back for me has been texting me piles of pictures and updates! these are just a few of the pictures, she says she's super good! the pups have had a long day already! long drive that included a ferry ride to the airport with the breeder, now they are on the plane and are due to arrive at about 8pm tonight!


Yup I'm jealous ,lol.


----------



## momtolabs

Of course the ONE sunny day we have had all month I'm sick  blah! Mia is itching to get out and run. She has brought me her harness 5 million times wanting me to take her for a run by the bike. I'm hoping this medicine kicks in soon so I can. I never get head colds this bad and today everything just hurts! This is the last week of winter break as well and I want to get out and play!!


----------



## Miss Bugs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I don't really get it either. I've been fine (and know plenty of others as well who have) with all gals and I have a friend who is all about just boys. I know some breeds are possibly more prone to same sex aggression, but it's just not a thing I've come in contact with. I pretty much just believe "it depends on the dogs" more than anything. My dog will be fine with any gender I bring in. She might not be fine with a certain personality I bring in, regardless of gender.


Agreed! I have had FAR FAR more issues with male/male then i have ever had with multiple females..both spayed and intact and multiple breeds. Some bitchyness sure, but nothing ever serious! All my males have been like "you are going to DIE, i better not ever see your face again" and and full seperation and management being required because they will never let it go. Same thing at the daycare, females are easy its the boys that are a pain in the butt because soooo many of them are aggressive towards other males(again both neutered and intact, many breeds). Females? GREAT! we can throw 30 females together no problem. Males? We can't have more then a couple per group without issues.


----------



## Kayota

dogsule said:


> I don't get why people always say don't have females with other females. We have always had all females (3 at a time) and never had a problem. They get along great together and there is no one dog that thinks they run the show. I even had one unspayed one for four years and she got along great with the other two spayed females. I personally never saw any difference in her when she was in season from when she wasn't so not sure if it would have made a difference if the others weren't spayed or not. She was my second dog that I had not spayed for four years and the previous one you couldn't tell when she was in heat either other than the bleeding/licking. Maybe because they were cockers, not sure. Maybe females of other breeds are more upitty than cockers. When we lost one of our girls in 2013 we added another female puppy and they all get a long just fine too.


Roxie's never lived with a male dog for any length of time and she's always been fine with females. She doesn't play with them as much but she tolerates/ignores them.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have always had multiple females together with no problems. Right now I have the two big females and three little females and two un-neutered males and they all get along fine. The one thing I would not have done was get a male Doberman having the two small males but that is no problem with the females.


----------



## Remaru

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I don't really get it either. I've been fine (and know plenty of others as well who have) with all gals and I have a friend who is all about just boys. I know some breeds are possibly more prone to same sex aggression, but it's just not a thing I've come in contact with. I pretty much just believe "it depends on the dogs" more than anything. My dog will be fine with any gender I bring in. She might not be fine with a certain personality I bring in, regardless of gender.


You know I have always heard not to keep females together and that males were easier going and in the past I've not had issues but right now I have 3 females who all go with the flow, no biggie and my boys are on edge all of the time. I've had a lot of dogs in and out of my house over the years, I have had a female or two who had same sex aggression issues but over all I seem to have had the most issue with males fighting amongst themselves. That is among spayed/neutered dogs and young adults of varying breeds and mixes. Remus does not like other dogs in general but eventually warms up to females (he hates puppies under 6months) he and Hobgoblin cannot get along at all. I'm having to keep them separated all of the time now. It really sucks. I personally prefer male dogs but obviously personality makes a difference.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> I don't get why people always say don't have females with other females. We have always had all females (3 at a time) and never had a problem. They get along great together and there is no one dog that thinks they run the show. I even had one unspayed one for four years and she got along great with the other two spayed females. I personally never saw any difference in her when she was in season from when she wasn't so not sure if it would have made a difference if the others weren't spayed or not. She was my second dog that I had not spayed for four years and the previous one you couldn't tell when she was in heat either other than the bleeding/licking. Maybe because they were cockers, not sure. Maybe females of other breeds are more upitty than cockers. When we lost one of our girls in 2013 we added another female puppy and they all get a long just fine too.


Same sex aggression is a problem in ACDs (what Josefina is) and manybothrr breeds. she can get a bit catty with other females. My males have no qualms with anyone of either sex, so I opted for a male.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Agreed! I have had FAR FAR more issues with male/male then i have ever had with multiple females..both spayed and intact and multiple breeds. Some bitchyness sure, but nothing ever serious! All my males have been like "you are going to DIE, i better not ever see your face again" and and full seperation and management being required because they will never let it go. Same thing at the daycare, females are easy its the boys that are a pain in the butt because soooo many of them are aggressive towards other males(again both neutered and intact, many breeds). Females? GREAT! we can throw 30 females together no problem. Males? We can't have more then a couple per group without issues.


Lol its always been the opposite for me, LOL, I have had males both intact and fixed and have always found the females to be much more bitchy and obstinate when it comes to other dogs.


----------



## Pasarella

I have 4 females and they get along very well.Can't understand that myth ether. My friend owns two dachshund males(one intact and one neutered) who live separated all the time.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Today's the day!!


----------



## notgaga

Awwwwww puppy! How absolutely precious.

Rant: My dog is driving me up a wall. She insists on getting past the fence at my parents' house while we're visiting and then refuses to come when I call her. This usually leads to me tracking her over hill and dale and spending hours fixing the fence. Yesterday she got out and I saw her running around at the bottom of the mountain and she didn't listen to my calling, so I got down there with a leash and some treats, couldn't find her, went home to reorganize my search, and then found her back in the yard. With an old deer skull.

She knows how to get back to the house and she knows I'm calling for her to, she just does it on her own terms. Hellion. She actively searches for weaknesses in the fence and exploits any tiny hole she can. She's now lost all off-leash privilege. One more day til we go home.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson's mom and aunt each had a litter on Christmas day, each with 10 puppies. They live within an hour or so of each other, so I'm crossing my fingers that they get together for a play date (and invite me!). Being in a pile of 20 Welshie puppies would be the most fun thing ever.

One of the owners said he has a GoPro and got a new remote controlled truck for Christmas, so he's going to see if he can strap the camera to it and get the puppies to chase it when they're old enough. lol

Also, this is not helping my puppy-want. I'm going to hold out and see if Watson has puppies this spring, but I worry the breeding won't work and then I'll have missed my chance at one of his siblings/cousins.

If anyone in the NJ/PA area wants a Welshie puppy, let me know!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 187881
> View attachment 187889
> View attachment 187897
> 
> 
> Today's the day!!


That puppy is so cute, I am gonna die.


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## CrimsonAccent

I think it on male/male vs female/female, it is less a myth and more a precaution. As stated earlier, some breeds have tendency to same sex aggression, and then you have people with mystery mutts. Maybe your mix only has breeds in the make up that are social and love other dogs. But maybe what looks to be a lab mix has ACD or similar in their lines and they happen to inherit tendency to same sex aggression from their grandparent or further back. 

I personally want a male just because I miss the “goofier” and sometimes more “cuddly” personality. It would be a nice balance against Cupcake who is more hands off and independent in comparison.


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## elrohwen

As far the gender thing, I don't know. I do know that many males are aggressive towards intact males, including my own, who didn't seem to have an aggressive bone in his body until he matured and decided he hates other dogs with balls. I have seen a lot more generally bitchy behavior from females, though no serious fights.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Not home yet but Puppy i have puppy! Her name is Sola, and she's perfect  3 hour drive home and she hasn't made a peep, out of the crate? Bounces around like a puppy, instant she enters the crate she's like "ok, nap time it is" lol. Crates been open the whole time but crate time is nap time lol hasn't made a peep whole trip so far. So far Gem hates her but i knew she would, she always hates puppies to begin with lol. Paisley and Gypsy are super interested but friendly, rest haven't met her yet lol


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## momtolabs

I should of named Mia, Venus, after the Venus fly trap! She seriously loves chasing flies. I thought she was sound asleep on the couch by me and all of a sudden she jumps off of it like a rabbit and goes after a fly. I'm almost certain she caught it because she quickly came back to the couch to lay down. Usually she stays on them until she can catch them.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Not home yet but Puppy i have puppy! Her name is Sola, and she's perfect  3 hour drive home and she hasn't made a peep, out of the crate? Bounces around like a puppy, instant she enters the crate she's like "ok, nap time it is" lol. Crates been open the whole time but crate time is nap time lol hasn't made a peep whole trip so far. So far Gem hates her but i knew she would, she always hates puppies to begin with lol. Paisley and Gypsy are super interested but friendly, rest haven't met her yet lol


Wow it seems like we have both lucked out with awesome puppies! The only thing about Lincoln is that he is a bit of a loud mouth lol, he barks ... a lot ... but we are in the country so it doesn't matter. 

I personally will expect a picture thread soon


----------



## Flaming

Oy, Vitae your eyes are bigger than your stomach!

She's stealing things from Manna just to hide and eat later, but Manna doesn't like this and I think the only thing saving Vitae is her puppy license, I do baby gate them when treats and meals are out, but occasionally someone will find something edible and growling and barking ensues. 

Other than that they get along just fine.


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wow it seems like we have both lucked out with awesome puppies! The only thing about Lincoln is that he is a bit of a loud mouth lol, he barks ... a lot ... but we are in the country so it doesn't matter.
> 
> I personally will expect a picture thread soon


Picture forum, i started a pic thread a few days ago


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

Ugh, the secretary at the vet's office annoys me sometimes. I called to make an appointment for Jacoby, because he needs his thyroid level re-checked. While I was making the appointment, I said "Oh, and he'll also need his Soloxine refilled." She started lecturing me on how he needs it now - he can't miss any doses. I let her jabber on, and when she was done I asked "Did I say he was completely out? He has plenty. Probably enough to get him through until the middle of January. You just said he could be seen on the 7th, so he'll still have plenty." I appreciate her concern, but it would've been nice if she had simply asked "Ok, does he have enough left until his appointment?".


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My puppy's "witching hour" is 6 am -_-, he doesnt whine anymore, but he does a lot of moving around and playing with his toys ... I guess I should feel fortunate that he can at least make it through the night, I suppose?


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## GrinningDog

Happy New Year, everyone!

Expecting fireworks and noise-makers of all variety tonight. Not Gypsy's favorite thing, to say the least. But that's okay! I'm armed with alcohol in my system, an ultra enticing tug rope, and positive energy. We've had increasing success lately in replacing fear with short, intense tugging sessions when 'that' neighbor shoots off his firecrackers randomly. I want to work on counter conditioning tonight. Hoping it goes well!


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## momtolabs

This is not a good start to the new year  Im not sure what's going on but my parents seem on edge and just told me something I never wanted to hear. The said I have to do something that is tearing me up inside and it's going to be tuff for me to do. I also told myself I would not be one of "those people". What I have to do is going to be the toughest and hardest decision I have ever had to make. I haven't stopped crying since finding out this news.


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## Damon'sMom

I hope everything is okay momtolabs


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## Melle

momtolabs said:


> This is not a good start to the new year  Im not sure what's going on but my parents seem on edge and just told me something I never wanted to hear. The said I have to do something that is tearing me up inside and it's going to be tuff for me to do. I also told myself I would not be one of "those people". What I have to do is going to be the toughest and hardest decision I have ever had to make. I haven't stopped crying since finding out this news.


Oh no  If you need someone to talk to, my inbox is open


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Picture forum, i started a pic thread a few days ago


OH Sorry! forgive me, my new puppy has been keeping me busy and I havent been able to surf the forum as much as I used to LOL


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> This is not a good start to the new year  Im not sure what's going on but my parents seem on edge and just told me something I never wanted to hear. The said I have to do something that is tearing me up inside and it's going to be tuff for me to do. I also told myself I would not be one of "those people". What I have to do is going to be the toughest and hardest decision I have ever had to make. I haven't stopped crying since finding out this news.


whatever it is, I'm sorry.


----------



## Willowy

momtolabs said:


> This is not a good start to the new year  Im not sure what's going on but my parents seem on edge and just told me something I never wanted to hear. The said I have to do something that is tearing me up inside and it's going to be tuff for me to do. I also told myself I would not be one of "those people". What I have to do is going to be the toughest and hardest decision I have ever had to make. I haven't stopped crying since finding out this news.


So sorry .

I debated saying this because some people feel it's inappropriate to say to a minor child. But I really wish someone had said it me when I was a teenager so I feel like I should:

Your parents aren't always right. They don't always act in your best interest even if they think they do (it's impossible because they're humans and not perfect). Some things they tell you to do/not do will be wrong. They can't make you do/not do anything---they can threaten and punish and guilt and everything, but they can't MAKE you. Sometimes it will be better for you to make your own decisions even if they disagree. If you do whatever they say, at some point they'll probably tell you to do/not do something that will make you regret obeying them later in life. So do whatever you think will cause the least amount of regret later on. Any punishment they can come up with is nothing compared to that feeling of regretting something so much. 

Hope it all works out, whatever you decide.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> So sorry .
> 
> I debated saying this because some people feel it's inappropriate to say to a minor child. But I really wish someone had said it me when I was a teenager so I feel like I should:
> 
> Your parents aren't always right. They don't always act in your best interest even if they think they do (it's impossible because they're humans and not perfect). Some things they tell you to do/not do will be wrong. They can't make you do/not do anything---they can threaten and punish and guilt and everything, but they can't MAKE you. Sometimes it will be better for you to make your own decisions even if they disagree. If you do whatever they say, at some point they'll probably tell you to do/not do something that will make you regret obeying them later in life. So do whatever you think will cause the least amount of regret later on. Any punishment they can come up with is nothing compared to that feeling of regretting something so much.
> 
> Hope it all works out, whatever you decide.


My parents are good parents, and this is NOT a rag on them, because they did the best they could, and still do. They are always there for me and try to always help me out any way they can ... but they question and nitpick every one of my decisions, from buying a new truck, to getting this puppy. Of course I do not make rash fly by night decisions, heck I waited over 2 years for the puppy we have now, until my situation was as right as it could be, same with the truck. 

It's weird because in the end, they are usually happy with my decisions and usually end up eating their words of doubt LOL. But oh well, parents will be parents I guess.

Momtolabs, I am also a PM away if you ever need to talk, I am also on FB, if you urgently need someone to talk to and I am not online at DF, I have the messanger app on my phone and will get FB PM's right away. I hope everything works out, I am thinking of you.


----------



## momtolabs

Thanks guys. I know they can't make me do it but I'm scared if I don't my mom will do it herself And I would much rather be the one doing it even if it really pains me to have to do it. I don't agree with this at all and the excuses they are givin me are pathetic but with how everything is going right now I know it will be the best thing but not something I want to do at all.


----------



## Willowy

Hmm, I sort of think it has to do with a dog, and I'll say, don't do it; that kind of regret is terrible. Call a rescue, or work out a payment plan with the vet, or whatever is necessary.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Thanks guys. I know they can't make me do it but I'm scared if I don't my mom will do it herself And I would much rather be the one doing it even if it really pains me to have to do it. I don't agree with this at all and the excuses they are givin me are pathetic but with how everything is going right now I know it will be the best thing but not something I want to do at all.


I am having the opposite problem here, we have a dog here that really (I hate to say this but its true) should be PTS, because she has brain damage and sufferes from mood, emotion and temperament issues from it (her 'owner' when she was a puppy tried to kill her by putting her in a plastic garbage bag and dumping her on the side of the road). We only got her because although my 'friend' at the time told me that she had been dumped, she knew she would probably be damaged and didnt tell me, even though I told her I just didnt have it in me to deal with a dog like that, she knew our home wasnt the right home for a dog like that, with multiple high energy dogs. :/. She is 9 years old now and seems to be getting worse the older she gets and has to stay separated from the other dogs when no one is outside watching.

But my parents think its 'cruel' to PTS a 'healthy' dog for 'no reason' even though, when I mention that its 'their' dog they are quick to mention that I am the one who brought her home. :/


----------



## Miss Bugs

Omg so, i haven't had a really young puppy in like 13 years, and i think I'm a little overzealous! Sola was asleep and she popped awake, it was like 30 seconds of "awake" do i promptly took her outside to pee... except she wasn't actually awake yet..so i set her down outside and she took two steps and quite literally just fell over sideways in the snow...fast asleep! I laughed so hard i cried


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Omg so, i haven't had a really young puppy in like 13 years, and i think I'm a little overzealous! Sola was asleep and she popped awake, it was like 30 seconds of "awake" do i promptly took her outside to pee... except she wasn't actually awake yet..so i set her down outside and she took two steps and quite literally just fell over sideways in the snow...fast asleep! I laughed so hard i cried


I got lucky, Lincoln can make it through the night at 15 1/2 weeks. But we got him at 13 weeks, so he was a good bit older than your baby. He does have a witching hour though at 6 am :/


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## CrimsonAccent

momtolabs said:


> Thanks guys. I know they can't make me do it but I'm scared if I don't my mom will do it herself And I would much rather be the one doing it even if it really pains me to have to do it. I don't agree with this at all and the excuses they are givin me are pathetic but with how everything is going right now I know it will be the best thing but not something I want to do at all.


I'm late on this, but sorry you're having such a terrible start to 2015  Feel free to PM me.


----------



## kcomstoc

Jake is so silly, he was never interested in any toys and now he's suddenly all interested in his tennis ball. He carries the thing everywhere with him and it's sitting next to him now as he's curled in a ball sleeping on the couch. I would play with him but he just ate and usually when I try to play with him after he eats he vomits  so he got sad and jumped on the couch with his tennis ball >.>

ETA: momtolabs I'm sorry about whatever is happening to you  I don't think you should have to do something you don't want to do but we're all here for you if you wanna talk more


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo, Lincoln doesnt seem very toy driven ... something I was hoping for since his dad is totally ball crazy, will play fetch til he drops, and is a dock diver. Maybe it will develop as he grows? I am totally fine wigh using treats for training and everything, its not that, I just wished it was easier to tire him out LOL.


----------



## jade5280

I just saw this post on FB;




> I NEED HELP! I cannot take this dog because he does not have a past history with cats and I do not want to set him up for failure!!!
> 
> I need people to share far and wide because this dog will potentially be on death row if he cannot find his perfect home.
> 
> I WILL NOT EXPLAIN HIS SITUATION UNLESS YOU MEET THE NEEDS.
> **NO KIDS UNDER 15**
> ***KNOWLEDGE OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR // ALPHA ROLL***
> **PREFER NEW HOME TO BE IN THE WOODS, ON A FARM ect not a city life or apartment unless willing to exercise daily.
> 
> 
> PLEASE TAG SHARE OR PM ME. He can not be surrendered to a rescue!!
> 
> 5 year old UTD MN labradoodle


UGH. Seriously? It's great that they're trying to help this dog, but this dog could loose out on a great home because of this. Honestly, a quick google search and there is tons of info as to why the Alpha theory is outdated, useless, and harmfull.


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Boo, Lincoln doesnt seem very toy driven ... something I was hoping for since his dad is totally ball crazy, will play fetch til he drops, and is a dock diver. Maybe it will develop as he grows? I am totally fine wigh using treats for training and everything, its not that, I just wished it was easier to tire him out LOL.


Maybe you just gotta find that one perfect toy, honestly Jake isn't very toy driven either (and most of the time doesn't even care about his tennis ball or wubba) but when he's in the right mood for them it's crazy how toy driven he can get. So it's more like if he feels in the mood for it or not, after Josh got up (which is normally when Jake gets the most excited) I threw the tennis ball and he wanted NOTHING to do with it. It was like but you were crazy about this like a half hour ago?


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I just... Feel like going to sleep,& never waking up again. 

Something happened, & I feel like complete sh*t. I thought this wasn't going to happen, but...My parents said it was,& that it's going to happen. No matter what.

All these regrets. What ifs. What if I did that. Or this. Maybe it could of been prevented. I hate myself beyond belief right now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I just saw this post on FB;
> 
> 
> 
> 
> UGH. Seriously? It's great that they're trying to help this dog, but this dog could loose out on a great home because of this. Honestly, a quick google search and there is tons of info as to why the Alpha theory is outdated, useless, and harmfull.


Ahhhh the stupid! It burns!

Seriously ... what is WRONG with people???


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I just... Feel like going to sleep,& never waking up again.
> 
> Something happened, & I feel like complete sh*t. I thought this wasn't going to happen, but...My parents said it was,& that it's going to happen. No matter what.
> 
> All these regrets. What ifs. What if I did that. Or this. Maybe it could of been prevented. I hate myself beyond belief right now.


Sorry for the double post ... but Just saw this ...I am here if you need to talk, hope everyone (both human and animal) is ok?!?!


----------



## jade5280

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ahhhh the stupid! It burns!
> 
> Seriously ... what is WRONG with people???


I'm constantly surprised by people who I thought were knowledgeable about dog training. This person that listed that on FB is always fostering dogs for rescues.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> Maybe you just gotta find that one perfect toy, honestly Jake isn't very toy driven either (and most of the time doesn't even care about his tennis ball or wubba) but when he's in the right mood for them it's crazy how toy driven he can get. So it's more like if he feels in the mood for it or not, after Josh got up (which is normally when Jake gets the most excited) I threw the tennis ball and he wanted NOTHING to do with it. It was like but you were crazy about this like a half hour ago?


He's more interested in running around and barking at the other dogs while they play with their toys then actually joining in with playing LOL, I did get him to tug a little bit, though the other day, but he doesnt have the grip Josefina has, who can grip as good as any bully LOL


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> He's more interested in running around and barking at the other dogs while they play with their toys then actually joining in with playing LOL, I did get him to tug a little bit, though the other day, but he doesnt have the grip Josefina has, who can grip as good as any bully LOL


Maybe it will take time. Mia had no interest in toys at all until around 6 months. Now I can't keep her from going nuts as soon as she sees her toys,lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Also the dogs are so so patient with him ... sometimes too patient, I haven't had a puppy in over 5 years, so remind me when the other dogs will start to revoke a puppy license? I know when they do my other dogs will not hurt him or anything, but he is good at not biting them after they correct him if he hurts him, lol but he does bark at them a lot when he wants to play and they are like "why did you do this to us???" Lol.

Josefina didn't become interested in toys til later, too. Maybe he will be the same ... it will be easier to exercise him lol.


----------



## Pasarella

My mood is equal with zero,this evening. How can people DROWN new born puppies?Do they even deserve to be called humans? Today,at work,one of my colleagues asked me if I don't want a puppy. Friend of her texted her and said that yesterday her dog had 6 puppies. So they need to find someone who is going to take them or they will drown them tomorrow. HOW can someone do that?I don't understand why did she tell me that at all! I can't help those poor little things and I feel so sorry for the poor moma who is going to lose her babies.Those people have 7 intact dogs at home!I bet they do that all the time.


----------



## Flaming

The moment you notice that Big just taught Little how to play "keep away" & "tug".

I think I'm going to have to start patching up wall holes again. 


On another note I've had to kick these 2 outside 5 times since supper! They keep trying to destroy the house with wrestling!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Sorry for the double post ... but Just saw this ...I am here if you need to talk, hope everyone (both human and animal) is ok?!?!


Thanks  Just don't know if I can post what happened here (heavily) criticized.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Thanks  Just don't know if I can post what happened here (heavily) criticized.


My DF and FB PM box is always open ... and confidential.



Flaming said:


> The moment you notice that Big just taught Little how to play "keep away" & "tug".
> 
> I think I'm going to have to start patching up wall holes again.
> 
> 
> On another note I've had to kick these 2 outside 5 times since supper! They keep trying to destroy the house with wrestling!


This is the reason mine stay outside all day and come in when it starts to get dark LOL


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

We don't have a door from the house that leads to our backyard (it's fenced in but the house is weirdly set up). So we just built a set of stairs down from our bedroom window into the backyard. Well.. it's kind of silly set up but.. hey it works! No going out in the cold for potty breaks anymore!


----------



## Kyllobernese

Kris is off to Daycare/Boarding on Wednesday. I have to go into the hospital to get my other leg fixed. They did angioplasty on my left leg but could not get at the blockage in my right leg when I was in a month ago. This time I am going into surgery and they will try again and if they can't get it will do a bypass. So, don't know if I will be in there just Thursday/Friday or for several days.

I boarded Kris there when I had my other leg done and she is in daycare during the day and goes home with someone at night. She did fine there for three days last time and I think has fun playing with the other dogs. My little dogs stay at home and my sister comes over and looks after them but Kris would have had to spend too much time in a crate as our weather is too cold to be outside for very long.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo! I'm a little worried about the puppy ... I went for a run (I didn't take him with me of course) and when I came back he was limping on his left rear leg, I felt all over and nothing seemed tender ... til I got to his toes, when i felt them, he jerked and whimpered a little. But nothing seems swollen or broken. I hope he just bruised his pad on a rock or something or maybe got stung by something ... port dude . If he isn't better by the time I take him into the vet for his shots, I will have to have it x rayed. 

Yep ... just call me a helicopter parent :/


----------



## BubbaMoose

Online shopping seriously gets me! 

My dogs did not need 20 bully sticks, 5 new plush toys, two new beds and a 50oz box of treats. 

I'm really going to make an effort to cut down my spendings this year.


----------



## kcomstoc

I really REALLY want one of Keecheks (hope I spelled that right) puppies, I do want an aussie one day (my mom's fiance has an austalian shepherd and even though he's really hyper I really enjoy how happy he is and how excited he is just to see everyone and everything and his goofball-ness) and these puppies are really going to make me want an aussie now. I even tried to convince Josh that we should get one


----------



## luv mi pets

Sometimes no matter how many channels you pay for, you still can not find anything good to watch on TV. Channel surfing is becoming more common these days in this household. So many paid advertising bogus things filling up time on the tv airways.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

luv mi pets said:


> Sometimes no matter how many channels you pay for, you still can not find anything good to watch on TV. Channel surfing is becoming more common these days in this household. So many paid advertising bogus things filling up time on the tv airways.


I know! Especially since the walking dead is not coming back til February


----------



## Prozax

I soo want to get a puppy. Luna's uncle has a beautiful litter of puppies and a light brindle male is available. I'm drooling over him everyday.
But the timing couldn't be worse. I am trying to enroll in a course to get my drivers licence and after im done I am planning on moving to UK. But boy, is that puppy beautiful


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Prozax said:


> I soo want to get a puppy. Luna's uncle has a beautiful litter of puppies and a light brindle male is available. I'm drooling over him everyday.
> But the timing couldn't be worse. I am trying to enroll in a course to get my drivers licence and after im done I am planning on moving to UK. But boy, is that puppy beautiful


It sucks when the timing is bad and there is that perfect puppy there, just waiting for you  I have been there, and it sucks.

Good news: Lincoln's little foot seems to be better today, he is still a bit ouchy on it if he turns a certain way, but he is running and trotting around and being his normal butthead self this morning, SO happy for that!


----------



## BubbaMoose

Has anyone seen Good Will Hunting? (I'm sure some of you have!)

Just watched it. So, so good.


----------



## jade5280

BubbaMoose said:


> Has anyone seen Good Will Hunting? (I'm sure some of you have!)
> 
> Just watched it. So, so good.


 It's a great movie!


----------



## Miss Bugs

I was randomly searching kijiji the other day and ran across someone selling a crate but it was labeled as a "puppy apartment" i was curious, read the add it linked to a website for this puppy apartment..i checked it out confused because again, it appeared to be a standard wire crate.. i was baffled when i saw the website..soo a puppy apartment is a wire crate with a divider that has a walk through door in the divider, one one side of the divider is the dogs bed, on the other side a potty pad..yup the whole point if the puppy apartment is to deliberately TEACH your puppy to potty in their crate....like...WHY???? That sounds like a horrible idea!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

BubbaMoose said:


> Has anyone seen Good Will Hunting? (I'm sure some of you have!)
> 
> Just watched it. So, so good.


I *think* I have, & I really enjoyed it.

Talking about movies.... Anyone ever watch The Plague Dogs? It's such a good movie, but it's really depressing,especially the ending.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I was randomly searching kijiji the other day and ran across someone selling a crate but it was labeled as a "puppy apartment" i was curious, read the add it linked to a website for this puppy apartment..i checked it out confused because again, it appeared to be a standard wire crate.. i was baffled when i saw the website..soo a puppy apartment is a wire crate with a divider that has a walk through door in the divider, one one side of the divider is the dogs bed, on the other side a potty pad..yup the whole point if the puppy apartment is to deliberately TEACH your puppy to potty in their crate....like...WHY???? That sounds like a horrible idea!


UGH no ... just no!

When you first said "puppy apartment" I was thinking of those companies who make like crates into end tables and other furniture and things, like these: www.denhaus.com/


----------



## CptJack

Clean run appears to have free shipping on all/most of their dog treats/edible chews. In case anyone needs a truck load of the things to stick into their new training bag, just in case you run out of the good stuff you cook for the dogs *cough*.


----------



## jade5280

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I *think* I have, & I really enjoyed it.
> 
> Talking about movies.... Anyone ever watch The Plague Dogs? It's such a good movie, but it's really depressing,especially the ending.


Tried watching it but didn't get very far into it because I really didn't want to watch a depressing movie. Hopefully I can finish it some day haha


----------



## CrystalGSD

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I *think* I have, & I really enjoyed it.
> 
> Talking about movies.... Anyone ever watch The Plague Dogs? It's such a good movie, but it's really depressing,especially the ending.


I watched it like two years ago and oh my gosh it was SO SAD. I didn't watch it expecting a sad movie but it was so so so depressing.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Well ... I had an uh ... _interesting_ start to the day this morning ... at 5am I wake up to my puppy having a blowout in his crate, so I am outside with bleach at 5am in 40 degree weather washing a crate out ... ugh. It turned out he puked in there too ... so it was a blowout out of both ends :/.

Granted it was my fault, he was whining and I should have known he had to go out because he didnt feel good ... ugh *smacks self with rolled up newspaper*


----------



## Remaru

Ugh Freyja is so going to be sick later. I stepped out of the room for a moment to "go to the ladies" and she helped herself to the contents of the treat bag sitting on the coffee table. It was just dog food but it was Hobgoblin's entire morning meal (2.5 cups of food, he eats 5cups a day at this point) and she had already had her morning cup of food. That is so much more than she needs and she has a delicate tummy. My son had stepped away to grab some school work from his room so the dogs were alone for all of 2 seconds but she is a quick little thief. She also half cleared the table in her haste. I will get Hobs more food but I don't look forward to her gastrointestinal pyrotechnics later. Blegh....


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Ugh Freyja is so going to be sick later. I stepped out of the room for a moment to "go to the ladies" and she helped herself to the contents of the treat bag sitting on the coffee table. It was just dog food but it was Hobgoblin's entire morning meal (2.5 cups of food, he eats 5cups a day at this point) and she had already had her morning cup of food. That is so much more than she needs and she has a delicate tummy. My son had stepped away to grab some school work from his room so the dogs were alone for all of 2 seconds but she is a quick little thief. She also half cleared the table in her haste. I will get Hobs more food but I don't look forward to her gastrointestinal pyrotechnics later. Blegh....


Ugh tell me about it, cleaning out a puke and poop soiled crate at 5 am this morning was not how I wanted to start the day LOL ... I guess I should at least be thankful he chose to do it BEFORE the nasty weather we are supposed to have comes in LOL. Also, he managed to NOT get any on him (he up chucked in one corner and got most of the poo out the gate of the crate ... on the floor ... thank dog for linoleum lol).

For a couple of hours he was kind of "blah", but now he is back to his normal butthead cute puppy self (and I am happy for that) Dang puppy :/

But I think I know what did it, when I feed the horses, I sometimes accidently drop some of my horses sweet feed on the ground, which has a lot of molasses in it along with other things like oils, so it might have been that. I was careful not to drop any this morning!


----------



## Siould

I've raised so many puppies that poop, pee and vomit are part of my every day life. I have a new Akita pup and he is proving to be a challenge in a big way. I missed his 2am bathroom break and when I woke up for his 4am bathroom break, I found a pile of poop in his crate! I just looked at him like "seriously!?!!"


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Ugh, _The Plague Dogs_. Sad movie, I couldn't watch it again. It's funny though, have you've read the book? The book's ending is far better than the films, don't know why they changed it.


I hate the cold. I do, I hate it. I was in total rebel moment in not taking Luke out for his third walk. I came so close to just letting him out back, but his brown eyes said it all and out we went. But I'm sick of these cold days, I know winter basically just began but I can't wait for it to end!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Ugh, _The Plague Dogs_. Sad movie, I couldn't watch it again. It's funny though, have you've read the book? The book's ending is far better than the films, don't know why they changed it.
> 
> 
> I hate the cold. I do, I hate it. I was in total rebel moment in not taking Luke out for his third walk. I came so close to just letting him out back, but his brown eyes said it all and out we went. But I'm sick of these cold days, I know winter basically just began but I can't wait for it to end!!


thats a good question concerning films in general ... I understand time constraint and stuff so everything cane be the same ... but sometimes they change things that dont have to be changed!


----------



## momtolabs

Mia and I are hiding out in my room from my family since there annoying to tonight,lol. Athena(aunts chi) also keeps snarling and snapping at Mia so before Mia kills her I felt it would be better to stay in my room. Anyway Caleb just pushed open my door(it doesn't latch) looked right at me, then Mia's stuffed toy stash pranced over to it, grabbed a bear, looked right at me, wagged his tail and pranced back out....... Well okay then,lol. I couldn't even yell at him because I was laughing so hard. Mia also looked at me with this "MOM HE TOOK MY TOY." Look which made me laugh even harder,lol.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I always let the dogs have a run out behind the Fairgrounds when I go to town. They have some nice trails which they keep cleared in the winter. The past few times it has been too cold to stay out for more than a few minutes. Today, the snow was deep and had a crust on the top so the first time I stopped, I just turned around and left as the plow was just starting to clear the trails. Went back later and they had a good run. You can always see if there is anybody else out there as it is fairly open so the dogs just run loose and have a great time. It is about the only place at this time of year that there is an open space for them to race around in as there is also a huge parking lot that they keep cleared as they dump the truckloads of snow there that they take off the parking lots in the malls and stores in town.


----------



## momtolabs

Okay accidental litters happen, not everyone is perfect but does this seem *off* to anyone else? I wanted to comment "if it was accidental why seek the pups for $400 each?" But I'm sure they would respond "Well we need that money to get both parents fixed." And then say I'm rude and need to stop commenting  Well around here the most you would have to pay is $200 for each dog(it's cheap around here to get dogs fixed) So you could sell each pup for say $75 to make sure they go to good homes at least and get a profit of over $600 leaving you with $200 after the parents are fixed and if they need shots etc if could be used on that. Well instead there selling the pups at $400 a pup bringing them in a profit of $3600........ Yea sounds a little fishy to me,lol...... I really want to comment but I don't want to argue and will leave it to the others,lol.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

momtolabs said:


> Okay accidental litters happen, not everyone is perfect but does this seem *off* to anyone else? I wanted to comment "if it was accidental why seek the pups for $400 each?" But I'm sure they would respond "Well we need that money to get both parents fixed." And then say I'm rude and need to stop commenting  Well around here the most you would have to pay is $200 for each dog(it's cheap around here to get dogs fixed) So you could sell each pup for say $75 to make sure they go to good homes at least and get a profit of over $600 leaving you with $200 after the parents are fixed and if they need shots etc if could be used on that. Well instead there selling the pups at $400 a pup bringing them in a profit of $3600........ Yea sounds a little fishy to me,lol...... I really want to comment but I don't want to argue and will leave it to the others,lol.
> 
> View attachment 188842


Yeah.. it was an accident your 2 papered purebred GSDs bred and you are selling them for $400 each. I call lies.


----------



## Willowy

I think that's their way to avoid the "did you health test, etc." line of questioning they know they'll get. Clever!


----------



## Willowy

Yesterday they started school late because of "dangerous windchills". I was in the neighborhood when the school buses showed up at the high school (not too cold for mail delivery :/) and a bunch of boys got off the bus wearing shorts . They cancelled school today and tomorrow. I think it's pretty dumb to cancel school for a bunch of kids who were raised in this weather, and who are just going to spend their days off sledding and throwing each other into snowbanks, but I guess they worry about legal trouble if something cold-related did happen to a kid.

But yeah. It's cold. Ugh, I'm sick of it. I can take temps down to about 10, no problem, but below zero is just ridiculous.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yep another bad winter for us with wind chills into the 20s, my poor OH is having wind chills in the 10s!!! WTF!!! So done with winter now.


----------



## BubbaMoose

It was 80 degrees in Phoenix today. Whoops.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> It was 80 degrees in Phoenix today. Whoops.


Ugh.
(Too short)


----------



## BubbaMoose

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ugh.
> (Too short)


Don't worry, I'll be saying the same thing when it's 118 degrees in a few months!


----------



## luv mi pets

It was 80 degrees here too! Ooops looking at the temp in a mirror up here makes it feel so much warmer.


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yep another bad winter for us with wind chills into the 20s, my poor OH is having wind chills in the 10s!!! WTF!!! So done with winter now.


It's been in the negatives here. We were supposed to get 16+ inches of snow this week. I knew it was bad when someone said it was supposed to get up to 30 and I actually got excited.


----------



## Remaru

It is cold here as well. I don't handle cold well, because of the medication I am on I can't regulate my body temperature so I am freezing when it hits 60 (I wish I were kidding) so I just shake. I don't love the summer here because it gets nasty humid and the insects are bad but I don't mind the heat as much. I don't really feel it.


----------



## chimunga

Remaru said:


> It is cold here as well. I don't handle cold well, because of the medication I am on I can't regulate my body temperature so I am freezing when it hits 60 (I wish I were kidding) so I just shake. I don't love the summer here because it gets nasty humid and the insects are bad but I don't mind the heat as much. I don't really feel it.


I'm a Western Washington native living in Montana. This is the first time I've ever experienced this kind of weather. I have difficulty coping with it. Growing up, I rarely saw temperatures South of 50 or north of 85.


----------



## CptJack

I am in southern Virginia. It is one degree out now with windchills at negative 25. It's just stupid. It wasn't this bad living in northern Michigan all those years- and our house was built for it. This one is not. My electric bill is going to be insane.


----------



## Remaru

Yes I think that is the other issue. It isn't supposed to be this cold in TX. It gets this cold occasionally but it has been bad the past couple of years and my house isn't built for it. The worst are my two boys' rooms. They have to pile on blankets and wear fleece pj's to keep warm which is stupid because it only lasts about a month and then it is crazy hot most of the year.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BubbaMoose said:


> Don't worry, I'll be saying the same thing when it's 118 degrees in a few months!


I would KILL for 118 degrees right now! Here in texas, the heat index can regularly hit about 110-115 in the peak of summer ... and I ain't complaining LOL, I am a reptile ... I love the heat.


----------



## Pasarella

In last years winters are getting warmer in Latvia.When I was growing we used to have a lot of snow and -4F was pretty normal.Now we have had only two or 3 days with 5F,and snow that stays for maximum 3 days and melts.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Its days like this I wish I had a winter house in the tropics


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Currently 12 degrees here. At night it goes below zero and the windchill is insanely cold. I hate the cold so much.. but unfortunately I'm not able to ditch my family and friends for warmer winter weather. I love our Spring/Summer/Fall so it is worth it I guess.


----------



## dogsule

I am ok with the weather as long as it is 0F or above. When it gets below zero and the wind is howling...it makes your nose hairs freeze up! That is how you know it is cold, when you go outside and your nose hairs freeze up! It isn't bad out right now...it is 3F (above zero) with a windchill of -13.


----------



## Kayota

I wish my stepmom would quit saying I don't feed Roxie enough and then comparing me to her and saying "You don't have your food restricted" and stuff. I'm not a dog. If I had a child I would do the same thing, they can't make educated decisions. And Roxie is a little overweight now anyway--she was 14 lbs at the vet because my stepmom has been feeding her wet food and Pedigree every day :doh:


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Yes I think that is the other issue. It isn't supposed to be this cold in TX. It gets this cold occasionally but it has been bad the past couple of years and my house isn't built for it. The worst are my two boys' rooms. They have to pile on blankets and wear fleece pj's to keep warm which is stupid because it only lasts about a month and then it is crazy hot most of the year.


YUCK I know and I HATE IT! uke:


----------



## chimunga

Poor Watson is going nuts in this weather. We can only fetch and train so much. The un-shoveled snow is taller than he is.


----------



## Willowy

It actually got up to 20 degrees today. . .almost felt kinda pleasant for a bit this morning. But then the wind started blowing 40 mph and that stinks. Can't see to drive because of blowing snow. They started school today and sent the kids home at 11. Seems like a waste but I guess if they at least get the kids to the school before taking them home again, they don't have to make up a snow day in May :/. Silly bureaucratic nonsense.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Willowy said:


> It actually got up to 20 degrees today. . .almost felt kinda pleasant for a bit this morning. But then the wind started blowing 40 mph and that stinks. Can't see to drive because of blowing snow. They started school today and sent the kids home at 11. Seems like a waste but I guess if they at least get the kids to the school before taking them home again, they don't have to make up a snow day in May :/. Silly bureaucratic nonsense.


Lol yeah it's pretty much that. I know in Texas you have to be at school for at least "half" a day (morning or afternoon, doesn't matter) for it to count.


----------



## momtolabs

How my school works(Illinois) is we get the first 3 "given" and don't have to make them up. After that we do and then after so many we get a "grace of god" act and don't have to make those up. Last year we had so many snow days the school board scheduled us every Friday off in may(last day is May 20 something) and I think a few at the end of April and if we have a snow or cold day then we go to school on the Friday scheduled off.


----------



## Laurelin

Poosploding dogs.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Poosploding dogs.


Ugh I had thst with Lincoln the other night ... out of both ends too :/. Poor guy must have been trying to tell me ... I just didn't hear him. The smell woke me up immediately and found him perfectly clean plastered against she side of his crate ... port guy


----------



## momtolabs

So.....Who wants to watch Mia for a week in July  To go on vacation or not..... Decisions decisions.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Is it just me or has this forum's activity been waning lately? It seems like to me it used to be more active?


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Is it just me or has this forum's activity been waning lately? It seems like to me it used to be more active?


I agree. Maybe it's because of the time of the year???


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Is it just me or has this forum's activity been waning lately? It seems like to me it used to be more active?


This has been going on a long time. It was way more active just last year. The past few months have been really slow compared to what it used to be.


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Is it just me or has this forum's activity been waning lately? It seems like to me it used to be more active?


I've only been around for like 6 months, and it seems like it's less active than it used to be.


----------



## Kayota

I noticed that too, very odd.


----------



## petpeeve

I can remember when I first joined, responses comments and questions were always being posted left right and center. Most days it was really hard to keep up, the pace was so furious. My latest comment in the first time owners section has been at the top since earlier today. In the past that kind of stuff would never happen. (edit: oops, scratch that last bit - looks like hanksimon has recently posted there)

Sign of the times though, I guess. Society is becoming more and more fractionalized with each passing day and I assume people have options and other interests now that divert them away from here.

... maybe the whole dog forum 'thing' is facing a downturn in popularity ??? If so I hope it's simply because we're all getting smarter. And better at living with dogs.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Can a growing fluffy coat make a puppy itchy? I notice Sola is SUPER itchy unless I brush her very thoroughly every day, so long as she's brushed she's not itchy at all. But her coat is insanely fluffy...like, she's been mistaken for a Pomeranian fluffy. Could the growth of her super thick fluffy coat be causing her to be itchy?


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> Can a growing fluffy coat make a puppy itchy? I notice Sola is SUPER itchy unless I brush her very thoroughly every day, so long as she's brushed she's not itchy at all. But her coat is insanely fluffy...like, she's been mistaken for a Pomeranian fluffy. Could the growth of her super thick fluffy coat be causing her to be itchy?


Snowball gets really itchy when his coat changes between seasons; makes sense to me. Part of it is probably that the shed hair gets caught and irritates the skin maybe?


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Miss Bugs said:


> Can a growing fluffy coat make a puppy itchy? I notice Sola is SUPER itchy unless I brush her very thoroughly every day, so long as she's brushed she's not itchy at all. But her coat is insanely fluffy...like, she's been mistaken for a Pomeranian fluffy. Could the growth of her super thick fluffy coat be causing her to be itchy?


I've definitely heard of some puppies just being itchy. They are growing and getting weird new hairs! My puppy went itch crazy when she got her adult coat in.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Can a growing fluffy coat make a puppy itchy? I notice Sola is SUPER itchy unless I brush her very thoroughly every day, so long as she's brushed she's not itchy at all. But her coat is insanely fluffy...like, she's been mistaken for a Pomeranian fluffy. Could the growth of her super thick fluffy coat be causing her to be itchy?


Lincoln is itchy too! He has his last appointment with the vet to get his final shots, and I will ask him about it 5k be sure, but from what I have read some puppies can get itchy when they are growing or dropping coat (Lincoln is 4 Mos so he is fixing to drop his puppy coat). The sites I have gone to as well as my other MAS friends recommended things like coconut oil and fish oil. Be careful not to overdose on fish oil thigh because it can deplete the body of vita E.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Melle

For some reason, my rat Winnie's decided to starve herself by not eating the lab block when I'm not looking, and cagemate Olive goes about hoarding and stashing as usual. I didn't find out till a few days ago since I've been busy, and she was turning herself to skin and bones. First I feared a URI, but her lungs are clear. She's just really weak.

I bought sweet potato baby food, and I've been handfeeding her. Cleaned out the whole cage today, put a fresh bowl of mash and kibble in. She eats the mash, picks up a kibble, and starts going nuts after I close the door. Turns out she now won't eat unless she's on my lap or on my shoulder or in my shirt and just gets upset if she eats alone. Rats are ridiculous babies.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Haha ok  i figured it had to be her coat, it gets clumpy really fast, so its probably itchy. Her coat is way longer and thicker then her littermates, its quite insane, I've never had a puppy with such a heavy coat before lol its litterally short on her face and below her knuckles everywhere else her coat is so big it makes her face look pinched and her feet look knuckled over lol


----------



## gingerkid

I'm getting a puppy!!

Well, not really. But I am going to be fostering a 5 month old pup who's afraid of life. Should be interesting.


----------



## chimunga

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 189858
> 
> 
> Haha ok  i figured it had to be her coat, it gets clumpy really fast, so its probably itchy. Her coat is way longer and thicker then her littermates, its quite insane, I've never had a puppy with such a heavy coat before lol its litterally short on her face and below her knuckles everywhere else her coat is so big it makes her face look pinched and her feet look knuckled over lol


OMG little Toller. CUTTTE

Watson's puppy coat change was pretty gradual. It started with a strip of coarser fur on his back, probably half an inch wide, and then just spread. But at about 5 months, it started going super fast. It was weird. Now he has very border-collie hair.


----------



## chimunga

gingerkid said:


> I'm getting a puppy!!
> 
> Well, not really. But I am going to be fostering a 5 month old pup who's afraid of life. Should be interesting.


I've always wondered how fostering works. How do you not get super attached? I feel like if I did that, I'd end up with 20 dogs, with Watson as the King


----------



## gingerkid

chimunga said:


> I've always wondered how fostering works. How do you not get super attached? I feel like if I did that, I'd end up with 20 dogs, with Watson as the King


I think it depends on the situation... the dogs that I foster end up going back to the shelter for adoption, so I don't have to interview prospective adopters or anything. I think that would be a lot harder, especially if I did bond with the dog at all.

This will be my 3rd foster. The first one I didn't really get attached to - she was a nice dog but not really my type, she and Snowball were indifferent at best, and she had anxiety which is like... my least favourite issue to deal with. I didn't think my second foster was my type either at first, especially with severe separation anxiety and some defensive aggression towards strangers... but she and Snowball got along _really_ well (to this day, she's the only dog I've ever seen him wrestle with), and after 4 weeks with her I seriously considered shipping my cat to live with my Mom until we buy a house so that I could adopt her. Thinking about her still makes my heart ache and brings tears to my eyes.

But, since I live in a condo with a pet limit, I can't adopt them all anyway. Fostering gives me the opportunity to experience different types of personalities and behaviors than Snowball. Also, two dogs (that get a long) is IMO way better than just one.


----------



## GrinningDog

Not a question or a rant. Just a comment with a video share. 

Gypsy turned 5 YO this Saturday. I was busy studying, so no big celebration, but we did work on a couple new tricks. Here's one:


----------



## kcomstoc

GoGoGypsy said:


> Not a question or a rant. Just a comment with a video share.
> 
> Gypsy turned 5 YO this Saturday. I was busy studying, so no big celebration, but we did work on a couple new tricks. Here's one:


I didn't realize that Gypsy was so fluffy, that tail is insane lol  what a neat trick and happy birthday Gypsy


----------



## Prozax

Luna hasn't been able to jump properly and support herself on her back legs. But look how good she has been doing lately!
She was trying to get the squeaker I took out from a Kong toy that she murdered. We were at the office and squeaking is not ok as there are people talking on the phone.
I know this doesn't seem like much, but do I love my jumping dog


----------



## jade5280

GoGoGypsy said:


> Not a question or a rant. Just a comment with a video share.
> 
> Gypsy turned 5 YO this Saturday. I was busy studying, so no big celebration, but we did work on a couple new tricks. Here's one:


Happy belated birthday Gypsy!!!


----------



## jade5280

So the other day the dogs were out in the yard and all of a sudden our neighbor down the street started up their snowmobile and it backfired really loudly. Ryker was barking his head off, ran inside and was trembling for a good 5 minutes.

Ever since then when he's outside he just barks with his hackles up at nothing. Loud bangs in the house will set him off too. Hoping he gets over it and isn't traumatized for life! Ugh


----------



## ChelseaOliver

This puppy is a DEMON without proper exercise. What does everyone do for their dogs first thing in the morning, before work, etc? How long do you exercise them? If she doesn't run hard in the morning she's up causing trouble for HOURS. Time to change my morning routine as it's just not cutting it for her anymore. Another question...how to face the outdoors at 7am when it's -20C with the windchill.


----------



## CptJack

I've recently had to up my puppy's exercise a bit - she's about the same age as yours I think (just shy of 8 months). Honestly, though, morning is still 20, maybe 30, minutes of chasing a ball and moving pretty hard. Then she's down and good until around noon when she gets the same thing. Evenings are basically a free for all with all the dogs running and romping and playing for a couple of hours. Multiples help there as they self-regulate and the guys who need or want less have less and the ones who want more take it. Cold wise I just bundle up and grit my teeth and wait for it to be over, but I'm not dealing with temps that low. 

I will say teenager-ness is probably part of it and reenforcing her off switch and manners is probably a good idea. Not that exercise needs don't increase, just be careful and make sure you're not subbing exercise for making sure she knows how to behave and relax in the house.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

Thank you, CptJack. She typically has a very good indoor off switch and I reinforce heavily with praise, cuddles and treats when she is lounging quietly and/or chewing something nicely on the couch or floor. It's not as easy here because it's getting SO cold and, while I do have another dog, she's an 11 yr old fear aggressive pit mix who will play on very very rare occasions but that's it. I think I just need to suck it up, adjust my schedule/wake-up time and stay out longer and do what needs to be done! And request more help in the evenings. Winter in Ontario is not fun with a puppy.


----------



## chimunga

Went for a walk with Watson for the first time in two weeks yesterday. It's been anywhere from -15f to 30 above here, and we just moved, so his walks got put on the back burner. OMG it was terrible. I expected it to be terrible though. Go forward, he pulls, stop, walk the other way, click+treat when he's next to me. Rinse repeat 50 billion times, and he seems to be almost back to his silky leash self. I accidentally dropped the leash at one point and he just booked it for like three blocks. I did not realize how fast corgis were till I got one. Had to take half a second to resist the urge to chase him. Thank god he's pretty well conditioned to stay on the sidewalk and has a decent recall. 

And it doesn't help that we moved on base, so there are kids everywhere. And he just adores kids.


----------



## momtolabs

Well snow is gone, rain has stopped and the ground is frozen. There is SO much poop !! Guess I better start cleaning it now before it warms up this weekend(41F is warm right ). I'm probably the only teenager out in 20F degree weather cleaning up dog poo


----------



## d_ray

ChelseaOliver said:


> This puppy is a DEMON without proper exercise. What does everyone do for their dogs first thing in the morning, before work, etc? How long do you exercise them? If she doesn't run hard in the morning she's up causing trouble for HOURS. Time to change my morning routine as it's just not cutting it for her anymore. Another question...how to face the outdoors at 7am when it's -20C with the windchill.


Damn Ontario winters eh. It's been in the -30 c range the last couple days. I just suck it up and take the girls out for a 630 am hike. If Jazzy doesn't run, I pay for it. I am counting down till spring. My mom is actually staying over for the rest of the week while we house sit for someone. I am looking forward to the break!


----------



## momtolabs

Gosh I hate people  Got a call from my manager that she needed me up there ASAP. I thought "oh maybe it's a lunch rush and she needs help." Nope I was wrong. I get up there and my manager, the store owner and another worker Are trying to catch 2 kittens. Someone drove up to the building put the kittens outside and drove off  So I helped catch them and my manager took one of them and I brought this guy home. 









Super sweet cuddly guy. I'm going to have a cat killer here for a few weeks so I'm going to try and con my grandma into taking him  she has been searching for a cat anyway!


----------



## Remaru

Ugh...hubby was rear ended on the way home from work. He was stopped waiting to make a left turn less than a mile from our house (turning into our neighborhood). Some one hit the person waiting behind him hard enough to shove the truck into the back of our van. He called me to let me know, says the back hatch is smashed in and the rear windshield is busted out. I would love to say this is the first time something like this has happened but yeah, not so much.


----------



## momtolabs

So sorry that happened!!! Hope insurance covers it  



Okay seriously guys why did someone dump this little guy  he's so flipping sweet!!


----------



## GrinningDog

kcomstoc said:


> I didn't realize that Gypsy was so fluffy, that tail is insane lol  what a neat trick and happy birthday Gypsy


Yeah, she's a fluff and getting fluffier with age, I swear! Hard to tell there's a fit dog under there. Thank you!



jade5280 said:


> Happy belated birthday Gypsy!!!


 She says, "Thanks!" Hehe.


----------



## gingerkid

Semi-feral foster puppy turned down raw chicken gizzard... Gonna try cooked in a few hours (just put it in the oven), but I sense that this little guy is going to be quite a challenge. Gimme an aggressive dog over a shut down/fearful one any day.


----------



## chimunga

We were in the Petco parking lot today. I was letting Watson pee before we got in the car to go home. And this older woman hollers at me from her car, probably 10 yards off "What's your dogs name?" I tell her Watson. She asks if he's a boy or a girl. Boy. And she kind of half parks her car. She then asks "Do you know anyone selling Corgis in the area?" I told her his breeder is having a litter this Spring. So she asks if she can see him. Of course, I say yes. I had been kind of rudely standing like 4 yards away from her car, being anti-social. I kinda just wanted to go home. But I walk up to her car, and she puts both her hands all up in Watson's fluffy neck fur and says to him really quietly "You look just like my Grizz." She looks at me, and she's almost crying at this point, and she says "I just had to put my Grizzly down. He looks just like him." I tried to offer my condolences. I'm really bad at dealing with grief. And this lady's eyes are completely teared up at this point. I kind of stuttered, and she quickly said "I have to go now," and she drove off. It was heartbreaking. 

I really wish I could have said something to make her feel better. I always feel bad when people expose their grief to me. Because I genuinely and wholeheartedly want to make them understand that I care. But I can never seem to get it out right. 
I really really hope Watson made her day a little better.


----------



## Flaming

I remember when it was "Manna go smash"

Now it's "Vitae go smash" 

I'll post pictures later, but so far a crate, a indoor door, and a metal baby gate have been destroyed. 

On a lighter note though, Vitae is Manna's new shadow and Manna can't go anywhere without her shadow.


----------



## d_ray

momtolabs said:


> So sorry that happened!!! Hope insurance covers it
> 
> 
> 
> Okay seriously guys why did someone dump this little guy  he's so flipping sweet!!
> 
> View attachment 189946


Adorable!!!


----------



## ChelseaOliver

chimunga said:


> We were in the Petco parking lot today. I was letting Watson pee before we got in the car to go home. And this older woman hollers at me from her car, probably 10 yards off "What's your dogs name?" I tell her Watson. She asks if he's a boy or a girl. Boy. And she kind of half parks her car. She then asks "Do you know anyone selling Corgis in the area?" I told her his breeder is having a litter this Spring. So she asks if she can see him. Of course, I say yes. I had been kind of rudely standing like 4 yards away from her car, being anti-social. I kinda just wanted to go home. But I walk up to her car, and she puts both her hands all up in Watson's fluffy neck fur and says to him really quietly "You look just like my Grizz." She looks at me, and she's almost crying at this point, and she says "I just had to put my Grizzly down. He looks just like him." I tried to offer my condolences. I'm really bad at dealing with grief. And this lady's eyes are completely teared up at this point. I kind of stuttered, and she quickly said "I have to go now," and she drove off. It was heartbreaking.
> 
> I really wish I could have said something to make her feel better. I always feel bad when people expose their grief to me. Because I genuinely and wholeheartedly want to make them understand that I care. But I can never seem to get it out right.
> I really really hope Watson made her day a little better.


This made me tear up just reading it but I'm sure Watson made her day, even if thinking of her pup was hard.  If that happened to me with Peggy I probably would've burst into tears and made a fool of myself when I realized the person was upset!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln is in the "Must bark at ALL THE THINGS!" Luckily I dont care and I think its cute 

My rant? is my fiancee is already asking me if lincoln has learned this or that and when I say no, he huffs and is like "Well, Josefina learned it at that age!" LINCOLN IS NOT JOSEFINA ... rawr!!! I want to reach through the phone and strangle him when he starts that crap!


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lincoln is in the "Must bark at ALL THE THINGS!" Luckily I dont care and I think its cute
> 
> My rant? is my fiancee is already asking me if lincoln has learned this or that and when I say no, he huffs and is like "Well, Josefina learned it at that age!" LINCOLN IS NOT JOSEFINA ... rawr!!! I want to reach through the phone and strangle him when he starts that crap!


lol my hubby is the same. He's always comparing Jazzy to Jewel. Jazzy has been having the odd accident over night and he is always like "Jewel never did that". He seems to forget that we've had Jewel for almost 2 years and she wasn't always perfect. Poor Jazz.


----------



## d_ray

We are house sitting this week for a friend so my mom has been staying at our house with the animals. I forgot how quiet it is without dogs. It feels weird to get up and not have to walk dogs and then to get home from work and only have to worry about what's for dinner. I miss the animals, but I can say that it is extremely relaxing. I slept for eight hours straight for the first time in years.


----------



## Miss Bugs

People are sooo dumb! We posted on our Gerbil Facebook page pictures of one of our new pups, he's the first dilute azure slate ever born, we know this because the combination of genes does not exist outside of our kennel, its a combo of uw, uwd and dd, 3 genes that were developed on totally different continents. We underwent some very difficult imports to get all the genes, it was a major news story lol were the first to have ans combine then all. Uw and uwd have been combined via a different breeder in the US we are the first to combine the uwuwd with dd. So this person comments on the post saying "nuh uh, i had one" we asked who else bred them she responds " breeder sold me a blue(dd) and when he molted his turned into a dilute azure slate" uuuuhh lol we were like.. molting changes the appearance of a colour it doesn't change the colour, a blue that molts to a different shade is still a blue lol she responded with "i disagree" like..what? Lol its not like blue isn't special! Blue is very rare, but uw exists only in Singapore and 1 single breeder in the US who doesn't let anything with uw out of her kennel..and of coarse us..because we brought it from Singapore last year lol


----------



## taquitos

d_ray said:


> We are house sitting this week for a friend so my mom has been staying at our house with the animals. I forgot how quiet it is without dogs. It feels weird to get up and not have to walk dogs and then to get home from work and only have to worry about what's for dinner. I miss the animals, but I can say that it is extremely relaxing. I slept for eight hours straight for the first time in years.


I totally get that.

I was without Meeko on some days during the summer when my sister took him to "Bring your dog to work" day once a month. I had no idea what to do with my time!


----------



## gingerkid

Semi-feral foster puppy appears to be at least semi-potty trained, or just super quick to pick things up. Only peed inside once, a tiny bit, and then tried to hold it until she got outside. Of course, she did pee as soon as she got outside which meant she peed on my deck (sigh), but I'll take what I can get! The second time she waited until we were down the stairs... and then peed in the middle of the sidewalk. Baby steps, I guess!


----------



## momtolabs

Nothing like breaking up a dog fight at 9:30..... Thought id go to bed early but nope the dogs had other plans.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Nothing like breaking up a dog fight at 9:30..... Thought id go to bed early but nope the dogs had other plans.


I know how that feels ... I have to seperate one dog when on one is outside for that very reason. She is an idiot (sorry but she is) and will start fights and pick at the other dogs, well the other dogs for the most part just ignore her, but Josefina is not one to just sit and take it, so while Josefina is here that other dog is seperated.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I know how that feels ... I have to seperate one dog when on one is outside for that very reason. She is an idiot (sorry but she is) and will start fights and pick at the other dogs, well the other dogs for the most part just ignore her, but Josefina is not one to just sit and take it, so while Josefina is here that other dog is seperated.


Yea all was fine then BAM there all at each other. I jammed my finger nail and somehow broke it and got a puncture wound on my finger. Mae has a small wound on her head so ill have to watch that for a few days to make sure if doesnt get infected. Looks like its crate and rotate for awhile which is a pain to do but oh well. I'm just going to bring everything back slowly.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Yea all was fine then BAM there all at each other. I jammed my finger nail and somehow broke it and got a puncture wound on my finger. Mae has a small wound on her head so ill have to watch that for a few days to make sure if doesnt get infected. Looks like its crate and rotate for awhile which is a pain to do but oh well. I'm just going to bring everything back slowly.


Yeah those ACDs and their mixes ... they don't take no guff from others lol (a suing it was yours that got into a skirmish). 

I try to let them handle it themselves if it's like little cussing match or something, like dogs sometimes have. But this one dog my folks have is a idiot none of the other dogs like her because she instigates most of it. Only they just ignore her but Josefina is an ACD and you know how they are fire eaters lol.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yeah those ACDs and their mixes ... they don't take no guff from others lol (a suing it was yours that got into a skirmish).
> 
> I try to let them handle it themselves if it's like little cussing match or something, like dogs sometimes have. But this one dog my folks have is a idiot none of the other dogs like her because she instigates most of it. Only they just ignore her but Josefina is an ACD and you know how they are fire eaters lol.


Well what happened was The GSD mix that is staying with me went after Mae my moms mix which immediately set Mia(ACD mix) off and she jumped in the middle. Luckily I was able to call her off, and not thinkig I grabbed the GSD off Mae. I luckily didnt get bit but jammed my fingers. All seems good this morning but were keepin them separated. Mia wasn't uh... The friendliest this morning with him,lol. He was kept in the kitchen last night and Mia slept in the living room with me and he came close to the gate and Mia went kujo. I shushed her and then my sister took Mia out on leash and I took Alec and we walked them around together and Mia seemed to get over it. Still going to be very cautious though.


----------



## Remaru

In other wonderful news the insurance has declared our van a total loss.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Well what happened was The GSD mix that is staying with me went after Mae my moms mix which immediately set Mia(ACD mix) off and she jumped in the middle. Luckily I was able to call her off, and not thinkig I grabbed the GSD off Mae. I luckily didnt get bit but jammed my fingers. All seems good this morning but were keepin them separated. Mia wasn't uh... The friendliest this morning with him,lol. He was kept in the kitchen last night and Mia slept in the living room with me and he came close to the gate and Mia went kujo. I shushed her and then my sister took Mia out on leash and I took Alec and we walked them around together and Mia seemed to get over it. Still going to be very cautious though.


Ironically its a GSD mix that is the cause of all the issues here, too. We have a happy pack and would have a happy pack if she wernt here. I know this is terrible but I regret ever bringing her home, and she has such behavioral issues that if it were up to me, I would have her euthanized. I dont usually say that but she really is that bad, I am the ultimate dog person and she is the first dog that I just absolutely cant stand ... as in borderline hate. I have known ANNOYING dogs before, but this dog is something else, its like she does things on purpose just to tick me off.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ironically its a GSD mix that is the cause of all the issues here, too. We have a happy pack and would have a happy pack if she wernt here. I know this is terrible but I regret ever bringing her home, and she has such behavioral issues that if it were up to me, I would have her euthanized. I dont usually say that but she really is that bad, I am the ultimate dog person and she is the first dog that I just absolutely cant stand ... as in borderline hate. I have known ANNOYING dogs before, but this dog is something else, its like she does things on purpose just to tick me off.


I honestly just thank he is over-whelmed. Lots of dogs and people in my house. We were all actually home yesterday so I think it was just too much :/


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I honestly just thank he is over-whelmed. Lots of dogs and people in my house. We were all actually home yesterday so I think it was just too much :/


I think the same is true with this dog here, but the difference is she has grown up in a multiple dog household ... when she starts her weird stuff ... even the 4 month old puppy looks at her like she has lost her mind :/. I think its a combo of brain damage, and just being one of those badly bred shepherd mixes.


----------



## momtolabs

So..... I came home from school and as soon as I walk in Mia sulked away really guilty like and gave me the "look" and went to her "time out" blanket....... I couldn't find what she did wrong. Nothing was destroyed or out of place, all the food was still okay. So I just brushed it off that maybe she chased the cat or something. Well I went to clean the litter box and ended up not having to clean it because it was done for me....


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> so..... I came home from school and as soon as i walk in mia sulked away really guilty like and gave me the "look" and went to her "time out" blanket....... I couldn't find what she did wrong. Nothing was destroyed or out of place, all the food was still okay. So i just brushed it off that maybe she chased the cat or something. Well i went to clean the litter box and ended up not having to clean it because it was done for me....


ewwww!!! Lol


----------



## jade5280

We're looking to move and buy a house with more land....for the dogs lol. In the middle of the loan approval process. Ugh I hate waiting.


----------



## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> We're looking to move and buy a house with more land....for the dogs lol. In the middle of the loan approval process. Ugh I hate waiting.


Exciting!!! I hope you hear good news soon!!


----------



## jade5280

Remaru said:


> Exciting!!! I hope you hear good news soon!!


Thank you! We're excited. Suburban life isn't for us! We will probably need to get a smaller house so we can afford the extra land. We don't need a lot of living space anyways. I'd rather be able to go outside and hike through the woods from my backyard.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I will never understand it. The complex I live in has crazy drivers, plus a highway and people still let their puppies or dogs off leash. Do they really think their dog won't run away? Do they think their dog knows the "stay" command by heart? What if their unleashed dog runs up to a dog aggressive dog?

Just saw this poodle mix running around, owner is behind the dog with the leash, and the dog pees in our yard. Luke is going insane at the dining room door and I see the woman trying to get her dog to come to her, the dog? Nope, loves running around. When will people learn?


----------



## gingerkid

Apparently getting to go back into her crate is the highest possible value of reward for foster puppy. She is also terrified of outside. It is making potty training.... interesting. Especially since I've never potty trained a dog before, period, lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I am super curious to see grown up Sola. She's sooo small and darnit I am dying to know where she will level out lol. At 7.5 weeks she was 5lbs, the pup she flew up with, was 8.5 weeks and was 9lbs..now 10 Weeks, Sola is not quite 7lbs, most of the puppies I know the weights of are the 1 week older litter(so currently 11 weeks) are now 13-15lbs..Sola I doubt will even reach 8lbs by 11 weeks lol. Breeder said she can't see Sola being more then 28lbs full grown, local Toller person with tiny Tollers said she thinks Sola will be bigger then her Toller Drift who is 25lbs.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I am super curious to see grown up Sola. She's sooo small and darnit I am dying to know where she will level out lol. At 7.5 weeks she was 5lbs, the pup she flew up with, was 8.5 weeks and was 9lbs..now 10 Weeks, Sola is not quite 7lbs, most of the puppies I know the weights of are the 1 week older litter(so currently 11 weeks) are now 13-15lbs..Sola I doubt will even reach 8lbs by 11 weeks lol. Breeder said she can't see Sola being more then 28lbs full grown, local Toller person with tiny Tollers said she thinks Sola will be bigger then her Toller Drift who is 25lbs.


Puppie are funny ... Lincoln was the biggest in his litter but he's growth spurts are weird! He gets real long in his legs, then his body catches up, rinse and repeat. he is 4 1/2 months, and as of last week, weighed 16.2 lbs, at 13 weeks he weighed 14 lbs even and he is eating like a horse! He gets his size from his mom because she was half standard (albeit small standard).

He is also supposed to be losing his puppy coat but he is getting ... fluffier??? WTH, dog? LOL


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

jade5280 said:


> We're looking to move and buy a house with more land....for the dogs lol. In the middle of the loan approval process. Ugh I hate waiting.


That's awesome! Looking at houses always excites me! I hope that everything goes through.


----------



## Laurelin

I actually wore Hank out this weekend. Like wore him 100% out.

Also Hank weighed in at 21 lbs officially.


----------



## CptJack

My big revelation of the weekend/day was that in spite of looking forward to agility starting on Tuesday, I legitimately do not care if I ever enter a trial with Molly or do a single class with her. This is kind of weird for me because while I didn't get her to do agility, I felt like doing agility enabled me to have her by providing a structure and outlet for her. 

Nah. Some of this is likely me girding my loins for what might be a total disaster of reactivity (and believe me for that the classes will be invaluable), but.... She's not a dog that's hard to have fun with.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> That's awesome! Looking at houses always excites me! I hope that everything goes through.


Thanks! The only thing I'm not looking forward to is putting up the fence again.


----------



## momtolabs

Taking Mia in to get spayed when taxes come back and I'm so freaking nervous!!!! I'm going to the low cost clinic(UofI students do it) since its only $75 for the spay, $10 for the microchip and $10 for a heartworm test. Which is way cheaper then my vet(would be $100 for spay,20 for chip and $15 for the test). But I keep going back and forth on if I want to get it done. But I know I should since my family isn't very responsible when she comes into heat but blah  I was going to do it last year since she has already had two heats but chickened out,lol. She will be shy of two years old when I get it done so I'm not expecting any behavior changes and I'm hoping I don't see any.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

momtolabs said:


> Taking Mia in to get spayed when taxes come back and I'm so freaking nervous!!!! I'm going to the low cost clinic(UofI students do it) since its only $75 for the spay, $10 for the microchip and $10 for a heartworm test. Which is way cheaper then my vet(would be $100 for spay,20 for chip and $15 for the test). But I keep going back and forth on if I want to get it done. But I know I should since my family isn't very responsible when she comes into heat but blah  I was going to do it last year since she has already had two heats but chickened out,lol. She will be shy of two years old when I get it done so I'm not expecting any behavior changes and I'm hoping I don't see any.


I was just as nervous for Kairi and regretted it every moment until a few days after. Once she started feeling better, it was no big deal. I bet Mia will be just fine and I firmly believe females are better off spayed (after maturity of course). I've never seen any behavior changes either, personally. Good luck. It's definitely a stressful event.


----------



## Laurelin

mia by summerpapillons, on Flickr

Guess who did this? 

Nope, not Hank.

MIA.

6 year old, tiny, sickly dog.


----------



## gingerkid

This guy was just taken in by a rescue I follow on FB. Weighs in at 60lbs. 

His owner's listed on his paper work that he is purebred Finnish Spitz.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> mia by summerpapillons, on Flickr
> 
> Guess who did this?
> 
> Nope, not Hank.
> 
> MIA.
> 
> 6 year old, tiny, sickly dog.


Oh no! maybe time to get some Bitter apple spray? LOL LOL when I first saw it I laughed because Hank looks like he is saying "Nope! not me!"


----------



## momtolabs

Why must horse tack be so expensive. Sigh. I wanted to surprise my cousin and get one of her horses some new cute halters but i don't know if I want to shell out the money,lol.


----------



## Willowy

gingerkid said:


> This guy was just taken in by a rescue I follow on FB. Weighs in at 60lbs.
> 
> His owner's listed on his paper work that he is purebred Finnish Spitz.
> 
> View attachment 190530



Aaahhh, he looks just like my friend's (late) dog Star! We called her a Mini Lab but never knew what she really was (shelter pup). He's fat like she was too. That's not what Finnish Spitz usually look like though, is it? Aren't they darker?


----------



## luv mi pets

jade5280 said:


> Thank you! We're excited. Suburban life isn't for us! We will probably need to get a smaller house so we can afford the extra land. We don't need a lot of living space anyways. I'd rather be able to go outside and hike through the woods from my backyard.


Just watched like 2 hours of Tiny House Nation. Amazing how these guys can make those little houses so efficient.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Haha ... I just got called a bunch of names on FB because I commented on a post in one of my groups asking about opinions of docked or cropped dogs, i said that IMO, an undocked or uncropped dog who is "supposed" to be cropped or docked is unattractive to me ... and watch people lose their stuff!!!


----------



## Kayota

gingerkid said:


> This guy was just taken in by a rescue I follow on FB. Weighs in at 60lbs.
> 
> His owner's listed on his paper work that he is purebred Finnish Spitz.
> 
> View attachment 190530


Lolwut

Tooshort


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Haha ... I just got called a bunch of names on FB because I commented on a post in one of my groups asking about opinions of docked or cropped dogs, i said that IMO, an undocked or uncropped dog who is "supposed" to be cropped or docked is unattractive to me ... and watch people lose their stuff!!!



I hate cropped ears...no matter the breed. IMO , it looks so unnatural to be cropped. I love the cute floppy ears of uncropped Dobermans, Great Danes etc. Tail docking I am fine with though.


----------



## gingerkid

luv mi pets said:


> Just watched like 2 hours of Tiny House Nation. Amazing how these guys can make those little houses so efficient.


Tiny houses are sooo cool! HGTV now has Tiny House Hunters too.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Tiny houses are sooo cool! HGTV now has Tiny House Hunters too.


OMG me too!!! If I was going to build a house you betcha it would be tiny ... they are SO CUTE!!! I was watching last weeks "Ting House Hunters" and they showed one that was 95 sqft, too small I know but the way it was configured was pretty cool! right down to an industrial kitchen sink as a shower!


----------



## theairedale

Copper's drive to work and learn things has increased 50x. Whoo, this is going to be really fun!


----------



## notgaga

Every single dog, apparently apart from mine, in my new apartment complex barks. Constantly. All the time. It's driving me insane. My roommate's dog? Barks when I open the front door, when he hears Laika's collar jingle, whenever there is a noise in the apartment (and he's bitten Laika twice in the face but that's a separate issue that's really getting on my nerves and needs to be fixed). We walk by a window where a dog lives and can see? The dog barks. Dog hears a dog bark from another building? Dog barks. Dog sees another dog? Dog barks. Dog is alone? Dog barks. 

Laika does bark to elicit play at the dog park, but she's not very vocal otherwise.

The dog next door is barking right now, as he always does. Lord, give me strength.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln is one of those barking dogs, especially when he is playing or excited lol.

Your neighbors might not know what their dogs are doing while they are away, maybe you could politely being it to their attention? Not in "your dog annoys the crap out of me" way, but in a "neighbor to neighbor" way?


----------



## notgaga

^^ I've debated leaving them a note, but I really don't want to sound passive-aggressive. If the dog keeps at it, then I'll see if I can get over there when the people are around. I've only been here a week so maybe it's not long-term.

I would've assumed that my hound would start barking right back but she always acts so surprised when she hears a disembodied woof. Or just stops, sits, and stares at the poor barking dog on a walk, which just makes things worse. Like, just walk away with me, dog.

My parents' dogs, the one Laika tries to rile up with barking, used to bark outside all the time. Or at least the sheltie did. Every morning, for like half an hour, almost constant barking and patrolling back and forth - my parents have an acre of land and are well separated from neighbors. I used to throw a pillow at my window as she ran by and the noise would magically make her stop. I don't automatically dislike dogs that bark, it's just there are _so many_ of them here, lol


----------



## CptJack

So, agility class with Molly tonight.

Yeah, this whole session is just going to be counter conditioning in the corner while other dogs do agility stuff. That doesn't surprise OR frustrate me so much. What kind of does is that no one, and I mean no one, can really pin down why she's reacting - and that includes a danged good trainer. Might be frustration! Might be fear! Might be the strong desire to eat another dog for lunch. *NO ONE CAN TELL*.

Every person in this class, save 2, are experienced dog owners and competitors, + 2 trainers on top of the one running the class. 

Ain't nobody got a clue. Working with it's about the same, regardless, but DANG IT MOLLY.


----------



## gingerkid

I think I got more than I bargained for in this foster. Today? She stole some of my coffee by climbing onto the coffee table, and decided to try to chew through the chain on her martingale. Fine, the coffee was my fault for turning my back, and the martingale is because she is obviously teething and/or bored... took off her collar, gave her an appropriate toy and put her in her crate so I could go to school....

Guess who wasn't in her crate when I got home. lol. (At least she didn't *do* anything, at least obvious, except steal a dog toy that I had re-purposed for the cat).


----------



## chimunga

We took Watson to the dog park in the first time in forever yesterday. It's a little annoying. He's a little too big for the little dog area. And he's too small for the big dog area. So we put him in the big dog area with HEAVY supervision. One of our friends was there with his two dogs too, a BC/Aussie mix and a boxer/pitt mix, so I wasn't too worried. But the really frustrating thing is how little people know about dogs playing. Watson's really vocal when he's plays. He sounds vicious. But if you watch him, he's just playing like any other dog would. He backs off when dogs tell him to. He doesn't bite, just spars with his mouth open. But people automatically think he's horrid, and give me mean looks. "He's really going for blood!" No. He's not. He just a very vocal dog, and part of a very vocal breed. He also has a bad mom who talks to him while she plays with him, so he talks back. It's just what he does. 

The good thing though is that he did really well. He used to be really bad at reading other dogs' body language. But he at a point where he will back off if another dog is sending signals. He got a little bullied, so I had to watch that, but he had doggy friends who stuck up for him, so that was good. There was a little girl there, maybe 7, and he just followed her around everywhere. He adores kids. And I got to meet my first Irish Wolfhound. ^_^ Good day.


----------



## asuna

notgaga said:


> Every single dog, apparently apart from mine, in my new apartment complex barks. Constantly. All the time. It's driving me insane. My roommate's dog? Barks when I open the front door, when he hears Laika's collar jingle, whenever there is a noise in the apartment (and he's bitten Laika twice in the face but that's a separate issue that's really getting on my nerves and needs to be fixed). We walk by a window where a dog lives and can see? The dog barks. Dog hears a dog bark from another building? Dog barks. Dog sees another dog? Dog barks. Dog is alone? Dog barks.
> 
> Laika does bark to elicit play at the dog park, but she's not very vocal otherwise.
> 
> The dog next door is barking right now, as he always does. Lord, give me strength.


ha! i feel your pain. when i moved to my new apartment i made sure my landlord knew i had a dog, i had him call my old landlord because i told the new one mine didnt ever bark which is true! 
mine talks a bit but no one would hear it unless they were in the room.

so i guess the neighbours realized after seeing my dog that it was ok and they ALL got dogs about a month after and they never shut up 
if i take thor outside, dogs bark the entire time because they smell him in the hallway
dogs alone..they bark
dogs doing do things they bark
barking all day long. you get used to it though!


----------



## CptJack

Actually to turn this into a proper rant and vent for ME?

I really get kind of frustrated and gobsmacked when I see dogs who spend their entire lives at home, or even more so chained - but are happy, bouncy, friendly dogs who don't bat an eyelash at anything. I had that with Thud, actually - minimal socialization, bomb proof dog. 

Then I have Kylie who spent probably a year growling at anyone who tried to touch her (I socialized her wrong) and MOlly who was socialized RIGHT and is just a reactive trainwreck. I know, I know, genetics, but damn it's hard not to feel like I am somehow spectacularly screwing up my dogs.


----------



## Laurelin

<33333333

hank and summer by summerpapillons, on Flickr

Just had to share how cute these two are.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> So, agility class with Molly tonight.
> 
> Yeah, this whole session is just going to be counter conditioning in the corner while other dogs do agility stuff. That doesn't surprise OR frustrate me so much. What kind of does is that no one, and I mean no one, can really pin down why she's reacting - and that includes a danged good trainer. Might be frustration! Might be fear! Might be the strong desire to eat another dog for lunch. *NO ONE CAN TELL*.
> 
> Every person in this class, save 2, are experienced dog owners and competitors, + 2 trainers on top of the one running the class.
> 
> Ain't nobody got a clue. Working with it's about the same, regardless, but DANG IT MOLLY.



That too bad...curious what is she doing?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Stupid stupid me!!!

Lincoln peed in his crate last night, but I know why ... yesterday was a warm day here and I played with them about 4:30 or so to about 5pm, and he must have drank a lot of water before he came inside ... I kicked myself because I KNEW this and should have taken him out at 11pm before I fed them ... but he's been making it through the night so I was lazy and didnt ... now I have a crate to clean ... again ... all because of my stupid, lazy ass ... I prey he's not going to have a lapse in house training because of this 

Note to self: on days when he drinks a lot of water, TAKE HIM OUT BEFORE YOU FEED THEM!!!


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> That too bad...curious what is she doing?


Acting like cujo?

No, more descriptively she's barking and lunging frantically at other dogs. Which sounds like she's doing it all the time but she's not. Just... you know, when they're within about 10 feet or looking at her. She was able to spend most of the time doing commands and watch me and counter conditioning from outside her threshold and I have seen WAY worse, but I'm not going to even really try and integrate her into that right now.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I know how you feel. I have spent almost the whole of last year to getting Kris so she does not lunge and bark at other dogs. As she is a Doberman and curls up her lips, everyone thinks she is vicious and she also has a habit of air snapping which makes it look even worse. She is finally after hours and hours of working around other dogs has quit the "noise" but will still occasionally lunge at a strange dog. She only does it on leash thank goodness, as I want to start doing more Agility with her this year and so far she has never run up to another dog when she is off leash. I have never had a reactive dog before and would never want another.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

The trainer's dog at agility class is barrier reactive and honestly it drives me crazy! she barks like crazy at any dogs that walk by her kennel, and at some of them when they are doing their runs (she hates Josefina for some reason and will bark and growl at her if we have to do an obstacle near the perimeter fence of the ring ... its not THAT close to her kennel but she still doesnt like it). I know I shouldnt be saying this, but its annoying as heck and I just want to smack that dog! I dont of course ... but I want to.


----------



## CptJack

You know, on one hand I'm not sure what the trainer is thinking leaving a reactive dog to practice reacting during class. On the other, as always, your tolerance, patience, and ability to empathize are... something else.

Kyllobernese, that's really exactly it. She looks and sounds awful - and MEAN, with the growling thrown in, but she's not that bad. Mostly during the class she was able to focus on me. We had to step outside a couple of times. But... every dog she's had that reaction to but has had the ability to interact with off leash? Absolute, perfectly appropriate, really enthusiastic play. I don't know, she's hard to read but overall I've seen worse. We'll be okay, one way or the other.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> You know, on one hand I'm not sure what the trainer is thinking leaving a reactive dog to practice reacting during class.
> 
> On the other, as always, your tolerance, patience, and empathy really amaze me.


Well it is very annoying when that dog intimidates Josefina (who is a soft, shy dog esp with other dogs) and makes her refuse obstacles and lose concentration because this dog is barking and growling and staring at her like it wants to eat her. I have endless patience with my own dogs, though LOL. Nothing they do is annoying enough for me to "want to smack them", not even Josefina's chronic digging habit that I have not been able to break LOL.

Good thing was I was able to regroup with her and get her to focus by reassuring her that everything was okay ... but still! Its annoying when I have a dog who suffers from confidence issues as it is :/


----------



## Laurelin

A lot of dogs have barrier issues. Hank is one of them. He's actually fine in class but annoying as heck at home when papillons walk too close to his kennel.

Mia went through a cujo leash reactive phase at about 8 months. It was like one day she wanted to eat everyone then a few weeks later Meh. She's fine. I wish I could give you advice or claim it was my skill but I really think it was just a weird fear period for her that she grew out of.

I've been on both sides of the 'having the annoying dog in class' or 'having the good dog in class'. Dogs will be dogs.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I have never seen how she acts out of her kennel, so I dont know if she is just barrier reactive, or would really go after another dog if she could. I am sorry to vent, but its a little exasperating when a dog is doing that and I have a dog with confidence issues who is effected by it.


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## dogsule

CptJack said:


> You know, on one hand I'm not sure what the trainer is thinking leaving a reactive dog to practice reacting during class. On the other, as always, your tolerance, patience, and ability to empathize are... something else.



We have a reactive dog in our agility class, thankfully she isn't always there, she is an Aussie. Everyone pretty much needs to kennel their dogs when this dog is running the course as she will not stay on course and will run over aggressively to another dog and will at times engage them. I am not sure why the trainer allows her to run unleashed. She is very reactive when she is in her kennel also. Apparently at one time she got ahold of a small dog picked it up and wiped it around, the owner of the aggressive dog never apologized to the smaller dogs owner either. Just yelled at her dog. I truthfully cannot understand why she even comes to classes. It is one thing to work with a reactive dog (if you think you can overcome the reactivity) but if the dog has actually attacked another dog during class I don't think they should be there anymore. I guess that would be my limit if it were my dog. Belle has noise issues and was always terrified when this dog would bark and it would affect her performance when she would run. We have two different agility times now for classes and I usually go a different time than that Aussie. However we have also slowly overcome the noise issue with Belle...she has been doing great lately with other dogs barking and the bang of the teeter (the other thing that scared her). I took her to an agility trial and she had dogs barking/teeters banging and even twice had the barrier wall come flying into her crate cause one of the dogs ran into it at the end of its run and she took it all in stride. It was the best thing I did for her I think. We were there for five hours. Last night we had class and she never flinched at the sound of the teeter like she usually does...just looked for her treat. LOL! I have always treated her when something intimidated her at class to try to make it look more positive. At one point I was really not sure if we would be doing any trials because of her noise issues.


On the other hand I also have a dog reactive dog. My little Angel (the off white cocker) really dislikes other dogs. Totally my fault as when she was a puppy I figured the fact that we had two other dogs was enough to socialize her. Nope...she is terrified of other dogs and becomes this snarling barking little monster when she sees them. This of course sets the other two off and I have three barking dogs on my hand. Once they start it is impossible to stop. I often try to walk them separately or two by two instead of all three. It is so nice to walk them all one by one, my walks are much nicer but I don't always have time for that. Angel isn't as bad when she isn't with her pack but she will still growl. The other two meet other dogs just fine. My walks are pretty much me watching ahead like a hawk so we can figure out which way to go if another dog is there. I hate the times we get surprised by a dog when I have all three cause I cannot stop them from barking....I usually just stop and wait for the people to go by...then continue on with my monster pack.


----------



## Laurelin

We have dogs that can't be with other dogs in agility all the time. It is actually really common. Both my papillons are mildly dog reactive. 

A lot depends on the setup of classes. My instructors keep dogs kenneled anyways because of this reason. 

I do think there is a big difference between dog aggression and I want to eat you! vs dogs that like their personal space and dogs that overstimulate around other excited dogs. I do think people should evaluate whether their dog is capable of safely handling a crowded, loud, amped up agility environment but I also think it should be setup to minimize issues. Ie: I like crates in class.


----------



## elrohwen

I would rather have all dogs in agility completely separate, either crated, or at least behind ring gates. 

My dog is sometimes reactive, but mostly he's a doof who would rather check out the other dogs than play agility. Letting him self-reward and visit everybody for months of classes certainly didn't help our problem.

We also had dogs in class who were aggressive towards my dog because he is intact, and rushed us while we were waiting our turn (one even opened the door and followed us out of the building). I can't blame them for that, since my own dog also hates intact males. So should I leave class because my dog is intact? Should they leave class because their dogs don't like mine? I don't think so. I think dogs should just be kept separate.

Maybe a dog that aggressive or reactive isn't going to be able to compete, but you'll never know if you don't set it up to succeed in classes and work through that stuff.


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, my general opinion is that if Molly were somehow presenting a situation that made it impossible for other dogs to run or learn then I wouldn't be there, but.

A dog who can not focus around a dog who is barking from behind a barrier is not going to do real well in agility, period. Safety needs to be considered to prevent physical contact, but I've yet to be at a trial or class where there wasn't at least one dog screaming its head off either from excitement, over-stimulation, or frustration at it not being time to run. Usually it's a lot more htan one.

I've put my time in working my dogs around them. It's my turn to BE the distraction, I guess. Not a danger, no, never, and something I'm actively working on, but it's pretty much a fact of life with agility. A LOT of those dogs are some kind of reactive.


----------



## Laurelin

So many of my agility friends have very dog selective dogs. I was thinking through them all and a lot are dogs that need some extra space. 

Hank is my first dog that is not dog reactive (so far). He is motion reactive but in an over excited kind of way. He's come a long ways already though. I got some comments at the trial this weekend about how he was handling it so much better than when I first got him. Well he was lunging and doing some screeching at the first big dog trial he was at because running dogs are exciting.


----------



## d_ray

Kyllobernese said:


> I know how you feel. I have spent almost the whole of last year to getting Kris so she does not lunge and bark at other dogs. As she is a Doberman and curls up her lips, everyone thinks she is vicious and she also has a habit of air snapping which makes it look even worse. She is finally after hours and hours of working around other dogs has quit the "noise" but will still occasionally lunge at a strange dog. She only does it on leash thank goodness, as I want to start doing more Agility with her this year and so far she has never run up to another dog when she is off leash. I have never had a reactive dog before and would never want another.


I am at my wits end with Jazzy acting like this. She managed to slip out of her harness last night when she saw a dog she couldn't meet. I was super embarrassed. I am officially the crazy neighbour who can't control her dogs. The event got Jewel so excited that she bit me.....sigh She is an angel off leash, but is super reactive on leash.


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> Mia went through a cujo leash reactive phase at about 8 months. It was like one day she wanted to eat everyone then a few weeks later Meh. She's fine. I wish I could give you advice or claim it was my skill but I really think it was just a weird fear period for her that she grew out of.


I'm praying this happens with Jazz. She was an angel for the first couple months and now acts crazy. She is even reactive towards Jewel while leashed. It's so weird.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> I do think there is a big difference between dog aggression and I want to eat you! vs dogs that like their personal space and dogs that overstimulate around other excited dogs. I do think people should evaluate whether their dog is capable of safely handling a crowded, loud, amped up agility environment but I also think it should be setup to minimize issues. Ie: I like crates in class.



I agree with you. The dog I am referring to is a "I want to eat you" dog, very aggressive and I highly doubt will ever go to a trial but I guess she (the owner) must enjoy agility with her dog. Not being on that side of the fence I can say I wouldn't continue if my dog acted that way but who knows what would happen if I were. I too like crates. I didn't start out bringing mine with every time but I have for awhile now. With Belle and her noise issues, it gives her a safe place at least. She has come to love the crate also which is good.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> A dog who can not focus around a dog who is barking from behind a barrier is not going to do real well in agility, period. Safety needs to be considered to prevent physical contact, but I've yet to be at a trial or class where there wasn't at least one dog screaming its head off either from excitement, over-stimulation, or frustration at it not being time to run. Usually it's a lot more htan one.
> 
> .



Yeah...this is why I was questing whether or not Belle would be able to be in a trial or not. Last Fall she was so scared of big dogs barking but little by little she has gotten better. Seeing how she was this last weekend at an actual trial was so exciting cause I know she can do it now. She even found her voice at that trial and barked a little too, she had never uttered a sound at class before and she is a very barky dog at home.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Acting like cujo?
> 
> No, more descriptively she's barking and lunging frantically at other dogs. Which sounds like she's doing it all the time but she's not. Just... you know, when they're within about 10 feet or looking at her. She was able to spend most of the time doing commands and watch me and counter conditioning from outside her threshold and I have seen WAY worse, but I'm not going to even really try and integrate her into that right now.


 Ryker was really reactive all through puppy class and OB 1. Barking the WHOLE TIME. It was awful. He was so loud. I felt really bad for everyone who took the classes with us. He's not reactive at all when we are walking and he see's a dog. Maybe he's grown out of it but I'm afraid to ever take classes with him again because I don't know if he's going to act the same way. It was such a bad and not fun experience.


----------



## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> Ryker was really reactive all through puppy class and OB 1. Barking the WHOLE TIME. It was awful. He was so loud. I felt really bad for everyone who took the classes with us. He's not reactive at all when we are walking and he see's a dog. Maybe he's grown out of it but I'm afraid to ever take classes with him again because I don't know if he's going to act the same way. It was such a bad and not fun experience.


Jewel was like this too in OB1. She isn't the least bit reactive, otherwise. She was just so overstimulated and wanted to mingle with everyone. I went in thinking she was going to be the best dog, and she was the worst in the class. She was fine when we were practicing one on one with food, but as soon as the trainer would be explaining or demonstrating, she couldn't focus on anything except the other dogs. This was over a year ago, but I'm scared to try again.


----------



## CptJack

...I will stop taking Molly back to that foundations agility class to sit in the corner and feed her when the instructor gets sick of me and kicks me out. I don't know why. It's embarrassing and uncomfortable as heck but DANG IT I AM DETERMINED. LOL.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson is basically not reactive in class when there are a bunch of dogs around, but if he sees one dog walking on the trail and there's nothing else to distract, he tends to focus on them and then get nervous.

And his beef with intact males has gotten kind of serious. I know now that he is not ok with them off leash and while he just charges and barks at them, doesn't attack, I would not blame another male for attacking him if he did that. So I will never be in an agility class again that doesn't keep dogs separated.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> ...I will stop taking Molly back to that foundations agility class to sit in the corner and feed her when the instructor gets sick of me and kicks me out. I don't know why. It's embarrassing and uncomfortable as heck but DANG IT I AM DETERMINED. LOL.


My facility at home is offering "training days" where you can show up for 2 hours for $15 and do whatever you want. Most of the dogs are pretty advanced (working off leash obedience skills feet away from other dogs), but it's a good opportunity to just let Watson chill out and watch everyone. He's not really reactive in busy class environments anymore, but he can get worried depending - last time my friend had her GSD next to us which made him uncomfortable, but he didn't react, so that was good. Another dog spent the whole time barking which makes him a bit worried, so we worked on that too. Mostly we just sat in our area and did some tricks and worked on focus. Definitely worth the $15.


----------



## d_ray

When it rains, it pours. We all seem to be having re-activity issues


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> My facility at home is offering "training days" where you can show up for 2 hours for $15 and do whatever you want. Most of the dogs are pretty advanced (working off leash obedience skills feet away from other dogs), but it's a good opportunity to just let Watson chill out and watch everyone. He's not really reactive in busy class environments anymore, but he can get worried depending - last time my friend had her GSD next to us which made him uncomfortable, but he didn't react, so that was good. Another dog spent the whole time barking which makes him a bit worried, so we worked on that too. Mostly we just sat in our area and did some tricks and worked on focus. Definitely worth the $15.


I REALLY wish there was something like that, here. I think the best I can do is rent the facility itself, or sign up for private lessons. I need to get my butt in gear and investigate the training facility that's further out from me, soon. It's an actual club. It's kind of confusing in how it's set up, but I think it might have better resources. I don't know, but for now I'll take my 10/hour/week sit and feed her while other dogs work :/


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Hank is my first dog that is not dog reactive (so far). He is motion reactive but in an over excited kind of way. He's come a long ways already though. I got some comments at the trial this weekend about how he was handling it so much better than when I first got him. Well he was lunging and doing some screeching at the first big dog trial he was at because running dogs are exciting.


This is my biggest issue in agility classes. I can pass other dogs just fine and Kairi does not react one bit (unless they are barking at her, of course). If they are on course and running.. forget it. If I'm not already far away when a dog takes its turn she will start pulling forward and scream. Any of her reacting is purely excitement. 

Hooray for reactive dogs!


----------



## gingerkid

d_ray said:


> Jewel was like this too in OB1. She isn't the least bit reactive, otherwise. She was just so overstimulated and wanted to mingle with everyone. I went in thinking she was going to be the best dog, and she was the worst in the class. She was fine when we were practicing one on one with food, but as soon as the trainer would be explaining or demonstrating, she couldn't focus on anything except the other dogs. This was over a year ago, but I'm scared to try again.


When we took the tricks class back in August, I was terrified that Snowball would be a reactive mess like he was when we took Feisty Fido, but he was actually really good most days until about 15 minutes before the end of the class, and then he would just... be tired and overworked and start barking at dogs he had been standing 5 feet away from for 45 minutes without issue.... It was a pretty free form class, so we could take lots of breaks as needed and I found that really helped. Especially in the second half hour, if he was more interested in the other pups than my hot dogs, that was out cue to take a short walk.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I thought Lincoln would be an overwhelmed hot mess ... but he wasnt, a little shy, yes but not a peep ... unless it was my turn ... then he made a stink because I walked away -_-. Luckily its so loud in there that his small little bark gets drowned out LOL.


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> This is my biggest issue in agility classes. I can pass other dogs just fine and Kairi does not react one bit (unless they are barking at her, of course). If they are on course and running.. forget it. If I'm not already far away when a dog takes its turn she will start pulling forward and scream. Any of her reacting is purely excitement.
> 
> Hooray for reactive dogs!


Hanks' gotten a lot better now that he realized he isn't going to be able to go run and play with them. Took a little bit though and he is the worst when his BFF is running. 'But I want to play with my girlfriend!' 

Silly boy.

I do think there are dogs that don't belong in group sport type environments. I've heard stories about a dog crossing lanes in flyball and attacking another dog. But that is very different than general overexcited/frustrated reactivity.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Really starting to get concerned about Jazzy. We've brought to the vet, but not all that much can be done until the the tests come back. It should be nothing serious, but it still really concerns me. 



CptJack said:


> Actually to turn this into a proper rant and vent for ME?
> 
> I really get kind of frustrated and gobsmacked when I see dogs who spend their entire lives at home, or even more so chained - but are happy, bouncy, friendly dogs who don't bat an eyelash at anything. I had that with Thud, actually - minimal socialization, bomb proof dog.
> 
> Then I have Kylie who spent probably a year growling at anyone who tried to touch her (I socialized her wrong) and MOlly who was socialized RIGHT and is just a reactive trainwreck. I know, I know, genetics, but damn it's hard not to feel like I am somehow spectacularly screwing up my dogs.


For what it's worth, I admire that you can juggle having 5 dogs,& raise kids at the same time. It's amazing, really.


----------



## jade5280

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Really starting to get concerned about Jazzy. We've brought to the vet, but not all that much can be done until the the tests come back. It should be nothing serious, but it still really concerns me.


What's wrong with Jazzy? We recently had to bring our cat to the vet because she had a bladder infection :/


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

jade5280 said:


> What's wrong with Jazzy? We recently had to bring our cat to the vet because she had a bladder infection :/


Oh no, I hope she's healing quickly. Sending vibes!

What's wrong is that above her eye, it's red, there's fur-loss,and it's tender to the touch(we need to put ointment on the affected area.) 

They it's think ringworm, but they are not sure at this moment.


----------



## elrohwen

Met a super crazy dog lady at rally class last night. 

My dad was with me to take pictures of Watson. As we were waiting for my turn, he snapped a picture of this berger picard who was standing next to him and checking him out. The owner says "Can you not? I really don't like people to take casual pictures of him." So my dad apologizes, says he perfectly understands, etc, and then she proceeds to go on for 5 minutes about it. 

"You know, there are just sooo many pictures of him online now and you never know how those will get out. He just won a huge show in France and there were way too many pictures taken of him there." 

Then she asks, "How are you going to use these pictures? Do you sell to magazines?" Why would some guy show up to a beginner rally class in the middle of nowhere with his daughter to take pictures for a magazine? lol Then she says earnestly, "You know, I don't even take him for walks in my town! It's so likely someone would steal him and I can't risk that."  

Uhh, this is probably one of the quietest, wealthiest, and safest places you can possibly live. Most people on the street would think her dog was some sort of scruffy mixed breed, but even if they knew he was some super fancy show dog it's pretty far out there to think they would want to steal him.

The instructor and I kept trying to save my poor dad, saying that he was there to take pictures of Watson, and he took some pictures of the instructor's dogs last time and she loved them, and she wanted him to come maybe do a photography fundraising event.

So the woman finally stops talking for a minute, then starts up again with "So could you take pictures of him for me? Do you have a card? I had some pictures done and they were just terrible. I'd be interested in working with you."

And people ask me if Best In Show is true to life. Haha


----------



## Laurelin

4th day in a row where I wake up to a puking dog. UGH.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> Met a super crazy dog lady at rally class last night.
> 
> My dad was with me to take pictures of Watson. As we were waiting for my turn, he snapped a picture of this berger picard who was standing next to him and checking him out. The owner says "Can you not? I really don't like people to take casual pictures of him." So my dad apologizes, says he perfectly understands, etc, and then she proceeds to go on for 5 minutes about it.
> 
> "You know, there are just sooo many pictures of him online now and you never know how those will get out. He just won a huge show in France and there were way too many pictures taken of him there."
> 
> Then she asks, "How are you going to use these pictures? Do you sell to magazines?" Why would some guy show up to a beginner rally class in the middle of nowhere with his daughter to take pictures for a magazine? lol Then she says earnestly, "You know, I don't even take him for walks in my town! It's so likely someone would steal him and I can't risk that."
> 
> Uhh, this is probably one of the quietest, wealthiest, and safest places you can possibly live. Most people on the street would think her dog was some sort of scruffy mixed breed, but even if they knew he was some super fancy show dog it's pretty far out there to think they would want to steal him.
> 
> The instructor and I kept trying to save my poor dad, saying that he was there to take pictures of Watson, and he took some pictures of the instructor's dogs last time and she loved them, and she wanted him to come maybe do a photography fundraising event.
> 
> So the woman finally stops talking for a minute, then starts up again with "So could you take pictures of him for me? Do you have a card? I had some pictures done and they were just terrible. I'd be interested in working with you."
> 
> And people ask me if Best In Show is true to life. Haha


Omg. That is hilarious. I've certainly met some dog people that would fit in seamlessly with the cast of Best in Show.


----------



## jade5280

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Oh no, I hope she's healing quickly. Sending vibes!
> 
> What's wrong is that above her eye, it's red, there's fur-loss,and it's tender to the touch(we need to put ointment on the affected area.)
> 
> They it's think ringworm, but they are not sure at this moment.


Poor thing hope she gets better!


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Omg. That is hilarious. I've certainly met some dog people that would fit in seamlessly with the cast of Best in Show.


I really think that at first she thought my dad was some sort of dog paparazzi following her super famous show dog around. 

I think she was also super offended when I thought he was a briard. lol


----------



## ChelseaOliver

Ever have those days where you just feel like a terrible dog parent? My older dog is not very well behaved (raised by my husband without my input before me - dominance theory, etc) and I've been trying to take her out with me and the puppy in the morning to avoid doing yet another dog walk during the day and it's just NOT going well. Both dogs were harassing the cats this morning and I lost my cool, and I feel like all I've done is yell and that's something I don't even believe in doing when it comes to dogs, especially a puppy. I just want to hide.


----------



## gingerkid

ChelseaOliver said:


> Ever have those days where you just feel like a terrible dog parent? My older dog is not very well behaved (raised by my husband without my input before me - dominance theory, etc) and I've been trying to take her out with me and the puppy in the morning to avoid doing yet another dog walk during the day and it's just NOT going well. Both dogs were harassing the cats this morning and I lost my cool, and I feel like all I've done is yell and that's something I don't even believe in doing when it comes to dogs, especially a puppy. I just want to hide.


Yeah, I've had those moments... especially when I'm already running late and trying to get Snowball back inside the house but he's decided that his walk isn't over yet and refuses to budge... thankfully he's only 30lbs so I can manually relocate him if necessary. And don't even get me started on the cat.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Omg. That is hilarious. I've certainly met some dog people that would fit in seamlessly with the cast of Best in Show.


I have met people who have been in the showing business for a while that say, that Best In Show isnt really that far off the mark as in ... they're REALLY people like that out there in the dog show world. I literally puked from laughing when the husband and wife started singing "god loves a terrier" It reminded me of a lady that was in my class, who had norwich terriers.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> 4th day in a row where I wake up to a puking dog. UGH.



Oh no, do you know what is up with that? I was on the downslide of a 2+ month puking nightmare with Belle last year at this time. I don't ever want to go through that again!


----------



## dogsule

Poor Maya....was brushing her teeth (which she hates and fights) and was horrified to see on of her big molars with roots showing. She is 8 so went in for blood work yesterday (which came back normal except for slightly elevated white blood cells) and was put on antibiotics. Will have the tooth pulled on Monday.


----------



## momtolabs

elrohwen said:


> Met a super crazy dog lady at rally class last night.
> 
> My dad was with me to take pictures of Watson. As we were waiting for my turn, he snapped a picture of this berger picard who was standing next to him and checking him out. The owner says "Can you not? I really don't like people to take casual pictures of him." So my dad apologizes, says he perfectly understands, etc, and then she proceeds to go on for 5 minutes about it.
> 
> "You know, there are just sooo many pictures of him online now and you never know how those will get out. He just won a huge show in France and there were way too many pictures taken of him there."
> 
> Then she asks, "How are you going to use these pictures? Do you sell to magazines?" Why would some guy show up to a beginner rally class in the middle of nowhere with his daughter to take pictures for a magazine? lol Then she says earnestly, "You know, I don't even take him for walks in my town! It's so likely someone would steal him and I can't risk that."
> 
> Uhh, this is probably one of the quietest, wealthiest, and safest places you can possibly live. Most people on the street would think her dog was some sort of scruffy mixed breed, but even if they knew he was some super fancy show dog it's pretty far out there to think they would want to steal him.
> 
> The instructor and I kept trying to save my poor dad, saying that he was there to take pictures of Watson, and he took some pictures of the instructor's dogs last time and she loved them, and she wanted him to come maybe do a photography fundraising event.
> 
> So the woman finally stops talking for a minute, then starts up again with "So could you take pictures of him for me? Do you have a card? I had some pictures done and they were just terrible. I'd be interested in working with you."
> 
> And people ask me if Best In Show is true to life. Haha


Haha!!! People are weird!!


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I like my page-a-day calendar showing me different breeds of dogs, relearning how well dogs see/hear, etc, but sometimes the people who write the pages are weird! Like today's entry, here's the sentence: A badly chosen costume can cause physical discomfort; being constrained by a costume can engender feelings of helplessness or domination. 

What? *shakes head* Does that make sense to anyone?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Random rant time! I am a member of several dog breed groups on Facebook, one for each of the 3 pure breeds I own and love, now recently on te Toller and Aussie groups someone has asked for info of the breeds and on both they have been described as "like a border collie but..." as someone who owner Aussies, BCs and Tollers..this drives me friggen mental! The Toller was described as "like a Border Collie that Retrieves" ..i don't even know where to start :/ first what the heck kinda border collie doesn't retrieve? Most BCs i have met are BIGGER retrieving fanatics then most retrievers. Second..no, they are NOT like BCs, not even a little bit. Then the Aussie group "like a BC with an off switch"..ok, wanna know WHY BCs are the only breed anyone is my family prefers as puppies? Its because as long as they are worked..and yes they do tend towards being wired while working..during down time? They are so chill you barely notice they exist. I remember a working stock dog clinic i went too, it was 3 days, there was BCs everywhere, not a crate to be found and over the coarse of 3 days each dog got maybe 20 minutes total of work time, the rest of the time? Bunch of BCs just chillin out quietly doing nothing? Do don't tell me BCs don't have an off switch. And beyond that..no, Aussies are NOT like BCs. If anything i would say Aussies and Tollers are more similar to eachother then either is to a BC.


----------



## gingerkid

Miss Bugs said:


> Random rant time! I am a member of several dog breed groups on Facebook, one for each of the 3 pure breeds I own and love, now recently on te Toller and Aussie groups someone has asked for info of the breeds and on both they have been described as "like a border collie but..." as someone who owner Aussies, BCs and Tollers..this drives me friggen mental! The Toller was described as "like a Border Collie that Retrieves" ..i don't even know where to start :/ first what the heck kinda border collie doesn't retrieve? Most BCs i have met are BIGGER retrieving fanatics then most retrievers. Second..no, they are NOT like BCs, not even a little bit. Then the Aussie group "like a BC with an off switch"..ok, wanna know WHY BCs are the only breed anyone is my family prefers as puppies? Its because as long as they are worked..and yes they do tend towards being wired while working..during down time? They are so chill you barely notice they exist. I remember a working stock dog clinic i went too, it was 3 days, there was BCs everywhere, not a crate to be found and over the coarse of 3 days each dog got maybe 20 minutes total of work time, the rest of the time? Bunch of BCs just chillin out quietly doing nothing? Do don't tell me BCs don't have an off switch. And beyond that..no, Aussies are NOT like BCs. If anything i would say Aussies and Tollers are more similar to eachother then either is to a BC.


"It's like a dog, but a different dog!"


----------



## Laurelin

It is terrifying being at your house and then suddenly hearing your dog barking several streets over.

Yeah.

he came back thank god.


----------



## CptJack

Jeeze, my heart stopped just reading that!


----------



## Laurelin

We had a PARTY when he came running back. He was all excited like 'wheee this is so much fun!' 

I'm just glad he came back and my neighbors didn't come outside wondering why I was yelling like I was being murdered.

Next thing is figure out why the gate came unlatched. 

Also he ran away the one time he had no collar on. He is in a collar 99% of the time. Oh and it was night too.


----------



## kcomstoc

thank god he came back  it's def scary when your dog gets away and especially without a collar


----------



## Pasarella

Laurelin said:


> We had a PARTY when he came running back. He was all excited like 'wheee this is so much fun!'
> 
> I'm just glad he came back and my neighbors didn't come outside wondering why I was yelling like I was being murdered.
> 
> Next thing is figure out why the gate came unlatched.
> 
> Also he ran away the one time he had no collar on. He is in a collar 99% of the time. Oh and it was night too.


 Funny,today I had the same accident.But I know who left the gate open.My drunk father who came in our yard at 2 am  I didn't know that,left the dogs outside and when I went to let them in I only saw 3 of them at the door,whistled for the 4th and there she was,standing outside on the other side of the fence.I was so very happy that they didn't go anywhere!I can't say that in words!It's cold outside and a dog with a coat that short might freeze to death there very fast.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

Laurelin said:


> It is terrifying being at your house and then suddenly hearing your dog barking several streets over.
> 
> Yeah.
> 
> he came back thank god.


This has happened to me with my fear aggressive pit bull mix who hates (and goes after/attacks) other dogs. In the middle of the night AND during the day. More than once. Really great when people ignore specific instructions to be 100% certain the gate is shut and secure.


----------



## jade5280

Why is all the poop frozen to the ground!!!??? I can't pick it up


----------



## Pasarella

*jade*,probably because it's winter  The same problem here,poops are frozen,can't pick them,and when they melt,they just get gross and I still can't pick them up...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Everyone send me job vibes, please! I got a call from a pet supplies store I applied to like ... ages ago (and honestly forgot about) and they told me they are starting to go through their applications for jobs! yippee! *feeling hopeful*


----------



## jade5280

Pasarella said:


> *jade*,probably because it's winter  The same problem here,poops are frozen,can't pick them,and when they melt,they just get gross and I still can't pick them up...


Haha my yard is a poop mine right now. I just need it to get a LITTLE bit warmer so the ice layer melts and I can pick it up! I might just go out there with a shovel and dig up the ice turds.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Everyone send me job vibes, please! I got a call from a pet supplies store I applied to like ... ages ago (and honestly forgot about) and they told me they are starting to go through their applications for jobs! yippee! *feeling hopeful*




Oooh.....good luck! Would be fun to work at a pet supply store!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

the only thing is I was going to go out of town on sunday and be gone til spring, but I could delay the trip and see if I hear anything back, I told the manage when I called to see if theyt had gotten my application in (its all done by email now and you can never trust technology LOL) and he asked which days I would be available to work, I told him any day but monday, because that is agility . He seemed pleased to hear that I do sports with my dogs, so maybe thats a plus? I dont know.

I dont mind delaying my trip, I can always just take off if it turns out they dont hire me.


----------



## olivethedog

Sometimes I like to think that Olive is well-trained. That she is flawless. That she is the smartest, perfectest dog in the world and that together we will conquer all that is before us.

And then she gets a wild hare up her butt and decides to play leash tug all the way home from our walk. Sigh. I'm sure the neighbors thought it was funny. I did, too, a little. It's hard not to laugh because she's just SO happy while being naughty...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

olivethedog said:


> Sometimes I like to think that Olive is well-trained. That she is flawless. That she is the smartest, perfectest dog in the world and that together we will conquer all that is before us.
> 
> And then she gets a wild hare up her butt and decides to play leash tug all the way home from our walk. Sigh. I'm sure the neighbors thought it was funny. I did, too, a little. It's hard not to laugh because she's just SO happy while being naughty...


Josefina does this, the only thing I was able to do is control when she tugs LOL


----------



## gingerkid

In the last 20 minutes my foster puppy has stolen: the phone, a PS3 controller, a canvas shopping bag, and my hair clip. She doesn't chew on these things, or just carries them back to her crate and lays there in her kleptomaniacal glory.

I also found out today what her mix is (Great Pyr x ACD - known parents) and met her sister.


----------



## Prozax

gingerkid said:


> In the last 20 minutes my foster puppy has stolen: the phone, a PS3 controller, a canvas shopping bag, and my hair clip. She doesn't chew on these things, or just carries them back to her crate and lays there in her kleptomaniacal glory.
> 
> I also found out today what her mix is (Great Pyr x ACD - known parents) and met her sister.


That sounds so freakin adorable!! Would love to see a pic of a puppy sitting on a pile of stolen stuff haha


----------



## CrazyDogWoman

gingerkid said:


> In the last 20 minutes my foster puppy has stolen: the phone, a PS3 controller, a canvas shopping bag, and my hair clip. She doesn't chew on these things, or just carries them back to her crate and lays there in her kleptomaniacal glory.
> 
> I also found out today what her mix is (Great Pyr x ACD - known parents) and met her sister.


Is she part ferret? lol I used to own two ferrets and they -loved- stealing stuff.

-------

Does anybody else have a hard time training in front of people (especially new tricks)? I tried training Stormy to spin this morning, in front of my mom. I think she expects us to get it 100% correct the first time. It just...doesn't usually work like that. "You should really get him to go all the way around, before giving him a treat." That would work perfectly fine, if he wasn't having a hard time realizing that is the end result. At first, he didn't even want to turn to go into a spin, so excuse me but I will be treating him for even turning his head while I try to lure him. It's the same way I taught Boss, and the same way I'm teaching Jacoby. "My" method obviously works.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gah, my moms dogs are pissing me off! Every morning i wake up to dog poo all over the living room, now i get it, my mom has a sleep disorder, often due to her bizarre sleep schedule her dogs need to go when nobody is awake, that's fine, i get it. Perky? If I'm available she gets me to let her outside. But Ripley? He hates me, i can't touch him at the best of times, he won't hesitate to bite me, but not just that..he won't even let me let him outside to potty! Little bit ago? He seriously walked downstairs and began taking a poop in the LR right in front of me with ZERO attempt to go outside!! When i tried to let him outside(i wasnt even mad!) he bolted back upstairs where he probably pooped. He needs to friggen get over it, my mom needs like 20 hours of sleep a day, she physically CANT let him out most of the time, but i exist too for Pete's sake, i am happy to let him out and take care of him, but nope.. he won't accept ANYTHING from me and its driving me mental!


----------



## ChelseaOliver

CrazyDogWoman said:


> Is she part ferret? lol I used to own two ferrets and they -loved- stealing stuff.
> 
> -------
> 
> Does anybody else have a hard time training in front of people (especially new tricks)? I tried training Stormy to spin this morning, in front of my mom. I think she expects us to get it 100% correct the first time. It just...doesn't usually work like that. "You should really get him to go all the way around, before giving him a treat." That would work perfectly fine, if he wasn't having a hard time realizing that is the end result. At first, he didn't even want to turn to go into a spin, so excuse me but I will be treating him for even turning his head while I try to lure him. It's the same way I taught Boss, and the same way I'm teaching Jacoby. "My" method obviously works.


I have a similar issue! With training it's fine because none of my friends or family know how training a dog works, and I taught my husband for the most part, but when it comes to things like redirecting the puppy from biting someone's pants to biting a toy, I have people accuse me of "rewarding her for biting" etc because they don't get how it works. Or when someone is over who she really likes or doesn't know and she goes nuts biting their pants and and I'm giving her a toy or redirecting her behaviour with a sit and rewarding they thing she's being rewarded for biting. Gah.


----------



## chimunga

gingerkid said:


> In the last 20 minutes my foster puppy has stolen: the phone, a PS3 controller, a canvas shopping bag, and my hair clip. She doesn't chew on these things, or just carries them back to her crate and lays there in her kleptomaniacal glory.
> 
> I also found out today what her mix is (Great Pyr x ACD - known parents) and met her sister.


Lol. Watson did that when he was a puppy. He'd designate a "place" for the day. And he would pick up whatever he could get ahold of and put it in his place. Now he just does it with his toys. They always end up on his bed. It's actually kinda nice though. He automatically cleans up after himself.


----------



## chimunga

I woke up this morning to the snow melted in my back yard. Watson had been taking his toys out in the yard and leaving them in the snow. There are toys everywhere. And poop. Lots and lots of poop.


----------



## jade5280

chimunga said:


> I woke up this morning to the snow melted in my back yard. Watson had been taking his toys out in the yard and leaving them in the snow. There are toys everywhere. And poop. Lots and lots of poop.


It snowed last night before I could pick up the frozen poop. Now there's secret poos under the snow.


----------



## d_ray

We have layers of secret poos. I'm not looking forward to the melting.


----------



## Kayota

Thank god i own a chihuahua


----------



## Remaru

That is why I won't adopt a puppy in winter ever again. Getting Freyja during a snow storm was awful. Trying to train her to use the pen when she wanted to dart across the yard and just go....yep never again. Then finding puppy messes as the snow melted. Ewwwwww She was an ill puppy too. I'm just glad we have a short winter here and rarely have snow. It is just wet and mucky. My next puppy will be a summer puppy (you know years from now).


----------



## CptJack

Yeeep. Molly and Kylie came home in July and June. Piece of cake.

Thud? New Year's. Never. Again.


----------



## luv mi pets

yep once the snow is melted in the pasture (dogs and horses poop there) it will look like one big compost pile! I am lucky I will just jump on the tractor and use the harrow to break up the Christmas poo. Hopefully before the spring rains come.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> We have layers of secret poos. I'm not looking forward to the melting.


My yard is probably made of poo at this point lol! Having 2 dogs seems like it's 10x the poo even though it should only be 2x.


----------



## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> My yard is probably made of poo at this point lol! Having 2 dogs seems like it's 10x the poo even though it should only be 2x.


I don't want to talk about it. Luckily my dogs are all trained to go in the same place (in a pen along the side of the house) and hubby is in charge of cleaning it. Magic is the only one who will not go there. She will not go unless she has been walked, apparently she needs exercise to know she needs to go. I don't mind except when it is cold and rainy. I never feel so great on those days and would rather just stay at home.


----------



## Kayota

jade5280 said:


> My yard is probably made of poo at this point lol! Having 2 dogs seems like it's 10x the poo even though it should only be 2x.


I know the feel, I NEVER scooped poo til I got Faxon and then it was a biweekly thing lol


----------



## dogsule

d_ray said:


> We have layers of secret poos. I'm not looking forward to the melting.



Yep come spring in our yard it is dodge the poop piles. Takes me quite awhile to pick it all up. During the winter it isn't bad as it keeps getting covered up but spring...yikes!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL today its going to be in the 70's and sunny and all the dogs, Lincoln included are out there just laying around. Is it just me or does anyone else get worried when their dogs have a lazy day?


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL today its going to be in the 70's and sunny and all the dogs, Lincoln included are out there just laying around. Is it just me or does anyone else get worried when their dogs have a lazy day?


Yes!! If Mia is doing nothing I worry I broke her


----------



## elrohwen

So breeding craziness has kicked in for Watson. His intended lady-friend went into heat yesterday and we're expecting to do the breeding early next week. We still haven't quite worked out the details of where it's going to be and how many days I'm going to take off of work, which is stressful. In my regular job it wouldn't be a big deal, but with my crazy contractor position at this other company, 2 hours from home, everything is more stressful. Traditionally she would come to us, but if we go there we can stay with Watson's breeder and just visit the co-owner to the do the breedings, which might be less stressful than having Watson in the same house as a b*tch in heat. Plus the co-owner has a fenced in yard and I don't which is eeasier.

I couldn't get an appointment with my regular vet to do his brucellosis test, so I found a place up here. They didn't mention charging me for a full exam, but we'll see. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and pay whatever they ask because I only have a couple days to get it done. 

There is also some craziness with another b*tch nearby. They are trying to do an AI breeding with a dog from the midwest, but her progesterone levels aren't cooperating and the semen is only good for so many days. So, the breeder kind of wants to use Watson as the back up, in case it's not really viable by the time she's ready. They would then DNA test the pups to see who the actual father was. I don't really want to, since it increases my stress a lot, but we'll see. Both bitches are very nice and I've really liked the puppies they have produced, so they are good opportunities, I just wish they weren't happening so close together and so stressfully.


----------



## Remaru

Are you considering a puppy from either of the breedings? Sorry have to live vicariously through others since I can't have more puppies. Plus Watson is super handsome and I want to see Watson puppies.


----------



## elrohwen

Yes, actually we plan on getting a female puppy from the primary breeding with Sadie. I wouldn't mind a pup from the last minute breeding if it happens, but they would have to wait for DNA results to even know which puppies were his and it just seems complicated. The last minute girl has had two litters and both are lovely though. 

I love the little show quality girl from Sadie's first litter, with Watson's father, so I think it will be a good match. If we didn't breed him I wanted a puppy from Sadie's daughter anyway, but that won't be for another year or two. 

Very excited for a puppy! I will definitely be visiting the litter and taking pictures.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL today its going to be in the 70's and sunny and all the dogs, Lincoln included are out there just laying around. Is it just me or does anyone else get worried when their dogs have a lazy day?


I don't, Roxie loves to sunbathe


----------



## Laurelin

Hank totally just did a jump and flip off my shoulder while I was eating dinner. This dog I swear...


----------



## gingerkid

Just a rant... foster seems to have possibly previously been potty "trained" using the old "rub-their-noses" in it method... now when she has to poop she sneaks as far away from the people as possible, poops, and then unless something interrupts her, immediately eats it.

She's only pooped on the hard floors, and our place isn't that big so we've always found it right away.... the other problem is that outside is terrifying for her during normal waking hours (between 11pm to 6am she is like a different dog outside, checking stuff out, walking around all not scared...). Using getting to go inside as a reward for doing business outside is working to get her to actually _go _ when we take her outside... its just getting her outside to do her stuff in the first place that's the problem. Oh, and that she refuses to pee and poop in the same trip, apparently. (So... double potty runs from now on...)


----------



## Kyllobernese

My rant is sort of dog related. Last year I did not do any Agility trials as I was having problems with the circulation in my legs and just could not run with the dogs. I had angioplasty on my left leg in October but they could not get at the blockage in my right leg. I finally got an appointment on Jan. 10th to get a bypass but then it was cancelled due to lack of a bed. So, here I sit not knowing when I will get it done. They will notify me the day before if there is a bed available which really leaves everything up in the air. I am glad I have Kris to help give me something to do so she has had loads of Obedience training and I have started her over the Agility equipment, just would not be able to run a course with her or the small dogs. Very frustrating!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo ... the old man, Bear is having a bad day today  and Lincoln keeps going up to him and checking on him, which worries me more. 

I hate it when they get old, they should have to get old *cries*


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

It's funny how some white dogs don't look white when it snows. They look like an off-white color; but there was one time where I did loose a dog. I was working and had this Sammie out and looked down for a minute to write down how long he'd been out, etc when I looked up and he was gone! I knew the gates were closed and he couldn't possibly jump over the fence, so I searched...and finally he moved and I spotted him! So some dogs are white as snow!


----------



## elrohwen

My friends have an ACDx who is mostly white with sparse black ticking, and they said they lose him because he's the same color as dirty snow. Haha.

Watson is the exact same color as autumn leaves (oak leaves specifically, and our woods are 90% oak). It's really easy to lose him off leash in the leaves.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> My friends have an ACDx who is mostly white with sparse black ticking, and they said they lose him because he's the same color as dirty snow. Haha.
> 
> Watson is the exact same color as autumn leaves (oak leaves specifically, and our woods are 90% oak). It's really easy to lose him off leash in the leaves.


Josefina I have been told is the same color as dirty snow LOL, though I have no reference to test this.


----------



## chimunga

elrohwen said:


> My friends have an ACDx who is mostly white with sparse black ticking, and they said they lose him because he's the same color as dirty snow. Haha.
> 
> Watson is the exact same color as autumn leaves (oak leaves specifically, and our woods are 90% oak). It's really easy to lose him off leash in the leaves.


-_- I just lose (my) Watson because he's usually shorter than the snow.


----------



## Laurelin

Snow camo!

hankpretty by summerpapillons, on Flickr


----------



## gingerkid

Tell me about it.

2014-11-18_08-44-09 by open_destiny, on Flickr

Also, every time you post a photo of Hank, Laurelin, I fall a little bit more in love with him. srsly. so handsome.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Josefina I have been told is the same color as dirty snow LOL, though I have no reference to test this.



Come to Wisconsin...we have plenty of dirty snow. lol! That is the bad thing about snow, unless it refreshes it by snowing a little every couple days it looks so dingy. Spring is wet/messy and dirty around here.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> Come to Wisconsin...we have plenty of dirty snow. lol! That is the bad thing about snow, unless it refreshes it by snowing a little every couple days it looks so dingy. Spring is wet/messy and dirty around here.


No no nooooooo I like where I live, it might get cold but it doesnt stay that way for long ... today its supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny


----------



## Remaru

gingerkid said:


> Tell me about it.
> 
> 2014-11-18_08-44-09 by open_destiny, on Flickr
> 
> Also, every time you post a photo of Hank, Laurelin, I fall a little bit more in love with him. srsly. so handsome.


My cousin had a Sammie that would bounce into snowbanks and hide himself then pounce at you when you passed by. He thought he had invented the bestest game ever. He never lost the "puppy" even as a senior dog. 

Meanwhile in TX it is 72 degrees, it will probably be 80 today. I don't actually mind, if it isn't cold I don't feel as sick. My stomach has been flaring and I itch like crazy so anything to make me feel a little better I will take. I've considered climbing on top of my kids' jungle gym and laying there in the sun for a while. My doctor is not being helpful, he wants me to see an immunologist? He said he doesn't believe I can be allergic to just one dog breed/type and it must be an autoimmune issue.


----------



## gingerkid

That does sound like the best game ever!


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No no nooooooo I like where I live, it might get cold but it doesnt stay that way for long ... today its supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny




That sounds heavenly right now. This winter is so meh....I guess I am ready for spring! Last year was cold but sunny and we had plenty of snow to play in at least, it was a blast! This year has been so stinking gloomy. Seems like it is always cloudy and not much snow....no fun at all. Snowmobile trails never even opened up this year around here!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> That sounds heavenly right now. This winter is so meh....I guess I am ready for spring! Last year was cold but sunny and we had plenty of snow to play in at least, it was a blast! This year has been so stinking gloomy. Seems like it is always cloudy and not much snow....no fun at all. Snowmobile trails never even opened up this year around here!


Move down here! The only thing we ever get around here is rain, the same systems that bring you guys snow make rain for us.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Move down here! The only thing we ever get around here is rain, the same systems that bring you guys snow make rain for us.



I don't think Belle would do good in a warm climate. Last summer wasn't bad (wasn't overly warm) but the summer before was and she was always seeking out the shade. She LOVES winter though. Plus I would miss winter too and fall with our beautiful colors.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Snow camo!
> 
> hankpretty by summerpapillons, on Flickr


Wow, you guys get a lot of snow in OK, I didnt know you got that much! Nice pic, BTW


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Well I'll see all of you in four to five days! Off to the Boardwalk Kennel Club Dog Show again!!! Am super excited!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Well I'll see all of you in four to five days! Off to the Boardwalk Kennel Club Dog Show again!!! Am super excited!!


Have fun!!! Take lots of pics!


----------



## chimunga

I saw this gorgeous Belgian Sheppard at the dog park yesterday. And it was so unfortunate because the dog was really overweight bordering on obese. I've noticed a lot of really really fat dogs in my area. I understand people don't wanna take care of themselves, but it really strikes a nerve when they do the same thing to their dogs.


----------



## Miss Bugs

PSA

I know you think your being original by naming you dog Jax/Jaxon...STOP IT! you are NOT being original! today alone we had 4 boarding dogs named Jax, 4 Daycare dogs named Jax, a staff dog named Jax, a grooming dog named Jax, and that is not even half of the number of Jax's that we see on a regular basis alone. seriously Jax/Jaxon is MILES ahead of Max, Buddy, and Charlie or popularity in dogs names right now. we can't even use last initials anymore for identification because half of them have the same friggen last initial. please, stop it, pick a name 90% of the population has not already used.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Miss Bugs said:


> PSA
> 
> I know you think your being original by naming you dog Jax/Jaxon...STOP IT! you are NOT being original! today alone we had 4 boarding dogs named Jax, 4 Daycare dogs named Jax, a staff dog named Jax, a grooming dog named Jax, and that is not even half of the number of Jax's that we see on a regular basis alone. seriously Jax/Jaxon is MILES ahead of Max, Buddy, and Charlie or popularity in dogs names right now. we can't even use last initials anymore for identification because half of them have the same friggen last initial. please, stop it, pick a name 90% of the population has not already used.


I have yet to see a Jax at my work yet, actually! Buddy is very, very common though. Bella for girls. Must be location.


----------



## chimunga

There were THREE Bella's at the dog park yesterday. At the same time. Seriously. 

I think a rule before you name you dog (or child) is to look up the current most popular names. No one is as original as they think they are. 
http://dogtime.com/top-100-dog-names.html
https://www.rover.com/blog/2014-popular-dog-names/


----------



## momtolabs

So I'm pretty excited  I made a page on FB stating that I do a lot of pet sitting and I can help with training(it's clearly stated I hAve no Certificate just hands on experience and I may not know how to figure out a problem with some dogs). I already have 3 dogs lined up this summer for dog sitting and a few people PMing me and asking a few questions(all have been about potty training,lol). I just created it this evening as well. Which I know not to over-book and try to do something I can't but I'm still excited! One I'm really excited about she is a 3 year old pit bull and I'm FB friends with her owner and that dog is a goof,lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I have yet to see a Jax at my work yet, actually! Buddy is very, very common though. Bella for girls. Must be location.


really? years ago Jax was original, we had only like 1 Jax(a Pomeranian)..then about a year ago the name bag to explode, we had 4 puppies start daycare at the same time ALL of them named Jax- a Doberman, a Mastiff, a Shepherd mix, and a Poodle, then over the year we saw a few new Jax's here and there, but now its gotten to ridiculous levels, I thought "Charlie" and "Lucy", and "lily" and "Maggie" and "Max" and "Buddy" were stupid common(average of 4-5 per day), but Jax? frig, its more like 10 of them a day!

the staff member with a Jax,she said she thought she was sooo original when she named him, then she started working at the kennel and she was like "WTH?? half the dogs here are named Jax!" lol


----------



## kcomstoc

Miss Bugs said:


> really? years ago Jax was original, we had only like 1 Jax(a Pomeranian)..then about a year ago the name bag to explode, we had 4 puppies start daycare at the same time ALL of them named Jax- a Doberman, a Mastiff, a Shepherd mix, and a Poodle, then over the year we saw a few new Jax's here and there, but now its gotten to ridiculous levels, I thought "Charlie" and "Lucy", and "lily" and "Maggie" and "Max" and "Buddy" were stupid common(average of 4-5 per day), but Jax? frig, its more like 10 of them a day!
> 
> the staff member with a Jax,she said she thought she was sooo original when she named him, then she started working at the kennel and she was like "WTH?? half the dogs here are named Jax!" lol


There is a cleaner named aJAX and whenever I hear the name Jax all I can think of is the cleaner >.> so I don't really like the name Jax. NOT that I HATE the name and think it's the worst name ever but yea it's not up there for names I like


----------



## gingerkid

kcomstoc said:


> There is a cleaner named aJAX and whenever I hear the name Jax all I can think of is the cleaner >.> so I don't really like the name Jax. NOT that I HATE the name and think it's the worst name ever but yea it's not up there for names I like


I'm pretty sure the cleaner is named after the famous Trojan warrior.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Lol AJAX never crossed my mind  these dogs are all Jaxon shortened to Jax, apparently its a sons of anarchy character. Why its so popular here I don't get.. i mean we have a lot of Riders around here but that makes sense in Rider Nation. But a sons of anarchy character? Why would THAT be a regional thing? Lol


----------



## momtolabs

I forgot how much work a bunny is...... I've been bunny proofing my room for 2 days and he still finds something to chew up,lol


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Rant of the day.. "RESCUE" people.

I'm on a fb local private re-home pets group only to keep an eye on puppies that might come up. I do not want a spayed puppy, which is hard to find around here in rescue. I can barely tolerate being on that group because every other post that comes up is DRAMA. I mean.. so much drama I can't imagine good people that want to just find a private adoption will stick around very long. They call the pounds murderers because they have to euthanize for space. They hate anyone that ever breeds for any reason ever. They hate rescues that don't screen adopters.. you know.. the same places they call murderers. They think all Pits are big babies and can never be human or dog aggressive by nature ever. "Why would any1 evarr get a dog frum a breeder ever?! You can always find exactly what you want in rescue if u just look!" So much crazy.. so much drama.. can't handle it.

Also.. I don't know why it is so wrong to want a puppy over an adult. I'm sorry.. I just don't want an adult dog. Not that I think all adults have baggage but if I'm making a 15+ year commitment I'm getting what I want. I'm not having kids so I'm getting that dang puppy experience which is also big time bonding time for me. Even the rescue I volunteer for gets all snarky when people want puppies and not adults.


----------



## Willowy

> Even the rescue I volunteer for gets all snarky when people want puppies and not adults.


Well. . .I can totally see why. If you're up to your ears in teenage/adult dogs and everybody is like "ewww, who wants an icky not-cute-anymore dog? OMG puppeeezz!!!!" and you know half of those puppies will end up at a shelter/rescue when they aren't cute anymore. . .yeah. I understand.


----------



## kcomstoc

momtolabs said:


> I forgot how much work a bunny is...... I've been bunny proofing my room for 2 days and he still finds something to chew up,lol


 Yea they can find ANYTHING to chew on...you leave one thing out and they find it like that have some kind of secret sense (like secret bunny power of finding inappropriate chewing items)


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Willowy said:


> Well. . .I can totally see why. If you're up to your ears in teenage/adult dogs and everybody is like "ewww, who wants an icky not-cute-anymore dog? OMG puppeeezz!!!!" and you know half of those puppies will end up at a shelter/rescue when they aren't cute anymore. . .yeah. I understand.


Uhm.. I get that.. but that doesn't make it okay to be a snark butt about someone wanting a puppy over an adult if they are a responsible owner.


----------



## elrohwen

Breeding is getting close! We're waiting for progesterone levels to come back, but Watson's breeder thinks she will be ready on MOnday. Last time she had a smaller litter and they think she was bred a day late, so this time they want to be prepared. Still not sure if we're doing it at my house or her house ... my house would be easier on me since I don't have to travel, but her house would be less chaotic. So I dunno.

I also mentioned to her for the first time that we'd like a puppy from the litter, if a female is born who fits what I need. I'm waiting to see what she says. Somehow I think she's going to be excited and try to talk me into co-owning a breeding quality female. Haha. Not my plan at all, but she did talk me into showing and breeding Watson.


----------



## elrohwen

I told my breeder that I'd like a puppy from Watson's litter and, as I expectedshe is trying to talk me into a breeding quality female that she could get a litter from. lol I knew it. Still on the fence about it and it seems simpler to get a pet/sport prospect only, but I know that show homes don't come around every day.I told my breeder that I'd like a puppy from Watson's litter and, as I expectedshe is trying to talk me into a breeding quality female that she could get a litter from. lol I knew it. Still on the fence about it and it seems simpler to get a pet/sport prospect only, but I know that show homes don't come around every day.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Rant of the day.. "RESCUE" people.
> 
> I'm on a fb local private re-home pets group only to keep an eye on puppies that might come up. I do not want a spayed puppy, which is hard to find around here in rescue. I can barely tolerate being on that group because every other post that comes up is DRAMA. I mean.. so much drama I can't imagine good people that want to just find a private adoption will stick around very long. They call the pounds murderers because they have to euthanize for space. They hate anyone that ever breeds for any reason ever. They hate rescues that don't screen adopters.. you know.. the same places they call murderers. They think all Pits are big babies and can never be human or dog aggressive by nature ever. "Why would any1 evarr get a dog frum a breeder ever?! You can always find exactly what you want in rescue if u just look!" So much crazy.. so much drama.. can't handle it.
> 
> Also.. I don't know why it is so wrong to want a puppy over an adult. I'm sorry.. I just don't want an adult dog. Not that I think all adults have baggage but if I'm making a 15+ year commitment I'm getting what I want. I'm not having kids so I'm getting that dang puppy experience which is also big time bonding time for me. Even the rescue I volunteer for gets all snarky when people want puppies and not adults.


I was ousted from a group like that as well as unfriended by a few people because I bought Lincoln from a breeder, instead of rescuing, AND I plan not to neuter him ... double whammy :/. It sucks because it WAS a great group to network dogs through ... despite all the drama LOL


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

elrohwen said:


> Breeding is getting close! We're waiting for progesterone levels to come back, but Watson's breeder thinks she will be ready on MOnday. Last time she had a smaller litter and they think she was bred a day late, so this time they want to be prepared. Still not sure if we're doing it at my house or her house ... my house would be easier on me since I don't have to travel, but her house would be less chaotic. So I dunno.
> 
> I also mentioned to her for the first time that we'd like a puppy from the litter, if a female is born who fits what I need. I'm waiting to see what she says. Somehow I think she's going to be excited and try to talk me into co-owning a breeding quality female. Haha. Not my plan at all, but she did talk me into showing and breeding Watson.


So exciting! I can't wait to see pics of Watson puppies and your new -hopeful- girl!!


----------



## chimunga

Ugh. So my next door neighbors yard is filled with dog poop. And not acceptable levels. I understand some dog poop in your yard. It happens. That's cool. But we share a fence, and the smell wafts into my yard. We live on base, and I'm really resisting the urge to be that a-hole that reports them to the housing authority. Because it's seriously gross. And it's supposed to snow this weekend. So they're not going to pick up the poops, and then the dogs are gonna poop on top of the snow. And when the snow melts, it's gonna be even worse. 

Also they have a pug, and it looks like he has a pretty bad eye infection.


----------



## kcomstoc

chimunga said:


> Ugh. So my next door neighbors yard is filled with dog poop. And not acceptable levels. I understand some dog poop in your yard. It happens. That's cool. But we share a fence, and the smell wafts into my yard. We live on base, and I'm really resisting the urge to be that a-hole that reports them to the housing authority. Because it's seriously gross. And it's supposed to snow this weekend. So they're not going to pick up the poops, and then the dogs are gonna poop on top of the snow. And when the snow melts, it's gonna be even worse.
> 
> Also they have a pug, and it looks like he has a pretty bad eye infection.


Did you try to notify the people? Like hey you really gotta clean that up because it's really starting to smell. If it's not done then I'll have to notify the house association


----------



## chimunga

kcomstoc said:


> Did you try to notify the people? Like hey you really gotta clean that up because it's really starting to smell. If it's not done then I'll have to notify the house association


No..... Cause that would make sense. 

I'm terrified of neighbors. Not _my _neighbors. Just neighbors in general.


----------



## kcomstoc

chimunga said:


> No..... Cause that would make sense.
> 
> I'm terrified of neighbors. Not _my _neighbors. Just neighbors in general.


Oh lol that's ok, I'm the same way....that's why I have my BF do it >.>


----------



## gingerkid

chimunga said:


> No..... Cause that would make sense.
> 
> I'm terrified of neighbors. Not _my _neighbors. Just neighbors in general.


I feel you.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola had her vet visit and Parvo shot today  her fur is so thick the vet actually had a hard time giving her the shot, she couldn't find skin! Everywhere she parted was just more hair lol. Have to say "breeder contract" best shut down phrase ever! Previous dogs i would have to argue with the vets, no I'm not giving my dog hills, yes the vaccination schedule i said is what i want, this is when my spaying etc.. this time as soon as the vet started listing off reccomendations i said "breeder contract" and she immediately shut up and just asked what the breeder reccomendations were, i told her and she was totally fine with it  i wish i had that card in my back pocket in the past haha


----------



## gingerkid

OMG. My foster puppy has two dew claws on one of her back feet!


----------



## Remaru

Really Hobgoblin? In the past two days he has eaten the frame around my front door (I gate him in the entry way while we are gone because he pees if I leave him in a crate) then today he peed on the living room floor twice. Ugh!!!! He's being such a butt head. I don't enjoy adolescence at all.


----------



## jade5280

Yay we're pre approved. Now we can start house shopping. We're going to be looking this Sunday at a few. 

Also CAT FUR is the worst. My 8lb cat sheds more than my 2 dogs. The fur is just everywhere.


----------



## taquitos

jade5280 said:


> Yay we're pre approved. Now we can start house shopping. We're going to be looking this Sunday at a few.
> 
> Also CAT FUR is the worst. My 8lb cat sheds more than my 2 dogs. The fur is just everywhere.


Haha yes cats are always so much worse. When future pet sitting clients come visit my home they always ask me about Meeko and how much he sheds, etc. because of his long hair... but he sheds SO much less than the cats lol!

I have three cats. One is an orange tabby, one is a brown tabby, and the last is black... so it doesn't matter what color clothing I wear you can always see cat hair LOL 

And congrats!


----------



## elrohwen

My 4.5lb rabbit sheds way more than the dog. There is no time of the year you can pet him without fur flying, and twice a year he gets way worse.

Strangely, my other rabbit hardly sheds at all, but still more than the dog.


----------



## kcomstoc

elrohwen said:


> My 4.5lb rabbit sheds way more than the dog. There is no time of the year you can pet him without fur flying, and twice a year he gets way worse.
> 
> Strangely, my other rabbit hardly sheds at all, but still more than the dog.


Caleb *3 lbs* and Gamgee *5.5 lbs* both shed WAY worse than Jake *25.6 lbs*, Caleb sheds worse than Gamgee though. So it seems the smaller the animal the more they shed >.> (I know that's not specifically true but rabbits shed a whole lot)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH Lincoln's ears are standing higher and higher every day ... like ... it seems as though less and less is folded down every time I look at him. Oh how I am PRAYING that this is just him going in to teething (he is almost 5 mos) and NOT his ears going prick ... because if they prick I am screwed. :frusty:


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH Lincoln's ears are standing higher and higher every day ... like ... it seems as though less and less is folded down every time I look at him. Oh how I am PRAYING that this is just him going in to teething (he is almost 5 mos) and NOT his ears going prick ... because if they prick I am screwed. :frusty:


why is ear pricking bad?


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH Lincoln's ears are standing higher and higher every day ... like ... it seems as though less and less is folded down every time I look at him. Oh how I am PRAYING that this is just him going in to teething (he is almost 5 mos) and NOT his ears going prick ... because if they prick I am screwed. :frusty:


Why is that so bad?


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH Lincoln's ears are standing higher and higher every day ... like ... it seems as though less and less is folded down every time I look at him. Oh how I am PRAYING that this is just him going in to teething (he is almost 5 mos) and NOT his ears going prick ... because if they prick I am screwed. :frusty:


Why don't you tape/glue if it matters that much?


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH Lincoln's ears are standing higher and higher every day ... like ... it seems as though less and less is folded down every time I look at him. Oh how I am PRAYING that this is just him going in to teething (he is almost 5 mos) and NOT his ears going prick ... because if they prick I am screwed. :frusty:



Wondering too, why that is bad??


----------



## ireth0

If I remember correctly, I -think- she was potentially considering using him as a stud if he was of good enough standard/quality (I'm not sure what the terminology should be).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> Wondering too, why that is bad??


Pricked ears are frowned upon in the breed standard, they are allowed but faulted, not as much as other faults, but they are still faulted. I have also known people who have religiously taped their puppy's ears and they still went up LOL. I dont know why he is doing this ... none of his lineage has pricked ears :/.

He is starting teething, I am hoping this is just because of that ... he has already lost his front-most teeth (forget what those are called, the ones at the front btw the canines).

Here is a picture of him I took today:


----------



## ireth0

I think the question was; why would you be 'screwed' if his ears turn out not to standard?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ireth0 said:


> I think the question was; why would you be 'screwed' if his ears turn out not to standard?


Because I want to show him and possibly (if everything works out) eventually breed him, but if his ears arent to standard ... it might put a hamper on that. Its not a deal breaker per say, but still it would be unfortunate. When Bear was a puppy (the JRT) his ears started to look just like this when he went through teething and I also freaked out, because pricked ears in JRTs is a disqualifying fault, but they ended up turning into what they call "rose ears" which isnt preferred, but it is accepted (at least in the JRTCA standard ... dont know about AKC).


----------



## momtolabs

I just bought a car off of a friend(04 Grand Prix) and I took a crate with me to see if it would fit in the back seat....... My friend thought I was crazy,haha.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I just bought a car off of a friend(04 Grand Prix) and I took a crate with me to see if it would fit in the back seat....... My friend thought I was crazy,haha.


LOL sounds like something I did ... I bought my truck because it had leather (easier to clean up dog messes ) and it was a large four door, easier to get the dogs out of LOL


----------



## BellaPup

jade5280 said:


> Yay we're pre approved. Now we can start house shopping. We're going to be looking this Sunday at a few.
> 
> Also CAT FUR is the worst. My 8lb cat sheds more than my 2 dogs. The fur is just everywhere.


Yay!! I was gonna ask you how that was going! Congrats!  (this should be in the "Joyful Things Happening" thread!)

I love kitties...hate the fur. My mom has a cat with almost Angora-type fur. Sticks to *everything* and will not come off...like it threads itself into the smallest, closest knit fabrics. He's lucky he's pretty!


----------



## CptJack

So, Wednesday Jack goes in to have a tooth extracted, get a dental, have a tumor removed and while we're in there doing the rest of that stuff be neutered. He'll get dropped off on my husband's way to work and picked up on his way home. 

Think good thoughts.


----------



## Laurelin

Boarded dogs for first time in about three years. Mia and hank successfully made me feel like the biggest jerk on the planet. 

At least Summer didn't act like I was killing her.


----------



## Willowy

I saw flocks of geese flying NORTH all day today. Not normal mass migration numbers but more than a few. I wonder if they know something or are just a bunch of silly geese?


----------



## Laurelin

I saw TONS of geese today too. Just tons and tons but they were going northeast. I actually noticed it this morning. There were just tons of flocks.


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Because I want to show him and possibly (if everything works out) eventually breed him, but if his ears arent to standard ... it might put a hamper on that. Its not a deal breaker per say, but still it would be unfortunate. When Bear was a puppy (the JRT) his ears started to look just like this when he went through teething and I also freaked out, because pricked ears in JRTs is a disqualifying fault, but they ended up turning into what they call "rose ears" which isnt preferred, but it is accepted (at least in the JRTCA standard ... dont know about AKC).


I'd be curious to know what the reasoning is of having pricked ear be a fault? Does it lessen his ability to do his job? Personally, I think it's kind of weird when herding or working dogs have physical standards like that. As long as it doesn't hinder his job, his health, or the general aesthetic of the breed, does it really matter? Prick eared aussies still look like aussies.


----------



## elrohwen

Glue/tape his ears. Lots of people do it. It's not a big deal.


----------



## jade5280

BellaPup said:


> Yay!! I was gonna ask you how that was going! Congrats!  (this should be in the "Joyful Things Happening" thread!)
> 
> I love kitties...hate the fur. My mom has a cat with almost Angora-type fur. Sticks to *everything* and will not come off...like it threads itself into the smallest, closest knit fabrics. He's lucky he's pretty!


Thanks! SO ended up transferring to his company's Bow, NH location instead of Rochester. So we're not quite on the coast lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> I saw flocks of geese flying NORTH all day today. Not normal mass migration numbers but more than a few. I wonder if they know something or are just a bunch of silly geese?


I havent seen any, maybe I missed them? Or maybe they think its too cold, here too LOL LOL

As for his ears, I really dont want to have to tape or glue them he would hate it LOL and might cause damage to them trying to scratch them off, I have known people who have done this with JRTs and they ended up with hematomas on their ears from scratching at them because they were taped or glued. Of course there is always a cone of shame, but I hate the cone of shame. I have talked to other aussie people and they say that he doesnt look like I have anything to worry about, he has just started teething (hes lost his upper canines and most of his front incisors) so they assure me most of his ear craziness is due to that and they will settle down once teething calms down.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Facebook pages messenger should be like..cut off lol. I cannot even begin to explain how many people try to make bookings for their dogs though Facebook! Iv even had people PRIVET MESSEGE me at 10pm to ask questions about work. How is this appropriate? Then this woman sends a message asking for an update on her dog. I answered "please phone as few staff have access to this messenger" because I am one of the only staff members with access to the messenger and I'M NOT THERE! She responds "I can't phone. Sorry for the inconvenience..." like..again.. I can't help you, I ain't friggen THERE, I'm not going to work on my day off to check on your dog and I am not doing the legwork of phoning work to ask the staff working how this dog is doing so i can answer her question on my days off. I'm not in again till Monday Afternoon! Like since when is it appropriate to get off huffy with a buisness when you contact the staff members OUTSIDE of work and they politely tell you to contact the buisness itself so you can talk to staff who are actually working and able to help you?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I turn off my notifications for messenger when I go to bed, or else it would be going off all night (friends in different time zones).

Lincoln is offically teething, he has lost most of his front incisors, and both of his upper canines, I guess I will have to start calling him "toothless" (after hiccup's dragon in "how to train your dragon") LOL LOL. Also he sat down and showed off his "red rocket" for the first time ... ugh I guess that means he is growing up -_-


----------



## BellaPup

jade5280 said:


> Thanks! SO ended up transferring to his company's Bow, NH location instead of Rochester. So we're not quite on the coast lol.


 Well...Bow is nice. Probably much nicer than what we lovingly refer to as "Crotchfester"! LOL Congrats to you both!!


----------



## chimunga

We keep nerf guns in our ottoman in the living room. We have a lot of nerf guns. Like, alot. So, my husband decided today that he was gonna open the ottoman and throw a bunch on the floor. He was just messing around with them. And.... now Watson is scared of the ottoman. It's closed again now, and he keep barking at it. SMDH.


----------



## momtolabs

Mia is driving me nuts with wanting to go for a walk so I threw her, her bones she normally only gets when I leave for school...... Biggest mistake ever -_- she is loud and annoying with it and keeps picking it up and then dropping it on the ground. I kind of regret loaning her crate to my aunt or I would put her in it,lol. She didnt go on a walk today since I had to work then I was cleaning since I had to bake for a bake sale at church tomorrow. You would think the world was ending!!!


----------



## kcomstoc

chimunga said:


> We keep nerf guns in our ottoman in the living room. We have a lot of nerf guns. Like, alot. So, my husband decided today that he was gonna open the ottoman and throw a bunch on the floor. He was just messing around with them. And.... now Watson is scared of the ottoman. It's closed again now, and he keep barking at it. SMDH.


Jake doesn't like nerf guns either...I think someone used to shot them at him (I didn't get Jake until he was 6 so I don't really know his past too well) so even though we have one we usually just keep it away from him because when we hold it he runs and tries to get into the bedroom or hides under the coffee table  poor guy


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

If I shot a nerf anything at Josefina she would just chase down and retrieve the projectile LOL


----------



## chimunga

kcomstoc said:


> Jake doesn't like nerf guns either...I think someone used to shot them at him (I didn't get Jake until he was 6 so I don't really know his past too well) so even though we have one we usually just keep it away from him because when we hold it he runs and tries to get into the bedroom or hides under the coffee table  poor guy





OwnedbyACDs said:


> If I shot a nerf anything at Josefina she would just chase down and retrieve the projectile LOL


He's not scared of the guns. He's used to those. I just don't think he realized that the ottoman opened. Now it does this thing that he didn't know about, and it's freaking him out. He seems to have calmed down. He huffed at it once this morning, but nothing after that. 

And yeah, my husband has shot him with nerf guns before. All he does is try to eat the dart. He has probably managed to eat atleast 3 in his short life.


----------



## Flaming

OwnedbyACDs said:


> If I shot a nerf anything at Josefina she would just chase down and retrieve the projectile LOL


This for both dogs and my cat.


----------



## GrinningDog

Took Gypsy to a doggy festival this weekend. She had a grand ol' time. Got a bunch of free stuff, met tons of new people and dogs. We watched a disc dog performance, and went up afterward to talk to them. They were impressed with Gyp and taught me, right there at the festival, how to train Gypsy to do a back vault. Fun!

Then we won the festival's trick contest and went home with a huge bag of stuff, including a purple plushie bear-monkey-thing. Gypsy's been carrying it around since yesterday. Proudly, I swear. I think she knows she won it.  Haha.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Mia is driving me nuts with wanting to go for a walk so I threw her, her bones she normally only gets when I leave for school...... Biggest mistake ever -_- she is loud and annoying with it and keeps picking it up and then dropping it on the ground. I kind of regret loaning her crate to my aunt or I would put her in it,lol. She didnt go on a walk today since I had to work then I was cleaning since I had to bake for a bake sale at church tomorrow. You would think the world was ending!!!


Lincoln has this bone that he LOVES with a crinkley thing in it, so all night it sounds like someone is stepping on a empty soda bottle, until he gets tired and goes to sleep. It ... well lets say it took some getting used to LOL, now, the squeaky type noise of him chewing on his kong is more annoying now than the "crinkle crinkle" sound.


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lincoln has this bone that he LOVES with a crinkley thing in it, so all night it sounds like someone is stepping on a empty soda bottle, until he gets tired and goes to sleep. It ... well lets say it took some getting used to LOL, now, the squeaky type noise of him chewing on his kong is more annoying now than the "crinkle crinkle" sound.


Crinly toys were the first toy Watson ever started to like. He would not play with any toy that wasn't crinkly till he was like 4 months old.


----------



## chimunga

Lol. I went to Petco to get Watson a new bed. He is officially too big for his original one. I was worried he was gonna have problems, since he's had the old one since 9 weeks. Nope. Not a care in the world. Plopped right in there. Maybe he just doesn't care, since it's the same bed, only bigger.


----------



## notgaga

No, roommate, I don't mind taking care of your annoying yappy bitey grumpy velcro dog who pees in the house all the time for another night while you're on vacation. But it just would've been swell for you to actually inform me of your last minute decision to delay your return. Instead of just, what, waiting for me to ask you if you were showing up today?

Inconsiderate.


----------



## momtolabs

Okay this is something petty to be annoyed at but I'm in a bad mood so I'm ranting,lol. I have a cousin that has nothing to do with the family. She used to live with her dad, got into drugs went crazy called DCFS on him moved out to another cousins house, got kicked out of there for having drugs around Cousin 2s kids, stayed with me for a week until my dad caught her stealing out of my dogs vet jar(jar with change and some dollar bills incase I'm on vacation and dog sitter needs to take them to the vet. We keep $200 in there at all times. So she was kicked out since mysteriously when she moved in my dad had cigarettes go missing and alcohol also went missing. So she moved in with her mom got kicked out, went to her dads and then went back to her moms. To just have gotten kicked out and left. So she is a pretty troubled kid. I have tried to stay friendly with her and keep her up to date on things happening. Now it's gotten to the point anytime she contacts me its for money. She claims its for her dog but I know it's for drugs. I personally paid for her dog to get spayed, shots,microchipped and have bought bags of food for her. I don't really have extra money laying around, especially right now. It's gotten to the point I know she is using me and I've given up and don't reply. Well it's tax time and her W-2 was mailed to my grandmas house and well she has nothing to do with her so gave it to me to give to her. I've texted,called, told her on FB ect. And no reply. It's been 5 days. So I don't really know what to do with it except put it in my files so I don't loose it. I have no idea where she is living right now or at this point if she is even still alive(horrible to say but it's the truth). I hate that she is this way. We are only a few months apart so grew up being really close to each other. When she turned 13 everything went downhill for her. I was going threw a few picture albums back to the "happier" times and was in tears. I miss those times and want them back. I've tried talking to her but she usually gets mad and takes off. She is going down the exact same path as her dad and now her dad is back on drugs which isn't helping shape her up any. I just hate that it's gotten to the point it has


----------



## Pasarella

I am so DUMB!So very DUMB! I was supposed to reserve a room for us in Vilnius(a dog show will happen there),at 6.-8. March.What I did?I reserved that damn room to February!And I realized that only now,when I'm supposed to check in after 4 days.Luckily they have 3 free rooms to the dates I need,but I will have to pay for canceling the reservation...I'm so dumb I can't stand it. I always have been bad at timing. If I have to be somewhere at,lets say 13.30 I will take a buss at 13.30 thinking that after 40 minutes I will be there,so I will have 20 minutes to get there.And then,when I'm already in the buss,already late,I'm like "wait...s*it!I'm supposed to be there by now,not just be on my way there!".So I'm one hour late.If this hotel wouldn't send me reminder I would have been one month late.I'm the dumbest dumb ever!Would like to hit my head against the wall!OMG,how can some one be so dumb....


----------



## jade5280

I'm already feeling burnt out from this semester. Essay after essay after essay.


----------



## jade5280

BellaPup said:


> Well...Bow is nice. Probably much nicer than what we lovingly refer to as "Crotchfester"! LOL Congrats to you both!!


 Haha omg I know right? If he did get the job there then we would have moved somewhere near Rochester, but definitely not in Rochester.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lincoln has this bone that he LOVES with a crinkley thing in it, so all night it sounds like someone is stepping on a empty soda bottle, until he gets tired and goes to sleep. It ... well lets say it took some getting used to LOL, now, the squeaky type noise of him chewing on his kong is more annoying now than the "crinkle crinkle" sound.


Faxon would chew on a Hoof i got her all night and it was horribly obnoxious so i had to take it from her... well she was a very hardcore rger so it was a matter of distract with treat and snatch lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CRAP I cant find some DVDs I dont know where in the heck they could be ... and its the X Files, too and I had all but two seasons ... and I cant find ANY of them   sooooooo much sad, its one of my favorite shows


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> CRAP I cant find some DVDs I dont know where in the heck they could be ... and its the X Files, too and I had all but two seasons ... and I cant find ANY of them   sooooooo much sad, its one of my favorite shows



I loved that show!


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Not dog related, but it is a rant. 
I gave blood today, they had to stab both arms because the first one didn't bleed enough and we started over from the beginning with the other arm. 
That's fine, cool, everyone messes up, ok. 
So try two, apperiently I have a tendon overlying that vein in my right arm so they decide to do a teeny tiny side vein. It usually takes me 5 or 6 minutes to bleed enough then I'm done. It took 22 minutes because they chose such a tiny vein.
Ok, so that arm didn't have many choices. I'm fine, they did their best right?
Here's the kicker, I take the vet wrap type stuff off and look down at the gauze and tape AND THEY MISSED! The gauze was placed next to the open wound and tape was placed covering the hole. How does that even happen? Your one job is to put the gauze on the bleeding hole and tape it to my arm! How was that difficult? How did she miss?
I mean I will admit, I was fading in and out of consciousness and overheating amd trying to vomit but there were three people there, two to take care of me and one to get the needle out and tape the gauze to my arm and apply pressure. (i couldn't because my hands were completely numb I couldn't even fully extend the fingers of the blood letting arms hand.). Last time I donated it went swimmingly, but now I'm back the the usual story. I walked in at 200, I was in the chair done with the paperwork and ready to bleed by 215. I didn't walk out of there until 430...


----------



## dogsule

KodiBarracuda said:


> Not dog related, but it is a rant.
> I gave blood today, they had to stab both arms because the first one didn't bleed enough and we started over from the beginning with the other arm.
> That's fine, cool, everyone messes up, ok.
> So try two, apperiently I have a tendon overlying that vein in my right arm so they decide to do a teeny tiny side vein. It usually takes me 5 or 6 minutes to bleed enough then I'm done. It took 22 minutes because they chose such a tiny vein.
> Ok, so that arm didn't have many choices. I'm fine, they did their best right?
> Here's the kicker, I take the vet wrap type stuff off and look down at the gauze and tape AND THEY MISSED! The gauze was placed next to the open wound and tape was placed covering the hole. How does that even happen? Your one job is to put the gauze on the bleeding hole and tape it to my arm! How was that difficult? How did she miss?
> I mean I will admit, I was fading in and out of consciousness and overheating amd trying to vomit but there were three people there, two to take care of me and one to get the needle out and tape the gauze to my arm and apply pressure. (i couldn't because my hands were completely numb I couldn't even fully extend the fingers of the blood letting arms hand.). Last time I donated it went swimmingly, but now I'm back the the usual story. I walked in at 200, I was in the chair done with the paperwork and ready to bleed by 215. I didn't walk out of there until 430...



I gave blood once, only once because it was such a negative experience that I never wanted to do it again. Some of those people just should not be trying to put a needle in someones vein when they don't know what they are doing. It took the person forever to even get that damn big needle in my vein and man did it hurt, spent 20 agonizing minutes hooked up to that thing only for another person to come over (after noticing the grimace on my face) and realize the needle wasn't in right so the blood that did actually come out (about half what was needed) had to get thrown away! Ugh! I could sit there in pain knowing my blood might do some good but to sit there in pain that long and then no good comes of it. Ugh! I had a huge bruise on my arm after that too, about 8 inches of my arm was bruised...I guess most of the blood was going in my arm, not the bag. Idiots!


----------



## Kyllobernese

I know how you feel. I recently went into the hospital for angioplasty on both my legs. Both days, they poked holes in me at least twice on both arms before they finally got any blood. On the first night they left the needle in so they would not have to do it again the next day but it bled a bit back into the needle so then they could not use it again and had to start poking holes in my again. I had bruises on my hands, arms etc. when they were finished. I used to give blood and they never had any problem getting a vein and I go in for a lot of blood tests and they have yet to have any problem.


----------



## kcomstoc

I'm lucky I guess because I give blood a lot (well as often as I can) and it's always fine. I never get a bruise or anything. Actually my first experience was probably the best because I was so nervous and the guy was just awesome. He made me laugh and relax and he got it in one stick  I'm sorry you guys had bad experiences


----------



## Kayota

The first time I gave blood my arm hurt for months and it became the last time I gave blood.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> I loved that show!


I love it because there arent character relationships like the one Mulder and Scully had anymore, like I love the whole unrequited love thing, you know? But it was a "special" kind of bond they had, it was so cute, and these days shows have everyone sleeping with everyone else like ... right off the bat and I hate it  I miss the days when characters had "real" relationships ... maybe I am just old fashioned haha


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I'm envious of anyone who has the guts to give blood. Good for you!

I panic like a little sissy just getting my blood drawn for testing. I will probably never give blood and am a horrible person.


----------



## momtolabs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I'm envious of anyone who has the guts to give blood. Good for you!
> 
> I panic like a little sissy just getting my blood drawn for testing. I will probably never give blood and am a horrible person.


I hate needles. Like almost faint at the sight of them hate,lol. After aging a family member that needed blood that's why I started to donate. But then I stopped because if I'm going to let someone poke me for free blood transfusion better start becoming free...... Yup I'm one of those people  Injust hate seeing people spend thousands on something that was donated


----------



## Remaru

I can't watch it be done but I don't mind actually doing it. The technician at my doctor's office who draws my blood teases me because I am almost covered in tattoos but won't watch her put the needle in my arm. In my defense I have rolling veins which makes a blood draw somewhat tricky and have had really traumatic experiences in the past with not so awesome technicians in the hospitals. I've come out with my arms so black and blue I looked like I had been in a car wreck because they just couldn't find my veins, only worse if they start digging....wahhhhh.... She is really great though, always gets it on the first shot. Just teases me. I am a universal donor so I used to give regularly (everyone wants the O- LOL) but since a couple of health diagnosis plus my epilepsy meds that apparently make my blood toxic I can't anymore. I have threatened to get a biohazard tattoo.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Test results are back,& Jazzy has Ringworm, nothing serious, which such a relief. Now Nika is diagonosed with it, too

Ringworm is such a pain in the rear. Everything needs to be cleaned. Bleached. Worst of all, they both need to be quarantined. 

This'll be fun.:doh:


----------



## d_ray

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Test results are back,& Jazzy has Ringworm, nothing serious, which such a relief. Now Nika is diagonosed with it, too
> 
> Ringworm is such a pain in the rear. Everything needs to be cleaned. Bleached. Worst of all, they both need to be quarantined.
> 
> This'll be fun.:doh:


Sorry to hear. Hope they recover quickly! Hugs


----------



## d_ray

Jewel treed a raccoon last night on our hike. I heard this crazy yelping and thought Jewel was seriously injured as she was crying like she was being tortured. I caught up to her and was relieved that she was just freaking out over the raccoon. The raccoon was hanging on for dear life on a branch. Lets just say it took two of us to drag her away from that raccoon and she wasn't unleashed until we got home. Luckily it was gone this morning.

Little sweet Jazz was just bouncing like a kangaroo wondering what all the commotion was about. Clearly Jewel is more of a hunter.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I have FOUND my X files collection!!! Oh, happy day! Thats where I was all day yesterday ... and thats where I will be all day today too haha


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> Jewel treed a raccoon last night on our hike. I heard this crazy yelping and thought Jewel was seriously injured as she was crying like she was being tortured. I caught up to her and was relieved that she was just freaking out over the raccoon. The raccoon was hanging on for dear life on a branch. Lets just say it took two of us to drag her away from that raccoon and she wasn't unleashed until we got home. Luckily it was gone this morning.
> 
> Little sweet Jazz was just bouncing like a kangaroo wondering what all the commotion was about. Clearly Jewel is more of a hunter.


 Lol! I would love to take mine raccoon hunting, but would be so afraid to let them off leash. I would need to buy those fancy GPS collars for them. I could never kill one though.


----------



## CptJack

clean run sells raccoon tails now. 

Just saying.


----------



## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> Lol! I would love to take mine raccoon hunting, but would be so afraid to let them off leash. I would need to buy those fancy GPS collars for them. I could never kill one though.


You'd probably be surprised at how well they would do off leash. Mine both have a crazy prey drive, but I allow them to chase and they come back as soon as they lose the trail. Except in the raccoon case, but I could hear Jewel for miles lol. Mine both stray but are great at checking back in with me and come when they are called. The Brittany we hike with wears a bell and the pointer wears an e collar and comes back as soon as his owner makes a tone. They both hunt with their dogs though. I couldn't imagine not letting my two crazy girls off leash. I don't think i'd have a house left lol


----------



## elrohwen

d_ray said:


> You'd probably be surprised at how well they would do off leash. Mine both have a crazy prey drive, but I allow them to chase and they come back as soon as they lose the trail. Except in the raccoon case, but I could hear Jewel for miles lol. Mine both stray but are great at checking back in with me and come when they are called. The Brittany we hike with wears a bell and the pointer wears an e collar and comes back as soon as his owner makes a tone. They both hunt with their dogs though. I couldn't imagine not letting my two crazy girls off leash. I don't think i'd have a house left lol


Once Watson chased a deer trail and was gone for 20min. This was on/near our property, so he wasn't lost either. Then the last time he trailed a deer his long line caught on a root so we caught up to him.

He doesn't even chase actual deer. I don't know the last time he's seen a live deer. He follows deer trails that may be a couple hours old so it's hard to predict when he will take off. 

Some dogs are just not safe to let off leash, at least not without a lot of conditions being met (like sufficient land far away from roads, no obvious deer around, etc)


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Once Watson chased a deer trail and was gone for 20min. This was on/near our property, so he wasn't lost either. Then the last time he trailed a deer his long line caught on a root so we caught up to him.
> 
> He doesn't even chase actual deer. I don't know the last time he's seen a live deer. He follows deer trails that may be a couple hours old so it's hard to predict when he will take off.
> 
> Some dogs are just not safe to let off leash, at least not without a lot of conditions being met (like sufficient land far away from roads, no obvious deer around, etc)



THIS THIS THIS.

I am all about letting my dogs off leash, but when you have a dog who takes off and 'checks back in periodically' rather than recalling like a shot out of a canon and staying in sight, then you need to be danged sure you can track the dog somehow/its well IDed and are prepared for it NOT making it back, as well as sure the terrain itself is safe.

For me, checking back in periodically but going out of sight is not off leash reliable. It doesn't meet my criteria and I wouldn't let my dogs off leash with those kinds of skills. I don't think it's a problem that you do, just different benefit/risk ratio, but. 

No way, no how, would I be advising anyone with scent hounds (or most other scent driven dogs) to do it without a GPS collar AND being in a very, very remote locations (no roads, no residential areas within miles).


----------



## d_ray

elrohwen said:


> Once Watson chased a deer trail and was gone for 20min. This was on/near our property, so he wasn't lost either. Then the last time he trailed a deer his long line caught on a root so we caught up to him.
> 
> He doesn't even chase actual deer. I don't know the last time he's seen a live deer. He follows deer trails that may be a couple hours old so it's hard to predict when he will take off.
> 
> Some dogs are just not safe to let off leash, at least not without a lot of conditions being met (like sufficient land far away from roads, no obvious deer around, etc)


Good point. We hike where there are no roads anywhere around. Also, no deer. The only things to chase are birds, squirrels, raccoon, rabbits. Some dogs naturally stick close to their owners and I think it has a lot to do with the Catahoula's hunting style.


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> THIS THIS THIS.
> 
> I am all about letting my dogs off leash, but when you have a dog who takes off and 'checks back in periodically' rather than recalling like a shot out of a canon and staying in sight, then you need to be danged sure you can track the dog somehow/its well IDed and are prepared for it NOT making it back, as well as sure the terrain itself is safe.
> 
> For me, checking back in periodically but going out of sight is not off leash reliable. It doesn't meet my criteria and I wouldn't let my dogs off leash with those kinds of skills. I don't think it's a problem that you do, just different benefit/risk ratio, but.
> 
> No way, no how, would I be advising anyone with scent hounds (or most other scent driven dogs) to do it without a GPS collar AND being in a very, very remote locations (no roads, no residential areas within miles).


I wasn't advising Jade, just saying she may be surprised that they wouldn't be as bad as she thought. I also know she knows her dogs well. Just sharing my experience.


----------



## momtolabs

Nothing like buying a car and then getting a nail in the tire two days later..... Thank goodness our small town mechanic knows me and only charged me $10 to get it fixed!!


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> THIS THIS THIS.
> 
> I am all about letting my dogs off leash, but when you have a dog who takes off and 'checks back in periodically' rather than recalling like a shot out of a canon and staying in sight, then you need to be danged sure you can track the dog somehow/its well IDed and are prepared for it NOT making it back, as well as sure the terrain itself is safe.
> 
> For me, checking back in periodically but going out of sight is not off leash reliable. It doesn't meet my criteria and I wouldn't let my dogs off leash with those kinds of skills. I don't think it's a problem that you do, just different benefit/risk ratio, but.
> 
> No way, no how, would I be advising anyone with scent hounds (or most other scent driven dogs) to do it without a GPS collar AND being in a very, very remote locations (no roads, no residential areas within miles).


Agreed. I actually broke down and ordered an ecollar, so we'll see how that goes. His recall is so good now, but only if there is no fresh deer trail to follow. Once he catches the scent, I really don't think he can hear me any more until he gets his brain back, so I'm hoping that the ecollar will be able to get through to him. At this point I don't think it's about his recall not being good - when he hears me he comes back like a shot, and he doesn't look back and then blow me off - he really acts like he just can't hear me and it's quite possible that he can't when he's that absorbed in tracking a smell. He's quite scent hound like sometimes, though I think he's probably more biddable than a hound when there aren't animal scents around.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Agreed. I actually broke down and ordered an ecollar, so we'll see how that goes. His recall is so good now, but only if there is no fresh deer trail to follow. Once he catches the scent, I really don't think he can hear me any more until he gets his brain back, so I'm hoping that the ecollar will be able to get through to him. At this point I don't think it's about his recall not being good - when he hears me he comes back like a shot, and he doesn't look back and then blow me off - he really acts like he just can't hear me and it's quite possible that he can't when he's that absorbed in tracking a smell. He's quite scent hound like sometimes, though I think he's probably more biddable than a hound when there aren't animal scents around.


Oh, yeah, there's more at play than training, that's for sure. Actual performance depends on being more valuable than whatever, on some level, and when you're competing with something INVISIBLE to you (the human trainer) that the dog is driven by and has the importance of hardwired into them? Yeah. That's just - Nope, no way would I trust that without SOMETHING to back me up and act as a safety net.


----------



## CptJack

Waiting for Jack to get home from the vet. It should be about another hour. They called around 3 and said he did well in the surgery and is fine, but I'm still anxious to get him home. He's such a quiet, unassuming dog that sometimes he gets a little lost in the shuffle but man him being gone today has illustrated that he might be quiet but he has a LOT of presence here.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> clean run sells raccoon tails now.
> 
> Just saying.


 Niiiice! I'm going to order one. I ordered a moo tug and I'm surprised at how much Ryker likes it. It's so awesome for tugging because it doesn't hurt my hands. Ryker chewed up the rope part but its still functional without it.


d_ray said:


> I wasn't advising Jade, just saying she may be surprised that they wouldn't be as bad as she thought. I also know she knows her dogs well. Just sharing my experience.


I know where you're coming from. Ryker CAN be off leash, and he WILL come back, at some point when he wants to. I'm sure Gypsy would be the same, but they could cover miles in a very short time if they got onto a scent and could easily run into a road and get hit by a car. And whenever Ryker ran off I would get so anxious and worried that something would happen that it's just not worth it to me. At least with raccoon hunting you know that they will follow the raccoon and that the raccoon is going to run up a tree and that's where the dogs will go, not like them running after a deer and into a road.


----------



## CptJack

Oh god, I fee so bad for jack. He is black and blue from his neuter and ended up with staples from the lump removal. His teeth, minus the stitches and hole are all nice and pretty though.


----------



## momtolabs

It's snowing nd looks like fun to play outside but Mia and I can't go out because there is an intact male hound mix running around right now and Mia is in heat  Don't want to risk anything. Blah.


----------



## luv mi pets

Some of my dogs do great off leash and others (Mowgli) I would not trust off leash at all. I did try him off leash once and what a disaster. He was wearing a bell and an e-collar. Forgot to charge e-collar prior to outing so battery died. My fault. Lesson learned. It was kind of a spur of the moment meet a friend at a forest preserve. out in the open and let Mowgli go after he did so well dragging a long line. Took off long line, everything going good till Mowgli puts his head up in the air and trots off. No recall, no e-collar working. I was lucky and followed the bell. I found him in about 10 (scary loooonggg time) minutes in a middle of a field with grass over my head, laying down, gnawing on a deer leg. No other evidence of the deer, just this leg with my dog chewing on it. I was able to walk right up to him and clip on the long line but, I learned my lesson. No off leash for Mowgli. It was way too scary to go through that. My other dogs won't leave my side even when they see squirrels or deer. I also learned to not trust an e-collar unless I have it plugged in prior to the event.


----------



## NyxForge

CptJack said:


> Waiting for Jack to get home from the vet. It should be about another hour. They called around 3 and said he did well in the surgery and is fine, but I'm still anxious to get him home. He's such a quiet, unassuming dog that sometimes he gets a little lost in the shuffle but man him being gone today has illustrated that he might be quiet but he has a LOT of presence here.


Awww, that is really sweet. 



CptJack said:


> Oh god, I fee so bad for jack. He is black and blue from his neuter and ended up with staples from the lump removal. His teeth, minus the stitches and hole are all nice and pretty though.


Awww poor guy. He's one of my favorite DF dogs. Hope he heals up quickly.


----------



## CptJack

NyxForge said:


> Awww, that is really sweet.
> 
> 
> 
> Awww poor guy. He's one of my favorite DF dogs. Hope he heals up quickly.


I think he'll be okay, and I'm so glad you like him. He really does get overlooked a lot. 









We're chilling on the bed, he's sleeping a lot. I think he'll be happy to spend a week eating soft food.









I refrained from taking pics of the stitches in his mouth or on his penis. 

And the vet apparently gave us his neuter for free. Go figure.


----------



## luv mi pets

CPTJACk do you think the mass was cancerous? oh poor jack. Got it from both ends. I am sure he will be fine in a couple of days. Tomorrow do not be surprised if it looks worse than it does today. The next day always seems to be the worse. I know you will be good to him and be a perfect nurse. Sending healing vibes his way,


----------



## CptJack

Looks like it was probably a mast cell tumor, but also looks like it was confined to skin and easily removed. We're having testing done but honestly 'get rid of the lump' was about all that could be done right now, anyway. We'll talk more when we go back for his follow up next week, since it looks like he's got something else going on in that area that worries me and take it from there. :/

Time will tell, basically.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Todays the two year mark, from when I orginally joined. Which is inceridble. So happy I decided to join. I've met so many wonderful people here, your all so awesome. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to "meet" so many memebers[& I wouldn't change anything for this]. Here's for many more years to come.

Still can't believe I have already been here for 



d_ray said:


> Sorry to hear. Hope they recover quickly! Hugs


 Thanks! It's more of pain than anything. We need to clean everything, but Im still concered about them. 


CptJack said:


> Looks like it was probably a mast cell tumor, but also looks like it was confined to skin and easily removed. We're having testing done but honestly 'get rid of the lump' was about all that could be done right now, anyway. We'll talk more when we go back for his follow up next week, since it looks like he's got something else going on in that area that worries me and take it from there. :/
> 
> Time will tell, basically.


Oh no.  Hoping it's nothing serious. Thinking of you.



CptJack said:


> I think he'll be okay, and I'm so glad you like him. He really does get overlooked a lot.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We're chilling on the bed, he's sleeping a lot. I think he'll be happy to spend a week eating soft food.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I refrained from taking pics of the stitches in his mouth or on his penis.
> 
> And the vet apparently gave us his neuter for free. Go figure.


Poor Jack. Sending healing vibes.


----------



## luv mi pets

Jazzy just be careful you or your family members do not end up with ringworm.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Looks like it was probably a mast cell tumor, but also looks like it was confined to skin and easily removed. We're having testing done but honestly 'get rid of the lump' was about all that could be done right now, anyway. We'll talk more when we go back for his follow up next week, since it looks like he's got something else going on in that area that worries me and take it from there. :/
> 
> Time will tell, basically.



Sure hope he is ok! Did they send the lump in for a biopsy if they are thinking mast cell, to see what grade it was? Our Ginger had a very small lump removed (like pea sized, very unassuming, not noticed until I had given her a haircut), needle biopsy showed it was a mast cell which is why they removed it. Biopsy came back as a grade 2 which can go either way. 2 months later she had mast cell cancer in her spleen, nothing more could be done....it was so sad and so fast, nothing we expected. Not to scare you cause I think lots of mast cell lumps don't develop into anything else but sometimes they can.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Looks like it was probably a mast cell tumor, but also looks like it was confined to skin and easily removed. We're having testing done but honestly 'get rid of the lump' was about all that could be done right now, anyway. We'll talk more when we go back for his follow up next week, since it looks like he's got something else going on in that area that worries me and take it from there. :/
> 
> Time will tell, basically.


Poor Ole jack  I hope he recovers soon.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Sure hope he is ok! Did they send the lump in for a biopsy if they are thinking mast cell, to see what grade it was? Our Ginger had a very small lump removed (like pea sized, very unassuming, not noticed until I had given her a haircut), needle biopsy showed it was a mast cell which is why they removed it. Biopsy came back as a grade 2 which can go either way. 2 months later she had mast cell cancer in her spleen, nothing more could be done....it was so sad and so fast, nothing we expected. Not to scare you cause I think lots of mast cell lumps don't develop into anything else but sometimes they can.


We had it sent off and should have more information when we go back for his recheck. It could be, it could not be, and to be honest neither one would surprise me in the least. I'll feel better when I find out more and I'm NOT looking forward to it, but there's much I can do right now, anyway so I'm just going to keep my head down and try to forget about it until I have more information.


----------



## Kayota

Aw poor jack! I always liked him too, i think a rt is in my future thanks to you  hope everything tests ok


----------



## gingerkid

Sending good luck to Jack. Hope it's not malignant!


----------



## jade5280

Poor Jack, hope he feels better!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Wow, I have been spending so much time watching the X files, that I have missed a lot of stuff on here!

My vent: Our old dog, Bear seems to be slowly slipping down hill, I am going to have to up the dosage of his arthritis meds from half, to a full dosage because in this cold weather is he having trouble walking


----------



## d_ray

Sending happy positive thoughts to you and Jack. Hugs!


----------



## chimunga

Lol. I saw this, and I'm not a mom, but it reminded me _so much_ of the dog training community.


----------



## pawsaddict

chimunga said:


> Lol. I saw this, and I'm not a mom, but it reminded me _so much_ of the dog training community.


Lol, loved the video! Thanks for sharing.

Cpt, keeping you and Jack in my thoughts. Big hugs to you both.


----------



## chimunga

So, remember those neighbors I talked about two, almost three weeks ago? The ones who never clean up their yard? 

Well, I cleaned the yard today, because the snow melted. And I've made a habit of cleaning up after the snow melts. I thought it was my yard that stunk. Nope. Not mine. After I had cleaned everything up and neatly stowed it away in the garbage, my yard still stunk to high heaven. Look over the fence, and lo and behold. They have not cleaned up their yard. It has been at least a month. Probably more. Meaning a month of very large husky poops. And some Pug poop. Just sitting in the yard right over the fence. It's so gross. But I'm so terrified or making enemies of my neighbors that I can't confront them about it.


----------



## pawsaddict

Maybe you could discreetly pop a flyer for a poop scooping company into their mailbox?

Would their yard (the smell) be considered a nuisance or anything where you live? Maybe you could report it to bylaw?


----------



## chimunga

pawsaddict said:


> Maybe you could discreetly pop a flyer for a poop scooping company into their mailbox?
> 
> Would their yard (the smell) be considered a nuisance or anything where you live? Maybe you could report it to bylaw?


We're on base. So it would be really easy to report to the base authority. I just hate being passive aggressive. And I'm bad at confronting people. And I also don't wanna be a door mat. Lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gotta love psychotic ex-employees lol. Girl worked for 1 week, got fired for several reasons, 1) she was late 5/7 shifts 2) she abused smoke breaks 3) she was afraid of the dogs(she freaked out about going outside with a group of 4 month and under PUPPIES) 

Promptly after being fired she posted a slanderous rant on Facebook..about how she was "severly bitten by a big dog that left bruising for weeks" (the "severe bite" was an excitable golden retriever that gets mouthy, didn't leave any mark at all) and "absolutely NO smoke breaks in an 8 hour shift"(she didn't work any 8 hour shifts for one thing, for another she had lots of smoke breaks, tended to abuse the privilege though so wss required to ask a supervisor) how her trainer made her "clean all day long" (this was HER request, the dogs made her nervous so she prefered to just clean till she got more comfortable) oh and "and if you take your pets there they WILL be mistreated! I personally saw them hit dogs and use unnecessary force"(ya..last person who mistreated a dog was fired on the spot lol, mistreatment is absolutely unacceptable, and such allegations are totally unfounded, she also happily brought her own dog to work with her lol) 

Hilariously enough it was her own Facebook friends that called her out, they screenshotted the post and sent it to us, reported her post as slander and commented on her post telling her how much trouble she could get in for posting that and it got removed lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

Dog bit through his own tounge at work today(he was by himself in a kennel).. that was fun! Just 2 punctures in his tounge but I've never seen so much blood in my life, it was everywhere, in massive quantitys, a 6 x 8 kennel was completely covered corner to corner in maybe 1/2" of blood plus the walls were coated. Apperently when the vet gave him sedative he promptly threw up a ton more blood, so much the vets were shocked, so he must have swallowed a bunch as well. I didn't know a dog could bleed that much and still be alive, it was insane. He was bouncing up and down in the run, not sure he was trying to bark too and managed to bite his tounge instead or if he slipped and smashed his teeth into his tounge or what, the vet can't even work out how he did it, she said its weird, the punctures are absolutely perfect. His owner thinks he slipped with his tounge out or something. Either way..he is NOT allowed in a kennel run ever again, he needs to be crated for his own safety!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Miss Bugs said:


> Gotta love psychotic ex-employees lol. Girl worked for 1 week, got fired for several reasons, 1) she was late 5/7 shifts 2) she abused smoke breaks 3) she was afraid of the dogs(she freaked out about going outside with a group of 4 month and under PUPPIES)
> 
> Promptly after being fired she posted a slanderous rant on Facebook..about how she was "severly bitten by a big dog that left bruising for weeks" (the "severe bite" was an excitable golden retriever that gets mouthy, didn't leave any mark at all) and "absolutely NO smoke breaks in an 8 hour shift"(she didn't work any 8 hour shifts for one thing, for another she had lots of smoke breaks, tended to abuse the privilege though so wss required to ask a supervisor) how her trainer made her "clean all day long" (this was HER request, the dogs made her nervous so she prefered to just clean till she got more comfortable) oh and "and if you take your pets there they WILL be mistreated! I personally saw them hit dogs and use unnecessary force"(ya..last person who mistreated a dog was fired on the spot lol, mistreatment is absolutely unacceptable, and such allegations are totally unfounded, she also happily brought her own dog to work with her lol)
> 
> Hilariously enough it was her own Facebook friends that called her out, they screenshotted the post and sent it to us, reported her post as slander and commented on her post telling her how much trouble she could get in for posting that and it got removed lol


It's really hard to find good kennel people. I know the job can be stressful sometimes.. but really?


----------



## chimunga

I joined this group on FB for animal classifieds. I should have known it would just p*ss me off. So many BYBs. Its hard no to say anything. 

"Purebred Australian Shepherd Puppies, ready to go to their new homes. They are carriers of the blue eye gene. Have had dew claws removed, tales docked, and set of immunizations and wormer. Comes with immunization record. Out of working parents and great with small children. One female and three males left. Price depends on coloring and gender of the puppy, and range between $350-$500. Serious inquiries only please. Located in Harlowton."

"Pit bull puppies, purebred no papers. $375 will have first shots. Ready beginning of February.
Located in dutton but make almost daily trips to Great Falls."

"Here are the puppies that are left. There are two boys and two girls. I thought the girls were gone but sale never happened. They are 6 weeks old and ready for there new home. They are 3/4 pug and 1/4 corgi. They were born December 20th. We are asking $200.00 each. We are located in Choteau. Please pm if seriously interested."


----------



## MelTruffles

Just a mini rant of how I got Truffles that I've been thinking a lot about and still dealing with. 

So, my mom's best friend has a Papillon, Yorkie, Pitbull, and Boxer. NONE OF THEM WERE FIXED. COMPLETELY MAKES ME ANGRY. The boxer and pitbull had 3 liters together before she got rid of the pitbull. She kept 2 of those puppies. Then the Yorkie and Papillon had puppies. She kept them. Then the papillon and his daughter had puppies and she kept those, too! This woman has like 14+ dogs in her household. Her husband is very mean to the dogs and they finally got divorced because of it (mom has tried a lot to get her mental help and therapy, etc). Now she's getting rid of them because she was living on his income. She never house trained these dogs and she doesn't believe in vaccinations. I was over there with my mom to talk with her and strategize for finding the dogs good homes. I already had ads made and posted pictures through social media and found a few homes with people I personally knew. Her house was a mess from the dogs and she was never a clean person. I saw Truffles for the first time ever because he had escaped the back room where the big dogs and the little dogs were kept separate. He crawled over to me and he saw one of the big pitbull/boxers and ran towards him to play. This dog (not full grown, but 8 months of age) then attacked Truffles and grabbed him by the neck. I hopped on top of the dog and punched her in the head and she released Truffles. Truffles had a gash in his neck that was bleeding a lot and she says "well he'll know not to get out now." I told her were rushing him to the emergency care and she said "if you want him, you can take him otherwise, he's not going." I immediately hopped in my car and left. Truffles also had a bacterial infection and the gash wasn't that bad, but it needed stitches for sure and could have lost his life. He's now in my loving arms and I threatened that I would call the police on her if she didn't at least immediately find homes for the 2 larger dogs. She did so within a couple of days and now she's working on finding homes for 9 of the two liters of Yorkie/Papillon mixes. She's down to 3, including her Papillon. I try to keep conversations short to helping the dogs and ignoring her. 

I really strongly dislike this woman and so does my mom. They've just been friends for 20 years and she, like me, wanted to make sure the dog situation was taken care of. 

It drives me completely insane. I grit my teeth so much thinking of these things and how people can let stuff like this happen. I get really emotional about it. I honestly wanted to take all the puppies home, vaccinate them properly, and just show them life isn't like that. I'm hoping they found good homes. My mom interviewed people getting the dogs, but this woman wouldn't take any part in this process. She just let my mom do everything and my mom is a huge dog lover and she had to make the hard decision to reject some people even though we desperately need to get rid of these babies ASAP.

There have been so many times I picked up the phone to call the police on her and my Fiancé would have to calm me down. 

Only good thing that has come from all this is now I have my sweet baby Truffles, who can be a pain, but I love him to bits


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> I joined this group on FB for animal classifieds. I should have known it would just p*ss me off. So many BYBs. Its hard no to say anything.
> 
> "Purebred Australian Shepherd Puppies, ready to go to their new homes. They are carriers of the blue eye gene. Have had dew claws removed, tales docked, and set of immunizations and wormer. Comes with immunization record. Out of working parents and great with small children. One female and three males left. Price depends on coloring and gender of the puppy, and range between $350-$500. Serious inquiries only please. Located in Harlowton."
> 
> "Pit bull puppies, purebred no papers. $375 will have first shots. Ready beginning of February.
> Located in dutton but make almost daily trips to Great Falls."
> 
> "Here are the puppies that are left. There are two boys and two girls. I thought the girls were gone but sale never happened. They are 6 weeks old and ready for there new home. They are 3/4 pug and 1/4 corgi. They were born December 20th. We are asking $200.00 each. We are located in Choteau. Please pm if seriously interested."


there are a lot of aussie breeders who base price on color and gender, even the good ones, its hard to find a breeder period who doesnt ask more for females than males (usually) and more for show and/or breeding prospects.


----------



## Willowy

I always feel like a breeder that asks more for females is expecting you to breed to "make your money back" :/. I can understand charging more/less for particular colors/patterns, as some are more in demand than others and you want to give an incentive for someone to take one of the less in-demand colors/patterns if they don't really care too much. And of course it makes sense to charge more for a show/breeding prospect than a pet. But the gender-based pricing just seems wrong somehow, at least if they're responsible and have something in their contract about not breeding.


----------



## Willowy

The trees are budding! I'm pretty sure I've never seen them bud in the first week of February. Usually not until mid-March, actually. Maybe the silly geese DO know something about an early spring. . .


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> there are a lot of aussie breeders who base price on color and gender, even the good ones, its hard to find a breeder period who doesnt ask more for females than males (usually) and more for show and/or breeding prospects.


Yeah. I get that. But I _hate _it. Mainly because it encourages a person to pick their dogs based on it color rather than it's temperament and personality.


----------



## luv mi pets

The ones that get my goat are the breeders who charge more for AKC papers.


----------



## chimunga

Willowy said:


> But the gender-based pricing just seems wrong somehow, at least if they're responsible and have something in their contract about not breeding.


I agree. Unless you are selling dogs to other responsible breeders, all dogs should be sold with sterilization/no breeding contract of some sort, so I don't understand the point of charging more for a particular gender if it's just going to be a pet.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> there are a lot of aussie breeders who base price on color and gender, even the good ones, its hard to find a breeder period who doesnt ask more for females than males (usually) and more for show and/or breeding prospects.


Maybe in mini Americans but among the reputable Aussie breeders I don't really see that. They charge different prices for pet/performance and show quality but that is it. I'm not saying they aren't out there but I looked through a lot of "good" Aussie breeders and didn't see any of that on their sites.


----------



## Prozax

luv mi pets said:


> The ones that get my goat are the breeders who charge more for AKC papers.


Are they not compulsory? Around here, this practice will mean that a breeder is not respectable, as all puppies should have their pedigree, by birth. It's also in FCI's regulations that all puppies must be declared and they all get their pedigree.

What is very frequent is a byb will charge more ( almost double) for puppies with papers to discourage people from asking for them. Of course no papers exist and the people who buy from byb will not pay more for something they don't see as essential. They will just always believe that their dog has papers, but they opted out of getting them. Silly..


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> I always feel like a breeder that asks more for females is expecting you to breed to "make your money back" :/. I can understand charging more/less for particular colors/patterns, as some are more in demand than others and you want to give an incentive for someone to take one of the less in-demand colors/patterns if they don't really care too much. And of course it makes sense to charge more for a show/breeding prospect than a pet. But the gender-based pricing just seems wrong somehow, at least if they're responsible and have something in their contract about not breeding.


In theory, females are worth more.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> I agree. Unless you are selling dogs to other responsible breeders, all dogs should be sold with sterilization/no breeding contract of some sort, so I don't understand the point of charging more for a particular gender if it's just going to be a pet.


I dont agree with spay and neuter contracts. I used to be massively pro speutering, but in recent years, I have kind of ventured away from that way of thinking. Yes spay and neuter is applicable in some instances, like rescues and shelter dogs should be altered before being rehomed. I have talked with Lincoln's breeder and she is ok with me leaving him intact, but if I ever want to breed him, I will have to purchase the breeding rights, or breed him to a female of her choice (though the latter I am also ok with)


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I dont agree with spay and neuter contracts. I used to be massively pro speutering, but in recent years, I have kind of ventured away from that way of thinking. Yes spay and neuter is applicable in some instances, like rescues and shelter dogs should be altered before being rehomed. I have talked with Lincoln's breeder and she is ok with me leaving him intact, but if I ever want to breed him, I will have to purchase the breeding rights, or breed him to a female of her choice (though the latter I am also ok with)


Yes. And that's why I said "all dogs should be sold with sterilization/*no breeding* contract of some sort" I also said "sterilization," not speuter.


----------



## Miss Bugs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> It's really hard to find good kennel people. I know the job can be stressful sometimes.. but really?


She was just butt hurt lol, she loved the job, she almost got fired earlier for being and hour and a half late but begged for a second chance because she loved the job, she then continued to be late! Not the first time we've had a seemingly sweet ex-employee turn into a slanderous nutcase, last one got fined for it lol. The vast majority of our ex-employees though continue to bring their dogs to us and reccomend us to their friends, 1 even opened her own daycare and she sends her training and certain daycare clients to us lol, we are also the official police dog kennel and the only kennel the police reccomend in their directory. The majority of our staff is heavily involved in rescue and several are involved in training and competition. Funny how none of those people or.. me for that matter.. have quite due to mistreatment of the animals lol


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> The trees are budding! I'm pretty sure I've never seen them bud in the first week of February. Usually not until mid-March, actually. Maybe the silly geese DO know something about an early spring. . .


Our trees were starting to bud out in January because it was mild for so long... You can bet the last week or so put a stop to that though. Poor trees are probably not very happy.


----------



## kcomstoc

So I don't know what it is but bloodhounds are just on my mind lately...the ears, the droops, the size of the dog I just look at them and go awe. I kinda really want one but don't really know much about owning one


----------



## BubbaMoose

kcomstoc said:


> So I don't know what it is but bloodhounds are just on my mind lately...the ears, the droops, the size of the dog I just look at them and go awe. I kinda really want one but don't really know much about owning one


Bloodhounds slay me. I explored the breed as an option for our next dog and pretty much came to the conclusion that it's not happening, but I still just really REALLY like them.


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> In theory, females are worth more.


Only because of breeding. There is absolutely no other reason females would be worth more.


----------



## chimunga

So many small children at the dog park today. UGH. Atleast ten kids six or under. 

There was a little girl, probably three years old, that tried to get in the middle of Watson playing with another dog. Her parents were at least 10 yards off. COME ON. Seriously?! No. Just NO.


----------



## momtolabs

Willowy said:


> The trees are budding! I'm pretty sure I've never seen them bud in the first week of February. Usually not until mid-March, actually. Maybe the silly geese DO know something about an early spring. . .


It's been 60F here in Illinois all weekend. Supposed to drop tonight though. I took advantage of it today and took the dogs on a 7 mile hike around the lake  I had to turn my AC on for poor Caleb once were done,lol.


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## CptJack

It was 70 here, today, and my rose bushes have leaf buds. We have some days in the forecast in the low teens but today was NICE.


----------



## luv mi pets

It is mud season here. Earth sucking, water splashing mud-EVRYWHERE!


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## chimunga

-_- It's still winter here. We've been getting some good days. But I'm guessing we have one small snow storm, and then a few good days, and then one big snow storm to end the season. So about a month and a half left.


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## Willowy

I'm honestly not going to even guess. The last 3 days have been in the 40s but the days before that were high of 15, lows below zero, after the weird warm streak in January. So it's not consistent. Normally it would be mid-March before it started to get above freezing. Last frost date is May 2 on average. But weird weird weather.


----------



## kcomstoc

BubbaMoose said:


> Bloodhounds slay me. I explored the breed as an option for our next dog and pretty much came to the conclusion that it's not happening, but I still just really REALLY like them.


What turned you off of them?


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Separation Anxiety is when a dog believes itself to be dominant. The dominant dog cannot protect its pack members or control them we they leave, so it drives them absolutely mad. Signed, a local dog trainer in my area apparently.


----------



## BubbaMoose

kcomstoc said:


> What turned you off of them?


Ummm, in short, the fact that they're hounds. 

Really though, I think that I just came to the conclusion that I love the IDEA of them more than the breed itself? I was just finally honest with myself and accepted the fact that they're really not for me, at least not at this time. For example, I really don't want to own a dog that isn't biddable/isn't off leash reliable, etc. And for a while I considered how much I would be willing to compromise, because there are a lot of things about the breed that I love. But ultimately where I'm at right now is why compromise anything when there are other breeds out there that I could own where I wouldn't feel like I'd be compromising anything, you know?

If biddability becomes less of a thing for me in the future, I think that I'd definitely revisit the breed. (Because while the ideas of the potential lack of off leash reliability [and the insane amounts of drool I always hear about when the breed is mentioned] don't particularly thrill me, I think those are things I could learn to live with/compromise on). They really do seem like such cool dogs! If/when you're really interested and ready to add another dog, you should see if there's a breeder in your area that would be willing to let you spend some time with their dogs to get a feel for the breed. That's what I plan to do if I ever actually end up with another dog that isn't a Weimaraner.


----------



## kcomstoc

BubbaMoose said:


> Ummm, in short, the fact that they're hounds.
> 
> Really though, I think that I just came to the conclusion that I love the IDEA of them more than the breed itself? I was just finally honest with myself and accepted the fact that they're really not for me, at least not at this time. For example, I really don't want to own a dog that isn't biddable/isn't off leash reliable, etc. And for a while I considered how much I would be willing to compromise, because there are a lot of things about the breed that I love. But ultimately where I'm at right now is why compromise anything when there are other breeds out there that I could own where I wouldn't feel like I'd be compromising anything, you know?
> 
> If biddability becomes less of a thing for me in the future, I think that I'd definitely revisit the breed. (Because while the ideas of the potential lack of off leash reliability [and the insane amounts of drool I always hear about when the breed is mentioned] don't particularly thrill me, I think those are things I could learn to live with/compromise on). They really do seem like such cool dogs! If/when you're really interested and ready to add another dog, you should see if there's a breeder in your area that would be willing to let you spend some time with their dogs to get a feel for the breed. That's what I plan to do if I ever actually end up with another dog that isn't a Weimaraner.


I really am trying to look for a breeder just to see if I could meet the breed in person...I haven't actually met one face to face I just see them in cars passing by and I'm like "why don't you pull over and let me pet your dog?!?!" but obviously that wouldn't happen (plus people would think I'm weird). I really just think that they're neat, I can't trust Jake off leash *not that I'd even try since when he gets off leash he bolts and I don't have a fenced in area* so the fact that they aren't good off leash doesn't really detour me from them. Though my breed order right now is rough collie, then aussie *probably*, and then bloodhound though there are a lot of dogs on my "wish to own" list lol


----------



## gingerkid

Got an update on my past foster today. She's bitten multiple times with puncture. We knew she had aggression issues... but the trainer that we talked to also said she doesn't think Lucy is in the right home and that's not helping. It sounds like they haven't given up on her, and my trainer friend is going to let me know if they decide to rehome her and/or if she goes back into rescue. We might be moving this summer to a place that would enable us to get a second dog...


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Separation Anxiety is when a dog believes itself to be dominant. The dominant dog cannot protect its pack members or control them we they leave, so it drives them absolutely mad. Signed, a local dog trainer in my area apparently.


 LOL uhhh. How does anyone even come to that conclusion?? I'm just picturing dogs trying to control us with brain probes or something.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

jade5280 said:


> LOL uhhh. How does anyone even come to that conclusion?? I'm just picturing dogs trying to control us with brain probes or something.


I'm really not sure. Here is part of what this trainer had to say:

_I don't refer to it as "separation anxiety". I call it "abandoned boss anxiety". Let me explain. With wolves, coyotes and feral packs of dogs, pack members (followers) NEVER stray from the alpha pack leaders (the bosses). It is the other way around. Only the alphas are allowed to go off on their own when they choose to and when they do they will signal their pack to ‘stay put’ by turning to whichever canine is always first to follow behind them and doing a special combo of snarling and teeth snapping that basically means 'you guys stay here', and then promptly going off on a hunt or exploration of their choosing. The pack remains placid and waiting for their leaders to return which, unless their leaders are injured or killed (never return), they always stay contentedly put until their leaders return. If a dog has what is commonly called 'separation anxiety' it is a clear indicator that the dog believes him or herself to be the one in charge, even if only 'sometimes' in charge, it's enough to wreak havoc in a dog like this's mind._


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I'm really not sure. Here is part of what this trainer had to say:
> 
> _I don't refer to it as "separation anxiety". I call it "abandoned boss anxiety". Let me explain. With wolves, coyotes and feral packs of dogs, pack members (followers) NEVER stray from the alpha pack leaders (the bosses). It is the other way around. Only the alphas are allowed to go off on their own when they choose to and when they do they will signal their pack to ‘stay put’ by turning to whichever canine is always first to follow behind them and doing a special combo of snarling and teeth snapping that basically means 'you guys stay here', and then promptly going off on a hunt or exploration of their choosing. The pack remains placid and waiting for their leaders to return which, unless their leaders are injured or killed (never return), they always stay contentedly put until their leaders return. If a dog has what is commonly called 'separation anxiety' it is a clear indicator that the dog believes him or herself to be the one in charge, even if only 'sometimes' in charge, it's enough to wreak havoc in a dog like this's mind._


Hahaha. That doesn't even make a little bit of sense.

What about young males who leave the pack to roam solo and eventually form their own pack? Even pack theory people must agree with that basic premise. 

Such baloney. Maybe I should do a special combination of snarling and teeth snapping when I leave so Watson will be calmer. LOL


----------



## ireth0

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I'm really not sure. Here is part of what this trainer had to say:
> 
> _I don't refer to it as "separation anxiety". I call it "abandoned boss anxiety". Let me explain. With wolves, coyotes and feral packs of dogs, pack members (followers) NEVER stray from the alpha pack leaders (the bosses). It is the other way around. Only the alphas are allowed to go off on their own when they choose to and when they do they will signal their pack to ‘stay put’ by turning to whichever canine is always first to follow behind them and doing a special combo of snarling and teeth snapping that basically means 'you guys stay here', and then promptly going off on a hunt or exploration of their choosing. The pack remains placid and waiting for their leaders to return which, unless their leaders are injured or killed (never return), they always stay contentedly put until their leaders return. If a dog has what is commonly called 'separation anxiety' it is a clear indicator that the dog believes him or herself to be the one in charge, even if only 'sometimes' in charge, it's enough to wreak havoc in a dog like this's mind._


I want to know at what point the rest of the pack knows the alpha has died, and therefore knows they need to battle it out for a new alpha.


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Such baloney. Maybe I should do a special combination of snarling and teeth snapping when I leave so Watson will be calmer. LOL


Hahaha! I feel so stupid now for wasting all this time to help Ryker when I should have just been snarling and snapping my teeth at him all along. 

I'm pretty sure his account of wolf interactions is not based on any factual evidence. I'm SO sick of hearing people compare domesticated dogs to wild freakin' wolves. That's like comparing a house cat to a Cheetah. They may be the same species, but they are not the same!


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> I want to know at what point the rest of the pack knows the alpha has died, and therefore knows they need to battle it out for a new alpha.


Maybe its ghost comes back to tell them?


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Hahaha! I feel so stupid now for wasting all this time to help Ryker when I should have just been snarling and snapping my teeth at him all along.
> 
> I'm pretty sure his account of wolf interactions is not based on any factual evidence. I'm SO sick of hearing people compare domesticated dogs to wild freakin' wolves. That's like comparing a house cat to a Cheetah. They may be the same species, but they are not the same!


It's like comparing a house cat to a cheetah, but only if you have no idea how cheetahs actually behave.


----------



## kcomstoc

ireth0 said:


> I want to know at what point the rest of the pack knows the alpha has died, and therefore knows they need to battle it out for a new alpha.


This was also my question lol



elrohwen said:


> Maybe its ghost comes back to tell them?


this makes more sense than the whole idea of "separation boss" whatever


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I only saw this because a dog kept being returned to the humane society for SA. Someone adopted it and was sponsored a board and train from this trainer person. It's pretty much the dog's last hope before being deemed unadoptable and euthed. The good news is they claim no violence or yelling. No "treat bribes" either. Sigh. I hope that poor dog isn't farther ruined by this.


----------



## Willowy

I'm pretty sure that, except for the babies, every member of a canine pack hunts. Or else, y'know, everyone starves. I don't think they just toodle around the homestead while Alpha-whoever has to bring down enough meat for everyone. I haven't personally observed a wolf pack but I do know that coyotes don't hang around the den area most of the time. They go do stuff during their active times and then everyone goes home to sleep. 

Anyway, if someone is going to compare dog behavior to wild canid behavior, they really at least ought to have a decent understanding of wild canid behavior :/.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

in a wolf pack, recent research has yielded that there is no "alpha" or whatever. there is mother, father, kids, uncles, aunts, cousins, and sometimes, grandparents. They have even documented members of the pack bringing food back for not only pups but also for the older members of the pack who can no longer hunt, or the injured.

Also my random vent for the day: Dear slow ass driver, is it really THAT hard to at least go the speed limit??? WHY on earth must you tootle down the road doing 55 in a 70!!!!!?


----------



## luv mi pets

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I'm really not sure. Here is part of what this trainer had to say:
> 
> _I don't refer to it as "separation anxiety". I call it "abandoned boss anxiety". Let me explain. With wolves, coyotes and feral packs of dogs, pack members (followers) NEVER stray from the alpha pack leaders (the bosses). It is the other way around. Only the alphas are allowed to go off on their own when they choose to and when they do they will signal their pack to ‘stay put’ by turning to whichever canine is always first to follow behind them and doing a special combo of snarling and teeth snapping that basically means 'you guys stay here', and then promptly going off on a hunt or exploration of their choosing. The pack remains placid and waiting for their leaders to return which, unless their leaders are injured or killed (never return), they always stay contentedly put until their leaders return. If a dog has what is commonly called 'separation anxiety' it is a clear indicator that the dog believes him or herself to be the one in charge, even if only 'sometimes' in charge, it's enough to wreak havoc in a dog like this's mind._


He must not read too many wolf studies. Like Elrohwen pointed out wolves leave their own pack to go out on their own to start a new pack or whatever. I suggest that this guy actually read books about wolves by people who live out and study wolves in the wild. I doubt that too many dog owners would get in the habit of making growling/snarling noises to our dogs prior to leaving to go on a hunt(going to the grocery store).


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

So I bumped into a neighbor of mine who was just walking her Bichon and after talking a bit I asked, "Oh is your husband going to walk Snow?" Snow is their Sammie and she says, "No, he got neutered. We couldn't find a lady friend for him." I was so glad I didn't say anything because I think my eyes did all the talking. All I could think of was unwanted puppies and so many shelter dogs. Jeez people!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I believe the trainer is actually a woman! As far as I can tell.. they probably mean well but they have no idea what they are talking about!


----------



## gingerkid

If only dogs only cared about intentions. :S


----------



## Miss Bugs

Fabulous start to my day... brother lost the van key so was late for work, arrive at work 15 minutes late, and someone pulls up at the same moment I open the van door and she drives directly into the van door, had it been open any further, it would have taken off the door, as it was, there was no damage to our van..but her bumper was busted up from the impact. Yup so that was the first half hour of my day lol


----------



## MelTruffles

Need any advice from anyone. 

Okay, so there is this Facebook group for my hometown's area. It's for selling livestock essentially. Well, one of the admins posted a picture of his Chihuahua with two new puppies and a DEAD DEFORMED PUPPY she must have birthed right in the picture. CKC selling for $300. So, naturally, I'm like what the heck is that? A lot of people were this way. Then, the next morning he posts this:

"Notice to the Group to all those who chastised me because I raise Chihuahuas in my house they all live in here with me and they don't want you screwing up their deal!
As far as the Dead puppy I took that photo at 6:00 am in the morning so excuse me if I don't have XRay Vision like some of the members of this group! At laast some of the members were considerate enough to bring it to my attention and by that time she had buried it in her blanket!
And as far as the members who don't like the Idea that I sell my Chihuahua well stay your butt out of pet shops because that is how they make money I hope one day you people will be on DISABILITY and have to try and live on Disability then you may be raising puppies for sell yourself I am the Administrator and formed this group and now I can honestly say I am ashamed of several of it's member and need to really start cleaning house cause some of the people don't need to be on a site I created and formed! If that offends any of you please feel free to UNFOLLOW THIS GROUP!!!"

So, I start going through the Facebook group and notice he's selling puppies back to back from the same mom (I think) for at least 4-5 times in a row. I was completely horrified. The mom looked so miserable in the picture with her two new pups, so naturally I start calling him out on this and asked if he has a breeders license and asked why he would keep a dead, decaying pup with live pups where they can get sick from the bacteria. A lot of people agree with me and are asking him similar questions, etc. Of course, all of us get banned from the group which I was going to leave anyway, but I'm really concerned about that mom. He's clearly not checking in on her and he said he didn't even notice the dead pup? The area around her is a mess and he's clearly not changing her blankets. 

I'm really upset. I don't think he even takes her to the vet to make sure she is healthy. I can only assume if he's complaining about money. But, he has a nice motorcycle (in profile pic) that I suggested he sell or be a walmart greeter if he is really struggling. I really want to make sure he has a breeder's license and someone evaluate the condition of his dogs. I don't know who to turn to or should I just let this go. It really bothers me.

Oh btw, after her banned me from the group, my friend noticed he copied and pasted the rules from these forums on the group and deleted all my comments along with others.


----------



## chimunga

Mel&Truffles said:


> Need any advice from anyone.
> 
> Okay, so there is this Facebook group for my hometown's area. It's for selling livestock essentially. Well, one of the admins posted a picture of his Chihuahua with two new puppies and a DEAD DEFORMED PUPPY she must have birthed right in the picture. CKC selling for $300. So, naturally, I'm like what the heck is that? A lot of people were this way. Then, the next morning he posts this:
> 
> "Notice to the Group to all those who chastised me because I raise Chihuahuas in my house they all live in here with me and they don't want you screwing up their deal!
> As far as the Dead puppy I took that photo at 6:00 am in the morning so excuse me if I don't have XRay Vision like some of the members of this group! At laast some of the members were considerate enough to bring it to my attention and by that time she had buried it in her blanket!
> And as far as the members who don't like the Idea that I sell my Chihuahua well stay your butt out of pet shops because that is how they make money I hope one day you people will be on DISABILITY and have to try and live on Disability then you may be raising puppies for sell yourself I am the Administrator and formed this group and now I can honestly say I am ashamed of several of it's member and need to really start cleaning house cause some of the people don't need to be on a site I created and formed! If that offends any of you please feel free to UNFOLLOW THIS GROUP!!!"
> 
> So, I start going through the Facebook group and notice he's selling puppies back to back from the same mom (I think) for at least 4-5 times in a row. I was completely horrified. The mom looked so miserable in the picture with her two new pups, so naturally I start calling him out on this and asked if he has a breeders license and asked why he would keep a dead, decaying pup with live pups where they can get sick from the bacteria. A lot of people agree with me and are asking him similar questions, etc. Of course, all of us get banned from the group which I was going to leave anyway, but I'm really concerned about that mom. He's clearly not checking in on her and he said he didn't even notice the dead pup? The area around her is a mess and he's clearly not changing her blankets.
> 
> I'm really upset. I don't think he even takes her to the vet to make sure she is healthy. I can only assume if he's complaining about money. But, he has a nice motorcycle (in profile pic) that I suggested he sell or be a walmart greeter if he is really struggling. I really want to make sure he has a breeder's license and someone evaluate the condition of his dogs. I don't know who to turn to or should I just let this go. It really bothers me.
> 
> Oh btw, after her banned me from the group, my friend noticed he copied and pasted the rules from these forums on the group and deleted all my comments along with others.


I don't know the laws in your state, but I'm honestly not sure if there's anything you can do. There are animal welfare laws, but they usually just mean the dog needs food, water, shelter from the weather. And as long as the mama dog isn't outwardly or life threateningly ill, there's not much you can do with that either. :/ I'd look up the laws in your state/county.


----------



## Willowy

In the US, there's no such thing as a "breeder's license" (except for high-volume commercial breeders) :/. He is breaking no laws by breeding his dog, no matter how crummy he is . 

If you feel the dog is in bad condition or isn't being cared for properly, you can contact the local animal welfare agency in your area. These are sadly underfunded most of the time, and laws are generally lax (usually if the animal has food, water, and shelter, and isn't suffering, that's all they care about), but possibly if you show them the picture of a dead puppy not removed from the nest area, they might think that's something that should be checked out.


----------



## MelTruffles

I think he's feeding her, but it's just unhealthy for her to have so many litters especially back to back. He's clearly detached from her to use her for profit gain. He's a sick person to not consider the welfare of the mom to not even noticed a dead pup in the cage with her, yet, he was hasty enough to take a picture and upload it for sale letting people know they will be ready in 6 weeks. Irritates me to no end.


----------



## chimunga

Mel&Truffles said:


> I think he's feeding her, but it's just unhealthy for her to have so many litters especially back to back. He's clearly detached from her to use her for profit gain. He's a sick person to not consider the welfare of the dog.
> 
> "I raise Chihuahuas in my house they all live in here with me and they don't want you screwing up their deal!" Makes me mad the most.


Yep. And there is probably no one here that won't agree that that is disgusting. Unfortunately, it's not illegal to over breed your dog.


----------



## luv mi pets

Sad thing is people will pay the guy the 300 just to get the puppy out of the filth or just do not know any better and will be so happy with their new puppy. Sad but true.


----------



## CptJack

Molly did agility tonight. Like, at agility class. With the other dogs in front of and behind her. At points off leash. I really, really, lack the ability to tell you all how thrilled I am by this. Doing the foundations class again next go around, but seriously. WE DID AGILITY AT AGILITY. No barriers, no separation, no stepping out, no craziness (well beyond crazy fastness and a lot of play). 

I am so proud of her I could cry.


----------



## gingerkid

Mel&Truffles said:


> I think he's feeding her, but it's just unhealthy for her to have so many litters especially back to back. He's clearly detached from her to use her for profit gain. He's a sick person to not consider the welfare of the mom to not even noticed a dead pup in the cage with her, yet, he was hasty enough to take a picture and upload it for sale letting people know they will be ready in 6 weeks. Irritates me to no end.


IMO a case could me made for housing her with a dead puppy = not acceptable shelter. I would definitely contact animal control, maybe any rescue agencies in your area (since they may have channels that you don't know about and/or can't access). Breeders gonna breed, but not noticing a dead puppy.... sounds like neglect.


----------



## Laurelin

Guh. I'm having internal struggles about a particular dog available right now versus waiting a year like I planned and getting a sport bred pup.

Ugh. What to do. This is my limit so I need to choose carefully.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Molly did agility tonight. Like, at agility class. With the other dogs in front of and behind her. At points off leash. I really, really, lack the ability to tell you all how thrilled I am by this. Doing the foundations class again next go around, but seriously. WE DID AGILITY AT AGILITY. No barriers, no separation, no stepping out, no craziness (well beyond crazy fastness and a lot of play).
> 
> I am so proud of her I could cry.







Awesome!!!!


----------



## dogsule

Ugh...first two posts I see on the dog forum tonight are something about a Morkie and something about a Boxador...do they really think these are breeds? I think I have a Cotralian however I would never call her that, she is a mix. I love mixes but would never buy one from a breeder and then call it that..............sorry for the rant.


----------



## chimunga

dogsule said:


> Ugh...first two posts I see on the dog forum tonight are something about a Morkie and something about a Boxador...do they really think these are breeds? I think I have a Cotralian however I would never call her that, she is a mix. I love mixes but would never buy one from a breeder and then call it that..............sorry for the rant.


Eh. I don't like to begrudge people their silly breed names. It's a silly thing to nitpick to me. And all breeds started out somewhere. Who knows. In 50 years a Boxador may be a thing. Look at Labradoodles.


----------



## IS3_FTW

I was at the local store trying on harness for my Aussie. I am wanting it for when i have her tied on a long leash, since i live in a fenceless yard. Normally, she wears a collar, but i dont want her to strangle herself if she decides to chase a bird. Can anyone recommend a particular style harness?

Be easy, this is my first time buying a harness. Just need some guidance


----------



## missbee

I'd prefer to call it a Cozzie, if it was mine. Cotralian doesn't even sound like a puppy.


----------



## dogsule

chimunga said:


> Eh. I don't like to begrudge people their silly breed names. It's a silly thing to nitpick to me. And all breeds started out somewhere. Who knows. In 50 years a Boxador may be a thing. Look at Labradoodles.



LOL A Labradoodle is still a want to be thing....not quite there yet. To me anything crossed with a poodle is a hot mess but I know some people like them. There have been cockapoos around for many many years but they still are not a breed. It does sound more normal since it has been around longer but it is still a mixed breed. I guess I just don't care for the purposely mixing of breeds even though some of them are really cute. Back in the day when breeds were formed they were made for a purpose, they had a job to do, nowadays it is just for the money. Breeders of most mixed breed dogs are just in it for the money, not to better their breed or make a better working dog. 


My 15yr old daughter has it in her head right now that she/we needs another dog. She is obsessed with Huskies (which are beautiful but not a breed I want to own right now, as I like a little bit smaller dog) and she came across a Pomski...not sure if that is the right spelling. Yeah the pic is adorable but I had to explain to her why we would not ever be getting a Pomski....ugh! Which makes me wonder if they all come out looking like a small cute fluffy husky or if there are some odd looking ones that come out too!!


----------



## dogsule

missbee said:


> I'd prefer to call it a Cozzie, if it was mine. Cotralian doesn't even sound like a puppy.



My vet has her down as a Cotralian.....ugh! I would prefer it to say cocker/aussie mix, especially since we don't even know for sure. How would you get a Cozzie out of that though...where do the z's come from??


----------



## CptJack

Look into Kee-Kai. They are a new breed - kind of like MAS.

Most pomsky pictures aren't actually pom/husky mixes. They're puppies of another breed whose name escapes me right now.

That said, I agree. I don't care what people call their dogs. If I had a convenient word for any given mix I own I'd probably use it. Doesn't mean I'd think it was a purebred, but it sure as heck saves typing and still gives the idea. Besides, a lot of new breeds around are really new. Not even just labradoodles, but MAS, and Klee-Kai and a smattering of others. 

I don't really value breed purity at all, anymore, though.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> Most pomsky pictures aren't actually pom/husky mixes. They're puppies of another breed whose name escapes me right now.


The breed is a finnish Lapphund


----------



## Miss Bugs

Going home from work today.. ok so Rusty rides in the front of the van, Gem and Sola in the crate and Happy, Gypsy and Paisley in the back behind the crate. So i just needed Rusty and Sola in at this point.. i lift Sola in van, she goes in crate, just before i can close the crate Rusty jumps in, just in front of the crate door, i go "no no Rusty, get out" so Rusty jumps out..so does Sola..I'm like "no no you stay in Sola" put her back, just before the close crate, Rusty jumps back in front..im like "seriously? No Rusty out" Rusty and Sola both jump out... like 4 times in this circle of in and out in and out, i was gonna lose my mind lol


----------



## CptJack

Jack got his staples out tonight. He gets to keep the stitches for another ten days, because he isn't healing particularly well. Vet isn't concerned, since the location is really difficult to keep still and it was really deep but oomph. Dog.


----------



## gingerkid

dogsule said:


> My vet has her down as a Cotralian.....ugh! I would prefer it to say cocker/aussie mix, especially since we don't even know for sure. How would you get a Cozzie out of that though...where do the z's come from??


Australian shepherds are often referred to as aussies... Australians (people) are also called aussies, sometimes spelled ozzies (I think because they often shorten "Australia" to "Oz")... leads to *Co*cker/Au*ssie* --> Cozzie

Caussie just doesn't look right.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Going home from work today.. ok so Rusty rides in the front of the van, Gem and Sola in the crate and Happy, Gypsy and Paisley in the back behind the crate. So i just needed Rusty and Sola in at this point.. i lift Sola in van, she goes in crate, just before i can close the crate Rusty jumps in, just in front of the crate door, i go "no no Rusty, get out" so Rusty jumps out..so does Sola..I'm like "no no you stay in Sola" put her back, just before the close crate, Rusty jumps back in front..im like "seriously? No Rusty out" Rusty and Sola both jump out... like 4 times in this circle of in and out in and out, i was gonna lose my mind lol


LOL silly dogs.

Poor Lincoln is kind of shell shocked right now because I am visiting OH in dallas and he is like "OMG where am I!" But, that being said, he really is taking this pretty darn well, all things considered and he weathered the 4 + hour trip up here like ... better than most puppies ... hell .... better than most adult dogs. So I really cant complain about the occasional nervous whine he does LOL.


----------



## missc89

Just need to rant:

I want to live in a zoo. Not like a real zoo (although that would be so butt-kickingly awesome!) but I don't think I will ever be able to live in a household that doesn't have pets again.

I can't have rats (because I'm allergic and it's kinda sad), but I'll be damned if I don't end up with at least one of everything else that I can get that I am not allergic to! (guineapigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, ferrets, bunnies, tarantula's, frogs, turtles, snakes, lizards of all kind, more dogs [I'm getting my first in May!], more cats [I have one and my SO has one: both black cats, mine is named Samus and his is named Gimli), horses, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, highland cows, regular cows, donkeys, llamas, alpacas, the list just goes on) I just want everything. I love animals, often times more than people. And I want to be able to share this with people who feel the same way. I am completely in love with the idea of being a break from reality for people like me, who want to have all of these animals but can't afford it right now, and it would be SO awesome to have a place where people like me can go for a week or something and pay to get back to nature and back to the animals (nothing too expensive - but costs need to be covered, am I right?). There would be riding lessons, sheering lessons, agility training for those who like dogs, everything! 

This is basically my life goal - I just want to be able to make people happy by using animals. I really believe the world would be a better place if more people had pets - it teaches people a sense of responsibility that I feel we are losing as a society, and they teach us compassion for another being, as well as how to not be selfish all the time.

I know that, no matter what happens in my life, as long as I can have this dream of mine, I would die happy. I could lose my SO, my job, everything, but I still wouldn't give up. It's my driving force right now, and for someone who (still is trying to deal with and) suffers from depression and anxiety, having a goal like the one I have means the world to me, and had someone told me when I was in high school that this is where I would be, I think I would've worked a lot harder and I would have definitely taken different paths than the ones I have. Back then, I didn't really know what I wanted to do, and I was following more what my parents(mother) wanted me to do rather than what I wanted to do. Of course, I feel like because of this I've started later in my life than other people who are doing what I want to do, but I shouldn't compare myself to them; because I'm doing it at a pace that is good for me, and that's what matters. Also, had I not done what I had in my past, I wouldn't be here now, and I wouldn't have such a bright and amazing future ahead of me.

Thanks for letting me rant guys.


----------



## kcomstoc

missc89 said:


> Just need to rant:
> 
> I want to live in a zoo. Not like a real zoo (although that would be so butt-kickingly awesome!) but I don't think I will ever be able to live in a household that doesn't have pets again.
> 
> I can't have rats (because I'm allergic and it's kinda sad), but I'll be damned if I don't end up with at least one of everything else that I can get that I am not allergic to! (guineapigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, ferrets, bunnies, tarantula's, frogs, turtles, snakes, lizards of all kind, more dogs [I'm getting my first in May!], more cats [I have one and my SO has one: both black cats, mine is named Samus and his is named Gimli), horses, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, highland cows, regular cows, donkeys, llamas, alpacas, the list just goes on) I just want everything. I love animals, often times more than people. And I want to be able to share this with people who feel the same way. I am completely in love with the idea of being a break from reality for people like me, who want to have all of these animals but can't afford it right now, and it would be SO awesome to have a place where people like me can go for a week or something and pay to get back to nature and back to the animals (nothing too expensive - but costs need to be covered, am I right?). There would be riding lessons, sheering lessons, agility training for those who like dogs, everything!
> 
> This is basically my life goal - I just want to be able to make people happy by using animals. I really believe the world would be a better place if more people had pets - it teaches people a sense of responsibility that I feel we are losing as a society, and they teach us compassion for another being, as well as how to not be selfish all the time.
> .


Basically my life was told in this rant lol I want so much to have a zoo-like household the only thing holding me back is money. I probably would've adopted at least 2 more rabbits, about 2 puppies, and if it was possible a horse, probably a couple more snakes. Animals are just so cool and amazing and in my opinion way better than most people in the world right now


----------



## ireth0

I would have more animals if I had more time to properly care for them all. If Anyone knows of self sufficient pets let me know.


----------



## missc89

kcomstoc said:


> Basically my life was told in this rant lol I want so much to have a zoo-like household the only thing holding me back is money. I probably would've adopted at least 2 more rabbits, about 2 puppies, and if it was possible a horse, probably a couple more snakes. Animals are just so cool and amazing and in my opinion way better than most people in the world right now


I am just completely fascinated by animals. My SO gets really annoyed when I get distracted by my cat and he's trying to get us out the door, or I want us to clean and then I just wander off and end up snuggling with Samus while she lets me hold her.



ireth0 said:


> I would have more animals if I had more time to properly care for them all. If Anyone knows of self sufficient pets let me know.


If I could afford it, I would quit my job and devote my life full-time to animals. Its one main driver behind my life-goal - I just want to spend every waking moment surrounded by animals and I want them to be my main focus in life. It just so happens to coincide very well with my need to help other people with their problems.


----------



## CptJack

Total aside but I've only gotten around to really paying attention to Jack's vet bills and-

The presurgical exam and blood work, a complex tooth extraction, complete dental cleaning, lumpectomy, biopsy, antibiotics, painkillers, neuter and two follow-up appointments at my vet wound up being ....

500.00

Looking at the bill there was a LOT of free stuff given to us under the guise of 'regular client discount'. I like them a lot.


----------



## missc89

CptJack said:


> Total aside but I've only gotten around to really paying attention to Jack's vet bills and-
> 
> The presurgical exam and blood work, a complex tooth extraction, complete dental cleaning, lumpectomy, biopsy, antibiotics, painkillers, and two follow-up appointments at my vet wound up being ....
> 
> 500.00
> 
> Looking at the bill there was a LOT of free stuff given to us under the guise of 'regular client discount'. I like them a lot.


That is amazing.

I'm hoping to befriend a vet by the time I have all my animals


----------



## GrinningDog

CptJack said:


> Total aside but I've only gotten around to really paying attention to Jack's vet bills and-
> 
> The presurgical exam and blood work, a complex tooth extraction, complete dental cleaning, lumpectomy, biopsy, antibiotics, painkillers, and two follow-up appointments at my vet wound up being ....
> 
> 500.00
> 
> Looking at the bill there was a LOT of free stuff given to us under the guise of 'regular client discount'. I like them a lot.


I heard Jack was out-of-sorts, but I missed what's going on with him. Everything okay? Jack's my favorite of your pack! (Don't tell the others.)


----------



## CptJack

GoGoGypsy said:


> I heard Jack was out-of-sorts, but I missed what's going on with him. Everything okay? Jack's my favorite of your pack! (Don't tell the others.)


He seems okay. Looks like the thing we had removed was a Mast Cell Tumor, like grade one, stage o stuff so shouldn't be a major issue but time will tell. It was just in an unfortunate location on his side with side margins so it's taking a while to heal together which is worrying me a little bit. 

The other stuff was just a broken tooth and neuter that we did at the same time. Well, really the tooth and tumor both needed done at once, we just tossed the dental cleaning and neuter on top because we were already doing the rest.



missc89 said:


> That is amazing.
> 
> I'm hoping to befriend a vet by the time I have all my animals


Having animals is a pretty good way to befriend your vet


----------



## chimunga

So I was sick all day. Had a pretty nasty fever that just broke. Watson is not a cuddler. Like at all. He likes to be exactly 2 feet away from me at all times, but he doesn't like to be petted, and he doesn't like to lay on you unless he's really really tired. But he was on top of me all day. He only left my side to go pee. At one point, I pushed myself off the couch and ended up on the floor. And he flipped. He kept nudging me with his nose. And when I didn't move, he straight up started howling. In the six months we have had him, I have never once heard him howl. I think he thought I was dying, so he was trying to summon my husband or something. It's nice to feel loved by your pup. Especially when you have such an aloof one.


----------



## missc89

This - this is exactly why I know I need a dog in my life. There is no one in the entire world that will love you the way a dog does, and it's such a special type of bond that no one can explain it. Dogs just know when people don't, no matter what kind of dog you have (aloof or not)


----------



## chimunga

missc89 said:


> This - this is exactly why I know I need a dog in my life. There is no one in the entire world that will love you the way a dog does, and it's such a special type of bond that no one can explain it. Dogs just know when people don't, no matter what kind of dog you have (aloof or not)


Well. I guess aloof isn't a fair word to describe him. Because he's super friendly with strangers. But once he gets to know you, and you lose your novelty, he's calms down and just likes to be next to you.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln doesnt like strangers, he is afraid of them, he just doesnt want anything to do with them LOL


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lincoln doesnt like strangers, he is afraid of them, he just doesnt want anything to do with them LOL


Watson loves every new person ever.


----------



## missc89

I never meant to associate aloofness with a negative thing. One of my favourite episodes of "Lie To Me" is where the main character is investigating a case where a scientific breeder took a world champion golden retriever dna to create the "perfect show dog" and they stuck the original owner of the champion dog that they took the dna from with a "failure show dog" and told him that "the experiment as a failure" so that they could get all the cash from the lineage, but in the end the man with the "perfect show dog who got screwed by the evil DNA people" ended up with the best, most loving companion in the entire world and he ended up dropping the lawsuit (Tl;Dr dogs rule and lie to me is a good tv show)


----------



## missc89

That being said, some of the best friends you will ever get are those you would never expect.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

chimunga said:


> So I was sick all day. Had a pretty nasty fever that just broke. Watson is not a cuddler. Like at all. He likes to be exactly 2 feet away from me at all times, but he doesn't like to be petted, and he doesn't like to lay on you unless he's really really tired. But he was on top of me all day. He only left my side to go pee. At one point, I pushed myself off the couch and ended up on the floor. And he flipped. He kept nudging me with his nose. And when I didn't move, he straight up started howling. In the six months we have had him, I have never once heard him howl. I think he thought I was dying, so he was trying to summon my husband or something. It's nice to feel loved by your pup. Especially when you have such an aloof one.


Isn't this the best feeling? I own bullies so the idea of a non-cuddly dog is foreign to me - seriously, my pit needs to sleep with her WHOLE body touching mine - but how nice! I bet it made you feel even a bit better when you were sick  Dogs just seem to know. Some say the same about cats but mine are jerks.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

CptJack said:


> Total aside but I've only gotten around to really paying attention to Jack's vet bills and-
> 
> The presurgical exam and blood work, a complex tooth extraction, complete dental cleaning, lumpectomy, biopsy, antibiotics, painkillers, neuter and two follow-up appointments at my vet wound up being ....
> 
> 500.00
> 
> Looking at the bill there was a LOT of free stuff given to us under the guise of 'regular client discount'. I like them a lot.


$500.00??!! That's what a simple neuter here alone will run you, including meds and rechecks.


----------



## Kyllobernese

It cost me $500 for a simple tooth cleaning, no extractions. Some Vets do seem to charge a lot more than others but it does help if you have more animals and are in at the Vet a lot.


----------



## Little Wise Owl

My neighbour is getting a Pug Puppy and I am just. SO. SAD. I'm having some serious puppy blues right now and I've been thinking about Pugs all week. lol


----------



## CptJack

Kyllobernese said:


> It cost me $500 for a simple tooth cleaning, no extractions. Some Vets do seem to charge a lot more than others but it does help if you have more animals and are in at the Vet a lot.


Yep, this. 

I live in an area where cost of living is cheap to start with and the clinic's prices (it's a whole two vet practice, mind) are really good to start with. Dog neuter is about 100.00 (without blood work). But we basically didn't pay for anything but the lab work, a tube of ointment and having him put under for one procedure. After he was out, everything else was just written off. Neuter, cleaning, lump removal and meds weren't charged for separately/at all, and we aren't being charged for follow-ups. 

Little bit weird, lot awesome. Not what I expected at all but ALL our animals go there, including the little ones/exotics since the second vet in the practice actually is an exotics specialist. We're there a lot, and we've been going to the same place as long as we've been in the area. I won't expect that kind of break on everything it was really nice to have this time because that bill could have been atrocious. 

and, honestly, it makes me feel appreciated as a client, which is nice.

(ETA: Low cost clinic costs here are actually really low cost. Like I had Kylie spayed at one for 30.00 and that could have been free but would have had to leave her 2 days for students to do some follow-up stuff, instead of taking her home same day so I paid. Next to nothing but paid. This place is actually the 'fancy' clinic in the area!)


----------



## Little Wise Owl

CptJack said:


> Yep, this.
> 
> I live in an area where cost of living is cheap to start with and the clinic's prices (it's a whole two vet practice, mind) are really good to start with. Dog neuter is about 100.00 (without blood work). But we basically didn't pay for anything but the lab work, a tube of ointment and having him put under for one procedure. After he was out, everything else was just written off. Neuter, cleaning, lump removal and meds weren't charged for separately/at all, and we aren't being charged for follow-ups.
> 
> Little bit weird, lot awesome. Not what I expected at all but ALL our animals go there, including the little ones/exotics since the second vet in the practice actually is an exotics specialist. We're there a lot, and we've been going to the same place as long as we've been in the area. I won't expect that kind of break on everything it was really nice to have this time because that bill could have been atrocious.
> 
> and, honestly, it makes me feel appreciated as a client, which is nice.
> 
> (ETA: Low cost clinic costs here are actually really low cost. Like I had Kylie spayed at one for 30.00 and that could have been free but would have had to leave her 2 days for students to do some follow-up stuff, instead of taking her home same day so I paid. Next to nothing but paid. This place is actually the 'fancy' clinic in the area!)


My vet's kind of like this with my family. We're not really close but my family have been loyal clients to her for almost 20 years and I always refer new clients to her so yeah. Spays and Neuters are still pricey here no matter what though


----------



## d_ray

ChelseaOliver said:


> $500.00??!! That's what a simple neuter here alone will run you, including meds and rechecks.


I feel your pain. Jewel's yearly exam, vacs, and heart worm meds set me back almost $400.


----------



## d_ray

Woke up to a huge poo and TWO pees in the hall. Jasmine will be so good for weeks and then have an accident. But really, two pees in a 5 hour period.


----------



## d_ray

WTF hubby just called me to tell me that Jazz pooped in the house again. This is the first time she's ever done it when someone's been home and not sleeping. He said he tried 3 times to put her out and she wouldn't go. I wonder if it's the extreme cold that is making her not want to go out.


----------



## kcomstoc

d_ray said:


> WTF hubby just called me to tell me that Jazz pooped in the house again. This is the first time she's ever done it when someone's been home and not sleeping. He said he tried 3 times to put her out and she wouldn't go. I wonder if it's the extreme cold that is making her not want to go out.


Does she have a sweater or something? it might be the extreme cold, I know that Jake doesn't want to pee when I take him out to go and I KNOW he has to go because he just woke up and hadn't gone all night but when I took him out he wanted to come right back in. I made him stay out and eventually he went.


----------



## missc89

So, a few nights ago, I was at my SO's apartment and I parked my car behind the building. There are balconies behind the building. Some guy owns a dog and this dog does not like to go outside if its colder than -15 and therefore he lets his dog pee on the balcony. It got ALL over my car. SO and I were NOT happy, since we were trying to leave for Sudbury that day.

With that being said, it is ABSOLUTELY possible that she is refusing to go to the bathroom outside because it is just too cold.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> So, a few nights ago, I was at my SO's apartment and I parked my car behind the building. There are balconies behind the building. Some guy owns a dog and this dog does not like to go outside if its colder than -15 and therefore he lets his dog pee on the balcony. It got ALL over my car. SO and I were NOT happy, since we were trying to leave for Sudbury that day.
> 
> With that being said, it is ABSOLUTELY possible that she is refusing to go to the bathroom outside because it is just too cold.


Gross! especially when there are so many alternatives, a litterbox out there or one of those "potty patch" things or even a pee pad out there ... geeze!


----------



## missc89

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Gross! especially when there are so many alternatives, a litterbox out there or one of those "potty patch" things or even a pee pad out there ... geeze!


Yeah... I originally thought it was human puke though, so imagine my relief when I realized it was _just_ dog pee! I was making a joke that "at least I didn't gag while I was wiping it off" because I used to have a sensitive stomach (Samus has helped with that - nothing like cleaning up cat puke right before going to work!) and he said "well I hope not otherwise getting a dog is a HORRIBLE idea"


----------



## MelTruffles

chimunga said:


> So I was sick all day. Had a pretty nasty fever that just broke. Watson is not a cuddler. Like at all. He likes to be exactly 2 feet away from me at all times, but he doesn't like to be petted, and he doesn't like to lay on you unless he's really really tired. But he was on top of me all day. He only left my side to go pee. At one point, I pushed myself off the couch and ended up on the floor. And he flipped. He kept nudging me with his nose. And when I didn't move, he straight up started howling. In the six months we have had him, I have never once heard him howl. I think he thought I was dying, so he was trying to summon my husband or something. It's nice to feel loved by your pup. Especially when you have such an aloof one.


BRB dying of complete cuteness overload


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> Yeah... I originally thought it was human puke though, so imagine my relief when I realized it was _just_ dog pee! I was making a joke that "at least I didn't gag while I was wiping it off" because I used to have a sensitive stomach (Samus has helped with that - nothing like cleaning up cat puke right before going to work!) and he said "well I hope not otherwise getting a dog is a HORRIBLE idea"


I have had dogs for so many years that nothing bothers me anymore ... two weeks after Lincoln came home, he got sick in his crate (I mean it came out BOTH ends!). So yeeeaaah ... that was fun cleaning that out if his crate at 5am LOL. All I can say is Thank DOG for nature miracle ... and the water hose LOL. Oh ... and bleach, cant forget to thank the bleach LOL


----------



## missc89

Oh no! Poor Lincoln! I'm glad he ended up being okay though.

Nature Miracle is now going on my "Must need" list for puppies.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> Oh no! Poor Lincoln! I'm glad he ended up being okay though.
> 
> Nature Miracle is now going on my "Must need" list for puppies.


I have the one in the red bottle, the one that you can use to spray on carpet stains, or you can use it as a fabric refresher, like fabreeze, or you can also use it for things like crate messes.


----------



## kcomstoc

We have balconies included on our apartment buildings (I have a balcony) it is against the rules for any animal to be outside on the balcony, with or without supervision probably for this reason specifically (the peeing and it dripping down onto someone or something). That doesn't stop people from letting their animals out on it but it's pretty rare that I actually see them out there.


----------



## missc89

This apartment building is kind of run down and in the downtown part of my city, and the owner couldn't give two craps about its tenants or the state of the building itself as long as he still gets paid. My SO's roof has been leaking since the fall and it hasn't been fixed, the water takes about 10 minutes to warm up (even in the summer), and its basically falling apart


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> This apartment building is kind of run down and in the downtown part of my city, and the owner couldn't give two craps about its tenants or the state of the building itself as long as he still gets paid. My SO's roof has been leaking since the fall and it hasn't been fixed, the water takes about 10 minutes to warm up (even in the summer), and its basically falling apart


ewww, yuck. Sounds awful  hope he can move soon!


----------



## missc89

Yes, we are moving to a townhouse in September once my lease is up!


----------



## BellaPup

Arrrgh - I got NO sleep last night! Not sure what's up, but Bella was very restless and kept getting out of bed every hour or so. She never does that, so I was all worried and couldn't sleep at all. 

I think we played too much snow piggy that night (she fetches her toy pig out of the snow) and maybe she was sore? She would get out of bed and do a few big stretches then jump back into bed. She seemed rather uncomfortable...poor girl! 

And I've been half-asleep all day. Here's hoping for a better night tonight with my Bella!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BellaPup said:


> Arrrgh - I got NO sleep last night! Not sure what's up, but Bella was very restless and kept getting out of bed every hour or so. She never does that, so I was all worried and couldn't sleep at all.
> 
> I think we played too much snow piggy that night (she fetches her toy pig out of the snow) and maybe she was sore? She would get out of bed and do a few big stretches then jump back into bed. She seemed rather uncomfortable...poor girl!
> 
> And I've been half-asleep all day. Here's hoping for a better night tonight with my Bella!


Sometimes Josefina is like this, I dont know if she hears coyotes outside or what, but when she is being like that, I will give her a benadryl LOL. Right now Lincoln is on it too because he has a case of the puppy itchies due to shedding his baby coat, and he is restless from teething, so I break one open (they are the capsules) in with their dinner as they need it.


----------



## momtolabs

I've had Avalanche for 2 hours.... I've already been told I "have to b careful cuzz them dogs are vicious" 

So vicious


----------



## missc89

BellaPup said:


> Arrrgh - I got NO sleep last night! Not sure what's up, but Bella was very restless and kept getting out of bed every hour or so. She never does that, so I was all worried and couldn't sleep at all.
> 
> I think we played too much snow piggy that night (she fetches her toy pig out of the snow) and maybe she was sore? She would get out of bed and do a few big stretches then jump back into bed. She seemed rather uncomfortable...poor girl!
> 
> And I've been half-asleep all day. Here's hoping for a better night tonight with my Bella!


Ah, the things I have to look forward to. I'm sorry you didn't get a good nights rest. I hope this weekend is better for the two of you!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

(Already posted this elsewhere, hope no one minds if I ask again.)

I Need some babysitting tips, and advice! This is my first real babysitting job. So, that's nerve-racking.I'm certfied in Child CPR/first aid, so that lessens the anxiety slightly. 

Anyways, He is 9 years old, and is pretty easy going- he really isn't a diffcult kid to deal with. The start time is at 5:30, so going outside really is not a option,and [from what I know] he will already be fed.


----------



## jade5280

momtolabs said:


> I've had Avalanche for 2 hours.... I've already been told I "have to b careful cuzz them dogs are vicious"
> 
> So vicious
> 
> View attachment 193770


What a cutie! Love the name!


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## gingerkid

Just a musing... there's West Highland Terriers, but are there like, east lowland terriers?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Just a musing... there's West Highland Terriers, but are there like, east lowland terriers?


Is there? thats a good question!


----------



## BellaPup

momtolabs said:


> I've had Avalanche for 2 hours.... I've already been told I "have to b careful cuzz them dogs are vicious"
> 
> So vicious
> 
> View attachment 193770


Yup. Ya gotta watch out fer that one! Ya can just tell he gonna eat yer face off while ya sleep. Well, I could just eat HIM up he's so freaking CUTE!!


----------



## BellaPup

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Sometimes Josefina is like this, I dont know if she hears coyotes outside or what, but when she is being like that, I will give her a benadryl LOL. Right now Lincoln is on it too because he has a case of the puppy itchies due to shedding his baby coat, and he is restless from
> teething, so I break one open (they are the capsules) in with their dinner as they need it.


I thought about Benedryl, but I didn't know (and still don't) what her issue was. Of course last night I'm thinking the worst...OMG she has an obstruction...OMG she hemorrhaged an organ jumping on the snow...OMG OMG OMG!!! In the light of day (and after my mom talked me down), I think she strained her muscles or something and couldn't get comfy. So she'd get up from bed every hour to stretch. And it freaked me out! 

ALL my fault!! No more Snow Piggy! 

She seems fine now. I took her to daycare (the Friday fun day) and they said she was fine. Now she's sleeping and I'm still all worked up from no sleep and tons of worry.  

Maybe a couple Benedryl for ME are in order!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BellaPup said:


> I thought about Benedryl, but I didn't know (and still don't) what her issue was. Of course last night I'm thinking the worst...OMG she has an obstruction...OMG she hemorrhaged an organ jumping on the snow...OMG OMG OMG!!! In the light of day (and after my mom talked me down), I think she strained her muscles or something and couldn't get comfy. So she'd get up from bed every hour to stretch. And it freaked me out!
> 
> ALL my fault!! No more Snow Piggy!
> 
> She seems fine now. I took her to daycare (the Friday fun day) and they said she was fine. Now she's sleeping and I'm still all worked up from no sleep and tons of worry.
> 
> Maybe a couple Benedryl for ME are in order!!


perhaps LOL. sometimes Josefina gets sore (she is hard on herself!) and I just slip a benadryl into her food on days when I can see that she cant settle.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Weird puppy &#55357;&#56849; was laying at the end of my bed with her toy, abruptly gets over walks across my face shoves herself under my head, grabs my hair tugs it for like 5 seconds, stops, buffs, lays down at my head for a couple seconds, leaves back to the end of my bed with her toy.


----------



## dogsule

I am so frustrated! My computer that is only a year and a half old just died...motherboard is shot which means it is junk. Thankfully the hard drive is fine and I didn't loose anything but come on.....last summer my camera that was a year and 3 months old stopped working, could not be fixed. WTF!! I bought another camera, that was $400 spent twice but my computer was $800+ and I sure don't have that right now. I am on my daughters computer right now so I am not computerless but it is so frustrating to waste all that money on crap that breaks and cannot be fixed. Ughhhhhhhh!!


On top of that Belle and I have our first agility trial tomorrow and I just cannot see it going well. Her noise issues have reared their ugly head again so she may just try to get back out of the ring when we go in. I think I wasted my $$ there too......but at least it will be experience sort of.


----------



## momtolabs

Just got back from taking Avalanche to the vet. Went in for shots and came out with an $72 vet bill. He has some hair loss around his eye so they did a skin scrape. He has Demadex. The vet said he should be okay around Mia since she's 2, fit and a very healthy dog. But to not allow them to really play(not a problem). Mia isn't fond of him right now anyway(he humps anything and everything.... Including her,haha). This is my bill 

-Puppy vaccines- $22.75
-skin scraping-$14.75
-Drontal plus(wormer) 24.44
-Ivercide(Mange medicine)-9.75

It cost more for the vet to scrape his eye then the actual medicine -_-


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## GrinningDog

Exceedingly bad day. I'm glad I have my beasties to cuddle with.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln has his chair back.

the chair that he always laid in at the ranch, I brought with me and he is already in it ... LOL he is such a silly puppy!


----------



## Kyllobernese

Went to supper at my sister's last night, was probably gone about four hours. When I came home and walked in the back door, what a stink. Kris had diarrhea in her crate and it must have been explosive as it was all over the wall behind her wire crate. Tossed her bedding outside for the night and had to wash the crate and walls. She did get into Susie's food yesterday in the morning and it obviously did not agree with her. Did not get much sleep last night because she kept fussing and did not know if she had to go out and did not want to chance it as usually she sleeps right through the night. I gave her some pumpkin which I always have frozen in an ice cube tray for just this sort of thing and she is the first dog I have had that would not eat it. I ended up mixing it with some canned dog food just to get it down her.

She seemed fine today and went to the Obedience practice as usual. Have not caught her going so don't know what her stool is like today.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank has to be one of the nicest dogs I've ever met. And not in the way that I mean Mia is the best dog ever... I mean Hank is a really good well rounded dog unlike any dog I've had. We had a lot of fun today. He played agility, slept, went to stores, went to the park. He met a kid at the dog park and played frisbee with her for a long time. He is so good. I can't take him anywhere without people telling me how neat he is and how great his temperament is.


----------



## momtolabs

It's in the negatives with windchill here and super windy out so none of the dogs want to go outside. Except Caleb who dashed out the door and while he stayed in the yard refused to come in. I had to go outside with no shoes and no coat to bring the little turd in!!! He drives me batty sometimes.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> I am so frustrated! My computer that is only a year and a half old just died...motherboard is shot which means it is junk. Thankfully the hard drive is fine and I didn't loose anything but come on.....last summer my camera that was a year and 3 months old stopped working, could not be fixed. WTF!! I bought another camera, that was $400 spent twice but my computer was $800+ and I sure don't have that right now. I am on my daughters computer right now so I am not computerless but it is so frustrating to waste all that money on crap that breaks and cannot be fixed. Ughhhhhhhh!!
> 
> 
> On top of that Belle and I have our first agility trial tomorrow and I just cannot see it going well. Her noise issues have reared their ugly head again so she may just try to get back out of the ring when we go in. I think I wasted my $$ there too......but at least it will be experience sort of.


what kind of computer was it?


----------



## gingerkid

On a group walk today there was a lady "training" her dog (who she stated had never really walked on a leash before) by smacking it in the face every time it walked even an inch in front of her leg. When I mentioned that might not be the most effective way to train a dog how to heel, she replied "I'm a dog trainer, so I know differently". I just... didn't know how to respond so I walked away while she yelled at me about how judging her won't help.

I've seen alpha rolls and other "dominance" based training tactics used, but I've never seen anyone actually hit a dog in front of me. It made me fee sick to my stomach and totally helpless. The poor dog was very obviously terrified of her - he was choking himself on his martingale trying to stay as far away from her as the leash would allow, and shied away any time her hand was over his head (even if it was just to put her hand in her pocket).


----------



## momtolabs

It's cold and miserable outside today so I decided to make an inside agility course(out of random things inside) I spent 30 minutes making it and it took Caleb 30 seconds to destroy it.


----------



## Miss Bugs

How the local lost and found pet Facebook pages and groups work.. someone recognizes a dogs picture or description but are not positive or can only place "looks/sounds familiar" obviously the best coarse of action is "tag Shayna, she will know exactly who the dog is, its owners name and how to contact them" rotfl I dunno if that's actually what goes through peoples heads, but thats always the result lol, even if the other person knows exactly who the dog is, they will still always tag me to "verify" it lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo ... its raining and cold with a freaking wind chill in the 20's ... the dogs cant even go out onto the patio (its not covered like the one at home) so that means they have to stay inside ... so that means I have to take them out every four hours to potty (puppy cant hold it longer than that at this point). This is the only time not having a fenced yard sucks ... normally I LIKE walking the dogs multiple times a day, but not when I cant feel my damn face less than 5 minutes of being outside


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Boo ... its raining and cold with a freaking wind chill in the 20's ... the dogs cant even go out onto the patio (its not covered like the one at home) so that means they have to stay inside ... so that means I have to take them out every four hours to potty (puppy cant hold it longer than that at this point). This is the only time not having a fenced yard sucks ... normally I LIKE walking the dogs multiple times a day, but not when I cant feel my damn face less than 5 minutes of being outside


Trade you! Its currently -22 C with the windchill(-7 F). 20 F is -6..WITH the windchill? I want I want! I'll take everyone hiking!


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## BellaPup

And I'll trade with you, Miss Bugs! The temp here this morning with windchill wass -24F. Ridiculous. But it's warmed up a bit ... I think it's now 11F with -15F windchill.


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## Miss Bugs

I had -40 and a blizzard on Saturday, I think I'll keep my -22 or take Owned's -6


----------



## Flaming

Miss Bugs said:


> I had -40 and a blizzard on Saturday, I think I'll keep my -22 or take Owned's -6


-30's to -40's °C 

yeah can I have that -6 now please?


----------



## BellaPup

Yay! A Yankee Weather Swap! I'll take Johnny Bandit's 70+ *F =)~


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## CptJack

I'll swap with any of you who are willing to also swap road crews who aren't financed or equipped appropriately, and houses built for winters where just below freezing is the norm and is now experiencing negative 30 windchills. Also for winter gear that was delivered south of the mason dixon and also not entirely appropriate (ie: Your coat is a nylon shell stuffed with poly fill, natural fiber things are rare and must be bought online or made, and a stiff wind blows through your house and you have insufficient heating system so can pay an 800.00 electric bill or freeze.


----------



## DaySleepers

I'm really bummed I haven't made it to Norway yet. They're only around freezing. Sounds downright balmy, right now. Even being surrounded by knitters (meaning natural wool sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens, socks, etc. somehow find their way into my wardrobe at an alarming rate), I can't seem to layer enough to stay warm.


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## KodiBarracuda

It's not terribly cold here. 37F feels like 23 according to internet. A bit of snow just came down (it literally rained soft snow balls, it was weird.). 
BUT, 
Our road crews suck, AND my water heater just went out so I'm without hot water for at least a few days because I live in a stupidly small town


----------



## Miss Bugs

My giggle..an add for a missing dog on Facebook, it says if sighted do not chase, get down on the ground and call him, but no name is attached. Someone commented asking for a name with which to call him, the owner responded "he's a Shiba, he doesn't answer to his name" and I about died laughing.


----------



## kcomstoc

Miss Bugs said:


> My giggle..an add for a missing dog on Facebook, it says if sighted do not chase, get down on the ground and call him, but no name is attached. Someone commented asking for a name with which to call him, the owner responded "he's a Shiba, he doesn't answer to his name" and I about died laughing.


LOL that's about right but Jake would react to his name (unless someone else had food) I really hope that they catch him though, shibas are NOT off leash dogs (typically)


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> what kind of computer was it?




It was a Dell laptop.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh the wind chill here is in the teens ... WAY too cold for south texas! our average is like 50s / 30-40s! Snow flurries expected tonight ... gee .... I wonder what the dogs will do if there is still snow on the ground, I wonder if I will even get Lincoln to go potty tonight LOL


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## Miss Bugs

Sola is kinda a drama queen and my god does that little pipsqueak have a set of pipes on her! I went downstairs to feed birds and bunny, manage like 2 things before I hear what sounds like 10 cats being shredded..I bolt upstairs conviced someone was dying and...nothing. just Sola sitting alone in the kitchen screaming. Now a chicken cutlet was missing from the stovetop so presumably Gypsy stole it but that hardly necessitates Sola screaming like a banshee lol, she didn't even stop right away she carried on for like 2 minutes after I got there, all my other dogs were cowering around the corner too afraid to go anywhere near this little screaming alarm lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is kinda a drama queen and my god does that little pipsqueak have a set of pipes on her! I went downstairs to feed birds and bunny, manage like 2 things before I hear what sounds like 10 cats being shredded..I bolt upstairs conviced someone was dying and...nothing. just Sola sitting alone in the kitchen screaming. Now a chicken cutlet was missing from the stovetop so presumably Gypsy stole it but that hardly necessitates Sola screaming like a banshee lol, she didn't even stop right away she carried on for like 2 minutes after I got there, all my other dogs were cowering around the corner too afraid to go anywhere near this little screaming alarm lol


Lincoln screamed for a week in his crate like he was dying ... and not just like, whining or a bit of yelping ... like full on tantrum BARKING! it was horrible and I finally had to stuff cotton in my ears to get any peace LOL


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I guess I shouldn't complain about the -15 we had here. But in my defense I hate the cold and can't ever seem to get used to it. Sometimes I wish Luke could walk himself or we had a backyard.


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## Miss Bugs

Gem was actually TERRIFIED of Sola for half the night after that screaming fit, like if Sola came near her, Gem pinned her ears and snarled warning her away it was like "you are the devil incarnate, get the heck away from me" I made Gem knock it off, she's more then 4 times Sola's size and Sola is 3 months old for petes sake. They are best friends again this morning in any case but good grief, that was ridiculous lol


----------



## Laurelin

I was offered a really really nice sheltie today out of the blue. :/ Dunno what to doooo. lol

I'm leaning towards no since Hank is so young (this dog is 6 months).


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## GrinningDog

Yesss. Say yesss.


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## kcomstoc

Laurelin said:


> I was offered a really really nice sheltie today out of the blue. :/ Dunno what to doooo. lol
> 
> I'm leaning towards no since Hank is so young (this dog is 6 months).


Give them to me of course


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## Laurelin

Ugh I'm torn. On one hand it's a great opportunity for a well bred agility dog (she has a cosmetic fault which is why she's available). On the other hand I'm iffy about another sheltie... I like the idea of a border collie or border staffy or ACD type dog better. But I don't have the agility breeder connections there. 

Thinking on it some.


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## missc89

Please let us know what you decide!!


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## notgaga

We had an ice and snow storm - everything is covered in like a 1-2" sheet of heavily iced over snow. Walking anywhere is nearly impossible. So of course since this is the day after the storm my dog has cabin fever. I had to connect her long leash to the fence at the community dog park and use it as a line to get to her poop/not fall over while she explored. 

And trying to walk with her anywhere is just showing me how much work we have to do with leashes. She's all over the place, eating ice, doing her own thing, walking away, not paying attention. I have to use my 30' leash otherwise I'm sure I'd eat it more than I have already. 

If you need me, I'll be the crazy one outside with the white dog, stumbling and falling and trying to get her to pay attention to me. I hate winter.


----------



## missc89

So what you're saying is you'll be the crazy one outside with a seemingly invisible dog? 

Winter does suck, but look at it this way - February is one of the (coldest) months, but it is also the SHORTEST month, AND next month means spring should start! I really couldn't be more excited to have the sun start setting at 530 instead of 445 though, let me tell you!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Gem was actually TERRIFIED of Sola for half the night after that screaming fit, like if Sola came near her, Gem pinned her ears and snarled warning her away it was like "you are the devil incarnate, get the heck away from me" I made Gem knock it off, she's more then 4 times Sola's size and Sola is 3 months old for petes sake. They are best friends again this morning in any case but good grief, that was ridiculous lol


Sometimes I think that Josefina puts up with Lincoln only because I tell her she has to LOL


----------



## missc89

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Sometimes I think that Josefina puts up with Lincoln only because I tell her she has to LOL


Yeah I think that's how I reacted when my parents brought home my little brother lol "Are you SURE we can't bring him back to the hospital!?" I was almost 6 when he was born.


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Sometimes I think that Josefina puts up with Lincoln only because I tell her she has to LOL


Same with jewel. I don't think there will ever be a day that jewel would prefer having jazzy around. She would love to be the only animal in the house and not have to share with anyone. I bet she dreams of the times when she was the only dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> Same with jewel. I don't think there will ever be a day that jewel would prefer having jazzy around. She would love to be the only animal in the house and not have to share with anyone. I bet she dreams of the times when she was the only dog.


Yeah, when Josefina first met Lincoln she gave me this look (she is very expressive) like "OMG REALLY??? seriously???" She was an orphan and didnt have a mom, so she doesnt know when to stop when she reprimands other dogs she has only seriously gone after Lincoln once (I broke it up before any damage was done ... and I usually dont like to intervene, but it was clear she wasnt going to stop. he was on the ground, already surrendering) but I was quick to put her in tether timeout for a few minutes while I did some exercises with Lincoln and checked him over to make sure he wasnt hurt. He avoided her for the rest of the day but got over it quickly and loves her again ... albeit he is more respectful now.

My vent for the day? Josefina almost blew off her recall to chase a damn sqiurrel! I was working with Lincoln on his stay and his switching from my left side to my right when I looked up to see her running toward the yard of the guy who owns this place!!! she was already like 20 feet away from me, I bellowed at her to get her ****ing ass back here ... I had to TWICE! she did but I leashed her after that and we did the remainder of our walk with her on a leash, humiliated. I didnt punish her for coming back, I just ignored her and focused on Lincoln. 

Damn dog.


----------



## missc89

I don't think you should be humiliated - the fact that you had to ONLY recall her twice is pretty darn good. After reading so much on here about how it may not be the best idea to have your dog off-leash, AND that it was a squirrel, you both did really well (considering the circumstances)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> I don't think you should be humiliated - the fact that you had to ONLY recall her twice is pretty darn good. After reading so much on here about how it may not be the best idea to have your dog off-leash, AND that it was a squirrel, you both did really well (considering the circumstances)


No I meant SHE was humiliated (how DARE I put her on leash like a puppy!!!), not me, there isnt much dogs can do anymore to embarrass me personally LOL. Of course I do not allow them to be jerks either and do manage their behaviors. 

The fact that she waited until I turned my eyes away from her tells me she was waiting until my attention was off, she has tried to chase squirrels here before but I quick to interrupt her before she even got started (when she was just looking). She knows better than that ... I taught her better ... at least I thought I did. I even gave her a command that let her know when it was okay to chase them!

Oh well, next walk is a new walk.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Ugh I'm torn. On one hand it's a great opportunity for a well bred agility dog (she has a cosmetic fault which is why she's available). On the other hand I'm iffy about another sheltie... I like the idea of a border collie or border staffy or ACD type dog better. But I don't have the agility breeder connections there.
> 
> Thinking on it some.


Good luck with that decision! It sure would be hard. Although I'm inclined to say wait for what you really want. Then again.. sometimes the best dogs are the ones we didn't plan.


----------



## missc89

Oh! Haha oops ^-^


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Ugh I'm torn. On one hand it's a great opportunity for a well bred agility dog (she has a cosmetic fault which is why she's available). On the other hand I'm iffy about another sheltie... I like the idea of a border collie or border staffy or ACD type dog better. But I don't have the agility breeder connections there.
> 
> Thinking on it some.


I remember when you wanted a MAS ... LOL


----------



## Laurelin

I would still like a MAS one day! Along with several other breeds. I like a lot of breeds and would be open to owning them.



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Good luck with that decision! It sure would be hard. Although I'm inclined to say wait for what you really want. Then again.. sometimes the best dogs are the ones we didn't plan.


It is very conflicting. The breeder knows her stuff and has put many MACHs on many dogs. I trust her when she says she's a nice agility prospect. And she's already started on foundations.

But that would be two baby agility dogs 8 months apart in age and at virtually the same spot in training. 

I think I'm going to have to say no but it's sort of killing me. I can't have more than 4 dogs so it could be risky having 2 so close in age and especially if one isn't exactly what I want. Both realistically money wise plus it's the legal limit where I live- 4 is a very hard line number for me at this point in life. I just worry that if I get a year or so out and can't find the caliber of dog I want in other breeds... Honestly I am not sure I could find another dog from as nice of a breeder with as much performance background as this one. I would like to 'get serious' about agility in the future and that could be a great opportunity. 

I'm just not sold on another sheltie. :/ I like the breed enough and have a lot of sentimental feelings towards them since mine were all so good. But I honestly don't love the breed. On the plus side, this sheltie is tiny and would jump 12" and not 16" like Hank.

I am queen of impulse grabbing dogs. coughHankandMiacough. I'd like to actually really plan the next one.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Trust me, MAS are AWESOME , and there are some good breeders around you, both in OK and TX.


----------



## momtolabs

Laurelin said:


> I would still like a MAS one day! Along with several other breeds. I like a lot of breeds and would be open to owning them.
> 
> 
> 
> It is very conflicting. The breeder knows her stuff and has put many MACHs on many dogs. I trust her when she says she's a nice agility prospect. And she's already started on foundations.
> 
> But that would be two baby agility dogs 8 months apart in age and at virtually the same spot in training.
> 
> I think I'm going to have to say no but it's sort of killing me. I can't have more than 4 dogs so it could be risky having 2 so close in age and especially if one isn't exactly what I want. Both realistically money wise plus it's the legal limit where I live- 4 is a very hard line number for me at this point in life. I just worry that if I get a year or so out and can't find the caliber of dog I want in other breeds... Honestly I am not sure I could find another dog from as nice of a breeder with as much performance background as this one. I would like to 'get serious' about agility in the future and that could be a great opportunity.
> 
> I'm just not sold on another sheltie. :/ I like the breed enough and have a lot of sentimental feelings towards them since mine were all so good. But I honestly don't love the breed. On the plus side, this sheltie is tiny and would jump 12" and not 16" like Hank.
> 
> I am queen of impulse grabbing dogs. coughHankandMiacough. I'd like to actually really plan the next one.


All I have to say is Hanks twin is still in the shelter here. I walked him last weekend and he was freaking awesome!! Quick smart and loved the agility equipment..... So if you feel an urge to come to Illinois..... He's pretty awesome


----------



## JTurner

:Cry::Cry: Gahhhh I am SO annoyed! I so badly want a vizsla (specifically a wirehaired vizsla), but the husband demands that we move into a bigger house before getting a second dog which probably will not be for about ten years...I want a vizsla because I will be out on the trails running with him and mountain biking...He will get plenty of exercise! The husband just doesn't get it...Plus my current dog Mac wants a sibling .


----------



## kcomstoc

So I took Jake over to a friend's house (their apartment is animal friendly and they love Jake) and there were a couple new people there that we knew Jake would like to see some new people (he's an unusual shiba) anyway he had to walk through some slushy snow and get his paws wet/cold for a minute because we didn't put his shoes on because it was only for a minute and he's usually fine. Well as he was walking through the snow to get to the apartment (which was approximately 10 feet from the car) he was lifting up his front paws because they were wet/cold and when we got into the apartment he started shiba screaming loud.

I was so embarrassed >.> I was like "please stop screaming" because everyone was looking at him like "did you just stab your dog repeatedly?" because that's what it sounded like. He did it for about 2-3 minutes and I just was like "uhhhh....yea he does that when his feet get wet/cold and during bath time". I just could not believe he was making such a scene. Thanks Jake for making us look like we tried to murder you.


----------



## jade5280

JTurner said:


> :Cry::Cry: Gahhhh I am SO annoyed! I so badly want a vizsla (specifically a wirehaired vizsla), but the husband demands that we move into a bigger house before getting a second dog which probably will not be for about ten years...I want a vizsla because I will be out on the trails running with him and mountain biking...He will get plenty of exercise! The husband just doesn't get it...Plus my current dog Mac wants a sibling .


Just wear him out by repeatedly talking about your future dog and act like it's actually going to happen until he starts to believe it. That's how I got my 2 and someday 3 haha

"Mac, aren't you excited about your new sister/brother?"
"Mac, isn't it going to be awesome when you have your new sister/brother to play with?"


----------



## gingerkid

JTurner said:


> :Cry::Cry: Gahhhh I am SO annoyed! I so badly want a vizsla (specifically a wirehaired vizsla), but the husband demands that we move into a bigger house before getting a second dog which probably will not be for about ten years...I want a vizsla because I will be out on the trails running with him and mountain biking...He will get plenty of exercise! The husband just doesn't get it...Plus my current dog Mac wants a sibling .


Find the perfect dog and then tell your hubby to meet him "just so he can see what they're like".

Worked for me.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> Just wear him out by repeatedly talking about your future dog and act like it's actually going to happen until he starts to believe it. That's how I got my 2 and someday 3 haha
> 
> "Mac, aren't you excited about your new sister/brother?"
> "Mac, isn't it going to be awesome when you have your new sister/brother to play with?"


hahaha same here! I would always "let him catch me" looking at dog breeder websites and all that, and I would be like "Oh, honey look at this dog or that dog!" I did that for 2 years, and he finally saw how important it was to me, so he agreed. My parents (who were included in the decision because me and dog(s) stay at their ranch sometimes) were actually easier to convince than he was, LOL.

But the upside is two years gave ma a lot of time to think about which breed I wanted (I was torn btw three)


----------



## kcomstoc

gingerkid said:


> Find the perfect dog and then tell your hubby to meet him "just so he can see what they're like".
> 
> Worked for me.


I did this one and Jade's idea, I just kept bugging my SO over and over about hey wouldn't it be great to get a puppy? (He also knew since we were together that I've always wanted a puppy) and after we found a dog breed that I really liked and that I thought he would enjoy as well I started searching for a breeder near us. (unfortunately they are like 8 hours away one way). So we went and looked at them and he was like "yes we can get one"


----------



## luv mi pets

I think if I did this my husband would have me committed. He has been good but I think the one more would do it. He probably would have the help from my family behind him.


----------



## momtolabs

My dad just petted and played with a pit bull mix puppy!! I'm in shock!!! He was part of the "all pit bulls an mixes of are evil" crowd. I had finally changed his mind but he still refused to go around them. I'm guessing he must of had a change of heart. He also woks in a factory and where he works tons of dogs are dumped there. He didnt tell me until today but last week an injured male pit bull was walking in the parking lot and the man who says "NO DOGS IN MY TRUCK." Picked him up and took him to the shelter. I'm in shock,haha. I had to text a few of the people who work there and ask if it was true,haha!!


----------



## DaySleepers

I've been looking at IATA certified crates again for when we inevitably make our big move, and... I think I'm going to have to buy my mini poodle an intermediate sized crate. The one rated for 30-50 lb dogs. Yikes. Most of the time I love his size, but his height makes the travelling thing tricky! It's way too early to worry about the flight itself (not that that stopped me from worrying for the past year and a half), but I think I'll get his crate soon. Give myself plenty of time to acclimate him to it. His current one is a little on the small side anyhow, since he's reliably housebroken, so it'd be nice to give him more space to sprawl.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I made the mistake of reading a BYBs website.... first thing that made me shake my head "everyone with a pack of dogs knows that if a new dog walks in, its not walking back out alive" (this was her reason why there could not have been a duel sire to a litter) and "my pack killed one of my own dogs once" and all I could do was think..lady if you think this is NORMAL you need to seriously re-think your breeding decisions! Not to mention her pack managment decisions! If it was like..a dog aggressive breed, ok fine..still need to rethink your pack managment though but it WASN'T dog aggressive breeds not huge dogs either, it was medium ones. Like..crazy!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Handy people I know lol, I was gonna donate the intermediate vari kennel I have to a rescue friend, and buy a wire one for Sola instead because she hates the solid sided crates, I messaged her about it and she was like "how about you just trade it for one of our wire ones instead" lol like.. sure! Then I get a wire for Sola and she gets a crate more useful for the transport she does lol


----------



## KodiBarracuda

People are so dumb. I just had someone argue with me why it's ok to rub his dogs nose in things and why he grabs his dog by the scruff and explains to him why it's bad to do a certain behavior (literally his words) by turning him so the dog has to face him (and holding him up) so he can yell at the poor dog. Oh and the dog is not even a year old. Like wtf.


----------



## notgaga

My dog Abby, who we got when I was 11, and who is now almost 14, isn't doing so well. I've been told to come home this weekend, and my parents are calling the vet today to see if there's anything more we can do for her... it'll be her third appointment in two weeks. She's failing fast. And my car won't start because of this freaking _weather_, man. She's such a great dog. I hate this.

Here she is on Christmas, 2010. Happier times.



She survived Parvo as a puppy. I wrote a narrative essay on her in 7th grade.


----------



## BellaPup

notgaga said:


> My dog Abby, who we got when I was 11, and who is now almost 14, isn't doing so well. I've been told to come home this weekend, and my parents are calling the vet today to see if there's anything more we can do for her... it'll be her third appointment in two weeks. She's failing fast. And my car won't start because of this freaking _weather_, man. She's such a great dog. I hate this.
> 
> Here she is on Christmas, 2010. Happier times.
> 
> 
> 
> She survived Parvo as a puppy. I wrote a narrative essay on her in 7th grade.


Awww...I'm so sorry! She is a beautiful girl! Sending thoughts and prayers your way {{hugs}}


----------



## notgaga

^thanks.

She has an appointment on Saturday and I'm packing Laika up and we're going home tomorrow.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

OMG I just had a scary incident on our nightly potty walk ... some jerk apparently tossed out a chicken none and Lincoln picked it up before I could stop him and had it in his mouth! Luckily I was able to get it away from him before he swallowed it so I don't think any harm was done, and I checked his mouth when I got back inside to see of anything more was in there or of anything was stuck in his throat and I didn't find anything ... but geeze! Thank god for my quick reflexes ... I guess???


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> OMG I just had a scary incident on our nightly potty walk ... some jerk apparently tossed out a chicken none and Lincoln picked it up before I could stop him and had it in his mouth! Luckily I was able to get it away from him before he swallowed it so I don't think any harm was done, and I checked his mouth when I got back inside to see of anything more was in there or of anything was stuck in his throat and I didn't find anything ... but geeze! Thank god for my quick reflexes ... I guess???


I had the same problem one day when I was taking Jake for a walk and there were chicken bones (like chicken wings) (either a jerk put them there or a cat *we have stray cats* dragged them there from the dumpster), It's terrifying and I'm glad that Lincoln is fine


----------



## ChelseaOliver

OwnedbyACDs said:


> OMG I just had a scary incident on our nightly potty walk ... some jerk apparently tossed out a chicken none and Lincoln picked it up before I could stop him and had it in his mouth! Luckily I was able to get it away from him before he swallowed it so I don't think any harm was done, and I checked his mouth when I got back inside to see of anything more was in there or of anything was stuck in his throat and I didn't find anything ... but geeze! Thank god for my quick reflexes ... I guess???


This feels like the story of my life! People throw cooked chicken bones it seems like ALL over the place in my neighbourhood, and my adult dog ALWAYS gets them before I see them. She's not super well trained (puppy is better) so once she has it, she's not giving it up. Nothing bad has happened yet. Happy Lincoln's okay


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> I had the same problem one day when I was taking Jake for a walk and there were chicken bones (like chicken wings) (either a jerk put them there or a cat *we have stray cats* dragged them there from the dumpster), It's terrifying and I'm glad that Lincoln is fine





ChelseaOliver said:


> This feels like the story of my life! People throw cooked chicken bones it seems like ALL over the place in my neighbourhood, and my adult dog ALWAYS gets them before I see them. She's not super well trained (puppy is better) so once she has it, she's not giving it up. Nothing bad has happened yet. Happy Lincoln's okay


Yeah it was the "shoulder" part of the wing, not the "flappy" part (sorry I dont know the proper names LOL) It was dark and he was smelling the ground, and I couldnt see what was there until I heard him with something hard in his mouth, he was TRYING to swallow it! I had to quickly grab him and fish it out of the back of his throat! I scared the poor little guy in the process (even though I wasnt rough or mean about it ... or even mad ... just scared to death!) after I tossed it away, he was like "mommy I am sorry! please dont hate me!" Poor guy, I hated to make him feel bad but that would have killed him!!! 

Good news is today he saw it, but he left it and came back to me without even having to be told. He really does have a pretty good "leave it" for a 5 month old puppy, but we are still working on his impulse to put ALL THE THINGS into his mouth, but I guess that smelled too good to ignore! And sometimes I give them bones myself (raw though ... NEVER cooked!!!) so maybe he just didnt generalize.


----------



## momtolabs

So according to a lab rescue "pure bred labs have no white on them. Just mixes" I literally Lol'd yes they do  It's even stated in the standard "Labradors will exhibit small amounts of white fur on their chest, paws, or tail, and". This rescue is very "we no everything about labs" and it was hard to bite my toungue and not say anything!!


----------



## missc89

momtolabs said:


> So according to a lab rescue "pure bred labs have no white on them. Just mixes" I literally Lol'd yes they do  It's even stated in the standard "Labradors will exhibit small amounts of white fur on their chest, paws, or tail, and". This rescue is very "we no everything about labs" and it was hard to bite my toungue and not say anything!!


Ugh, it's really frustrating to speak with someone/an organization that claim that they know everything, and then you're just kind of like "Yup, yup, totally wrong, not true, ahuh, really you swear you've done your research?" in your head. If I was in your position, I would've said something, but that's because I'm kind of a "know-it-all" (except when someone tells me I'm wrong, I actually try to listen, and research what they said, to see if I was actually right or not)


----------



## momtolabs

missc89 said:


> Ugh, it's really frustrating to speak with someone/an organization that claim that they know everything, and then you're just kind of like "Yup, yup, totally wrong, not true, ahuh, really you swear you've done your research?" in your head. If I was in your position, I would've said something, but that's because I'm kind of a "know-it-all" (except when someone tells me I'm wrong, I actually try to listen, and research what they said, to see if I was actually right or not)


I normally say something but I'm currently trying to help get a lab into this rescue so didnt say anything,lol. Didnt want to ruin the dogs chance of getting in :/


----------



## missc89

Ugh that's the worst. Good luck in getting the lab in to the rescue! Where did you find this one?


----------



## momtolabs

missc89 said:


> Ugh that's the worst. Good luck in getting the lab in to the rescue! Where did you find this one?


GSD breeder I know had it dumped at her house. He's not at mine though. I'm filled to the brim and I'm watching a bulldog and Cur all next week(but at there house)


----------



## Miss Bugs

So I get to work this morning and I'm told their is an over abundance of staff and a bunch of people were being sent home early. So..ya know you'd expect that since there was so much staff this morning that stuff would have been done and properly. Ya so fast forward to supper time tonight.. the feeding was sooooo messed up from this morning that it took 5 people an HOUR to feed like 60 of the dogs..now the food is prepared in the morning for the next feeding so feeding is quite litterally taking a bowl and putting it in the kennel..unless they get wet or raw, then you have to go prepare it but all in all it only takes 2 people to feed the entire facility(130 kennels) a half hour or less. Dogs were pre-fed entirely the wrong amounts(like many many times what they should have had) some dogs were not only not pre-fed but not set up properly at ALL, or their food bags were not even opened, none of the raw fed dogs had food thawed out for supper etc.. like WTF?? I was training a bunch of new staff and they were so confused because they were looking at feeding instructions and looking at the prepared meals and confused, completely lost as to weather this was messed up or they were not reading the instructions properly!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> So I get to work this morning and I'm told their is an over abundance of staff and a bunch of people were being sent home early. So..ya know you'd expect that since there was so much staff this morning that stuff would have been done and properly. Ya so fast forward to supper time tonight.. the feeding was sooooo messed up from this morning that it took 5 people an HOUR to feed like 60 of the dogs..now the food is prepared in the morning for the next feeding so feeding is quite litterally taking a bowl and putting it in the kennel..unless they get wet or raw, then you have to go prepare it but all in all it only takes 2 people to feed the entire facility(130 kennels) a half hour or less. Dogs were pre-fed entirely the wrong amounts(like many many times what they should have had) some dogs were not only not pre-fed but not set up properly at ALL, or their food bags were not even opened, none of the raw fed dogs had food thawed out for supper etc.. like WTF?? I was training a bunch of new staff and they were so confused because they were looking at feeding instructions and looking at the prepared meals and confused, completely lost as to weather this was messed up or they were not reading the instructions properly!


LOL gotta love new people. I ran into the same thing when I groomed race horses. when we would get a new person, the feed was NEVER set up for lunch feeding (they got fed 3 times a day, we used a 10 QF wheelbarrow, because we had like ... over 40 horses LOL) each week a different person feeds and when its their week they are responsible for preparing the feed for all the meals, so no one person (it was usually me!) got stuck with always having to get the food ready. but some of the guys would never say when we were getting low on feed, or supplements, until it was someone elses turn and they were all like "we dont have any more of "this" or "that" ... so yes I feel your pain LOL


----------



## Laurelin

Laurelin said:


> I would still like a MAS one day! Along with several other breeds. I like a lot of breeds and would be open to owning them.
> 
> 
> 
> It is very conflicting. The breeder knows her stuff and has put many MACHs on many dogs. I trust her when she says she's a nice agility prospect. And she's already started on foundations.
> 
> But that would be two baby agility dogs 8 months apart in age and at virtually the same spot in training.
> 
> I think I'm going to have to say no but it's sort of killing me. I can't have more than 4 dogs so it could be risky having 2 so close in age and especially if one isn't exactly what I want. Both realistically money wise plus it's the legal limit where I live- 4 is a very hard line number for me at this point in life. I just worry that if I get a year or so out and can't find the caliber of dog I want in other breeds... Honestly I am not sure I could find another dog from as nice of a breeder with as much performance background as this one. I would like to 'get serious' about agility in the future and that could be a great opportunity.
> 
> I'm just not sold on another sheltie. :/ I like the breed enough and have a lot of sentimental feelings towards them since mine were all so good. But I honestly don't love the breed. On the plus side, this sheltie is tiny and would jump 12" and not 16" like Hank.
> 
> I am queen of impulse grabbing dogs. coughHankandMiacough. I'd like to actually really plan the next one.


Welp, decided to say no after thinking a while on it and talking to some performance people about having two sport prospect dogs so close in age. I'm going to focus on Hank for the time being and re-evaluate in a year or two and see if I still want another.

I really think a lot of it is that I'm not trialling right now and missing it. So I'm like 'train all the things all the time!' Hank has a lot of potential but I have a lot of work to do with him!


----------



## luv mi pets

Laurelin said:


> Welp, decided to say no after thinking a while on it and talking to some performance people about having two sport prospect dogs so close in age. I'm going to focus on Hank for the time being and re-evaluate in a year or two and see if I still want another.
> 
> I really think a lot of it is that I'm not trialling right now and missing it. So I'm like 'train all the things all the time!' Hank has a lot of potential but I have a lot of work to do with him!


Like getting his pilots lesson because of his flying all the time


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

The stray cats here are bold. They'll just keep walking past our patio door or just sit there watching Luke bark his head off and acting crazy. I bet they plan it. "Hey Fred, watch this dog go stark crazy as I go by. He thinks he can get me, but there's a door in his way." Or: "I'm just going to sit here and laugh at this crazy dog."--says another. Truth be told, it is funny.


----------



## d_ray

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> The stray cats here are bold. They'll just keep walking past our patio door or just sit there watching Luke bark his head off and acting crazy. I bet they plan it. "Hey Fred, watch this dog go stark crazy as I go by. He thinks he can get me, but there's a door in his way." Or: "I'm just going to sit here and laugh at this crazy dog."--says another. Truth be told, it is funny.


lol wouldn't surprise me, cats can be arseholes. My old neighbours cat would sit on the outside of our window and taunt my cat. My cat would freak out and try to attack him through the window. I swear the cat would smirk the whole time.


----------



## ireth0

d_ray said:


> lol wouldn't surprise me, cats can be arseholes. My old neighbours cat would sit on the outside of our window and taunt my cat. My cat would freak out and try to attack him through the window. I swear the cat would smirk the whole time.


Yep. When we first moved to our new place before our fence was finished, a cat I dubbed 'fat cat' would come to our back screen door and Kallie would flip out growling. I suspect in an actual fight she would have lost horribly.


----------



## luv mi pets

d_ray said:


> lol wouldn't surprise me, cats can be arseholes.


Next in line are those squirrels. At sister' s house those squirrels do nothing but tease her dog to no end.


----------



## d_ray

My mom's two ragdoll cats are coming to stay with us until Friday....this should be interesting.


----------



## JeJo

luv mi pets said:


> Next in line are those squirrels. At sister' s house those squirrels do nothing but tease her dog to no end.


LOL I agree when it comes to squirrels. When they're not chuckingly teasing my dog, they are dropping bread rolls from the tree into the yard and laughing, I'm sure, about how long it will take to fatten up this Labradog.

Editing to add:: that I am adding the neighbors to the line, for leaving bread out for said squirrels.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL its times like this when its horridly icy everywhere that I wish I was a quadri-ped LOL, the navigte the ice so ... easily and me? I look like a newborn calf trying to walk LOL. My hip is killing me because I slipped and pulled a muscle trying to keep from busting my ass.


----------



## ireth0

We went to a dog expo on Sunday where a local photographer was taking pictures of dogs, payment went as a donation to a greyhound rescue.

I got Luna's pictures done, and now I'm just antsy about when is an acceptable time to follow up and ask if they're ready yet, lol. We gave our e-mail for her to send the pictures to... I'm just impatient!


----------



## d_ray

These two just got here and there's a lot of this going on:


----------



## gingerkid

ireth0 said:


> We went to a dog expo on Sunday where a local photographer was taking pictures of dogs, payment went as a donation to a greyhound rescue.
> 
> I got Luna's pictures done, and now I'm just antsy about when is an acceptable time to follow up and ask if they're ready yet, lol. We gave our e-mail for her to send the pictures to... I'm just impatient!


Usually ~1-2 week for a couple of sneak peeks, and 2-4 weeks for the full sets of photos, depending on the length of the session and how many photos were actually taken during the shoot.


----------



## d_ray

Now this is going on. 









Little is chirping and purring at the door. So cute. My moms cats are hissing.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

cats are weird ... like in a cute way.

My random thing, I am sitting on the couch smelling my dogs doggy smell ... and I like it ... is that weird? My dogs just ... dont smell to me, I mean they smell, just not bad.


----------



## Willowy

My garage door just. . .collapsed. Like all the rollers fell off and it's half hanging down. I'm mystified. And horrified. It didn't fall on anything and I got the car out but yikes. And it's supposed to snow tonight. Bah. I'm definitely calling the professional garage door guy tomorrow. Last time it went wonky I let my dad fix it and he nearly got himself killed, and this is way worse. Some things are bent. . .I bet I need to replace the whole thing. Yay fun.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Glad your dad is okay Willowy. 

Squirrels don't bug my dog as much, but I can see how they would drive a dog insane. A black cat stopped and stayed near our patio door driving the little dude bonkers. Only when the cat saw us did s/he leave. But all I could think about was what you said d_ray about them being jerks.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

they drive Josefina insane LOL


----------



## Laurelin

I swear Hank's shelter just names every spotted dog ever to come through the doors Hank. This is the second Hank since my Hank.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31142923/


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I swear Hank's shelter just names every spotted dog ever to come through the doors Hank. This is the second Hank since my Hank.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31142923/


You're going to start meeting spotted dogs at all the local parks and they will all be named Hank. You'll ask where they got their Hank and find out it's the same shelter. I demand pictures if it happens!


----------



## Laurelin

It's funny how many dogs named Hank that I've met since adopting Hank.

I did run into a dog at the park that was at the shelter while Hank was. His shelter name was Rodeo and he was an ACD. But I think he wasn't named Hank because Hank was already named Hank and still in the shelter. Hank was named by a volunteer couple who also had a heeler named Hank. I suspect they just see every vaguely heeler looking dog and are like 'yep, it's another Hank!' 

EDIT: This dog! I actually ran into him the other day. That's the second time I have run into other dogs that I had looked at while looking around for Hank. They had renamed him though.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30431462/


----------



## Willowy

It's because of the Hank the Cowdog books. All cow dogs are named Hank!  (even though Hank the Cowdog doesn't look anything like an ACD)


----------



## Miss Bugs

so this dog comes into daycare today and she's Purple...and not like purposely dyed purple. all day we were all like "why is she purple??" her mom picked up before she left today, as soon as she said who she was picking up I was like "why is she purple.." the answer? "bingo dabber" lol apparently last night the dog opened the her mom's "junk drawer" and pulled everything out and chewed open a bingo dabber, her mom said she was very proud of herself lol

I was also amused today.. I was hanging out with Zeus, a HUGE Malamute, all the other dogs were trying so hard to play with him but he just ignored them and followed me around head bopping me, then wanted to wrestle with me, so I indulged and played with him, then he took my hand in his mouth and walked me all around the yard, it was the cutest thing ever! I have tooth prints on my hand as a result, but who cares, it was adorable lol


----------



## kcomstoc

Miss Bugs said:


> I was also amused today.. I was hanging out with Zeus, a HUGE Malamute, all the other dogs were trying so hard to play with him but he just ignored them and followed me around head bopping me, then wanted to wrestle with me, so I indulged and played with him, then he took my hand in his mouth and walked me all around the yard, it was the cutest thing ever! I have tooth prints on my hand as a result, but who cares, it was adorable lol


If a malamute did this to me I would just die from the cuteness, he is why I would've liked to work at a doggy daycare. Chances of this happening probably not very high but the moments of dogs doing silly things would've been awesome


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> It's funny how many dogs named Hank that I've met since adopting Hank.
> 
> I did run into a dog at the park that was at the shelter while Hank was. His shelter name was Rodeo and he was an ACD. But I think he wasn't named Hank because Hank was already named Hank and still in the shelter. Hank was named by a volunteer couple who also had a heeler named Hank. I suspect they just see every vaguely heeler looking dog and are like 'yep, it's another Hank!'
> 
> EDIT: This dog! I actually ran into him the other day. That's the second time I have run into other dogs that I had looked at while looking around for Hank. They had renamed him though.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30431462/


But Hank the Cowdog was a cur, wasnt he?


----------



## dogsule

Ugh! I am so done with doggy diarrhea! On Feb 14th Belle got the diarrhea in the middle of the night. We thought we had given her too many treats at her first agility trial. Fasted her on Sunday and then Monday started boiled chicken and rice. She was not feeling well on Sunday but feeling fine on Monday and back to pooping normal by Tuesday. Then last weekend Angel started with the diarrhea. She never acted sick so I didn't fast her just started giving her chicken and rice. Her diarrhea got worse though and during the night on Monday she had blood in her poo. Took a stool sample in and they couldn't find anything. Vet put her on Metronidazole and said to stick with the bland diet. She didn't poop at all on Tuesday except in the early morning when I got the sample. Nothing on Wednesday either until 11:30PM when she pooped massive amounts of poo. Started out soft and formed but ended up pudding like. Of course this was the same time that Maya started with the diarrhea! Had her out at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30 and 4AM! Called the vet and she is on Metronidazole too now, fasting today and bland diet starts tomorrow. Apparently they have had other cases come in of unexplained vomiting and or diarrhea. So something is going around. Not sure if Belle caught it at the trial or what but I sure hope we are on the downslide now!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> Ugh! I am so done with doggy diarrhea! On Feb 14th Belle got the diarrhea in the middle of the night. We thought we had given her too many treats at her first agility trial. Fasted her on Sunday and then Monday started boiled chicken and rice. She was not feeling well on Sunday but feeling fine on Monday and back to pooping normal by Tuesday. Then last weekend Angel started with the diarrhea. She never acted sick so I didn't fast her just started giving her chicken and rice. Her diarrhea got worse though and during the night on Monday she had blood in her poo. Took a stool sample in and they couldn't find anything. Vet put her on Metronidazole and said to stick with the bland diet. She didn't poop at all on Tuesday except in the early morning when I got the sample. Nothing on Wednesday either until 11:30PM when she pooped massive amounts of poo. Started out soft and formed but ended up pudding like. Of course this was the same time that Maya started with the diarrhea! Had her out at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30 and 4AM! Called the vet and she is on Metronidazole too now, fasting today and bland diet starts tomorrow. Apparently they have had other cases come in of unexplained vomiting and or diarrhea. So something is going around. Not sure if Belle caught it at the trial or what but I sure hope we are on the downslide now!


Yuck, no fun!


----------



## luv mi pets

Why do dogs always have to start playing at your feet when you are sitting down. Just where is it written that my feet are the playground?


----------



## d_ray

luv mi pets said:


> Why do dogs always have to start playing at your feet when you are sitting down. Just where is it written that my feet are the playground?


Haha mine are the worst for playing all around me while hiking. I've been knocked over numerous times. Or they sprint by chasing each other and ram right into me.


----------



## Eenypup

Ugh Bennie keeps embarrassing me at Petco! It's cold and we don't walk over there often anymore, but whenever I bring her it takes a while for her to settle down and pay attention. By the time she's focused on me and not all the smells and food everyone has already tried to say hi and she ignored them all! She used to be good pals with them but I think it's a combination of her not being as crazily stranger obsessed and also just not getting out as much and being way too excited. Silly dog. I'll try to get her back out there as it gets warmer and hopefully she'll improve again.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I take back everything I bad I said about the snow, that **** is AWESOME! dogs and I had a blast running around in it like little kids haha. We got like ... over a foot today with more forecasted tonight. of course I didnt get any pics of us because I wouldnt have been able to operate my phone with gloves and I aint taking them off for a few pics hahaha


----------



## jade5280

I've been so sick for the past 4 days and I'm so done with it! Uuugh it's some awful flu. At least I have the dogs to cuddle with. Except last night I was trying to hug Ryker and he smashed his head into my mouth and now it looks like I got punched in the face. I hope I feel better tomorrow.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CRAP. One of lincoln's lower canines isnt falling out and the adult one is coming in. I just noticed this and of course its the weekend and the weather is horrible and I wont be able to get to the vets until next week -_-.

Is there any hope it will fall out on its own maybe??? I mean I still plan to go to the vet anyway if ifs not out by the time the weather clears.


----------



## luv mi pets

Yes it can fall out. Give him a rawhide or a bone to chew on play tug with him Not a big thing.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

even if I can see the adult tooth coming in? because I can see it peeking out behind the baby one and the baby one doesnt seem loose. He is chewing like a fiend, though and has lots of chewys to chew on.


----------



## luv mi pets

Yes not too worry Owned. I would only worry if the adult tooth was all the way in and it had been a couple of weeks or that the retained deciduous tooth was causing the adult tooth not coming in properly. You can also put pressure on the baby tooth with your fingers. I just would not worry just yet.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

luv mi pets said:


> Yes not too worry Owned. I would only worry if the adult tooth was all the way in and it had been a couple of weeks or that the retained deciduous tooth was causing the adult tooth not coming in properly. You can also put pressure on the baby tooth with your fingers. I just would worry just yet.


WHEW ok, I will keep an eye on it in hopes it will fall out on its own  thanks, that makes me feel a lot better.


----------



## Pasarella

Finaly I made online-pedigree for my dogs in dachspedigrees.com. That was hard,because I had to "make" almost every single dog in the pedigree because they weren't there,but that sure is a very good feeling when there is a connection and I found parents for my dogs great-grandparents  So interesting to see our great,great,great,great...grand parents and their titles and field results. Makes me think why people doesn't have pages like these.I would be very happy to know my "pedigree"


----------



## Willowy

Pasarella said:


> Finaly I made online-pedigree for my dogs in dachspedigrees.com. That was hard,because I had to "make" almost every single dog in the pedigree because they weren't there,but that sure is a very good feeling when there is a connection and I found parents for my dogs great-grandparents  So interesting to see our great,great,great,great...grand parents and their titles and field results. Makes me think why people doesn't have pages like these.I would be very happy to know my "pedigree"


www.ancestry.com  People do make family trees all over the internet but that's probably the biggest.


----------



## Pasarella

I probably won't find any of my relatives there.My grandfather was an orphan and didn't remember his parents,the other,I hardly doubt they did have internet


----------



## Willowy

Other people put stuff on too, just like dog pedigrees. I know my grandparents didn't post anything online but my brother says our family tree on there is fairly complete. Some random 3rd cousin with an interest in geneology? Who knows?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> www.ancestry.com  People do make family trees all over the internet but that's probably the biggest.


yeah, sucks you have to pay to use it :/


----------



## luv mi pets

OwnedbyACDs said:


> yeah, sucks you have to pay to use it :/


....but the commercial says it is free


----------



## CptJack

My 95 year old grandmother's house burned to the ground last night. My mom and uncle were with her, so they were able to get her out (she's wheelchair bound) before her oxygen tanks exploded and aside from some scrapes, bruises, and minor frostbite they're okay. But my uncle's dog died and the house is gone - and it wasn't insured. My uncle lived there full time his whole life, my grandmother is 95 years old and... they lost everything. Family will pull it together and take care of them, but.

My grandfather built that house, they'd lived there for more than sixty years when he died in 2007, and that poor little dog. I just... There are no words.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> My 95 year old grandmother's house burned to the ground last night. My mom and uncle were with her, so they were able to get her out (she's wheelchair bound) before her oxygen tanks exploded and aside from some scrapes, bruises, and minor frostbite they're okay. But my uncle's dog died and the house is gone - and it wasn't insured. My uncle lived there full time his whole life, my grandmother is 95 years old and... they lost everything. Family will pull it together and take care of them, but.
> 
> My grandfather built that house, they'd lived there for more than sixty years when he died in 2007, and that poor little dog. I just... There are no words.


I'm so sorry! That's so awful, but I'm glad no one was hurt except for the poor dog. My thoughts are with you and your family.


----------



## momtolabs

CptJack said:


> My 95 year old grandmother's house burned to the ground last night. My mom and uncle were with her, so they were able to get her out (she's wheelchair bound) before her oxygen tanks exploded and aside from some scrapes, bruises, and minor frostbite they're okay. But my uncle's dog died and the house is gone - and it wasn't insured. My uncle lived there full time his whole life, my grandmother is 95 years old and... they lost everything. Family will pull it together and take care of them, but.
> 
> My grandfather built that house, they'd lived there for more than sixty years when he died in 2007, and that poor little dog. I just... There are no words.


I'm so sorry  If there is anything they need PM me. My cousins just went through this a few years ago and I know how hard it was for them


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

luv mi pets said:


> ....but the commercial says it is free


yeah ... its free to make an account ... like everything else if you want to actually USE it ... you gotta pay.


----------



## momtolabs

For those that know what was going on with me in my personal life about a month ago I would like to update you and say : THE BOYS ARE BACK!!! I have never been so happy!!


----------



## Kathyy

My brother made up a partial family tree mostly the old fashioned way 25 years ago which included information from my maternal grandmother who probably worked a lot harder on the project as she did it more like 40 years ago. One goes through church, census and city hall records and there was even at least one self published book about one family. My grandmother's family had been in America since something like 1630 and she was bound and determined to get into DAR. She sure had a hard time finding a male relation that fought in the Revolutionary War. Not sure what the issue was, pacifist or died before having children.

In dog news Ginger can tell time. I told her one time she couldn't go for a walk before 3pm and now she is up and bugging us for a walk right at 3 even though she didn't even go for a walk at 3 that day. She has also decided to be a ball fiend and I don't have to pay to get the ball back when I throw it. She turned on when I finally found a mini ball chuckit locally. What is it about chuckits? She and Max think they are the best thing ever.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

CptJack said:


> My 95 year old grandmother's house burned to the ground last night. My mom and uncle were with her, so they were able to get her out (she's wheelchair bound) before her oxygen tanks exploded and aside from some scrapes, bruises, and minor frostbite they're okay. But my uncle's dog died and the house is gone - and it wasn't insured. My uncle lived there full time his whole life, my grandmother is 95 years old and... they lost everything. Family will pull it together and take care of them, but.
> 
> My grandfather built that house, they'd lived there for more than sixty years when he died in 2007, and that poor little dog. I just... There are no words.


Oh no, I'm so terribly sorry. *Hugs* to you,& your family. Thoughts are with you,& your family,& I'll be thinking of you all.

If there's anything I could do, feel free to PM me. Same goes to you, if ever need something, I might not be able to do much, but I'll do as much I can.




momtolabs said:


> For those that know what was going on with me in my personal life about a month ago I would like to update you and say : THE BOYS ARE BACK!!! I have never been so happy!!
> 
> View attachment 195242
> 
> 
> View attachment 195250


Yayyy! So happy for you!


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> My 95 year old grandmother's house burned to the ground last night. My mom and uncle were with her, so they were able to get her out (she's wheelchair bound) before her oxygen tanks exploded and aside from some scrapes, bruises, and minor frostbite they're okay. But my uncle's dog died and the house is gone - and it wasn't insured. My uncle lived there full time his whole life, my grandmother is 95 years old and... they lost everything. Family will pull it together and take care of them, but.
> 
> My grandfather built that house, they'd lived there for more than sixty years when he died in 2007, and that poor little dog. I just... There are no words.


That's terrible  I'm glad everyone is ok except for the dog which is horrible way for him to die  I hope that it was fast and as painless as possible. Just really really horrible for everyone involved


----------



## Willowy

Ahhh, puppies. There's an ad on craigslist for "retriever/terrier" puppies. One especially has wiry little ears. . .I'm dying here! 

I was going to post a pic but when I try to go on craigslist on my phone it says this IP has been blocked. So that's weird. I was just on yesterday. Maybe they're trying to keep me from looking at puppies .


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I love it when Lincoln wiggles his little docked tail at me, it is so cute it makes me melt! the "rant" is he has learned that he can "bully" me into petting him when he comes up to me with those soulful eyes and that wiggling butt LOL.

Also my shoulder is hurting me so very much, I can hardly stand it.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Well.. I went to look at some puppies yesterday and..

Didn't come home with one! I'm proud of myself for willpower. There was no correct match for my husband and I. Oh well.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Well.. I went to look at some puppies yesterday and..
> 
> Didn't come home with one! I'm proud of myself for willpower. There was no correct match for my husband and I. Oh well.


 Darn, you disappoint us!


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I take back everything I bad I said about the snow, that **** is AWESOME! dogs and I had a blast running around in it like little kids haha. We got like ... over a foot today with more forecasted tonight. of course I didnt get any pics of us because I wouldnt have been able to operate my phone with gloves and I aint taking them off for a few pics hahaha


Glad you are having fun with the snow....see you could get used to it I bet. LOL!! You also get used to the cold fingers thing. When I go out I wear very thin gloves so I can take pics and hand out treats easily. When the temps are around 0 though it is cold on the fingers. You get to a point where your fingers hurt and you can hardly feel them and then bam...they are just fine. You just have to get used to it. LOL!


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> WHEW ok, I will keep an eye on it in hopes it will fall out on its own  thanks, that makes me feel a lot better.


Yes, it should be fine. This happens in humans too...shark teeth. lol. My daughter had it happen. The adult took comes in behind instead of underneath the baby tooth and it takes the adult tooth longer this way to push the baby tooth out but it will. Should be no problems from it but I would keep an eye on it.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> My 95 year old grandmother's house burned to the ground last night. My mom and uncle were with her, so they were able to get her out (she's wheelchair bound) before her oxygen tanks exploded and aside from some scrapes, bruises, and minor frostbite they're okay. But my uncle's dog died and the house is gone - and it wasn't insured. My uncle lived there full time his whole life, my grandmother is 95 years old and... they lost everything. Family will pull it together and take care of them, but.
> 
> My grandfather built that house, they'd lived there for more than sixty years when he died in 2007, and that poor little dog. I just... There are no words.


I am so sorry this happened. How awful, thankfully they got your grandmother out. So sad all around though.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Well.. I went to look at some puppies yesterday and..
> 
> Didn't come home with one! I'm proud of myself for willpower. There was no correct match for my husband and I. Oh well.


What a disappointed. How could you?


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Well.. I went to look at some puppies yesterday and..
> 
> Didn't come home with one! I'm proud of myself for willpower. There was no correct match for my husband and I. Oh well.


What kind of puppies? Breeder? Shelter?


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Bumped into a neighbor of mine when our dogs saw each other. They sniffed each other, then mine went to sniff a bush as his said hello to me. Then Xander's owner (he's a Toy Poodle) was saying how he's so happy that Xander is a people person dog and will run up to see people. Mine is still sniffing a bush and hasn't greeted the man at all, but he will greet people when he wants too. I hope I'm not reading too much into what my neighbor said; it sounded as if he was implying mine isn't friendly.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dogsule said:


> Glad you are having fun with the snow....see you could get used to it I bet. LOL!! You also get used to the cold fingers thing. When I go out I wear very thin gloves so I can take pics and hand out treats easily. When the temps are around 0 though it is cold on the fingers. You get to a point where your fingers hurt and you can hardly feel them and then bam...they are just fine. You just have to get used to it. LOL!


I did finally get pics! I put them in his pic thread here: http://www.dogforums.com/general-dog-forum/346777-lincolns-photo-thread-cuteness.html


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola asked to go outside to pee all by herself for the first time tonight!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola asked to go outside to pee all by herself for the first time tonight!!


same here! I have been having issues with getting Lincoln to realize that here without a yard and only a 10x10 balcony to go out in, which has a stone floor, he can NOT just pee whenever he wants anymore, so every hour, we go downstairs to pee LOL, he has only had a couple of accidents, and believe me I would rather have this kind of lapsing than in his crate LOL, but he actually came to the door today and gave me that "I gotta go!" look ... yay for progress!!!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

elrohwen said:


> What kind of puppies? Breeder? Shelter?


It was a breeder. That's all I'm saying for now.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank punched me in the eye over the weekend. After two days of walking around with a red semi-shut and watery painful eye I think I'm going to have to go to the optometrist tomorrow. I'm pretty sure his toenail scratched the crap out of my eyeball. 

Sigh. He was attempting to 'cuddle' with me.


----------



## Sibe

Sad rant. I hate not being able to take a foster. I'm moving in a couple months, but with emptying the house and getting things fixed up to put it on the market, and will be living with a friend until the house sells, I can't have a foster right now. Around the time the Boxery puppies left and then 2-legged Bobb left to back to the rescue director's place to stay, I un-liked all but a few of the San Diego based rescues on Facebook that I'd been following (31 of them). I've been removing myself from email lists for the lat couple months every time I get one. So OF COURSE last night I get an email from a rescue I did foster for previously that there is an emaciated, malnourished, 4 week old puppy who needs a foster. Been at the shelter a week already and was treated for giardia. I immediately teared up and had to really fight the tears from falling. Unsubscribed from the list. Ugh. She did find a foster already thank goodness.
https://scontent-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/h...=10a6993219de988bc45e3c311daf80de&oe=557D36BE


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> My 95 year old grandmother's house burned to the ground last night. My mom and uncle were with her, so they were able to get her out (she's wheelchair bound) before her oxygen tanks exploded and aside from some scrapes, bruises, and minor frostbite they're okay. But my uncle's dog died and the house is gone - and it wasn't insured. My uncle lived there full time his whole life, my grandmother is 95 years old and... they lost everything. Family will pull it together and take care of them, but.
> 
> My grandfather built that house, they'd lived there for more than sixty years when he died in 2007, and that poor little dog. I just... There are no words.


So sorry to hear. Sending prayers to you and your family.


----------



## d_ray

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Bumped into a neighbor of mine when our dogs saw each other. They sniffed each other, then mine went to sniff a bush as his said hello to me. Then Xander's owner (he's a Toy Poodle) was saying how he's so happy that Xander is a people person dog and will run up to see people. Mine is still sniffing a bush and hasn't greeted the man at all, but he will greet people when he wants too. I hope I'm not reading too much into what my neighbor said; it sounded as if he was implying mine isn't friendly.


LOL i've had neighbours say that my dogs really aren't friendly. They appear unfriendly on leash because Jazz is reactive and then Jewel feeds into it. And neither of them like strangers. It doesn't bother me at all. My in laws are terrified of Jazz and my nephew "hates" her. Yes, he said that. They can't grasp the fact that she doesn't immediately like everyone. Meanwhile, my mom and sister (not dog people at all) love jazz the most because once you meet her more than a couple times, she is the biggest wiggle suck lap dog.


----------



## elrohwen

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Bumped into a neighbor of mine when our dogs saw each other. They sniffed each other, then mine went to sniff a bush as his said hello to me. Then Xander's owner (he's a Toy Poodle) was saying how he's so happy that Xander is a people person dog and will run up to see people. Mine is still sniffing a bush and hasn't greeted the man at all, but he will greet people when he wants too. I hope I'm not reading too much into what my neighbor said; it sounded as if he was implying mine isn't friendly.


Meh, I don't really want my dog being super interested in every person we pass. He's already super interested in every dog we pass and that's enough of a PITA for me. He will greet people when I tell him to, but it's often a quick wiggle and then he goes back to sniffing or whatever he was doing. He's only super interested in people he sees frequently, like training instructors or our friends and family and I think that's normal.

Some people think every dog should love them and want to meet them and get offended when that doesn't happen, but don't worry about what those people think.


----------



## CptJack

Thanks guys.

Also my dogs actually aren't "friendly" - well some of them. I mean they're all polite (most of the time) and none of them are aggressive at all, but by and large the only dog I consider friendly is Bug. The rest are well trained in the ways of not giving two farts about random people they don't know. I'm really not sure that it needs to be something seen as an insult. Then again, I'm not particularly friendly with strangers or on the street, either  so for me it's actually a big plus.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Not that I am in any hurry for him to grow up, but I am curious as to when Lincoln will (if ever) stop squatting when he pees LOL, sorry if that musing is stupid, I have only had one other male other than him.


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Not that I am in any hurry for him to grow up, but I am curious as to when Lincoln will (if ever) stop squatting when he pees LOL, sorry if that musing is stupid, I have only had one other male other than him.


Watson started lifting his leg around 7-8 months. He has pretty much never squatted since then.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Hank punched me in the eye over the weekend. After two days of walking around with a red semi-shut and watery painful eye I think I'm going to have to go to the optometrist tomorrow. I'm pretty sure his toenail scratched the crap out of my eyeball.
> 
> Sigh. He was attempting to 'cuddle' with me.


Watson punches me all the time, luckily not as hard as he can and he's never done more than a slight bruise. And I'm good at shutting my eyes now when I see it coming.

Hopefully your eye heals ok!


----------



## CptJack

Thud sometimes STILL squats to pee. He marks now - and only recently started marking more than once in a blue moon- but if he needs to pee sometimes he lifts his legs, sometimes he doesn't. I don't think he lifted his leg at all until he was well over a year old.

But he's been the most slow maturing suck in the world.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack, I just saw the news about your grandmother's house. I am so sorry. What a devastating tragedy. I'm glad the people are safe, though it's terrible that they lost their dog in addition to all of their possessions.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> CptJack, I just saw the news about your grandmother's house. I am so sorry. What a devastating tragedy. I'm glad the people are safe, though it's terrible that they lost their dog in addition to all of their possessions.


It is so bad. I feel for the loss of the dog of course, don't think I'm minimizing that, I think it's just that it's clumped in with the loss of everything else, and all the other chaos and tragedy. I just... feel so horrible for both of them. I think they'll both be out of the hospital in a few days (my mom is fine and back at work already), and we've managed to pull together housing/clothing/household supplies. 

I expect once they're out and the work in getting them set out is over the loss is going to hit properly.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> Also my dogs actually aren't "friendly" - well some of them. I mean they're all polite (most of the time) and none of them are aggressive at all, but by and large the only dog I consider friendly is Bug. The rest are well trained in the ways of not giving two farts about random people they don't know. I'm really not sure that it needs to be something seen as an insult. Then again, I'm not particularly friendly with strangers or on the street, either  so for me it's actually a big plus.


Lincoln is like this, people have tried to pet him uninvited and he pulls away from them and barks at them (we are working on this, and it is getting less every day) and they look at ME like I am the bad one??? if they look at me a certain way or mention that "he needs more training" (I usually get the latter) then I say "YOU'RE giving me advice when YOU just tried to pet MY dog without asking ME??? If you ask me, he has more sense than you!" LOL and they usually just walk away after that because they dont know what else to say. 

Still I LIKE that is he this way, because stranger danger, man!


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lincoln is like this, people have tried to pet him uninvited and he pulls away from them and barks at them (we are working on this, and it is getting less every day) and they look at ME like I am the bad one??? if they look at me a certain way or mention that "he needs more training" (I usually get the latter) then I say "YOU'RE giving me advice when YOU just tried to pet MY dog without asking ME??? If you ask me, he has more sense than you!" LOL and they usually just walk away after that because they dont know what else to say.
> 
> Still I LIKE that is he this way, because stranger danger, man!


Yah Jasmine's like this. She will bark if someone new tries to pet her. Jewel is generally friendly with strangers except the odd time. I had someone tell me when we first adopted Jasmine that it's not right for Jasmine to be barking at them. And that I need to learn to control her. They wouldn't even let me get a word in to tell them that she was a recent rescue and that's why she wears a harness and that I'm working on it.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> Yah Jasmine's like this. She will bark if someone new tries to pet her. Jewel is generally friendly with strangers except the odd time. I had someone tell me when we first adopted Jasmine that it's not right for Jasmine to be barking at them. And that I need to learn to control her. They wouldn't even let me get a word in to tell them that she was a recent rescue and that's why she wears a harness and that I'm working on it.


I MAKE them let me get a word in, if they keep going I am like "HEY!" really loud and then I say what I want to say, I am very good at channeling my inner b**ch when it comes to my dogs.


----------



## CptJack

and then I broke my pinky finger in a door. 

I'm done with this week.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> and then I broke my pinky finger in a door.
> 
> I'm done with this week.


OUCH  damn you're having a rough week


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> and then I broke my pinky finger in a door.
> 
> I'm done with this week.


So sorry about all the stress, and painful/depressing things you are going through. I hope that things improve into next week.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ARGH Lincoln will not settle in his crate tonight for some reason, thinking it was a stomach upset (which is what it was the last time he did this) I took him out but he just peed and went right back in and he still wont settle, he keeps sitting up and looking at me, and every time I move or get up he jumps up too. I have played fetch with him and Josefina two days in a row so maybe he is sore from that? I have also been letting him stay out in the house during the day when the weather turns back and he had to come inside (we get a lot of showers moving through where it rains or whatever, then stops for a while) but he knows he goes in his crate at night and has never had an issue with it.


----------



## GrinningDog

Good friend of mine recently adopted a chow x lab mix through a rescue. Turns out the dog has some very serious behavioral issues, including dog aggression, major reactivity, and fear aggression toward people. Bite risk. Plus, she's a strong almost 70 lbs. The dog actually bit my friend this morning, not badly but it gave her a scare. Overall the dog has been very sweet with she and her husband. They've only had her a month, but they've totally (and understandably!) fallen in love. Unfortunately, the issues are big ones. My friend is REALLY unhappy that the rescue didn't warn her. This is their first dog, and they definitely didn't want to deal with something like this. They're trying to set up an appointment with a recommended veterinary behaviorist. I'm hoping she's good. I know this is not a dog I'd be able to handle without professional help.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> Good friend of mine recently adopted a chow x lab mix through a rescue. Turns out the dog has some very serious behavioral issues, including dog aggression, major reactivity, and fear aggression toward people. Bite risk. Plus, she's a strong almost 70 lbs. The dog actually bit my friend this morning, not badly but it gave her a scare. Overall the dog has been very sweet with she and her husband. They've only had her a month, but they've totally (and understandably!) fallen in love. Unfortunately, the issues are big ones. My friend is REALLY unhappy that the rescue didn't warn her. This is their first dog, and they definitely didn't want to deal with something like this. They're trying to set up an appointment with a recommended veterinary behaviorist. I'm hoping she's good. I know this is not a dog I'd be able to handle without professional help.


when we adopted Buddy there was a lot of things they didnt tell us about him, they said he didnt like leashes, they didnt say he didnt know about them at all. He also HATED loud noises, and wasnt used to any kind of handling, like getting groomed or bathed or his nails done, I had to basically treat him like a 70lb puppy -_-.

I hate to say this, but after Josefina, there arent going to be anymore rescues for us. I think I have paid my dues LOL


----------



## momtolabs

That's where I like my local kill shelter better then rescues. They let you interact and actually get to know the dog pretty well. They let you basically so anything(not abusive obviously) they even got money to make a small room just so family's can bring there kids ect to see if the dogs and kids will mesh. There currently trying to get agility equipment to do foundation training with some dogs.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I hope your week gets better CptJack and I'm sorry about what happened with your grandmother's house. 


So I come back walking Luke and my mother forgets what kind of leash I have on him, unhooks it and it slams back and whacks my two fingers (index and middle). Ouch!!! My mother apologized, but dang that hurt! I guess I have to remind her whenever she goes to take the leash off to not do it, it's the retractable kind.


----------



## kcomstoc

So does anyone else suspect that girl scout cookies have crack in them? They are just so addicting and when I do get them I eat like a box a day (if I don't control myself >.>) also they only sell them once a year or so and that makes them even more addictive because you can't have them whenever you want. I bought 3 boxes of thin mints and I know they are only going to last about a week  plus they are kinda expensive 3.50 for a box? JEEZ


----------



## Willowy

Not that I should tell you this. . .but Keebler makes versions of all the Girl Scout cookies and they're just as good. And available all year. So yeah, don't eat too many!


----------



## momtolabs

I just got a brand new XXlarge dog crate for $20..... I'm a happy dog mom right now


----------



## Laurelin

momtolabs said:


> That's where I like my local kill shelter better then rescues. They let you interact and actually get to know the dog pretty well. They let you basically so anything(not abusive obviously) they even got money to make a small room just so family's can bring there kids ect to see if the dogs and kids will mesh. There currently trying to get agility equipment to do foundation training with some dogs.


That's why Hank is from a shelter versus a rescue. I trust myself more at picking out a dog for me than a rescue person. I didn't even get much time with him but I feel like a dog person can do a decent job picking out a stable dog if they go into it with a plan of what they want to look for. I HAVE walked into shelters to look at promising dogs and walked right out when I see the dog face to face.

I had checkmarks with Hank:
- confident and no shyness
- friendly with other dogs
- friendly with people
- interest in food. 
- interest in toys (I had the volunteers bring me food and toys to test him on)
- high energy
- good with loud noises (the kennel itself was super loud so that was easy)

If any of that hadn't been there, he wouldn't have come home with me.

I know I sound like a broken record but Hank is a stellar dog with literally 0 inherent behavior problems. There's great dogs in rescues and shelters. While Mia is still my heart and Summer my baby girl if I look at all my dogs objectively, Hank is the nicest one with the best inherent temperament. He is just bombproof. 

We'll have to see if I can repeat in the future. I am sure I will have other rescues in the future.


----------



## jade5280

kcomstoc said:


> So does anyone else suspect that girl scout cookies have crack in them? They are just so addicting and when I do get them I eat like a box a day (if I don't control myself >.>) also they only sell them once a year or so and that makes them even more addictive because you can't have them whenever you want. I bought 3 boxes of thin mints and I know they are only going to last about a week  plus they are kinda expensive 3.50 for a box? JEEZ


I know what you mean. I bought 5 boxes of cookies. I'm sure they will be gone soon. Willowy is right though, Keebler has knock offs of them and they taste pretty darn close to the real thing. Keebler even has a samoa cookie coated in chocolate. So good!



GoGoGypsy said:


> Good friend of mine recently adopted a chow x lab mix through a rescue. Turns out the dog has some very serious behavioral issues, including dog aggression, major reactivity, and fear aggression toward people. Bite risk. Plus, she's a strong almost 70 lbs. The dog actually bit my friend this morning, not badly but it gave her a scare. Overall the dog has been very sweet with she and her husband. They've only had her a month, but they've totally (and understandably!) fallen in love. Unfortunately, the issues are big ones. My friend is REALLY unhappy that the rescue didn't warn her. This is their first dog, and they definitely didn't want to deal with something like this. They're trying to set up an appointment with a recommended veterinary behaviorist. I'm hoping she's good. I know this is not a dog I'd be able to handle without professional help.


Ugh that's rough. I totally feel their pain. I was in tears over Gypsy when we first got her because of her issues that we weren't told about. I don't think I could even bring myself to actually return an animal though no matter how difficult they are, I get attached so quickly. I hope your friends are able to find a way to help or manage the dog better.


----------



## CptJack

It's rough on the rescue front, because I see both sides of it. On one hand, I've absolutely seen rescues deliberately withhold information in order to make the animal seem more adoptable, and pull some other shady, underhanded manouvers that just aren't okay. On the other, I've seen dogs behave PERFECTLY WELL in foster homes and show no signs of issues because the foster homes are set up in a way that doesn't let the dog truly decompress from having been in the shelter. Ie: they're often crowded, busy, stressful places with a flow of animals in and out. Or the animals are just adopted out after only having been in the foster home for a REALLY short period of time.

Most people can make a good guess, but at the end of the day that's all its ever really going to be unless you're adopting an animal from its previous home, whether it's from an animal shelter or somewhere else. You can see if the dog is overtly stressed or shut down and if it seems happy or not, but a lot of dogs just... change when they get into a settled home environment and unfortunately foster homes aren't always the same as a home-home. 

So, sometimes it's a disclosure issue, sometimes it's a 'the dog was only here for two weeks/three weeks/a month' so we only know what we see, and sometimes it's truly, weirdly, a matter of yeah, that dog was FINE with my cats, but clearly isn't with yours. Or kids. Or - 

Awkward too that a lot of rescues assume the new adoptive owner is doing something wrong or lying, when the truth is how dogs act in one family/group/home dynamic and how they act in another one can vary, a lot. Then there's all the tiny details that don't seem important but are. Like knowing a dog is fine with dog savvy cats but will eat kittens, or is okay with school aged children but not infants or toddlers or teenagers (or reverse in any order you want), or is okay with little dogs but not big ones, or males but not females, or they're okay with horses but not chickens because they have - Cats not kittens, school aged children, little dogs, and horses but no chickens or toddlers or big male dogs" Or whatever.

So yeah, you can tell and figure out a lot but there are always going to be some ??? when it comes down to it. Sometimes it's the rescue's fault, sometimes it's just the way things go. And it sucks.


----------



## Willowy

Also, having taken in a lot of adult cats that people can't keep, I've noticed that cats will often behave completely different in another home, even after they've sttled in. Like an entirely different cat. I didn't know enough about my dogs before I got them to know if they changed drastically, but maybe dogs do the same thing. I don't think living creatures can ever be predictable .


----------



## jade5280

I agree with CptJack that it's not always the rescue's fault. Gypsy was housed with EIGHT other dogs and showed no signs of reactivity. This was probably because she was just quickly introduced to the a group of dogs and was never put into the situation where she would be reactive (like taking a walk on leash and seeing a strange dog). She was also very shut down when she came to us and would hardly even move, our cat even walked right up to her and rubbed itself on her and Gypsy didn't blink. Wow, great with cats! NOT. A few days for Gypsy to get comfortable and her true nature came out.


----------



## Laurelin

I dunno. I think when you're looking at a truly bombproof dog you'll see that bombproofness in the shelter as well as at home. But maybe those kinds of dogs are fairly exceptional. When I worked in a shelter we did have a few dogs that melted down that would have been fine in a normal environment (the worst being an Italian greyhound). But I think those dogs would have still skewed towards being a little quirky/weird and shy in most situations. The IG was BETTER in the foster homes versus the total meltdown in the shelter. But it was still a very nervous, insecure dog.

Maybe some of it is instinct though too. 

My first thought when meeting Mia was that she was not the dog for me and what I wanted. Too fearful. And while she's my heart girl, she definitely has the behavioral issues I saw in the first few minutes of meeting her. Shy, fearful, antisocial.

Not saying I have the best dog sense ever, lol. I just think you can often tell a lot right away. But I don't trust other people to evaluate for me.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, all the above is me trying to rationalize and figure things out but dogs do sometimes just appear to randomly be... different. Based on who knows what. I'm not saying what you see with an adult in rescue or a foster is never what you get, but odds are high there are going to be some differences. Some of them may be minor, most of them probably will be, but sometimes you get something major like sudden reactivity, cat chasing, or fear. It's frustrating and weird and upsetting when it happens, for EVERYONE. Adopter assumes the rescue lied (and sometimes they do) or were idiots (sometimes they are), rescue assumes new home did god knows what to the dog (sometimes it's that, too), but sometimes it's just... some variable that is HARD to track down. Be it stress, lack of stress, or some seemingly inconsequential thing like carpet vs hardwood or the noise level of the place they live.


----------



## Laurelin

Yes some dogs are obviously not the same in shelters or rescues as they are in homes. And some rescues lie. But i wouldn't assume they lied intentionally in every case. Like you said they may not have seen the behavior. 

It can happen in breeder dogs too. No one knew Summer had SA till she was with me. She's not a rescue. 

I was just mainly pointing out that despite many people telling me to go through a rescue so you can 'know' how the dog is I felt better evaluating myself in a shelter dog. I just feel like I know what I like better than a rescue person would. A few exceptions being the BC and Sheltie rescues but I know people involved in them and in agility. 

I just don't expect the average rescue to be that dog savvy. Sadly

Then again I'm pretty skeptical if breeders speaking my language either


----------



## GrinningDog

I hear what you're saying! I don't want to make sweeping criticisms about shelters or rescues. I know they work very hard, and some issues don't crop up immediately or at all in that setting. Unfortunately, in this case, the rescue likely knew about the dog's issues. At least, my friend feels very confident about this based on her interactions with the rescue, and I lean toward agreement. 

The dog was at the rescue from July through January and birthed a litter of puppies in foster during that time. The foster gave her back to the facility after the puppies were weaned. She was supposedly walked by volunteers daily at the facility. She took three separate meetings/walks to be okay with me, with me doing everything right, and I still wouldn't feel comfortable petting her unless she was the one to initiate it. 

The rescue was "very surprised" that the dog came out of her kennel to meet them that first time and expressed that a couple times. In fact, the dog took to my friend and her husband right away. The rescue was VERY supportive of them adopting her. We suspected they sugar-coated (erm, dumped vats of molasses on) her issues to finally get her a home. I certainly understand why. It's just very frustrating for my friend to deal with this laundry list of issues, some very serious, when it's not what she wanted at all. But she and her husband are dedicated to this dog. They love it, and they're willing to put in the work. We're just all really hoping that this behaviorist is good.


----------



## CptJack

Oh, yeah, don't get me wrong. I would much prefer to evaluate a dog myself AND adopt from a private individual or animal control for lots of reasons and how dog savvy or not and honest (or not) rescues can be is part of that. 

I was just pointing out that sometimes dogs just... are different. Rescue or not, changing homes makes things come out weird. Though, yeah, not to the degree or length of time you're talking about Gypsy.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah that sounds pretty sucky.  It's not fair of rescues to do that to people. They need to be honest about the dogs.


----------



## GrinningDog

Lucky for the dog, she ended up with some people aware of the gravity of her issues (how important it is that they fix them) and very committed to her. I just reallyreally hope that no kids or loose/flexi dogs run up this dog before they get help. I'm not sure there would be a happy ending in that case. I gave my very sweet friend permission to be a b*tch about demanding space.


----------



## Eenypup

So... If I'm being honest with myself, if Bennie is okay on her first dog meet this Sunday I'm going to be going crazy thinking about the possibility of a second dog. I want a younger dog so badly!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Okay, the snow was fun, but can we warm up now? I would like to not have to put three layers of clothes, a hat and gloves on just to take the dog out for his nightlky potty break before bed -_-

Also I think I am getting sick, I feel chilly and achy all over, and my nose is all stopped up and my throat hurts ... boo :/ I was hoping I was going to get out of this winter without getting sick ... guess that was too much to hope for, I always get sick at least once this time of year.


----------



## gingerkid

.... does anyone want to mail me some Girl Scout cookies? We don't get the good ones in Canada any more.


----------



## Wet Beards

Which ones are you after? I have connections. lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL I dont know what I would do without GS cookies ... thin mints are king.

about the shelter thing: Buddy (the dog adopted as a family to kind of be a companion to my folks other unstable dog when our old man passes away) was on death row at the shelter because he was shut down and unresponsive, he hated leashes and would run from the volunteers when they tried to interact with him. In a foster home he did much better, he still had his problems that were also "downsized". They told me he has issues with leash walking, ok fine, I thought that they meant he pulled or something, fine, I can work with that. But what they meant was that he didnt know how to walk on a leash AT ALL ... SMH -_-. 

Even "private" rescue people can tell fibs, one of tmy folks dogs, who we took off a friends hands because we are suckers who love animals. She didnt tell me the whole story about how she and her litter were dumped in a plastic bag and she has some brain damage as a result, now she has severe temperament problems that require a lot of management. 

Even puppies can have their problems, Josefina, though she is a great dog, has her issues, she didnt have a mother of a litter to grow up with, who knows what her breeding was (she and her brothers were abandoned on the shelter's doorstep so I cant imagine it was a well thought out breeding), so I had to deal with the result problems from that.

In short, I think, unless I find a really awesome dog, that Josefina will be my last rescue dog, at least for a while.


----------



## jade5280

A friends was dog sitting 3 over weight labs for one of their friends and they told me that their friend with the 3 dogs puts HALF AND HALF and GRAVY in the dogs kibble so they will eat it, and then they say they have to do that because that's the only way the dogs will eat. 

Like.....WHAAAAATTT!?

All 3 of the dogs are young and FAT because this person is feeding them freakin' half and half every day. Just...why....


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL I dont know what I would do without GS cookies ... thin mints are king


 yes they are  that's why I got 3 boxes, and told josh he couldn't have any >.> but I'll probably let him have a few...maybe


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Confession time... 
I hate thin mints and don't like any girl scout cookies.
Feel free to tar and feather me.


----------



## kcomstoc

KodiBarracuda said:


> Confession time...
> I hate thin mints and don't like any girl scout cookies.
> Feel free to tar and feather me.


you heard her, get her!! lol jk  that just means more for us


----------



## BubbaMoose

I don't like thin mints either. I just don't see what is so appealing about them. Samoas rule my life though. Like, I want to eat all the Samoas ever, all the time.


----------



## kcomstoc

BubbaMoose said:


> I don't like thin mints either. I just don't see what is so appealing about them. Samoas rule my life though. Like, I want to eat all the Samoas ever, all the time.


Samoas are my second favorite (they used to be my favorite) and they are Josh's favorite


----------



## Laurelin

Just curious KodiBarracuda, but where do you live? I hated thin mints till I moved and discovered that there are two bakeries that make girl scout cookies. the cookies here are soooooooooo much better than in Houston.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> Samoas are my second favorite (they used to be my favorite) and they are Josh's favorite


they are dad's favorite, too  But mom and I like the thin mints, we can finish off a box each haha


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Laurelin said:


> Just curious KodiBarracuda, but where do you live? I hated thin mints till I moved and discovered that there are two bakeries that make girl scout cookies. the cookies here are soooooooooo much better than in Houston.


Western SD and then western and central Nebraska (I've moved a few times in the last couple years). My biggest problem is I just don't like mints and chocolate. And I'm not a huge cookie fan in general.

Oh and I don't like samoas because I dont like coconut except for in no bake cookies.

But I hate no bake cookies without coconut. 

There is no logic in my world.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL the rest of the snow we got the other day is sliding off the roof and Lincoln is convinced it means we are under attack haha


----------



## jade5280

For me Samoas and Tagalongs are pretty much tied. Then Thin Mints


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I like the short bread like ones, too, they are good with tea.


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I like the short bread like ones, too, they are good with tea.


If I had unlimited money I would buy 10 boxes of thin mints, 10 boxes of samoas, and then 10 boxes of the shortbread because they are my third favorite  which would be $105  expensive cookies

Also my favorite no bake cookies are the coconut, peanut butter, chocolate ones I don't know what they're called but they're addictive  that's why I don't make them much anymore because I would eat them all. I don't have control over my cookie love  but I have control over other sweet things, cookies are just idk addictive.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> If I had unlimited money I would buy 10 boxes of thin mints, 10 boxes of samoas, and then 10 boxes of the shortbread because they are my third favorite  which would be $105  expensive cookies
> 
> Also my favorite no bake cookies are the coconut, peanut butter, chocolate ones I don't know what they're called but they're addictive  that's why I don't make them much anymore because I would eat them all. I don't have control over my cookie love  but I have control over other sweet things, cookies are just idk addictive.


I dont care for anything coconut, except of course, fresh coconut LOL.


----------



## Piddle Place

I so agree A big hug and wet nose to you

Kathy


----------



## d_ray

I don't like girl guide cookies either but don't have much of a sweet tooth. I used to like the chocolate and vanilla gg cookies but they never seem to sell those anymore.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I wish I didnt have a sweet tooth but alas, I do


----------



## momtolabs

My dad just bought 10 boxes of Girl Scout cookies off of some guy at work. But his workers also buy a lot of stuff off of my sister and I for FFA and such


----------



## jade5280

So it's warming up and chunks of snow are falling off the roof. Every time it does I have two idiots running around barking their heads off like the world is going to end lol


----------



## Rescued

My roommate decided to let my dogs out of their kennels this am and then go back to sleep (with the puppy in her room?) without notifying me and in the process left the door to my other roommates room (who is out of town) open.

So I get up an hour later, exhausted and looking forward to my day off and find nug consuming two packs of sugar free gum left in the open room.

We just got back from getting all dogs stomachs pumped at the vet and have to return for more bloodwork tomorrow. NO ITS FINE, REALLY. definitely not a big deal that now both dogs are again terrified of the vet and I am poor.

Why. Why why why.


----------



## Kayota

Roxie ate a whole pack of sugar free gum and I didn't notice til I moved my bed... I would have just taken a wait and see approach, but that's me.


----------



## Rescued

Kayota said:


> Roxie ate a whole pack of sugar free gum and I didn't notice til I moved my bed... I would have just taken a wait and see approach, but that's me.


Eh I really don't mess around with things that can cause liver failure. Not saying you were WRONG, but afaik xylitol is just one of those things where the dog is fine and then the dog isn't fine and there's nothing you can do.


----------



## Sirgilbert357

Random rant:

Walking my new to me 2 yr old lab/retriever mix Grace out in the neighborhood a few days ago and this lady is standing out in front of her house with a small probably 15 lb miniature Lassie looking dog (sorry, still learning to recognize breeds and mixes) with a cone on its head. I thought she had the dog on one of those hard-to-see-from-a-distance retractable leash rigs and thought "meh" and stayed my course. Grace is fine around other dogs that I've noticed, but none have charged her full speed yapping as we approach...until now. Turns out, this brave little thing ISN'T on a leash and runs straight for us. Grace stiffens up and starts to focus on it as it approaches. I make my "don't do that" sound to Grace, she sits and I put myself between psycho mini-Lassie and Grace and stare mini-Lassie down. She starts eyeballing me and trotting from side to side to get to Grace and I keep rotating myself to be between them. Now, 20 seconds too late, the owner starts chuckling and trying to call her back, which the dog ignores at first. Finally when she realizes she'll have to go through me if she wants to snap at Grace (and I'm standing my ground not moving an inch), she ceases barking and returns to Mrs. Clueless. I stand there and stare at the both of them for a solid 15 seconds with a "how rude" look on my face and then we move along without any further drama. I SO wanted to tell Mrs. Clueless that what she thought was cute or funny was terrible manners at best and potentially tragic for her dog at worst. Had we been on the left side of the street when psycho Lassie began her assault, she could have been hit by a car as she charged, or had my dog not been better behaved (which I can't take any credit for since I've had her a week and I seriously don't think the incident could have gone better), psycho Lassie could have gotten her miniscule neck snapped by Grace.

But wait, that's not all:

Yesterday evening, I take Grace out for a run. We're jogging through the same neighborhood, and this time, I'm caught off guard. Its evening, so starting to get dark and I didn't see the dog prior to being practically in front of the house. I guess it came from behind the car in the driveway or something, but all of a sudden I have another little ankle biter charging us, but this time its a curious excited trot, not an aggressive charge. Grace actually doesn't even break her stride, she just looks at the dog (this one looks like some kind of tiny terrier mix, probably about 20 pounds) and we keep going. Undeterred, this little dog matches our stride and sticks her nose right in Grace's butt as we're running. Grace is a bit distracted as you can imagine and I'm like, oh come on! So, we stop and I do the same thing, put Grace behind me and this little dog stops and looks at us. At this point, this early-mid 30 something lady we'll call Clueless #2 comes out of the front door of the house, oblivious to us, talking to what I'll assume is her dad and two kids, approx 9 and 13. The dog is still pacing trying to decide what to do and I call out "Is this your dog?". She goes "Oh, yeah...Daphne, come here" in a very uninspired, almost bored tone of voice. The dog barks a few times, doesn't go to her, and so the lady comes over and starts to get her as we continue our run. Incredible. "Like, oh my!! Did I totally, like, just forget about my dog in the front yard?? OMG!!" Seriously?

To those of you who ARE NOT this clueless, I salute you. Thank you for being a responsible dog owner. To the Mrs. Clueless and Clueless #2, all I have to say is I wish your dogs had gone to better owners, because I've seen no evidence of looking out for their well being in our encounters. I honestly hope we do not meet again; and while I shouldn't have to, I will now instantly do a 180 and continue my walking/jogging going the other direction if I think I will run into you or your unattended/unleashed dogs. Thank you, that is all...


----------



## d_ray

Rescued said:


> My roommate decided to let my dogs out of their kennels this am and then go back to sleep (with the puppy in her room?) without notifying me and in the process left the door to my other roommates room (who is out of town) open.
> 
> So I get up an hour later, exhausted and looking forward to my day off and find nug consuming two packs of sugar free gum left in the open room.
> 
> We just got back from getting all dogs stomachs pumped at the vet and have to return for more bloodwork tomorrow. NO ITS FINE, REALLY. definitely not a big deal that now both dogs are again terrified of the vet and I am poor.
> 
> Why. Why why why.


So sorry to hear. Did she apologize at least?

My rant of the day. Jazzy got full blown attacked on the trails this aft. Thank god she's ok, just a little spooked. This dog came
Out of nowhere and charged her and pinned her down and was biting her and snarling. The owner pried cujo off and poor jazz was shaking. She barely apologized. When I asked what was up with her dog, her answer was that her dog hates other females. Well then why the hell
Is it off leash. Apparently this isn't the first time. A neighbour of mine said he's seen it happen with other dogs. If jazz was smaller, this dog would have done serious damage.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> So sorry to hear. Did she apologize at least?
> 
> My rant of the day. Jazzy got full blown attacked on the trails this aft. Thank god she's ok, just a little spooked. This dog came
> Out of nowhere and charged her and pinned her down and was biting her and snarling. The owner pried cujo off and poor jazz was shaking. She barely apologized. When I asked what was up with her dog, her answer was that her dog hates other females. Well then why the hell
> Is it off leash. Apparently this isn't the first time. A neighbour of mine said he's seen it happen with other dogs. If jazz was smaller, this dog would have done serious damage.


What the heck! People are so dumb and inconsiderate. Poor Jazz, glad she's okay though.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

everyone is nicer than me, in inner b**ch extends to rude dogs as well and I will not hesitate to make a dog a football if I have to.


----------



## Laurelin

HANK BRAG.

I'm so happy with my boy today. We had a lot of fun doing a lot of things. I am so happy having a dog that is so up for everything. I LOVE this dog. He is awesome and so good at everything we try. It's so fun!

First off, Hank attended his first ever real trial. He ran two CAT (lure course) tests and qualified in both. He needs one more Q to get his CA title. Hank is a lure coursing NUT. I thought he might be but he turned into a screaming lunging nut at the sight of the 'bunnies'. He has to run the 600 yard course and did just great. The sighthound people liked him and said he was a natural.

We also did two agility fun runs where he stayed engaged and tugged despite all the distractions. We did not do a full course for obvious reasons but he played very nicely, did some lowered jumps and tunnels and the a-frame very well. 

Then we did some disc work with a friend after Hank accidentally rebounded off her uninvited. He did well. I can't throw rollers at ALL but she can and he played well with her.

Then we did a barn hunt and Hank also did that very well. He turned 'on' a lot more than the last time. Took him a minute to remember the game but he was all about that rat.

Summer ran agility twice. Her first run she did a full AKC novice course beautifully and well under time. Her second we just played a bit on tunnels and dog walks. She was so happy to be out there.

Mia was carried around and grumped several dogs.


----------



## Rescued

d_ray said:


> So sorry to hear. Did she apologize at least?
> .


I dont know if she actually said I'm sorry but she did feel bad. She ended up having to meet me at the vet with Grey because as I was on my way with Nug I got a phone call back from the third roommate (gum owner) and she confirmed that of the two soggy pack wrappers I found, one was unopened and one had 4-5 pieces left. So with 21 bits to account for I figured it was possible grey had eaten one. Did a U-turn on the highway, called Grey's vet, and asked if I could bring both dogs there even though they aren't Nugs vet. Luckily his vet was still open so they were able to fax over all his paperwork, you know, since he just had his freakin chipped tooth removed like 3 weeks ago.

It could have been a lot worse. Am just assuming bloodwork tomorrow will be ok since time of ingestion to vomiting was just over an hour. And luckily Grey hadn't gotten any at all.

Mad though because now I'm looking into seeing if I can get emergency insurance (since I can't get rid of roommates anytime soon) and I think he's going to be excluded from just about everything since this is his third stomach pump trip in his life- UGH even though two of those three happened due to roommates letting my dog out of the crate when I wasn't home/awake.


----------



## luv mi pets

d_ray said:


> So sorry to hear. Did she apologize at least?
> 
> My rant of the day. Jazzy got full blown attacked on the trails this aft. Thank god she's ok, just a little spooked. This dog came
> Out of nowhere and charged her and pinned her down and was biting her and snarling. The owner pried cujo off and poor jazz was shaking. She barely apologized. When I asked what was up with her dog, her answer was that her dog hates other females. Well then why the hell
> Is it off leash. Apparently this isn't the first time. A neighbour of mine said he's seen it happen with other dogs. If jazz was smaller, this dog would have done serious damage.


This is why people should report these dogs to AC. How many dogs and how many times does a dog need to attack other dogs till it is stopped? Maybe paying some fines a couple of times the owner would consider leashing the dog cheaper.

I am glad that Jazz is okay.


----------



## luv mi pets

Rescued said:


> I dont know if she actually said I'm sorry but she did feel bad. She ended up having to meet me at the vet with Grey because as I was on my way with Nug I got a phone call back from the third roommate (gum owner) and she confirmed that of the two soggy pack wrappers I found, one was unopened and one had 4-5 pieces left. So with 21 bits to account for I figured it was possible grey had eaten one. Did a U-turn on the highway, called Grey's vet, and asked if I could bring both dogs there even though they aren't Nugs vet. Luckily his vet was still open so they were able to fax over all his paperwork, you know, since he just had his freakin chipped tooth removed like 3 weeks ago.
> 
> It could have been a lot worse. Am just assuming bloodwork tomorrow will be ok since time of ingestion to vomiting was just over an hour. And luckily Grey hadn't gotten any at all.
> 
> Mad though because now I'm looking into seeing if I can get emergency insurance (since I can't get rid of roommates anytime soon) and I think he's going to be excluded from just about everything since this is his third stomach pump trip in his life- UGH even though two of those three happened due to roommates letting my dog out of the crate when I wasn't home/awake.


That is scary. Did the gum have xylitol in it?


----------



## Rescued

luv mi pets said:


> That is scary. Did the gum have xylitol in it?


Yep, full never opened pack of orbit and then a pack of stride with 4-5 pieces left. Glad I caught it soon after it happened


----------



## luv mi pets

I am glad Grey did not get into it. 
Are the vets going to be checking blood sugars?


----------



## gingerkid

Today I met a 105 lb border collie.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

gingerkid said:


> Today I met a 105 lb border collie.


This makes me sad, but doesn't surprise me. My grandma had a border collie before she died (my grandma not the dog), the poor thing was a table top, it waddled.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

gingerkid said:


> Today I met a 105 lb border collie.


Please tell me it was bred to be a giant and not morbidly obese.


----------



## kcomstoc

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Please tell me it was bred to be a giant and not morbidly obese.


Either way it's sad


----------



## Gumiho

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Please tell me it was bred to be a giant and not morbidly obese.


My neighbor has a walking keg that is supposedly a chihuahua. 

Does the BC roll and waddle too?


----------



## Kayota

Gumiho said:


> My neighbor has a walking keg that is supposedly a chihuahua.
> 
> Does the BC roll and waddle too?


there is one at the dog park here, it is COVERED in scars too that look like lump removal... fat lumps i bet. nasty little thing only manages to be allowed because she can't walk long enough to bite anyone, she snaps at every dog


----------



## luv mi pets

gingerkid said:


> Today I met a 105 lb border collie.


What gets me is the people who have dogs like that and then brag about how BIG their dog is. Like big in masculine ways and not obese ways. More so with the bully, mastiff breeds


----------



## Gumiho

Kayota said:


> there is one at the dog park here, it is COVERED in scars too that look like lump removal... fat lumps i bet. nasty little thing only manages to be allowed because she can't walk long enough to bite anyone, she snaps at every dog


Very sad.

Fortunately the little keg is dog friendly, but not human friendly. Granted, he doesn't waddle fast enough to be able to get at anyone. But my dog seems to like him so tolerate the yapping. And I find it morbidly amusing, admittedly. Waddle-Waddle-Waddle-arf-arf-waddle-waddle-waddle-grr-arf-waddle-waddle. 15 minutes of that and he has made it maybe 10 feet into the yard...


----------



## Gumiho

luv mi pets said:


> What gets me is the people who have dogs like that and then brag about how BIG their dog is. Like big in masculine ways and not obese ways. More so with the bully, mastiff breeds


Yes! This delusion is rampant in Bullies!
They'll be bragging like "Man, That dog is tiny. My Bulldog is huge! So muscular! He is like 100 lbs of hunk!"

Then this waddles into the yard:


----------



## Laurelin

luv mi pets said:


> What gets me is the people who have dogs like that and then brag about how BIG their dog is. Like big in masculine ways and not obese ways. More so with the bully, mastiff breeds


Yes pit bulls and mastiffs. This guy walks in with a FAT FAT FAT corso that has obvious hip problems and so many people come up 'Wow! That dog is HUGE! How much does he weigh? He's BEAUTIFUL'

What are they looking at? lol 

Most BCs I see outside of dog sports are obese. I don't know why.... there's a few that come to the park and each are at least 15-20 lbs overweight. And it's not fluff either. The sport dogs are lean. I see even more obese Aussies.


----------



## GrinningDog

The other day, I took Gypsy on what became a very eventful walk for a number of reasons, but my favorite part occurred at the end, as the sun was going down and we were approaching home. A couple of men were in our path, so I politely steered Gyp into the grass to pass. 

One of the guys stopped, put his hands on his thighs, squatted to Gyp's level, and in the most ridiculous talking-to-dog voice I've ever heard, said, "HEY BUDDY! WHO sees in black and white? WHO sees in black and white? WHO?"

Um, not my dog, dude. Dogs see (limited) color. 

I was so puzzled that I neither replied to the dude nor paused. Gypsy flashed him a fabulous WTF face, and we carried on.


----------



## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> Yes pit bulls and mastiffs. This guy walks in with a FAT FAT FAT corso that has obvious hip problems and so many people come up 'Wow! That dog is HUGE! How much does he weigh? He's BEAUTIFUL'
> 
> *What are they looking at? lol *


Oh my gosh, I KNOW. I personally find overweight and unhealthy dogs appalling. I've heard similar interactions, and they just blow my mind. _But he's so FAT (and doesn't need to be). How is he GORGEOUS?!_ I admire, and often compliment the owners of, fit dogs of any breed.

In other news, Gypsy was mistaken for a sheltie again. Hehe.


----------



## luv mi pets

Gumiho said:


> Yes! This delusion is rampant in Bullies!
> They'll be bragging like "Man, That dog is tiny. My Bulldog is huge! So muscular! He is like 100 lbs of hunk!"
> 
> Then this waddles into the yard:


Exactly! and also the you should have seen his dad. His dad was HUGE! 

My reply I so want to say, "Can I borrow your glasses just so I can see what you are seeing."


----------



## Miss Bugs

Gypsy had a sleepover last night.. I always tell my co-workers that Gypsy is completely different at home then she is at work, everyone just looks at me at skeptical. My friend/co-worker returned with Gypsy this afternoon..first thing out of her mouth "she is NOT a normal dog away from all the other stuff going on" yup..I know lol. Gyp is a big giant suck who wants nothing more then to plaster herself on top of you and smash her face into your face all day long lol. She's WIERD..it's not news lol. Poor dog is very sleepy though, my friend said that her son and Gypsy slept on the same part of the bed last night and her son kept tossing and turning and every time he moved Gypsy had to get up and re-adjust herself lol


----------



## d_ray

Miss Bugs said:


> Gypsy had a sleepover last night.. I always tell my co-workers that Gypsy is completely different at home then she is at work, everyone just looks at me at skeptical. My friend/co-worker returned with Gypsy this afternoon..first thing out of her mouth "she is NOT a normal dog away from all the other stuff going on" yup..I know lol. Gyp is a big giant suck who wants nothing more then to plaster herself on top of you and smash her face into your face all day long lol. She's WIERD..it's not news lol. Poor dog is very sleepy though, my friend said that her son and Gypsy slept on the same part of the bed last night and her son kept tossing and turning and every time he moved Gypsy had to get up and re-adjust herself lol


Awwwwww that's so sweet.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Rescued said:


> I dont know if she actually said I'm sorry but she did feel bad. She ended up having to meet me at the vet with Grey because as I was on my way with Nug I got a phone call back from the third roommate (gum owner) and she confirmed that of the two soggy pack wrappers I found, one was unopened and one had 4-5 pieces left. So with 21 bits to account for I figured it was possible grey had eaten one. Did a U-turn on the highway, called Grey's vet, and asked if I could bring both dogs there even though they aren't Nugs vet. Luckily his vet was still open so they were able to fax over all his paperwork, you know, since he just had his freakin chipped tooth removed like 3 weeks ago.
> 
> It could have been a lot worse. Am just assuming bloodwork tomorrow will be ok since time of ingestion to vomiting was just over an hour. And luckily Grey hadn't gotten any at all.
> 
> Mad though because now I'm looking into seeing if I can get emergency insurance (since I can't get rid of roommates anytime soon) and I think he's going to be excluded from just about everything since this is his third stomach pump trip in his life- UGH even though two of those three happened due to roommates letting my dog out of the crate when I wasn't home/awake.


I would seriously be like putting a lock on my room or something, I would DEFINATELY not be okay with someone letting my dogd out when I am not there or awake.That would be a no no.


----------



## momtolabs

Well I'm starving my labs supposedly ,lol. Just because you can feel there ribs. Bentley was FAT this winter and everyone was All "he's too skinny". Then I must be a freaking model if that's how people think -_-


----------



## gingerkid

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Please tell me it was bred to be a giant and not morbidly obese.


Nope.   She doesn't have a neck. Its just a nose attached to a giant egg shape with legs. Poor thing has hypothyroidism, and was on meds until recently (the owners ran into financial issues). But I have a hard time believing that she got so obese that she can barely walk solely since then.


----------



## BubbaMoose

A dog threw up what appeared to be about a half pound of barely chewed Bologna and some sort of milky looking liquid at the dog park today. Then four different dogs proceeded to eat said dogs vomit as their owners stood around and socialized with one another. I just can't with people sometimes.


----------



## theairedale

Copper turned 1 on March first!! Unfortunately I didn't get to post, and I don't have many good pictures. Still, time flies!


----------



## Laurelin

My family members who told me getting a third dog was a bad idea told me that Hank was a very very good decision to bring home.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

theairedale said:


> Copper turned 1 on March first!! Unfortunately I didn't get to post, and I don't have many good pictures. Still, time flies!


My puppy will be 6 months old march 11 and I am like "WUUUUUT" he is becoming more and more like an adult every day! It's crazy!


----------



## Laurelin

Hahaha time change morning. Got up and got the dogs up and Hank promptly put himself back in bed.

I feel ya buddy.


----------



## Kayota

yeah we went camping yesterday and we were supposed to leave at ten thirty and at ten forty five my mom was saying "it's not even ten yet! " looking at her wall clock


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> Oh my gosh, I KNOW. I personally find overweight and unhealthy dogs appalling. I've heard similar interactions, and they just blow my mind. _But he's so FAT (and doesn't need to be). How is he GORGEOUS?!_ I admire, and often compliment the owners of, fit dogs of any breed.
> 
> In other news, Gypsy was mistaken for a sheltie again. Hehe.


Thats ok, since getting Lincoln I have gotten the famous "why did you dock the tail of that border collie!!!" more times than I can count anymore. First of all, he is NOT a border collie, second I DID NOT DOCK HIS TAIL ... that was done at the breeders when he was like 2 days old LOL. Some people make it seem like I took a meat cleaver and hacked it off at home yesterday :/

@ Gumiho OMG, when I first saw that pic of that bulldog, I thought it was photoshopped! And yes I have also seen a trend in "fat" dogs people call "muscular" ESP in mastiff breeds and rotties.


----------



## chimunga

I'm starting to switch Watson off of his puppy food. I got some Merrick from Petco, canned and dry. I mixed some of the canned in with his regular food. And he saw that I put the can back in the fridge. And now he's literally sitting in front of the fridge door, barking. I feed him wet food once a day, and he has never done that before. Guess it's good to know that he likes it.


----------



## dogsule

Rescued said:


> My roommate decided to let my dogs out of their kennels this am and then go back to sleep (with the puppy in her room?) without notifying me and in the process left the door to my other roommates room (who is out of town) open.
> 
> So I get up an hour later, exhausted and looking forward to my day off and find nug consuming two packs of sugar free gum left in the open room.
> 
> We just got back from getting all dogs stomachs pumped at the vet and have to return for more bloodwork tomorrow. NO ITS FINE, REALLY. definitely not a big deal that now both dogs are again terrified of the vet and I am poor.
> 
> Why. Why why why.


OMG that is scary! One day we came home to find a chewed on pack of gum on the floor. No clue if or how much or who ate what but I called the vet. The package was unreadable so I didn't know if it contained Xylitol or not. The vet said she would fine out but in the mean time to give them peroxide. Only was able to get one of them to throw up but the vet called back after calling the company and no the gum did not contain Xylitol, thankfully. Glad your crew is ok!


----------



## Kayota

the casino my mom and i are at said i could bring rox in if she's small and she is being so good, I'm really proud of her


----------



## jade5280

theairedale said:


> Copper turned 1 on March first!! Unfortunately I didn't get to post, and I don't have many good pictures. Still, time flies!


 Happy belated birthday, Copper!


----------



## d_ray

I have a new appreciation for aussies. We met the cutest and sweetest red merle pup last night at the dog park. She was about 4 months old and didn't have her tail docked. 

The cutest part was that she met another Aussie and immediately recognized it and didn't want to leave it's side.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> I'm starting to switch Watson off of his puppy food. I got some Merrick from Petco, canned and dry. I mixed some of the canned in with his regular food. And he saw that I put the can back in the fridge. And now he's literally sitting in front of the fridge door, barking. I feed him wet food once a day, and he has never done that before. Guess it's good to know that he likes it.


When Lincoln is inside, I have to redirect him from the dog food bag LOL (I feed merrick also), even picky princess Josefina gobbles it up and actually DROOLS while I am making it haha.


----------



## Laurelin

I want this dog.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31590652/
Holy crud I want her.


----------



## CptJack

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31422924/

I want this one.


----------



## jade5280

I want this one. Sooo bad. That goofy smile.
https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30848042/


----------



## d_ray

I want this:

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31633203/


----------



## Equinox

I want a million Malinois forever. I never thought those words would come out of my mouth but holy crow I LOVE this breed.


----------



## Laurelin

There is a red female Hank at the shelter. 

She looks a bit bigger though.


----------



## Miss Bugs

my heart hurts for one of my clients  they lost their young lab on Friday, and I just cannot imagine how they must be feeling. the dog jumped their fence and when they hopped in the car driving around to look for him, they turned a corner and their dog leapt out into the road directly in front of their car :Cry: I just...I cannot imagine how that must feel, to hit your own dog while desperately searching for him?


----------



## luv mi pets

Miss Bugs said:


> my heart hurts for one of my clients  they lost their young lab on Friday, and I just cannot imagine how they must be feeling. the dog jumped their fence and when they hopped in the car driving around to look for him, they turned a corner and their dog leapt out into the road directly in front of their car :Cry: I just...I cannot imagine how that must feel, to hit your own dog while desperately searching for him?


Oh that is just awful my stomach dropped just reading that.


----------



## Remaru

Miss Bugs said:


> my heart hurts for one of my clients  they lost their young lab on Friday, and I just cannot imagine how they must be feeling. the dog jumped their fence and when they hopped in the car driving around to look for him, they turned a corner and their dog leapt out into the road directly in front of their car :Cry: I just...I cannot imagine how that must feel, to hit your own dog while desperately searching for him?


I know a bit of how they feel. To lose your dog young in an accident like that is awful. 


Freyja is scheduled for her spay tomorrow. Hubby is dropping her off in the morning before work and picking her up in the afternoon. I feel sort of uneasy about it. I know I shouldn't, I have had plenty of dogs spayed/neutered and it is what is best for her, but ugh. So much has happened and I will feel better when she is home safe.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> There is a red female Hank at the shelter.
> 
> She looks a bit bigger though.


Your shelter sure gets a lot of "Hank's"! Maybe it is a sign 

MAS / aussies are my breed now, I admit it, I am totally and completely hooked now.


----------



## Waggintails

Miss Bugs said:


> my heart hurts for one of my clients  they lost their young lab on Friday, and I just cannot imagine how they must be feeling. the dog jumped their fence and when they hopped in the car driving around to look for him, they turned a corner and their dog leapt out into the road directly in front of their car :Cry: I just...I cannot imagine how that must feel, to hit your own dog while desperately searching for him?


That would be horrible. I would feel really bad if it happened to a dog I didn't know.


----------



## momtolabs

One of our mares when down this morning  Im going out in a bit to see if I can help get her up. Vet has been there and can't get her up. I hope we can get her up  I love my shakes and was planing many rides this summer.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> One of our mares when down this morning  Im going out in a bit to see if I can help get her up. Vet has been there and can't get her up. I hope we can get her up  I love my shakes and was planing many rides this summer.
> 
> View attachment 196065


Oh no! its never fun when a horse goes down   keep is posted


----------



## Remaru

Freyja is home. She is feeling a little loopy from the meds and unhappy about her e-collar. She doesn't really want to lay down. I'm going to have to crate her soon. Not going to be a fun couple of weeks while she heals.


----------



## luv mi pets

Remaru said:


> Freyja is home. She is feeling a little loopy from the meds and unhappy about her e-collar. She doesn't really want to lay down. I'm going to have to crate her soon. Not going to be a fun couple of weeks while she heals.


I bet you feel so much relief.


----------



## Remaru

luv mi pets said:


> I bet you feel so much relief.


Hubby messaged me as soon as the vet let him know she was out of surgery. I am very glad to have her back home and know she is alright. Now for the recovery. She is starting to perk up and "complain" a little.


----------



## CptJack

There is this dog on the karma collars website gallery that looks JUST like Hank.


----------



## Rescued

I had my first ever experience with serious vertigo yesterday and I have had a LOT of weird health things happen to me but I think this experience might top the time I had the acute dystonic reaction.

As a result the dogs are going INSANE since they literally were crated/xpenned for 14 hours yesterday while I was at the hospital and I'm still taking out-of-it drugs and too dizzy to exercise them in any capacity.

sorry dogs


----------



## Eenypup

Today was 60 degrees and nice outside FINALLY, so Bennie got to have a wonderful afternoon! Her behavior throughout the winter and her behavior now is night and day. She's so thrilled about the weather changing. We went for a jog, visited Petco, and took her out to the park on her long line. She even played with a TOY outside! Happy happy dog, and happy happy owner.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Rescued said:


> I had my first ever experience with serious vertigo yesterday and I have had a LOT of weird health things happen to me but I think this experience might top the time I had the acute dystonic reaction.
> 
> As a result the dogs are going INSANE since they literally were crated/xpenned for 14 hours yesterday while I was at the hospital and I'm still taking out-of-it drugs and too dizzy to exercise them in any capacity.
> 
> sorry dogs


Vertigo is the WORST. The first time I had vertigo, I didn't know there was a such thing. I stumbled around the house with the world swinging in all kinds of weird directions trying to get someone to help me. Needless to say I went to the hospital. I was shaking violently for 5 hours straight and kept getting nauseous. I'm pretty sure I was so incredibly panicked and out of it that I tried to bite a nurse sticking IV fluids in me. I made the crazy list that night! Please feel better! Nothing worked for me but time. It took a week for it to be completely gone. I hope that is not the case for you and I'm sure the pups forgive you. 


Unrelated note... My husband is dead set on a purebred Border Collie pup now so we decided to go the breeder route again. The problem is we cannot find a single worthwhile breeder. They either are a small farm breeder with no health testing, or a large scale breeder that pumps out puppies like it is nobodies business (even though they -look- good otherwise). Or, he doesn't like the look of some of the ranch Borders because they look like Kelpies. Also, nope on the heavy conformation breeders. Some sporters are gonna be just too much. I was already searching months ago and gave up. I searched all over again and I'm just at a loss. I would love to just get another Aussie because it would be so much EASIER but noooo.


----------



## chimunga

CptJack said:


> There is this dog on the karma collars website gallery that looks JUST like Hank.


I've been fighting my gender norm-ed head and thinking about getting Watson one of their stargazers for Watson. They are so lovely.


----------



## chimunga

Rescued said:


> I had my first ever experience with serious vertigo yesterday and I have had a LOT of weird health things happen to me but I think this experience might top the time I had the acute dystonic reaction.
> 
> As a result the dogs are going INSANE since they literally were crated/xpenned for 14 hours yesterday while I was at the hospital and I'm still taking out-of-it drugs and too dizzy to exercise them in any capacity.
> 
> sorry dogs


I had labyrinthitis for a while. Which is an innter-ear problem that causes constant vertigo. It was terrible and lasted for almost a month.


----------



## CptJack

chimunga said:


> I've been fighting my gender norm-ed head and thinking about getting Watson one of their stargazers for Watson. They are so lovely.


I have gotten 2 Karma Collars so far - one for Bug, one for Molly - and Thud has a custom made leather collar from another source. I fully intend to get Jack and Kylie a karma collar, too. (And this isn't going into the satin martingales, custom leashes and other spiffy neat collars floating around). But seriously, I think the Stargazer is pretty gender neuteral. I mean it's not flowers or anything, and you can customize your stone colors.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Oh no! its never fun when a horse goes down   keep is posted


We made the decision to have her out down by our vet  she was almost gone when I got there anyway


----------



## chimunga

CptJack said:


> I have gotten 2 Karma Collars so far - one for Bug, one for Molly - and Thud has a custom made leather collar from another source. I fully intend to get Jack and Kylie a karma collar, too. (And this isn't going into the satin martingales, custom leashes and other spiffy neat collars floating around). But seriously, I think the Stargazer is pretty gender neuteral. I mean it's not flowers or anything, and you can customize your stone colors.


I think Mr. Watson would look pretty snazzy with dark brown letter and green and blue gems.


----------



## Sibe

momtolabs said:


> We made the decision to have her out down by our vet  she was almost gone when I got there anyway


 I'm so sorry  How awful.


----------



## CptJack

I am going to sound awful here, but I am so done with Jack's crap. He had his neuter/tumor removal/tooth out March 1. We are STILL giving him meds and dealing with some minor wound care, because he had a god awful reaction to the sutures used in his lumpectomy and neuter. The shallower incision/wound is mostly healed, finally, but from the neuter (incision in his penis sheath, not scrotum) is still kind of a mess. He should, probably, be healed enough for a bath and to go outside at the end of next week. MAYBE this week but more likely next.

It isn't the money. It isn't the vet trips. It isn't the wound care or gross factor. It isn't that he's been stuck inside and is gross and his nails are atrocious even by my standard.

It's that he sees me coming now and hides under the bed. I feel so bad for him and GUILTY AS HECK. 

I really, really wish I could just explain to him.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I have gotten 2 Karma Collars so far - one for Bug, one for Molly - and Thud has a custom made leather collar from another source. I fully intend to get Jack and Kylie a karma collar, too. (And this isn't going into the satin martingales, custom leashes and other spiffy neat collars floating around). But seriously, I think the Stargazer is pretty gender neuteral. I mean it's not flowers or anything, and you can customize your stone colors.


I dont get fancy collars because my dogs are too fuzzy to see them  so its normal ole TSC / petco or petsmart collars for them I guess :/



> We made the decision to have her out down by our vet she was almost gone when I got there anyway


I am sorry, Momtolabs, I know how much losing a horse can hurt, one of ours died in the pasture, we dont even know why, we found him dead when he didnt come in for feeding time. My heart goes out to you


----------



## Sibe

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I dont get fancy collars because my dogs are too fuzzy to see them  so its normal ole TSC / petco or petsmart collars for them I guess :/


 Same for me. These collars are 1 1/2" wide that I make, you see hints of it but it's mostly covered by fur most of the time.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Sibe said:


> Same for me. These collars are 1 1/2" wide that I make, you see hints of it but it's mostly covered by fur most of the time.


In fact, Lincoln is getting so fuzzy that I had to switch to a wider collar so I could find it when I have to get the leash on haha


----------



## Sibe

OwnedbyACDs said:


> In fact, Lincoln is getting so fuzzy that I had to switch to a wider collar so I could find it when I have to get the leash on haha


 I love collars so much. I will get a naked dog so I can buy all the collars.

On Etsy I have many collar shops favorited.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/hollywoofstyles
https://www.etsy.com/shop/dogsbythebay


----------



## Flaming

Manna can hide a 3" collar in her fur...we have a bright pink 3" and it does disappear


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Flaming said:


> Manna can hide a 3" collar in her fur...we have a bright pink 3" and it does disappear


I think that Lincoln will be one of those dogs, too. He is only 6 months old and already hiding collars under his fur hahaha


----------



## Equinox

I love Karma Collars, their Stargazer is lovely and I think it could be perfect for a cute little boydog! Karma is actually one of my two favorite collar makers as far designs go (and their customer service is wonderful). I love The Sparta that I got for Trent, and still plan to get The Monaco Wide for him sometime. Was originally going to get The Princess for Siege but it's just not her.

So now I have a custom collar in the works from another amazing collar maker. Just getting mock ups now and very, very excited for it!!


----------



## Remaru

Magic has a "nice" collar. I won't buy one for anyone else because Freyja eats collars and she is more than happy to relieve everyone of their collars. I just make them and don't have to feel so bad when she destroys them. I have a Tree of Gondor collar from DogsbytheBay that I get out sometimes to walk some one or something but that is it (technically I think it is Freyja's). I just invest in useful harnesses and leashes I enjoy instead. Not quite as fun though.


----------



## CptJack

Molly has The Victorian. Bug has The Cruz. Molly also has This custom made collar and leash from etsy, for regular wear. It needs washed right now, but with it wet and muddy out she's been wearing it a lot. And I have several stain martingales from Collars by Mickey. And Thud has the 2" red leather and silver thing. And everyone has rolled leather collars for every day. And Kylie has a flat pink leather thing that I hate.

Future purchasing plans are for a couple more of those fancy martingales in narrower widths from Collars By Mickey and The Munroe for Kylie and Little Havana for Jack, from Karma. Or, you know, something else. There are MANY I want.

I LIKE COLLARS DANG IT. Though yeah, they vanish entirely on Kylie. Thud, fortunately, you can still see a wide collar on.


----------



## jade5280

I still need to get a Karma collar for Gypsy, but haven't decided on which one.

I'm thinking tan leather. I wish I could get garnet, but the dogs are the same color.


----------



## CptJack

I'll probably go garnet if I ever order for thud from there. Otherwise everyone gets black - because the rest are all mostly black dogs. And I like black.


----------



## Laurelin

GUYS. I want a puppy. I don't need a puppy. I have a lot I need to do with Hank. But I played with BC pups last weekend and am watching my friend's pup's litter at her breeders and darnit I want one!

I think I am going to make a list of goals I want to reach before buying a pup. Maybe it will be my 30th birthday gift to myself in 2 years.

It doesn't help that I know Hank would adore having a dog that would play with him and be active with him. The paps would kill me if I brought another dog home. I'd foster to see if the 4 dog thing would work but I'm a sucker and I'd end up keeping something.


----------



## jade5280

I want a puppy too! It seems like everyone is getting puppies. I have plans for a puppy in about a year. I just need to stay off petfinder so I don't impulse adopt a dog.

Also I'm really scared to get a puppy. I would die if it ended up with SA.


----------



## Laurelin

And today I get to see collie collie puppies at collie nationals! (It's right across the street from my work)

I really am going to try to hold out till Hank is 3 for practical reasons. I WILL PREVAIL.

I also want to have novice titles on him if possible. The one breeder I like requires videos of you running your dogs in agility.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I would love to get another dog that Kris could play with but guess I will have to wait till my sister's Golden Retriever puppy gets old enough and big enough. My sister is having so much fun with having a big dog again like I was with Kris, when she was a puppy but I will guarantee she will not be as hard to train as Kris has been.


----------



## CptJack

I want a puppy, too. 

I am not, ever, going beyond 5 dogs. Which means I'm good here until Bug, Jack, or both pass. For obvious reasons I'm in no hurry about that. I'm also nowhere near where I want to be with Molly and would actually prefer she be 4 or 5 before I even consider it.

I just... miss puppies. It's a sickness. 

And my next dog MIGHT be an Aussie, ironically, though they're rarely on my list. The woman I'm getting my bunnies from breeds (responsibly, according to me) aussies and I really like her dogs overall, though they're bigger/heavier than my preference. Guess I'll see what she's doing in 4-5-7 years ;-)

And for all I know ND in that 7 years, might just be a toy poodle or crested or chi or, I kid you not a basset. A lot of it depends on my husband, some of it depends on what's available, a lot of it depends on whether or not the kind of activities I do with my dogs have changed. 

I still have a huge, huge list of maybes.

Brit. Spaniel
Cocker Spaniel
ESS
Crested
Toy Poodle
Chi.
Pap
Yorkie
Aussie
BC
Sheltie
Corgi
Basset (yeah, I know)
Beagle (also yeah I know - these two are exclusively on DH)
RT
BT


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I want a puppy too! It seems like everyone is getting puppies. I have plans for a puppy in about a year. I just need to stay off petfinder so I don't impulse adopt a dog.
> 
> Also I'm really scared to get a puppy. I would die if it ended up with SA.


I think that Lincoln has a high potential to end up with SA if I wasnt careful, its like he KNOWS when we are leaving and he doesnt want to go into his crate for anything! When I put him in, he tries to dart out, he only does that when we are leaving somewhere. I always put him in there for the night and he does it even if we leave at night to go to the store or something, once we LEAVE though, he settles down and all that (so it seems, he is always calm when we return and there is no evidence of him freaking out). It'a just the initial leaving.


----------



## Laurelin

I'm pretty sure for me it's going to be a BC or a borderstaffy. Maybe another related breed depending on things.

I just really love having multiple dogs to play with and train and right now I am wearing poor Hank out lol. 

I would like to hit my savings goals, weight goals, and get Hank's novice agility titles in either AKC or USDAA first. We've got a while....

Sort of related there's a lure course 3 hours away at the end of the month. I am considering signing up.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I'm pretty sure for me it's going to be a BC or a borderstaffy. Maybe another related breed depending on things.
> 
> I just really love having multiple dogs to play with and train and right now I am wearing poor Hank out lol.
> 
> I would like to hit my savings goals, weight goals, and get Hank's novice agility titles in either AKC or USDAA first. We've got a while....
> 
> Sort of related there's a lure course 3 hours away at the end of the month. I am considering signing up.


Awww, I know its your decision and I will LOVE to see your nextdog/puppy pics all the same ... but I was hoping you'd get a MAS 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also mini rant: Some negative articles are surfacing regarding Trifexis (which I give my dogs) and I am kind of panicking about it. I have been using it for a while and I havent seen any adverse effects in my dogs from it, but still, all the uproar about it has me worried ... but my vet assured me it was safe ... GAH!!!


----------



## chimunga

I think I'm probably gonna get heavy puppy fever within the next two years. My husband says I can't get a puppy till Watson is five, but I don't think he's gonna win that battle. How does that work, getting a puppy after your first dog? Watson is my first dog ever, and it's terrible to say, but I'm honestly not sure I could love another dog quite as much as I love him. I'm kinda of a monogamous love person. One man, one best friend, one dog. But I don't wanna wait till Watson is elderly to get another dog.


----------



## Remaru

chimunga said:


> I think I'm probably gonna get heavy puppy fever within the next two years. My husband says I can't get a puppy till Watson is five, but I don't think he's gonna win that battle. How does that work, getting a puppy after your first dog? Watson is my first dog ever, and it's terrible to say, but I'm honestly not sure I could love another dog quite as much as I love him. I'm kinda of a monogamous love person. One man, one best friend, one dog. But I don't wanna wait till Watson is elderly to get another dog.


I am going to admit I never love my animals the same. I always have a favorite. It is a good thing we are a family of 4. Our animals each have a "person" that they belong to. My youngest son, he loves all of the dogs, I swear if I let him he would sleep in a giant pile of all of the dogs. I think he prefers them to people. I tend to bond to one of our dogs and while I love all of our dogs I don't feel quite the same about them as I do about my one special dog. I think even when the kids are gone hubby and I will have 2 dogs, one for him and one for me.


----------



## jade5280

chimunga said:


> I think I'm probably gonna get heavy puppy fever within the next two years. My husband says I can't get a puppy till Watson is five, but I don't think he's gonna win that battle. How does that work, getting a puppy after your first dog? Watson is my first dog ever, and it's terrible to say, but I'm honestly not sure I could love another dog quite as much as I love him. I'm kinda of a monogamous love person. One man, one best friend, one dog. But I don't wanna wait till Watson is elderly to get another dog.


I've lived with dogs all my life, but Ryker was my first dog to raise on my own. I love both Ryker an Gypsy the same and they both have qualities that I admire. My bond if definitely stronger with Ryker, but I think that could be because I raised him from a puppy and Gypsy was an adult when we got her. I'm not sure how or if things will change once I get a 3rd.


----------



## Laurelin

MAS is not off the table! I really like some of them!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I've lived with dogs all my life, but Ryker was my first dog to raise on my own. I love both Ryker an Gypsy the same and they both have qualities that I admire. My bond if definitely stronger with Ryker, but I think that could be because I raised him from a puppy and Gypsy was an adult when we got her. I'm not sure how or if things will change once I get a 3rd.


Its the same with me and Lincoln, I love both our dogs, but my bond is stronger with him than with Josefina, even though I raised Josefina from a puppy and took care of her when she was young, her bond was always stronger with OH, I dont know if that is because I had Izze at the time and that bond I had with her (she was my heart dog) got in the way of having a strong bond with Josefina, or if it was just that we dont "click".



Laurelin said:


> MAS is not off the table! I really like some of them!


YAY!


----------



## ireth0

Apparently I've converted my bf. He told me last night that he's now a dog person, and if we never have another cat that will be just fine with him, hahaha.

I wonder how much Luna's good nature has spoiled him...


----------



## chimunga

jade5280 said:


> I've lived with dogs all my life, but Ryker was my first dog to raise on my own. I love both Ryker an Gypsy the same and they both have qualities that I admire. My bond if definitely stronger with Ryker, but I think that could be because I raised him from a puppy and Gypsy was an adult when we got her. I'm not sure how or if things will change once I get a 3rd.





Remaru said:


> I am going to admit I never love my animals the same. I always have a favorite. It is a good thing we are a family of 4. Our animals each have a "person" that they belong to. My youngest son, he loves all of the dogs, I swear if I let him he would sleep in a giant pile of all of the dogs. I think he prefers them to people. I tend to bond to one of our dogs and while I love all of our dogs I don't feel quite the same about them as I do about my one special dog. I think even when the kids are gone hubby and I will have 2 dogs, one for him and one for me.


I think it would probably help if I just get a totally different type of dog. NextDog is kind of going to be for hubby, so I'll look for qualities that he'd like it a dog. But I'll, of course, still be the trainer and main caretaker. But I'm thinking if I get a dog with a drastically different personality, it'll help. I'm leaning towards a spaniel for him. Maybe a Welshie. And I think that it would have such a different personality than my independent one-person corgi, that I'd be able to appreciate them both.


----------



## CptJack

I always have a favorite (or two), but honestly I don't think that takes a thing away from the others? It's like liking one more doesn't mean I like another less. It doesn't take time, attention, or love away from them. I wouldn't love them more if they were the only dog. I wouldn't spend more time with them, train them more, whatever. It's just that the something added on top in the 'click' between me and whoever my favorite is, isn't there quite the same way.

Jack, Bug, Thud? They're very, very beloved pets and family members. They're fun. I adore them. I do things with them. I will be devastated when they are gone.

Kylie and, increasingly but less so, Molly just have another layer of 'connection' with me, that really doesn't change my outward interactions with them, but does change how we work together, gel together, and deal with each other when we're doing that stuff. 

But other than maybe taking more pictures of them, I really don't think their lives are different than the others, and certainly no one has needs not being met so I have no guilt. I might, admittedly, if the other three weren't pretty hardcore bonded to my husband and kids. Maybe. Probably not.

I DO have guilt about generally not liking Thud much until recently but that's a whole 'other kettle of fish

(That said what I like and want and what my husband likes and wants diverge pretty hard, anyway, and is probably playing some factor here.)


----------



## NyxForge

Laurelin said:


> GUYS. I want a puppy. I don't need a puppy.





jade5280 said:


> I want a puppy too! It seems like everyone is getting puppies. I have plans for a puppy in about a year.





CptJack said:


> I want a puppy, too...
> 
> 
> 
> ..I just... miss puppies. It's a sickness.



I'm glad I'm not the only one who has been feeling this lately. 

I really enjoyed the young puppy stuff with Rory. The teenage jerk phase not so much, but the puppy stage was worth it lol. I can't wait to get another one.


----------



## elrohwen

Sorry to rub it in but ...

I'm getting a puppy!!

So excited. I really enjoyed Watson's puppy phase up to about 8 months. Puppies are awesome.


----------



## jade5280

I think I forgot about the trauma of Ryker's puppyhood because I recall saying I never wanted another puppy again after him. If everything goes as planned I hope the next puppy is easier, though I'm not counting on it.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson was a fantastic puppy. He was cute, he learned quickly, he was fun. He was just awesome. And then he turned into a teenager. At least he was still cute 

I am banking on a female being less of a teenage terror. All of the young female Welsh I have met are much more together than the young boys.


----------



## Remaru

I actually don't enjoy puppies at all. I prefer adopting older dogs. I will say Freyja was an easy teen. Like her worst things were blowing off a recall once or twice in the back yard because the neighbor dogs were barking along the fence line and she just had to go see. Or running through the mud a little before running to me. She was super easy. Is she a little sassy? Yeah she is a little sassy even now, she back talks, but she is a husky. She is so easy compared to the boys though. However getting a dog who is already house broken and doesn't eat things, priceless. Lad has actually been an amazingly easy puppy. He house broke himself the first day he was here. I took him out, he peed, I praised him (he wouldn't take the cheese I offered) and that was it. It didn't take him a day to learn to go to the door. He will have an accident if you don't get up as soon as he goes to the door, he can't hold it long, but he knows what he is doing. Freyja took forever to be housebroken. He doesn't have manners yet though and he is big enough to jump onto the couches (and I don't want him jumping). Unfortunately Duke isn't with us to help train him. Big guy was the best at teaching puppy manners.


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> Sorry to run it in but ...
> 
> I'm getting a puppy!!
> 
> So excited. I really enjoyed Watson's puppy phase up to about 8 months. Puppies are awesome.


What puppy!?

I'm kind of bummed about having to wait longer than I anticipated for mine, but I guess I'm okay with it, because I'm (hopefully) still getting it in the year 2015!!

I'm very happy the SO wants a dog by the time mine is about 1 years old.

Remaru - I know exactly where your son is coming from. I would much rather spend my day in a pile of dogs than with other people - dogs don't judge, don't care, don't make fun, and they're also SO much fluffier and happier than most people lol.

I'm definitely one of those people who, after my 1st dog, I'm never going to be able to only have one dog ever again in my life. I've already managed to convince the SO that 2 dogs each wouldn't be such a bad idea! ... Okay, okay, my breeder totally convinced him that two dogs wouldn't be enough. She owns a large 170-acre property with 20 dogs. The only barking you heard was from the 3 Aussie males when we arrived at the gate, and once we were in everyone was so quiet and attentive and playful and loving. Then we sat down in the "doggy room" with the doggy couch and we had 5 Aussies with us at all times. When we got in the car to drive home, he said "I can totally live with 5 dogs at once easily! Maybe not as many as 20, but like.. I could TOTALLY do 12 dogs at once!" I love my SO.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Watson was a fantastic puppy. He was cute, he learned quickly, he was fun. He was just awesome. And then he turned into a teenager. At least he was still cute
> 
> I am banking on a female being less of a teenage terror. All of the young female Welsh I have met are much more together than the young boys.


Maybe its a breed thing? Because I am still waiting for Lincoln to become a total ass hat ... dont get me wrong, on some degree he is, he bites / plays and tugs with his leash a lot on walks, sometimes bites and plays with my legs (he NEVER bites down hard on any skin, but he still has a tendency to pull on clothing, something we are working on) which sometimes makes it hard to walk because I am always having to step around him LOL. 

Its weird because I dont find those behaviors annoying and intuition tells me that he will grow out of them as he gets older, and if he doesnt, I dont care LOL, he doesnt do it if we go somewhere like into a store of building, only on walks and "fun time". He is very biddable and WANTS to work with me and WANTS to please and do a good job, my "opinion" of him is IMPORTANT to him and he will do ANYTHING to please me and make me happy with him (well that and a treat LOL). Which is good, and the older he gets, the MORE he becomes like that so I have cautious optimisim that it will continue that way


----------



## Laurelin

Mia is the favorite. Why? God knows. She's definitely not the best of my dogs nor the one I do most with.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> What puppy!?


My boy was bred back in February and I have plans to get a girl pup from the litter. They are due around April 5th.



OwnedbyACDs said:


> Maybe its a breed thing? Because I am still waiting for Lincoln to become a total ass hat ... dont get me wrong, on some degree he is, he bites / plays and tugs with his leash a lot on walks, sometimes bites and plays with my legs (he NEVER bites down hard on any skin, but he still has a tendency to pull on clothing, something we are working on) which sometimes makes it hard to walk because I am always having to step around him LOL.


Well, Lincoln is still quite young, right? IME a lot of that stuff doesn't start until closer to a year old.

I think it somewhat related to breed, but I also think it's related to gender and individual personality. Some dogs are perfect angels, some go through an annoying period for a month or two, and some have an extended obnoxious time.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

elrohwen said:


> Sorry to run it in but ...
> 
> I'm getting a puppy!!
> 
> So excited. I really enjoyed Watson's puppy phase up to about 8 months. Puppies are awesome.


When is this puppy coming home with you? So excited for the spring/summer of DF puppies, including myself. 

Edit: Just saw April 5th due date. Hah. Crossing my fingers for a girl for you!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> My boy was bred back in February and I have plans to get a girl pup from the litter. They are due around April 5th.
> 
> 
> 
> Well, Lincoln is still quite young, right? IME a lot of that stuff doesn't start until closer to a year old.
> 
> I think it somewhat related to breed, but I also think it's related to gender and individual personality. Some dogs are perfect angels, some go through an annoying period for a month or two, and some have an extended obnoxious time.


Josefina came to us a jerk and she still is, Izze was kind of like Lincoln, she was annoying as hell to everyone else but whatever she did didnt annoy ME at all LOL. Now this is my first MAS / aussie people I have talked to say that this / these breeds are typically very "easy" compared to some. But we will see when the testosterone starts flowing LMBO.



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> When is this puppy coming home with you? So excited for the spring/summer of DF puppies, including myself.
> 
> Edit: Just saw April 5th due date. Hah. Crossing my fingers for a girl for you!


Cant wait to see all these puppy pictures threads!!!


----------



## jade5280

Ryker was awful up until about 8 months. After that mostly everything got better, except his recall.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Ryker was awful up until about 8 months. After that mostly everything got better, except his recall.


That's when Watson got terrible. Haha


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> Ryker was awful up until about 8 months. After that mostly everything got better, except his recall.


Maybe its a hound / sporting breed thing? Because I do know hound and sporting people who say similiar things about hound and sporting breed pups LOL.

Of course working and herding pups arent a walk in the park, either. But in a lot of ways they are easier than others.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> When is this puppy coming home with you? So excited for the spring/summer of DF puppies, including myself.
> 
> Edit: Just saw April 5th due date. Hah. Crossing my fingers for a girl for you!


Hope to bring her home early June!

We are probably breeding Watson again this weekend, assuming progesterone levels and stuff work out, so I may have a second chance at a girl pup if the first litter doesn't work out.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> When is this puppy coming home with you? So excited for the spring/summer of DF puppies, including myself.
> 
> Edit: Just saw April 5th due date. Hah. Crossing my fingers for a girl for you!


 Didn't know you were getting a pup! Another aussie?


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Maybe its a hound / sporting breed thing? Because I do know hound and sporting people who say similiar things about hound and sporting breed pups LOL.
> 
> Of course working and herding pups arent a walk in the park, either. But in a lot of ways they are easier than others.


Sporting dog males are notorious for having an extended adolescence. I have known herding breeds with many of the same issues, but it only seems to last for a couple months vs a year or so.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Sporting dog males are notorious for having an extended adolescence. I have known herding breeds with many of the same issues, but it only seems to last for a couple months vs a year or so.


I don't think Thud has a drop of sporting breed in him and he was just HECK. He was, however, an unaltered male. And he's now pushing 2.5 and he's only mostly not a jerk. Like the only thing that makes me think he has sporting breed, ever, is his teenage period. Then again - GSD aren't exactly known for growing up fast and not being difficult, you know?

Molly's 9 months. She's definitely a teenager, but honestly? Easy teenager. Occasionally a little flighty and flakey, but not an all out pinta. I kinda think it'll be over relatively fast, too.

But again: GIRL. SPAYED girl.


----------



## Remaru

Duke was never a teen. He came to me at 1 and intact but nothing. I had him neutered right off but he just never did adolescent things. He was such an easy dog. I just had Freyja spayed and she had some adolescent stuff but it was easy stuff. She gets a little spazzy and looses focus here and there. She could use some work on her walking but I don't think that is teen stuff so much as no one has done it (what happens when I let hubby take over walking the dog). She's husky x gsd so who knows. Hobgoblin lost some focus when he hit about 8months but he never got bad. He was neutered pretty young by the shelter though so I'm sure that curbed a bit.


----------



## elrohwen

Oh, and some GSDs I've known have been pretty crazy adolescents too. More like sporting dogs in that way vs a border collie or something, at least the ones I've known


----------



## Laurelin

Whatever Hank is he is very mature for his age. I honestly almost wonder if he's older because he's been scary focused since I got him.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Whatever Hank is he is very mature for his age. I honestly almost wonder if he's older because he's been scary focused since I got him.


My friends got their ACDx during adolescence (they think ~1 year or something). He definitely had some adolescent behavior like not settling, being a bit crazy, and nipping a lot. However, he was always super focused, had a perfect recall from day 1, learned quickly, etc. So even though he was annoying and over the top he wasn't a space cadet either. It wasn't so bad, and a lot of that was probably just untrained stray dog stuff more than adolescence.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

jade5280 said:


> Didn't know you were getting a pup! Another aussie?


I've been planning on it being around spring/summer for some time. I was going to actually go the shelter route then my husband decided he wanted a Border Collie. So.. Border Collie it is! 

We are almost officially expecting a red and white girl in mid April. I'm honestly kind of panicking.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I've been planning on it being around spring/summer for some time. I was going to actually go the shelter route then my husband decided he wanted a Border Collie. So.. Border Collie it is!
> 
> We are almost officially expecting a red and white girl in mid April. I'm honestly kind of panicking.


I hope everything works out. Red BC's are stunning!


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I've been planning on it being around spring/summer for some time. I was going to actually go the shelter route then my husband decided he wanted a Border Collie. So.. Border Collie it is!
> 
> We are almost officially expecting a red and white girl in mid April. I'm honestly kind of panicking.


You'll be fine. Molly's energetic and reactive and a pain but at the end of the day she was and has been a danged easy puppy and there's nothing there that you don't have experience with via your girl now.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> You'll be fine. Molly's energetic and reactive and a pain but at the end of the day she was and has been a danged easy puppy and there's nothing there that you don't have experience with via your girl now.


I don't know what it is all of a sudden. I'm not afraid of another reactive dog one bit.. or even the puppy part. I'm afraid of what she is going to grow up to be.. like super flakey and aggressive out of nowhere. I'm so spoiled with Kairi being the perfect dog (almost) that I'm afraid my husband and I won't bond the same. I didn't realize I was going to be this crazy about it! I'm sure things will be just fine. It's just one of those "this is happening for real" moments. I would be having it with any puppy, not just a BC. I'm really freaking thrilled to be able to compare the breeds though.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I don't know what it is all of a sudden. I'm not afraid of another reactive dog one bit.. or even the puppy part. I'm afraid of what she is going to grow up to be.. like super flakey and aggressive out of nowhere. I'm so spoiled with Kairi being the perfect dog (almost) that I'm afraid my husband and I won't bond the same. I didn't realize I was going to be this crazy about it! I'm sure things will be just fine. It's just one of those "this is happening for real" moments. I would be having it with any puppy, not just a BC. I'm really freaking thrilled to be able to compare the breeds though.


Yeah, I have that every time I get a puppy. I also hate it and panick for about a month about having made this enormous mistake and the world is ending and the dog is going to be a disaster and my life is going to go straight to heck and-

But really, you'll be fine.


----------



## missc89

CptJack said:


> Yeah, I have that every time I get a puppy. I also hate it and panick for about a month about having made this enormous mistake and the world is ending and the dog is going to be a disaster and my life is going to go straight to heck and-
> 
> But really, you'll be fine.


This is probably going to be me when I get my puppy ... makes me so happy I've found you guys!!


----------



## Willowy

Everywhere I go, I see puppies or ads for puppies. I want a puppy. This is insane. I don't even like puppies, and I already have 4 dogs. I don't even want to have 4 dogs! And 3 are elderly and will probably run up big vet bills, and the other one is nutso and I need to work with her more before I even think about a puppy. WHY AM I LOOKING AT PUPPIES!!??!! You all are a bad influence .


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I've been planning on it being around spring/summer for some time. I was going to actually go the shelter route then my husband decided he wanted a Border Collie. So.. Border Collie it is!
> 
> We are almost officially expecting a red and white girl in mid April. I'm honestly kind of panicking.


Who is the breeder? Sorry I'm scouting out BC breeders right now lol. (For myself). I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to get too but want to hold out a year or two.

WE WILL PREVAIL. WE WILL HOLD OUT. 


MUST NOT CAVE TO BC PUPPIES OF FRIENDS.

There was a tri and a sable at the trial last week. Fluffy little things. And now my friend is bringing one home in April from one of the top breeders I had been interested in for a while.

MUST NOT CAVE.


----------



## chimunga

Went to the dog park today. A couple rants, and then a brag. 

Rants first.

Someone brought their puppy. Like, puppy puppy. Couldn't have been more than 8-10 weeks old. Do people do zero research before they get a puppy? Because that is literally the first thing a vet, a trainer, or a puppy book will tell you. Don't take your dog to the park that young. Hell, it says on the "Rules" sign outside the park that you should not bring a dog in that is under 4 months. I am not the type of person that tells people what to do with their dogs. Ever. But as they were leaving, I told them "Hey, I'm not trying to be an a**hole. But a bit of friendly advice? Don't bring a pup that young to the dog park. Ask your vet about parvo and kennel cough. It would be really easy for her to get sick that young." They had only had her for THREE DAYS. And health aside, she got glomped by dogs at the park. Every single dog wanted to say hi. But the poor thing just hid under her parent's stroller. (They had a baby in a stroller too) She already shy. Her names was literally "Shy." Yes, having her around dogs may help her come out of her shell. Or it could traumatize her and make her more shy. 

Secondly. People in the "Big dogs" section of the dog park. I cannot put my 22 lb corgi in the small dog section. Cannot. He is too big and has far too much muscle to be around just little dogs. I promise you he can hold his own against your large dogs. I also promise you that I am watching your high-prey drive big dogs _very _closely. My dog is never more than a very very short sprint away from me. Usually less than five large steps. Any even _tiny _sign that your dog is stalking mine, and my dog will be leashed and sitting next to me till you chose to leave. If you do have a high-prey drive dog, and he does show signs of stalking my pup, and I do put my pup on a leash, please do not feel guilty. I understand the risks associated with having a dog that looks like a big bunny. But also, please do not give me the death glare when I do bring my dog into "your" section of the park. It's often said that Corgis are big dogs in a small dogs body. That is incorrect. Corgis are medium dogs with short legs. 

And lastly. Do *NOT *bring your unmuzzled dog aggressive dog to the dog park. There is a large difference between a dog acting on prey drive, and a dog being straight up aggressive. And it's pretty easy to see. And if your dog needs to be leashed just to stop it from going after other dogs, big or small, it either needs to be muzzled, or just not in the dog park. 
/endrants


And now brags!

Watson did so well at the dog park. So well. He had a very respectable recall, I'd say at about 85-90%. I could call him away from other dogs while he was playing. It was awesome. He was also very very nice to the puppy that was there. He's very good with baby animals. And when we were leaving, he walked with me, unleashed, in a lose heel position for about 1/4 mile. I am super proud of us.


----------



## Laurelin

Laurelin said:


> Who is the breeder? Sorry I'm scouting out BC breeders right now lol. (For myself). I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to get too but want to hold out a year or two.
> 
> WE WILL PREVAIL. WE WILL HOLD OUT.
> 
> 
> MUST NOT CAVE TO BC PUPPIES OF FRIENDS.
> 
> There was a tri and a sable at the trial last week. Fluffy little things. And now my friend is bringing one home in April from one of the top breeders I had been interested in for a while.
> 
> MUST NOT CAVE.


My plan as of now is to get Hank off the ground trialing then start contacting. I'd LIKE to trial Hank next fall/winter. We'll see. I really cannot do like I did with Hank and get an impulse dog. Especially with a BC. I'm just super picky and want to be able to get a dog from a good line and breeder.

ETA: Is your hubby going to do agility with the BC? There's a couple fun husband/wife pairs that run here and it makes me a touch jealous. I need an agility dream guy haha.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Who is the breeder? Sorry I'm scouting out BC breeders right now lol. (For myself). I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to get too but want to hold out a year or two.
> 
> WE WILL PREVAIL. WE WILL HOLD OUT.
> 
> 
> MUST NOT CAVE TO BC PUPPIES OF FRIENDS.
> 
> There was a tri and a sable at the trial last week. Fluffy little things. And now my friend is bringing one home in April from one of the top breeders I had been interested in for a while.
> 
> MUST NOT CAVE.


It is a tiny little very very small scale farm breeder. Nothing special, but they do work their dogs. It honestly wouldn't have been my choice but I let my husband pick (he knows what he wants and knows everything I do, but has less moral obligation to find the "perfect" breeder). I chose to be okay with it after seeing a whole lot of BC puppy pumpers (6+ litters a year, really?). 

Also.. I don't see the problem with you getting one now. It's not like puppy can do much agility related stuff for quite some time.


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> It is a tiny little very very small scale farm breeder. Nothing special, but they do work their dogs. It honestly wouldn't have been my choice but I let my husband pick (he knows what he wants and knows everything I do, but has less moral obligation to find the "perfect" breeder). I chose to be okay with it after seeing a whole lot of BC puppy pumpers (6+ litters a year, really?).
> 
> Also.. I don't see the problem with you getting one now. It's not like puppy can do much agility related for quite some time.


Ugh yes. The worst was one that had 7 litters from the same bitch. O___O Plus 8 litters a year....

but they win so apparently its ok.... I will not get a dog from a breeder like that.

I have my eye on the breeder my (local) friend's pup is coming from so we'll see how he turns out. I've already informed her I'm stalking her pup lol. Been interested in the breeder a long time so was excited she is getting a pup from them. I will need more agility experience to get a dog from them though. 

I also have my eye on a small scale border collie and borderstaffy breeder. If I decide to go BS. 

We'll see. I don't think it'd be fair to Hank to get another dog so soon as we have tons of training to do. I just really really like having 2 training and active and trialing dogs. Putting foundations on two dogs is a lot though at once. And after talking to my friends with close in age sport dogs I don't think it's a good choice for me. I must hold out and evaluate things in a year. I suspect in about a year I'll be at the point where I'll want to start emailing breeders.


----------



## CptJack

All the talk about exercise requirements and energy levels really made me want to document how much time I spend playing with Molly in a day. I took photos, too. 

I ended up with 108 decent to good photos, out of something like a thousand. And I started after lunch. 

And, yeah, apparently it really is more like 3-4 hours all totaled. Not counting free play or the fact that she's still playing tug with Bug and wrestling with Thud now. It just doesn't feel like that to ME. Though in fairness it was a really, really nice day and I WANTED to be outside a LOT.

But man, documenting that stuff now I just want a nap. (And don't worry, I'm not posting all of those because it's insane. Might make a collage though)

Good news? She can now consistently catch the frisbee. No real height now obviously but she can. So that's cool.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> All the talk about exercise requirements and energy levels really made me want to document how much time I spend playing with Molly in a day. I took photos, too.
> 
> I ended up with 108 decent to good photos, out of something like a thousand. And I started after lunch.
> 
> And, yeah, apparently it really is more like 3-4 hours all totaled. Not counting free play or the fact that she's still playing tug with Bug and wrestling with Thud now. It just doesn't feel like that to ME. Though in fairness it was a really, really nice day and I WANTED to be outside a LOT.
> 
> But man, documenting that stuff now I just want a nap. (And don't worry, I'm not posting all of those because it's insane. Might make a collage though)
> 
> Good news? She can now consistently catch the frisbee. No real height now obviously but she can. So that's cool.


I am thankful to have a puppy who is a LOT less demanding this time around:

Just a 30 minute potty walk? Fine!

A nice bike ride? Great!

An hour walk? Yay!

Dont feel like doing anything? Awesome!

He doesnt care LOL, he just likes being with me, whatever I am doing. A little mental work will satisfy him just as well as an hour walk and a swim will. I dont know if its because he is young, but as he gets older it seems like he is getting MORE laid back ... I dont know ... I know every puppy is different but ... weird!


----------



## CptJack

In absolute honesty I can still do nothing with Molly -and I mean nothing- and not have her lose her crap. I mean she'll get up and go hopefully to the door every time I get near it, but she doesn't put up a fuss if she's not getting the amounts of exercise she is, and a lot of all that time was coming from 5-10-15 minute increments. If I didn't do anything with her for a week or two (ala this winter) she gets a little strange and more reactive, but overall it's less that she has to and more that she CAN.

And I absolutely have to stop her at reasonable points, because ain't no way she's calling stop herself.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> ETA: Is your hubby going to do agility with the BC? There's a couple fun husband/wife pairs that run here and it makes me a touch jealous. I need an agility dream guy haha.


YES. He comes with me every agility class to help me with Kairi. We definitely have a lot of issues and don't mesh together in a lot of ways but thank goodness he likes the dog stuff. It will definitely be interesting if we get to a point of competing against each other.


----------



## Laurelin

I pathetically tried by doing agility in my front yard while the neighbor guy was playing disc down the street with his BC. Haha 

Still just a dream. 

Funnily enough the husband/wife pairs here each have a pair of aussies. I always think it's so cool they take classes together and trial together.


----------



## kcomstoc

My co-work was bragging today that he has a pit bull puppy, it's 8 weeks old and *40 LBS*. I told him chances are it's a mix or I at least hope that it's a mix because that is a giant puppy


----------



## Remaru

There is something really wrong about the numbers there. I can't imagine a mastiff puppy being 40lbs at 8weeks. I expect Lad to be between 90-120 (he could be larger his father is 170 and all muscle working dog) and he was only 20lbs at 10weeks.


----------



## kcomstoc

Remaru said:


> There is something really wrong about the numbers there. I can't imagine a mastiff puppy being 40lbs at 8weeks. I expect Lad to be between 90-120 (he could be larger his father is 170 and all muscle working dog) and he was only 20lbs at 10weeks.


That's what I was thinking, he was all "He's gonna be a big boy and muscular" I was like "ummmm...I don't think you have a pit bull or even if it is it's a mix and it should'nt be that big already" I don't know if the puppy is older than he thinks or if his scale is broken but I was really concerned


----------



## Remaru

Maybe he doesn't know how to weigh a puppy at home on a bathroom scale or he is doing his math wrong? Like he is weighing himself and then weighing himself with the puppy then subtracting wrong? I would think if the puppy was only 20lbs you would know it wasn't 40lbs but some people wouldn't notice. That would still make a very very big "pit bull" but if it is a mix it is possible.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Is it sad that I already have breeders picked out? A dog probaly wouldn't until at 2018(slight chance, that it might be earlier.)



It isn't the case for all the breeds I'm considering(t

As for the breed I'm considering, it's still up in the air, but it's bewteen a 
Sheltie
Border Collie
Golden Retriever 
Beligan Tervuren
Brittany(less likely)
Working Line GSD(less likely), 
Wire-haired Pointing Griffon(least likely).

So far, I've found 2 BC breeders, and one Golden breeder. I can't seem to find a Sheltie breeder I like... But, I still have time(a lot of time, for that matter!).



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> When is this puppy coming home with you? So excited for the spring/summer of DF puppies, including myself.
> 
> Edit: Just saw April 5th due date. Hah. Crossing my fingers for a girl for you!


Yayyy! Getting exicted for you.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> In absolute honesty I can still do nothing with Molly -and I mean nothing- and not have her lose her crap. I mean she'll get up and go hopefully to the door every time I get near it, but she doesn't put up a fuss if she's not getting the amounts of exercise she is, and a lot of all that time was coming from 5-10-15 minute increments. If I didn't do anything with her for a week or two (ala this winter) she gets a little strange and more reactive, but overall it's less that she has to and more that she CAN.
> 
> And I absolutely have to stop her at reasonable points, because ain't no way she's calling stop herself.


It is nice to have a nice minded puppy this time around (so far!!!) Josefina STILL loses her crap if she doesnt get exercised for more than one day :/


----------



## jade5280

SO went to training classes with me and Ryker, but he definitely wasn't into it at all. It was nice that he went for me though.


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> SO went to training classes with me and Ryker, but he definitely wasn't into it at all. It was nice that he went for me though.


My husband has to drive - I have epilepsy. So he goes to all of them but typically sits in the car and reads or plays with his phone. He hates the training process, and sometimes grumbles about letting dogs be dogs, but he gets a real charge out of the dogs knowing and doing cool things. Frankly if left to his own I think he'd just have dogs who were potty trained, decent in the house re:not eating the trash and the furniture, but wouldn't know 'sit' - and pulled like freight trains because to summarize him 'meh, whatever'.


----------



## ireth0

CptJack said:


> My husband has to drive - I have epilepsy. So he goes to all of them but typically sits in the car and reads or plays with his phone. He hates the training process, and sometimes grumbles about letting dogs be dogs, but he gets a real charge out of the dogs knowing and doing cool things. Frankly if left to his own I think he'd just have dogs who were potty trained, decent in the house re:not eating the trash and the furniture, but wouldn't know 'sit' - and pulled like freight trains because to summarize him 'meh, whatever'.


My BF went to Luna's first ever class and that was it. I've invited him many times and he's always welcome to come and watch for stuff like nosework, but he always declines. 

I think for actual training classes he isn't really comfortable working with a group of strangers around/watching, because he does do some training at home of his own initiative.


----------



## jade5280

I'm not comfortable working in a group of strangers, which is why I dragged him along. I really don't like training classes for this reason.


----------



## Laurelin

I find it gets better over time. I used to be pretty nervous, especially about getting loud and excited with my dog. But it is better now.


----------



## CptJack

My husband would hate working in a group of strangers, I think. That's probably part of it. I suspect most of it though is just that he finds the whole thing boring.


How much I mind working in a group of strangers depends on how well I feel like I know what's going on. I made it through one agility class, the dog is with me so I have that to interact with and as an excuse not to talk to people and I know how things work so I'm confident I'm not going to look like a fool even if the dog is a jerk. Practices, I don't know quite as well how well they work (also more social interaction and almost no structure) so I tend to hang back and be uncomfortable and awkward. Trials I don't understand at ALL, and therefore the idea of trialing makes me want to hide under the bed. 

Really think I'm going to go to the trial on Saturday to observe, run on Sunday, for ONE run, and then reassess come May but the whole thing terrifies me. I just. I don't know. My dog can look like a fool all it wants but I NEED to know what's going on and understand what's expected of me.


----------



## jade5280

I talk to strangers all day long at work and it doesn't phase me at all, but once I'm in a group where I feel like people are watching me and I need to "perform" or have my dog perform, I just get so uncomfortable an insecure. It doesn't help that every class we've taken Ryker just barked the whole time.


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> I talk to strangers all day long at work and it doesn't phase me at all, but once I'm in a group where I feel like people are watching me and I need to "perform" or have my dog perform, I just get so uncomfortable an insecure. It doesn't help that every class we've taken Ryker just barked the whole time.


I will freely admit I am much more comfortable with the spotlight on us when my partner is Kylie than when it's Molly. I seriously came out of the last classes I did with Molly with migraines because I was just so miserable with her being such a jerk and people WATCHING her be a jerk and JUDGING ME OMG. 

I have a perfectionist streak about ten miles wide. My dogs can blow off performing certain things, yeah, but when I think/know they are assuming the behavior is the result of something I did or didn't do, or that I basically just screwed up, I want to sink into a hole and DIE.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> My husband has to drive - I have epilepsy. So he goes to all of them but typically sits in the car and reads or plays with his phone. He hates the training process, and sometimes grumbles about letting dogs be dogs, but he gets a real charge out of the dogs knowing and doing cool things. Frankly if left to his own I think he'd just have dogs who were potty trained, decent in the house re:not eating the trash and the furniture, but wouldn't know 'sit' - and pulled like freight trains because to summarize him 'meh, whatever'.


This is exactly how our family works right down to hubby having to drive because I have epilepsy. I've actually been cleared to drive again but my anxiety is bad enough that I can't drive anywhere I've never been before, on highways or if there is heavy traffic or construction. I also panic in groups though having a dog to focus on helps. When we took Dove for her basics class hubby would drop the little and I off then he and our oldest would head over to the book store and hang out for an hour or so.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> I will freely admit I am much more comfortable with the spotlight on us when my partner is Kylie than when it's Molly. I seriously came out of the last classes I did with Molly with migraines because I was just so miserable with her being such a jerk and people WATCHING her be a jerk and JUDGING ME OMG.
> 
> I have a perfectionist streak about ten miles wide. My dogs can blow off performing certain things, yeah, but when I think/know they are assuming the behavior is the result of something I did or didn't do, or that I basically just screwed up, I want to sink into a hole and DIE.


 That's exactly how I feel. It's stupid though because we're IN a TRAINING class. Obviously we're there and every one else is there because we want to work with our dogs and they aren't perfect. Stupid brain.


----------



## ireth0

jade5280 said:


> That's exactly how I feel. It's stupid though because we're IN a TRAINING class. Obviously we're there and every one else is there because we want to work with our dogs and they aren't perfect. Stupid brain.


I honestly thought I would have more performance anxiety working Luna in classes than I do. Especially in nosework where it's literally just one person taking their turn while everyone watches. 

I think it helps me that the focus is on her instead of me.

If it were just -me- going up in front of people to do a task with them watching... yea, whole other story.


----------



## jade5280

ireth0 said:


> I honestly thought I would have more performance anxiety working Luna in classes than I do. Especially in nosework where it's literally just one person taking their turn while everyone watches.
> 
> I think it helps me that the focus is on her instead of me.
> 
> If it were just -me- going up in front of people to do a task with them watching... yea, whole other story.


 I died every time I would have to do a presentation in front of the class. To make it even better my face gets all red so I look like the most awkward a radish head.


----------



## CptJack

I'm somewhere in the middle. I have almost no nerves doing agility in front of the class - be that a whole course, a sequence, or just one exercise - and I don't mind my dog acting like a fool on the field at all. Missing contacts, making their own course up, zoomies, whatever. That, to me, is just part of the game and happens. 

The problem really comes when I'm dealing with things unrelated to the exercise. Molly's reactivity. Kylie peed inside the barn once. Insane fits of leash pulling. ANYWHERE, or any situation where *I* don't get it as opposed to the dog not getting it. I'm really apparently selective about what turns me into an anxious nervous wreck.

*ETA* So, yeah, the take away from this is it's okay if my dog's mess up, but it's not okay if *I* mess up and behavior in the dog's that looks like me screwing up isn't okay with me, either. I'm never allowed to be wrong/perceived as wrong. EVER.


----------



## Kayota

I loved doing speeches after the first one lol, I shook when I did the first one but after that I really enjoyed them. Probably because I like talking LOL. Never been in a situation re: dog sports but I'd definitely be ok with that I think.


----------



## ireth0

jade5280 said:


> I died every time I would have to do a presentation in front of the class. To make it even better my face gets all red so I look like the most awkward a radish head.


Yea, I remember at least once in school I deliberately just didn't do the presentation portion of an assignment and took a significant cut to my grade.

I have gotten a lot better as I've gotten older though. I certainly wouldn't -volunteer- to do a presentation now, but as long as it was something I was familiar enough with I think I'd be okay.

A few times I've felt myself starting to get anxious about working Luna with people specifically watching us but I've been able to calm myself down again. Just her and me, doin what we do. I try to focus on her and what I need to do, vs thinking about the people watching.


----------



## Remaru

ireth0 said:


> I honestly thought I would have more performance anxiety working Luna in classes than I do. Especially in nosework where it's literally just one person taking their turn while everyone watches.
> 
> I think it helps me that the focus is on her instead of me.
> 
> If it were just -me- going up in front of people to do a task with them watching... yea, whole other story.


This was my problem when I was in Taekwondo. Luckily by the time I started hubby was an instructor and he taught me pretty much everything at home before class so I didn't have too many melt downs in class. I had to walk out a couple of times. I had to do private testing because I couldn't handle everyone watching me even though I knew everyone and trained with them every day. 

I've never done a training class with one of my dogs that left me really going up in front of everyone so I don't know how I would handle it. Mostly we were in little classes and everyone was pretty focused on their own dogs. I did the CGC with Duke and that was a little intimidating but it was just the instructor, Duke and I so it wasn't too bad. I don't know if I could handle an agility trial. My youngest wants to but he is ok with people watching him.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Today is Leia's first birthday! I am sure there will be pictures taken later lol. Her special peanut butter and chicken birthday cake is in the oven baking as I type this. Yup totally spoiled rotten dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

TheDarkestMinds said:


> Today is Leia's first birthday! I am sure there will be pictures taken later lol. Her special peanut butter and chicken birthday cake is in the oven baking as I type this. Yup totally spoiled rotten dog.


LOL you sound like me, the only reason mine arent more spoiled is because OH doesnt let me LOL


----------



## jade5280

TheDarkestMinds said:


> Today is Leia's first birthday! I am sure there will be pictures taken later lol. Her special peanut butter and chicken birthday cake is in the oven baking as I type this. Yup totally spoiled rotten dog.


Happy birthday, Leia! Mmm peanut butter and chicken lol


----------



## Flaming

kcomstoc said:


> My co-work was bragging today that he has a pit bull puppy, it's 8 weeks old and *40 LBS*. I told him chances are it's a mix or I at least hope that it's a mix because that is a giant puppy


Manna my newfie was 30lbs at 10weeks...that has to be some sort of special mix there. Maybe part horse? Or pup has giagantism (sp? )


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Well I was nervous at first, but then I did it! I cut my dog's nail (one paw only--and just the dewclaw) twice and I didn't hit the quick. Luke was very good!! So now I know if my groomer misses one, I can just do it.


----------



## kcomstoc

Flaming said:


> Manna my newfie was 30lbs at 10weeks...that has to be some sort of special mix there. Maybe part horse? Or pup has giagantism (sp? )


Maybe he said 10 weeks but still it's gigantic especially if Manna was 30 lbs at 10 weeks


----------



## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> Maybe he said 10 weeks but still it's gigantic especially if Manna was 30 lbs at 10 weeks


It's also possibly a case of either intentional exaggaration or just being completely wrong based on weird perceptions of size. Most people are really not good at guessing weights, and dogs vary more than you'd think so trying to compare based on another dog's size is rarely effective.


----------



## Flaming

kcomstoc said:


> Maybe he said 10 weeks but still it's gigantic especially if Manna was 30 lbs at 10 weeks





CptJack said:


> It's also possibly a case of either intentional exaggaration or just being completely wrong based on weird perceptions of size. Most people are really not good at guessing weights, and dogs vary more than you'd think so trying to compare based on another dog's size is rarely effective.


CpJack normally I would agree with you but when you compare a pit who's adult weight is supposed to be somewhere in the 40-70lbs range to a known adult who is a skinny 145- (150 if we've been snacking too much). Then there's something up. 

He's either exaggerating, has his math wrong (either weight calc or age), or the dog is a mix with a larger breed.


----------



## CptJack

Oh, I do not doubt that there is some mixing going on regardless since an adult pit can weigh 40lbs.

I just wouldn't be surprised to find out it's actually 4 months old, weighs 20lbs, is mixed AND the guy is getting his jollies from claiming he has a huge pit.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Well I was nervous at first, but then I did it! I cut my dog's nail (one paw only--and just the dewclaw) twice and I didn't hit the quick. Luke was very good!! So now I know if my groomer misses one, I can just do it.


Congrats! It's just getting over that initial fear, and then you're good .


----------



## Flaming

CptJack said:


> Oh, I do not doubt that there is some mixing going on regardless since an adult pit can weigh 40lbs.
> 
> I just wouldn't be surprised to find out it's actually 4 months old, weighs 20lbs, is mixed AND the guy is getting his jollies from claiming he has a huge pit.


Same here, mainly because on how badly I estimate Vitae's size between weigh ins. I always think shes a good 5lbs heavier than she actually is.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> Oh, I do not doubt that there is some mixing going on regardless since an adult pit can weigh 40lbs.
> 
> I just wouldn't be surprised to find out it's actually 4 months old, weighs 20lbs, is mixed AND the guy is getting his jollies from claiming he has a huge pit.


This would be my guess. I can't really think of a breed where an 8week old puppy would be 40lbs. I also have a lot of trouble guessing how heavy a dog is. Hubby is way better at it (he also estimates heights and distances better but don't tell him LOL). Like I'm going to say I think Lad is 30lbs now but I could be way off when I take him in to have his next shots. He just feels like he weighs a ton when I pick him up (and I won't be picking him up much longer).


----------



## CptJack

Remaru said:


> This would be my guess. I can't really think of a breed where an 8week old puppy would be 40lbs. I also have a lot of trouble guessing how heavy a dog is. Hubby is way better at it (he also estimates heights and distances better but don't tell him LOL). Like I'm going to say I think Lad is 30lbs now but I could be way off when I take him in to have his next shots. He just feels like he weighs a ton when I pick him up (and I won't be picking him up much longer).


I'm awful at guesstimating weights, and the weirdness with the dog sizes vs dog weights does not help. I've met 70lb dogs who were bigger in height and length than Thud but I have vet confirmation on that - and I STILL don't really believe it. I always want to make Molly a LOT heavier than she is, too At this point I'm going to quit even half guessing at anyone. No point. I'm wrong.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Only loosely dog related(went out with a dog friend to a steak night with tickets from another dog friend lol) ok so my friend and I are leaving the restraunt last night and this lady suddenly pulls me aside and starts asking about my family...at this point I didn't have a clue who she was... then I realized she was with someone and THAT person I recognized... it was my brothers crazy ex and mother of his son..now when I say crazy I'm not exhadurating..this nut has slashed our tires, smashed our windows, egged our car, driven to our house at 3am just to honk her horn for an hour, made crank calls in the middle of the night, invited us to be apart of her sons life then stood us up 100% of the time etc... my brother tried to get at least partial custody and this lady was such a nightmare that my brother was actually hospitalized multiple times from the stress she caused. Just absolutely NUTS. And that their was the most akward conversation ever, she started asking my brother or mom ever talk about him and if I want to see him etc.. making it all out like our family wants nothing to do with him and laying on the guilt trip..as though we haven't TRIED to be a part of his life. It was so so so akward!


----------



## kcomstoc

Looked at Jake's rabies vaccination papers and it says he was born in 2006 that means Jake is about 2 years older than we thought so Jake is either 8 or 9 years old  makes me a little sad because that means we have less time with him  especially because shibas only live between 12-15 years, yes I know that it's only an average but if he's in that average then we only have between 3-6 more years with him  it just doesn't seem like enough


----------



## Miss Bugs

CptJack said:


> I'm awful at guesstimating weights, and the weirdness with the dog sizes vs dog weights does not help. I've met 70lb dogs who were bigger in height and length than Thud but I have vet confirmation on that - and I STILL don't really believe it. I always want to make Molly a LOT heavier than she is, too At this point I'm going to quit even half guessing at anyone. No point. I'm wrong.


Haha I admit to just straight up lying about my dogs weights..I know exactly what they actually weigh but my dogs tend to be very light for their size and nobody ever asks height so I just make things up to give a more accurate picture of my dogs lol. Happy is 28lbs the rest(excluding Sola) are 40lbs + or - a few but Happy isn't any smaller then the rest lol and the 3 are not all the same size. Paisley and Gem are VERY close in size and about 5lbs apart in weight. Gem and Gyp are 5lbs apart in weight(Gyp and Paisley being the same weight) but Gyp is significantly smaller in size from Gem and Paisley. Happy and Gypsy are the same height but 10lbs apart in weight. 98% of people dont "get" that so I just make things up lol


----------



## Kayota

I'm glad roxie isn't the only weird one, she looks so much smaller than 14 lbs with her long skinny legs!


----------



## Sibe

Both my girls are 40-45 lbs. Other dogs their size are usually around 60 lbs. Huskies are made of fluff and air.


----------



## Remaru

Freyja is 36lbs (weighed in at the vet for her spay). Magic who is 4inches shorter is 37lbs. Magic has no excess weight on her, she is just heavy, or Freyja is light I'm not sure which. I am guessing Lad will be 30lbs when they weigh him (planning his shots for tomorrow) and he is as tall as Magic now, easily as long too. We'll see if I'm right.


----------



## momtolabs

Caleb is so easily entertained that he entertains me,lol. I have him his kong since my sister left early this morning for a meeting he I didn't want to hear him whine for the first 10 minutes. It's was almost an hour and he had finished it. So then he kept going up and down the stairs dropping the Kong and chasing it,lol. Then I accidently dropped my water bottle and he grabbed it and started throwing it in the air,lol. He's a total PITA but makes my day most of the time,lol


----------



## DGerry

Chester is...over 60lbs now. He was 61 last weekend and I decided I'm done picking him up, haha. From now on if I want to weigh him I'll have to use the scale at the vet's office. If they were closer I'd keep doing it every week but it's a 30min drive...not sure I want to spend an hour weighing him every weekend. He's just over 10 months now though, so...I still don't know how big he'll get. 80lbs? Maybe? We'll see...he's been doing well with his digestion lately, no meds for 2 months now and no issues


----------



## d_ray

Last night jazzy started compulsively licking the whole house. This went on for hours. And she was trying to throw up. I called the evet to see if I should bring her in and then said to monitor her and that its common for dogs to lick when they are nauseous. She stopped around 3 am and seems fine now. The licking freaked me out and all I could think of is that she had bloat.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Last night around 11:30 pm, there were about 2 fire trucks, a Ambulance, and a few police cars. I haven't heard anything yet, which does concern me. Hopefully, it's nothing serious.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I'm awful at guesstimating weights, and the weirdness with the dog sizes vs dog weights does not help. I've met 70lb dogs who were bigger in height and length than Thud but I have vet confirmation on that - and I STILL don't really believe it. I always want to make Molly a LOT heavier than she is, too At this point I'm going to quit even half guessing at anyone. No point. I'm wrong.


Okay, my puppy is about 16 inches and about 25 lbs (give or take on both LOL) at 6 months old, estimating, how much more will he grow? 

Anyone can chime in, I just quoted your post because it was relevant LOL


----------



## Kayota

Sibe said:


> Both my girls are 40-45 lbs. Other dogs their size are usually around 60 lbs. Huskies are made of fluff and air.


faxon was 45 and husky sized and my dad called her a giant dog lol


----------



## Kyllobernese

I honestly though that Susie had lost some weight, still too fat but maybe her coat has gotten thinner but it seemed I could feel her ribs easier. At the Vet she weighed 88 lbs. which is the heaviest she has ever been. She did do a thyroid test and she is now on thyroid pills so hopefully that will help. She is 11 years old and only gets two cups of food a day measured with a measuring cup and very few treats.

Does grain free food help with the weight? I was thinking I would switch her if it would help. I have had her on the Nutro lite the last little while and she seems satisfied with what I am feeding her.


----------



## CptJack

Gran Free vs Not will probably depend on the individual but I can honestly say ALL of my dogs gain weight more easily when there's grain in the kibble. Great for the boys - awful for the girls. So, I'd say it's worth a shot.


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Okay, my puppy is about 16 inches and about 25 lbs (give or take on both LOL) at 6 months old, estimating, how much more will he grow?
> 
> Anyone can chime in, I just quoted your post because it was relevant LOL


I'm gonna say 18" 35lbs  based on what Baby dog was at 6 months compared to adult(1" smaller, 5lbs lighter) 

It was funny last night, Sola tagged along to a Rally trial and one of the people there who last saw Sola at like 11 weeks(18 weeks now) was like "boy, she hasn't grown much has she" lol


----------



## Kayota

Kayota said:


> faxon was 45 and husky sized and my dad called her a giant dog lol


oh also moby was 75 lbs albeit somewhat overweight and was about the same height as faxon


----------



## Miss Bugs

It amazes me how many people apparently don't know what their own dog looks like. We post pictures on our Facebook group for work and people are like "oh I spot my baby!" And their dog is not in the picture nor is any dog that even slightly resembles their dog... yesterday? Lady oh I see my fido!" And we have to try to be as tactful as possible responding while thinking....no you don't... your dog is a German Shepherd..that's a Beagle...(not even kidding, thats what yesterdays was..the person has a GSD the dog she picked out as her's was a beagle....) I had a person comment on one of my pics about her dog(a big short coated husky mix) sleeping in the back..the dog sleeping in the back was a small long coated sheltie mix.. lol


----------



## Sibe

Last night I was walking Kaytu around the block at like 12:30am because I'm a night person. Car comes flying up the street past us. I don't think much of it. Then it comes speeding back toward me (coming from behind me now) and slows waaaay down as it gets close to me. I keep walking and hear the car just rolling slowly behind me, not passing me. Pulled my phone out to call my husband. He picks up and it sounds like the car has stopped, I hear voices and car doors opening and closing. I'm close to home, just around the corner maybe 6-7 houses away by now. I hear the car coming slowly up again, creeping up behind me. My skin was crawling. Then suddenly slammed the accelerator and flew off down the street. As soon as they turned I ran the next 3-4 houses back home, the husband already had the gun out. We locked all the doors, I debated calling the police but didn't. Not that I could have told them anything other than "black sedan driving slowly through the neighborhood." They very well could have been looking for a house but it was super creepy to be (feel) followed like that.


----------



## d_ray

Sibe said:


> Last night I was walking Kaytu around the block at like 12:30am because I'm a night person. Car comes flying up the street past us. I don't think much of it. Then it comes speeding back toward me (coming from behind me now) and slows waaaay down as it gets close to me. I keep walking and hear the car just rolling slowly behind me, not passing me. Pulled my phone out to call my husband. He picks up and it sounds like the car has stopped, I hear voices and car doors opening and closing. I'm close to home, just around the corner maybe 6-7 houses away by now. I hear the car coming slowly up again, creeping up behind me. My skin was crawling. Then suddenly slammed the accelerator and flew off down the street. As soon as they turned I ran the next 3-4 houses back home, the husband already had the gun out. We locked all the doors, I debated calling the police but didn't. Not that I could have told them anything other than "black sedan driving slowly through the neighborhood." They very well could have been looking for a house but it was super creepy to be (feel) followed like that.


That sounds super creepy. I'm glad you're okay.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Not really a rant but YAY .... I found a place that makes hand made custom leather dog collars for a good price AND they are local! The rant? I have to wait until Lincoln is done growing -_-


----------



## kcomstoc

d_ray said:


> That sounds super creepy. I'm glad you're okay.


This, I'm glad nothing happened to you but it was smart to call your husband so that if anything happened you could be like "help"


----------



## d_ray

Bought the girls 4 new toys today and they're still intact.


----------



## Sibe

d_ray said:


> That sounds super creepy. I'm glad you're okay.





kcomstoc said:


> This, I'm glad nothing happened to you but it was smart to call your husband so that if anything happened you could be like "help"


 As I walked out the door I jokingly said, "Keep your phone close so I can call if I get lost or stolen," as I often do say when I head out. Since I'm a dog trainer it's habit to make sure he knows exactly where I am. Strangers call me, invite me to their house, and I go. I've never had any issues but we have a system to keep me safe. For the first lesson I leave up the client's address and phone number and let him know what time I'm leaving, about how long the lesson will take, and I always call him when I'm done. Or text if he's at work. If I don't contact him within 10-15 minutes of when the lesson was supposed to end, he texts me. Sometimes I do run a little long when discussing the homework and scheduling the next lesson and such. If I don't respond immediately he calls. If I don't answer, he comes to get me (Does not call clients because if I am in trouble it would tip them off and they'd kill me or move me somewhere else. This is things I think about). Calls police if necessary. We've never had to do all this but I like having a system. The farthest we got was he texted me and I was *just* finishing up with a client. He called immediately and just as I'd said bye and was about to answer my phone, I wasn't quick enough. I called him right back and he was already putting shoes on.

If it's a single man (hate to stereotype, but there you have it) or anything seems off when setting up the lessons I will call him about 10 minutes into the lesson- I explain briefly to the client that I'm calling my husband to let him know things are fine, and though I've only done this a couple times the clients applaud me for it and totally understand.

There was one guy that seemed odd to me, lesson set up through email only and set a lesson for a couple weeks later. I was getting odd vibes. I emailed him a few days before we were to have our lesson. No response. Called day before and left a message, and emailed again. No response. Called day of, no response, so I didn't do the lesson. Never heard from him again.


----------



## kcomstoc

Sibe said:


> As I walked out the door I jokingly said, "Keep your phone close so I can call if I get lost or stolen," as I often do say when I head out. Since I'm a dog trainer it's habit to make sure he knows exactly where I am. Strangers call me, invite me to their house, and I go. I've never had any issues but we have a system to keep me safe. For the first lesson I leave up the client's address and phone number and let him know what time I'm leaving, about how long the lesson will take, and I always call him when I'm done. Or text if he's at work. If I don't contact him within 10-15 minutes of when the lesson was supposed to end, he texts me. Sometimes I do run a little long when discussing the homework and scheduling the next lesson and such. If I don't respond immediately he calls. If I don't answer, he comes to get me (Does not call clients because if I am in trouble it would tip them off and they'd kill me or move me somewhere else. This is things I think about). Calls police if necessary. We've never had to do all this but I like having a system. The farthest we got was he texted me and I was *just* finishing up with a client. He called immediately and just as I'd said bye and was about to answer my phone, I wasn't quick enough. I called him right back and he was already putting shoes on.
> 
> If it's a single man (hate to stereotype, but there you have it) or anything seems off when setting up the lessons I will call him about 10 minutes into the lesson- I explain briefly to the client that I'm calling my husband to let him know things are fine, and though I've only done this a couple times the clients applaud me for it and totally understand.
> 
> There was one guy that seemed odd to me, lesson set up through email only and set a lesson for a couple weeks later. I was getting odd vibes. I emailed him a few days before we were to have our lesson. No response. Called day before and left a message, and emailed again. No response. Called day of, no response, so I didn't do the lesson. Never heard from him again.


That is a very good system  I'm glad you're so safe and smart about your job you never know what kind of weirdos are out there


----------



## Kayota

Miss Bugs said:


> It amazes me how many people apparently don't know what their own dog looks like. We post pictures on our Facebook group for work and people are like "oh I spot my baby!" And their dog is not in the picture nor is any dog that even slightly resembles their dog... yesterday? Lady oh I see my fido!" And we have to try to be as tactful as possible responding while thinking....no you don't... your dog is a German Shepherd..that's a Beagle...(not even kidding, thats what yesterdays was..the person has a GSD the dog she picked out as her's was a beagle....) I had a person comment on one of my pics about her dog(a big short coated husky mix) sleeping in the back..the dog sleeping in the back was a small long coated sheltie mix.. lol


that doesn't even make sense, how even???


----------



## BubbaMoose

So, I'm pretty sure I'm not getting another dog for the next 15+ years. 

Right now I have Bubba (age 10) and Moose (age 2) and for the longest time I expected to get another puppy after Bubs passes. But over time I've been thinking about having a single dog, and as each day passes, the pros seem to out weigh the cons more and more. Moose is my heart dog, and I really honestly have everything I could ever want in a dog in him - and barring a tragedy - he's expected to be here for at least another decade anyway.

It's just weird because I've spent such a long time day dreaming about and researching potential NextDog breeds, but after thinking long and hard, not getting another dog is what makes the most sense to me in every way.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Kayota said:


> that doesn't even make sense, how even???


beats me lol when we correct the client they are usually like "oh, wow, that could be my dogs twin!!" and we have to hold our tongues while in our heads(and to each other) we are like "ummm your stupid"


----------



## CptJack

So, I'm thinking Jack's well on his way to getting better now -finally.

6+ weeks since all those surgeries, topical, oral and finally injected antibiotics and, well, those internal/under the glue stitches from his neuter? The ones under the glue that were meant to dissolve? They made a reappearance. Gross as HECK, but I'll take it if it means he's going to stop having what amounts to an abscessed penis.


----------



## Kayota

That sounds horrible.


----------



## CptJack

Kayota said:


> That sounds horrible.


It has been gross, frustrating, expensive and mostly I just feel horrible for him. Just... what a total mess.


----------



## luv mi pets

poor Jack. But I bet he was stoic throughout the whole mess. 

Sometimes it does happen a dog will have a reaction but thankfully it does not happen a whole lot.


----------



## CptJack

luv mi pets said:


> poor Jack. But I bet he was stoic throughout the whole mess.
> 
> Sometimes it does happen a dog will have a reaction but thankfully it does not happen a whole lot.


Well, apparently stoic. Except now he sees me coming and hides under the bed. Until being pulled out, and returning to stoic. Seriously, poor guy.

Yeah, I know it's not super common - and am not blaming my vet's office. Just, man. What a mess.


----------



## CptJack

Random for sure-

I realize more and more that the biggest change in me as an owner, with this set of dogs/after a break from dogs for a while, is that I'm so much more willing to LISTEN to the dog. Oh, I still grumble and balk and fuss about it sometimes, but the ability to HEAR what the dog is trying to tell me about who they are is something that wouldn't have even been on my radar 10 years ago.


----------



## Laurelin

I overheard someone at the dog park telling another person 'That little spotted dog is so COOL.'

  Proud mama moment for sure.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Sibe said:


> Last night I was walking Kaytu around the block at like 12:30am because I'm a night person. Car comes flying up the street past us. I don't think much of it. Then it comes speeding back toward me (coming from behind me now) and slows waaaay down as it gets close to me. I keep walking and hear the car just rolling slowly behind me, not passing me. Pulled my phone out to call my husband. He picks up and it sounds like the car has stopped, I hear voices and car doors opening and closing. I'm close to home, just around the corner maybe 6-7 houses away by now. I hear the car coming slowly up again, creeping up behind me. My skin was crawling. Then suddenly slammed the accelerator and flew off down the street. As soon as they turned I ran the next 3-4 houses back home, the husband already had the gun out. We locked all the doors, I debated calling the police but didn't. Not that I could have told them anything other than "black sedan driving slowly through the neighborhood." They very well could have been looking for a house but it was super creepy to be (feel) followed like that.


Ewww creepy!!! my skin crawled just reading that!

Edit to include a mini rant: UGH ... this one person mentioned the risks of giardia to someone whose dog liked to eat snow a while back, and now I am paranoid about my dogs getting it!!! Josefina poops like a champ, "logs" every time LOL, but Lincoln has had intermittent, diarrhea off and on, since he started teething though its not mucousy and it doesnt smell (well ... anymore than poop usually smells LOL because to me all dog poop smells). He eats like a horse, doesnt seem unhealthy, he is not lethargic or any of the other symptoms they say come with giardia infection. I do let him swim in the water here but the water is very clean, as the tank is spring fed and is always cycling through the overflow. There are waterfowl that live in it but I do NOT let him drink it. I also dont let him drink or swim in any water I am not familiar with. 

GAH I am paranoid about him getting this but I cant lock him away either  #helicopterparent.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ewww creepy!!! my skin crawled just reading that!
> 
> Edit to include a mini rant: UGH ... this one person mentioned the risks of giardia to someone whose dog liked to eat snow a while back, and now I am paranoid about my dogs getting it!!! Josefina poops like a champ, "logs" every time LOL, but Lincoln has had intermittent, diarrhea off and on, since he started teething though its not mucousy and it doesnt smell (well ... anymore than poop usually smells LOL because to me all dog poop smells). He eats like a horse, doesnt seem unhealthy, he is not lethargic or any of the other symptoms they say come with giardia infection. I do let him swim in the water here but the water is very clean, as the tank is spring fed and is always cycling through the overflow. There are waterfowl that live in it but I do NOT let him drink it. I also dont let him drink or swim in any water I am not familiar with.
> 
> GAH I am paranoid about him getting this but I cant lock him away either  #helicopterparent.


Have you had a fecal run on Lincoln? When Belle was a puppy she had on and off soft poos, not diarrhea though at all. We took a stool sample in and sure enough she had giardia. She never seemed sick either.


----------



## DGerry

dogsule said:


> Have you had a fecal run on Lincoln? When Belle was a puppy she had on and off soft poos, not diarrhea though at all. We took a stool sample in and sure enough she had giardia. She never seemed sick either.


Chester had it too when he was very young, and his only symptom was loads of diarrhea; He had tons of energy and a voracious appetite. Unfortunately for us, clearing up the giardia didn't clear up the diarrhea...it's gone for now(been gone a couple months) but he had ongoing issues with diarrhea after that for quite some time. The giardia itself though didn't seem to cause any symptoms beyond the diarrhea though, and it was gone after a single round of Panacur.


----------



## DaySleepers

I've been in charge of my parents' cats for a few days. Don't usually interact with them at all (not because I don't like them, they're lovely, but I'm sadly allergic), so I've been using a laser pointer to play with them to keep it mostly hands-off.

The cats are happy to play with the little red dot. Sam? Tries to eat the pointer itself.

In other news, the FCI now groups all poodles on the cream-apricot-red spectrum as 'Fawn'. This just seems... weird, to me. Still gonna call my boy red, because fawn, to me, means a rich tan...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DGerry said:


> Chester had it too when he was very young, and his only symptom was loads of diarrhea; He had tons of energy and a voracious appetite. Unfortunately for us, clearing up the giardia didn't clear up the diarrhea...it's gone for now(been gone a couple months) but he had ongoing issues with diarrhea after that for quite some time. The giardia itself though didn't seem to cause any symptoms beyond the diarrhea though, and it was gone after a single round of Panacur.


They say the poop will have a horrible smell, and his doesnt ... of course it doesnt smell GOOD ... its poop LOL ... but it doesnt have a horrible rotten egg smell like they said it would have when I did research ... he is an aussie so I also worry about the meds they would use to treat giardia infection.


----------



## momtolabs

We have this man in the neighborhood we call "the joy killer" he is on of those that complains if your grass is a centimeter bigger then it should be. Well he must of noticed there was a pup at my house since sure enough animal control was at my house at 10am. Which the pup just turned 4 months so didnt have his rabies yet and isn't yet registered with the county. The AC officer didnt care since he knew all of my dogs are registered(got a call from same guy last year around September). Really dude just mind your own business. And yes the pup got registered and stuff today. This guy just really annoys me!!! He called the cops on my neighbor last summer because they were being "too loud" it was 8PM in summer on a Friday night..... They werent even being loud!! They live right by me and I coul barely hear them..... He lives down the road -_-


----------



## missc89

momtolabs said:


> We have this man in the neighborhood we call "the joy killer" he is on of those that complains if your grass is a centimeter bigger then it should be. Well he must of noticed there was a pup at my house since sure enough animal control was at my house at 10am. Which the pup just turned 4 months so didnt have his rabies yet and isn't yet registered with the county. The AC officer didnt care since he knew all of my dogs are registered(got a call from same guy last year around September). Really dude just mind your own business. And yes the pup got registered and stuff today. This guy just really annoys me!!! He called the cops on my neighbor last summer because they were being "too loud" it was 8PM in summer on a Friday night..... They werent even being loud!! They live right by me and I coul barely hear them..... He lives down the road -_-


Ugh, I HATE people like that!! Seriously, I truly believe they have nothing better to do with their miserable lives than to make the lives of those around him as miserable as he feels. I have a friend who has two doxies and one has separation anxiety so sometimes he barks when she's gone to work for the day, and some a**-hat on her floor posted a sheet of paper saying that they _have taken extensive notes of how often and for how long the dog howls._ Seriously, NO LIFE! Why do some people feel that they must ruin other peoples happiness??

Basically because of idiots like the neighbour you have to deal with (sorry about that btw momtolabs, you don't deserve that jerk), I'm going to be printing out letters for most people around my unit when I get my puppy just to tell them "Got a new puppy - please ignore any barking, we are in training!"


----------



## CptJack

Peanut butter, man.


----------



## kcomstoc

LOL kylie looks silly


----------



## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> LOL kylie looks silly


She's a doofball when she's happy and man she's happy right now.

also everybody look: http://karmacollars.com/products/the-cruz Molly's 'famous'. LOL but seriously, chuffed. I saw Trent on one of the pages and got all happy, too.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> She's a doofball when she's happy and man she's happy right now.
> 
> also everybody look: http://karmacollars.com/products/the-cruz Molly's 'famous'. LOL but seriously, chuffed. I saw Trent on one of the pages and got all happy, too.


LOL when she is happy? how is she normally?


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL when she is happy? how is she normally?


Um. Determined?


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> They say the poop will have a horrible smell, and his doesnt ... of course it doesnt smell GOOD ... its poop LOL ... but it doesnt have a horrible rotten egg smell like they said it would have when I did research ... he is an aussie so I also worry about the meds they would use to treat giardia infection.


Nope, it smelled like normal dog poo. When Maya was young she got it too, we suspect from eating bunny M&M's (ick!). She got the diarrhea first and then started vomiting too. Fecal showed giardia. Maya was obviously sick though whereas Belle was not, she seemed normal just had on and off slightly soft poos. A simple fecal is only around $16 at our vet. I would at least take a sample in and rule that out.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Nope, it smelled like normal dog poo. When Maya was young she got it too, we suspect from eating bunny M&M's (ick!). She got the diarrhea first and then started vomiting too. Fecal showed giardia. Maya was obviously sick though whereas Belle was not, she seemed normal just had on and off slightly soft poos. A simple fecal is only around $16 at our vet. I would at least take a sample in and rule that out.


Yeah, add me to the list of people who encourage you to check. Molly had it. Her poop smelled normal, she wasn't sick, she ate and played and was fine - except random diarrhea. Took two courses of meds and it was done and poop was back to normal.


----------



## d_ray

God when did Jewel become so whiny. She whines for everything and I don't encourage it. Whines if breakfast isn't served early enough, whines if it's afternoon and she hasn't had a hike yet, whines as soon as it's close to dinner time, whines if I go into the bedroom and shut the door and it's not bed time. She just whined because she wanted to go eat poop in the back yard. I guess this is what people mean when they say that Catahoulas own you.

Jazz on the other hand never whines and isn't demanding at all.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> They say the poop will have a horrible smell, and his doesnt ... of course it doesnt smell GOOD ... its poop LOL ... but it doesnt have a horrible rotten egg smell like they said it would have when I did research ... he is an aussie so I also worry about the meds they would use to treat giardia infection.


Is that why they asked me why my poop smelled when I contracted a raccoon borne disease? LOL the hazards of wildlife rehab


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Neighbor got a dog from the shelter. Asked if the dog was Shepherd/Rottie mix, nope a Lab. Her dog isn't a Lab, then she said Lab mix....that's a bit better. I still see Shepherd in the dog, but I'm not arguing on dog breeds. I don't know what shelter she got the dog from, but man are they telling her to do old school training! If the dog pees inside, put the dog's nose up to it and say "no", then take the dog outside to wee. Umm...no. Next time I see her, I think I'll say something.


----------



## luv mi pets

CptJack said:


> Random for sure-
> 
> I realize more and more that the biggest change in me as an owner, with this set of dogs/after a break from dogs for a while, is that I'm so much more willing to LISTEN to the dog. Oh, I still grumble and balk and fuss about it sometimes, but the ability to HEAR what the dog is trying to tell me about who they are is something that wouldn't have even been on my radar 10 years ago.


Your right back then we would have pulled up on the choke collar and screamed at the dog for not listening. We would have been praised by the instructor too. I am glad for the change.


----------



## luv mi pets

d_ray said:


> God when did Jewel become so whiny. She whines for everything and I don't encourage it. Whines if breakfast isn't served early enough, whines if it's afternoon and she hasn't had a hike yet, whines as soon as it's close to dinner time, whines if I go into the bedroom and shut the door and it's not bed time. She just whined because she wanted to go eat poop in the back yard. I guess this is what people mean when they say that Catahoulas own you.
> 
> Jazz on the other hand never whines and isn't demanding at all.


My Doberman whines at me if someone or something is sitting in his chair. Big Baby!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Yeah, add me to the list of people who encourage you to check. Molly had it. Her poop smelled normal, she wasn't sick, she ate and played and was fine - except random diarrhea. Took two courses of meds and it was done and poop was back to normal.


I think I will, Josefina is coming up on needing her rabies jab anyway so I will just take him in too when I take her in.


----------



## luv mi pets

Yep the snap giardia test is the way to go. Some stink while other owners are just complaining of intermittent runny poo.


----------



## d_ray

luv mi pets said:


> My Doberman whines at me if someone or something is sitting in his chair. Big Baby!


Lol she's getting whinier with age. She whined for like ten minutes today because jazz was laying on her antler. My husband claims she never whines with him and that she knows I'm a suck.


----------



## Laurelin

So they put up 'agility equipment' at our dog park this last weekend. We've been there 2 days that it has been up. I say 'agility equipment' because it's freaking bizarre stuff (but has a sign saying it is agility equipment). There's a tunnel that is plastic and 6' long or so, three metal hoop thingies, a plastic mini a-frame, and these two dog jumping jump stands (no bar, I think someone stole it already). Oh and these 6 weird mushroom looking things that are about a foot wide (wtf are they? All I see dogs do with them is pee on them).

So there's a lot here. I guess it's fine. For most people and dogs. Everyone was having their dogs jump through the hoop (well... trying. I saw only one succeed), go over the a-frame, go through the tunnel. Everything is very slow and whatever. I guess. I don't like that the hoops are metal and there's these pawprint things on them that dangle. 

But then Hank. Hank recognizes very clearly the a-frame. I tried to keep him away but of course with everyone else coaxing their dogs over it, Hank is like I KNOW THIS WATCH ME! And gradually it got worse. To the point today if Hank is playing chase he is rocketing up the a-frame and then vaulting off the top to get an advantage on the other dogs. I don't WANT this. I want him to learn his contact behaviors but I cannot keep him from doing this when he gets to chasing. Or going through the tunnel and it is slick plastic. 

GRRRRR

I did on the plus side mesmerize people that Hank can jump through a hoop on command lmao.

Also they are putting in a fence in a DIFFERENT part of the park. I have no idea why. Someone joked we should use the stakes as weave poles. Then this lady I have met a few times commented that she wondered how people in 'professional agility' trained weave poles. I piped up 'Well, I train them by making the weaves into a channel then slowly bringing the channel in but there's a few ways to train them.' I don't know WHY I said anything, I usually just stay shut up in real life regarding dog training. Everyone looked like I'd grown two heads except this Aussie guy that was actually interested.

Note to self: No agility talk around the dog park 'agility'.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh it is this set: http://www.citizinvestor.com/project/paul-ruster-park-dog-agility-course


----------



## missc89

I think the mushroom things are for dogs to practice their balance? But its funny that the dogs are just peeing on them.

I don't understand why dog people would look at you like you have two heads for talking about agility training. Although, they may have just been so intrigued by how passionate and well spoken you were about it that you took them by surprise - in a good way! People are most beautiful when they speak about something they are passionate about.


----------



## Sibe

In continuing this unwanted theme of being scared (there was that car that was [seemingly] following me through the neighborhood a couple days ago) I had the most terrifying moment of my life last night. I went upstairs, used the bathroom in the hallway, and then I opened the bedroom door and was a figure standing RIGHT EFFING THERE motionless, arms down, eyes closed. All lights were off, just my phone light shining on a bare torso. My brain knew this wasn't normal and flipped out. A tiny bit of my brain recognized it was Nate and thought he was sleep walking, which only added to the panic as I didn't know if he may have one of the knives or guns in the room- he's never sleepwalked. Regardless, my body went into extreme fight or flight mode. I recoiled, and started screaming my husband's name in a sound and voice I've never heard come out of my body.

My poor husband had woken up when he heard me in the bathroom and when he heard the toilet flush knew it was available so had gotten up to pee. Then just as he gets to the door, I open it, then start screaming. Sooo confusing for him! After a few seconds of sheer panic I did recognize that it was him, he was awake, and he wasn't going to kill me and I collapsed on the floor. I couldn't breathe, I was crying, and shaking. My body let go of every last drop of adrenaline. Through sobs and attempted breaths I told him he needed to make some noise next time. And that, "You scared the $h!t out of me," which I felt the need to clarify, "Not literally." After a few minutes of him holding me, he still really had to pee so got up to use the bathroom. As soon as he stood up I saw Nali right there at the top of the stairs. She rushed over to me, in the way she greets us when we come home. Head lowered, ears back, and wiggly. She nuzzled her nose up under my arm. Any time I stopped petting her she put her paw on my arm. She spent the whole night on the bed with us, which she normally doesn't do. She normally does hop up on the bed for about 15-20 minutes but then heads downstairs or sleeps on the floor next to Nate. Such a good girl! She stayed on the bed all night. Every morning she gets up when my husband does about 5:30 and goes out to potty and then he gives her some peanut butter, bit of banana, or other little treat. This morning she stayed firmly planted on the bed.

My husband wrote up the incident on reddit from his point of view, here's a copy-paste. It happened at almost 2:30am:

This just happened. Normally at this time, I'm sleeping peacefully in my bed, but I can't sleep anymore because of the levels of adrenaline in my bloodstream. My fingers are literally shaking as I write this.
As a little bit of background, I normally go to sleep around 10 or 11pm and my wife comes to bed much later, around 2am. Tonight I guess I heard her starting to come to bed and it woke me up. I realized my bladder was full, and right as my tired brain was making the decision to get out of bed I heard the toilet flush. All I thought was 'Great, now it's available!' so I got up. I wanted to expend as little energy as possible so that it would be easy to get back to sleep, so I was walking towards the door in our bedroom when it opened suddenly. All I see on the other side of the door is this bright light which makes me squint and stop in my tracks. My wife, who didn't hear me get up, only sees someone standing right inside the door when she didn't expect anyone to be there. She sees this figure standing there with its arms completely at its sides, totally still, and eyes appearing to be closed. It was at this moment that her brain broke (or rather worked as it's intended to).
She initially stepped back a little, mouth open, arms tucking in, gasping slightly, and then she went full on panic mode and started screaming. She yelled my name three times, each one louder than the last, while recoiling in horror at the sight of someone creepily waiting for her. While she was yelling, I still didn't know quite what was going on, only that I was still extremely sleepy and that I wanted to expend little to no energy so that I could just go to the bathroom and get back to sleep. This changed quickly as I saw her scream into her hands and collapse onto the floor, crying and hyperventilating. She later told me that she didn't collapse until she recognized the stranger in her house was her husband. 
I thought she would calm down rather quickly. It didn't happen that way though. She must have used up all her fight or flight instinct for the next 50 years, because she was just shaking and crying and breathing strangely for several minutes. She described it as her brain recognizing that everything is ok, but her body was still in full-blown panic. Meanwhile, I was holding her and apologizing, telling her that it was me and that it was ok, I wasn't going to murder her. Around then she said 'You scared the shit out of me! ...NOT LITERALLY!" 
I still really had to go to the bathroom and I was scared that I would literally pee on her, so I left her for a second to go take care of business. Our dog recognized that something was not right and came up to my wife the way she greets us when we come home, with her head low, ears back, and wiggling. She nuzzled my wife with her nose and anytime she stopped getting petted she put her paw on my wife's arm. She's currently still on the bed even though she normally chooses to sleep downstairs.
After things had calmed down a bit, we had to talk to each other to figure out exactly what happened. I told her I wasn't trying to induce a full-blown panic attack, or even scare her a little. I was just sleepy and needed to pee. Now we're both coming down from adrenaline highs, and neither of us is going to be able to sleep for awhile. My wife says she now knows how people feel right before they're murdered.
TL; DR- Went to go to the bathroom, almost ended up with poop everywhere


----------



## Willowy

There's a litter of pups at the Humane Society. . .most of them look like yellow Labs/Goldens. One is speckled but most are yellow. They say the pups came in with their mother, who is identifed as an "American Blue Heeler" . I assume they mean ACD. Goes to show you can't tell what's in the mix just by looks!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> So they put up 'agility equipment' at our dog park this last weekend. We've been there 2 days that it has been up. I say 'agility equipment' because it's freaking bizarre stuff (but has a sign saying it is agility equipment). There's a tunnel that is plastic and 6' long or so, three metal hoop thingies, a plastic mini a-frame, and these two dog jumping jump stands (no bar, I think someone stole it already). Oh and these 6 weird mushroom looking things that are about a foot wide (wtf are they? All I see dogs do with them is pee on them).
> 
> So there's a lot here. I guess it's fine. For most people and dogs. Everyone was having their dogs jump through the hoop (well... trying. I saw only one succeed), go over the a-frame, go through the tunnel. Everything is very slow and whatever. I guess. I don't like that the hoops are metal and there's these pawprint things on them that dangle.
> 
> But then Hank. Hank recognizes very clearly the a-frame. I tried to keep him away but of course with everyone else coaxing their dogs over it, Hank is like I KNOW THIS WATCH ME! And gradually it got worse. To the point today if Hank is playing chase he is rocketing up the a-frame and then vaulting off the top to get an advantage on the other dogs. I don't WANT this. I want him to learn his contact behaviors but I cannot keep him from doing this when he gets to chasing. Or going through the tunnel and it is slick plastic.
> 
> GRRRRR
> 
> I did on the plus side mesmerize people that Hank can jump through a hoop on command lmao.
> 
> Also they are putting in a fence in a DIFFERENT part of the park. I have no idea why. Someone joked we should use the stakes as weave poles. Then this lady I have met a few times commented that she wondered how people in 'professional agility' trained weave poles. I piped up 'Well, I train them by making the weaves into a channel then slowly bringing the channel in but there's a few ways to train them.' I don't know WHY I said anything, I usually just stay shut up in real life regarding dog training. Everyone looked like I'd grown two heads except this Aussie guy that was actually interested.
> 
> Note to self: No agility talk around the dog park 'agility'.


I hate "normal" people with dogs or animals ... they are so stupid ... sorry but they are. I am always getting "How do you gtet your dogs so well behaved!" comments, uh maybe because I actually spend TIME with them? LOL most of the commands they learn is by accident xD


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## d_ray

I had a nightmare last night that my husband brought home a GSD puppy and insisted on keeping it. Boy was I relieved when I woke up!


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## DGerry

I feel so bad for Chester right now. A couple days ago I noticed one of his paw pads had a raw spot that looked a little bloody...not infected, just like it was really worn down. Looked online a bit and followed some advice about cleaning it and bandaging it up to keep it clean and keep him from licking it too much(which might be what caused it in the first place, I don't know). He hates having his feet touched, so not only was getting the bandage on an ordeal but he obviously hates having his foot bandaged. Well then yesterday I noticed the same thing on his other paw in the same spot(both on the inside of the paw, where he would be able to reach easily if he was licking/chewing his paws) so now he has BOTH feet bandaged up. We're replacing the bandages and keeping an eye on them of course and if they don't seem to be getting better we'll take him to the vet. For now I'm hoping it's a matter of maybe seasonal changes making his paws extra itchy or...something :/ I wish I could explain that we're just trying to help


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## OwnedbyACDs

DGerry said:


> I feel so bad for Chester right now. A couple days ago I noticed one of his paw pads had a raw spot that looked a little bloody...not infected, just like it was really worn down. Looked online a bit and followed some advice about cleaning it and bandaging it up to keep it clean and keep him from licking it too much(which might be what caused it in the first place, I don't know). He hates having his feet touched, so not only was getting the bandage on an ordeal but he obviously hates having his foot bandaged. Well then yesterday I noticed the same thing on his other paw in the same spot(both on the inside of the paw, where he would be able to reach easily if he was licking/chewing his paws) so now he has BOTH feet bandaged up. We're replacing the bandages and keeping an eye on them of course and if they don't seem to be getting better we'll take him to the vet. For now I'm hoping it's a matter of maybe seasonal changes making his paws extra itchy or...something :/ I wish I could explain that we're just trying to help


I have been having to redirect Lincoln from his paws (chewing them) every once and a while so maybe it is seasonal. Also vetericyn is really good at healing, I always use it when my dogs get cuts andit heals them right up!


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## DGerry

Yeah he's been good about not bugging the bandages really so that's good...the few times he has I've redirected him to his nylabone or one of his tuffy's or something. I wasn't able to get vetericyn locally, so I'm debating between ordering it or EMT gel...not really sure what the differences are, or the advantage of one vs the other might be. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on him and make sure I'm encouraging him to bite/chew on other things if I see him going after his paws. I've seen him licking/biting his paws before but I never thought he was doing it enough to cause any problems.


----------



## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> Oh it is this set: http://www.citizinvestor.com/project/paul-ruster-park-dog-agility-course


I want a REAL agility course at my park. There is so much room that it would be absolutely possible for one person to use it while everyone else waits, or even to fence it off. I mean there are two big dog sections, why not use one for that?


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## missc89

d_ray said:


> I had a nightmare last night that my husband brought home a GSD puppy and insisted on keeping it. Boy was I relieved when I woke up!


I think that has got to be one of the cutest nightmares I've ever heard of.


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## Laurelin

Yeah that would be super super nice. I'd love to have a place to free use contact equipment. 

From what I gather they don't want liability for injuries that can come with 'real agility'. Probably most people would use everything stupidly


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## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> Yeah that would be super super nice. I'd love to have a place to free use contact equipment.
> 
> From what I gather they don't want liability for injuries that can come with 'real agility'. Probably most people would use everything stupidly


That's their own choice, I don't think they could be held liable lol


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## missc89

People these days barely take responsibility for the mistakes they make with themselves - I highly doubt they'd be so kind as to not hold the city liable if something were to happen to their dog while they were using city-implemented structures, even if they were being used incorrectly.


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## Sibe

Kayota said:


> I want a REAL agility course at my park. There is so much room that it would be absolutely possible for one person to use it while everyone else waits, or even to fence it off. I mean there are two big dog sections, why not use one for that?


 But then people who have NO IDEA what they're doing will put their dogs on the equipment. I don't want agility equipment anywhere but in agility classes, or having restricted access to such fields where classes are held and the obstacles live.


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## Laurelin

I don't even think its a good idea to have the stuff thy have in there now. I've seen dogs almost sprint straight into the stupid metal hoop thing. Hank tried to run through it and hit his back on this weird dangly metal paw print thing.


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## Spirit_of_Cotons

Sibe--that's scary! Hope you don't have a repeat of that.


Well I told my neighbor a bit of training advice for her dog and she was fine with it. I thought she'd react to it differently, but she's always smiling in a genuine way, so I'm glad it worked out. Her dog reminded me (front view) of a German Hunting Terrier although he isn't. And he has a name...it's Bentley!


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## jade5280

Spent some time in Portland OR today. The weather is beautiful here. Though I'm missing my babies back home. SO said they are confused because they can see my car, but I'm not there. He keeps sending me sad pics of Ryker. He will flip his crap when he sees me. I've never been away from him for more than a day. Will be leaving WA this Friday. Not looking forward to the time change adjustment or piles of snow...or cold...or work.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> I want a REAL agility course at my park. There is so much room that it would be absolutely possible for one person to use it while everyone else waits, or even to fence it off. I mean there are two big dog sections, why not use one for that?


Boo ... our dog park here sucks and the nearest good one is all the way in Ft Worth, which is a good 40 min away one way  BUT ... we did find a place with some awesome nature trails, of course we have to keep our dogs on lead (fine with me, Lincoln doesnt go off lead anyway) and that was MUCH more fun than the ole DP


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## Kayota

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought it appropriate to bring six kids, two dogs and a burger king meal to the dog park. three moms. the kids were 18 months to 5 years and the dogs were chasing them as they ran around screaming. i was terrified that one would grab roxie and cause her to snap. at least the moms were understanding when i told them to be careful with roxie. but i let her get up in their faces while they were eating because it clearly says no food on the rules sign and it's a dog park for dogs so it's not my problem you decided to eat there.


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## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> Spent some time in Portland OR today. The weather is beautiful here. Though I'm missing my babies back home. SO said they are confused because they can see my car, but I'm not there. He keeps sending me sad pics of Ryker. He will flip his crap when he sees me. I've never been away from him for more than a day. Will be leaving WA this Friday. Not looking forward to the time change adjustment or piles of snow...or cold...or work.


Awwwww I can picture sad hound faces.


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## Laurelin

Kayota said:


> I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought it appropriate to bring six kids, two dogs and a burger king meal to the dog park. three moms. the kids were 18 months to 5 years and the dogs were chasing them as they ran around screaming. i was terrified that one would grab roxie and cause her to snap. at least the moms were understanding when i told them to be careful with roxie. but i let her get up in their faces while they were eating because it clearly says no food on the rules sign and it's a dog park for dogs so it's not my problem you decided to eat there.


We had people selling girl scout cookies INSIDE the dog park. Not sitting next to it. but inside the dog park.


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## missc89

I find it sad that people seem to care less and less about signs of authority (literally, signs that tell you things like "NO DOGS IN PARK" or "NO FOOD IN DOG PARK" or "KEEP DOG LEASHED AT ALL TIMES"). Do they think they're all above the law because they're a special snowflake like the rest of the world?


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## jade5280

missc89 said:


> I find it sad that people seem to care less and less about signs of authority (literally, signs that tell you things like "NO DOGS IN PARK" or "NO FOOD IN DOG PARK" or "KEEP DOG LEASHED AT ALL TIMES"). Do they think they're all above the law because they're a special snowflake like the rest of the world?


This really irritates me. It's not hard to put a leash on your dog. If you don't want your dog on leash then bring it to an off leash area.


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## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> We had people selling girl scout cookies INSIDE the dog park. Not sitting next to it. but inside the dog park.


Haha, WOW.

There's so much wrong with that. I would have said something. Politely, but I wouldn't have been able to hold myself back completely.


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## GrinningDog

My rant is that I was almost hit by a car while walking Gypsy the other night. I was in a crosswalk, over halfway to the other side, when some guy decided he wanted to turn into the complex beyond. Instead of putting on his turn signal and slowing down for me to finish crossing, he FLOORS it around the corner in front of me. It scared the living daylights out of me. 

He had his windows down, and had to stop to get into the gated community, so I yelled at him, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Even though I'm pretty sure he saw me and was trying to race around the corner so he didn't have to wait. 

He replied, "You too!" To which I screamed at him, "I'M A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK. I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY." There was a moment of silence, and then he replies, no sarcasm that I could detect, "Okay!"

I kinda felt like a b*tch, but I think it's good I called him out. He realized that he'd scared me, and I don't think that was his intention. 

I always wear a white jacket when walking late, and I don't think visibility was a factor here, but I just purchased a reflective dog leash, just in case. Getting hit by a car during a walk would be a pretty stupid way to die.


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## chimunga

Took Watson to the vet yesterday. He had been limping for about a week and it wasn't going away. $300 later and.... it's growing pains. The x-rayed the hell out of him though. And I had them check his hips while they were at it, just because. One of his grandparents had OFA fair hips, so it had always made me a little nervous. No hip, no elbow, no wrist, and no shoulder problems. Good hips, no patella problems. Thank God. Luxating patella can be common in corgis. 

We did get him some couch stairs though, just in case. After a few minutes of training him to them, he got the hang of it. And the vet gave me some anti-inflammatories for him, and it seems to be working.

Oh, and the vet said he was one of the most fit and trim corgis she had ever seen. ^_^ I was pretty proud of that.


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## kcomstoc

GoGoGypsy said:


> My rant is that I was almost hit by a car while walking Gypsy the other night. I was in a crosswalk, over halfway to the other side, when some guy decided he wanted to turn into the complex beyond. Instead of putting on his turn signal and slowing down for me to finish crossing, he FLOORS it around the corner in front of me. It scared the living daylights out of me.
> 
> He had his windows down, and had to stop to get into the gated community, so I yelled at him, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Even though I'm pretty sure he saw me and was trying to race around the corner so he didn't have to wait.
> 
> He replied, "You too!" To which I screamed at him, "I'M A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK. I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY." There was a moment of silence, and then he replies, no sarcasm that I could detect, "Okay!"
> 
> I kinda felt like a b*tch, but I think it's good I called him out. He realized that he'd scared me, and I don't think that was his intention.
> 
> I always wear a white jacket when walking late, and I don't think visibility was a factor here, but I just purchased a reflective dog leash, just in case. Getting hit by a car during a walk would be a pretty stupid way to die.


I'm glad your safe but people can be total @**holes when driving and they think that because they are in a rush then everyone should just "hurry up because they are late and can't anybody understand that they need to be somewhere"


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought it appropriate to bring six kids, two dogs and a burger king meal to the dog park. three moms. the kids were 18 months to 5 years and the dogs were chasing them as they ran around screaming. i was terrified that one would grab roxie and cause her to snap. at least the moms were understanding when i told them to be careful with roxie. but i let her get up in their faces while they were eating because it clearly says no food on the rules sign and it's a dog park for dogs so it's not my problem you decided to eat there.


that would be a problem for me because Lincoln has a sensitive constitution, I would have chased them out. Is there a no kids rule? I wish ALL DP's had a no kids rule, I mean the dog park is the ONE place where we can let our dogs "let their hair down" so to speak and the last thing I want to do is have to restrain my dog at the ONE PLACE they are SUPPOSED to be able to have fun.


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## Sibe

GoGoGypsy said:


> My rant is that I was almost hit by a car while walking Gypsy the other night. I was in a crosswalk, over halfway to the other side, when some guy decided he wanted to turn into the complex beyond. Instead of putting on his turn signal and slowing down for me to finish crossing, he FLOORS it around the corner in front of me. It scared the living daylights out of me.
> 
> He had his windows down, and had to stop to get into the gated community, so I yelled at him, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Even though I'm pretty sure he saw me and was trying to race around the corner so he didn't have to wait.
> 
> He replied, "You too!" To which I screamed at him, "I'M A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK. I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY." There was a moment of silence, and then he replies, no sarcasm that I could detect, "Okay!"
> 
> I kinda felt like a b*tch, but I think it's good I called him out. He realized that he'd scared me, and I don't think that was his intention.
> 
> I always wear a white jacket when walking late, and I don't think visibility was a factor here, but I just purchased a reflective dog leash, just in case. Getting hit by a car during a walk would be a pretty stupid way to die.


What a jerk! Glad you weren't hit. And more glad you didn't die.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kind of reminds me of the poor lady and her boyfriend and their dogs (ACDs) that were hit and killed by a drunk driver a few years back. the BF died because he pushed his GF out of the way  so sad.

I am glad you are ok, how scary!!! I have almost been run over crossing in the walmart parking lot trying to cross (on the crosswalk) to get into the store, they are supposed to yield to pedestrian traffic, but they never do -_-


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## Kayota

Laurelin said:


> We had people selling girl scout cookies INSIDE the dog park. Not sitting next to it. but inside the dog park.


The other day there was a child with RAISIN AND CHOCOLATE TRAIL MIX. I was like. are you frigging serious. I asked someone else to say something because being autistic my tact is like 0. There isn't a no kids rule but if it were up to me all kids under 12 would be banned.

There was a family of three kids with their parents that were mowed down in a crosswalk here right before i moved in. ALL the kids died but the parents survived. It's heartbreaking.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> The other day there was a child with RAISIN AND CHOCOLATE TRAIL MIX. I was like. are you frigging serious. I asked someone else to say something because being autistic my tact is like 0. There isn't a no kids rule but if it were up to me all kids under 12 would be banned.
> 
> There was a family of three kids with their parents that were mowed down in a crosswalk here right before i moved in. ALL the kids died but the parents survived. It's heartbreaking.


Mine had a "no kids under 12" rule and it also added a minimum height after there were issues with kids who were technically of age to be there but a few were knocked down by dogs, so they made the height rule for safety.

Occasionally there were people who tried to break it, but the regulars at the dog park were quick to run them off. But yeah, if someone has food I will tell them to get the heck out ... in those exact words ... well I might say something else other than "heck" but I cant type that other word here LOL. Because my dogs health and safety is more important than offending someone, THEY arent the ones that will have to deal with a dog with a sour tummy of he eats something that doesnt agree with him, and THEY wont have to foot the bill if he eats something that warrants a vet visit, so, yeah.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Mine had a "no kids under 12" rule and it also added a minimum height after there were issues with kids who were technically of age to be there but a few were knocked down by dogs, so they made the height rule for safety.
> 
> Occasionally there were people who tried to break it, but the regulars at the dog park were quick to run them off. But yeah, if someone has food I will tell them to get the heck out ... in those exact words ... well I might say something else other than "heck" but I cant type that other word here LOL


Yeah you might have your post stealthily edited when no one is looking...


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kayota said:


> Yeah you might have your post stealthily edited when no one is looking...


Yeah I know! I think, like the little dude who lives in the fridge, I think there might be one who lives in the internet, too ha ha.

Rant NO 2: well ... I guess I should add raw bones to the ever growing list of things Lincoln cant have due to his sensitive constitution  at this rate the only things he will be able to have is inedible toys, training treats, and his food


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## Sibe

My friend works with prairie chickens, and part of re-introducing them is to make sure they aren't all wiped out by common scavenger/predators like opossums and skunks so there are traps set up. This morning when checking the traps, there was an opossum it had caught (think of the trap like a big mousetrap, comes down behind the head and instant death). The belly was wiggling.. she had tiny pink babies in her pouch. Called up wildlife rehab which took them in. Apparently 4 babies didn't make it, but 5 did.


----------



## Kyllobernese

My niece's Golden Retriever came to the barn with a baby rabbit in her mouth. She took it (it was fine) and followed her back to the nest. She has some rabbits running around but her other dog will kill them if she catches them. She brought the five little ones into the barn where they were safe and they were just old enough to make it on their own without the mother.


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## ireth0

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yeah I know! I think, like the little dude who lives in the fridge, I think there might be one who lives in the internet, too ha ha.
> 
> Rant NO 2: well ... I guess I should add raw bones to the ever growing list of things Lincoln cant have due to his sensitive constitution  at this rate the only things he will be able to have is inedible toys, training treats, and his food


Was it his first time having them? It's not uncommon when you first introduce raw bones to have loose stool initially until the dog gets used to them. 

When Luna had her first raw bone she had liquid poos for a day or two but over time it got better and now she handles them no problem.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I am getting soo curious about just how small Sola will be lol, she is 19 weeks today..She's grown 1 inch in height since she was 12 weeks old, she's been 13" for the past 3 weeks now with no increase at all, she gains weight, fills out, looks more mature but doesn't get any taller, its sooo WEIRD! lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I am getting soo curious about just how small Sola will be lol, she is 19 weeks today..She's grown 1 inch in height since she was 12 weeks old, she's been 13" for the past 3 weeks now with no increase at all, she gains weight, fills out, looks more mature but doesn't get any taller, its sooo WEIRD! lol


http://www.puppychart.com/ is pretty good at helping estimate a pups adult weight. Nothing is full proof of course, but it might be of some help


----------



## elrohwen

Watson is such a jerk with people who are afraid of dogs. Last night my friends stopped over to check out my apartment, since they are looking to rent. One was a bit nervous and wouldn't pet Watson. He would kind of reach out like he was going to pet him, but then pull his hand away and ignore him when Watson got close.

Watson decided that was an invitation to play, and spent the whole time jumping around, barking at the poor guy, and climbing on him. "Your body language says we're playing, but then you just stand there! Play with me! Bark!" He's an idiot.


----------



## Laurelin

I put Hank away when I feed everyone. He scarfs down food and the paps are slow eaters. About 30 minutes later I couldn't find Mia and she was curled up against Hank's crate. She would not leave him alone in the crate. When I let him out, they both came to the living room with me.

I think she secretly likes her brother.


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## d_ray

elrohwen said:


> Watson is such a jerk with people who are afraid of dogs. Last night my friends stopped over to check out my apartment, since they are looking to rent. One was a bit nervous and wouldn't pet Watson. He would kind of reach out like he was going to pet him, but then pull his hand away and ignore him when Watson got close.
> 
> Watson decided that was an invitation to play, and spent the whole time jumping around, barking at the poor guy, and climbing on him. "Your body language says we're playing, but then you just stand there! Play with me! Bark!" He's an idiot.


Haha sounds like one of my cats. He always jumps on cat haters.


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## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> http://www.puppychart.com/ is pretty good at helping estimate a pups adult weight. Nothing is full proof of course, but it might be of some help


I've been using that for her weight since I got her lol, so far its been pretty on track and estimates her to be around 20ish lbs full grown(I'm estimating 20-24lbs) its her height I'm more curious about lol, she gains weight and fills out on track, just doesn't get any taller! Other puppies her age are growing a few inches a month..she grows like 1/2 an inch per month..if that. I mean she's nearly 5 months now and still fits inside her small Sherpa bag lol


----------



## elrohwen

d_ray said:


> Haha sounds like one of my cats. He always jumps on cat haters.


Haha, cats are masters at that.

Watson just does not understand body language of people who are nervous. He reads it so incorrectly. It's the worst with kids because lots of kids are nervous with dogs and do the hand out/pull hand back thing. So then he fixates on them and jumps around and barks which makes them more nervous. He's totally fine with kids who are comfortable around dogs, but I've found that a lot of them aren't. No therapy dog work in his future.


----------



## d_ray

elrohwen said:


> Haha, cats are masters at that.
> 
> Watson just does not understand body language of people who are nervous. He reads it so incorrectly. It's the worst with kids because lots of kids are nervous with dogs and do the hand out/pull hand back thing. So then he fixates on them and jumps around and barks which makes them more nervous. He's totally fine with kids who are comfortable around dogs, but I've found that a lot of them aren't. No therapy dog work in his future.


He's probably just thinking "How can anyone resist my cuteness"

Jazzy is like this with nervous dogs. She will fixate on them and bark and try to play with them so badly.


----------



## kcomstoc

d_ray said:


> He's probably just thinking "How can anyone resist my cuteness"


I couldn't resist that face, I'd probably be like jump on me all you want silly puppy you're so cute


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> I couldn't resist that face, I'd probably be like jump on me all you want silly puppy you're so cute


I am guilty of this with my own puppy LOL ... essentially he is a jerk, he bites at my legs when I am walking and bites the leash and all that, but its not that annoying to me and when it counts, he doesnt do it, he only does it only during "play walk" time and thats why I let it slide.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank just tore down my rose bush. 100% just shredded it. I glanced out the window while they were out pottying and he was shredding it.


----------



## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> Hank just tore down my rose bush. 100% just shredded it. I glanced out the window while they were out pottying and he was shredding it.


But why, Hank, why? I would guess a rose bush would really hurt to shred! All those thorns.


----------



## missc89

GoGoGypsy said:


> My rant is that I was almost hit by a car while walking Gypsy the other night. I was in a crosswalk, over halfway to the other side, when some guy decided he wanted to turn into the complex beyond. Instead of putting on his turn signal and slowing down for me to finish crossing, he FLOORS it around the corner in front of me. It scared the living daylights out of me.
> 
> He had his windows down, and had to stop to get into the gated community, so I yelled at him, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Even though I'm pretty sure he saw me and was trying to race around the corner so he didn't have to wait.
> 
> He replied, "You too!" To which I screamed at him, "I'M A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK. I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY." There was a moment of silence, and then he replies, no sarcasm that I could detect, "Okay!"
> 
> I kinda felt like a b****, but I think it's good I called him out. He realized that he'd scared me, and I don't think that was his intention.
> 
> I always wear a white jacket when walking late, and I don't think visibility was a factor here, but I just purchased a reflective dog leash, just in case. Getting hit by a car during a walk would be a pretty stupid way to die.


I am probably the WORST person you want to cut-off with a car in a cross walk, and seriously Ottawa has some of the SH****EST drivers I have EVER encountered (and I live across the river from Quebec, and for those of you who DON'T know, Quebec and Ontario have a war against who is the worst driver lol). 

There's a cross walk to a four-way intersection on the corner of my SO's apartment and EVERY TIME I try to cross the street, there's a car IN the cross walk. I've started taking to walking ACROSS PEOPLES CAR HOODS for them to get the message, and whenever I see someone reversing OUT of the cross walk, I give them the BIGGEST smile and a thumbs up. I had someone ALMOST hit me ONCE in a cross walk and I banged on their car so hard their hood was slightly dented.

So now, I continue to walk over peoples cars when they are in the cross walk, and I drop-kick their cars if I can't reach with my fists. I. Do. Not. Care. You. Are. Wrong. Jack. A**.

You should not be afraid of being a b**** when a) he could have killed you, or your dog, and b) you have the right of way, and oh yeah the whole c) ITS ILLEGAL thing.

(how it would go down in my head)
Police: Ma'am, why did you dent this mans car with your fist?
Me: Because I was walking in a cross walk and it was the only way I was able to stop him from running me over.
Police: Sir, you are an idiot, here's a ticket. Ma'am, have a nice day.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> I am probably the WORST person you want to cut-off with a car in a cross walk, and seriously Ottawa has some of the SH****EST drivers I have EVER encountered (and I live across the river from Quebec, and for those of you who DON'T know, Quebec and Ontario have a war against who is the worst driver lol).
> 
> There's a cross walk to a four-way intersection on the corner of my SO's apartment and EVERY TIME I try to cross the street, there's a car IN the cross walk. I've started taking to walking ACROSS PEOPLES CAR HOODS for them to get the message, and whenever I see someone reversing OUT of the cross walk, I give them the BIGGEST smile and a thumbs up. I had someone ALMOST hit me ONCE in a cross walk and I banged on their car so hard their hood was slightly dented.
> 
> So now, I continue to walk over peoples cars when they are in the cross walk, and I drop-kick their cars if I can't reach with my fists. I. Do. Not. Care. You. Are. Wrong. Jack. A**.
> 
> You should not be afraid of being a b**** when a) he could have killed you, or your dog, and b) you have the right of way, and oh yeah the whole c) ITS ILLEGAL thing.
> 
> (how it would go down in my head)
> Police: Ma'am, why did you dent this mans car with your fist?
> Me: Because I was walking in a cross walk and it was the only way I was able to stop him from running me over.
> Police: Sir, you are an idiot, here's a ticket. Ma'am, have a nice day.


This is so the exact thing I would do, right down to denting someone's hood ... and I dont use my flat hand, I use a fist LOL, and my hands are super tough from years of taking hits from horses while ponying, so hitting things with them doesnt hurt.


----------



## Kayota

my dad does not like pets. every pet i ever had loves my dad, even the rats. roxie laid on him every night when i was staying there.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> But why, Hank, why? I would guess a rose bush would really hurt to shred! All those thorns.


Cattle dog / terriers be tough . Seriously I swear their skin is thicker than other breeds LOL


----------



## Miss Bugs

A local rescue posted a tirade on Facebook this afternoon about how someone stole all the money from their donation box at 1 location and this ling tirade about how could anyone do that etc... but... these are big locked donation boxes there was NO sign of tampering no evidence that anything was stolen at all, no witnesses no evidence on security footage..NOTHING. litterally the ONLY "evidence" they have for this claim is "this location normally yeilds more donations" ..like..what? How is theft the ONLY possible reason for a low yeild? And litterally NOBODY has questioned this, all the replies are "oh who would do such a thing" "you should go to the media" etc.. like..has it occurred to nobody that perhaps there just wasn't many donations?


----------



## DaySleepers

I'm really starting to love using coconut oil as a moisturizer. Except now my legs are, apparently, incredibly delicious to poodles.


----------



## kcomstoc

DaySleepers said:


> I'm really starting to love using coconut oil as a moisturizer. Except now my legs are, apparently, incredibly delicious to poodles.


Jake will lick me relentlessly when I put lotion on and the bunnies BITE me if they smell the lotion on my hands and they get close enough, apparently I'm delicious >.>


----------



## DaySleepers

Haha, at least it's not as weird as the cat I had growing up who was OBSESSED with Vick's Vapor Rub. Or anything menthol/minty.


----------



## Remaru

My dogs are obsessed with lotion and coconut oil too. It is problematic. Makes me cat flip out though, whenever I put lotion on she sniffs my hands and then flips and runs.


----------



## Laurelin

I'm still pretty ticked about the rose bush. Yeah I would not think that would be a fun plant to shred.


----------



## GrinningDog

missc89 said:


> I am probably the WORST person you want to cut-off with a car in a cross walk, and seriously Ottawa has some of the SH****EST drivers I have EVER encountered (and I live across the river from Quebec, and for those of you who DON'T know, Quebec and Ontario have a war against who is the worst driver lol).
> 
> There's a cross walk to a four-way intersection on the corner of my SO's apartment and EVERY TIME I try to cross the street, there's a car IN the cross walk. I've started taking to walking ACROSS PEOPLES CAR HOODS for them to get the message, and whenever I see someone reversing OUT of the cross walk, I give them the BIGGEST smile and a thumbs up. I had someone ALMOST hit me ONCE in a cross walk and I banged on their car so hard their hood was slightly dented.
> 
> So now, I continue to walk over peoples cars when they are in the cross walk, and I drop-kick their cars if I can't reach with my fists. I. Do. Not. Care. You. Are. Wrong. Jack. A**.
> 
> You should not be afraid of being a b**** when a) he could have killed you, or your dog, and b) you have the right of way, and oh yeah the whole c) ITS ILLEGAL thing.
> 
> (how it would go down in my head)
> Police: Ma'am, why did you dent this mans car with your fist?
> Me: Because I was walking in a cross walk and it was the only way I was able to stop him from running me over.
> Police: Sir, you are an idiot, here's a ticket. Ma'am, have a nice day.


We have toooons of snowbirds from Quebec that come down here for the winter. Maybe that's why FL driving is so terrible! 

My husband pointed out that, even though the dude deserved be called out for dangerous driving, I was putting myself at risk confronting him. I was walking by myself after dark. Granted, I was on the phone, had my dog, and was just down the road from a police station, but I'm glad the driver didn't flip out when I yelled at him!

I'm not very confrontational. Now that I'm an adult, I'm unafraid to confront someone who's being dangerous, stupid, or overtly rude, but I try to do so in a way that's not equally so. More often, it's not worth the breath. With the driver who almost hit us, I was reacting out of shock and anger when I screamed at him. I'm just glad I screamed something intelligible!


----------



## GrinningDog

This morning's rant is that I found obvious drug paraphernalia (either crack cocaine or heroin) outside of the shared apt laundry room, just a few skips away from my front door. Joy.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

GoGoGypsy said:


> This morning's rant is that I found obvious drug paraphernalia (either crack cocaine or heroin) outside of the shared apt laundry room, just a few skips away from my front door. Joy.


oh wow thats awful..... I was coming here to post the start of my morning , and read yours.. .. so sorry to have to find something like that so near your home. 

me... is finding a hovering drone right over house at 7am.. Dogs went tearing out of the house and knew it sounded low, wasn't up high in the sky. Walked around to the front of my house to find it hovering right at the roof level then it took off.. Great...


----------



## CptJack

I don't mind HAVING the dogs out, but I swear to god that period between them realizing we're going and GOING is the least pleasant thing in the universe.


----------



## kcomstoc

GoGoGypsy said:


> This morning's rant is that I found obvious drug paraphernalia (either crack cocaine or heroin) outside of the shared apt laundry room, just a few skips away from my front door. Joy.


That's crazy I've never seen drugs before besides you know weed (not that I smoke it personally but I know people that do, I can't stand the smell of it) but anyway that's just not the way to start a day


----------



## Kayota

My mom smokes weed and it's kind of irritating to me honestly.

I don't mind drones exactly but they don't need to be in populated areas--i think they could be useful for wildlife photography and the like but not in town.


----------



## kcomstoc

Kayota said:


> i think they could be useful for wildlife photography and the like but not in town.


That would be cool


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I'm just so done. When we first got Nika, I was so excited that we finally got a second cat. But now? I don't know anymore. I I feel horrible, and irresponsible say this, but... I'm starting to consider giving Nika back to her breeder. She's attacked Jazzy on multiple occasions. Unprovoked(Maybe, I missing something? But, Jazzy isn't threatening her.). She'll jump on Jazzy back. Jazzy will just be in my room, Nika will come flying out of where ever she is, and chase her.

But today... It escalated far more than I ever imagined. Nika starting attacking Jazzy. Batting her. Biting. Hiss

It's just so stressful. This whole situation sucks. And, I feel like a really terrible person for thinking of giving Nika up.


----------



## kcomstoc

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I'm just so done. When we first got Nika, I was so excited that we finally got a second cat. But now? I don't know anymore. I I feel horrible, and irresponsible say this, but... I'm starting to consider giving Nika back to her breeder. She's attacked Jazzy on multiple occasions. Unprovoked(Maybe, I missing something? But, Jazzy isn't threatening her.). She'll jump on Jazzy back. Jazzy will just be in my room, Nika will come flying out of where ever she is, and chase her.
> 
> But today... It escalated far more than I ever imagined. Nika starting attacking Jazzy. Batting her. Biting. Hiss
> 
> It's just so stressful. This whole situation sucks. And, I feel like a really terrible person for thinking of giving Nika up.


Is Nika getting enough exercise...she's a kitten so she needs stimulation like a puppy would right? I'm sorry this is happening to you though


----------



## Kayota

kcomstoc said:


> That would be cool


I hope to get one someday for that purpose. It's so hard to get close to deer and the like.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

kcomstoc said:


> Is Nika getting enough exercise...she's a kitten so she needs stimulation like a puppy would right? I'm sorry this is happening to you though


Definitely. At least 30 minutes a day. We also do some training, because she's so food motivated.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I'm just so done. When we first got Nika, I was so excited that we finally got a second cat. But now? I don't know anymore. I I feel horrible, and irresponsible say this, but... I'm starting to consider giving Nika back to her breeder. She's attacked Jazzy on multiple occasions. Unprovoked(Maybe, I missing something? But, Jazzy isn't threatening her.). She'll jump on Jazzy back. Jazzy will just be in my room, Nika will come flying out of where ever she is, and chase her.
> 
> But today... It escalated far more than I ever imagined. Nika starting attacking Jazzy. Batting her. Biting. Hiss
> 
> It's just so stressful. This whole situation sucks. And, I feel like a really terrible person for thinking of giving Nika up.


Getting a second animal can often be a stressful experience. I'm sure with time Nika will mature and the two of them will be just fine. When I was growing up, our cats attacked our new dog when we got her. It took them months in order to get along. I wanted to return the dog because it was so stressful. After they did get along we couldn't imagine life without any of them. It just takes time and _you_ getting used to it as much as the animals. I can sympathize. I'm terrified of having a second dog after having one for 2 years.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Consider an enclosed Cat house..... to give your other cat a break from the kitten to rotate them...


----------



## BubbaMoose

You know you're dieting when the first thought you have when you wake up in the morning is, "Yay, I get to eat again!"


----------



## d_ray

BubbaMoose said:


> You know you're dieting when the first thought you have when you wake up in the morning is, "Yay, I get to eat again!"


Haha I know that feeling.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is acting very off and it's worrying me. He was great this morning at agility- high energy, engaged, the usual. Right now he is VERY sad acting and almost lethargic. He split a nail sometime this afternoon but the bleeding had stopped. He re-opened it during a brief sprint around the yard and it started bleeding again. Got that fixed and he's crated the rest of the night. 

You think that's what's causing him to be so mopey? I'm a little bit worried about him.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> Hank is acting very off and it's worrying me. He was great this morning at agility- high energy, engaged, the usual. Right now he is VERY sad acting and almost lethargic. He split a nail sometime this afternoon but the bleeding had stopped. He re-opened it during a brief sprint around the yard and it started bleeding again. Got that fixed and he's crated the rest of the night.
> 
> You think that's what's causing him to be so mopey? I'm a little bit worried about him.


Could he have eaten any of that rose bush?? Hope he is ok!


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

dogsule said:


> Could he have eaten any of that rose bush?? Hope he is ok!


I was thinking that too.

Hope it's nothing serious!


----------



## Laurelin

I'm thinking it's some sort of a tummy ache.  Poor guy.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Ugh. I'm on an dog group on Facebook and someone just gave this lady the worst advise in the world. Apparently her 17 week old Aussie pup has started to pick fights and attack other dogs. So a lady tells her "Get a muzzle, bring lots of smelly treats, go to your local dog park and keep your puppy on a leash.". Cause that's not a hirrble accident waiting to happen. Some people...I just can't...


----------



## momtolabs

I thought I would be able to sleep in today. But no dodge had other plans. By 6 he was literally banging around in his cage, throwing his bone around, and scratching at the kennel door  hopefully he will soon catch on that Sunday is my lazy day,lol. My other dogs all lifted there heads and grumbled since he was being so annoying,lol. I took him outside too potty and of course it took him 10 minutes -_-


----------



## Miss Bugs

At work on my lunch break..employee walks in and strikes up conversation with "so we were discussing in the back.. Sola doesn't grow..WTH???"

Went out for supper with 2 friends last night and in the restraunt randomly "I know this has been done to death, but can we just talk for a second about how your dog doesn't grow? She's gonna be a little purse dog" 

My mom last night "she'd be the perfect foundation dam for a new breed, the mini Toller" 

I tracked it..She's gaining weight steadily, maturing normally.. but she's only gained 1.5" in height in almost 3 months! She hasn't grown even a cm in 3 weeks and she's almost hitting that age where growth will slow down lol. My brothers JRT/Pom x is quite a bit bigger then Sola for a little perspective.... "Sola, the original Toy Toller" lol


----------



## momtolabs

Miss Bugs said:


> At work on my lunch break..employee walks in and strikes up conversation with "so we were discussing in the back.. Sola doesn't grow..WTH???"
> 
> Went out for supper with 2 friends last night and in the restraunt randomly "I know this has been done to death, but can we just talk for a second about how your dog doesn't grow? She's gonna be a little purse dog"
> 
> My mom last night "she'd be the perfect foundation dam for a new breed, the mini Toller"
> 
> I tracked it..She's gaining weight steadily, maturing normally.. but she's only gained 1.5" in height in almost 3 months! She hasn't grown even a cm in 3 weeks and she's almost hitting that age where growth will slow down lol. My brothers JRT/Pom x is quite a bit bigger then Sola for a little perspective.... "Sola, the original Toy Toller" lol


Lol what does your breeder say about it!? Mia was also a slow grower and when most dogs slow down she sped up


----------



## Miss Bugs

Her breeder doesn't say anything in particular about it, I knew from the get go that she was super small, she was born way smaller then the rest and gained slower, she was on supplemental feedings and on the breeders concern list along with 2 pups from the other litter that were also small. However those other pups did have developmental delays and the breeder held them back and eventually placed them in nearby homes at a discount with extra health coverage. Sola though had no such issues, she's been cleared by multiple vets(breeders and my own) as 100% completely and utterly normal..just really really small for no apparent reason. She doesn't act it, she's a firecracker, employee on Friday said "runt or not, you got your money's worth for that one, she's somethin else" lol


----------



## Laurelin

Well he threw up 5 times at 3 am last night. Seems like the raw bone I had given him did not sit well. This morning he's still a bit puny but not so incredibly pathetic.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Laurelin said:


> Well he threw up 5 times at 3 am last night. Seems like the raw bone I had given him did not sit well. This morning he's still a bit puny but not so incredibly pathetic.


Poor guy. I hope he feels better soon, it's such a bummer to have to watch them feeling bad


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> Ugh. I'm on an dog group on Facebook and someone just gave this lady the worst advise in the world. Apparently her 17 week old Aussie pup has started to pick fights and attack other dogs. So a lady tells her "Get a muzzle, bring lots of smelly treats, go to your local dog park and keep your puppy on a leash.". Cause that's not a hirrble accident waiting to happen. Some people...I just can't...


OMG! poor puppy  puppies are jerks, I will admit that (mine is a HUGE jerk LOL, just ask Josefina) but I would never do that to him, he doesnt know any better and he will learn when Josefina fully revokes his puppy license.

My vent for today is: Sometimes my depression gets the better of me, and now is one of those times. Most of the time I can squelch it down with positive thoughts and usually I can, but for the last week or so I cant. I thank the lord I have the dogs and they help a LOT.
I dont have a right to feel like this, I have a great life, I have health and wonderful family and friends, I feel like crud for feeling like I have nothing to live for when logically nothing could be further from the truth.


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> OMG! poor puppy  puppies are jerks, I will admit that (mine is a HUGE jerk LOL, just ask Josefina) but I would never do that to him, he doesnt know any better and he will learn when Josefina fully revokes his puppy license.
> 
> My vent for today is: Sometimes my depression gets the better of me, and now is one of those times. Most of the time I can squelch it down with positive thoughts and usually I can, but for the last week or so I cant. I thank the lord I have the dogs and they help a LOT.
> I dont have a right to feel like this, I have a great life, I have health and wonderful family and friends, I feel like crud for feeling like I have nothing to live for when logically nothing could be further from the truth.


That sucks A lot. :/ I know where you're coming from. I've got a great life too, but I've been taken over by depression lately. And I always feel like I should be _doing _something about it. Exercise more, get more sun, finally think about getting on meds again. I feel bad for my poor husband. He is the greatest man, but he's never had an issue with depression, so he doesn't really understand what's happening. He doesn't get that there isn't really anything he can do to help or fix me. Sometimes I'm just sad for no solid reason. 

Just try to get off of the line of thought of having a "right" to feel a certain way. You have a right to feel any way you feel, regardless of circumstances. And thinking you don't have a right to be depressed is honestly just gonna make it worse. Easier said than done, right?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> That sucks A lot. :/ I know where you're coming from. I've got a great life too, but I've been taken over by depression lately. And I always feel like I should be _doing _something about it. Exercise more, get more sun, finally think about getting on meds again. I feel bad for my poor husband. He is the greatest man, but he's never had an issue with depression, so he doesn't really understand what's happening. He doesn't get that there isn't really anything he can do to help or fix me. Sometimes I'm just sad for no solid reason.
> 
> Just try to get off of the line of thought of having a "right" to feel a certain way. You have a right to feel any way you feel, regardless of circumstances. And thinking you don't have a right to be depressed is honestly just gonna make it worse. Easier said than done, right?


I hate taking meds because the side effects always get me, I feel better then when I get out with the dogs for a bike ride or take them for a walk or just spend time with them. It was cloudy for most of the day, so I think that might be most of it (the negative ions in the clouds always effect me for some reason).


----------



## Rescued

Freaking grey is not eating like she used to and I am torn btwn "she is just being difficult stand strong" and "start mixing in crap and bribing her now."

Just had a vet checkup and was as healthy as a grey can be but had lost some weight. Still in the ok range but with her at 4.5 previously and 4.1 now I can't just play tough love forever.


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, I don't think I'd feel bad for mixing stuff in. Let's be real: she's tiny, she's never going to become cost prohibitive to add mix ins for, and if you can find something safe for her to add? Probably going to take what, 30 seconds to stir it in?

I mean bigger dog, healthier dog, I'd advocate waiting it out but. Here? Meh. Whatever works.


----------



## Sibe

CptJack said:


> Honestly, I don't think I'd feel bad for mixing stuff in. Let's be real: she's tiny, she's never going to become cost prohibitive to add mix ins for, and if you can find something safe for her to add? Probably going to take what, 30 seconds to stir it in?
> 
> I mean bigger dog, healthier dog, I'd advocate waiting it out but. Here? Meh. Whatever works.


 This. She's already so tiny. Mix stuff in, add water and heat it, do what you need to.


----------



## luv mi pets

Sibe said:


> This. She's already so tiny. Mix stuff in, add water and heat it, do what you need to.


I agree! it would be totally different if she was a chunk-a-munk but she is not. I would add some can in with the dry. I do this for a couple of my dogs. Why not. Can is mostly water anyways but the dogs seem to like it better with a little added to the dry.


----------



## luv mi pets

Miss Bugs said:


> "Sola, the original Toy Toller" lol



Don't spay her and we could make the big bucks on that breed. But, think we need to say Toy Goldens and the price would be double instantly. Craiglist here we come.


All joking aside, I am sure that anyone who has met Solo say those things with love in their heart for that dog. You just got to love and admire her for the spitfire that she is.


----------



## Rescued

CptJack said:


> Honestly, I don't think I'd feel bad for mixing stuff in. Let's be real: she's tiny, she's never going to become cost prohibitive to add mix ins for, and if you can find something safe for her to add? Probably going to take what, 30 seconds to stir it in?
> 
> I mean bigger dog, healthier dog, I'd advocate waiting it out but. Here? Meh. Whatever works.


This is what I'm coming to. Just worries me that it will somehow start off a slippery slope whereupon she will eventually refuse to eat anything. I don't have experience with picky dogs... Is this a real thing? Just because of her dietary stuff for her heart it's not like I can change to a new kibble or canned if she gets "bored", kwim?

I did mix in some canned tonight and she ate a lot more. Anyone know of cans that come in a smaller size (than the 13 oz) and very low sodium? In the past we've always used the hills g/do when we needed canned but it's a pita because I always end up throwing most of it out.


----------



## Miss Bugs

luv mi pets said:


> Don't spay her and we could make the big bucks on that breed. But, think we need to say Toy Goldens and the price would be double instantly. Craiglist here we come.
> 
> 
> All joking aside, I am sure that anyone who has met Solo say those things with love in their heart for that dog. You just got to love and admire her for the spitfire that she is.


I dunno..Tollers already go for an average of 2 grand, could probably get 4 grand for toy Tollers, what do ya think toy Goldens would go for? Lol

And ya, everyone adores her, the comments are more out of amusement then anything else! Litterally everyone who spends any time with her comes back to me with something along the lines of "your dog/Sola is awesome!" And she's little miss popular at work with the customers, everytime a client has had a bad day they come in and ask for Sola and I bring her out for them and she wiggles all over them showering them in kisses and they feel better &#55357;&#56857;


----------



## Sibe

Rescued said:


> This is what I'm coming to. Just worries me that it will somehow start off a slippery slope whereupon she will eventually refuse to eat anything. I don't have experience with picky dogs... Is this a real thing? Just because of her dietary stuff for her heart it's not like I can change to a new kibble or canned if she gets "bored", kwim?
> 
> I did mix in some canned tonight and she ate a lot more. Anyone know of cans that come in a smaller size (than the 13 oz) and very low sodium? In the past we've always used the hills g/do when we needed canned but it's a pita because I always end up throwing most of it out.


 Kaytu can be picky. My go-to thing to add (they're raw fed) is FortiFlora. Probiotics often does the trick. I let her be picky to an extent, but even picky dogs WILL eat. If I give her duck, which isn't her favorite, and she doesn't eat or only picks at it, I'm not worried. If I give her a chunk of something she always eats without fuss and she refuses, something's up. I don't worry about a missed meal (they're fed once a day). Two missed meals I start to purse my lips, especially if one was something she normally eats just fine. 3 days of no eating, something's wrong.

Could be seasons changing, warm weather, upset tummy, tooth ache, food is going bad, full from training or handouts, ate something foreign.. any number of things.


----------



## jade5280

Rescued said:


> This is what I'm coming to. Just worries me that it will somehow start off a slippery slope whereupon she will eventually refuse to eat anything. I don't have experience with picky dogs... Is this a real thing? Just because of her dietary stuff for her heart it's not like I can change to a new kibble or canned if she gets "bored", kwim?
> 
> I did mix in some canned tonight and she ate a lot more. Anyone know of cans that come in a smaller size (than the 13 oz) and very low sodium? In the past we've always used the hills g/do when we needed canned but it's a pita because I always end up throwing most of it out.


Ryker is a super picky eater. I've always mixed things in with his food to get him to eat. Mostly yoghurt, canned, and a powder joint/immunity supplement that smells like freeze dried liver. 

I have noticed that he seems to be growing out of it now. More often than not he will eat his kibble plain, but I still like to mix things in once in a while


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Well he threw up 5 times at 3 am last night. Seems like the raw bone I had given him did not sit well. This morning he's still a bit puny but not so incredibly pathetic.


Lincoln did the same thing when I gave him a raw bone  seems like I can add that to the lengthening list of things he cant have.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Rescued said:


> Freaking grey is not eating like she used to and I am torn btwn "she is just being difficult stand strong" and "start mixing in crap and bribing her now."
> 
> Just had a vet checkup and was as healthy as a grey can be but had lost some weight. Still in the ok range but with her at 4.5 previously and 4.1 now I can't just play tough love forever.


what about something like wheat germ oil? Josefina is super picky and wont eat the amount that she needs to sustain her, so I make satin balls with wheat germ oil to keep weight on her (she wont eat more then a cup a day MAYBE a cup and a half) in summer.


----------



## Caro

Rescued said:


> This is what I'm coming to. Just worries me that it will somehow start off a slippery slope whereupon she will eventually refuse to eat anything. I don't have experience with picky dogs... Is this a real thing? Just because of her dietary stuff for her heart it's not like I can change to a new kibble or canned if she gets "bored", kwim?
> 
> I did mix in some canned tonight and she ate a lot more. Anyone know of cans that come in a smaller size (than the 13 oz) and very low sodium? In the past we've always used the hills g/do when we needed canned but it's a pita because I always end up throwing most of it out.


My dog also doesn't go through canned food fast enough to use it before it goes bad. When I open a new can, I measure individual servings out into an ice cube tray, cover it with saran wrap, & then freeze it. Once the cubes are solid, I transfer them to a ziploc bag. I only leave one day's worth in a small dish in the fridge to defrost. I have tried it with multiple brands & never had an issue.


----------



## Flaming

You could mqybe also try a zero sodium bone broth and freeze it in cubes. 

You slow cook bones in water and applecider vinegar for 2 or more days, you can skim off tje fat if you like and it's full of nutrients. 

I use the stuff in summer as a frozen treat and hot in winter to warm up. All the mammals in the house drink this stuff (cats, dogs, humans)


----------



## Rescued

OwnedbyACDs said:


> what about something like wheat germ oil? Josefina is super picky and wont eat the amount that she needs to sustain her, so I make satin balls with wheat germ oil to keep weight on her (she wont eat more then a cup a day MAYBE a cup and a half) in summer.


Only issue is she gets the runs with too much fat in her diet- learned this lesson with PB kongs and coconut oil, anything more than a teensy drop is too much.

Vet said last appt to just weigh her at home and keep an eye on her, anything btwn 4.2 and 4.8 vet said is ok. I think highest she's ever been is like 4.8 lbs? And was 4.1 last week. So weighed her last night and of course my scale says 4.8, gah.

About to bring bear and my scale to the vet so we can see how "off" mine is since all I really need to know is interval-wise is she increasing or decreasing. I used the same scale (produce scale) when I had her whole litter and was weighing and recording pups daily but again it was just the intervals I was looking for.

YAY FOR ALL DAY WITH DOGS AT WORK AND THEN TAKING DOGS BACK TO A DOG PLACE AFTER I GET OFF OF DOG WORK 

Going to just pick up a few more of the g/d cans from the vet and buy an ice cube tray and freeze the extra. I wish they sold all the rx diets in 5.5 oz cans.


----------



## Rescued

Rant: my scale was correct, somehow my dog who had hardly eaten anything in 24 hours was holding in 5 oz of poop.

Drove all the way to vet for... Peace of mind, honestly. Why anyone seeks out these tiny dogs on purpose I have no idea ? the speed at which everything can go from "whatever" to "crap medical emergency" with them is just so freakin fast.


----------



## Laurelin

Bah. I kind of am annoyed at how much my family members like Hank and dislike Mia. It's stupid. Hank is likable. Mia is not that likable. But every time I talk to them it's 'How is Hank?' or they like every Hank pic on FB but ignore the pics of the other two or they get really excited about Hank agility but never cared about Summer. And while Hank is faster and such, I think Summer was really impressive considering she's 9 inches tall and started at 8 years old. 

I shouldn't care. I know.


----------



## jade5280

Nobody in my family likes my dogs...I don't mean that in a woe is me way, but it's true. They're not dog people and definitely not hound people. It's kind of disappointing because I feel like I have nothing in common with them. At least SO's family likes dogs and are always happy when we bring them over.


----------



## CptJack

It really varies by family members for me, but no one dislikes any of our dogs, thankfully, and more people in my family are dog people (in the indoor keeping and loving but slightly irresponsible and casual way) that are not.

We're going on vacation to visit the inlaws and stay on family property this summer. All 5 dogs are coming. Every time we've visited up there, all the dogs have come. In the past that's meant all our dogs and us (though fewer than 5) cramming into the house WITH the inlaws. This year, the farm is available and we're using it. There's a lot of property, a dock and a lake. I am so excited.

Everyone's gaga of Kylie more than the rest, but they're so good about welcoming the dogs with us for various things I just can't be upset. I'd be pretty sad if they were excluded from family things or just treated coldly, though. They ARE family for us.

(Also my FIL is afraid of Thud, but Thud is big and exuberant and he's had some bad experiences with big dogs and I get that. But again - it's FEAR not just... disdain or something).


----------



## elrohwen

It would bother me a lot if my family didn't like my dogs, or completely ignored one and fawned over another. I understand not particularly liking a dog or it not being your type of dog, but I don't understand being mean to it or ignoring it. Both my parents and my husband's mom are dog people and would be interested in what was going on with any dog I owned, even if they didn't particularly like it.


----------



## d_ray

Unless you spend a lot of time with Jazz, she is stand off ish and sometimes even aggressive. Since my husband's family has only met her a couple times, they don't like her at all. My nephew even said he hates her. My SO's family also has trouble grasping that not all dogs are bomb proof lassies who love everyone. My family loves Jazz because once you win her over, she is hilarious and so loving and the biggest suck. Everyone loves Jewel. It's kind of annoying. Jewel can do no wrong to my SO. Even though most of the time it's Jewel being annoying or getting into something, SO will always favour Jewel. I was pleasantly surprised when my SIL called last night to see if she and my BIL could come over to practice some of Jazzy's "stranger" training.


----------



## Laurelin

My family definitely dislikes Mia. A lot of them are of the mindset that papillons aren't real dogs. I guess it is sort of mutual as Mia outwardly dislikes them too. It's just frustrating. I love Hank of course but he is very very much the golden child.



On a totally unrelated note:

This dog is SO CUTE.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31755796/

Omg. so cute.

I SHOULD NOT BE ON PETFINDER. I AM AT LEAST ONE YEAR AWAY FROM A DOG. PLUS I THINK I WANT A BREEDER DOG. 

But adorable!


----------



## momtolabs

My family likes Mia because she leaves them alone,lol. When we go camping on my uncle property, have cook outs or anything all Mia does is stay in my tent, stay by me or play fetch with the little kids(sometimes I have to stop that though because she gets so excited she literally starts jumping up and sometimes over little kids....) she just doesn't like people that are not her people,lol. My family loves dogs but they don't like in your face dogs. All of my aunts/uncles/cousins on t dads side grew up with my grandpas outside hounds and farm dogs. My moms side on the other hand likes Caleb. He's goofy,loves everyone and is very people oriented. Which is how they are. My moms family is bully breed / retriever people. So they like a dog who is happy to meet everyone and is Velcro. They despise Mia though because she isn't a dog to seek affection from someone that is not me or my parents/siblings. Heck even they get the cold shoulder some times


----------



## d_ray

Last night I pooped Jazzy out to the point that she was falling asleep while sitting down. We did 90 minutes of off leash hiking. She saw her husky bff and they sprinted for almost 30 minutes without a break. The husky is 14 months old and Jazz is 2-3 and the husky could not keep up. He was panting like crazy and Jazz wasn't even panting.

Then we spent all evening practicing our "stranger" training. We had about 4 visitors. By 9 oclock, Jazz was the most exhausted I have ever seen her.


----------



## notgaga

Laika had her annual vet visit last week and weighs 47lbs! I had them check twice, just to be sure. She weighed 52 in August and 53 in October and I could've sworn she weighed in at 57 around December or January because I took her to the vet to weigh her just to see - but has never looked either overweight or too thin. Her tests all came back fine, she gets a lot of exercise but then she's really high energy. And, she's on the 51-100lbs dose of heartworm every month. The vet said there isn't really enough of the medication in those pills to cause damage for a small weight difference a couple of times, but the concern is mainly that she dropped weight (especially if I'm right about being 57lbs a couple of months ago) at a year old.

So I've upped her food from 3.5 cups to 4 a day and will go in and weigh her before her next heartworm pill. If she's still dropping weight or has stayed at 47 then I'm gonna make an appt because the vet said it could be a digestive thing. Poops have been consistently fine, if maybe a bit squishier than they've been in the past.

The other possibility was maybe just the switch from puppy to adult food caused her to lose a bit of weight, plus being so fit. 47 isn't a bad weight for her, the vet said, but she obviously could weigh even 5lbs more and be fine. She shouldn't weigh any less. 

I hope she's just super lean and will bulk up even a little bit with the increase.


----------



## Willowy

If a dog doesn't look skinny I wouldn't worry about it. Weight is weird and doesn't really say much. Go by body condition. 

And, yeah, the amount of ivermectin in Heartgard is miniscule so don't worry about giving the larger dosage, it won't hurt.


----------



## d_ray

notgaga said:


> Laika had her annual vet visit last week and weighs 47lbs! I had them check twice, just to be sure. She weighed 52 in August and 53 in October and I could've sworn she weighed in at 57 around December or January because I took her to the vet to weigh her just to see - but has never looked either overweight or too thin. Her tests all came back fine, she gets a lot of exercise but then she's really high energy. And, she's on the 51-100lbs dose of heartworm every month. The vet said there isn't really enough of the medication in those pills to cause damage for a small weight difference a couple of times, but the concern is mainly that she dropped weight (especially if I'm right about being 57lbs a couple of months ago) at a year old.
> 
> So I've upped her food from 3.5 cups to 4 a day and will go in and weigh her before her next heartworm pill. If she's still dropping weight or has stayed at 47 then I'm gonna make an appt because the vet said it could be a digestive thing. Poops have been consistently fine, if maybe a bit squishier than they've been in the past.
> 
> The other possibility was maybe just the switch from puppy to adult food caused her to lose a bit of weight, plus being so fit. 47 isn't a bad weight for her, the vet said, but she obviously could weigh even 5lbs more and be fine. She shouldn't weigh any less.
> 
> I hope she's just super lean and will bulk up even a little bit with the increase.


How old is she? I wouldn't be too worried especially since she just went to the vet. 4 cups seems like a lot of food. Jewel is close to 60 pounds and only gets 2 cups a day. Jazz is about 45-47 pounds and gets 3 cups and is extremely active.


----------



## notgaga

She's 15 months. She was getting actually like 3 and a quarter before. I upped it as a test since the vet was kinda concerned about absorption so I wanted to see if she'd gain anything. It's just concerning because to lose ten lbs doesn't make sense to me. But I suppose since she's healthy (barring digestive issues) I could go back to her normal amount of food and still weigh her next month.

But she is really very active, yesterday we played, she worked for her food through training and a dispenser, we walked a total of 4 miles at a maybe 3+ mph pace and she was STILL a pain in the butt and had energy left over. I'm averaging 5 miles day between walking her and walking for my own purposes (like school and work), plus hardcore playtime with other dogs or flirt pole or, if she's in the mood, fetch.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I am listening to the nutcracker suite ... in MARCH. I can't help it, I love the music, and I love the story . I was going to see it this past Christmas but I never got around to it  , next Christmas for sure.


----------



## kcomstoc

Is it sad that I have a breeder picked out for all of the dogs I said I wanted on the bucket list thread? Yup now I have them all bookmarked for when the time comes >.> this is what I do with my time. My boyfriend is like "thanks for putting in the leg work and they all look great but you know we won't be getting these dogs for years right" yes Josh I know that >.>


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

kcomstoc said:


> Is it sad that I have a breeder picked out for all of the dogs I said I wanted on the bucket list thread? Yup now I have them all bookmarked for when the time comes >.> this is what I do with my time. My boyfriend is like "thanks for putting in the leg work and they all look great but you know we won't be getting these dogs for years right" yes Josh I know that >.>


I did the same thing! I didn't use either the Aussie or BC breeder I originally picked out though for various reasons.. so it will most likely change when the time comes.


----------



## kcomstoc

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I did the same thing! I didn't use either the Aussie or BC breeder I originally picked out though for various reasons.. so it will most likely change when the time comes.


lol the aussie breeder I chose was Keechak >.> and the German Shepherd was Xeph >.> they would of course have final say on if I got one of their puppies but they are the ones I choose


----------



## d_ray

Jewel is the fun police. Anytime jazzy plays with another dog, Jewel has to join in and growl at jazz. So annoying.


----------



## kcomstoc

d_ray said:


> Jewel is the fun police. Anytime jazzy plays with another dog, Jewel has to join in and growl at jazz. So annoying.


My mom's fiance's husky is the EXACT same way, if she sees the aussie try to play with the kitten (not aggressively or roughly) she stands between them and growls at the aussie until he goes to find someone else to play with. Poor guy gets bossed around a lot


----------



## DGerry

d_ray said:


> Jewel is the fun police. Anytime jazzy plays with another dog, Jewel has to join in and growl at jazz. So annoying.


Chester has a little dog friend at the dog park that he loves to chase and run with, and the little dog's big dog "brother"(same owner) just chases them around barking at them constantly and getting in-between them if he thinks they're having too much fun. I wonder what it is that makes certain dogs "fun police"?


----------



## Prozax

Came home from work and found Luna loose in the house. I was already dreading the disaster I might find. I don't know how long did she spend outside of her crate, but she didn't touch anything  She is 19 months old, maybe I can finally consider letting her roam the house free when I am not at home.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Prozax said:


> Came home from work and found Luna loose in the house. I was already dreading the disaster I might find. I don't know how long did she spend outside of her crate, but she didn't touch anything  She is 19 months old, maybe I can finally consider letting her roam the house free when I am not at home.


That's so awesome! I can't imagine how you felt once you first walked in and saw she escaped. 

Moose is 27 months old and I do not trust him to be left loose in any way, shape or form!


----------



## CptJack

BubbaMoose said:


> That's so awesome! I can't imagine how you felt once you first walked in and saw she escaped.
> 
> Moose is 27 months old and I do not trust him to be left loose in any way, shape or form!


Molly at 10 months would be reasonably okay, provided I removed her access to the garbage, entirely.

Thud's 28 months old and yeah. Ain't no way.


----------



## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> Molly at 10 months would be reasonably okay, provided I removed her access to the garbage, entirely.
> 
> Thud's 28 months old and yeah. Ain't no way.


I totally know what you mean. It's crazy how much it varies between dogs, even within the same breed. Bubba was out of his crate at 7 months-ish. 

I kind of just want to know when it will end. /if a light at the end of the tunnel even exists?


----------



## CptJack

No idea. I've basically decided that Thud is going to be a teenaged puppy and then he's going to be a senior, but there will be no between stage of 'adult' for him. I could be wrong, but deciding that makes me feel less crazy.


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I did the same thing! I didn't use either the Aussie or BC breeder I originally picked out though for various reasons.. so it will most likely change when the time comes.


I've started filling out puppy applications.... that I don't anticipate sending out until 8 months at least down the road.

To be fair though am figuring out a lot about me writing out what my plans and wants are in a dog. lol


----------



## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> No idea. I've basically decided that Thud is going to be a teenaged puppy and then he's going to be a senior, but there will be no between stage of 'adult' for him. I could be wrong, but deciding that makes me feel less crazy.


Wow. I've absolutely never pondered this possibility before, but it makes SOMUCH sense. And also scares the crap out of me.


----------



## CptJack

http://www.petharbor.com/pet.asp?uaid=CLMB.A213743 It's another Hank.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Remmy is my "dog police". Right from the time Kris was a young puppy, if she got too wild with her feet and stepped on him or anybody else, he would run at her and growl and she would lie down. Even now when she is 75 lbs. and he is only 10, if she accidentally steps on him he just gets "spitting mad". The other day they were both running towards me and Remmy heard Kris coming and ducked to the side right in front of Kris. Have never seen him so mad. She knew what she had done and immediately dropped to the ground and Remmy tackled her nose and made her yelp. He never has left a mark on Kris but sure lets her know he does not appreciate getting stepped on. He does the same thing when Kris steps on one of the other dogs and makes them yelp.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Bah. I kind of am annoyed at how much my family members like Hank and dislike Mia. It's stupid. Hank is likable. Mia is not that likable. But every time I talk to them it's 'How is Hank?' or they like every Hank pic on FB but ignore the pics of the other two or they get really excited about Hank agility but never cared about Summer. And while Hank is faster and such, I think Summer was really impressive considering she's 9 inches tall and started at 8 years old.
> 
> I shouldn't care. I know.


I feel that way when I see everyone else getting lots and lots of likes and comments on their dog pics on FB and my dogs get bunk LOL, it can't be because they arent cute enough, because we know that's not true :grin: . It's not the kind of thing to bother me all day, but in a that moment there is disappointment when I check my notifications and dont see any likes or comments LOL


----------



## d_ray

Kyllobernese said:


> Remmy is my "dog police". Right from the time Kris was a young puppy, if she got too wild with her feet and stepped on him or anybody else, he would run at her and growl and she would lie down. Even now when she is 75 lbs. and he is only 10, if she accidentally steps on him he just gets "spitting mad". The other day they were both running towards me and Remmy heard Kris coming and ducked to the side right in front of Kris. Have never seen him so mad. She knew what she had done and immediately dropped to the ground and Remmy tackled her nose and made her yelp. He never has left a mark on Kris but sure lets her know he does not appreciate getting stepped on. He does the same thing when Kris steps on one of the other dogs and makes them yelp.


Jewel is the police in general. If she thinks any other animal is getting too much attention, she will come over and growl. She likes things her way. She hates to share and would prefer to be the only animal in the house.


----------



## missc89

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I feel that way when I see everyone else getting lots and lots of likes and comments on their dog pics on FB and my dogs get bunk LOL, it can't be because they arent cute enough, because we know that's not true :grin: . It's not the kind of thing to bother me all day, but in a that moment there is disappointment when I check my notifications and dont see any likes or comments LOL


I'm really lucky in that my entire family are dog people, except my grandma but that's because she was bit by a dog when she was younger and is now terrified of most dogs (especially the big dogs). We get to bring our dogs everywhere within my family. I really can't complain, but it sucks that you guys have issues with family members


----------



## CptJack

Took 6 months off agility entirely. Went back and did 7 weeks with just Molly and foundations - so basically 8 months of doing nothing much. Went and did a practice which was a couple of hours long running full courses.

_My butt muscles and thighs are on fire_ today.


----------



## missc89

CptJack said:


> Took 6 months off agility entirely. Went back and did 7 weeks with just Molly and foundations - so basically 8 months of doing nothing much. Went and did a practice which was a couple of hours long running full courses.
> 
> _My butt muscles and thighs are on fire_ today.


Woot woot! Get those glutes in shape!  Shake dat butt!


----------



## CptJack

missc89 said:


> Woot woot! Get those glutes in shape!  Shake dat butt!


LOL. It kind of kills me because an agility run is at MOST a minute. You would not think it would be that hard. 

Yeah, no.


----------



## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> LOL. It kind of kills me because an agility run is at MOST a minute. You would not think it would be that hard.
> 
> Yeah, no.


Do you have to be in shape to do agility? I've been wanting to try it with Moose but he can out run me in his sleep.


----------



## CptJack

Um. Define in shape. Can you jog for about a minute without keeling over dead? If so you'll probably be okay. Some of the turns can be kind of rough on your knees, if that's an issue but there are work arounds. You're not really going step by step with the dog or trying to keep up with them anyway, and people who are disabled/in wheelchairs, whatever compete. 

I'm just OUT of shape in fairly big ways and I DO tend to run most of the course with Kylie.


----------



## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> Um. Define in shape. Can you jog for about a minute without keeling over dead? If so you'll probably be okay. Some of the turns can be kind of rough on your knees, if that's an issue but there are work arounds. You're not really going step by step with the dog or trying to keep up with them anyway, and people who are disabled/in wheelchairs, whatever compete.
> 
> I'm just OUT of shape in fairly big ways and I DO tend to run most of the course with Kylie.


Oh yes I can definitely manage that. Thank you for the info! That's awesome to hear about disabled/wheelchair bound individuals competing. 

I found a facility that trains with positive, reward based training that seems good to use. Classes are $195 for 6 weeks, one hour per week. Is that not crazy? I totally wasn't expecting it to be that price.


----------



## CptJack

BubbaMoose said:


> Oh yes I can definitely manage that. Thank you for the info! That's awesome to hear about disabled/wheelchair bound individuals competing.
> 
> I found a facility that trains with positive, reward based training that seems good to use. Classes are $195 for 6 weeks, one hour per week. Is that not crazy? I totally wasn't expecting it to be that price.


That actually doesn't sound TOO horrible, depending on where you are. I mean it's crazy for me, but my 7 weeks is 75.00 and that's because it's a low cost of living area in general (with low incomes to match). 

I think most places doing agility will be positive and reward based. They may not advertise themselves as such but it's almost a requirement of the sport.


----------



## Laurelin

So I'm getting all these crazy life plans and goals revolving around dog training. Thinking about taking classes on running a business, thinking about where I'd like to move in 5 or so years, etc. 

I really think I want to pursue this as far as I can. It'll be a while before I can really get off my feet running but I do think that is my ultimate end goal with this dog hobby.


----------



## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> That actually doesn't sound TOO horrible, depending on where you are. I mean it's crazy for me, but my 7 weeks is 75.00 and that's because it's a low cost of living area in general (with low incomes to match).
> 
> I think most places doing agility will be positive and reward based. They may not advertise themselves as such but it's almost a requirement of the sport.


Wow. That price is so great! I'll probably search around a bit more, but I called the facility and the person I spoke with was so helpful and seemed knowledgable. They also offered for me to come and sit in for a few classes before signing up which I thought was cool. I've personally never experienced any kind of dog class setting, but I think it'll be beneficial for both Moose and I. I would be taking an Obedience course to start (required) and then moving on to a CGC class, then doing agility. Which is why positive/reward based training is so essential. There was also a Weim on the front page of their website doing weave poles which was a point in their favor from me.


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, the price IS good, but it kind of... cuts out earlier than I would like. I need to eventually move to the bigger dog training club, but it's even further away and I'm having a hard time getting myself motivated to do it. It's a little more expensive, but not too bad. Except the DRIVE, OMG. 

Honestly, getting to sit in and do the classes and your comfort level sounds like the place you've found is awesome. DEFINITELY do some group classes if you can. It's FUN, and you get to hang around other dog people and learn things and play with your dog. Win/win/win. 

(And ALL I do is agility and the odd workshop at this stage, because I kind of want to curl up and die when it comes to obedience. I'll get into it someday, really.)


----------



## Laurelin

Just a quick google search for Pheonix agility and I might look into these guys:

http://www.topnotchcanines.com

Or these guys: http://phoenixdogagilityclasses.com


----------



## CptJack

Her looks have improved and OMG WHERE HAS TIME GONE?

I need to stop looking at her baby pictures. A lot.


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> So I'm getting all these crazy life plans and goals revolving around dog training. Thinking about taking classes on running a business, thinking about where I'd like to move in 5 or so years, etc.
> 
> I really think I want to pursue this as far as I can. It'll be a while before I can really get off my feet running but I do think that is my ultimate end goal with this dog hobby.


You should PM me - we could bounce ideas off of each other! I'm currently transitioning from a career in communications (gag) to working with dogs full time, and I'm kind of looking at being a home daycare for dogs (for the time being).

I was (am) miserable in communications and they do say the best job is one that doesn't feel like work! Dogs never feel like work to me!


----------



## Laurelin

missc89 said:


> You should PM me - we could bounce ideas off of each other! I'm currently transitioning from a career in communications (gag) to working with dogs full time, and I'm kind of looking at being a home daycare for dogs (for the time being).
> 
> I was (am) miserable in communications and they do say the best job is one that doesn't feel like work! Dogs never feel like work to me!


I think my end goal is in 5-10 years try to setup an agility training business. Probably a side business at first. I like my salary an benefits right now plus I need more experience training. 

I am thinking about taking some business classes. Not sure exactly but will need some of that kind of knowledge for sure.


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> I think my end goal is in 5-10 years try to setup an agility training business. Probably a side business at first. I like my salary an benefits right now plus I need more experience training.
> 
> I am thinking about taking some business classes. Not sure exactly but will need some of that kind of knowledge for sure.


I want to have an at-home animal therapy ranch-type-thing where it doubles as a rescue and as therapy.


----------



## ZeldaAndLink

CptJack said:


> Her looks have improved and OMG WHERE HAS TIME GONE?
> 
> 
> I need to stop looking at her baby pictures. A lot.



Absolutely love these photos! Too cute!


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I think my end goal is in 5-10 years try to setup an agility training business. Probably a side business at first. I like my salary an benefits right now plus I need more experience training.
> 
> I am thinking about taking some business classes. Not sure exactly but will need some of that kind of knowledge for sure.


Definitely some marketing classes! I see so many dog businesses that need better marketing, better websites, etc. My dad is trying to start up a pet photography business in his retirement and it's interesting to see what has worked and what didn't. Advertising to regular pet owners didn't work at all, but I got him in with the local kennel club (he took some pictures during my classes) and now they want him to do events and photo shoots. Definitely a learning curve.

A good friend of mine just left her job in the non-profit world to start a dog walking/pet sitting business. She's still doing some part time non-profit work to help pay the bills, and she's enjoying that part time work much more than she enjoyed her full time role. Her pet business is picking up and I'm so proud of her for quitting the job she hated and finding a combination of jobs that makes her happy.


----------



## Prozax

I've been secretly planning on a career change too. I'm currently a software developer and all my life has been planned out to do just that. Started out with hardcore math and programming in the 5th grade, continued and graduated top of my class all out of college.
So I am kinda scared to tell anyone in my family that I want to quit all that, at least full time. I don't dislike it , I just think that working with dogs would make me a lot happier and it wouldn't feel like work, as programming sometimes does. 
I am moving to London in the hopes that I can get in the dog world more that I would in Romania, since the culture is so different.


----------



## missc89

Good on you!

We are all here to support you no matter what you decide, and remember, its YOUR life! And as important as family is, YOU are the one that has to live with yourself 24/7, and if you aren't doing it for you, why are you doing it at all?


----------



## Laurelin

Oh god. This is a petfinder ad for a malinois mix at a rescue. Just no. No. No.



> Hy ther, Squigillim Fancy Son hear, its nyce to meat you. I'm a sooper playull kid and wunt to intruduce mysellf to yu. I'm a grate kidd, I luv my kenel, I lyke other doggy's and kitty's, and i dont mess in the huose! the only thing that i'me not a big fan of r those things yu humans kall cids, so i wud rather not b around them. i gnow how to sit, lay down and shacke, so i'm smart, i thowt. i just thinc i need speling and gramor lessons. want to teech me? contakt to prety lady's at UPR and they will sit us up with teeching lesons soon, deel?


For some reason it's just his profile that gets the wonderful spelling. The rest of the profiles seem normal. ???


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Took 6 months off agility entirely. Went back and did 7 weeks with just Molly and foundations - so basically 8 months of doing nothing much. Went and did a practice which was a couple of hours long running full courses.
> 
> _My butt muscles and thighs are on fire_ today.


I ride a bike daily, so my glutes are already awesome  but when I first started? geez, I thought I was going to die LOL.


----------



## DaySleepers

I... don't talk about it much, since I feel like I'm still such a newbie in the dog world in general that there's no way I could have anything to offer, but I keep coming back to ethology/applied animal behavior. I feel like canine training and behavior science is somewhere I could see myself building a career, when I haven't been able to envision much of a future following my current BA (biology focused in botany and horticulture). But ethology programs are few and far between, and I keep second-guessing myself because I've only had ONE dog. Ever. Even though I've been compulsively reading about dog training and behavior for 5+ years now.

So add me to the people with a dog-career pipe dream. I'm not sure I have the chops to work with aggressive animals, but I'd jump at the chance to get deeper into the training world. And my end goal would be a program training scent dogs to detect invasive insects in native plants and crops.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My dog likes TOYS now. ever since I took him herding he has been all like "must chase all things!!!" I love this new dog that has awakened!


----------



## Kayota

Today I accidentally ordered sashimi instead of sushi but I thought I had ordered sushi and went in there asking what happened to the roll because it just looked like a bunch of meat in a box.. LOL they were understanding and gave me a roll, but dang, that was dumb.


----------



## momtolabs

I have tons of psychology homework to do but being on here and watching my dogs play is more entertaining  and everytime I start doing it Dodge steals my pen and I have to chase after him. Or he just sits on my book....


----------



## Laurelin

Tough decisions. :/


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> Oh god. This is a petfinder ad for a malinois mix at a rescue. Just no. No. No.
> 
> 
> 
> For some reason it's just his profile that gets the wonderful spelling. The rest of the profiles seem normal. ???


Lol wut. y wud sum1 write a profil fur a resckue lyke that. Also....gnow and shacke...why?



DaySleepers said:


> I... don't talk about it much, since I feel like I'm still such a newbie in the dog world in general that there's no way I could have anything to offer, but I keep coming back to ethology/applied animal behavior. I feel like canine training and behavior science is somewhere I could see myself building a career, when I haven't been able to envision much of a future following my current BA (biology focused in botany and horticulture). But ethology programs are few and far between, and I keep second-guessing myself because I've only had ONE dog. Ever. Even though I've been compulsively reading about dog training and behavior for 5+ years now.
> 
> So add me to the people with a dog-career pipe dream. I'm not sure I have the chops to work with aggressive animals, but I'd jump at the chance to get deeper into the training world. And my end goal would be a program training scent dogs to detect invasive insects in native plants and crops.


I don't think it matters how many dogs you have had, just how much you want to learn. I've never really been interested in training as a profession, but I was just talking to SO last night about how awesome it would be to open a dog bakery. I even decided that we would have a small fenced park and people with throw doggy birthdays out there with all of their dog friends and we would have pretty dog cookies that looked like real cookies and birthday cakes.


----------



## Kayota

i basically failed my internship by having autosm and anxiety so i feel you about the pet related career pipe dream... I've applied to two pet related positions already and didn't even get an interview.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> LOL. It kind of kills me because an agility run is at MOST a minute. You would not think it would be that hard.
> 
> Yeah, no.


LOL. We usually do two runs in a row, stopping just to restart at the start line. I am usually out of breath by the end. One run is fine but when you do it twice in a row I get out of breath. You don't have to be in great shape to do it but it is amazing how tiring it can be. I have never been sore from it though.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> LOL. We usually do two runs in a row, stopping just to restart at the start line. I am usually out of breath by the end. One run is fine but when you do it twice in a row I get out of breath. You don't have to be in great shape to do it but it is amazing how tiring it can be. I have never been sore from it though.


A lot of the soreness for me is the surface, to be honest. We mostly run on equestrian sand. Great for the dogs. CRAP for me. Or good for me, depending on how you view the workout and being sore. Bad for my knees, either way.


----------



## chimunga

DaySleepers said:


> I... don't talk about it much, since I feel like I'm still such a newbie in the dog world in general that there's no way I could have anything to offer, but I keep coming back to ethology/applied animal behavior. I feel like canine training and behavior science is somewhere I could see myself building a career, when I haven't been able to envision much of a future following my current BA (biology focused in botany and horticulture). But ethology programs are few and far between, and I keep second-guessing myself because I've only had ONE dog. Ever. Even though I've been compulsively reading about dog training and behavior for 5+ years now.
> 
> So add me to the people with a dog-career pipe dream. I'm not sure I have the chops to work with aggressive animals, but I'd jump at the chance to get deeper into the training world. And my end goal would be a program training scent dogs to detect invasive insects in native plants and crops.


Right now it's kind of my dream to make a career in the dog world. I'm waiting for my job to put me back at 20 hours where I'm supposed to be, instead of the 45ish now, so that I can have time to start volunteering and learning more. MIT has a free animal behavior course online, and I've been slowly perusing that.

I just really want Watson to be old enough for agility, his CGC, and to start training to do therapy work. He's a great dog right now. But he's still a puppy, so he just lacks maturity. I really want him to just grow up already. I have an inkling that he might be too friendly for therapy work, but that just may be due to his age. And those fricken growth plates. Just close already so we can go have some fun.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> A lot of the soreness for me is the surface, to be honest. We mostly run on equestrian sand. Great for the dogs. CRAP for me. Or good for me, depending on how you view the workout and being sore. Bad for my knees, either way.


I think that would be harder on the hard sand. We run on the rubber (?) flooring.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> I think that would be harder on the hard sand. We run on the rubber (?) flooring.


Yeah. There's actually some articles about the difficult of running on sand. It's not even hard packed sand, particularly. It's a horse barn. It's like 6" deep fluffy sand with what appears to be carefresh on top an inch deep. It's AWFUL. The outside fields are much easier for me to handle because, obviously, there's less resistance.


----------



## chimunga

From my facebook lost and found pets site: 



> My husband saved this little guy from being eaten by a cat yesterday he is unharmed he is starting to warm up to us and we wanna keep him to give to our daughters for easter (I'll be the one taking care of him lol) anyway. My question is how and what would I feed this little guy?


She wants to give her child a wild rabbit. /facepalm

"Hey the pets shops don't sell rabbits before Easter, so I guess I'll just snatch one up from the wild!"


----------



## Willowy

Ugh ugh ugh. I don't know why I read trapping magazines but I always end up paging through one when they come through the mail. Like a train wreck, I can't look away. Also kind of a "know your enemy" thing. So now for the rest of the day I'll have images of people torturing animals and smiling about it. And all the lovely pictures of smiling children being indoctrinated in the art of torturing animals. Yay fun. 

Hey it rained! Not much but at least things are getting greener. Saw some daffodils breaking through the dirt!


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

My neighbor wants me to walk her dog till June (only 1x a day) and I said yes, I could. Good thing I can walk Gabe and Luke together, but she has yet to call me. I was under the impression I would be starting soon, a number did pop up on my cell phone but no one left a message. I would call that number back, but I forgot her name! I'm waiting for another call, but none have come. I'm starting to feel a tad nervous, I hope they don't think I've changed my mind cause I haven't. I guess the only thing I can do is wait....right?


----------



## BubbaMoose

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> My neighbor wants me to walk her dog till June (only 1x a day) and I said yes, I could. Good thing I can walk Gabe and Luke together, but she has yet to call me. I was under the impression I would be starting soon, a number did pop up on my cell phone but no one left a message. I would call that number back, but I forgot her name! I'm waiting for another call, but none have come. I'm starting to feel a tad nervous, I hope they don't think I've changed my mind cause I haven't. I guess the only thing I can do is wait....right?


Can you text and say something along the lines of, "Hi, I missed a call from this number earlier, how can I help you?" (Can you tell I work in customer service? ) Maybe not exactly "How can I help you?" but I can't think of another phrase to politely initiate asking what the phone call was about. 

More eloquent people with even a semi-broad vocabulary welcome to chime in.


----------



## Laurelin

So watching many rat terriers run today (or several at least) I realize Hank just does not seem to have the same kind of energy at all.


----------



## BubbaMoose

CptJack said:


> Yeah. There's actually some articles about the difficult of running on sand. It's not even hard packed sand, particularly. It's a horse barn. It's like 6" deep fluffy sand with what appears to be carefresh on top an inch deep. It's AWFUL. The outside fields are much easier for me to handle because, obviously, there's less resistance.


Ooomph. I used to work at a horse barn and would regularly spot beginner riders by walking/jogging next to the horse. Not fun, at all. Arena work sucked, taking them on trail rides was even worse though.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My dog jumped from the dock into the lake BY HIMSELF (usually I have to stand behind him and kind of give him a little nudge, today he jumped off right after Josefina with no fear at all! He is fially starting to show that he is the son of a champion dock diver LOL


----------



## Kathyy

About agility and fitness. Thinking, talking and moving at the same time. I actually got my first Q calling out the numbers to Sassy rather than cuing her to jumpjumpjumptunneljumpjumpjump. Never got any easier and I did the same with Max even when he was only making Performance III Jumpers course time by a couple seconds.


----------



## Sibe

BubbaMoose said:


> Do you have to be in shape to do agility? I've been wanting to try it with Moose but he can out run me in his sleep.


 Most people who do agility, ime, are women about 45-70 years old who are not in top shape. Women who have had hip replacements. A bit heavy. Shuffle when they run. (I'm not making fun of them at all, just giving you an idea).

I saw a guy with one leg and on crutches doing agility.

I saw a guy in a wheelchair doing agility.

Obviously have to work more on sends and directional cues ("right," "left," "out," "go on," etc) but you can absolutely do it.

You don't need speed to be good at agility!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Yeah. There's actually some articles about the difficult of running on sand. It's not even hard packed sand, particularly. It's a horse barn. It's like 6" deep fluffy sand with what appears to be carefresh on top an inch deep. It's AWFUL. The outside fields are much easier for me to handle because, obviously, there's less resistance.


Oh, geeze, yeah arena sand is GREAT if you want to build that cardio, though LOL ... its worse (IMO than running on the beach, where you can at least run in the tide trails where it kind of flattens the sand out.


----------



## CptJack

Walked downstairs a few minutes ago to Thud clawing frantically at the front door to be let _in_. I didn't know he was _out_ to start with. Or when he got out. Or how. 

I have no idea how he does this but two or three times a year we just find him somewhere he doesn't belong - locked in a pantry, outside the house and fenced yard, in the bedroom closet, whatever. Always behind a closed, latched, door. Sometimes behind two. Always ALONE (ie: no cats or other dogs with him).

I don't get it. He's not little, quiet, or subtle. Sometimes when it happens I'm the only one home, so I can't blame anyone else. I'm starting to think he teleports.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Walked downstairs a few minutes ago to Thud clawing frantically at the front door to be let _in_. I didn't know he was _out_ to start with. Or when he got out. Or how.
> 
> I have no idea how he does this but two or three times a year we just find him somewhere he doesn't belong - locked in a pantry, outside the house and fenced yard, in the bedroom closet, whatever. Always behind a closed, latched, door. Sometimes behind two. Always ALONE (ie: no cats or other dogs with him).
> 
> I don't get it. He's not little, quiet, or subtle. Sometimes when it happens I'm the only one home, so I can't blame anyone else. I'm starting to think he teleports.


There must be a ghost that doesn't like him.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Thud and Susie must be related. How can a big 80 lb. half Bernese Mtn. dog end up in a locked yard? She was outside when I left, could not find her when I got home and finally found her in my small front yard. The fences were all up, the gates latched so still do not know how she could have gotten in there. She went through a stage a couple of years ago of crawling under another fence that was only a few inches off the ground. Even my little dogs did not go under it but this fence has a board along the bottom so no way to get under it.


----------



## kcomstoc

So yesterday my mom's dogs got groomed and nails trimmed by me >.> the grooming was just trimming up fur (like butt fur and around the feet, their feet were SO FURRY). Nails got done relatively fast even though the husky gets very growly and grumpy, the aussie was fine he was just happy that people were paying attention to him  but his butt fur was out of control poor guy had mats and everything. So even though his butt now looks choppy and not very well groomed at all (poor guy was stuck with me instead of a professional) but it looked better than before and now he can't get mats.


----------



## Flaming

CptJack said:


> Walked downstairs a few minutes ago to Thud clawing frantically at the front door to be let _in_. I didn't know he was _out_ to start with. Or when he got out. Or how.
> 
> I have no idea how he does this but two or three times a year we just find him somewhere he doesn't belong - locked in a pantry, outside the house and fenced yard, in the bedroom closet, whatever. Always behind a closed, latched, door. Sometimes behind two. Always ALONE (ie: no cats or other dogs with him).
> 
> I don't get it. He's not little, quiet, or subtle. Sometimes when it happens I'm the only one home, so I can't blame anyone else. I'm starting to think he teleports.


You sure Thud hasn't started learning how to operate doors?

Manna locks herself in weird places sometimes. Then she freaks out and can't remember how to get back in/out.

If I didn't witness Manna opening and closing doors, I would never have believed it.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Nevermind!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo, poor little Lincoln threw up tonight, all of the stuff in his tummy  I dont know if it was because he drank too much water too quickly or what, or maybe ate too much grass (though there wasnt any grass in the ... uh ... contents of his stomach. Now he was feeling a bit "blah", but now he seems to feel better and now I am not sure if I should try feeding him or not, or just feed him half his ration, or what.


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> Walked downstairs a few minutes ago to Thud clawing frantically at the front door to be let _in_. I didn't know he was _out_ to start with. Or when he got out. Or how.
> 
> I have no idea how he does this but two or three times a year we just find him somewhere he doesn't belong - locked in a pantry, outside the house and fenced yard, in the bedroom closet, whatever. Always behind a closed, latched, door. Sometimes behind two. Always ALONE (ie: no cats or other dogs with him).
> 
> I don't get it. He's not little, quiet, or subtle. Sometimes when it happens I'm the only one home, so I can't blame anyone else. I'm starting to think he teleports.


He's secretly a Blink Dog.


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> He's secretly a Blink Dog.


ZOMG YES! That would explain a lot of dogs!




-----------------------------------

Me and hubby were talking about fat show dogs about 2 nights ago, then hubby finds this gem.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> He's secretly a Blink Dog.


HA! I have a horse like that, I swear he is a more skilled blinker than genie Samantha Stephens (bewitched).


----------



## Miss Bugs

The problem with a winter puppy is that there are so many things puppy will have no chance of experiencing till it warms up.. I have heavily socialized Sola since I got her and she's great, uber confident and friendly BUT she has never experienced runners and bikers before now because till now it was solid ice and -40 everywhere lol...ya turns out she's a reactive little snot, she marches the paths like she owns them and..well.. in the winter she pretty much did. But now bikers and runners are out.. and how DARE they use HER path, she turns into a raving lunatic at everyone she see's! She doesn't mean it..if they ignore her and just walk up to her anyway she's instantly her friendly mushy self, but man it's irritating :/


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> The problem with a winter puppy is that there are so many things puppy will have no chance of experiencing till it warms up.. I have heavily socialized Sola since I got her and she's great, uber confident and friendly BUT she has never experienced runners and bikers before now because till now it was solid ice and -40 everywhere lol...ya turns out she's a reactive little snot, she marches the paths like she owns them and..well.. in the winter she pretty much did. But now bikers and runners are out.. and how DARE they use HER path, she turns into a raving lunatic at everyone she see's! She doesn't mean it..if they ignore her and just walk up to her anyway she's instantly her friendly mushy self, but man it's irritating :/


Lincoln used to be that way, but he just grew out of it.


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> ZOMG YES! That would explain a lot of dogs!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----------------------------------
> 
> Me and hubby were talking about fat show dogs about 2 nights ago, then hubby finds this gem.


Oh. My. God.

That is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of my life.


----------



## notgaga

Laika chewed the corner of my dresser today while I was at school. She's never chewed on anything of mine that wasn't part of a shoe.

Like. I don't want to bring out her crate again because it's big as heck and the last time I set it up I cut my foot pretty good on it and had to get a tetanus shot. We are not on friendly terms right now. And Laika tends to cry a lot in it but doesn't if she's free but contained in my room. 

Maybe it was just a one-off? Luckily it's not an heirloom or anything - it was and looks cheap... I'm just happy it wasn't the desk my dad just bought for me. 

So disappoint. She had been walked and played with dog friends just before I left, too.


----------



## DGerry

I so wish JumpFromPaper made dog gear(backpacks, collars, leashes, etc). Never heard of them?










Yes, those are real bags, and yes they really look like that...for real.


----------



## Pasarella

*DGerry*,is this an April joke?  A day to early for me,but who knows. 

My cuisine went for a vacation to America few days ago and left us her 8 years old pug.That is so funny how my dogs react to dog who has no face  Mimi is constantly in her face,poking her nose with her nose  When the pug sleeps she whistles a little so all four of mine are sitting around the pug and watching it,till the pug wakes up and looks surprised why is she being watched.


----------



## Prozax

DGerry said:


> I so wish JumpFromPaper made dog gear(backpacks, collars, leashes, etc). Never heard of them?
> 
> Yes, those are real bags, and yes they really look like that...for real.


I know those bags!! They're so cool. A doggie backpack would look very nice


----------



## kcomstoc

So recently I've been sick (the last 3 days) and it's sucked I was supposed to work yesterday and I called the first day I was sick (2 days ago) and told her that depending on how I was feeling I wouldn't be making it into work the next day (trying to be professional so she could have time to find someone). She texts me back and said "I'll see what I can do" a few minutes later she said "I found someone to take your shift", I replied with "thank you" so the person that took my shift is actually one of the people there that I get along with very well and Josh went down to my work to get some coffee because he hadn't had any that day and she told him that the manager said "I bet she's not even sick because she asked me the day before she worked if she could have the day off" I've called off of work maybe 2 times because I was sick (this is the second time) and I've never not showed up for my shift and she's gonna act like I'm not sick. UGH I just hate my manager

RANT OVER. sorry I had to get that off my chest


----------



## CptJack

Got called into a meeting at school re: my autistic son. Most of it was to update his IEP and that was fine. 

Not fine? The side discussion about how he disrespected people when they tried to 'confront' him about minor situations (confront was their word). The disrespect? Stimming. While politely answering otherwise.

ARGH.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Got called into a meeting at school re: my autistic son. Most of it was to update his IEP and that was fine.
> 
> Not fine? The side discussion about how he disrespected people when they tried to 'confront' him about minor situations (confront was their word). The disrespect? Stimming. While politely answering otherwise.
> 
> ARGH.


My little brother who has Asperger's has also gotten in trouble and been called disrespectful when confronted by teachers because he has difficulty communicating what he means and does not make eye contact. 

I think if someone is going to be a teacher then they should educate themselves on different learning disabilities.


----------



## Willowy

I don't know why Americans think eye contact is so super anyway. I have a terrible time with eye contact. I do suspect I have Asperger's, or something in that category, but I also grew up in Japan where eye contact is considered rude and aggressive. So I don't know why I have issues with eye contact exactly but even logically I don't know why anybody wants you to look at their eyes. 


For pete's sake people, your dumpster puppy is not a Leonberger mix: http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/puppies-find-loving-families-in-sioux-falls/?id=177991 If they were Leonberger puppies, the dude would have sold them for money instead of throwing them in a garbage can. Besides, those are clearly Thud puppies . I do hope the dog's DNA results get posted on the news site though .


----------



## DGerry

Pasarella said:


> *DGerry*,is this an April joke?  A day to early for me,but who knows.


Neither part of what I said is a joke  Those really are real bags and they really do look like drawings in real life...the closer you get and the more movement there is the more the illusion fades of course but even fairly close they look pretty much like they do in that picture. And I really wish Chester's backpack looked like that


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> Besides, those are clearly Thud puppies . I do hope the dog's DNA results get posted on the news site though .


People tried to convince me thud was a leonberger mix. He clearly outgrew that stage, though. Also yeah. Those are very, very clearly Thud puppies. (Though Thud was fluffier and closer to looking like a Leonberger than those puppies :/)


----------



## Pasarella

DGerry said:


> Neither part of what I said is a joke  Those really are real bags and they really do look like drawings in real life...the closer you get and the more movement there is the more the illusion fades of course but even fairly close they look pretty much like they do in that picture. And I really wish Chester's backpack looked like that


OMG that is so cool!I want one! Sad I can't get one


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Okay, so Lincoln went to the vet and the vet seems to think that giardia is the culprit for Lincoln's periodic diarrhea, occasional vomiting and feeling yucky. Now he has to get panacur for 7 days ... and he does NOT like it. Luckily I am pretty good at giving it. he has to get 6 ML a day -_-


----------



## GrinningDog

DGerry said:


> I so wish JumpFromPaper made dog gear(backpacks, collars, leashes, etc). Never heard of them?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, those are real bags, and yes they really look like that...for real.


This breaks my brain.


----------



## chimunga

So, my friend just asked me to watch his two dogs for three weeks. A six month old boxer/pit and a 3 year old BC mix. Of course I said yes, because I love his dogs. But my husband's going to be gone for two of those three weeks. It's in May, so the boxer is going to be about 8 months old when she stays with us. And I'm just terrified she's going to get her first heat when she's here. Can you imagine Boxer/Pitt/Corgi puppies? They'd be malformed little monsters.


----------



## DGerry

GoGoGypsy said:


> This breaks my brain.


Right??  That's why I want one for Chester so much lol...I think I'm going to buy one and see if I can't figure out how the illusion is done and then try to replicate it. I've seen YouTube videos with these bags in them and they looks pretty much just as crazy in motion as they do in still images. It's so weird to look at, haha.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> This breaks my brain.


Mine too! I wish I could have seen this pic after I had two tequila sunrises LOL.


----------



## BubbaMoose

Moose is insanely food driven. Inhales 3 cups of kibble in under 90 seconds. And 90 seconds is being overly generous. 

Out of mere curiosity I squeaked a tennis ball while he was eating and threw it into another room. He left his entire bowl of food (even while there was another dog in the room) to retrieve the ball. I was pretty amazed.


----------



## BellaPup

GoGoGypsy said:


> This breaks my brain.





DGerry said:


> Right??  That's why I want one for Chester so much lol...I think I'm going to buy one and see if I can't figure out how the illusion is done and then try to replicate it. I've seen YouTube videos with these bags in them and they looks pretty much just as crazy in motion as they do in still images. It's so weird to look at, haha.


Wow - yea. Definitely brain-breaking! Looking at other pics, it looks like it's a normal bag with defined and exaggerated black edges to make it look flat. I dunno, though...kinda makes me feel queasy...lol


----------



## d_ray

In the last couple days, we've encountered 4 JRTs that all react the same to my dogs. In all occasions, it has been off leash. As soon as my dogs make a noise or start playing, the JRTs lunge and bark at them. All 4 (different times and owners) have reacted the same way. The funny thing is, my dogs don't know what to do about it and look at the JRTs so confused and then keep their distance. There is one we encounter quite often and Jazz is terrified of it. 

This is weird because Jazz doesn't back down from anything and got in a fight last week with this huge chow because the chow was aggressive and Jazz fought back.

So why are my dogs so afraid of these tiny dogs?


----------



## elrohwen

d_ray said:


> In the last couple days, we've encountered 4 JRTs that all react the same to my dogs. In all occasions, it has been off leash. As soon as my dogs make a noise or start playing, the JRTs lunge and bark at them. All 4 (different times and owners) have reacted the same way. The funny thing is, my dogs don't know what to do about it and look at the JRTs so confused and then keep their distance. There is one we encounter quite often and Jazz is terrified of it.
> 
> This is weird because Jazz doesn't back down from anything and got in a fight last week with this huge chow because the chow was aggressive and Jazz fought back.
> 
> So why are my dogs so afraid of these tiny dogs?


Watson was a bit freaked out when he met my friend's two JRTs. They are dog friendly, but came running at him and kind of jumped all over him. They are just busy and a lot of energy I think and he had no idea what to do with them at first. He's usually very playful, but he kind of avoided them and looked nervous for the first couple hours, but eventually he figured out how to play with them.

DH said the whole thing reminded him of the nature show where the much smaller lions attack a huge elephant - little JRTs just totally overwhelming a dog 3x their size. Haha


----------



## d_ray

elrohwen said:


> Watson was a bit freaked out when he met my friend's two JRTs. They are dog friendly, but came running at him and kind of jumped all over him. They are just busy and a lot of energy I think and he had no idea what to do with them at first. He's usually very playful, but he kind of avoided them and looked nervous for the first couple hours, but eventually he figured out how to play with them.
> 
> DH said the whole thing reminded him of the nature show where the much smaller lions attack a huge elephant - little JRTs just totally overwhelming a dog 3x their size. Haha


HAHA their barks seemed to freak out my dogs. One was even mixed with a chi so was super tiny. It was funny watching 50-60 pound dogs jump at the sound of the bark. And then back up. They were both looking at it like "what is this creature".


----------



## elrohwen

d_ray said:


> HAHA their barks seemed to freak out my dogs. One was even mixed with a chi so was super tiny. It was funny watching 50-60 pound dogs jump at the sound of the bark. And then back up. They were both looking at it like "what is this creature".


Oh yeah, my friend's dogs are very vocal and growly with each other in play and over toys. Watson is used to his other dog friend growling about everything, but the pitch and tone the JRTs used freaked him out. They would start play growling with each other and he would just leave the room looking worried. Haha. "What are these things and what are the noises they're making?!"


----------



## d_ray

elrohwen said:


> Oh yeah, my friend's dogs are very vocal and growly with each other in play and over toys. Watson is used to his other dog friend growling about everything, but the pitch and tone the JRTs used freaked him out. They would start play growling with each other and he would just leave the room looking worried. Haha. "What are these things and what are the noises they're making?!"


Yah it must be the pitch of their bark. My dogs are always growling and barking during play but it's a lower pitch.


----------



## CptJack

Working on Molly jumping up into my arms. A little excessive enthusiasm and I have a claw mark down my nose, the outside of my top lip and the *inside* of the bottom one. 

Thanks, Molly.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Watching Sola playing with my others is highly entertaining! At one point Happy and Sola we're wrestling over a toy that had a rip in it, suddenly the squeaker fell out and in a flash Sola dropped her end of the toy, grabbed the squeaker and bolted! Meanwhile Happy continued trying to figure out why the toy wouldn't squeak anymore lol(to be fair, Happy is old and mostly blind) Gem then tried to steal the squeaker but Sola dodge around and between Gems legs till she gave up. Eventually Gypsy snatched the squeaker when Sola had tossed it in front of herself and Gypsy layed there with it while Sola layed beside her with her face practically in Gypsys mouth just waiting for the moment Gypsy loosened her grip to dive in, grab it and run! That puppy has no fear, its hilarious! 

In other Sola news, Tiny Toller finally grew!!!!! She's 13.75" tall and 16lbs now at 21 weeks! (bare in mind that her parents are 36lbs & 46lbs)


----------



## CptJack

It's a floppy eared Kylie.


----------



## Laurelin

Where did you find that dog?

I thought it WAS Kylie with her ears pinned back.


----------



## CptJack

http://athenslas.com/?p=1878

A rescue site, basically. I was google image searching 'sheltie mix' for something else. Not that that dog looks any more like a sheltie than Kylie, but man alive they are CLOSE. Like eerily close/similar.


----------



## chimunga

Watson and I get the weirdest looks in our obedience class. I like to keep him distracted when the teacher is in "lecture mode." He's the youngest dog in the class, by probably a year, so his attention span is shorter than the other dogs. So sometimes I'l wrestle with him a little bit. He kinda jumps on my face and headbutts me and nudges me with his nose, and I bat him around with my hands. And we get the weirdest looks from the other people in my class. I had originally started wrestling with him to teach him bite inhibition. We'd wrestle, which he LOVES, and if he put teeth on me we'd stop. It worked really really well, especially with teaching him not to bite my face and ears. It was a little dangerous on my part, but it worked. Anyways.... So Watson is really vocal. Like really. He growl and grunts and whines when he plays, especially with me. _Especially _with me. So I'm trying to keep him interesting by wrestling with him. He's not being loud enough to distract other people from what the trainer is saying. But everyone is looking at my like he's a vicious monster. Calm down. I'm not hurting him. He's not hurting me. I'm just playing with my dog. 

Chillax.


----------



## gingerkid

I successfully cut all of Snowball's front nails without him attempting to bite me. Yay.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> I successfully cut all of Snowball's front nails without him attempting to bite me. Yay.


Oh yeah I get that all the time with Lincoln, I wrestle with him, too. He has great bite inhibition (when it's skin, we are still working on clothes lol) and people give me this chastising look ... same when I play tug with Josefina and her leash.


----------



## Flaming

People would probably have a stroke if they saw me wrestling with Manna. 

We take contact sports to a new level lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Oops I quoted the wrong person up there! Sorry, I am on my phone lol.


----------



## GrinningDog

Today I was walking Gypsy on the sidewalk, when I heard a soft noise. I glanced around, and there was a kid and her dad on bikes RIGHT behind us. I was very startled, and I jumped into the grass to give them space to pass. They went on their merry way, not a word to me. We had something similar happen a few months ago. Only that lady literally flew by us on the sidewalk; I didn't have time to step aside.

I was surprised by how offended I was by such a simple thing. I think it's because I was so startled. But isn't it common courtesy, in such a situation, to utter a "Coming up behind you!" or "Passing on your right!" or even an "Excuse us!" or a belated "Hey, thanks!" or something?


----------



## Rescued

*lion king music*



How did I get so dang lucky? My little puff is about to be eighteen friggin MONTHS old in a few days


----------



## Laurelin

Forum needs a like button.


----------



## Sibe

Rescued said:


> *lion king music*
> How did I get so dang lucky? My little puff is about to be eighteen friggin MONTHS old in a few days


 She is an amazing little girl.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Rescued said:


> *lion king music*
> 
> 
> 
> How did I get so dang lucky? My little puff is about to be eighteen friggin MONTHS old in a few days


She's such an awesome girl. She really has a soft spot in my heart, and it's so awesome she's still alive

How's she doing now?


----------



## Miss Bugs

My friend and both her cats have ringworm..now I am paranoid! I have dermatitis on my scalp and suddenly its extra itchy and Sola has a scab on her ear that is no way shape or form even vaguely resembles ringworm but I'm freaking out and looking up pictures and descriptions, and again..it doesn't resemble ringworm at all, no redness no itching no raised edges no hair loss..just a thick crusty scab with the hair still matted to it..but I'm still paranoid and can't stop scratching my dermatitis.. help lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> Today I was walking Gypsy on the sidewalk, when I heard a soft noise. I glanced around, and there was a kid and her dad on bikes RIGHT behind us. I was very startled, and I jumped into the grass to give them space to pass. They went on their merry way, not a word to me. We had something similar happen a few months ago. Only that lady literally flew by us on the sidewalk; I didn't have time to step aside.
> 
> I was surprised by how offended I was by such a simple thing. I think it's because I was so startled. But isn't it common courtesy, in such a situation, to utter a "Coming up behind you!" or "Passing on your right!" or even an "Excuse us!" or a belated "Hey, thanks!" or something?


Yeah, I would have yelled "excuse you!" As they went by lol. 

I don't know if I mentioned this, but Lincoln did have Giardia, now he has to get panacur for 7 days and he does NOT like it. He is getting slightly better (only because he is promised a treat afterwards) and now I am going to have to treat Josefina, too since there is a strong chance she will have it as well.


----------



## Sarah~

I get to work at the pet friendly hotel tonight, there's been a big dog show in town and I've seen so many awesome dogs! I saw a couple of dogs just now though that I couldn't for the life of me recognize. The best I can describe it is like a pug sized dog with black and tan markings and a short coat kind of like a Doberman, with an extremely pushed in face. Like worse than a pug pushed in, it was weird


----------



## Miss Bugs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yeah, I would have yelled "excuse you!" As they went by lol.
> 
> I don't know if I mentioned this, but Lincoln did have Giardia, now he has to get panacur for 7 days and he does NOT like it. He is getting slightly better (only because he is promised a treat afterwards) and now I am going to have to treat Josefina, too since there is a strong chance she will have it as well.


I was wondering what had come of him being sick! At least it's just something easy to treat! 

I feel less paranoid already, the quarter sized scab that did not even vaguely resemble ringworm has already shrunken down to smaller then a dime as the crusties fall off lol, makes me feel better that itvis in fact just a scab..not sure how she GOT it but I know how she plays so..probably just from wrestling with one of her puppy friends, she plays all day with a Rottie pup and a Stafford pup and they they tag team her(only way they stand a chance lol) someone probably just got a puppy tooth in her ear.


----------



## momtolabs

My relatives are not supposed to be here until 11:30-noon today for our Easter get together. It's 10:40 and most are already here.... So I was outside playing with the dogs since they will have to be kenneled when everyone is here and my uncle yells and tells me to put them up. I ignore him and keep playing with mia(this uncles is annoying and I don't get along with him) he tells me again I hVs to put her up. At this point I get aggravated and snark back "what you going to do, go tell my dad like a two year old?" And he huffed and went to tell my dad,lol. My dad tells him I don't have to put her up since no one was supposed to be here until later and it isn't fair to keep my dog up from 10:30-8:9pm tonight. So now my uncle is pouting in the shed. He is the only person who has a problem with her being out. She isn't trying to steal food, she is leaving everyone alone and just behaving like usual. He's just mad because he isn't in control of everything right now. He is one of those "it's my way or no way" kind of people. He drives me batty,lol.


----------



## Rescued

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> She's such an awesome girl. She really has a soft spot in my heart, and it's so awesome she's still alive
> 
> How's she doing now?


She's doing good! I try not to think about jinxing it  she comes on all the hikes with us and can do two miles nonstop without even pausing. 

Widdle precious puff puff.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I posted a video on my instagram of Gypsy with these Yeti dog chew golden nugget things..she hates them, I took a video of me teasing her with it because everytime I offered her the treat she averted her gaze and ran away from it, Gypsy is a piglet who eats anything so I was seriously amused, I got it in a barkbox and my description was like "thanks BarkBox for actually finding a treat my dog won't touch!" And the yeti dog chew company responded with a stock reply of "hope your pup enjoyed our treat, thanks for sharing!" And I laughed and laughed and laughed!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I was wondering what had come of him being sick! At least it's just something easy to treat!
> 
> I feel less paranoid already, the quarter sized scab that did not even vaguely resemble ringworm has already shrunken down to smaller then a dime as the crusties fall off lol, makes me feel better that itvis in fact just a scab..not sure how she GOT it but I know how she plays so..probably just from wrestling with one of her puppy friends, she plays all day with a Rottie pup and a Stafford pup and they they tag team her(only way they stand a chance lol) someone probably just got a puppy tooth in her ear.


Yeah, sorry I havent updated on him, I have been super busy with a fence (which we have finished!!!) this past week LOL, he onky has one more friggin day to get the panacur LOL ... but now I have to start on Josefina and my folks other dogs LOL (because they were exposed to him, since he had first started having it when I left ... and I stupidly thought it was due to teething), but at least she is easier then he is.


----------



## Kayota

Sarah~ said:


> I get to work at the pet friendly hotel tonight, there's been a big dog show in town and I've seen so many awesome dogs! I saw a couple of dogs just now though that I couldn't for the life of me recognize. The best I can describe it is like a pug sized dog with black and tan markings and a short coat kind of like a Doberman, with an extremely pushed in face. Like worse than a pug pushed in, it was weird


petit brabancon


----------



## Sarah~

Kayota said:


> petit brabancon


That was it! Thanks


----------



## chimunga

While I was at work the other day, my husband decided he was going to work with Watson a little bit on tricks. He always complains about Watson not listening to him, so I had been bugging him about training with him. He knew I had been working with Watson with Stick em Up (aka Sit pretty) for about a month and a half. It took me forever to get Watson strong enough to be able to stand up. But he's finally at that point, so I had just been working on perfecting it. So I get home and my husband is just beaming. He's super excited. And he shows me what they worked on. He makes this super cute little hand signal where he un holsters a gun and points it at Watson. Watson does his Stick em Up and.... he's dancing. I had been working really really carefully to get him to sit before hand, so he doesn't hurt his back when he does it, and so he stays stationary instead of jumping around. But my husband was so excited. And it was awesome that they were working together. I had to be really gentle when I told him that Watson needs to be sitting before he does it. Luckily he took it well. 

But that's kind of the consistent problem that we have. He always asks me what he can do to help with the dog. And I tell him the first thing he can do is read a dog book, or watch some videos on youtube. Because he always expects me to be the encyclopedia, and I just tell him what he needs to do. So in other words, I do all the hard parts, and he gets to have all the fun. I can't be expected to tell him every single thing I've learned. I've been researching and reading and scouring the internet for any information on dog behavior for the past _year_. 

One of my biggest problems is that he never takes Watson for walks. Because Watson doesn't listen to him on walks. So he always asks me what he should do. And the first thing I tell him to do is drop the frustration. Then, instead of telling him, I'll try to get him to watch a video on LLW. But he always just kind of ignores it and starts yanking my dog around. How hard is it? 1. Click+Reward when he's in the position you want him in 2. Don't move if he's pulling on the leash 3. Turn the other direction if he's really pulling. 4. If it looks like he's about to pull, tell him "Wait up" or "Heel" (both commands he responds to).

I don't want to be a nit pick, and I don't want to be the bad guy that turns everything fun into a training session. But I can't be expected to relay all my (limited) knowledge on a daily basis before I go to work. Don't treat if he's doing a sloppy puppy sit. Make sure he sits before Stick Em Up. Don't throw the ball unless he sits first. Don't always release him after saying "Leave it." The reason Watson is so well-behaved is because I set rules. And it was a lot of hard work.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

chimunga said:


> While I was at work the other day, my husband decided he was going to work with Watson a little bit on tricks. He always complains about Watson not listening to him, so I had been bugging him about training with him. He knew I had been working with Watson with Stick em Up (aka Sit pretty) for about a month and a half. It took me forever to get Watson strong enough to be able to stand up. But he's finally at that point, so I had just been working on perfecting it. So I get home and my husband is just beaming. He's super excited. And he shows me what they worked on. He makes this super cute little hand signal where he un holsters a gun and points it at Watson. Watson does his Stick em Up and.... he's dancing. I had been working really really carefully to get him to sit before hand, so he doesn't hurt his back when he does it, and so he stays stationary instead of jumping around. But my husband was so excited. And it was awesome that they were working together. I had to be really gentle when I told him that Watson needs to be sitting before he does it. Luckily he took it well.
> 
> But that's kind of the consistent problem that we have. He always asks me what he can do to help with the dog. And I tell him the first thing he can do is read a dog book, or watch some videos on youtube. Because he always expects me to be the encyclopedia, and I just tell him what he needs to do. So in other words, I do all the hard parts, and he gets to have all the fun. I can't be expected to tell him every single thing I've learned. I've been researching and reading and scouring the internet for any information on dog behavior for the past _year_.
> 
> One of my biggest problems is that he never takes Watson for walks. Because Watson doesn't listen to him on walks. So he always asks me what he should do. And the first thing I tell him to do is drop the frustration. Then, instead of telling him, I'll try to get him to watch a video on LLW. But he always just kind of ignores it and starts yanking my dog around. How hard is it? 1. Click+Reward when he's in the position you want him in 2. Don't move if he's pulling on the leash 3. Turn the other direction if he's really pulling. 4. If it looks like he's about to pull, tell him "Wait up" or "Heel" (both commands he responds to).
> 
> I don't want to be a nit pick, and I don't want to be the bad guy that turns everything fun into a training session. But I can't be expected to relay all my (limited) knowledge on a daily basis before I go to work. Don't treat if he's doing a sloppy puppy sit. Make sure he sits before Stick Em Up. Don't throw the ball unless he sits first. Don't always release him after saying "Leave it." The reason Watson is so well-behaved is because I set rules. And it was a lot of hard work.


Chimunga.....I have little advice but I completely feel your pain. For Peggy, I did ALL of the research. All of it. Husband finally agreed that his outdated, dominance based methods he used on my adult dog are not okay (though he still thinks "sometimes alpha rolling is okay") but did not in the least educate himself. He waited until I leash trained Peggy (SO MUCH WORK) on my own to start walking her, and still insists on handling her differently than I do on walks. Etc etc. If you ask him to walk Watson while you're working, what happens? Maybe try having a sit-down discussion about it and explaining that his relationship with the dog won't improve unless he puts the effort in. Sometimes that works for me  my husband gets really butthurt that Peggy will choose me nearly 100% of the time and I tell him it's because he doesn't do enough with her.


----------



## CptJack

My advice isn't advice, but.

I don't interfere with my husband's relationship with the dogs, unless what he is doing could be dangerous or distressing to the dog. Ie: I would intercede if he were yelling, hitting, giving leash corrections, or trying to feed them chocolate or whatever (or in this case not asking the dog for a sit before the paws up). If it's not safety related? I don't. I don't because me being a control freak about it turns him off doing anything with the dogs at all, and it makes their relationship worse, rather than better.

So, they pull on the leash when he talks them. They don't listen to him super well for everything (only the few things he has taken upon himself to care about and teach/reinforce). They jump up on him to greet him. That impacts their behavior with me not at all. Even my dumbest dog has long since figured out that the rules are different with me than him and behave accordingly. 

But my husband likes the dogs a lot more when I'm not micromanaging and telling him he's wrong. When he likes them more, he's more willing to play with them, train them, walk them, and generally be with them. Never mind the strain trying to control their interactions puts on my relationship with my husband.

So, mostly, I butt out unless he's going to do the dog ACTUAL damage in some regard.


----------



## chimunga

CptJack said:


> My advice isn't advice, but.
> 
> I don't interfere with my husband's relationship with the dogs, unless what he is doing could be dangerous or distressing to the dog. Ie: I would intercede if he were yelling, hitting, giving leash corrections, or trying to feed them chocolate or whatever (or in this case not asking the dog for a sit before the paws up). If it's not safety related? I don't. I don't because me being a control freak about it turns him off doing anything with the dogs at all, and it makes their relationship worse, rather than better.
> 
> So, they pull on the leash when he talks them. They don't listen to him super well for everything (only the few things he has taken upon himself to care about and teach/reinforce). They jump up on him to greet him. That impacts their behavior with me not at all. Even my dumbest dog has long since figured out that the rules are different with me than him and behave accordingly.
> 
> But my husband likes the dogs a lot more when I'm not micromanaging and telling him he's wrong. When he likes them more, he's more willing to play with them, train them, walk them, and generally be with them. Never mind the strain trying to control their interactions puts on my relationship with my husband.
> 
> So, mostly, I butt out unless he's going to do the dog ACTUAL damage in some regard.





ChelseaOliver said:


> Chimunga.....I have little advice but I completely feel your pain. For Peggy, I did ALL of the research. All of it. Husband finally agreed that his outdated, dominance based methods he used on my adult dog are not okay (though he still thinks "sometimes alpha rolling is okay") but did not in the least educate himself. He waited until I leash trained Peggy (SO MUCH WORK) on my own to start walking her, and still insists on handling her differently than I do on walks. Etc etc. If you ask him to walk Watson while you're working, what happens? Maybe try having a sit-down discussion about it and explaining that his relationship with the dog won't improve unless he puts the effort in. Sometimes that works for me  my husband gets really butthurt that Peggy will choose me nearly 100% of the time and I tell him it's because he doesn't do enough with her.


Watson is the same way. He knows the rules with me. But then my husband gets all butthurt when Watson doesn't act the same way with him that he does with me. He doesn't understand that that wasn't magic. It was a lot of work. And a lot of reading. He's a perfectionist too, so he doesn't want to walk the dog if he's pulling. But it takes time and effort to teach the dog not to pull. And my husband always gets frustrated and ends up jerking him around, and that's where I draw the line. And then I get angry and resent-y, because he doesn't walk to dog at all. I'll get home from work and Watson will be hyper as all hell, because he hasn't gotten any exercise that day, and my husband is mad at him because he's hyper. (My husband works, but he gets Fri, Sat, and Sun off. I usually work Fridays and Saturdays) Well, if you had taken half an hour to go for a walk with him this morning, and then maybe another 15 minutes for fetch, you wouldn't be dealing with a hyper adolescent dog. It's very frustrating, because he loves the dog, but Watson is still very clearly my dog, and that's how my husband thinks of him.


----------



## elrohwen

Can you get some type of no-pull harness or something that your husband can use? My husband isn't really interested in teaching great leash manners, so he can walk Watson on the prong or whatever other thing makes walks easier for them. 

I agree with CptJack that I try to butt out of their relationship and it has worked itself out. No, Watson doesn't really listen to him, but they have fun and they cuddle and they have a great relationship, and it doesn't impact my relationship with the dog at all.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

chimunga said:


> Watson is the same way. He knows the rules with me. But then my husband gets all butthurt when Watson doesn't act the same way with him that he does with me. He doesn't understand that that wasn't magic. It was a lot of work. And a lot of reading. He's a perfectionist too, so he doesn't want to walk the dog if he's pulling. But it takes time and effort to teach the dog not to pull. And my husband always gets frustrated and ends up jerking him around, and that's where I draw the line. And then I get angry and resent-y, because he doesn't walk to dog at all. I'll get home from work and Watson will be hyper as all hell, because he hasn't gotten any exercise that day, and my husband is mad at him because he's hyper. (My husband works, but he gets Fri, Sat, and Sun off. I usually work Fridays and Saturdays) Well, if you had taken half an hour to go for a walk with him this morning, and then maybe another 15 minutes for fetch, you wouldn't be dealing with a hyper adolescent dog. It's very frustrating, because he loves the dog, but Watson is still very clearly my dog, and that's how my husband thinks of him.


I would also draw the line at him jerking the dog around on the leash. I'm lucky in the sense that, if I tell my husband the best way to do something and explain why, he will typically follow some version of what I tell him to do. The no walking situation wouldn't fly here - coming home to a hyper puppy because he pulls on the leash and as such 'can't be walked' is not an acceptable excuse. If your husband isn't willing to work on leash training with Watson, or can't because he gets too frustrated, is he able to take him to the dog park or somewhere he can be off leash safely to get some exercise? I've also found specific instructions work well - if I'm busy working or am planning on taking my other dog out, I'll tell him very clearly, far in advance, that he needs to plan to handle Peggy's evening exercise, and that he can either walk her, go to the dog park, or do a LOT of play and training at home/in the backyard. Maybe he needs something 'special' that's just something that him and Watson do without your involvement?


----------



## elrohwen

Another thought I had - it might help to have a set schedule of who does what with the dog on what days. Not that you have to write it down or anything, but I find that having our specific jobs and roles in Watson's life helps settle some of these things. DH always takes him for a 15min walk in the morning, and feeds breakfast. He also takes him out before bed. I do the main walk after work and the training. It gives us each our own time with the dog to build our independent relationships. We are happy to cover for each other if necessary, and some days DH comes with us for our main walk, but I think the routine helps.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> My advice isn't advice, but.
> 
> I don't interfere with my husband's relationship with the dogs, unless what he is doing could be dangerous or distressing to the dog. Ie: I would intercede if he were yelling, hitting, giving leash corrections, or trying to feed them chocolate or whatever (or in this case not asking the dog for a sit before the paws up). If it's not safety related? I don't. I don't because me being a control freak about it turns him off doing anything with the dogs at all, and it makes their relationship worse, rather than better.
> 
> So, they pull on the leash when he talks them. They don't listen to him super well for everything (only the few things he has taken upon himself to care about and teach/reinforce). They jump up on him to greet him. That impacts their behavior with me not at all. Even my dumbest dog has long since figured out that the rules are different with me than him and behave accordingly.
> 
> But my husband likes the dogs a lot more when I'm not micromanaging and telling him he's wrong. When he likes them more, he's more willing to play with them, train them, walk them, and generally be with them. Never mind the strain trying to control their interactions puts on my relationship with my husband.
> 
> So, mostly, I butt out unless he's going to do the dog ACTUAL damage in some regard.


I have my dog (lincoln) and he has his (Josefina) I dont (or try not to) interfere with him and Josefina's relationship. sometimes he leaves her with me during the day and I do care for her, but I am not overly affectionate to her or attentive to her, because she isnt mine.

In turn, he isnt overly affectionate to Lincoln, he doesnt feed him treats, walk him or play with him. Lincoln likes him, but he likes me more  and thats the way I want it, I know this is selfish, but I bought him for ME and I want him to be MY dog. I have always been that way. Neither of us want our dogs to like people outside of the family, I socialize so they are comfortable around strangers, but as far as seeking attention from them? Nope, I will redirect him if he tries with "leave it".


----------



## jade5280

SO doesn't walk, feed, or train the dogs by himself. He only plays with them once in a while. I don't expect him to do anything with them since they are my dogs. All I ask is that he lets them out to potty on the days he has off and I'm working. We usually bring the dogs places together on the weekend, but during the week I give them all their exercise. He still loves them and cuddles them. Sometimes he will bring Ryker to play with his friends dog, but that's about it.

I'm glad that he isn't more involved with the training because he's not very dog training savvy and I want things done a certain way.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Read an excerpt from a dog breed book that basically states: _Don't pet your dog too much because, in their eyes, that's seems submissive on your part and you must be the leader. _ Also from the book: _Don't let your dog go up the stairs first as you're supposed to, as you're the leader of them. _

*rolls eyes* Wow...what complete nonsense! I'm glad I know otherwise, but feel bad for people who would listen to this (and then do it).


----------



## Willowy

People do not listen! I worked at a larger, busier Post Office today. They have a display screen for people to sign when they get a signature-required package or letter. I tell the people "sign AND print in the box then press accept". They never sign AND print. Ever! Then when I get to the next step, I say "put your address here, you don't have to write the town's name, just your street address". About half of the people write down everything---the town, state, zip. It doesn't bother me (except when there's a line and they write slow), but it's kind of amusing to see how just nobody listens.


----------



## Annageckos

Miss Bugs said:


> I posted a video on my instagram of Gypsy with these Yeti dog chew golden nugget things..she hates them, I took a video of me teasing her with it because everytime I offered her the treat she averted her gaze and ran away from it, Gypsy is a piglet who eats anything so I was seriously amused, I got it in a barkbox and my description was like "thanks BarkBox for actually finding a treat my dog won't touch!" And the yeti dog chew company responded with a stock reply of "hope your pup enjoyed our treat, thanks for sharing!" And I laughed and laughed and laughed!


Two out of three of my dogs love them. One dog doesn't chew anything so that didn't surprise me.


----------



## chimunga

Thanks everyone. That makes me feel better. I think that is what I'll start doing. Make a schedule, or find some thing that he and Watson just do together. We're going to start agility in September and David (hubby) has shown interest in making that their thing. I really want us to take walks together too. Whenever we end up doing it, it's just lovely. But it's like pulling teeth trying to get my husband to go out after he's out of his uniform for the day.


----------



## Laurelin

Last night I saw two owners alpha roll and 'tssst!' their dogs. Cattle Dog and pit bull.


I also saw a pit bull puppy get slapped across the face for walking over all happy and friendly and jumping up on her owner. Not even being wild, just put her paws up on her owner. Super soft and cute dog too and she acted really devastated. The owner didn't even address the dog, just SMACK then kept talking to her friends.

She also had an intact male pit bull and I'm sure they were going to breed them once the puppy was older. And she and her friends were talking about the dogs they 'had to get rid of'

UGH people.


----------



## taquitos

Laurelin said:


> Last night I saw two owners alpha roll and 'tssst!' their dogs. Cattle Dog and pit bull.
> 
> 
> I also saw a pit bull puppy get slapped across the face for walking over all happy and friendly and jumping up on her owner. Not even being wild, just put her paws up on her owner. Super soft and cute dog too and she acted really devastated. The owner didn't even address the dog, just SMACK then kept talking to her friends.
> 
> She also had an intact male pit bull and I'm sure they were going to breed them once the puppy was older. And she and her friends were talking about the dogs they 'had to get rid of'
> 
> UGH people.


That's awful  I always feel out of line saying something to people like this but I feel so bad for their dogs.

My neighbor has two Chihuahuas who he regularly lets off leash on our street. We live on a cul-de-sac just off a super busy street. They don't even wear IDs. Yesterday I was out with Meeko letting him out for a pee, and his dogs started rushing towards ours. He just yelled really loudly at them and they froze and one of the dogs just urinated everywhere in the middle of the street doing all sorts of appeasement behaviors. He didn't want to come back to the owner. The other one did but with his tail tucked under him. He then grabbed the one that came and then started "herding" the scared little one back into their house using his feet


----------



## jade5280

Found our first tick of the season. A tiny one, crawling on Ryker. Grooooooooossssssssss.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Found our first tick of the season. A tiny one, crawling on Ryker. Grooooooooossssssssss.


Yep, I found one on Watson's face on Saturday. Yuck


----------



## momtolabs

I have to board one of the dogs next month for a few days. I'm freaking out here!! What questions should I ask? I drive past this kennel almost daily and it looks nice but I'm still freaking out. It's in the country thankfully since all my dogs hate the busy city sounds. But then I start thinking "but what if they get loose!? It's in the country with thick woods and they have never been there. Tractors and combines are also going to be in the fields next month.... Yup having a mini panic attack.....


----------



## notgaga

Hulk the 175lb not pitbull is on the View right now because he howls when the owners child plays a harmonica.

Why haven't I changed the channel? The remote doesn't have batteries and the TV is too far away


----------



## Willowy

I've been thinking about this one for a while. There's a couple who walk their dogs by my house every morning. The husband walks a big wolfy-looking GSD mix, the wife walks a Shih Tzu. On very cold mornings the wife and Shih Tzu are absent (I assume they stay home where it's warm ) but the man and GSD mix walk by EVERY morning. At exactly the same time. Which happens to be the exact time I let my dogs out to pee before leaving for work. So every morning my dogs bark at theirs and I have to call them in before the neighbors get too mad about barking at 6:45 in the morning. If they came 5 minutes earlier or later my dogs would not be outside. 

It occurs to me that if I walked my dogs by a house that had dogs barking at a particular time every morning, I might adjust my walking route to avoid that house, or to walk by it earlier/later. I'm not annoyed that they don't, I just think *I* would do that. I mean, maybe they can't change their schedule/route, maybe they don't want to, maybe every other route has even more barking dogs, I don't know. 

Of course, I could wake up earlier and let my dogs out before they come, but who wants to wake up earlier, ugh .


----------



## ChelseaOliver

Willowy said:


> I've been thinking about this one for a while. There's a couple who walk their dogs by my house every morning. The husband walks a big wolfy-looking GSD mix, the wife walks a Shih Tzu. On very cold mornings the wife and Shih Tzu are absent (I assume they stay home where it's warm ) but the man and GSD mix walk by EVERY morning. At exactly the same time. Which happens to be the exact time I let my dogs out to pee before leaving for work. So every morning my dogs bark at theirs and I have to call them in before the neighbors get too mad about barking at 6:45 in the morning. If they came 5 minutes earlier or later my dogs would not be outside.
> 
> It occurs to me that if I walked my dogs by a house that had dogs barking at a particular time every morning, I might adjust my walking route to avoid that house, or to walk by it earlier/later. I'm not annoyed that they don't, I just think *I* would do that. I mean, maybe they can't change their schedule/route, maybe they don't want to, maybe every other route has even more barking dogs, I don't know.
> 
> Of course, I could wake up earlier and let my dogs out before they come, but who wants to wake up earlier, ugh .


This is interesting. I think I, if I were the person walking, would change my route but that might be because Sheena loses it when dogs bark at her. 

Similarly, I take Peggy out to some fields near my house every morning around the same time. Lately, we've been seeing an older man with his 2 boxers - one on and one off leash. By now he KNOWS we're going to be there, but we still show up to sometimes find the one typically walked on leash running around loose (he doesn't listen and comes up to me and Peggy). Normally I wouldn't mind since Peggy is fine with it, but the owner told me the other day, AFTER our dogs greeted each other and played a bit, that this dog sometimes "attacks" other dogs. If you know someone else with a dog is likely to be there, why let a dog that "attacks" run loose?


----------



## Miss Bugs

I change my route sometimes but for me, I only consider MY dogs. There is one route that has 2 yards of dogs that REALLY get my dogs going, I often avoid it, but I do purposly go that route sometimes because My dogs need to learn to keep their cool. The alternative route I take for that direction ALSO has 2 yards of dogs that bark like lunatics at mine, but on that route my dogs barley glance in their direction so I don't care lol, I'm not gonna adjust my route for someone else's dogs unless their was a chance of danger.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

Ugh not really a random question or rant but Sheena just killed a huge field mouse and then Peggy promptly swallowed it whole. Awesome. I guess I'll be on the lookout for worms for awhile.


----------



## Prozax

Luna is in heat again and sooo lazy. 3 weeks won't pass fast enough.


----------



## Laurelin

I found a breeder that breeds BC x Rat terriers.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I found a breeder that breeds BC x Rat terriers.


Do it! Puppy now!


----------



## Laurelin

Haha they have a spring litter. I think this is the third set of them they've bred. 

I also discovered the performance dogs for adoption fb page.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Do it! Puppy now!


NO she is supposed to get a MAS!


----------



## luv mi pets

Miss Bugs said:


> I change my route sometimes but for me, I only consider MY dogs. There is one route that has 2 yards of dogs that REALLY get my dogs going, I often avoid it, but I do purposly go that route sometimes because My dogs need to learn to keep their cool. The alternative route I take for that direction ALSO has 2 yards of dogs that bark like lunatics at mine, but on that route my dogs barley glance in their direction so I don't care lol, I'm not gonna adjust my route for someone else's dogs unless their was a chance of danger.


I think nowadays just about every household has dogs. I am sure it would be hard to find a route that would be essentially dog-free.


----------



## chimunga

Willowy said:


> I've been thinking about this one for a while. There's a couple who walk their dogs by my house every morning. The husband walks a big wolfy-looking GSD mix, the wife walks a Shih Tzu. On very cold mornings the wife and Shih Tzu are absent (I assume they stay home where it's warm ) but the man and GSD mix walk by EVERY morning. At exactly the same time. Which happens to be the exact time I let my dogs out to pee before leaving for work. So every morning my dogs bark at theirs and I have to call them in before the neighbors get too mad about barking at 6:45 in the morning. If they came 5 minutes earlier or later my dogs would not be outside.
> 
> It occurs to me that if I walked my dogs by a house that had dogs barking at a particular time every morning, I might adjust my walking route to avoid that house, or to walk by it earlier/later. I'm not annoyed that they don't, I just think *I* would do that. I mean, maybe they can't change their schedule/route, maybe they don't want to, maybe every other route has even more barking dogs, I don't know.
> 
> Of course, I could wake up earlier and let my dogs out before they come, but who wants to wake up earlier, ugh .


Honestly, I never even considered this. If Watson starts obsessing over a particular dog behind a fence, I just look at it as a teachable moment and try to work him out of it. I like to walk where I like to walk. As long as there's no danger, I'm not going to let a dog behind a fence change that. I guess I'm a terrible person, but I consider a dog behind a fence to be not my problem. The same way I wouldn't get annoyed with someone walking by my fence with a dog and getting Watson riled up.


----------



## kcomstoc

Is it weird that I thought about Dalmatians when I was working with frozen chocolate chip cookie dough? even though it's more tan than white >.>


----------



## CptJack

Sharing this here since it might be useful for someone dealing with fear based reactivity, but.

I found teaching Molly to stand/lay down/ and WALK between my legs during periods where she's not being worked with actively to be hugely helpful for her. I have no idea if it would help another dog much, but it absolutely seems to make her feel more secure and therefore WAY less likely to react.


----------



## Willowy

Boo. Why can Amazon ship a $140 bookcase to me free, but Ikea wants $400 to ship me a $135 bookcase? I like the Ikea one better. . .and I don't have any other reason to go to the Cities anytime soon, and can't really justify 5 hours each way and the gas money just to buy a couple of bookcases only because I like them slightly better than the one Amazon has. Bah.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> Honestly, I never even considered this. If Watson starts obsessing over a particular dog behind a fence, I just look at it as a teachable moment and try to work him out of it. I like to walk where I like to walk. As long as there's no danger, I'm not going to let a dog behind a fence change that. I guess I'm a terrible person, but I consider a dog behind a fence to be not my problem. The same way I wouldn't get annoyed with someone walking by my fence with a dog and getting Watson riled up.


I agree, bringing them in isnt teaching them anything, I would use it as an opportunity to teach, or if I didnt ... I would just get up earlier to avoid them, its not up to other people to be bothered with something that is MY issue, not theirs.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Willowy said:


> I've been thinking about this one for a while. There's a couple who walk their dogs by my house every morning. The husband walks a big wolfy-looking GSD mix, the wife walks a Shih Tzu. On very cold mornings the wife and Shih Tzu are absent (I assume they stay home where it's warm ) but the man and GSD mix walk by EVERY morning. At exactly the same time. Which happens to be the exact time I let my dogs out to pee before leaving for work. So every morning my dogs bark at theirs and I have to call them in before the neighbors get too mad about barking at 6:45 in the morning. If they came 5 minutes earlier or later my dogs would not be outside.
> 
> It occurs to me that if I walked my dogs by a house that had dogs barking at a particular time every morning, I might adjust my walking route to avoid that house, or to walk by it earlier/later. I'm not annoyed that they don't, I just think *I* would do that. I mean, maybe they can't change their schedule/route, maybe they don't want to, maybe every other route has even more barking dogs, I don't know.
> 
> Of course, I could wake up earlier and let my dogs out before they come, but who wants to wake up earlier, ugh .


I guess I don't see why you can't let your dog's out 5 minutes earlier or later, if it's right when you wake up then let them out 5 minutes later, if it's 5 minutes before you leave for work then just let them out 10 minutes before you leave for work and let them hang out inside for the 5 minutes before you leave... I mean, I don't understand the issue... Unless you literally only have 5 minutes between you getting up and leaving for work I don't see why you can't just let them out at a different time.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

Slightly similar to Chimunga's issue with her husband but how do you get someone to understand that dogs still need to be exercised in crappy weather? If there's even a HINT of drizzle happening outside my husband will refuse to walk either of the dogs saying it's "insane" to walk them in the rain. I mean pouring rain yeah I would wait until it subsides, but drizzle?


----------



## CptJack

ChelseaOliver said:


> Slightly similar to Chimunga's issue with her husband but how do you get someone to understand that dogs still need to be exercised in crappy weather? If there's even a HINT of drizzle happening outside my husband will refuse to walk either of the dogs saying it's "insane" to walk them in the rain. I mean pouring rain yeah I would wait until it subsides, but drizzle?


I don't know, but I'm your husband. Unless the bad weather has gone so long that the dogs are going insane (which for mine are a few days) I don't go out in any kind of rain either. Unless it's really warm. I'm the wicked witch, here. I HATE being wet.


----------



## jade5280

I don't walk mine in bad weather either. If they really needed it then I would, but they don't and are content to lay around.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

CptJack said:


> I don't know, but I'm your husband. Unless the bad weather has gone so long that the dogs are going insane (which for mine are a few days) I don't go out in any kind of rain either. Unless it's really warm. I'm the wicked witch, here. I HATE being wet.





jade5280 said:


> I don't walk mine in bad weather either. If they really needed it then I would, but they don't and are content to lay around.


Hm, perhaps I'm overthinking it. I don't mind taking the puppy myself, but I usually leave our adult dog for my husband if my brother isn't here. For her, I feel incredibly guilty if she doesn't get her 2 walks (usually just around the neighbourhood or through a nearby field) because when she's not out she literally spends 90% of her time on a bed or in her crate upstairs doing nothing. She'll gladly chew a bone or something if given one, and she gets fun chews regularly, I just feel like she's always so bored. She's more than welcome to hang out downstairs with me and Peggy and go in and outside, etc, but she chooses not to and I feel like it's not healthy for her, especially without some exercise daily.


----------



## elrohwen

We pretty much walk every single day, no matter what the weather, unless we have a training class that night and then I might skip. We even walk in the dark and cold of winter. I can count the number of walks we miss in a year on one hand probably. Watson has settled a lot in the last year though so I've become a little bit more likely to skip if the weather is really bad.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

elrohwen said:


> We pretty much walk every single day, no matter what the weather, unless we have a training class that night and then I might skip. We even walk in the dark and cold of winter. I can count the number of walks we miss in a year on one hand probably. Watson has settled a lot in the last year though so I've become a little bit more likely to skip if the weather is really bad.


I can't remember if you live with a partner or not but if you do, do you take turns when it's gross out? or do you handle Watson's walks yourself? We also do the dark/cold in Winter thing - this year, we were doing 20 minute chunks in -30 degree weather with deep snow and ice. I just feel so guilty otherwise, and the puppy gets so hyper.


----------



## elrohwen

ChelseaOliver said:


> I can't remember if you live with a partner or not but if you do, do you take turns when it's gross out? or do you handle Watson's walks yourself? We also do the dark/cold in Winter thing - this year, we were doing 20 minute chunks in -30 degree weather with deep snow and ice. I just feel so guilty otherwise, and the puppy gets so hyper.


My husband does morning walks which are just down the street and back, about 15min. I do the evening walks which are ~1 hour. The past year has been weird since I was away for work most of the time (and took the dog sometimes), but typically I did all of the evening walks no matter what the weather. He'll sometimes come along, and often comes along on weekends, but it's mostly me. When I was away for work and Watson was home with him this past year, he did the evening walks too.


----------



## Willowy

KodiBarracuda said:


> I guess I don't see why you can't let your dog's out 5 minutes earlier or later, if it's right when you wake up then let them out 5 minutes later, if it's 5 minutes before you leave for work then just let them out 10 minutes before you leave for work and let them hang out inside for the 5 minutes before you leave... I mean, I don't understand the issue... Unless you literally only have 5 minutes between you getting up and leaving for work I don't see why you can't just let them out at a different time.


Eh, it doesn't bother me. Or them, apparently. I was just idly thinking that I would probably alter my route. Random musing more than anything.


----------



## d_ray

elrohwen said:


> We pretty much walk every single day, no matter what the weather, unless we have a training class that night and then I might skip. We even walk in the dark and cold of winter. I can count the number of walks we miss in a year on one hand probably. Watson has settled a lot in the last year though so I've become a little bit more likely to skip if the weather is really bad.


Me too. I've never skipped a day since we got Jewel almost 2 years ago. And 99% of her exercise has been off leash. I will feel guilty of they don't get at least 40 minutes of off leash running a day.


----------



## momtolabs

It's so freaking humid -_- of course all the dogs want walked.... Well except Mia because she is the only normal one!! It's only 70F outside but when you walk outside it becomes hard to breathe almost from how "thick" the air is . It's supposed to be stormy all week until Saturday and the humidity is supposed to rise. I can take heat, -20F weather and snow but humidity? Nope. I hate it!! I was supposed to wash down horses today but I'm waiting until next week.... I'm not standing outside washing down 6 horses who will just go roll in the mud once let out of there stalls,lol.


----------



## elrohwen

d_ray said:


> Me too. I've never skipped a day since we got Jewel almost 2 years ago. And 99% of her exercise has been off leash. I will feel guilty of they don't get at least 40 minutes of off leash running a day.


I wish we had that option! Even if Watson could be off leash on our property, he wouldn't have many other opportunities. I did previously let him off leash on the walking trail if there were no other people (you can see 1/2+ mile in each direction) and there was snow on the ground so no bikes could sneak up on us, but then he ran off the trail after deer so we don't do what anymore either. 

We've even gone out when it was so cold that he could barely make it from the house to the trail without hopping on 3 feet, but then we generally turned back and kept the walk very short. I still felt better that he got outside at least. He just really enjoys having some outside time every day.


----------



## gingerkid

ChelseaOliver said:


> Slightly similar to Chimunga's issue with her husband but how do you get someone to understand that dogs still need to be exercised in crappy weather? If there's even a HINT of drizzle happening outside my husband will refuse to walk either of the dogs saying it's "insane" to walk them in the rain. I mean pouring rain yeah I would wait until it subsides, but drizzle?


I'll be honest, we don't really walk in rain - because Snowball doesn't like it. Especially if it is windy - he is also very not fond of wind. If it's raining anymore than just the occasional raindrop, he will slow down progressively until it is unbearable and the minute we start heading for home he's back to trotting full-pace. He also gets several opportunities per day for full-length walks, as we don't have a yard, so we often turn an intended walk into a potty break and then turn the next potty break into a walk.

In the winter it's a different story though, he gets walks regardless of the weather. Although this winter my MIL retired and was home full-time so we cheated - when the daily high was below -20C, he went to stay at Grandma's to get fat- I mean use the yard.


----------



## d_ray

My husband just texted me to say that he plans to take the dogs to the dog park tomorrow. I will believe it when I see it. He is great with the girls, but is nervous about taking them off leash when I'm not with him.


----------



## kcomstoc

gingerkid said:


> I'll be honest, we don't really walk in rain - because Snowball doesn't like it. Especially if it is windy - he is also very not fond of wind. If it's raining anymore than just the occasional raindrop, he will slow down progressively until it is unbearable and the minute we start heading for home he's back to trotting full-pace. He also gets several opportunities per day for full-length walks, as we don't have a yard, so we often turn an intended walk into a potty break and then turn the next potty break into a walk.
> 
> In the winter it's a different story though, he gets walks regardless of the weather. Although this winter my MIL retired and was home full-time so we cheated - when the daily high was below -20C, he went to stay at Grandma's to get fat- I mean use the yard.


Jake is the same way, in fact I just walked him (honestly it was maybe about 5 minutes total outside) because he just wouldn't walk, he is still upset that his head and paws got wet because he was wearing his sweater (that helped him), but this was the fastest he has ever pooped ever lol then we came back inside and played tug/fetch alternatively. Had to make him stop though because when he gets super excited I don't know if it's old age or what but when he gets really worked up he'll throw up so we stop and take about a 10 minute break and then we play again. Lots of play time today because his walk got cut short *because he didn't want to walk not because I didn't want to walk*


----------



## Flaming

GoGoGypsy said:


> Today I was walking Gypsy on the sidewalk, when I heard a soft noise. I glanced around, and there was a kid and her dad on bikes RIGHT behind us. I was very startled, and I jumped into the grass to give them space to pass. They went on their merry way, not a word to me. We had something similar happen a few months ago. Only that lady literally flew by us on the sidewalk; I didn't have time to step aside.
> 
> I was surprised by how offended I was by such a simple thing. I think it's because I was so startled. But isn't it common courtesy, in such a situation, to utter a "Coming up behind you!" or "Passing on your right!" or even an "Excuse us!" or a belated "Hey, thanks!" or something?



I hate when bikes are on the sidewalk and not the road. 
They startle most people, not all dogs even hear them and the majority (not all but most) are jerks about it all. 

But I'm also hard of hearing so I startle even worse because I don't know until I see them running over me.


----------



## luv mi pets

d_ray said:


> My husband just texted me to say that he plans to take the dogs to the dog park tomorrow. I will believe it when I see it. He is great with the girls, but is nervous about taking them off leash when I'm not with him.


my husband was this way. I think age has helped him. When he was younger, you would never see him do anything with a dog. Especially a small dog. I mean afterall he was a drill sergeant in his younger days. That was until I threw in his bedroom a blind crippled Chihuahua puppy that was brought into the clinic to be euthed. Now daily he picks the dog up and carries it outside while he does chores. He even brings his dogs to his moms house for that weekly mom visit. Big change for someone who would not do anything with a dog and when I first met him he was raised to believe dogs were to stay outside. Now I think he would sleep outside before he made his pups spend the night outside.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Mason, within the last 2 months, has decided that when I come home from work he has to bark and howl as loud as he can for 30 Minutes straight!!! He. is. killing. me.


----------



## Sarah~

The dogs bark when anyone comes to the door lol but at least they stop once they realize who it is. 

I've been so set on a yorkie for next dog that I didn't really think about my boyfriend wanted til tonight. He's totally fine with another dog and a yorkie fits all of the things he wanted but I don't know. He just doesn't seem to be that excited about a yorkie, I'm not asking for him to be as excited as I am over it but a little interest would be nice. I'd like him to have a lot of input with this dog so I asked him if he would sit down and maybe do one of the dog breed quizzes with me tomorrow so we can maybe come up with some more options and find something we're both interested in, he said he would  We'll see what comes up tomorrow


----------



## taquitos

Sarah~ said:


> The dogs bark when anyone comes to the door lol but at least they stop once they realize who it is.
> 
> I've been so set on a yorkie for next dog that I didn't really think about my boyfriend wanted til tonight. He's totally fine with another dog and a yorkie fits all of the things he wanted but I don't know. He just doesn't seem to be that excited about a yorkie, I'm not asking for him to be as excited as I am over it but a little interest would be nice. I'd like him to have a lot of input with this dog so I asked him if he would sit down and maybe do one of the dog breed quizzes with me tomorrow so we can maybe come up with some more options and find something we're both interested in, he said he would  We'll see what comes up tomorrow


That will all change once he has a cute little wriggling puppy in his arms ;D

My boyfriend was the same. When I was planning to adopt Meeko he was just like "well he's your dog."

Now he baby talks to him, he holds him and just in general gives Meeko soooo much more love than I do lol!! He calls him "our" dog now and the other day he said he would rather live out of a car than give up Meeko LOL


----------



## jade5280

taquitos said:


> That will all change once he has a cute little wriggling puppy in his arms ;D
> 
> My boyfriend was the same. When I was planning to adopt Meeko he was just like "well he's your dog."
> 
> Now he baby talks to him, he holds him and just in general gives Meeko soooo much more love than I do lol!! He calls him "our" dog now and the other day he said he would rather live out of a car than give up Meeko LOL


 Hahaha SO calls them "our" dogs when they're good. When they're bad they're "my" dogs.


----------



## d_ray

luv mi pets said:


> my husband was this way. I think age has helped him. When he was younger, you would never see him do anything with a dog. Especially a small dog. I mean afterall he was a drill sergeant in his younger days. That was until I threw in his bedroom a blind crippled Chihuahua puppy that was brought into the clinic to be euthed. Now daily he picks the dog up and carries it outside while he does chores. He even brings his dogs to his moms house for that weekly mom visit. Big change for someone who would not do anything with a dog and when I first met him he was raised to believe dogs were to stay outside. Now I think he would sleep outside before he made his pups spend the night outside.


He's great with the dogs and does a lot with them, he's just terrified to take them off leash. They are great off leash and I don't know why he is so paranoid.


----------



## CptJack

d_ray said:


> He's great with the dogs and does a lot with them, he's just terrified to take them off leash. They are great off leash and I don't know why he is so paranoid.


If he's like my husband 'because if something does happen, it's my fault and you will KILL ME'. If I take them off and something happens, I can't kill him - I took them off leash. Him? NOPE. Not even the best of them who have no prey drive or desire to leave, ever. Not happening.


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> If he's like my husband 'because if something does happen, it's my fault and you will KILL ME'. If I take them off and something happens, I can't kill him - I took them off leash. Him? NOPE. Not even the best of them who have no prey drive or desire to leave, ever. Not happening.


Yep, you nailed it CptJack. He's exactly like that. He's been with me a million times and sees how good they are, but nope he won't do it. He prefers to take them on hour long leash walks when alone. Even my mom will take them off leash and she has zero dog experience.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is not much of a problem solver usually. Last night he did something hilarious and probably a terrible sign. But hilarious.

I had cooked some food- breakfast at night of course. Sausage and pancakes because I only eat breakfast foods for dinner. 

The sausage smelled really strong and I gave the dogs each a piece of it. I think Hank lost his mind because it was so good lol. As I was walking into the living room he sprinted in, hopped on the back of the couch then catapulted himself off the back of the couch to try to land in my plate as I walked past. 

He missed. But still.


----------



## chimunga

Laurelin said:


> Hank is not much of a problem solver usually. Last night he did something hilarious and probably a terrible sign. But hilarious.
> 
> I had cooked some food- breakfast at night of course. Sausage and pancakes because I only eat breakfast foods for dinner.
> 
> The sausage smelled really strong and I gave the dogs each a piece of it. I think Hank lost his mind because it was so good lol. As I was walking into the living room he sprinted in, hopped on the back of the couch then catapulted himself off the back of the couch to try to land in my plate as I walked past.
> 
> He missed. But still.


Thank you for this. That scene in my head made my day.


----------



## CptJack

I am going to lose agility practice tonight to t-storms. This is upsetting. I have a private lesson on Saturday and one more practice before the trial next Thursday but aaaack.


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> Hank is not much of a problem solver usually. Last night he did something hilarious and probably a terrible sign. But hilarious.
> 
> I had cooked some food- breakfast at night of course. Sausage and pancakes because I only eat breakfast foods for dinner.
> 
> The sausage smelled really strong and I gave the dogs each a piece of it. I think Hank lost his mind because it was so good lol. As I was walking into the living room he sprinted in, hopped on the back of the couch then catapulted himself off the back of the couch to try to land in my plate as I walked past.
> 
> He missed. But still.


Hahaha Jazzy does these things all the time. She comes out of nowhere. My hubby was taking a piece of steak off his plate to go wrap it up. Jazzy jumped across the kitchen and snagged it while in the air right from his hand and ran away. It happened so fast and neither of us saw it coming.


----------



## Sarah~

So we did the test together, looked over all the results and I was pretty surprised by his choices, I thought I knew what he liked in dogs but apparently not! We finally settled on a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel... I have never been a big spaniel fan only because of my grandma's spaniels, they bit me ALL the time and ever since then they've rubbed me the wrong way. But these guys really are super cute and look pretty sweet so I'm willing to be a bit more open minded lol. Maybe because it's a small spaniel, it won't eat me


----------



## d_ray

A miracle has happened, my husband just texted me pics of him and the ladies at the dog park. He said Jewel even played with a dog and that he's taking them again tomorrow. It only took 2 years, but I am so happy that he's finally getting over his fear.


----------



## ireth0

Sarah~ said:


> So we did the test together, looked over all the results and I was pretty surprised by his choices, I thought I knew what he liked in dogs but apparently not! We finally settled on a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel... I have never been a big spaniel fan only because of my grandma's spaniels, they bit me ALL the time and ever since then they've rubbed me the wrong way. But these guys really are super cute and look pretty sweet so I'm willing to be a bit more open minded lol. Maybe because it's a small spaniel, it won't eat me


Cav's are loaded with health issues, so make sure you go to a very reputable breeder and triple check them.


----------



## Sarah~

ireth0 said:


> Cav's are loaded with health issues, so make sure you go to a very reputable breeder and triple check them.


I will, once it gets closer to time I'll probably ask you guys for opinions on the ones I think are good  Definitely want to do it right this time!


----------



## DGerry

Laurelin said:


> Hank is not much of a problem solver usually. Last night he did something hilarious and probably a terrible sign. But hilarious.
> 
> I had cooked some food- breakfast at night of course. Sausage and pancakes because I only eat breakfast foods for dinner.
> 
> The sausage smelled really strong and I gave the dogs each a piece of it. I think Hank lost his mind because it was so good lol. As I was walking into the living room he sprinted in, hopped on the back of the couch then catapulted himself off the back of the couch to try to land in my plate as I walked past.
> 
> He missed. But still.


Haha, that's awesome. Chester is like this with fruit. Steak? Hotdog? A burger? He doesn't care. Oh, you're eating some strawberries? GIMME GIMME GIMME! He will alternate between doing his frustrated whine/bark thing and rotating through ALL THE COMMANDS and then he'll just sit there and stare into your soul. "I would like a fruit. May I have a fruit? You will give me a fruit. Yes."

The other day he had drool stretching from his mouth all the way to the floor. He goes crazy for fruit, it's pretty funny.


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> Hank is not much of a problem solver usually. Last night he did something hilarious and probably a terrible sign. But hilarious.
> 
> I had cooked some food- breakfast at night of course. Sausage and pancakes because I only eat breakfast foods for dinner.
> 
> The sausage smelled really strong and I gave the dogs each a piece of it. I think Hank lost his mind because it was so good lol. As I was walking into the living room he sprinted in, hopped on the back of the couch then catapulted himself off the back of the couch to try to land in my plate as I walked past.
> 
> He missed. But still.


Just picturing that made me LOL


----------



## luv mi pets

d_ray said:


> He's great with the dogs and does a lot with them, he's just terrified to take them off leash. They are great off leash and I don't know why he is so paranoid.


His fear is not with the dogs but with you. Angry mama bears are not a thing to mess around with.


----------



## luv mi pets

Laurelin said:


> Hank is not much of a problem solver usually. Last night he did something hilarious and probably a terrible sign. But hilarious.
> 
> I had cooked some food- breakfast at night of course. Sausage and pancakes because I only eat breakfast foods for dinner.
> 
> The sausage smelled really strong and I gave the dogs each a piece of it. I think Hank lost his mind because it was so good lol. As I was walking into the living room he sprinted in, hopped on the back of the couch then catapulted himself off the back of the couch to try to land in my plate as I walked past.
> 
> He missed. But still.


Of course reading your story I was not surprised to read that Hank decided to jump on something or leap off of something. That he missed his target and probably looked like Wiley coyote made me laugh.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Holy crap the WIND last night with the storms that went through was scary! thought we were going to have a tornado with them, but the sirens didnt go off, thank dog. Luckily after last night I have learned that my puppy doesnt give a care about thunder, or storms LOL.


----------



## CptJack

At a gas station after agility practice tonight, a woman and her kid are walking by our car. Woman points at Kylie, turns to her kid and says "What a cute little pug." 

Not pup. I thought maybe, but no. Husband confirmed. PUG.


----------



## chimunga

I just set Watson's food bowl down to feed him and walked away. I over at him from my computer about two minutes later, confused as to why he hadn't started eating. He was sitting looking at his bowl because I didn't give him a release.


----------



## chimunga

Watson's been limping a little bit over the last few weeks. Took him to the vet, and they diagnosed him with Panosteitis. Which is essentially just uncommon puppy growing pains. They gave him Rimadyl and some pain killers. Well, his limp was bad this morning, and we're out of Rimadyl, so I told my husband to take him to the vet. If only to get him more Rimadyl. I don't like to give him the pain killers, because they make him sick. 

I get home, and he didn't take Watson to the vet. The reason? We're trying to save money. First off, we have petplan, and he doesn't really understand how it works apparently. We already paid our $200 deductible, so everything after that with this "condition" is covered. Sure, it's reimbursement, but still. Secondly, oh _hell _no. My dog is in pain, and we have the means to cover it. More than enough means. Anything they may charge wouldn't even be a substantial chunk. 

Needless to say, my husband is taking Watson to the vet tomorrow.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Holy crap the WIND last night with the storms that went through was scary! thought we were going to have a tornado with them, but the sirens didnt go off, thank dog. Luckily after last night I have learned that my puppy doesnt give a care about thunder, or storms LOL.


Lol. We have had storms all day today and there supposed to last all night and into tomorrow. We have flooding going on here. Strong chance of tornadoes tonight as well ???


----------



## momtolabs

Someone a street over from me just got a aussie(maybe border collie I honestly can't tell,lol) and its outside on a chain all day. My guess is a little over 6 months old. It's never off... At all. I'm gone 8am-12pm every day for school but my neighbor is home all day and says the poor pup just barks and barks  Today I was walking past and it started barking and the owner screams "shut up" and of course pup doesn't and I hear him yelp and the guy had shocked him. I'm not against ecollars(Caleb has one we keep on vibrate when it's on him) but IMO shouldn't hVe it up high enough to make him yelp  I will try and get a picture tomorrow if it's not raining. He's a cutie. I'm thinking about asking them if I can walk him so my dog can have a dog to play with...


----------



## Sarah~

Showed the boyfriend statistics on heart problems for Cavs and he didn't seem pleased :/ neither was I really, I knew they had health problems but holy crap! And if it's not the heart there's a ton of other serious issues they can have  so sad!


----------



## taquitos

jade5280 said:


> Hahaha SO calls them "our" dogs when they're good. When they're bad they're "my" dogs.


Funny how that changes eh? 

Yeah Meeko is "our" dog until I have to brush his teeth, trim his nails, or brush his fur  He says he doesn't want to do it because he doesn't want Meeko to dislike him... so I get to play the evil person so he can be the spoiler lololol


----------



## elrohwen

taquitos said:


> Funny how that changes eh?
> 
> Yeah Meeko is "our" dog until I have to brush his teeth, trim his nails, or brush his fur  He says he doesn't want to do it because he doesn't want Meeko to dislike him... so I get to play the evil person so he can be the spoiler lololol


My friends are really funny about this. The husband has "his dog" and the wife has "her dog". Really the dogs are family dogs, but when one is being bad they will always tease each other with "Your dog is being so bad right now. Good thing my dog is perfect."


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> At a gas station after agility practice tonight, a woman and her kid are walking by our car. Woman points at Kylie, turns to her kid and says "What a cute little pug."
> 
> Not pup. I thought maybe, but no. Husband confirmed. PUG.


HAHAHAHAHA......Wut. Kylie the pug.



taquitos said:


> Funny how that changes eh?
> 
> Yeah Meeko is "our" dog until I have to brush his teeth, trim his nails, or brush his fur  He says he doesn't want to do it because he doesn't want Meeko to dislike him... so I get to play the evil person so he can be the spoiler lololol


 Tee hee I clip Ryker's nails which apparently is HELL ON EARTH for him and he still likes me


----------



## kcomstoc

jade5280 said:


> HAHAHAHAHA......Wut. Kylie the pug.


 Because she's so pug-like you know with her smushed in face and short fur >.> because she's not feathery at all


----------



## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> Because she's so pug-like you know with her smushed in face and short fur >.> because she's not feathery at all


Yeaaaah. I couldn't find a breed she looks less like if I tried. At least not without going to a radically different size. I like pugs and all, but. ?!


----------



## Laurelin

Karma free leash Fridays.... I do not need. But I want.


----------



## missc89

CptJack said:


> Yeaaaah. I couldn't find a breed she looks less like if I tried. At least not without going to a radically different size. I like pugs and all, but. ?!


Yeah I don't think those people know dogs lol


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Karma free leash Fridays.... I do not need. But I want.


I had the same response to that mail. I've got two more collars I 'need' to buy and planned on holding off until July and my birthday but. Tempted.


----------



## Laurelin

I've been eyeing the Little Rocker a while... And been wanting a leather leash.


----------



## CptJack

I want to get Little Havana for Jack and the Monroe for Kylie. I don't even really use flat leashes of any sort an more, but a nice matching leash would be fun....


----------



## elrohwen

Husband shoots me down every time I want to buy a leather collar :-( He thinks the colorful ones are too girly for Watson, and he also points out (rightly) that we couldn't use it that much since he can slip collars that aren't a martingale or limited slip. 

I do really want a new leash for the puppy. I like my Ella's Lead leather leash, but I'd like to try Karma or Paco for the next one just to compare.


----------



## CptJack

http://karmacollars.com/collections/large-dogs/products/the-stargazer-martingale - Karma does at least one martingale!

That won't help with the girlie aspect, though.

That said, and in fairness, my dogs don't wear the nice collars super frequently. Jack, Kylie and Thud live in beat up rolled leather collars, Bug has a cheap pink leather collar for tags and walks on a harness, and Molly's collar rotates a lot but right now she's mostly using stain covered martingales because flat collars were breaking coat on her like MAD.

Somehow, none of that has stopped my desire for spiffy new collars.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My puppy has entered the *** hat teenage stage, and it is NOT a nightmare for me, in fact, I find it FUN and ENJOYABLE ... what is wrong with me???


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> http://karmacollars.com/collections/large-dogs/products/the-stargazer-martingale - Karma does at least one martingale!
> 
> That won't help with the girlie aspect, though.
> 
> That said, and in fairness, my dogs don't wear the nice collars super frequently. Jack, Kylie and Thud live in beat up rolled leather collars, Bug has a cheap pink leather collar for tags and walks on a harness, and Molly's collar rotates a lot but right now she's mostly using stain covered martingales because flat collars were breaking coat on her like MAD.
> 
> Somehow, none of that has stopped my desire for spiffy new collars.


We are getting a girl puppy, so maybe then he will be ok with a girly collar! I'm not a flashy person at all, not for my own clothes, and not for what I buy for the dog, but for some reason I love the flashy collars with the jewel things on them. DH is less flashy than me, and does not have a strange attraction to flashy collars. More than the girly thing, he just think they are too blingy. But maybe girl dog will bring out his blingy side!

I would love just a plain leather collar for Watson that was beautiful and high quality, but again with the slipping out of the collar thing. I find martingales to be too bulky generally, so he wears a 5/8" limited slip which is about as minimalist as you can get (it's in my siggy below). It's just weird that I prefer his super minimal collar, but also really want to buy him a blingy collar that stands out. I don't understand it.



OwnedbyACDs said:


> My puppy has entered the *** hat teenage stage, and it is NOT a nightmare for me, in fact, I find it FUN and ENJOYABLE ... what is wrong with me???


Then he's probably not actually being an ***hat.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> We are getting a girl puppy, so maybe then he will be ok with a girly collar! I'm not a flashy person at all, not for my own clothes, and not for what I buy for the dog, but for some reason I love the flashy collars with the jewel things on them. DH is less flashy than me, and does not have a strange attraction to flashy collars. More than the girly thing, he just think they are too blingy. But maybe girl dog will bring out his blingy side!
> 
> I would love just a plain leather collar for Watson that was beautiful and high quality, but again with the slipping out of the collar thing. I find martingales to be too bulky generally, so he wears a 5/8" limited slip which is about as minimalist as you can get (it's in my siggy below). It's just weird that I prefer his super minimal collar, but also really want to buy him a blingy collar that stands out. I don't understand it.
> 
> 
> 
> Then he's probably not actually being an ***hat.


Oh trust me he is, its just not as annoying to me as it used to be, maybe I have gotten more patient? or maybe love has blinded me LOL (because OH gets annoyed with him and tells me he is a jerk ha ha)


----------



## Willowy

I'm just so disgusted with living in a place where violence against animals (and children) is not only legal but accepted and encouraged. SO disgusted. 

Carrying the mail, I delivered to a house where the small dog was barking and jumping up against the glass storm door. As I was walking away, the owner came to the door, yelled at the dog to shut up, and she yelped (I didn't see what he did to her, just heard her yelp). I yelled back "please don't hurt her!", almost reflexively (proud of myself for that, usually I equivocate until it's too late to say anything) but he didn't react at all, so either he didn't hear me or was deliberately ignoring me (a common response in passive-aggressive land). 

So then I guess he had to show off how he was super duper Doing Something About It because he let her out on her tie line and jerked her leash every time she barked at me. If he had hit her again I don't think I could have held back from yelling at him but yanking on leashes is considered "acceptable" by so many people that I doubt I'd get much support if I did yell at him. I just wanted to go grab him by the collar and scream in his face "DO YOU THINK THAT WILL MAKE HER LIKE ME YOU IDIOT" but of course that wouldn't go over well with management . Of course he---and a lot of other people---would see nothing wrong with it, "you gotta show them who's boss or they'll never learn".

But ugh. Violent cultural conditioning stinks. It's NOT normal, it's NOT good, it's violence and it's wrong. I want to go live in a place where people don't think violence toward helpless beings is acceptable. SO DISGUSTED.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> I'm just so disgusted with living in a place where violence against animals (and children) is not only legal but accepted and encouraged. SO disgusted.
> 
> Carrying the mail, I delivered to a house where the small dog was barking and jumping up against the glass storm door. As I was walking away, the owner came to the door, yelled at the dog to shut up, and she yelped (I didn't see what he did to her, just heard her yelp). I yelled back "please don't hurt her!", almost reflexively (proud of myself for that, usually I equivocate until it's too late to say anything) but he didn't react at all, so either he didn't hear me or was deliberately ignoring me (a common response in passive-aggressive land).
> 
> So then I guess he had to show off how he was super duper Doing Something About It because he let her out on her tie line and jerked her leash every time she barked at me. If he had hit her again I don't think I could have held back from yelling at him but yanking on leashes is considered "acceptable" by so many people that I doubt I'd get much support if I did yell at him. I just wanted to go grab him by the collar and scream in his face "DO YOU THINK THAT WILL MAKE HER LIKE ME YOU IDIOT" but of course that wouldn't go over well with management . Of course he---and a lot of other people---would see nothing wrong with it, "you gotta show them who's boss or they'll never learn".
> 
> But ugh. Violent cultural conditioning stinks. It's NOT normal, it's NOT good, it's violence and it's wrong. I want to go live in a place where people don't think violence toward helpless beings is acceptable. SO DISGUSTED.


wow ... glad its not like that here, Not even in the area where my folks live, out in the boonies in oil country. I mean there are some people who let their dogs loose (but they dont go anywhere) with no yard (since our county passed a law that dogs couldnt be tied for more than a few hours at a time, and not in extreme weather) you know "typical country dogs" and feed them crappy food from the feed store, but most folks I came across were farmers who generally loved their dogs, they came inside at night and were loved.

Here in the area I am now is VERY dog friendly with a lot of wealthy people whose dogs are treated like they are made of gold LOL with a lot of knowledgeable people, most folks even knew what breed Lincoln was ... and even said Mini aussie, not just "aussie".


----------



## mudypony

elrohwen said:


> Husband shoots me down every time I want to buy a leather collar :-( He thinks the colorful ones are too girly for Watson, and he also points out (rightly) that we couldn't use it that much since he can slip collars that aren't a martingale or limited slip.


Just wanted to mention that Karma can turn any collar into a martingale with the "Martingale Me" option. I got the Legend with the martingale option for my dog and absolutely love it!


----------



## kcomstoc

So t has nothing to do with dogs but lately my muscle that's near the foot on the left side (on the top of the tibia) hurts when I put pressure on it but if I rub it it feels like the same thing as pulling a cotton ball apart *if you know that "feeling"* don't know f I should go to the doctor or not. It doesn't really hurt much or anything it's just weird and I don't think muscles should feel like that but again it's not hindering me in any way. suggestions?

ETA: I should mention that I'm wearing new boots that are cut off around that point for work and it does rub against it *I wear long socks so the boot doesn't contact the skin* but it probably caused it to happen but why would it feel the way it does. Next day it doesn't feel like anything so I guess it's fine, just feels weird


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh, lincoln has killed another toy, add the chuckit top flight frisbee to the list of toys he has killed that are supposed to be tough, but not tough enough -_-.

I walked out to see him just starting to pull it apart, I got it away from him before he could accidently injest any of it (he isn't the type to injest what he tears up, though thank dog) there were a few pieces of carnage around already, though lol.


----------



## CptJack

Even tough toys are usually not meant to withstand unrestricted access and unsupervised play, unfortunately.

Guys! We did a private lesson today and I got to see an actual novice course! I'm still not expecting much at the trial based on stress/new enviroment/people in the ring/handler error, but.

My god, after running elite courses at practices I actually feel kind of good about this stuff now. Or at least not as bad.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My dogs toybox is up high, Happy wanted a toy so I gave her one, deliberately not giving her a specific toy with a freakishly loud squeak, Happy then climbed up, pulled the toy box down, dumped it over and rooted out that specific toy and now she is happy running around squeaking that stupid thing non stop lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Even tough toys are usually not meant to withstand unrestricted access and unsupervised play, unfortunately.
> 
> Guys! We did a private lesson today and I got to see an actual novice course! I'm still not expecting much at the trial based on stress/new enviroment/people in the ring/handler error, but.
> 
> My god, after running elite courses at practices I actually feel kind of good about this stuff now. Or at least not as bad.


Well, he needs things to chew on, he is going through a crazy chewing stage right now, but I was working with him with it and forgot to pick the dang thing up after I was done. But I know which ones I will stick to now. Next one I am going to get him a chuck it kick fetch ball, or a jolly ball romp and roll (all of which will only be for play times).


----------



## Laurelin

Summer is very limpy and stiff acting these last two days.


----------



## DGerry

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Well, he needs things to chew on, he is going through a crazy chewing stage right now, but I was working with him with it and forgot to pick the dang thing up after I was done. But I know which ones I will stick to now. Next one I am going to get him a chuck it kick fetch ball, or a jolly ball romp and roll (all of which will only be for play times).


Depending on what he likes to chew on, the Kong "dental" ball has been really successful with Chester. He actively attempts to tear things apart, like if we're on a walk and he gets hold of a leaf he'll stand on it with one paw and then grab it with his mouth and just shred it. The Kong "dental" ball has been the only thing I feel comfortable leaving him with unsupervised...even toys we just use for interactive play usually get shredded pretty quickly with him. Kong Knots? Toast within a week. Most rope toys? A week or two, maybe. Tuffy brand toys have been pretty good but I wouldn't want to go below an "8" with him(they have a "toughness" scale, higher # = tougher toy). His Triceratops is still holding up well but he never gets any "chewing" time with that, and his UltBone is still mostly in-tact(he hasn't reached the stuffing interior yet) despite getting a fairly large amount of "chewing" time with it(though not unsupervised). The Kong ball though? Barely a scratch on it and he gets it any time he wants, all day and night, in his crate, whatever. I can't guarantee Lincoln won't break one of those, of course, but Chester seems pretty capable of destroying almost anything...he chewed his plastic vet cone off of his own head, somehow...so yeah.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DGerry said:


> Depending on what he likes to chew on, the Kong "dental" ball has been really successful with Chester. He actively attempts to tear things apart, like if we're on a walk and he gets hold of a leaf he'll stand on it with one paw and then grab it with his mouth and just shred it. The Kong "dental" ball has been the only thing I feel comfortable leaving him with unsupervised...even toys we just use for interactive play usually get shredded pretty quickly with him. Kong Knots? Toast within a week. Most rope toys? A week or two, maybe. Tuffy brand toys have been pretty good but I wouldn't want to go below an "8" with him(they have a "toughness" scale, higher # = tougher toy). His Triceratops is still holding up well but he never gets any "chewing" time with that, and his UltBone is still mostly in-tact(he hasn't reached the stuffing interior yet) despite getting a fairly large amount of "chewing" time with it(though not unsupervised). The Kong ball though? Barely a scratch on it and he gets it any time he wants, all day and night, in his crate, whatever. I can't guarantee Lincoln won't break one of those, of course, but Chester seems pretty capable of destroying almost anything...he chewed his plastic vet cone off of his own head, somehow...so yeah.


LOL IT sounds like lincoln, he tends to like squeaky things but those never last lol. He has a nylabone durable for crate time or when I leave and he likes that. I might try that Kong dental ball, though  thanks for the advice. I haven't had a dog this hard on toys since Izze and her puppy and young dog days were so long ago I barely remember lol.


----------



## Sarah~

Poor Eko, I'm sitting in the living room watching tv and my boyfriend is still in bed sleeping in, he doesn't know who to lay with lol he just keeps getting up every 5 minutes and switching rooms


----------



## Laurelin

Hank has been howling in his crate all morning! Totally unusual but now we're in a battle of wills to see who will break down first.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I'm going out with a friend of mine from high school I haven't seen in over ten years! I'm excited to see her again and catch up, I just hope the conversation flows and doesn't stop too much. We leave around 1:15pm today, I hope I don't get nervous.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Its depressing running into people from my past who know Happy's littermates and finding out how many of them have passed away  on Friday I ran into an old teammate who has Happy's sister, she's not doing well at all, can barely get out of bed most days. Her brother passed away a while ago, but I knew that, but in the past couple of months 2 of her other siblings have passed away  they aren't young, the pups will be 15 this year, but it still makes me sad when I look at Happy. Happy is in supremely good condition and even my old teammate even commented on it. But I still don't like knowing that my 14.5 year old dog is one of the only dogs in her litter that is still alive, its a very depressing thought!


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Update: Had a great time with my friend! Conversation flowed and we went shopping too; it was as if we were only apart for a few months instead of years. I hope to do this again!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL IT sounds like lincoln, he tends to like squeaky things but those never last lol. He has a nylabone durable for crate time or when I leave and he likes that. I might try that Kong dental ball, though  thanks for the advice. I haven't had a dog this hard on toys since Izze and her puppy and young dog days were so long ago I barely remember lol.


the petco we went to was very small and didnt have those  but they did have a holy roller, which he seemed interested in (I was looking for play toys for supervised play only) when the jolly ball romp and roll caught his eye ... now we have a large one as a flirt pole at home, hanging from a tree, but this one is the small one that is light enough for him to pick up. He actually picked that toy himself!


----------



## Laurelin

We have this one agility friend that Hank ADORES. Like seriously adores. He has only met her maybe 4-5 times thus far. But yesterday when he saw her he immediately started making the most awful screaming noise. Just totally over the top excited about seeing her. I have never heard him make that noise at someone in my life but it's the same as the noise he makes when he sees a coursing lure.


----------



## CptJack

Training Molly has got to be my favorite thing in the world. She just listens so INTENTLY, with her head cocked to the side and staring into my face that it's both endearing and really funny.


----------



## CptJack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REq6dTSCt-E

I am working on getting my dogs to shut it re: other dogs barking around (and by 'my dogs' lbr, I mean Molly). So I found this thing.

TWELVE HOURS of dogs barking. Jeeze.


----------



## DaySleepers

Laurelin said:


> We have this one agility friend that Hank ADORES. Like seriously adores. He has only met her maybe 4-5 times thus far. But yesterday when he saw her he immediately started making the most awful screaming noise. Just totally over the top excited about seeing her. I have never heard him make that noise at someone in my life but it's the same as the noise he makes when he sees a coursing lure.


Samwise does this with one of my neighbors. He's great for the whole walk, but as soon as we get near that house he completely loses focus, pulls, makes a fuss, and if there's people outside he totally loses it. Lots of loud whiny noises. The guy's a very nice older gentleman who adores dogs, so I feel bad about avoiding him. But he gives Sam a treat every time he sees him, and completely blows off my requests to wait until he's sitting/calm to treat. I've yet to figure out how to be more rewarding than this guy... Rice Chex from him is apparently 1000x more awesome than lunch meat from me.


----------



## Damon'sMom

Mason some how managed to cut the pad of his foot pretty badly. I didn't even know it until I sat down to trim his toe nails and foot fur last night. It was caked in dirt and dried blood. Poor buddy, we were outside most of the day yesterday and he never complained one bit! This dog feels no pain.


----------



## momtolabs

Training a dog that has no drive(food, toys) nothing makes me want to shot myself in the foot ??? we might master down in ten years from now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> Training a dog that has no drive(food, toys) nothing makes me want to shot myself in the foot ??? we might master down in ten years from now.


Ugh I couldnt do a dog like that ... I just couldnt. I could WORK with one in a class but not as my own dog.


----------



## momtolabs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ugh I couldnt do a dog like that ... I just couldnt. I could WORK with one in a class but not as my own dog.


I'm hoping I can find something that makes it a little easier on my end.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

momtolabs said:


> I'm hoping I can find something that makes it a little easier on my end.


I was so scared that Lincoln was gonna be one of those dogs ... thank DOG he decided to like toys and is even bringing them back pretty consistently!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I forgot how exhausting puppy raising is. I love puppy nap time. Thank goodness Ember and Kairi are playing now. Unfortunately Kairi does not understand how to be gentle once the puppy starts getting hyper too. Poor puppy has been knocked over so many times..


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I forgot how exhausting puppy raising is. I love puppy nap time. Thank goodness Ember and Kairi are playing now. Unfortunately Kairi does not understand how to be gentle once the puppy starts getting hyper too. Poor puppy has been knocked over so many times..


Ugh same here, only its Lincoln who is rough LOL. When he was little it didnt make a difference, and to Josefina, she is tough and can take it, but when he goes home I have to mediate his play btw him and my parents old man, who is almost 15 years old.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

My post got eaten...long story short my brand new not yet shredded rope tug (one of the more expensive thick ones not a cheap thin one) is now in the neighbors yard because either a dog at their house (temporary I think) drug it under the fence or Maisy threw it over the fence. I would go get it but I'm pretty sure their resident MAS would bite me.


----------



## d_ray

Took the girls today for their yearly vacs and check up. Jewel lost 10 pounds. So glad about that. Jazz gained about 3 pounds. Vet said jazz is in ideal condition. He said jewel could loose a couple pounds. That means that jewel should weight less than jazz. Jazz is 47 pounds and jewel is 49. Jazz is shorter in length and height. Just goes to show how weight for body type can vary so much.


----------



## Remaru

d_ray said:


> Took the girls today for their yearly vacs and check up. Jewel lost 10 pounds. So glad about that. Jazz gained about 3 pounds. Vet said jazz is in ideal condition. He said jewel could loose a couple pounds. That means that jewel should weight less than jazz. Jazz is 47 pounds and jewel is 49. Jazz is shorter in length and height. Just goes to show how weight for body type can vary so much.


That is like Freyja and Magic. Magic is 37lbs, Freyja is 36lbs but Freyja is 4inches taller and a bit longer (I am not sure exactly how much). They are both lean but Magic carries a lot of muscle that Freyja just doesn't. I would say they are both probably at ideal weight though if Freyja built some muscle she could carry more weight without being over weight if that makes sense.


----------



## d_ray

Remaru said:


> That is like Freyja and Magic. Magic is 37lbs, Freyja is 36lbs but Freyja is 4inches taller and a bit longer (I am not sure exactly how much). They are both lean but Magic carries a lot of muscle that Freyja just doesn't. I would say they are both probably at ideal weight though if Freyja built some muscle she could carry more weight without being over weight if that makes sense.


Makes perfect sense. Jewel looks super lean. She just has low muscle tone. If she gained muscle and weight she would probably look better. 

Off note. We saw a lab at the vet that weighed in at 45 kg 100 Ibs. It was panting just from standing still. It was repulsive. The poor dog could barely walk.


----------



## Laurelin

So today I had the realization that while I consider Hank very very easy he might... not be. My meter may be broken. 

He bit me in the chin today while cuddling. I asked for a nose touch and he responded by launching at my hand, jumping 2' in the air and chomping it. I asked him if he wanted to go outside and he did *8* rebounds in a row off me while I just stood there. I did not ask for anything, just said 'let's go potty!'

I don't think these kinds of things register anymore. lol


----------



## Kayota

roxie is definitely easy and she does stuff like that too... lol


----------



## ireth0

Worst part of someone hitting my car? (very minor accident, I'm fine)

Potentially missing dog training classes due to lack of car.


----------



## CptJack

Sorry about your car, Ireth. 

I'm worried about Molly. She's been strangely sleepy and subdued today. I mean, realistically it's gray and rainy and she woke up at 5 a.m with us, but she still just seems OFF and it's bothering me. Her appetite is fine, no fever/throwing up/poop issues but. She's just not quite *RIGHT*, and I don't like it.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

CptJack said:


> I'm worried about Molly. She's been strangely sleepy and subdued today. I mean, realistically it's gray and rainy and she woke up at 5 a.m with us, but she still just seems OFF and it's bothering me. Her appetite is fine, no fever/throwing up/poop issues but. She's just not quite *RIGHT*, and I don't like it.


This is the. worst. feeling. And no one ever believes me so now I never say anything when I think the same about either of mine. I hope Molly's okay  maybe she ate something a bit off and feels a bit gross!


----------



## Laurelin

So I discovered today that cow hooves and empty marrow bones are the easiest things ever to stuff with wet food and freeze. Yup, just wanted to share. I don't know why I didn't think of this before.


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> So I discovered today that cow hooves and empty marrow bones are the easiest things ever to stuff with wet food and freeze. Yup, just wanted to share. I don't know why I didn't think of this before.


 I always keep the marrow bones once they are empty to restuff them. I like kongs, but they aren't the easiest to clean and everything sticks to the rubber. I wish they made a food toy shaped like a marrow bone because they are never readily available at the grocery store.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> So I discovered today that cow hooves and empty marrow bones are the easiest things ever to stuff with wet food and freeze. Yup, just wanted to share. I don't know why I didn't think of this before.


I used to use my empty marrow bones like this, too!


----------



## d_ray

Hope Molly feels better soon. It breaks my heart to see my girls suffer in any extent.


----------



## CptJack

Red Barn used to sell 'mixed' bags of their stuff, with a high percentage of empty white bones that I STILL have two tons of and use the heck of as a frozen treat dispenser. 

And thanks, guys. I'm not too worried just yet, just unsettled. She's got agility tonight so I'm keeping an eye on her for now to see if she's ill or just feeling blah. The test will be in her reaction to walking out the door, really. That'll tell us which way we're going.


----------



## Laurelin

The cow hooves are probably the favorite right now. And it makes them want to chew on the hoof itself even more. Hank powers through most chews in minutes so this is a nice find!

I feel like I should have thought of this a long time ago.


----------



## d_ray

Today we saw so many cool dogs at the dog park. Saw a pap, 2 frenchies, two Bosnian livestock guardian breeds, an acd, a crazy vizsla who ended up living a street down from us, a cool pit mix, a basset hound, lots of labs and golden mixes, shitzus, Yorkie, shepherd mixes, Huskies, mini schnauzer. 

The frenchies were 10 months old and hilarious. They were intrigued by my girls and kept following them everywhere. 

Jazz played the best with the pit mix and the vizsla. They were the only ones as crazy as her.


----------



## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> I always keep the marrow bones once they are empty to restuff them. I like kongs, but they aren't the easiest to clean and everything sticks to the rubber. I wish they made a food toy shaped like a marrow bone because they are never readily available at the grocery store.


Nylabone actually makes a "marrow bone" toy. I've been considering buying one for the dogs but couldn't figure out if they would enjoy it and what I would do with it. Now I know. LOL

http://www.amazon.com/Nylabone-Dura...UTF8&qid=1429042255&sr=1-34&keywords=nylabone

I had filled Lad's Kong with kibble mixed with yogurt and frozen it but he couldn't get it out so I had to clean it (it was gross is all I'm going to say about that). I think this might be just the thing. Keep him busy longer than just kibble and a little bit of yogurt or peanut butter at the very top of the kong but not so hard that he can't manage to get it out.


----------



## Laurelin

Totally buying that. 

/random/ 

I've had Hank 7 months already!?


----------



## luv mi pets

Laurelin said:


> So today I had the realization that while I consider Hank very very easy he might... not be. My meter may be broken.
> 
> He bit me in the chin today while cuddling. I asked for a nose touch and he responded by launching at my hand, jumping 2' in the air and chomping it. I asked him if he wanted to go outside and he did *8* rebounds in a row off me while I just stood there. I did not ask for anything, just said 'let's go potty!'
> 
> I don't think these kinds of things register anymore. lol


....And that is why I now call a dog that used to be called Lucy, Squirrel. She was just plain nuts. Still to this day she has yet to settle down Life for her is always the fast lane.


----------



## GrinningDog

I live in an apartment complex. All of our building's mailboxes are adjacent to one another on the bottom floor. Lately I've been checking the mail with Gypsy after her evening potty break. Gypsy loves carrying things, so when there's mail, I have her carry it up the flights of stairs to our door. 

The other day, we passed some guy on the stairs who totally geeked out at the sight of Gypsy carrying my mail. Hehe.  He told me he worked for the postal service. He took a picture of Gyp and was all excited to show people. I'm glad we made his day!


----------



## Laurelin

Dog park group today was AWESOME. We got there and it was 2 heelers, a teenage malinois, and a teenage golden. Then there was a BC x bull terrier (had the bull terrier head!), 6 month heeler, older aussie, then another aussie, then a collie x heeler, and a brindle shepherd mix. A couple others filtered in and out pretty fast but that group and Hank played for a good hour and a half. All a great energy match for each other too! Tennis balls and frisbees everywhere.

And and and HANK CAUGHT A FRISBEE OUT OF THE AIR. TWICE. Omg.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> And and and HANK CAUGHT A FRISBEE OUT OF THE AIR. TWICE. Omg.


This is the most exciting thing ever. I don't know why, but it really freaking is for me. 

Congrats!


----------



## Laurelin

I swear he finally got the idea after watching the aussies catching the disc and chasing after them. He realized if he wanted the frisbee he needed to grab it from the air. 

That and the aussie owner can throw frisbees 10000x better than I can. That probably helped.


----------



## CptJack

Yeaaaah, I have led to Molly going face first in dirt once or twice. I'm not a good thrower. I'm better with the fabric and tubing discs than the regular ones. Better loft and distance. Mostly I'm just bad.


----------



## Laurelin

He told me he plays frisbee golf and has a lot of practice so don't feel bad. I pretty much suck at throwing completely.


----------



## chimunga

I really want to get Watson a Karma collar. He's 22 lbs now, and I anticipate him being 25-27. So if I buy him one with a little room to grown, it'll probably last him a long time. I don't want something super fancy. Just something that's quality and doesn't feel cheap.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Dog park group today was AWESOME. We got there and it was 2 heelers, a teenage malinois, and a teenage golden. Then there was a BC x bull terrier (had the bull terrier head!), 6 month heeler, older aussie, then another aussie, then a collie x heeler, and a brindle shepherd mix. A couple others filtered in and out pretty fast but that group and Hank played for a good hour and a half. All a great energy match for each other too! Tennis balls and frisbees everywhere.
> 
> And and and HANK CAUGHT A FRISBEE OUT OF THE AIR. TWICE. Omg.


Go hank!!! Sounds like a fun day!

*Sniff* Lincoln lifted his leg and peed on a tree for the first time on last call tonight ... my boy is growing up!


----------



## jade5280

GoGoGypsy said:


> I live in an apartment complex. All of our building's mailboxes are adjacent to one another on the bottom floor. Lately I've been checking the mail with Gypsy after her evening potty break. Gypsy loves carrying things, so when there's mail, I have her carry it up the flights of stairs to our door.
> 
> The other day, we passed some guy on the stairs who totally geeked out at the sight of Gypsy carrying my mail. Hehe.  He told me he worked for the postal service. He took a picture of Gyp and was all excited to show people. I'm glad we made his day!


 Haha that's so cute! We give Ryker the junk mail to rip up.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

*SIGH*

Rant warning ...

Why so much hate for people who WANT a cropped and/or docked dog? I dont have ANY hate for someone who wants to own a natural dog of any breed, why are those of us who prefer the altered look so hated upon? I SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE the allowance of natural dogs to compete here in the USA, there shouldnt be so much stigma, NO ONE should be attempting to control what someone else does with THEIR money.

I am sorry ... I just ... had to get that off my chest. /rant.


----------



## CptJack

There is an entire thread dealing with the topic, filled with the same people who come to this one - ie: forum members. Why are you dragging that thread into this one? Is it actually going to accomplish anything except derailing a thread we keep for random, largely light things/chatter? Are you just hoping that no one will respond or challenge you here? Or point out that there was no 'hate'? Or just hoping no one from one thread will see you in another one? 

It's just... rude to drag topics from one thread into here to basically complain about OTHER FORUM MEMBERS who don't agree with you. I mean. SERIOUSLY? I know you have places you can do that that aren't literally on the same forum. 

Can I rant about people who can't keep it in the thread it belongs in? I shouldn't. Because it's passive aggressive and rude.


----------



## taquitos

OwnedbyACDs said:


> *SIGH*
> 
> Rant warning ...
> 
> Why so much hate for people who WANT a cropped and/or docked dog? I dont have ANY hate for someone who wants to own a natural dog of any breed, why are those of us who prefer the altered look so hated upon? I SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE the allowance of natural dogs to compete here in the USA, there shouldnt be so much stigma, NO ONE should be attempting to control what someone else does with THEIR money.
> 
> I am sorry ... I just ... had to get that off my chest. /rant.


Because they are not ethically on equal grounds?

Not going to get into it here but yeah there are very stark differences between the two opinions. I'm not knocking on anyone who chooses to do it but honestly to say that they are on equal moral/ethical grounds is just a flat out lie.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> There is an entire thread dealing with the topic, filled with the same people who come to this one - ie: forum members. Why are you dragging that thread into this one? Is it actually going to accomplish anything except derailing a thread we keep for random, largely light things/chatter? Are you just hoping that no one will respond or challenge you here? Or point out that there was no 'hate'? Or just hoping no one from there will see you here?
> 
> It's just... kinda rude to drag topics from one thread into here to basically complain about OTHER FORUM MEMBERS who don't agree with you. I mean. SERIOUSLY?
> 
> Can I rant about people who can't keep it in the thread it belongs in? I shouldn't. Because it's passive aggressive and rude.


This was reference to something on Facebook, besides I have seen PLENTY of people rant on things here that have their place in other threads, so why are mine always the ones singled out, Prey tell?


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> *SIGH*
> 
> Rant warning ...
> 
> Why so much hate for people who WANT a cropped and/or docked dog? I dont have ANY hate for someone who wants to own a natural dog of any breed, why are those of us who prefer the altered look so hated upon? I SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE the allowance of natural dogs to compete here in the USA, there shouldnt be so much stigma, NO ONE should be attempting to control what someone else does with THEIR money.
> 
> I am sorry ... I just ... had to get that off my chest. /rant.


OK. . .if someone believes something is harmful to dogs, what do YOU think they should do? Should they just say "well, I believe it's harmful but if other people want to do harmful things to dogs I'm A-OK with that!"? Pretty sure that if you thought something was harmful you'd be "hating" too.

How many times do people rant on here that they were arguing on Facebook with someone about smacking their dog or rubbing his face in poop or whatever, how terrible, what is wrong with people, etc. But then the person on the other side goes off to their community and rants about how other people need to mind their own business, how dare they tell him what to do with HIS dog, etc. Poor guy, feeling all hated on for doing what he wants to his own property .


----------



## missc89

Does any body else have certain foods they only eat at a certain time of the year? Like... unless its really cold and raining, or I _have_ a _really_ bad cold, I never really eat soup in the summer. On the flip side, I rarely eat/drink cold things in the winter (ice cream, iced capps/iced coffee, yogurt, etc...)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> Does any body else have certain foods they only eat at a certain time of the year? Like... unless its really cold and raining, or I _have_ a _really_ bad cold, I never really eat soup in the summer. On the flip side, I rarely eat/drink cold things in the winter (ice cream, iced capps/iced coffee, yogurt, etc...)


I have read somewhere that people actually consume MORE ice cream in the winter than in the summer LOL. I have foods that I crave at ... uh ... certain times of the month (if you get my drift) I also get generally hungrier around that time.

Some of my staples are Mac and cheese, I NEVER can pass up mac and cheese , fruit, mainly apples, bananas, and mangoes, and of course, chocolate. I am a HUGE chocoholic.


----------



## d_ray

missc89 said:


> Does any body else have certain foods they only eat at a certain time of the year? Like... unless its really cold and raining, or I _have_ a _really_ bad cold, I never really eat soup in the summer. On the flip side, I rarely eat/drink cold things in the winter (ice cream, iced capps/iced coffee, yogurt, etc...)


Yep. I tend to drink cold beverages in the summer. I switch to iced coffee and white wine. I also barely drink red wine in the summer unless it's raining. Same with food. I eat lighter in the summer. I don't crave comfort food unless it's cold out.


----------



## missc89

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I have read somewhere that people actually consume MORE ice cream in the winter than in the summer LOL. I have foods that I crave at ... uh ... certain times of the month (if you get my drift) I also get generally hungrier around that time.
> 
> Some of my staples are Mac and cheese, I NEVER can pass up mac and cheese , fruit, mainly apples, bananas, and mangoes, and of course, chocolate. I am a HUGE chocoholic.


Haha omg don't even get me started on those monthly cravings! I've noticed as I've grown up that I don't really have as much of a sweet tooth as I thought I did, but for one week out of the month I would probably be able to out sugar cookie monster!

I never pass up meat. Especially steak. I love summer because its BBQ season and I am such a meatatarian (or a recovering vegetarian, depending on who I'm talking to)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> Haha omg don't even get me started on those monthly cravings! I've noticed as I've grown up that I don't really have as much of a sweet tooth as I thought I did, but for one week out of the month I would probably be able to out sugar cookie monster!
> 
> I never pass up meat. Especially steak. I love summer because its BBQ season and I am such a meatatarian (or a recovering vegetarian, depending on who I'm talking to)


I dont really care for meat, I LIKE it, but I can do with or without it. I go through periods where I crave sweets (except chocolate, and ice cream LOL) but I generally try to eat healthy.


----------



## missc89

Ooooo okay what is everyone's top 5 comfort foods!?

Steak
Lasagna
Canadian split pea soup with ham and potatoes
Shepherds pie
Ribs


----------



## CptJack

Beef stew
Homemade vegetable/beef soup
Mac 'n cheese
Chicken and dumplings
Homemade biscuits with jam


----------



## missc89

CptJack said:


> Beef stew
> Homemade vegetable/beef soup
> Mac 'n cheese
> Chicken and dumplings
> Homemade biscuits with jam


That sounds delicious! One day when I get rich I'll fly everyone (and their dogs) from DF to my private island and we'll all have comfort food feasts!


----------



## BubbaMoose

I'm on a diet. And now my mouth is watering after reading those posts on comfort foods. 

Mine are:

Pizza
Mashed potatoes
A fresh loaf of Italian bread and butter
Pasta
NY/NJ bagels

Basically all the carbs forever. 

But then there's cheese and ice cream too. Ugh. Ok. I'm leaving this thread now.


----------



## kcomstoc

Mac and Cheese
Chicken Wings
FRIES!!!!
Pizza
Fried Dough


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Pizza
Fries
Cheese, smokey chedder, pepper jack and blue being my favorites.
Pasta(any really, but Alfredo is my fave)
Cheesecake


----------



## DGerry

Oh, food! My favourite  I love to cook but most of the things I like to make are...well, if I made them all the time I'd be broke and gigantic XD Top five?

Anything on my smoker(mostly ribs, pork shoulder is good but is a 16hr+ cook)
Steak(ribeye or die)
Bread(I have to hold back on this one so much lol)
Pizza
Stir Fry(the only healthy thing on the list! But I love it. I'd eat it every day if I could.)


----------



## taquitos

Top comfort foods for me:
1. Pho -- So yummy vegan or otherwise! It's the best hangover food <3
2. Kimchi jjiggae -- It's a Korean casserole/soup made from old Kimchi... it's my favorite dish ever. I can have it everyday. I swear.
3. Dwenjang jjiggae -- Another Korean dish made from Korean style miso paste. Soooo yummy!
4. Pad sew -- not the good kind... the gross kind from a popular chain here called Thai Express (it has more calories than a Big Mac LOL)
5. Pizza -- Although it's just not as good anymore now that I'm pretty much vegan so I don't have it with cheese 
6. POUTINE. I miss poutine sooo much... but again, the cheese  I used to make it with mozzarella and homemade mushroom gravy and it was soooo good.

And yes, I too am a total carb person. I eat so much rice and noodles. I don't even care. I would say about 60% of my diet is carbs. That's probably why I'm so thin lol because I'm probably not even getting enough calories from my food LOLOL


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Pizza is the devil (in a good way LOL)


----------



## Remaru

UGH I miss food! I eat oatmeal, that is really almost all I eat. I just had oatmeal and coffee and it will be 50/50 on if I am sick later. I can have veggies (some of them) and fruit but I want to just go out and binge on real food. Not worth it.


----------



## kcomstoc

Remaru said:


> UGH I miss food! I eat oatmeal, that is really almost all I eat. I just had oatmeal and coffee and it will be 50/50 on if I am sick later. I can have veggies (some of them) and fruit but I want to just go out and binge on real food. Not worth it.


Do you have a gastrointestinal thing? Maybe you mentioned it once but I don't remember, sad though I don't know what I would do with just oatmeal and veggies since I HATE veggies and oatmeal is like a once in a great while thing  I can't even imagine


----------



## Remaru

kcomstoc said:


> Do you have a gastrointestinal thing? Maybe you mentioned it once but I don't remember, sad though I don't know what I would do with just oatmeal and veggies since I HATE veggies and oatmeal is like a once in a great while thing  I can't even imagine


I have Ulcerative Colitis (finally diagnosed) and GERD (most of my life). I actually like oatmeal but trying to figure out from day to day what foods are or aren't going to bother me is getting really old. I just get tired of being sick.


----------



## kcomstoc

Remaru said:


> I have Ulcerative Colitis (finally diagnosed) and GERD (most of my life). I actually like oatmeal but trying to figure out from day to day what foods are or aren't going to bother me is getting really old. I just get tired of being sick.


That sounds awful  is it treatable? or is it something you adjust to?


----------



## Remaru

kcomstoc said:


> That sounds awful  is it treatable? or is it something you adjust to?


The UC is a new diagnosis for me and it was a struggle to figure out. My doctor says that with medication and a specialized diet it should go into remission though I could still have flare ups so I will have to watch my diet. I've been on medication for GERD for a long time but I am hoping to find something more effective as I still have break through reflux.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> I have Ulcerative Colitis (finally diagnosed) and GERD (most of my life). I actually like oatmeal but trying to figure out from day to day what foods are or aren't going to bother me is getting really old. I just get tired of being sick.


Ugh, I am sorry, that sounds like it sucks


----------



## Flaming

I have seasonal preferences for my caffeine intake does that count? 

Coffe in winter and tea in summer.

As for favs list 
-mac and cheese
-toutons, preferably fresh off the cast iron. 
-salmon, fried with lemon and cracked black pepper corns


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

No preferences for me with coffee, Must. Have. Coffee. Every. DAY. I also love me some good ole down home southern country cookin' pancakes, biscuits and gravy, waffles, ham/bacon and eggs etc ...


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ugh, I am sorry, that sounds like it sucks


Thank you. Getting a diagnosis and getting started on treatment has helped. At least I know what I'm dealing with now. I'm also glad it is finally warm again, I was pretty sick with the cold weather. At least it is warm most of the year in TX.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Thank you. Getting a diagnosis and getting started on treatment has helped. At least I know what I'm dealing with now. I'm also glad it is finally warm again, I was pretty sick with the cold weather. At least it is warm most of the year in TX.


be lucky you dont live here, we are still in the 50's some nights here LOL


----------



## d_ray

Cheeseburgers
Poutine
Pizza
Swiss chalet or St Hubert chicken
Prime rib 

I've been eating terribly lately since we're off this week and have my friends car. It's been burgers wings And pizza every day. 

Need to cut back soon.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> Cheeseburgers
> Poutine
> Pizza
> Swiss chalet or St Hubert chicken
> Prime rib
> 
> I've been eating terribly lately since we're off this week and have my friends car. It's been burgers wings And pizza every day.
> 
> Need to cut back soon.


LOL sounds yummy! 

I like chinese food, we had some last night ... buffets are my fave!


----------



## luv mi pets

Remaru said:


> I have Ulcerative Colitis (finally diagnosed) and GERD (most of my life). I actually like oatmeal but trying to figure out from day to day what foods are or aren't going to bother me is getting really old. I just get tired of being sick.



I am glad you finally got your answers I have had my UC for about 8 years now I am enjoying my remission I am in right now, I can remember the days living on oatmeal baby rice cereal, decaf coffee (caff is a big no-no) and applesauce. It suckedl but I learned it was not worth it to eat something because it would take days if not weeks to recover from it I also lived on baby food just so I could eat something. One thing about finding out what it is, then you can start on the right meds to help the healing process.


----------



## luv mi pets

Today at work, something sad happened. A k-9 officer had to say good-bye to his partner. This dog was only 5 years old. It was a referral from another clinic who sent the dog over for emergency surgery. A mass was discovered and the officer knew it was a matter of quality of life for his partner. He unselfishly decided to euthanize the dog on the operating table. You could tell he was holding back the tears. He was telling me how just that morning he and the dog were playing ball out in the yard. Just a few hours later he is holding his dog saying good bye to his friend, partner, and his co-worker. It just totally sucked that this dog died so young.


----------



## GrinningDog

Only 22 class days left in the semester, but 11 exams in that time. 

School isn't even the most stressful part of my life right now. Sigh. One day at a time.


----------



## d_ray

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL sounds yummy!
> 
> I like chinese food, we had some last night ... buffets are my fave!


Chinese is my hubby's go to. Every time I ever ask what he wants, Chinese is always his answer.


----------



## Remaru

luv mi pets said:


> I am glad you finally got your answers I have had my UC for about 8 years now I am enjoying my remission I am in right now, I can remember the days living on oatmeal baby rice cereal, decaf coffee (caff is a big no-no) and applesauce. It suckedl but I learned it was not worth it to eat something because it would take days if not weeks to recover from it I also lived on baby food just so I could eat something. One thing about finding out what it is, then you can start on the right meds to help the healing process.


Yes the food guess work is hard. I had done an elimination diet and thought I had it all under control but then new foods would pop up. Like sometimes tomatoes are fine and other times they make me sick, or I may make a soup I've made several times before but this time it just bothers me. I'm hoping the meds will help with that. I wouldn't mind being able to eat a little bit of meat again too, I think it might help with some of the weakness I get. The doctor said the UC may be causing the joint issues but if they don't go away we need to look at possible RA.


----------



## Remaru

luv mi pets said:


> Today at work, something sad happened. A k-9 officer had to say good-bye to his partner. This dog was only 5 years old. It was a referral from another clinic who sent the dog over for emergency surgery. A mass was discovered and the officer knew it was a matter of quality of life for his partner. He unselfishly decided to euthanize the dog on the operating table. You could tell he was holding back the tears. He was telling me how just that morning he and the dog were playing ball out in the yard. Just a few hours later he is holding his dog saying good bye to his friend, partner, and his co-worker. It just totally sucked that this dog died so young.


This makes me sad. My son still wakes up crying about Duke. Dogs shouldn't get sick like this.


----------



## Annageckos

Remaru said:


> I have Ulcerative Colitis (finally diagnosed) and GERD (most of my life). I actually like oatmeal but trying to figure out from day to day what foods are or aren't going to bother me is getting really old. I just get tired of being sick.


My boyfriend has crohn's, he has had it since he was a kid. Managing diet and stress are key. Stress is a big one for him. I have type one diabetes. I get the food thing. There are many things we can't have. I love veggies(fresh from the garden are my favorite) but his system can't handle many veggies. He could live off of sugary foods, I can't have them and don't like most anyway. My mom and my friend also have different types of colitis. For my mom dairy sets her off, my friend has to be careful with fiber rich foods. I wish you luck with getting it all straitened out. It will get better.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Read all about that yummy food. I discovered I had diabetes last year, had to completely change my diet. Lost 30 lbs. not that I was overly heavy but I am now back down to the weight I was 30 years ago. I actually do not miss it as much as I thought I would but it makes shopping hard as have to find low carbohydrate foods and the only vegetables I like are Brussel Sprouts and potatoes. Never used to eat salads but found I liked spinach, never liked lettuce much. Love Salmon and tuna so eat them fairly often.


----------



## Laurelin

I thought this was a great read on Aussie versus BC. (One of my friends has an awesome aussie from here) 

http://www.talismanaussies.com/aussie_info.htm

side note: I ADORE their puppy questionnaire. Holy cow.


----------



## CptJack

I am just coming here to say that my ability to reward with a toy is my new favorite thing this week. I mean I've been able to use toy rewards for roughly eternity and I still use food with her for some stuff, but JEEZE it is easier than having to stick to food. Probably not so much about the actual reward but because of the different... energy involved, both in me and the dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I thought this was a great read on Aussie versus BC. (One of my friends has an awesome aussie from here)
> 
> http://www.talismanaussies.com/aussie_info.htm
> 
> side note: I ADORE their puppy questionnaire. Holy cow.


It's funny how BC people are like "yeah, eww never could own an aussie" and aussie people say the same thing, just in reverse LOL.

Also OMG I love that site and most of how she explains aussies explains Lincoln to a T (even though he is technically "not" an aussie, but a MAS), he is fun and aggravating at the same time (mostly fun, though), and he is very "body aware" (not allowing strangers to touch him indiscriminately). I was told that it was a "fault" for him to be like that but after reading this, I know now that it is a "proper" aussie trait.

Ugh but she keeps tails, though -_-


----------



## Laurelin

I really... think I'm going to drop that breeder a line. I dunno what it is but I just really like them from what I can read. That's really the first BC breeder site I've read (and I've looked at a lot) that I feel that way about.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I really... think I'm going to drop that breeder a line. I dunno what it is but I just really like them from what I can read. That's really the first BC breeder site I've read (and I've looked at a lot) that I feel that way about.


I like that breeder a lot, actually. I like that they break down the differences that are there, talk some about the differences in lines and history and politics without getting all up into it, and are involved in rescue. They're really seemingly transparent about their dogs, and really KNOW their dogs. That puppy questionaire is one of the best two I've ever seen (the other was an ESS breeder). 

Honestly, if it wasn't the wrong half of the country and wanted another dog, I'd be all over them too. Plus, I really, really love Scream.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah plus they describe their dog drive level and how hard/soft they are and every litter they discuss issues from a puppy had allergies to a hip problem to one litter being harder to train an of switch for. They also health test like crazy and seem to breed with stock and sport in mind. She seems really dedicated to picking good homes too. And the rescue thing is huge for me. 

Wow. I really am impressed! Like really wow. I'm totally in the wrong part of the country but....


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, that's sort of what I meant by transparency and knowing their dogs. These people are GOOD. And a lot of the questions they ask, like 'describe a dog you trained and liked' and 'one trait you would find difficult' and 'one you would really want'. I bet they are WICKED good at getting the right puppy into the right hands if people are honest and work with them.

Oh and the training question/scenarios! I LOVE those!


----------



## CptJack

Also, lol . That last question and some of their other pages really makes me think Molly's weird reactivity and the fact that she's getting loads better rapidly and things are just vanishing (or vanished and then reappeared differently) that we might just be working through a fear period. That'd be nice.


----------



## Laurelin

Yes yes yes yes,. Everything you've said. I'm actually really happy I stumbled into this breeder today! I had no idea they bred BCs as well as aussies.

I bet Molly is going through a fear period. Mia had one right around that age that was awful. She was a Cujo towards other dogs for a while. I didn't do anything miraculous but it vanished over time. She is still what I'd call dog reactive but is fine as long as she has a space bubble.


----------



## CptJack

I just realized where they are - that's actually doable for me, if they're still around in 5-10 years. I will be keeping an eye open, I think.

And Molly's issues being MOSTLY fear period would be nice. I mean they seem to be falling off rapidly. It's been pretty on again/off again since she was 6 months old but as we approach a year I'm getting more and more 'normal dog' with a lot of things. Her issues with strange people cropped up and vanished seemingly over night, there was a stage things like plastic bags on the ground wigged her out. Now it's mostly down to other dogs reacting FIRST and her responding. 

Mostly. I'll keep working on it like it's a serious issue but I'm starting to think we'll be all right. Maybe not dog friendly but as long as she's not going cujo, I don't really CARE.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Interesting read on Aussies vs. BC. Seems like an awesome breeder. 

I'll have to see how I feel about the two once Ember gets older. Also.. Ember is stalking the flirt pole already.


----------



## Laurelin

OwnedbyACDs said:


> It's funny how BC people are like "yeah, eww never could own an aussie" and aussie people say the same thing, just in reverse LOL.
> 
> Also OMG I love that site and most of how she explains aussies explains Lincoln to a T (even though he is technically "not" an aussie, but a MAS), he is fun and aggravating at the same time (mostly fun, though), and he is very "body aware" (not allowing strangers to touch him indiscriminately). I was told that it was a "fault" for him to be like that but after reading this, I know now that it is a "proper" aussie trait.
> 
> Ugh but she keeps tails, though -_-


I love that she keeps the tails and dewclaws.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I love that she keeps the tails and dewclaws.


Dewclaws yes, tails ... I dont know, I just love me some wiggle butt so very much  I am not dissing the breeder in any way, she sounds like an AWESOME breeder, I just kind of had like a mini sad about seeing no wiggly butts LOL. xD

@fortheloveofdogs You will have your own aussie VS BC "drama" playing out in your very household LOL. Also we have a flirt pole hanging from a tree at the ranch and Josefina LOVES that thing, Lincoln is just getting to love it, I know if we were there more, he would love it. He totally loves toys now and will chase and sometimes, bring them back (something we are still working on LOL).


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

As of lately, there's been some huge life chances, which are, mostly, for the best. College wouldn't be happening this year, because another opportunity has occurred. Which gives me more time and freedom, then if I where to go to college. So... There is (very, very) slight chance a dog might happen.

It isn't likely, because I do plan on college, and because my future is just so unstable right now. Time wise. Living/space wise. Finically. 

Plus, I still need to research more into depth abput the breeds I'm interested in.


----------



## taquitos

Meeko went to the first "bring your dog to work day" of the year with my sister this AM.

My morning is so.. not busy now that there's no dog LOL

He didn't want to leave this AM lol my sister had to come in and pick him up and bring him with her because he was just like "Nooo I'm waiting for the humans to wake up!" 

Gosh I miss him already


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> As of lately, there's been some huge life chances, which are, mostly, for the best. College wouldn't be happening this year, because another opportunity has occurred. Which gives me more time and freedom, then if I where to go to college. So... There is (very, very) slight chance a dog might happen.
> 
> It isn't likely, because I do plan on college, and because my future is just so unstable right now. Time wise. Living/space wise. Finically.
> 
> Plus, I still need to research more into depth abput the breeds I'm interested in.


YAY! you can get your Pumi, or Mudi, or MAS


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

OwnedbyACDs said:


> YAY! you can get your Pumi, or Mudi, or MAS


Ehhh... I'd love on of those breeds, but not for a first dog. As for MAS, they really don't interested me, besides Wigglebutt's dogs.

Golden's or a Sheltie would be most likely.

As for a dog happening this year? I just don't think it'll happen. Maybe! But I'm just so unsure.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Ehhh... I'd love on of those breeds, but not for a first dog. As for MAS, they really don't interested me, besides Wigglebutt's dogs.
> 
> Golden's or a Sheltie would be most likely.
> 
> As for a dog happening this year? I just don't think it'll happen. Maybe! But I'm just so unsure.


BTW your kitten really has grown!


----------



## DGerry

So before getting Chester I had this idea in my head that all dogs hated the vet. You always see those meme-style pics of dogs looking panicked or upset and the caption is something about going to the vet. Naturally I expected Chester would be that way...but he's completely the opposite. Chester LOVES his vet. He gets SUPER excited when we go there, as soon as we go inside he just can't calm down until he gets to meet the staff at the front desk. The only thing he doesn't like is being taken into the back without us but it's usually just a bit of pulling away at first until we give him some encouragement and then he just happily goes along.

How do your dogs react to the vet? Do they like it? Do they hate it? Do they not care? I was surprised, but I'm really happy with this vet and the staff are all so nice and helpful so it makes sense that Chester likes it there.


----------



## d_ray

DGerry said:


> So before getting Chester I had this idea in my head that all dogs hated the vet. You always see those meme-style pics of dogs looking panicked or upset and the caption is something about going to the vet. Naturally I expected Chester would be that way...but he's completely the opposite. Chester LOVES his vet. He gets SUPER excited when we go there, as soon as we go inside he just can't calm down until he gets to meet the staff at the front desk. The only thing he doesn't like is being taken into the back without us but it's usually just a bit of pulling away at first until we give him some encouragement and then he just happily goes along.
> 
> How do your dogs react to the vet? Do they like it? Do they hate it? Do they not care? I was surprised, but I'm really happy with this vet and the staff are all so nice and helpful so it makes sense that Chester likes it there.


Jewels fine with it because she loves all the attention and treats she gets. 

Jasmine is okay with it but doesn't love it. She especially hated getting her vacs. It seemed to genuinely hurt her. She couldn't see when the needle was going in and was fine at being handled, but the second she was pricked, it was game over.


----------



## jade5280

Both of them like going to the vet. Ryker doesn't like when they try to look in his eyes and ears, but once that's over he's perfectly fine. They like sniffing around.


----------



## Laurelin

Summer loves the vet. She gets all doted on there.


----------



## Annageckos

Vegas is a big chicken. He will sit on the bench next to me when we go to the vet. Or he will push his way behind my boyfriend on the chair. Shorty loves the vets. Lots of attention. The puppy has only been to the vets once but she did really well.


----------



## kcomstoc

Jake LOVES the vet, he gets to see a lot of people that go "AWES HE'S SO CUTE!!! is he a puppy?" then he gets treats  the bunnies however HATE the vets, for obvious reasons and they have a wellness visit tomorrow *they have a check up every 6 months* because bunnies can hide being sick very well


----------



## gingerkid

Snowball likes going to the vet... he does not, however, like going into the back. Can't say I blame him, really - every time he's back there it's because something awful has happened to him.


----------



## Pasarella

Fanta and Fera hates vets,because of bad thing happening there.Like parvo for Fanta and C-section and womb infection later for Fera. Moka and Mimi are fine.Nothing very bad has happened to them there


----------



## Prozax

I'm so happy! Found a place in a nearby town that does aquatic therapy for dogs. I spoke to them and they will be happy to asses and work with Luna. It's going to be a bit of a hassle to get there, since I don't have a car and have to go by train, but I think we can do it at least once a week  I hope this will help Luna with back leg coordination. Now we just have to wait for her to finish her heat.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Josefina, she is a strange one anyway, but she doesn't have an opinion one way or the other. Lincoln doesn't really like them because it is strangers touching him hahaha, plus the last time he was there he got his shots so in his mind, his dislike was cemented.


----------



## d_ray

Jewel isn't as bullet proof as I thought. We had some family, including my 13 year old nephew, over to watch the sens game. Well the sens scored and my nephew cheered and started running around the house. Jewel was not happy. She started barking and growling at him. Strangely Jasmine wasn't phased and she's the reactive one. Jewel have him the stink eye all night and we asked him to not run around anymore.


----------



## Kayota

DGerry said:


> So before getting Chester I had this idea in my head that all dogs hated the vet. You always see those meme-style pics of dogs looking panicked or upset and the caption is something about going to the vet. Naturally I expected Chester would be that way...but he's completely the opposite. Chester LOVES his vet. He gets SUPER excited when we go there, as soon as we go inside he just can't calm down until he gets to meet the staff at the front desk. The only thing he doesn't like is being taken into the back without us but it's usually just a bit of pulling away at first until we give him some encouragement and then he just happily goes along.
> 
> How do your dogs react to the vet? Do they like it? Do they hate it? Do they not care? I was surprised, but I'm really happy with this vet and the staff are all so nice and helpful so it makes sense that Chester likes it there.


roxie has to be sedated... like she rips off the muzzle they put on her and stuff. yeah.


----------



## kcomstoc

I saw a newfie at the vet today  OMG I want one so bad now


----------



## Damon'sMom

I worked at the vet and tried so hard to get Jasper to like it. He just can't handle it. He has to be muzzled. Strangers touching him he does not like but tolerates. Strangers holding him and trying to restrain him? "DEATH TO THEM ALLLLLL!!!!".  

Mason does okay usually, a little grumbling but nothing terrible. He is a pretty good sport about it all.

ETA: Jasper does well in pet stores, dog shows (sports), etc. Just not the vets.


----------



## gingerkid

I am so glad we're moving in a few months because I am really fed up with my neighbor. Any time any dog in my care barks at his dog (who is always off-leash and always approaches us!), he yells at me about how his dog is trained and therefore doesn't need a leash, and if I "can't train my dogs I shouldn't have them". Nevermind that the "vicious untrained" dog I have right now is fearful of strange dogs and I only have her for the weekend and he expects me to fully train any dog that ever comes to visit, but that his dog is not what I would call "trained"... it knows its name, and it _sometimes_ comes when called, if there is nothing else interesting going on.... and it barks at us just as often as Snowball barks at him.... 

He also seems to think that all dogs that are on a leash are totally untrained; obviously they would not be on a leash if they were as trained as his dog, because even though it is the law to have your dog on a leash and "law-shmaw" (direct quote).


----------



## CptJack

I would want to strangle that man every time I laid eyes on him.


----------



## Prozax

Luna is in heat for another week and I hate it. The neighbors male intact dog, that is always left to run loose keeps howling outside the my gate. So to shut him the neighbors let him in my yard!!! Of course I can't let Luna out while he's there so I take him out of the yard. Within minutes my neighbors let him back in just to shut him up. I tried to say something and they started to offend me and call me names I hate confrontations and this is discussion was just horrible.
For the past four months my other neighbor that shares the yard with me started to tie their dog right under my bedroom windows. In the beginning they were taking him in sometimes, but not anymore. So the poor dog is tied outside all day and bored out of his mind. He barks and whines and now the other one whines to get to Luna. This is driving me mad!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> I worked at the vet and tried so hard to get Jasper to like it. He just can't handle it. He has to be muzzled. Strangers touching him he does not like but tolerates. Strangers holding him and trying to restrain him? "DEATH TO THEM ALLLLLL!!!!".
> 
> Mason does okay usually, a little grumbling but nothing terrible. He is a pretty good sport about it all.
> 
> ETA: Jasper does well in pet stores, dog shows (sports), etc. Just not the vets.


He is okay with petting with proper introduction though, right? because if I ever met him I would want to pet him LOL. 

Lincoln is also "NOOOOO" about strangers restraining him, luckily, even though my vet's office technically has a rule about not letting owners restrain their animals, my vet lets me do it because ie sees that the dogs take it so much better and its better for everyone.


----------



## Damon'sMom

OwnedbyACDs said:


> He is okay with petting with proper introduction though, right? because if I ever met him I would want to pet him LOL.
> 
> Lincoln is also "NOOOOO" about strangers restraining him, luckily, even though my vet's office technically has a rule about not letting owners restrain their animals, my vet lets me do it because ie sees that the dogs take it so much better and its better for everyone.


Yes. lol He will let anyone pet him if I tell him too, or if he gets to know them he will ask for pets.  They just can't hug or hold him still.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> Yes. lol He will let anyone pet him if I tell him too, or if he gets to know them he will ask for pets.  They just can't hug or hold him still.


LOL thats ok because I dont go around hugging other people's dogs LOL, I DO hug my own and he loves it (when I do it, I doubt he would like it if someone else tried LOL.


----------



## d_ray

Looks like we will have to take a break from the dog park. Jazz has decided it's fun to sprint up to some dogs at full speed and body check them. She openly seeks out the craziest biggest dogs to play with. 

Meanwhile jewel hides between my legs if a 5 pound dog tries to play with her. 

Such weirdos.


----------



## Kayota

i wish vets would let me restrain roxie, she does so much better but it's only happened twice.


----------



## d_ray

Kayota said:


> i wish vets would let me restrain roxie, she does so much better but it's only happened twice.


This is weird to me. Any vets we have ever been to encourage us to help restrain our dogs.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I'm glad I work at a vet.. so anything that is done is only done with me present and holding my dog. I would definitely ask if you can restrain.


----------



## Annageckos

Rant ahead.
I took the dogs for a walk yesterday with my boyfriend, Brian. We stopped to talk with a couple that had a young female basset hound. I had the dane puppy Freyja and Vegas. Vegas was sitting behind me and two little yappy bichon frise come running at us past the three dogs playing and attacked Vegas. I wasn't holding his lead because he is good. And I'm glad I wasn't. He ran from them. He would have pulled my arm, maybe knocked me down. He did stop when I called him. But I had to keep the little yapping dogs from him while their owner rounded them up. No puncture wounds on him, he never snapped at the dogs. Small dogs always go after him, he is terrified of them. I wish people would train their little dogs. They let them get away with more than big dogs are allowed to get away with. I know that is not always the case. But it's common. A little dog growls and it's 'cute'. Yeah right.


----------



## CptJack

I don't think that it is more common for small dogs to be untrained than big dogs.

I just think more people are likely to take untrained small dogs out in the public where they can be a pain in the butt/danger to other people/animals/themselves. 

That's not actually any better, but I think it's an important distinction because it gives the impression that large dog owners are more likely to be responsible and IMO that's not true and pretty unfair bias about the OWNERS of the dogs. Big untrained dog is just likely to be chained to a tree.


----------



## Annageckos

I've encountered more untrained small dogs than larger dogs. Maybe you haven't or it's been the opposite for you. But I can only state what I've seen. I'm sorry I stated my opinion. It is common from what I've seen for people to laugh at or let small dog act aggressively. But they wouldn't put up with the same behavior in larger dogs. But that wasn't even the point of my posting. My dog, that was sitting calmly was attacked by two snappy small dogs. They ran past the playing dogs and went after him.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Seeing how lincoln reacts to strangers I always insist I restrain him, my vet knows me, he knows I am perfectly capable. Especially when they saw him calm down instantly when I took hold of him.


----------



## Damon'sMom

I have to brag on my little man!! I took Mason to a local pet store for training today. All went well until a small herd of kids came running past us in the dog food isle playing chase and smacking each other with Chuckit dog toys.  They managed to knock a bag of natural balance kibble off the shelf and it landed next to poor mason and broke open. He was so good during the entire ordeal! He stayed in his heel position by my left leg not even blinking an eye at the kids or food. So proud of my little man!


----------



## Kayota

d_ray said:


> This is weird to me. Any vets we have ever been to encourage us to help restrain our dogs.


they say it's a huge liability issue. i ask if i can restrain and they always, without fail say no, even if i explain that i was a vet tech student for a year and know how to do it right.


----------



## Remaru

I have never had an issue restraining the dogs (or cat) at the vets. My old vet always requested that one of us do it but he was alone and didn't really have a tech unless he was doing surgery. At the new practice the tech will usually just run the dog to the back to give the shots really quick unless the dog is panicky. My dogs don't care, they think it is good fun. Remus had to be escorted, he would do what I told him but wouldn't leave me so I had to walk to the back with him and Blue gets a little shaky but will go. The cat is hilarious, she rolls around on the counter and begs for love. Last time she was at the vet she flopped right down on the counter and looked around like "you may all worship me now."


----------



## Kyllobernese

Our Vet lets us hold our dogs, it is unusual for anyone else to even be in the room. However, sometimes they do take the dog out back which I do not like but it does not happen often enough to complain. When I had Remmy in to have his one ear treated (just seems to have one ear he gets infection in) the Vet asked if I wanted someone to hold him and I said no. He was quite surprised I knew how to hold him properly and remarked on it and I told him I used to work for a few different Vets over the years.

Kris was a little scared the first time I took her into the Vet but as I just took her in, stood her on the scale and weighed her, she has been fine ever since. It helped also that the women behind the desk made a bit fuss over her.


----------



## taquitos

Yup same here. Vet always asks me to help restrain my animals.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

Husband's work schedule right now allows him to pretty much sleep in as late as he wants, go to work for 4-6 hours and come home. Think he'd get up and help with the puppy when I work from home and have to try and start before 9? Nope. When I ask, his version of "helping" involves trying to get her back to sleep and, failing that, hanging out on his phone on the internet in bed saying "I'm getting up in 5 minutes" while I watch her and can't work.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> I have to brag on my little man!! I took Mason to a local pet store for training today. All went well until a small herd of kids came running past us in the dog food isle playing chase and smacking each other with Chuckit dog toys.  They managed to knock a bag of natural balance kibble off the shelf and it landed next to poor mason and broke open. He was so good during the entire ordeal! He stayed in his heel position by my left leg not even blinking an eye at the kids or food. So proud of my little man!


GO MASON!! Cant say mine would have shown that kind of restraint ... I wish they would make stores like petsmart kid free :/ I would have said something either to management, or the kids themselves.

LOL kind of a rant but not really: Yesterday I was doing some training with Lincoln (I was having him 'walk it' over the stone borders that they have around the gardens here, they are kind of like agility dog walks, only not as high and a little wider) and he kept getting off half way through (he knows he isnt supposed to, he just didnt feel like listening) then, when he didnt get his treat he expected, he got really mad and started going to town on my ankles (luckily I was wearing boots LOL) and barking and just throwing a full on tantrum because he couldnt get what he wanted. I told him that he wasnt going to get it until he did it right, so before I could say anything else, he goes and walks the entire length (without me cuing him), waits at the end, then comes back and sits for his treat. LOL this boy cracks me up so much!


----------



## chimunga

Watson has Pano. And I keep his Rimadyl on my desk. I usually only give it to him on days where he's limping. Although I'll give it to him even if he's _just barely_ limping. So this morning. He was whining and scratching at my desk. And I could not figure out what the heck he wanted. I look at what he's focusing on, and it's his bottle of pills. And I gave him one (even though he's not limping), and he stopped whining and settled down instantly. 

Did my dog figure out that the meds stop the pain? Or did I just create a routine for him, and he didn't like that I was breaking it? It's also possible that he thinks they're treats, because I make him do a trick before I give him one, so he just wanted his daily treat. So weird.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> Watson has Pano. And I keep his Rimadyl on my desk. I usually only give it to him on days where he's limping. Although I'll give it to him even if he's _just barely_ limping. So this morning. He was whining and scratching at my desk. And I could not figure out what the heck he wanted. I look at what he's focusing on, and it's his bottle of pills. And I gave him one (even though he's not limping), and he stopped whining and settled down instantly.
> 
> Did my dog figure out that the meds stop the pain? Or did I just create a routine for him, and he didn't like that I was breaking it? It's also possible that he thinks they're treats, because I make him do a trick before I give him one, so he just wanted his daily treat. So weird.


If he ever didnt need them anymore, maybe you could fill a pill bottel with his other fave treat and do it like that, maybe? Other than that, feel lucky you have a dog who LIKES taking pills LOL, both of mine hate it. :/


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> If he ever didnt need them anymore, maybe you could fill a pill bottel with his other fave treat and do it like that, maybe? Other than that, feel lucky you have a dog who LIKES taking pills LOL, both of mine hate it. :/


He likes the rimadyl. He hates the tramadol. He will literally spit it out. I don't know if it's because it tastes bad, or if it makes him feel funky, and he made the connection. It's so weird though. Watson will eat anything. I've seen him eat rocks and lemon peel. But he will not take the tramadol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> He likes the rimadyl. He hates the tramadol. He will literally spit it out. I don't know if it's because it tastes bad, or if it makes him feel funky, and he made the connection. It's so weird though. Watson will eat anything. I've seen him eat rocks and lemon peel. But he will not take the tramadol.


At least you can get him to take some meds, here I have to stuff them down their throats , they wont even take their HW meds LOL.


----------



## CptJack

I just watched Bug poke her nose out the back door and into the yard, get his with a drop of rain, march straight to a rug and pee on it. 

SERIOUSLY?!


----------



## ChelseaOliver

chimunga said:


> He likes the rimadyl. He hates the tramadol. He will literally spit it out. I don't know if it's because it tastes bad, or if it makes him feel funky, and he made the connection. It's so weird though. Watson will eat anything. I've seen him eat rocks and lemon peel. But he will not take the tramadol.


If I remember correctly tramadol tastes terrible to them!!


----------



## ChelseaOliver

CptJack said:


> I just watched Bug poke her nose out the back door and into the yard, get his with a drop of rain, march straight to a rug and pee on it.
> 
> SERIOUSLY?!


Okay that really sucks but I'm laughing imagining it. The other day Peggy asked to go outside repeatedly, each time I opened the sliding door to the backyard and she poked her head out, felt rain and wouldn't go out. I did not go out with her and thought she'd be okay for half an hour until a walk. Nope. I let her on the big bed upstairs and she peed all the way through to the mattress protector without even trying to get down first.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

chimunga said:


> He likes the rimadyl. He hates the tramadol. He will literally spit it out. I don't know if it's because it tastes bad, or if it makes him feel funky, and he made the connection. It's so weird though. Watson will eat anything. I've seen him eat rocks and lemon peel. But he will not take the tramadol.


From what I've heard, there's a lot of dogs who refuse to take tramadol. It's really bitter, so a lot of dogs don't like the taste.

Trying making meatballs. Stuff the pill in one of them, then have a few "empty" meatballs. You could either try throwing them, or just drop them(pretend you dropped some yummy human food).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Boo ... something, probably damn coyotes attacked the geese that had taken up residence on the walk-out of one of our ponds here, I walk out there every day and check on them (I stay on the road and dont go near) but today I didnt see them and from the road, the nest didnt look right. I didnt see them anywhere but there were feathers everywhere and I have a terrible feeling that a pack of those vermin came through and not only decimated the nest, but the parents too as they tried to defend it.  

I know, I know natural order, but still so much sad


----------



## chimunga

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> From what I've heard, there's a lot of dogs who refuse to take tramadol. It's really bitter, so a lot of dogs don't like the taste.
> 
> Trying making meatballs. Stuff the pill in one of them, then have a few "empty" meatballs. You could either try throwing them, or just drop them(pretend you dropped some yummy human food).


I usually just squish a couple of Zuke's minis around it. He'll gobble it right up then, even if he watched me do it.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> I usually just squish a couple of Zuke's minis around it. He'll gobble it right up then, even if he watched me do it.


My folks have a dog who that doesnt work on, with any size pill, any kind of thing you squish it into, he will work the pill out, eat the food and leave the pill -_-


----------



## Laurelin

How come every time your dogs are doing something cute and you try to sneakily grab a phone for a picture of it they stop doing the cute thing?


----------



## chimunga

Laurelin said:


> How come every time your dogs are doing something cute and you try to sneakily grab a phone for a picture of it they stop doing the cute thing?


YES. Watson can hold a "play dead" and a "sit pretty" till the cows come home. _Unless _I'm holding a camera.


----------



## CptJack

The same reason it's harder to get a dog to obey a command when your back is turned or you're out of sight of them. They're weird.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> How come every time your dogs are doing something cute and you try to sneakily grab a phone for a picture of it they stop doing the cute thing?


Every. Single. Time ... ugh.


----------



## Sibe

The best way to get a dog to stop doing ANYTHING is to get your camera out.


----------



## Laurelin

I've been asked twice recently (one at an agility trial) if Hank is a bird dog (pointer).....

snuggle9 by summerpapillons, on Flickr


----------



## Kayota

he is the pointiest pointer... ears wise lol


----------



## Laurelin

Kayota said:


> he is the pointiest pointer... ears wise lol


Ahhh that totally makes sense now! 

Pointers have pointy ears! That is why they are called pointers.


----------



## taquitos

Went for a walk with Meeko. He's fearful of large dogs, so when I saw someone walking towards us w/ a large dog on the sidewalk, I stepped onto the grassy area to give them room to walk past us.

Guess what the owner does? She LETS GO OF HER LEASH. Like purposefully. What. Luckily the dog was just a goofy Labradoodle thing but I had to grab it by the collar (not cool -- what if that dog didn't like it and redirected on me) while trying not to trip over Meeko's leash as he tried to run circles around me trying to avoid him.

When I told her "My dog is afraid of big dogs," she responds, "Oh, well he's just so big I can't control him."

... are you kidding me?


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Ahhh that totally makes sense now!
> 
> Pointers have pointy ears! That is why they are called pointers.


All short haired dogs with ticking are pointers. Duh!


----------



## ireth0

Last night I was upstairs getting changed and heard some clash/bang/general noises downstairs. My bf made a comment wondering what had happened. I told him that was Luna knocking my empty chip bowl off the living room coffee table and then the sound of her shoving the coffee table out of the way so she could eat the crumbs.

I went downstairs to check and lo and behold...


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> All short haired dogs with ticking are pointers. Duh!


Even though I don't know what breed Hank is I can see where people get JRT/rat terrier/fox terrier/heeler. But POINTER? REALLY? At a dog show?

lol


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Even though I don't know what breed Hank is I can see where people get JRT/rat terrier/fox terrier/heeler. But POINTER? REALLY? At a dog show?
> 
> lol


At least they didn't say dalmatian? That's what I usually see for dogs who are white with black ticking.


----------



## Laurelin

I could almost see Dalmatian over pointer. We have been asked if he was part Dalmatian once. Hasn't happened in a while.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I could almost see Dalmatian over pointer. We have been asked if he was part Dalmatian once. Hasn't happened in a while.


My friends get dalmatian all the time for their cattle dog mix.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> My friends get dalmatian all the time for their cattle dog mix.


Bird Dog. For sure.

PS: Super cute dog!


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Bird Dog. For sure.
> 
> PS: Super cute dog!


He is Hank's brother from another mother.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> He is Hank's brother from another mother.


They do sound a lot alike! Hank is probably a mini me version though lol.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> They do sound a lot alike! Hank is probably a mini me version though lol.


Yeah, a little smaller. Grey is probably 40lbs, but he's a little chunky now. In that pic he was in the 30-40lb range (he was only 9 months or so).


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is half sized lol.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank chewed through his Comfort Flex harness this weekend.  I'm not even sure how! It was just a couple minutes and the break looks like someone took scissors to it. It had spit all over it so I assume he chewed it but it looks like a surgical cut.


----------



## chimunga

So I got a Rapid Rewards Treat bag about a month ago. And it's awesome. And yesterday I was trying to express to my husband how awesome this bag is, and how I'm always excited to use it. When Watson and I go for a walk in the morning, I always love putting on my little treat bag. And of course he laughed. A lot. Because I sounded ridiculous. But he just cannot understand how excited I get over random dog stuff. I got a Vittles Vault a few months ago and I was like "Babe! Babe, look how cool this is!" And he just gives me one of these -_- "It's a container. To put dog food in. Why are you excited?"

Lol. Dog people get excited over the weirdest things.


----------



## chimunga

Laurelin said:


> Hank chewed through his Comfort Flex harness this weekend.  I'm not even sure how! It was just a couple minutes and the break looks like someone took scissors to it. It had spit all over it so I assume he chewed it but it looks like a surgical cut.


I wish I could have gotten Comfortflex to fit Watson right. But it always sits right on his shoulder blades :/ No easy-on harnesses for him. It's all Y and H styles.


----------



## CptJack

Man, I LOVE my rapid rewards pouch. It's great for stuffing everything I need for the dog + a little bit into one package. I don't always have pockets and that little bag has about 6.

Also for longer excursions and my dog version of a diaper bag (and honestly just general storage), I HIGHLY recommend this thing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rapiddomina...235?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d506ac99b ALL the love.


----------



## elrohwen

Now I want a new treat bag. Thanks guys  

I use the older version of this one I think: 
http://www.amazon.com/Petsafe-Treat...F8&qid=1429645343&sr=1-1&keywords=treat+pouch

I got this gear bag for Christmas and I love it. I use it for travel and as a dog show bag.
http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/product/fire-hose-gear-bag-19502.aspx


----------



## jade5280

taquitos said:


> Went for a walk with Meeko. He's fearful of large dogs, so when I saw someone walking towards us w/ a large dog on the sidewalk, I stepped onto the grassy area to give them room to walk past us.
> 
> Guess what the owner does? She LETS GO OF HER LEASH. Like purposefully. What. Luckily the dog was just a goofy Labradoodle thing but I had to grab it by the collar (not cool -- what if that dog didn't like it and redirected on me) while trying not to trip over Meeko's leash as he tried to run circles around me trying to avoid him.
> 
> When I told her "My dog is afraid of big dogs," she responds, "Oh, well he's just so big I can't control him."
> 
> ... are you kidding me?


 Ah what? That's so dumb. If he's so big that you can't even control him then you should have someone else walking him. I'm under 100lbs and I can control my 50lb and 60lb dog at the same time. There's really no excuse.


----------



## chimunga

Thank you. I knew you guys would understand. Dog tools and accessories are serious business.


----------



## elrohwen

chimunga said:


> Thank you. I knew you guys would understand. Dog tools and accessories are serious business.


I just bought $100 worth of rubber matting for my basement training area (DH was completely on board until he saw what they charged for shipping! haha).

I also have to talk myself out of getting all of the things for the new puppy. There is no point in getting nice new leashes or collars for when she's little, and we can reuse Watson's stuff .... but I want more dog stuff!


----------



## CptJack

I actually am about to DUMP a bunch of dog stuff - and by dump I mean take by the shelter and donate for some of it, and take to agility class and give away for some others. I have a ton of stuff that was outgrown by everyone here, never quite worked for us, or just isn't what I want now that I've found out what I really like. 

This is mostly so I can justify buying more stuff I've been buying other stuff I'm realizing I need ("need" here means want/think is cool).


----------



## chimunga

elrohwen said:


> I just bought $100 worth of rubber matting for my basement training area (DH was completely on board until he saw what they charged for shipping! haha).
> 
> I also have to talk myself out of getting all of the things for the new puppy. There is no point in getting nice new leashes or collars for when she's little, and we can reuse Watson's stuff .... but I want more dog stuff!


I have to tell myself that a lot too. He doesn't need this or that, wait a few months for him to stop growing. He'll be fine for now. If you buy it now you're just going to have to replace it later. And then I usually end up buying it anyways.


----------



## elrohwen

chimunga said:


> I have to tell myself that a lot too. He doesn't need this or that, wait a few months for him to stop growing. He'll be fine for now. If you buy it now you're just going to have to replace it later. And then I usually end up buying it anyways.


How old is he? 

Watson didn't grow out of anything after he was probably 9 months. He's gained weight and filled out a lot, but he hasn't grown out of any collars or harnesses or anything. Most small to medium sized breeds don't grow a whole lot after that. So if you're waiting for your Watson to stop growing, I think he's more or less done. Go out and buy the things!


----------



## CptJack

Agreed! I got Molly's karma collar 1 inch bigger than ideal when she was 6 months old. She's just about a year now and it's a dead on, perfect, fit. Since Karma collars are done with the target as the middle hole, it was no issue at all moving it to the middle one where she's stayed. (I think I bought 14 and she ended up being 15, but it could be 13 and 14 inches).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh if one more person asks me "So, you got him trained yet?" I am just gonna scream.

Also, I love my OH, but when he says "you need to do this or that, and dont let him get away with this or that!" I just want to scream HE IS MY DOG AND I HAVE MY REASONS!!!!! I allow certain behaviors for a REASON, whether it be confidence building, character building or whatever.


----------



## chimunga

elrohwen said:


> How old is he?
> 
> Watson didn't grow out of anything after he was probably 9 months. He's gained weight and filled out a lot, but he hasn't grown out of any collars or harnesses or anything. Most small to medium sized breeds don't grow a whole lot after that. So if you're waiting for your Watson to stop growing, I think he's more or less done. Go out and buy the things!


He's 10 months. And from what I understand, he's hit a big growth plateau for now, and around 16-18 months, he'll have another growth spurt. Mostly just gaining muscle and girth in his chest and neck area. He's only 21.5 lbs right now, so I think he's actually going to be pretty slender. "Ideal" male corgi weight is 27-30 lbs. But I just really cannot even fathom him gaining 6-9 lbs. That's almost 1/4-1/3 of his current weight.


----------



## chimunga

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ugh if one more person asks me "So, you got him trained yet?" I am just gonna scream.
> 
> Also, I love my OH, but when he says "you need to do this or that, and dont let him get away with this or that!" I just want to scream HE IS MY DOG AND I HAVE MY REASONS!!!!! I allow certain behaviors for a REASON, whether it be confidence building, character building or whatever.


Well... what is he doing that people don't like? Are you letting him be rude to other people? Or are they just being micro-managers?


----------



## elrohwen

Yes, all or most breeds have the same growth pattern but he is still unlikely to grow out of things you buy now unless they aren't adjustable at all. My Watson went from 35-47lbs between a year and 2.5 years and he still fits into all the same stuff.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, Thud probably gained 40lbs between 1 and now, but he still wears the same collar. I only even had to move it down two holes for that and Thud ain't exactly little. You should be okay.


----------



## chimunga

CptJack said:


> Yeah, Thud probably gained 40lbs between 1 and now, but he still wears the same collar. I only even had to move it down two holes for that and Thud ain't exactly little. You should be okay.





elrohwen said:


> Yes, all or most breeds have the same growth pattern but he is still unlikely to grow out of things you buy now unless they aren't adjustable at all. My Watson went from 35-47lbs between a year and 2.5 years and he still fits into all the same stuff.


Lol. You guys aren't helpful. Now that makes me want to buy stuff.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

chimunga said:


> Well... what is he doing that people don't like? Are you letting him be rude to other people? Or are they just being micro-managers?



No, he doesnt do anything to anyone, when we are out walking, he minds his own business and doesnt approach anyone, when we are playing fetch games or whatever, its always in an area away from anyone doing anything. I think they mean it as a joke because I have goals for him to one day be a show/breeding dog, and maybe a little bit of micromanaging. 

Ironically, the owner of this ranch, who also is a huge dog ethuastist and even has aussies himself has NEVER said anythiing like that, even as a joke. When he has seen him, he always comments on how nice of a dog he is and how nicely he is coming along


----------



## jade5280

Sometimes I wish collars would get ruined so I have an excuse to buy more. I really can't justify buying more than 1 Karma collar per dog when Ryker hardly wears the one we have now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> Sometimes I wish collars would get ruined so I have an excuse to buy more. I really can't justify buying more than 1 Karma collar per dog when Ryker hardly wears the one we have now.


send them to us, we are very good at ruining collars here LOL


----------



## Miss Bugs

My fab afternoon..just peaced out of work for an hour to go for a walk and get paid for it lol. My bosses dogs have ringworm, they got this dip thing but they can't lick themselves till completely dry because its toxic if injested or something, so she did the dips and handed the dogs to me and a co-worker and told us to walk them till they were dry lol


----------



## Flaming

jade5280 said:


> Ah what? That's so dumb. If he's so big that you can't even control him then you should have someone else walking him. I'm under 100lbs and I can control my 50lb and 60lb dog at the same time. There's really no excuse.


I have a 150lbs dog a 50lbs growing puppy am only 130lbs myself, have balance and nerve issues AND I can control them BOTH at the same time!

No excuse


----------



## CptJack

chimunga said:


> Lol. You guys aren't helpful. Now that makes me want to buy stuff.


We're helpful.

We're helpful enablers.


----------



## taquitos

jade5280 said:


> Ah what? That's so dumb. If he's so big that you can't even control him then you should have someone else walking him. I'm under 100lbs and I can control my 50lb and 60lb dog at the same time. There's really no excuse.


I know lol! All she had to do was just hold on to her leash... That's all it would have taken lol the dog wasn't even like dragging her over to see us or anything, she just let go and was like "Go say hi!"



Flaming said:


> I have a 150lbs dog a 50lbs growing puppy am only 130lbs myself, have balance and nerve issues AND I can control them BOTH at the same time!
> 
> No excuse


Hahah I know lol I don't even understand!


----------



## Damon'sMom

jade5280 said:


> Sometimes I wish collars would get ruined so I have an excuse to buy more. I really can't justify buying more than 1 Karma collar per dog when Ryker hardly wears the one we have now.


Oooo! And just to add fuel to fire so to speak. Check out CrazyRebel! They have an Instagram as well. PLUS Last time I checked their Facebook page there was a contest to win a $500 shopping spree!!


----------



## Damon'sMom

So I am helping a neighbor build a new chicken coop in my spare time. Today I had a plank of wood in my hand and for some reason was gesturing with it. Then I turned around and threw it towards a pile of wood near by and ...hit Jasper right upside the head with it. Yup, that's right. I hit him with a giant piece of wood. Ugh. I felt SO BAD! I hit him hard too, knocked him to the ground. He screamed, jumped back up, grabbed it, and brought it back for me to toss again.


----------



## ireth0

So remember that minor fender bender?

Yea, so last night on the way to tricks class we got pulled over and got a ticket because my license plate had expired. (which I totally didn't realize)

Sigh. It just isn't my time with cars.

At least the officer said Luna was cute (she was very polite through the whole ordeal) and because I had left early we weren't late for class. $350 dollars later for the ticket and plate renewal...


----------



## jade5280

Damon'sMom said:


> Oooo! And just to add fuel to fire so to speak. Check out CrazyRebel! They have an Instagram as well. PLUS Last time I checked their Facebook page there was a contest to win a $500 shopping spree!!


 Why did you do this to me??? I looove all the pretty colors!!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> So I am helping a neighbor build a new chicken coop in my spare time. Today I had a plank of wood in my hand and for some reason was gesturing with it. Then I turned around and threw it towards a pile of wood near by and ...hit Jasper right upside the head with it. Yup, that's right. I hit him with a giant piece of wood. Ugh. I felt SO BAD! I hit him hard too, knocked him to the ground. He screamed, jumped back up, grabbed it, and brought it back for me to toss again.


Gotta love aussies LOL, I smacked the crap out of Lincoln with the chuck it arm one time, luckily it was on the downward end of the swing, but I still hit him pretty hard, he kind of yelped, then grabbed it and proceeded to tug with it -_-. I also have kicked the soccer ball right into his head HARD (accidently of course) and he doesnt even care, he just grabs it and shakes it.


----------



## notgaga

About a month ago I mentioned how my dog weighed quite a bit less than I'd expected when she was at the vet for her annual (47lbs vs the anticipated 53-57 or so). I did actually cut back on her food after upping it because they said she was fine at that weight, and a few of you agreed with them. 

I took her in today to weigh her again and she weighed 54.7lbs. She doesn't look any different; harness fit hasn't changed. 

When we tried to weigh her last month, it was such a to-do to get her on the scale because she was super distracted - more than normal bc DOGS and PEOPLE BEHIND REGISTRATION DESKS - and not into to the treats they had there. In the struggle, the mat or whatever it is that they step on got kind of moved partly off the scale itself. I didn't think anything of it at the time because I was focused on trying to get her to STAY on the cussed thing for more than a second. I'm convinced that mat threw off the reading. I would've experimented today but I didn't really think of it til we got home. #notquick

Plus side, since she didn't lose weight then she probably doesn't have an absorption issue. Just a scale issue.


----------



## Laurelin

My eye has been twitching for 3 days straight and it's DRIVING ME NUTS. I had told myself it wasn't visible but it totally is. So freaking distracting. It's twitching every couple of minutes.


----------



## kcomstoc

Laurelin said:


> My eye has been twitching for 3 days straight and it's DRIVING ME NUTS. I had told myself it wasn't visible but it totally is. So freaking distracting. It's twitching every couple of minutes.


 that's weird....I remember once I had a headache for 3 straight days it sucked and then I've never had it happen ever again, but eye twitching >.< that's crazy...I wonder why it's doing that?


----------



## luv mi pets

Laurelin said:


> My eye has been twitching for 3 days straight and it's DRIVING ME NUTS. I had told myself it wasn't visible but it totally is. So freaking distracting. It's twitching every couple of minutes.


Nerves! or so the doctors say. What has got you so up in a bunch?


----------



## Willowy

luv mi pets said:


> Nerves! or so the doctors say. What has got you so up in a bunch?


 That, or lack of sleep for me. Nothing worse than being tired AND having an eye twitch .


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> My eye has been twitching for 3 days straight and it's DRIVING ME NUTS. I had told myself it wasn't visible but it totally is. So freaking distracting. It's twitching every couple of minutes.


 My eye did that for a couple months when I was super stressed.


----------



## Laurelin

I think I've been super stressed lately. I don't even know why.  

It is very annoying. 

Today has been kind of weird. I feel just kind of 'out of it' for no reason. I actually teared up for no reason twice. I lost my car in the parking garage and had to search for it for 15 minutes. Almost got in a wreck twice (my fault both times). Just feeling really hazy. Kind of worrying me a bit. I'm blaming all day long meeting today and also just the fact that there's been a lot of changes and such. I feel SO stressed.


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> I think I've been super stressed lately. I don't even know why.
> 
> It is very annoying.
> 
> Today has been kind of weird. I feel just kind of 'out of it' for no reason. I actually teared up for no reason twice. I lost my car in the parking garage and had to search for it for 15 minutes. Almost got in a wreck twice (my fault both times). Just feeling really hazy. Kind of worrying me a bit. I'm blaming all day long meeting today and also just the fact that there's been a lot of changes and such. I feel SO stressed.


Aww I'm really sorry to hear that  also, ime, my eye twitches when I'm stressed too, so I am very confident that it's stress related. Have you tried yoga? Or video games? I wish I could teleport to Oklahoma and help


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My poor boy threw up everything in his stomach and then some (until he was vomiting bile, then his puke was white and foamy) as well as liquid diarrhea again. He was fine this morning, fine up until now ... ugh I think it is giardia again, thank dog I bought some safeguard wormer the last time I was at TSC (it is the horse one, but I know how much to give him, 6 ML for 7 days). He loves water and loves swimming, but I know he is getting it from the lakes here ... but what am I supposed to do, lock him away? 

Poor little guy  I just feel so bad when he is sick.


----------



## luv mi pets

AAARRRGGGGHHH! Husband has shingles yet again. He will be miserable for at least the next 5 days. 

Laurelin- it sounds like you are battling something like allergies or a sinus infection or head cold. I used to get that way before one of those things popped up. I would get so foggy brain. I had sinus surgery and that has helped a lot.


----------



## Kayota

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My poor boy threw up everything in his stomach and then some (until he was vomiting bile, then his puke was white and foamy) as well as liquid diarrhea again. He was fine this morning, fine up until now ... ugh I think it is giardia again, thank dog I bought some safeguard wormer the last time I was at TSC (it is the horse one, but I know how much to give him, 6 ML for 7 days). He loves water and loves swimming, but I know he is getting it from the lakes here ... but what am I supposed to do, lock him away?
> 
> Poor little guy  I just feel so bad when he is sick.


you could take him to places without lakes?


----------



## Laurelin

Eye is still twitching. Day 5. I think it's less often though? Hopefully.

Gosh Hank is really growing into himself. He's come a long ways. Just such a nice, level headed dog. Almost too nice sometimes.


----------



## CptJack

Forecast for this weekend? Heavy rain and flood warnings. 

LOL. It figures.


----------



## Laurelin

I keep thinking I am filming my training sessions but I am really not because I keep forgetting to empty the card on my camera. At least this time I got around a minute of video before it ran out of space.....

/facepalm/


----------



## CptJack

I have tried and tried to record things but I either turn it off when I think I'm turning it on and get nothing at all, turn it on when I think I'm turning it off and get nothing useful, fail to focus and get nothing recognizable, or SOMETHING. 

Also aside: I need a new thing to teach Molly during agility class. Needs to be able to be done without disturbing other students, on leash, and without more than maybe one small prop. Things she knows that fits all of those are spin, twirl, sit, down, bang/play dead, roll over, paw, other paw, bow, and paw and nose targets. Also 'take' 'hold' and 'give'. There has to be something else out there that fits that description.


----------



## chimunga

CptJack said:


> I have tried and tried to record things but I either turn it off when I think I'm turning it on and get nothing at all, turn it on when I think I'm turning it off and get nothing useful, fail to focus and get nothing recognizable, or SOMETHING.
> 
> Also aside: I need a new thing to teach Molly during agility class. Needs to be able to be done without disturbing other students, on leash, and without more than maybe one small prop. Things she knows that fits all of those are spin, twirl, sit, down, bang/play dead, roll over, paw, other paw, bow, and paw and nose targets. Also 'take' 'hold' and 'give'. There has to be something else out there that fits that description.


Maybe a bunny hop in sitting position, so she's just bouncing on her front paws?


----------



## Rescued

CptJack said:


> I have tried and tried to record things but I either turn it off when I think I'm turning it on and get nothing at all, turn it on when I think I'm turning it off and get nothing useful, fail to focus and get nothing recognizable, or SOMETHING.
> 
> Also aside: I need a new thing to teach Molly during agility class. Needs to be able to be done without disturbing other students, on leash, and without more than maybe one small prop. Things she knows that fits all of those are spin, twirl, sit, down, bang/play dead, roll over, paw, other paw, bow, and paw and nose targets. Also 'take' 'hold' and 'give'. There has to be something else out there that fits that description.


Assume spin and twirl are circles clockwise and counterclockwise? Forwards and backwards figure 8s are fun.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

CptJack said:


> I have tried and tried to record things but I either turn it off when I think I'm turning it on and get nothing at all, turn it on when I think I'm turning it off and get nothing useful, fail to focus and get nothing recognizable, or SOMETHING.
> 
> Also aside: I need a new thing to teach Molly during agility class. Needs to be able to be done without disturbing other students, on leash, and without more than maybe one small prop. Things she knows that fits all of those are spin, twirl, sit, down, bang/play dead, roll over, paw, other paw, bow, and paw and nose targets. Also 'take' 'hold' and 'give'. There has to be something else out there that fits that description.


Pray? Crawl?


----------



## Damon'sMom

Mason loves to redirect on Jasper when they are released to go outside. I have been making EXCELLENT progress, he has not redirected on him in over a month!! Today I was standing in the yard and yelled for them. Well I guess Mason decided today was a good day to die because he redirected and bit Jasper in the face right by his eye. Jasper was running when it happened and fell face/ shoulder first out the door and down the steps into the yard. He came up snarling, spit flying, and all teeth showing. He launched forward and grabbed Mason by the throat. I screamed "RELEASE! DROP!". They both broke apart after my second time repeating myself and hit the ground (THANK GOD!). And luckily besides some missing fur, purple teeth marks, and sore feelings they are okay.

And besides that we are suppose to get softball sized hail, and tornadoes in this storm tomorrow.  Ugh.


----------



## CptJack

Thanks guys - those are all PERFECT and exactly what I was looking for.

Walking out the door for day 1 of the agility trial - only have 1 run today, with another 3 tomorrow, but we're doing the thing!


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## Laurelin

Hank had pukey face this morning. We're supposed to be agility-ing and lure coursing today.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Hank had pukey face this morning. We're supposed to be agility-ing and lure coursing today.


pukey face?


----------



## GrinningDog

CptJack said:


> Thanks guys - those are all PERFECT and exactly what I was looking for.
> 
> Walking out the door for day 1 of the agility trial - only have 1 run today, with another 3 tomorrow, but we're doing the thing!


Good luck! And more importantly, have fun! 



Laurelin said:


> Hank had pukey face this morning. We're supposed to be agility-ing and lure coursing today.


D: Aaah, no! It always happens at the worst times. Feel better, Mr. Hank.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola is 6 months and still pint sized lol. She weighed in this morning at 17.4lbs..for comparison Baby was a small Toller(under 30lbs) and she was 17lbs at FOUR months. Sola's smallest sibling was 20lbs several weeks ago(they were the same size 2 months ago) the rest are around 30lbs+ parents are 36lbs and 46lbs. I predict ATM that she will be under 16" tall(15.5 maybe) and around 20lbs full grown lol. What kind of Toller is this?!!!! Lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

I am one very happy person today! The vet just called with Happy's bloodwork results, and her kidney disease which was very early stage 1 to start with has actually IMPROVED since diagnosis  only thing the vet suggested was a potassium suppliment or just some potassium rich foods based on her levels but she said even that was very borderline.


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## Laurelin

I saw a blue picardy spaniel today. I haven't seen a breed I've never seen in real life before in a long time but that's definitely a first for me! They are bigger than I thought they'd be. I guess I thought they'd be like springer-ish in size but they're like setter sized.


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> I saw a blue picardy spaniel today. I haven't seen a breed I've never seen in real life before in a long time but that's definitely a first for me! They are bigger than I thought they'd be. I guess I thought they'd be like springer-ish in size but they're like setter sized.


Did you interact with it at all? What was it like? They are gorgeous, though I prefer the regular Picardy spaniels coloring over the blue.


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## Laurelin

jade5280 said:


> Did you interact with it at all? What was it like? They are gorgeous, though I prefer the regular Picardy spaniels coloring over the blue.


He was at the lure coursing but I didn't watch him run. He seemed pretty mellow. He wasn't screaming about the lure like the other dogs around. I honestly thought he was a gordon from far away. Kind of had a similar type of energy and feel to him as a setter, I think.


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## chimunga

I just realized Watson has ears like a Furby. -_-


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## CptJack

We just had a herd of deer in our backyard (well, group of does+fawns) right outside the fence. Molly's still all aquiver.


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## Laurelin

Mia sat in a plate of blueberry syrup pancakes. Now she is sulking because she had to take a bath. I am sulking because a dog sat in my breakfast.


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## kcomstoc

Laurelin said:


> Mia sat in a plate of blueberry syrup pancakes. Now she is sulking because she had to take a bath. I am sulking because a dog sat in my breakfast.


Oh no!! A bath  lol maybe she'll think more before sitting in something sticky >.>


----------



## Flaming

Manna went to get vac boosters this morning and left Vitae behind with Hubby.

Apparently the entire hour and half we were gone, Vitae was unconsolable. Refusing to come indoors and howling mournfully the entire time...

Can a young puppy suffer litter mate syndrome attaching to an adult dog? 

Well jokes on you Vitae, I'm dragging you to the vet next Sunday for a blood draw and check-up.


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## Kayota

i wouldnt necessarily call it littermate syndrome, but i would make an effort to do more with them separarely. faxon could not be walked without roxie, it took a lot of work to get her to the point that i could walk her alone.


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## notgaga

My roommate just got back from a 6 week trip across the world. She obsessed about travel and finances until she left (it was a last minute trip because she probably would've had a fit if she didn't leave the country soon). 

Now she's back and obsessing over finances and saving money for her next trip. Like, all she talks to me about is traveling, how she's gonna go about saving money, and when she can leave. All she talks about on the phone to anyone who is on the other end is the same thing. Three months of 24/7 my roommate and her same three problems. Just 8.5 months til the lease is up!

Also her dog is yappy and annoying as heck. If I move too quickly, he barks. If my dog walks by him and he's near my roommate, he bites my dog. If I move a loose piece of paper and he hears it from their bedroom, he barks. If somebody locks their car in the parking lot and it beeps, he barks. If I open any door, he barks. If somebody walks by the window, he barks.

just shut uP ABOUT IT ALREADY, both of you.


----------



## Flaming

Kayota said:


> i wouldnt necessarily call it littermate syndrome, but i would make an effort to do more with them separarely. faxon could not be walked without roxie, it took a lot of work to get her to the point that i could walk her alone.


Oh I can take Vitae anywhere alone and when me and hubby take them for walks we often go in separate directions, I just can't leave her home alone with just Hubby and take Manna without her lol. She's scared that Manna's going to get something awesome without her. But yeah I'm going to have to take Manna out more and leave Vitae alone more. 

I just found it weird because I can leave Manna home and take Vitae with zero problems.


----------



## Remaru

Took Lad to "Paws in the Park" for a couple of hours yesterday. We had planned to take Freyja too but it has been raining most of the week and everything was pretty wet so hubby decided he only wanted to risk one set of muddy paws. Lad has mastered car rides (finally, no more super drool or pukey puppy), he rides nicely at my feet so not so much worry about him traipsing around wet and muddy. We could only stay a couple of hours, hubby had a derby bout 2hours away that evening. We did get to catch the Fly Ball demo, talk with friends, and of course meet lots of dogs. Lad was very well behaved for being a puppy, only a little over the top zealous to meet all the other dogs who he was sure wanted to be his best buddies. He met a couple of local rescue dogs he wanted to bring home (naturally my youngest tried to convince me we should). Hubby showed me a 2year old pyr available at the shelter and my youngest showed me a pit mix he wants to adopt (luckily he isn't available yet....hopefully they will forget or his family will find him before he becomes available). We did manage to leave there without a new dog so, good for us. There was a catahoula mix that was very sweet as well as a really cute little scruffy mutt that I might have brought home (who doesn't love a dog that is house broken and low maintenance?). I was impressed with Lad's ability to focus on my commands even with everything going on. Most people were even able to guess that he was a collie mix, though we got a lot of smooth collie guesses too. I also found a new training facility in my town, going to check it out for Magic and maybe Lad. They were putting on the Fly Ball demo but they offer Agility, Fly Ball, Barn Hunt, and Obedience, for fun and competition. The person I talked to said they would definitely encourage a young handler with a parent present, she seemed really excited about it. Of course Lad was showing off his default "mat settle" because she had a little woven rug next to her which he assumed meant he should lay down. They have CGC prep classes which I may check out for Lad as well, they are all positive based.


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## d_ray

Sounds like a great day remaru. I think you need to go back for the catahoula mix  how's magic doing? You know I have a soft spot for that dog. Lad sounds like a pretty cool
Dog. I'm happy things are working out after all you've been through recently.


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## d_ray

Dogs have become my life. Two years ago I wouldn't even call myself a dog person. Now I'm contemplating buying a car so I can take the girls more places. Going to Nashville in a month and the first thing I think of is what dog related events I can go see. I feel like that annoying person who only wants to talk about her dogs. Am I alone?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Shoot ... TSC didn't have my formula of merrick, they only had the beef and he didn't do well on it ... so i was forced to get earthbound primitive naturals. The ingredients were fairly similar to the merrick chicken formula with the only difference being it had regular potatoes Instead of sweet potatoes.


----------



## CptJack

d_ray said:


> Dogs have become my life. Two years ago I wouldn't even call myself a dog person. Now I'm contemplating buying a car so I can take the girls more places. Going to Nashville in a month and the first thing I think of is what dog related events I can go see. I feel like that annoying person who only wants to talk about her dogs. Am I alone?


Noooooo. Dogs took over my life in stages. I just spent 16 hours outside, in the rain and cold, with a bunch of other dog people. Most. Fun. Thing. Ever.


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> Noooooo. Dogs took over my life in stages. I just spent 16 hours outside, in the rain and cold, with a bunch of other dog people. Most. Fun. Thing. Ever.


All I wanna do is talk dogs and meet dog people. Because I don't drive, it makes it harder to do dog stuff.


----------



## CptJack

Oh. The thing I meant to rant about here. 

The trial. Not going to go into the triple booking that happened yesterday, or the chaos of that because it's over and I'm tired.

But today. Spectator dogs. Fine. Great. Wonderful. Fantastic.

Except the HUGE dog who's owner dropped (no idea if it was intentional or not) the leash, and then couldn't get it back for a good 5 minutes while it tore around the course, the tent, got into the faces of other dogs, jumped on them, and generally acted like a dumb-twit, while the owner screamed "BUT HE"S FRIENDLY" while people were picking up their dogs, turning away and screaming back, "BUT MINE ISN'T."

They were... so completely baffled and offended.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I'm starting to think that easily overstimulated herding dog + most likely/already proving to be easily overstimulated herding dog = bad life decision. Wooops.


----------



## d_ray

So there's a huge difference in jazzy's reactivity when she's exhausted. Today we went for a 2 hours hike. Coming home, we walked by a dog while jazz was on leash. This was the first time she didn't freak out. But the only way she is less reactive is if she's exhausted.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln went herding today and is now passed out lol.


----------



## luv mi pets

d_ray said:


> Dogs have become my life. Two years ago I wouldn't even call myself a dog person. Now I'm contemplating buying a car so I can take the girls more places. Going to Nashville in a month and the first thing I think of is what dog related events I can go see. I feel like that annoying person who only wants to talk about her dogs. Am I alone?


You are not alone! There are others out there too. Sometimes they meet up and it is called a trail, a show, a event and other times they sit at home and reach others like themselves on a place called the internet. You are not alone, you have friends.


----------



## luv mi pets

I ordered a electric net from a fence place. Something like this.http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=1
Spent the day putting it up and was inside the pen messing with the little mini horses. Turned around and one of the dogs already chewed a hole in the fence. I had turned the fencer off to get inside the pen. the fence was not even two hours old and one of the dogs ruined it. Arrghhh and this is why I do not have nice things. I did manage to fix it because it does come with a repair kit. But still......makes me mad.


----------



## Sarah~

My boyfriend and I had a fight this morning I was pretty upset then he woke me up this afternoon with these  He's so sweet


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Aaaaand we have rain and thunder and a possible tornadic storm coming our way ... again ... ugh.


----------



## Remaru

d_ray said:


> Sounds like a great day remaru. I think you need to go back for the catahoula mix  how's magic doing? You know I have a soft spot for that dog. Lad sounds like a pretty cool
> Dog. I'm happy things are working out after all you've been through recently.


She is doing really well. The sportmix food seems to have helped with her smelly issues which is nice sense she likes to snuggle on the couch. She is still all sorts of slobbery excitement LOL. Still dealing with some reactivity but she is generally friendly just loud and a bit hesitant with new dogs. My son has been doing a great job with her training so she is doing well in the house but we are still working on LLW. The weather hasn't helped (I know, excuses excuses but it is raining constantly lately). I'm really hoping to check out the barn hunt and fly ball with her, both sound like good options. They have some trick classes and even one just called "dog fitness" so I'm hopeful we will find the right thing to keep her engaged and worn out. I've been a bit hesitant to hike with her because I usually let the dogs off leash and she is definitely not ready for that. 

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31882938 
She is really sweet, totally tempting too. Got along great with Lad and surprisingly seemed to really like my oldest son (dogs don't usually go out of their way to make friends with him). 18 dogs were adopted yesterday so I would be surprised if she is still there.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank's nosework class has the PRETTIEST little aussie I have ever seen in it. She is SO COOL. I would completely steal her. 

Also my friend and her Terv are in it and holy wow, I want a terv one day.


----------



## Laurelin

Also I bought a few new rugs for the house this weekend and Hank is madly in love with one of them. The second I put it down he was rolling all over it, grunting, then he tried to carry it to his crate.  Then we had to explain that the rug must stay on the ground. But then again this morning first thing he did was start rolling on the rug. Just the one. Not the other 3 I put down. It is so funny.

And yesterday I had a lady I know somewhat from tricks class last year tell me I should become a dog trainer because I can 'teach dogs to do anything!'. I won't lie. Felt pretty good.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Hank's nosework class has the PRETTIEST little aussie I have ever seen in it. She is SO COOL. I would completely steal her.
> 
> Also my friend and her Terv are in it and holy wow, I want a terv one day.


I know, I was watching Keechak's video of her puppies and the fever ... I can feel it coming on again ... boy, am I crazy LOL, I havent even gotten done raising the one I have now!!!


----------



## chimunga

Watson's being a jerk this morning. He managed to grab a pair of my husband's underwear, and tear a hole in them in two seconds flat. Then my husband went to lay on the couch and nap, and Watson decides to nip my husband's ear and play tug with the blanket. He was admittedly being a jerk. BUT my husband grabbed him by the scruff and lifted him off the couch. And I immediately yelled at him. My husband is grumpy at me now. Watson was being a jerk, but that is not the way to handle it.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

chimunga said:


> Watson's being a jerk this morning. He managed to grab a pair of my husband's underwear, and tear a hole in them in two seconds flat. Then my husband went to lay on the couch and nap, and Watson decides to nip my husband's ear and play tug with the blanket. He was admittedly being a jerk. BUT my husband grabbed him by the scruff and lifted him off the couch. And I immediately yelled at him. My husband is grumpy at me now. Watson was being a jerk, but that is not the way to handle it.


Ohhh no no. I would've yelled too but Peggy is too big to do that to I think. That's definitely not how you handle it. In that situation, I would be expecting my husband to get up and engage the dog in a positive way. Hopefully he understands and isn't grumpy too long


----------



## Laurelin

This poor dog. I wonder what he did to deserve that name lol.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31993374/


----------



## Rescued

If we could just have a fire in the fire pit without the labs repeatedly breaking into said fire pit for 3 days after to eat all the charcoal, that would be great. I mean seriously guys, it's fracking charcoal from branches inside a fire pit with a lid on it. JUST STOP.


----------



## d_ray

Rescued said:


> If we could just have a fire in the fire pit without the labs repeatedly breaking into said fire pit for 3 days after to eat all the charcoal, that would be great. I mean seriously guys, it's fracking charcoal from branches inside a fire pit with a lid on it. JUST STOP.


lol I can somewhat relate.

I woke up this morning to a huge crash. Ran downstairs and Jazzy was sitting on the stove licking around for spilled crumbs. She had knocked the bamboo cutting board off the counter when she jumped up. There wasn't even any food. She is such a piglet.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> lol I can somewhat relate.
> 
> I woke up this morning to a huge crash. Ran downstairs and Jazzy was sitting on the stove licking around for spilled crumbs. She had knocked the bamboo cutting board off the counter when she jumped up. There wasn't even any food. She is such a piglet.


Hahaha! She's so crazy! I would freak out if I woke up and one of my dogs was standing on top of the stove. I don't think either of them are even spry enough to get up there.


----------



## Rescued

d_ray said:


> lol I can somewhat relate.
> 
> I woke up this morning to a huge crash. Ran downstairs and Jazzy was sitting on the stove licking around for spilled crumbs. She had knocked the bamboo cutting board off the counter when she jumped up. There wasn't even any food. She is such a piglet.


I think it's the noise that gets me. It's squeaky and "crumbly" like if you were sitting next to someone that was eating a stick of chalk or some sand or somethjng.

LOL WUT LETS EAT THESE STICKS THEN. LOL NUG GOOD IDEA LOL.



#labsareassholesbutilovethem


----------



## Remaru

Lad is teething. He is really great about it, not chewing anything he isn't supposed to or anything but suddenly he is missing 3 of his "fangs" as my son says. Usually the puppies just sort of lose them somewhere or swallow them but Lad has lost all of them on the floor and just sort of stared at them and then looked at me like "what just happened?" So now I have this collection of puppy teeth and no idea what to do with them. He is also off all retrieving tasks for the moment so no work on "bring it to me" until he stops teething I guess. Doesn't want to put the bumper in his mouth right now. I'm thinking I may make a paracord dummy and see if he likes that better. Oh well, he is doing well with closing doors and learning goofy tricks (doesn't every dog need to "bow"?) so we can always work on that for a while.


----------



## CptJack

I am skipping agility, tonight. I'll regret it next week, but. I'm tired.


----------



## Laurelin

Pretty dog!

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32024801/


----------



## Laurelin

Omg

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32021595/

I'M DOING IT AGAIN. BAD LAUREN. NO PETFINDER FOR YOU.


----------



## Remaru

I like the look of Bailey. Not that you need encouragement.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah she's really neat looking! 

Like spitz x herder? Sheltie? Maybe?


----------



## Remaru

Yes she has a little spitz look to her, her face shape does remind me of a sheltie though. She is cute I wish there were more pictures. 

And of course because I was on Petfinder https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31893815/ Can't have another dog but he is really cute.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Lad is teething. He is really great about it, not chewing anything he isn't supposed to or anything but suddenly he is missing 3 of his "fangs" as my son says. Usually the puppies just sort of lose them somewhere or swallow them but Lad has lost all of them on the floor and just sort of stared at them and then looked at me like "what just happened?" So now I have this collection of puppy teeth and no idea what to do with them. He is also off all retrieving tasks for the moment so no work on "bring it to me" until he stops teething I guess. Doesn't want to put the bumper in his mouth right now. I'm thinking I may make a paracord dummy and see if he likes that better. Oh well, he is doing well with closing doors and learning goofy tricks (doesn't every dog need to "bow"?) so we can always work on that for a while.


Ugh Lincoln is a huge toy killer, I should feel lucky that he only does this to hos toys but geeze man ... slow down, you are getting expensive LOL LOL


----------



## CptJack

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30546030/

This one. Absolutely not what most people would expect me to go for, I think, but man. She tugs at me.


----------



## CptJack

I am getting REALLY sick and tired of people posting photos of harmless snakes they violently killed/mutilated/and in one case SET ON FIRE ALIVE to facebook while bragging about taking out the evil menace to their family. I would not even object in cases of it actually being a poisonous snakes around houses but *they are always garter or rat snakes* and they will deny, deny, deny, until presented with undeniable evidence and then they just huff and are upset that their macho "protection" was just bullcrap, ILLEGAL, killing of a harmless wild animal.


----------



## chimunga

Laurelin said:


> This poor dog. I wonder what he did to deserve that name lol.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31993374/


Shelters needs to take classes or something on how to take flattering pictures of dogs.


----------



## Sarah~

Xena and Eko fought  They were in the yard and chasing each other, it was getting pretty loud with growls and stuff but they do that all the time so I didn't think much of it until Xena bit Eko a bit too hard on his rump and he growled and held her down by her head. I was already on my way to separate them when she got away from him and sank her teeth into his back leg, he's got a couple punctures on his foot that bled for a bit. She wasn't going to let him go but didn't put up much fight when I used my hands to open her mouth so Eko could take his foot back. I think his teeth came really close to her eye and could be part of why she had such an extreme reaction. She didn't even growl or anything just turned and bit. Eko is fine, I cleaned up his paw and put a little bandage on it and now he gets to wear a sock  Xena has some scratches on her head but they aren't bothering her. I took a picture you can see one of the scratches is pretty close to her eye. The blood on the carpet next to her was from Eko, she's not bleeding at all. I didn't take a pic of Eko's paw, it's hard to see much through his fur besides the blood. I think I'll be letting them outside separately for now, Xena has been getting way too intense when she chases Eko lately :/


----------



## chimunga

CptJack said:


> I am getting REALLY sick and tired of people posting photos of harmless snakes they violently killed/mutilated/and in one case SET ON FIRE ALIVE to facebook while bragging about taking out the evil menace to their family. I would not even object in cases of it actually being a poisonous snakes around houses but *they are always garter or rat snakes* and they will deny, deny, deny, until presented with undeniable evidence and then they just huff and are upset that their macho "protection" was just bullcrap, ILLEGAL, killing of a harmless wild animal.


Honestly, I'm totally ignorant of snakes, but I sure as hell know what a garter snake looks like. And if a snake looks like anything other than a garter snake and it's in my yard, it's probably going to be dead real fast. It's ignorance on my part, and I will admit to it. I could probably learn more, but I don't think I'll ever trust my knowledge enough to ever put my life or my animals' life at risk.

But even if I were to kill a snake, I sure as hell wouldn't brag about it. I don't get pleasure in killing animals, dangerous or otherwise.


----------



## Laurelin

Because this must be shared.

hankinsane2 by summerpapillons, on Flickr


----------



## luv mi pets

CptJack said:


> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/30546030/
> 
> This one. Absolutely not what most people would expect me to go for, I think, but man. She tugs at me.


You surprised me! Yep not what I thought.. I like the Pom photobomber in the 2nd picture. 

Today at work, someone brought in a puppy they found. The dog had a chip so called the owner. It was a malamute/amercian eskimo mix. It looked like an Alaskan Klee kai. I wanted it so bad. Gosh darn it was cute. It looked like a miniature Malamute.


----------



## luv mi pets

Laurelin said:


> Omg
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32021595/
> 
> I'M DOING IT AGAIN. BAD LAUREN. NO PETFINDER FOR YOU.


I could see you with this dog more so than the Bailey dog. But I think between Hank and this dog, that would be the straw who made Laurelin go cuckoo. All I can think of if you had those two is what one did not think of doing the other dog would.


----------



## chimunga

Laurelin said:


> Omg
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32021595/
> 
> I'M DOING IT AGAIN. BAD LAUREN. NO PETFINDER FOR YOU.


He's _gorgeous_. Want.


----------



## Willowy

There is a Wendy's commercial on the radio, they have people with different accents saying how much they like the food or whatever. They have a woman with a Minnesota accent saying "fresh jalapenos! Those are tasty dontcha know!" and I laugh every time it comes on. It sounds like people I know . And if there's a funnier word than "jalapeno" with a Minnesota accent I don't know what it is.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I need this dog. I'm tempted to go see him, because he's less than 25 minutes from me. 



















https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31827335/

Want!




























Max


----------



## chimunga

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I need this dog. I'm tempted to go see him, because he's less than 25 minutes from me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31827335/


Super cute. Corgi mixes are always adorable. 

Something about his front legs look weird to me. The structure is off. Maybe it's just because he's half dwarf. That can do weird things.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Awwww he looks like a corgi/GSD mix! so cute!


----------



## d_ray

Jewel and Jazzy's rescue has some awesome dogs right now.

Esp this one:










https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32011017/


----------



## DGerry

d_ray said:


> Jewel and Jazzy's rescue has some awesome dogs right now.
> 
> Esp this one:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32011017/


Looks a bit like Chester, floppier ears though. Hard to tell body shape while laying down but the coloring and the shape of the head and tail is pretty much identical.


----------



## kcomstoc

Jake is having a rare day, it's so nice today that when I took him for his first walk he only wanted to come back home because he was thirsty *we did a good 30 minute walk which usually is enough for him and he's happy with it and lounges the rest of the day* but he was still reluctant to come back. So since it's so nice we went and did another walk *30 minutes*, he is content now laying on his side sleeping. So an hour long walk for him today all together which for him is unusual not that I'm complaining because it's such a nice day and it was a nice time outside with him


----------



## Remaru

And the saga of my neighbors and dogs continues...

I posted about them before sometime last year when I thought they had gotten a little dog. I am fairly certain that particular dog belonged to a friend or family member as it was only around for about a week and then left (good for the dog, hopefully it went home). Short recap, around the time we moved in our next door neighbors got a lab puppy. They put the puppy in the back yard and didn't do anything with it. The puppy grew and was not particularly happy with being left alone in the yard. It dug out constantly. It dug into our yard, it dug under the gate and ran to the park trying to play with children. We returned the puppy multiple times (my kids asked to keep it but I thought it would be pretty obvious to our neighbors we had their dog and honestly I'm not a lab person so the best I was going to do was take it to AC or a rescue). The kids and the wife were afraid of the dog (no idea why it was rambunctious but just typical sweet puppy). Eventually the puppy disappeared. 

Well they have a new puppy. This one is definitely their puppy, it has been around for a couple of weeks now and I see the kids playing with it. I think it is allowed in the house part of the time but the level of care is...well it isn't good. I hear the puppy on the back porch crying/screaming and I hear the wife screaming at it (no idea what she is screaming as I don't speak Spanish). Yesterday the youngest child (maybe 4years old) had the puppy in the front yard with no leash or collar running back and forth across the street (yep great idea there on both a pet owner and parenting front). Then the kid went in and left the dog at the park alone. One of the little girls from down the street was at the park and she said she was going to take the puppy home. I told her she should at least ring the bell and see if they would come to the door first. Honestly I know her parents and I know how they take care of their dogs, the puppy would be better off with her (she is a little over zealous in the "must love them all" sort of way but at least the dog would be safe you know). Ugh!!!


----------



## ireth0

Have to brag a bit about Luna today.

Last night we had her first 'real' vet apt since she came home. She was lovely in the waiting area with me, sat on a chair next to mine without prompting which the receptionist thought was cute. The receptionist also commented on how cute she was, and said she was very well behaved/well trained. 

She wasn't thrilled in the actual apt when the vet had to check her ears and take her temp, but she dealt with it and I pez dispensed her treats. When it came time to do her shots I brought out the big guns and fed her cheese while the vet did her shots, and if you didn't know the shots were happening you wouldn't have guessed it. She didn't react at all, tail wagged the whole time. 

After we were done she waited in the reception area, just sitting next to me calmly on a loose leash without prompting while we waited for the vet tech to do up our flea/tick/heartworm meds.

Such a good girl, I was so proud. <3


----------



## kcomstoc

Today is my SO and my anniversary  we've been together for 5 years now and he made me heart shaped french toast for breakfast


----------



## jade5280

kcomstoc said:


> Today is my SO and my anniversary  we've been together for 5 years now and he made me heart shaped french toast for breakfast


 Aw that's so sweet. Happy anniversary!


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Have to brag a bit about Luna today.
> 
> Last night we had her first 'real' vet apt since she came home. She was lovely in the waiting area with me, sat on a chair next to mine without prompting which the receptionist thought was cute. The receptionist also commented on how cute she was, and said she was very well behaved/well trained.
> 
> She wasn't thrilled in the actual apt when the vet had to check her ears and take her temp, but she dealt with it and I pez dispensed her treats. When it came time to do her shots I brought out the big guns and fed her cheese while the vet did her shots, and if you didn't know the shots were happening you wouldn't have guessed it. She didn't react at all, tail wagged the whole time.
> 
> After we were done she waited in the reception area, just sitting next to me calmly on a loose leash without prompting while we waited for the vet tech to do up our flea/tick/heartworm meds.
> 
> Such a good girl, I was so proud. <3


Yay Luna! I knew she'd do well.



kcomstoc said:


> Today is my SO and my anniversary  we've been together for 5 years now and he made me heart shaped french toast for breakfast


Happy anniversary! That's so cute!


----------



## missc89

d_ray said:


> Jewel and Jazzy's rescue has some awesome dogs right now.
> 
> Esp this one:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32011017/


Don't do this to me I want francis so badly https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32030602/


----------



## missc89

Remaru said:


> And the saga of my neighbors and dogs continues...
> 
> I posted about them before sometime last year when I thought they had gotten a little dog. I am fairly certain that particular dog belonged to a friend or family member as it was only around for about a week and then left (good for the dog, hopefully it went home). Short recap, around the time we moved in our next door neighbors got a lab puppy. They put the puppy in the back yard and didn't do anything with it. The puppy grew and was not particularly happy with being left alone in the yard. It dug out constantly. It dug into our yard, it dug under the gate and ran to the park trying to play with children. We returned the puppy multiple times (my kids asked to keep it but I thought it would be pretty obvious to our neighbors we had their dog and honestly I'm not a lab person so the best I was going to do was take it to AC or a rescue). The kids and the wife were afraid of the dog (no idea why it was rambunctious but just typical sweet puppy). Eventually the puppy disappeared.
> 
> Well they have a new puppy. This one is definitely their puppy, it has been around for a couple of weeks now and I see the kids playing with it. I think it is allowed in the house part of the time but the level of care is...well it isn't good. I hear the puppy on the back porch crying/screaming and I hear the wife screaming at it (no idea what she is screaming as I don't speak Spanish). Yesterday the youngest child (maybe 4years old) had the puppy in the front yard with no leash or collar running back and forth across the street (yep great idea there on both a pet owner and parenting front). Then the kid went in and left the dog at the park alone. One of the little girls from down the street was at the park and she said she was going to take the puppy home. I told her she should at least ring the bell and see if they would come to the door first. Honestly I know her parents and I know how they take care of their dogs, the puppy would be better off with her (she is a little over zealous in the "must love them all" sort of way but at least the dog would be safe you know). Ugh!!!


I think your neighbours are the mirror of the neighbours at my parents house. They had gotten this HUGE black lab they named "Blackie" that they kept tied up outside and never did anything with and just basically left him abandoned there. My parents LOVE animals and my mother made a point to go over and give the dog water every day (especially during the winter when it would FREEZE IN THE BOWL AND THESE PEOPLE LEFT THIS DOG OUT THERE) and it eventually got to the point where my parents told them "If you don't do something to this dog we f-ing will and you will NOT like it". The dog left later in the week and her kids hated my parents because "they made them get rid of their doggy". Not surprisingly, my neighbours and my parents hate each other with a passion.


----------



## kcomstoc

jade5280 said:


> Aw that's so sweet. Happy anniversary!





elrohwen said:


> Happy anniversary! That's so cute!


Thank you both  it was very cute and I took a picture if you guys wanna see?


----------



## MelTruffles

missc89 said:


> I think your neighbours are the mirror of the neighbours at my parents house. They had gotten this HUGE black lab they named "Blackie" that they kept tied up outside and never did anything with and just basically left him abandoned there. My parents LOVE animals and my mother made a point to go over and give the dog water every day (especially during the winter when it would FREEZE IN THE BOWL AND THESE PEOPLE LEFT THIS DOG OUT THERE) and it eventually got to the point where my parents told them "If you don't do something to this dog we f-ing will and you will NOT like it". The dog left later in the week and her kids hated my parents because "they made them get rid of their doggy". Not surprisingly, my neighbours and my parents hate each other with a passion.


Good for your parents! This sounds similar to how my parents would react!

My dad moved to a new area and the person who lived on the corner of the street had a dog that was always tied up to the tree. My dad builds houses and so when it reached 100F+ in Georgia in summer, he felt miserable, but he felt even more miserable driving home and seeing the poor dog tied to the tree without much water. 

So, he finally stopped by the people's house and asked them why the dog was always tied out in the sun. They told him to mind his own business in a very colorful way. So, that night, my dad went to their house and brought the dog home.

"He has so much fur on him! I'm a pretty hairy guy myself, but with that much hair, how could I not have brought him home?"

They had to have known it was him. Not saying what he did was exactly okay, but...


----------



## Miss Bugs

Met awesomest dog and person ever at work today! A new daycare dog.. a Spanish Galgo rescued from Spain 3 weeks ago and obviously the guy who went to Spain to rescue a Galgo  (he was shocked I knew WTH a Galgo was lol)


----------



## Miss Bugs

Oh ya, and funniest thing ever..so this new guy at work..yesterday he did something that made every last staff member that witnessed it, stare in shock... while up front while we were open and dealing with clients, his Cell phone rings..and he answered it and walked away!! Like...are you serious right now? I popped my head in the office and told my bosses that this guy just answered his personal fricking phone and walked away, and he got hauled into the office. Now today I found at more that made it even worse..when my boss went to the kitchen where he was hiding on his phone, he..waot for it...he LOOKED AT HER AND HELD UP HIS FINGER, MOUTHING "JUST A MINUTE"!!!! As if, how dare his boss interrupt his personal conversation during work hours! Like..how are you that stupid?!


----------



## d_ray

I want sooooo badly


----------



## d_ray

OMG wouldnt she looks so good with my girls!


----------



## missc89

Miss Bugs said:


> Oh ya, and funniest thing ever..so this new guy at work..yesterday he did something that made every last staff member that witnessed it, stare in shock... while up front while we were open and dealing with clients, his Cell phone rings..and he answered it and walked away!! Like...are you serious right now? I popped my head in the office and told my bosses that this guy just answered his personal fricking phone and walked away, and he got hauled into the office. Now today I found at more that made it even worse..when my boss went to the kitchen where he was hiding on his phone, he..waot for it...he LOOKED AT HER AND HELD UP HIS FINGER, MOUTHING "JUST A MINUTE"!!!! As if, how dare his boss interrupt his personal conversation during work hours! Like..how are you that stupid?!


...because common sense isn't so common anymore and some peoples children?? (actually I have more but I'm just a crass person XD)



d_ray said:


> View attachment 200809
> 
> 
> OMG wouldnt she looks so good with my girls!


Yes! So much! Get her!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Oh ya, and funniest thing ever..so this new guy at work..yesterday he did something that made every last staff member that witnessed it, stare in shock... while up front while we were open and dealing with clients, his Cell phone rings..and he answered it and walked away!! Like...are you serious right now? I popped my head in the office and told my bosses that this guy just answered his personal fricking phone and walked away, and he got hauled into the office. Now today I found at more that made it even worse..when my boss went to the kitchen where he was hiding on his phone, he..waot for it...he LOOKED AT HER AND HELD UP HIS FINGER, MOUTHING "JUST A MINUTE"!!!! As if, how dare his boss interrupt his personal conversation during work hours! Like..how are you that stupid?!


*SIGH* ... yeah ... unless it was a FREAKING EMERGENCY, he would be fired if I was the boss.


----------



## missc89

Mel&Truffles said:


> Good for your parents! This sounds similar to how my parents would react!
> 
> My dad moved to a new area and the person who lived on the corner of the street had a dog that was always tied up to the tree. My dad builds houses and so when it reached 100F+ in Georgia in summer, he felt miserable, but he felt even more miserable driving home and seeing the poor dog tied to the tree without much water.
> 
> So, he finally stopped by the people's house and asked them why the dog was always tied out in the sun. They told him to mind his own business in a very colorful way. So, that night, my dad went to their house and brought the dog home.
> 
> "He has so much fur on him! I'm a pretty hairy guy myself, but with that much hair, how could I not have brought him home?"
> 
> They had to have known it was him. Not saying what he did was exactly okay, but...


Good on your dad! I would do the same..except the legal way.. ...yep! No dog-napping from horrible owners here!... -shifty eyes-


----------



## CptJack

This week I have agility Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. (Kylie, Molly, Molly, Kylie).

This isn't exactly a rant, but. That's a lot.


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> This week I have agility Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. (Kylie, Molly, Molly, Kylie).
> 
> This isn't exactly a rant, but. That's a lot.


That is a lot!


----------



## jade5280

Ryker has been having a hard time adjusting since we spent all weekend tracking with him. He has been pooping in the house every day this week. Ugh it sucks when you can't even spend time with your dog without it being detrimental to their mental health. SA SUUUUUCKS


----------



## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> Ryker has been having a hard time adjusting since we spent all weekend tracking with him. He has been pooping in the house every day this week. Ugh it sucks when you can't even spend time with your dog without it being detrimental to their mental health. SA SUUUUUCKS


Is it because you haven't left him alone all weekend so it was hard for him to transition back to being alone?


----------



## MelTruffles

CptJack said:


> This week I have agility Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. (Kylie, Molly, Molly, Kylie).
> 
> This isn't exactly a rant, but. That's a lot.


I feel tired just by reading this. XD


----------



## CptJack

Mel&Truffles said:


> I feel tired just by reading this. XD


I'm never going to be serious about it, I said.

I'm doing it because obedience is boring and Kylie needs something, I said.

I'm just not that into it; I'm not even sure if I really LIKE it, I said.

I'm NEVER going to compete, I said. 

Ahahahahahaha. Yeah. Sure.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> Is it because you haven't left him alone all weekend so it was hard for him to transition back to being alone?


Yes anytime we spend too much time with him he always has a set back.


----------



## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> Yes anytime we spend too much time with him he always has a set back.


Jewel used to be the same. We would have to force ourselves to leave on weekends so Monday wouldn't be a shock. I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

I'm a little nervous too as my SO has been off all week with sciatica and the girls haven't been alone at all.


----------



## Remaru

missc89 said:


> Good on your dad! I would do the same..except the legal way.. ...yep! No dog-napping from horrible owners here!... -shifty eyes-


This is my issue, technically they aren't doing anything really illegal right now. It is hard. The dog has food, water and shelter (there is a little kennel with no door on the porch which is also shaded most of the day and the fans are going plus it isn't really hot yet). The dog is even allowed in the house for part of the day/plus night time. The only time anything illegal is happening is when the dog is out without a leash and I know AC is really light about those types of things (like our neighbors who let their chi mixes run at large). Hubby has sort of hinted he would just take the puppy in when it is running around with no one but they are going to notice, we live right next to them and we do stuff with our dogs (you know like walk them). It is really frustrating. It is a really cute little puppy too, pretty sure it is a spaniel mix.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> Jewel used to be the same. We would have to force ourselves to leave on weekends so Monday wouldn't be a shock. I'm sorry you're dealing with this.
> 
> I'm a little nervous too as my SO has been off all week with sciatica and the girls haven't been alone at all.


 Thanks. It used to be a lot worse, but he's better while on the meds. At least he doesn't howl or eat the door anymore. Though every day this week he has ripped the blankets off of our bed lol

Sorry your SO isn't feeling well! Mine also deals with sciatic pain and I feel so bad for him.


----------



## missc89

Remaru said:


> This is my issue, technically they aren't doing anything really illegal right now. It is hard. The dog has food, water and shelter (there is a little kennel with no door on the porch which is also shaded most of the day and the fans are going plus it isn't really hot yet). The dog is even allowed in the house for part of the day/plus night time. The only time anything illegal is happening is when the dog is out without a leash and I know AC is really light about those types of things (like our neighbors who let their chi mixes run at large). Hubby has sort of hinted he would just take the puppy in when it is running around with no one but they are going to notice, we live right next to them and we do stuff with our dogs (you know like walk them). It is really frustrating. It is a really cute little puppy too, pretty sure it is a spaniel mix.


I have a friend who would drive down this kind of middle-of-nowhere out in the boonies street with her SO's giant Truck and this idiot of a woman was walking, on the wrong side of the road, WITH HER DOG IN THE ROAD! When my friend pulled over and told her that the proper way to walk a dog is a) against traffic and b) with your dog on your side as a walker where there is NOT a road. Lady told her very colourfully to mind her own business and my friend yelled back "YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR DOG KILLED!" People's ignorance is astounding.

I'm afraid that when it comes time for a really heavy summer heat, this dog is going to suffer. If your neighbour is going to let their dog run around without a leash, it may just be safest to call AC and have them come and take away the dog. It's not the dogs fault by any means and it SUCKS to have to do it...but I'd rather see the dog taken away by AC than to see it dead on the side of the road because of this persons ignorance. 

Maybe slip a little pamphlet with "leash laws" and "local animal laws" in to their mailbox?


----------



## Remaru

Unfortunately AC will not do much about dogs running at large unless the dog is a very large dog. Our neighborhood is full of chihuahuas and other small mixes that run as they please. I call AC, not much happens. If you call about big dogs (particularly if you can catch them) AC will come and remove them but there seems to be a theory that small dogs are sort of like cats and they can just run. There are chi-mixes that have been running the neighborhood as long as I have lived here (6years) and unfortunately some of them are quite aggressive. Yes the laws apply to them (they apply to cats as well but you definitely can't get anyone to keep their cats contained) but no one does anything about it. 

Honestly it isn't out of the ordinary for people to keep outdoor dogs here. I would say half or more of the dogs here are strictly out door. The laws regulate that they need water and shelter but they can be left outside otherwise. Tx can be really dog friendly but there is a divide on how dogs are viewed and kept.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Brothers comment of the day "I don't like Sola's name..its impossible to yell it angrily" lol can't say the ability to yell my dogs name in an angry voice was a consideration that came into play when I chose the name lol


----------



## Sarah~

Not having a very good week at work, small things are starting to wear on me, it feels like I am the only one who follows the rules and so on the nights that I work some guests treat me like I don't know what I'm talking about or that I'm a horrible person/employee because someone else told them the wrong thing or let them get away with something. I know my boss will back me up but that doesn't help much in the moment when I'm being yelled at. Also my boyfriend's mom is disabled, his brother has been staying with her and helping out with taking care of her little dog, but he's moving out so she is going to have to move to a small place closer to us and we are going to have to take her dog. He's just a little mutt she got last year at the shelter, and since she heard us planning on a puppy in a year or two she figured this would just work out for everyone. My boyfriend really wants to do this for her of course, he wants to do anything in his power to make things easier for her so even though it is a bit disappointing for me (no more puppy) I want to be supportive. He feels bad about the puppy too but we don't want her to have to take her dog back to the shelter. He will be coming here tomorrow we'll see how Eko reacts.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I dont like my neighbors, they let their two chihuahuas run all over creation here and since Lincoln has been getting older, their male (who is also not neutered) has become more confrontational with Lincoln. Neither dog will do anything when I am out with my dogs walking, as they are scared of me, and Lincoln doesnt pay any mind to them when I am there. 

But I have chased them away from my stairs a few times now (one time the male was all the way up looking through my gate!) and the male pees on my truck's tires. Ugh ... they only let them out because they are too lazy to go out with them to the potty, like I do with mine (ours stay on our 10x10 porch and I take them for three-four 30 min-hour walks a day plus play time) and they have two teenage kids, too, why cant THEY take them out! 

I mean, I dont let my dogs run all over, digging up their gardens and peeing on their stuff!


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## GrinningDog

Two weeks and seven exams stand between me and a week-and-a-half of glorious freedom. I'll be taking a road trip with the dog and the kitty up to OH to visit family. SO EXCITED.


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## luv mi pets

GoGoGypsy said:


> Two weeks and seven exams stand between me and a week-and-a-half of glorious freedom. I'll be taking a road trip with the dog and the kitty up to OH to visit family. SO EXCITED.


yay for you.

I spent the entire day outside clearing fence rows and spraying and mowing and burning and putting up more fence. I CAN NOT move!. Luckily the dogs were out with me and they are stone cold passed out too. God I hope I do not have to get up anytime soon.


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## Sarah~

Well things are going smoothly so far. Eko was my biggest worry because of his problems with dogs but I think because Buster is just an itty bitty thing he would rather play with him than kill him. Xena seems to think he's a new toy for her or something, she LOVES him. And Buster wants nothing to do with either of them lol he is in love with the cat who thinks dogs are pests. He was only fed soft food at my boyfriend's mom's house so he has very dirty teeth and TERRIBLE breath, I'm mixing his soft food with dry small breed kibble so I don't upset his tummy and get a jump on cleaning those teeth, I don't want to try brushing his teeth til he settles in some more. He has decided my boyfriend is his person and follows him everywhere, it's very cute  I'm glad he took a liking to my boyfriend, I don't need another shadow lol! He is a nervous little guy but overall very mellow and affectionate.


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## Laurelin

So Hank is pretty much the best thing ever. 

We've had 6 dogs in my house all week plus a bunch of family. We didn't do any exercise all week long and he did great. We didn't train. Nada. This weekend he was a pro hanging out and was the life of the party for all my kid relatives. They thought it was hilarious to have him rebound off them and thought how he could climb the retaining wall was cool. He played tug with each of them and really tones it down for them (they're 18 months to about 6/7 years). He had ALL the kids chasing him this afternoon around the yard. He wasn't running full out but would dodge each of them and zig and zag. Wore them all out. He is really the best family dog and just a pleasure to be around. Everyone loved him and I was told a few times 'Man I wish I had a dog like that!'


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I dont like my neighbors, they let their two chihuahuas run all over creation here and since Lincoln has been getting older, their male (who is also not neutered) has become more confrontational with Lincoln. Neither dog will do anything when I am out with my dogs walking, as they are scared of me, and Lincoln doesnt pay any mind to them when I am there.
> 
> But I have chased them away from my stairs a few times now (one time the male was all the way up looking through my gate!) and the male pees on my truck's tires. Ugh ... they only let them out because they are too lazy to go out with them to the potty, like I do with mine (ours stay on our 10x10 porch and I take them for three-four 30 min-hour walks a day plus play time) and they have two teenage kids, too, why cant THEY take them out!
> 
> I mean, I dont let my dogs run all over, digging up their gardens and peeing on their stuff!


I have this problem, our whole neighborhood thinks it is ok to just let little dogs (mostly chi mixes) run loose. Some of them are friendly but some are definitely not. Either way I don't really appreciate having to dodge tiny dogs when walking my dogs. Magic is reactive and has a good bit of prey drive. One house had three aggressive chi mixes, they are down to 1, I can only guess what happened to the other two. I called AC about them constantly (particularly after they attacked my dogs on many occasions, they attack in a pack so you can only block one or two at a time) but as far as I could tell AC never actually did anything. I have to assume either the Hawks got them or the cars did. That or the mildly DA labs that get loose from time to time... There is another little one that runs loose but he is just afraid of people, he's really friendly with other dogs. He and Magic are "in love". I looped him with her leash and had AC send him home the other day. He was of course loose again less than two days later. It is too bad, he is really really cute.


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## Remaru

I am sorry to double post but I'm really irritated right now. I'm on a FB group for rough collies but I'm going to have to drop the group....just how can dog people be so ignorant about dogs? Right now they are talking about how awful and scary pit bulls are. I have posted but it was useless, I'm the bad guy because apparently only collies (and shelties) are good dogs, maybe BCs because you know they are collies. Collies would never ever ever hurt anyone, they are Lassie...WTF!!!! Really, how can you be so ignorant about dogs!!!!! Most of these people apparently do not own other breeds at all, ever, and are completely uneducated about them. UGH!!! Their level of ignorance about dogs in general (short of movies, tv show and idealism) is killing me. There have been several posts already about dogs not getting along with kids but we are apparently ignoring those. I think my head is going to explode...


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## CptJack

Does anyone know of a smaller than 7" *Soft* frisbee? Ie: Not the hyperflyte/hard plastic type things?

I'm trying to find something for Kylie and while I found 4" rigid ones I can't find ones that aren't rigid. I'll probably try those if I can't get my hands on the other sort but darn it all.


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## CptJack

Also this is the opposite of a rant but I am a puddle.


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## Laurelin

I always think of this more as a 'musing' thread. Whatever is on my mind but not worth its own thread.


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## MelTruffles

Mini-rant that I've been bottling up...

I just adopted Sherman last Saturday and the rescue gave me all his vet records and a very clearly negative heart worm test and shows where they purchased a case of heart guard. The vet that they took Sherman to doesn't carry Advantage Multi or much of anything. Basically only heart guard and frontline. I really like advantage multi because, even though it's a topical, it has worked great with Truffles.

So, I went to Truffle's vet with Sherman's records in hand and a prescription from Sherman's vet for Advantage multi and they were like "Well, we aren't a pharmacy and it's against GA state law to give you the medicine without seeing the dog first." and I'm just standing there thinking "I have records of him having a heart worm test and you can even call them, etc" and she is just like "NOPE. CAN'T"

I called literally 18 different places on Monday trying to find someone to fill this prescription. Fun fact: Sams Club, Walmart, Target, and Walgreens fills pet prescriptions. NATURALLY they didn't have Sherman's weight for Advantage Multi in stock. I was really pushing to get it that day because he hadn't been treated for fleas and we have a flea problem around our complex and his heart worm medicine was on day 30 when we got him.

Finally, I found a vet's office who was like 30 minutes away who requested Sherman's vet to fax them records and they would give me Advantage Multi. They were super nice and the vet actually came out to talk to me about Sherman and was really impressed that I called so many places and made the drive to get the preventive. She seemed genuinely interested in my dogs and asked to see pictures of them. She loved how cute they were and we talked for like 30 minutes while she was on her lunch break. As she was going back to the examine room, she wished them a healthy life and hoped I didn't have any more issues with my vet ( I ranted about my vet being shoved up Science Diet's bum and how we couldn't see eye to eye sometimes). I talked to the receptionist about prices and they are cheaper than my current vet and I asked her to put Sherman's info and I would fax over Truffle's information. 

AT LEAST I FOUND A NEW VET IN THIS PROCESS, BUT MY GOSH, I AM NOT TRYING TO POISON MY DOG.


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## Kayota

yeah i never got it like holy crap it's pretty easy to give heartworm prevention yet you insist that she MUST be seen??? you can't just believe me that she did have a test in the past year? i mean dang


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## Remaru

My parents had a similar issue when their cat had to be on a prescription diet for kidney failure. Sometimes the vet couldn't get in enough food (because they had 5 cats at the time so they just fed it to all of them) so they went looking for somewhere else to buy it. Even places like Petsmart were really stubborn about selling it, even if the vet called them and faxed a script. They wanted one of their vets to see the cat and diagnose him first. Really I mean the cat is under the care of the vet he has been seeing since he was adopted, he is seen regularly, and we just want to buy some food which the vet assured us would not hurt a normal healthy cat (a couple didn't think it was too exciting but it definitely didn't do them any harm). It wasn't like we were asking them to prescribe anitbiotics or pain killers to an animal they had never seen.


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## Miss Bugs

I have a rant...I woke up this morning to my glasses in several peices. Monday...when I work till late night all week.. have only one pair(can't afford multiple and nobody will do the 2 pair deals with my 'script which costs around $400 at cheap places) and I'm blind as a bat without glasses. Ot appears my rabbit and dogs worked together to destroy them.


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## missc89

Remaru said:


> I am sorry to double post but I'm really irritated right now. I'm on a FB group for rough collies but I'm going to have to drop the group....just how can dog people be so ignorant about dogs? Right now they are talking about how awful and scary pit bulls are. I have posted but it was useless, I'm the bad guy because apparently only collies (and shelties) are good dogs, maybe BCs because you know they are collies. Collies would never ever ever hurt anyone, they are Lassie...WTF!!!! Really, how can you be so ignorant about dogs!!!!! Most of these people apparently do not own other breeds at all, ever, and are completely uneducated about them. UGH!!! Their level of ignorance about dogs in general (short of movies, tv show and idealism) is killing me. There have been several posts already about dogs not getting along with kids but we are apparently ignoring those. I think my head is going to explode...


My grandma was bit by a Collie when she was little and is now terrified of dogs. Give them that and then leave.

Good on you for not sticking to ignorant forums! I'm terrified of signing up for the Aussie-specific forum for more than just the reasons you've stated above. I mean, what is it with breed-specific forums that just seems to drag in the dog idjits?


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## Miss Bugs

missc89 said:


> My grandma was bit by a Collie when she was little and is now terrified of dogs. Give them that and then leave.
> 
> Good on you for not sticking to ignorant forums! I'm terrified of signing up for the Aussie-specific forum for more than just the reasons you've stated above. I mean, what is it with breed-specific forums that just seems to drag in the dog idjits?


And add that My cousins had a Collie that was ordered to be PTS after she bit someone!


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## Willowy

Remaru said:


> My parents had a similar issue when their cat had to be on a prescription diet for kidney failure. Sometimes the vet couldn't get in enough food (because they had 5 cats at the time so they just fed it to all of them) so they went looking for somewhere else to buy it. Even places like Petsmart were really stubborn about selling it, even if the vet called them and faxed a script. They wanted one of their vets to see the cat and diagnose him first. Really I mean the cat is under the care of the vet he has been seeing since he was adopted, he is seen regularly, and we just want to buy some food which the vet assured us would not hurt a normal healthy cat (a couple didn't think it was too exciting but it definitely didn't do them any harm). It wasn't like we were asking them to prescribe anitbiotics or pain killers to an animal they had never seen.


And the "prescription" foods aren't even technically prescription. They wanted to make sure people weren't self-diagnosing their pets and that the foods were only used with a vet's advice, but they aren't considered controlled substances/medications by the FDA. It's basically just an agreement with the companies :/. You'd think they'd make their food easier for people to buy. 

Heartworm meds bug me too. In Australia, all heartworm meds are available OTC. I don't really think Australians are just that much smarter than Americans . It must be some ridiculous legal thing.


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## d_ray

Remaru said:


> I am sorry to double post but I'm really irritated right now. I'm on a FB group for rough collies but I'm going to have to drop the group....just how can dog people be so ignorant about dogs? Right now they are talking about how awful and scary pit bulls are. I have posted but it was useless, I'm the bad guy because apparently only collies (and shelties) are good dogs, maybe BCs because you know they are collies. Collies would never ever ever hurt anyone, they are Lassie...WTF!!!! Really, how can you be so ignorant about dogs!!!!! Most of these people apparently do not own other breeds at all, ever, and are completely uneducated about them. UGH!!! Their level of ignorance about dogs in general (short of movies, tv show and idealism) is killing me. There have been several posts already about dogs not getting along with kids but we are apparently ignoring those. I think my head is going to explode...


My sister was bit in the face my a collie when we were kids. She had to get Multiple stitches.


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## momtolabs

Yesterday I was at my cousins riding and I hopped on our new girl,cupcake. I was just warming her up in the yard since she still isn't comfortable with cars. We walked past a chair and she freaked out and next thing I know I'm on the freaking ground ! She spooked over a chair!! Silly horse! I'm fine thankfully. I've never seen my cousin run so fast,lol. She was scared I got hurt since I was on the ground and didn't get up.... I was laughing,lol. Luckily she went back to her stall. So then we got her out and started working her on the ground around the chairs and so now she is okay with them. But gosh dang dang a CHAIR of all things. Then as I'm not paying attention because my little cousin was being stupid I get my foot positioned just right that she stepped on my foot! My toe is bruised but all is good. My dad hates when I'm with the horses since he thinks there going to kill me but my mom rode when she was younger and knows I won't stop but last night just helped his side,lol. I'm getting ready to go out again and he of course gave me his lecture! 

Here is cupcake 








And April and cupcake out eating someone grass since they can't be switched to there summer pasture yet. Yes cupcake needs a tad bit of weight put on her and April needs to loose some!!


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## Flaming

Miss Bugs said:


> I have a rant...I woke up this morning to my glasses in several peices. Monday...when I work till late night all week.. have only one pair(can't afford multiple and nobody will do the 2 pair deals with my 'script which costs around $400 at cheap places) and I'm blind as a bat without glasses. Ot appears my rabbit and dogs worked together to destroy them.


I have a weird/strong prescription as well. 

Get your paper prescription and make sure it includes your pupliary(sp?) distance
Then go to
Zennioptical.com 
Its the cheapest ive found yet and have been using them for years. 

...I break glasses alot


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I have a rant...I woke up this morning to my glasses in several peices. Monday...when I work till late night all week.. have only one pair(can't afford multiple and nobody will do the 2 pair deals with my 'script which costs around $400 at cheap places) and I'm blind as a bat without glasses. Ot appears my rabbit and dogs worked together to destroy them.


OMG I feel your pain, I cant barely walk around my house without mine  hope you get them fixed soon.


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## Flaming

You walk into walls too? 

I wish lazer eye wasn't so expensive. I wouldn't get 20/20 but my glasses would be so much cheaper


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## Miss Bugs

Anndd..Superstore optical is friggen awesome! Took my glasses to get fixed before work, I expected the worst, the damage was bad and probably couldn't be saved. I was fully expecting a big bill and several hours, I talked to my work warning that I would probably be late etc.. I get to the optical place, I show them my glasses, they look, go to the rack, pull a new frame off the rack, pull up my file go "your warranty is expired, but I can fix it for $24" and they took 5 minutes to replace my frames, and gave me my old frames back for parts and charged me only $24 total.


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## chimunga

No one on base ever walks their dogs. I'm trying real hard not to judge. Really really hard. Because there are a lot of different circumstances. But no one on base ever walks their dogs. I take Watson out once or twice a day. At totally random times, because my schedule is weird. Plus I'm driving around base all the time. And I only see 2 other people walking their dogs consistently. Two. One woman with a husky and a cute mutt, and a couple with two big pyrs. There are about 3,500 people living on base. And from walking around I'd guess that about 1/4 of the people on base have dogs. I feel like I should just seeing dogs out, all the time. But nope. Not ever. I see yards that are torn up, and dogs that are jumping on the fences going crazy.


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## CptJack

Pretty sure Molly just had a night terror of some stripe. She was asleep beside my feet at the desk. Started barking and growling before she woke up (before I woke her up), then bolted to her feet and ran to her crate with her tail tucked and hackles up. She's better now, but scared the CRAP out of me.


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## missc89

chimunga said:


> No one on base ever walks their dogs. I'm trying real hard not to judge. Really really hard. Because there are a lot of different circumstances. But no one on base ever walks their dogs. I take Watson out once or twice a day. At totally random times, because my schedule is weird. Plus I'm driving around base all the time. And I only see 2 other people walking their dogs consistently. Two. One woman with a husky and a cute mutt, and a couple with two big pyrs. There are about 3,500 people living on base. And from walking around I'd guess that about 1/4 of the people on base have dogs. I feel like I should just seeing dogs out, all the time. But nope. Not ever. I see yards that are torn up, and dogs that are jumping on the fences going crazy.


My BF lives in an apartment building with I SWEAR 4 other dogs. I can smell them and hear them and I NEVER see them. It makes me sad and makes me want to call AC on all of them! I will be at the BF's apartment for like the entire weekend and I'm sorry but the sound of a dog going up and down stairs is very distinct and I NEVER hear any four-legged creatures leaving the apartment


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## d_ray

chimunga said:


> No one on base ever walks their dogs. I'm trying real hard not to judge. Really really hard. Because there are a lot of different circumstances. But no one on base ever walks their dogs. I take Watson out once or twice a day. At totally random times, because my schedule is weird. Plus I'm driving around base all the time. And I only see 2 other people walking their dogs consistently. Two. One woman with a husky and a cute mutt, and a couple with two big pyrs. There are about 3,500 people living on base. And from walking around I'd guess that about 1/4 of the people on base have dogs. I feel like I should just seeing dogs out, all the time. But nope. Not ever. I see yards that are torn up, and dogs that are jumping on the fences going crazy.


This made me think of something. 2 weeks ago we were at the dog park and met this crazy Vizsla. I love the breed on paper so started talking to the walker. When I asked her if it was her dog she said no she was hired to walk him and added that she's not insane lol. On the way home we saw the walker and Vizsla driving in front of us and sure enough she turned into our neighbourhood. This vizsla lives one street over and I had never seen him before that day. I started wondering about all the other dogs that may live in my neighbourhood that I've never met. I'm not saying it's the same as your case, it just made me think.


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## missc89

d_ray said:


> This made me think of something. 2 weeks ago we were at the dog park and met this crazy Vizsla. I love the breed on paper so started talking to the walker. When I asked her if it was her dog she said no she was hired to walk him and added that she's not insane lol. On the way home we saw the walker and Vizsla driving in front of us and sure enough she turned into our neighbourhood. This vizsla lives one street over and I had never seen him before that day. I started wondering about all the other dogs that may live in my neighbourhood that I've never met. I'm not saying it's the same as your case, it just made me think.


There are SO many dogs in Ottawa that I KNOW live somewhere and I NEVER see them. I really do NOT understand how you can have a dog inside all the time.


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## Miss Bugs

There is the family down my street who has a dachshund..I know because he followed me home one day a few years ago. This family goes for walks multiple times EVERY SINGLE DAY and they never ever ever take the dog, except for locked on the deck barking..I have not seen that dog in 2 years now but I see the family out walking every single day. I don't get it..I don't really see the point of walking without a dog lol


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## missc89

Miss Bugs said:


> There is the family down my street who has a dachshund..I know because he followed me home one day a few years ago. This family goes for walks multiple times EVERY SINGLE DAY and they never ever ever take the dog, except for locked on the deck barking..I have not seen that dog in 2 years now but I see the family out walking every single day. I don't get it..I don't really see the point of walking without a dog lol


I don't see the point in having the dog if its not going to be a part of the family. My dog is going to go EVERYWHERE with me, it will never leave my side if I can help it!


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## jade5280

We don't walk around town ever because of Gypsy. We always load them up and drive somewhere. I'm sure our neighbors think they are stuck in the yard/house all the time and never go anywhere.


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## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> We don't walk around town ever because of Gypsy. We always load them up and drive somewhere. I'm sure our neighbors think they are stuck in the yard/house all the time and never go anywhere.


Yeah, but do you walk around your neighborhood without them? 

Personally, I don't walk or exercise much at all unless the dog is with me. What's the point in exercising if I'm not tiring him out at the same time! Though I meet a decent number of people on our local rail trail who ask to pet him and then tell me all about their dog who was left at home. I don't see why you would drive to a walking trail and not bring your dog, but maybe they are all super reactive. I dunno.


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## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, but do you walk around your neighborhood without them?
> 
> Personally, I don't walk or exercise much at all unless the dog is with me. What's the point in exercising if I'm not tiring him out at the same time! Though I meet a decent number of people on our local rail trail who ask to pet him and then tell me all about their dog who was left at home. I don't see why you would drive to a walking trail and not bring your dog, but maybe they are all super reactive. I dunno.


 Yeah no that's weird. I never walk without them.


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## chimunga

jade5280 said:


> We don't walk around town ever because of Gypsy. We always load them up and drive somewhere. I'm sure our neighbors think they are stuck in the yard/house all the time and never go anywhere.


That's why I tried to emphasize that I'm trying not to judge. But it's really really hard to believe that 98% of the dogs on base are un-walkable.


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## Prozax

Luna had her first two hydrotherapy sessions and I can already see a bit of change in her back legs. I left her at the center for four days so that they will work with her and get her to swim daily. Will pick her up on Thursday but I miss her already


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## d_ray

The only reason our neighbours see us walking the girls is because we have to walk them to the trails where they go off leash. We hike with numerous people that drive to the trails and they've never leash walked their dogs before. I doubt there neighbours even know they have dogs. We have so many good dog park that are ALWAYS packed. I think a lot of people drive to the parks and that's why we don't see as many dogs being walked. 

I used to wonder why I never see any of the dogs in my neighbourhood getting walked, but most of them use dog parks.


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## Prozax

I used to see dogs all the time on our walks when I lived in an apartment complex. When I moved in a neighborhood with mostly houses, I must say the number of dogs significantly dropped. I know there's a lot of them around as I can hear them barking, but for some reason it looks like around here, people who own a yard don't take their dog out on a walk as well :-/
There's no dog parks or trails in my city, so that's not the case.


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## CptJack

I'm of two minds of this - one, I know my neighbors dogs never leave their yard, ever, and rarely leave their house. Another neighbor's dog lives 24/7 on a chain. That's bad. Conversely, I NEVER, and I mean NEVER, walk my dogs around town or in my neighborhood. If I want to stick close to home, I just use our yard or property which isn't really visible to anyone else. If I don't want to stick close to home, I load the dogs up and GO somewhere. So I'm pretty sure the only time anyone who lives around me sees my dogs is if they happen to be wandering by while we're putting them in the car or taking them out. 

And I don't take them to dog parts or dog type trails, either. Remote locations with permission from the private property owners, a remote, abandoned air field and ball park that is only used by model plane people, and state parks where 'park' means 'woodland'. Sometimes camping sites of the sort WITHOUT grills, picnic tables and hookups but more 'flat land in the woods, leave your money in an envelope and stuff it in the box' primarily used by hunters and fishermen. Like - I just don't *do* dog park type settings and walking around my neighborhood is boring.

So... I don't get not taking your dogs out and DOING THINGS, but I also know there are a lot of options in many areas for dog friendly, entertaining, fun locations that are pretty well hidden and where you will rare to never see another person.


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## SamiSaysRawr

> There is the family down my street who has a dachshund..I know because he followed me home one day a few years ago. This family goes for walks multiple times EVERY SINGLE DAY and they never ever ever take the dog, except for locked on the deck barking..I have not seen that dog in 2 years now but I see the family out walking every single day. I don't get it..I don't really see the point of walking without a dog lol


Same.

I have the opposite issue with my neighbors. I'm pretty sure their definition of exercise is to walk to the fridge/phone to order more food. Their dog has been locked in a 4 x 6' pen for at least 3 years now. The only exercise it gets is when they open the pen door maybe once a fortnight or less to let it run around the street. They have a 16-17 year old son who does nothing but play videogames all day and eat. 

And yes they have had the dog warden called on them at least twice by at least 2 of my other neighbors. They don't care because the dog has food and shelter. Obviously it doesn't matter that the dog most likely has compulsive issues from pacing and barking all day. And they can't re-home the dog because 'it's their 2 year old granddaughter's dog'. Strange, I thought your pets usually lived with you. Not that a 2 year old would know or care if they 'had' a pet or not.


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## CptJack

So, tomorrow is the 'make-up' class for Molly's agility class. It's being held outside, where all of Kylie's stuff is held now. It's not just outside, it's outside in a field that's surrounded on 3 sides by livestock. I can't *wait* to see how this goes.


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## elrohwen

I will say that my neighbors do appear to exercise their dogs. Two walk together every morning while the owners chat. I will also see the one on the walking trail occasionally. I don't see the others that often, but enough that I know they get out and do stuff.

And all of my friends' dogs go for walks, hikes, or get some type of exercise. One is mostly kept home because he's extremely reactive, but I can understand that.


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## Remaru

I take my kids out without the dogs, if they are going to be on bikes or something. When Duke was around he just went along but if I am going to wind up carrying a bike home I don't want to be wrangling a leash (Duke could pull a bike for me and he was off leash reliable enough to just walk next to me, or with my youngest). It isn't a big deal now that they are big and don't wind up "too tired to go any further" after playing at the park or whatever. They are also big enough to walk most of the dogs now. My oldest jogs with Freyja in the mornings (it's his exercise now that we dropped martial arts). Hubby runs alone now that Remus is gone, Freyja doesn't run nicely with him and she can't do 5miles. I keep suggesting he try out Magic but he is afraid she will see another dog or rabbit and kill him. We do take regular walks with the dogs though. Magic gets 3 a day, Freyja gets her jog and Lad is either walking or going somewhere. Blue doesn't, she hates walks. We make her sometimes but I try not to force it too often. She goes out in the back yard to do her potties and then she hangs out with her boy inside. 

There are tons of dogs in my neighborhood but I would say less than 5% are walked. There is a dog park, I am sure some of them go there but I don't know how many (I don't like the dog park).


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## Laurelin

There's a cute 6 month old BC girl on craigslist. Supposedly very sweet and gentle and easy going. WANT. Want want want. She's very pretty too.

I need to decide my time frmae for starting to look or if I want to look. I keep wavering back and forth. I had 6 dogs this last week at my house (3 being senior papillons, one with dementia). It was stressful and too much. Has me reconsidering. But then I want another dog to train. :/ I just do better spreading out everything over two dogs. And the paps just can't train the way I'd like now. I do think part of the 'too much' was because Beau has dementia. And Hank would NOT leave him alone because Hank's a jerk.

As far as dogs in the neighborhood I don't walk the paps much at all. It's too hot for Mia. I need to walk Summer but I feel bad leaving Mia alone. /stupid I know/ I don't walk Hank much. We're either training something or at the dog park where he can run. If we do walk, I drive to a trail vs walk in the neighborhood. I AM well known in my neighborhood for training agility in the front yard lol. I got a card from the kids across the street saying they love watching me train the dogs in the front yard.


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## d_ray

Remaru said:


> I keep suggesting he try out Magic but he is afraid she will see another dog or rabbit and kill him.


LMAO we were just saying the same thing about Jazz the other day. We bike Jewel and were contemplating biking Jazz, but neither of us think the ride would end well. Hubbby can't even walk the muscle these days as he hurt his back. She is so insane that people stop us to ask why she is so excited. It's rabbit season.......


----------



## Remaru

d_ray said:


> LMAO we were just saying the same thing about Jazz the other day. We bike Jewel and were contemplating biking Jazz, but neither of us think the ride would end well. Hubbby can't even walk the muscle these days as he hurt his back. She is so insane that people stop us to ask why she is so excited. It's rabbit season.......


Magic likes birds. She sees them and I can't convince her she can't catch them. The bunnies are out too, particularly when we walk at night which is when hubby likes to run.


----------



## Laurelin

Sooooooooooo pretty

http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/pet/5006648960.html


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> Sooooooooooo pretty
> 
> http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/pet/5006648960.html


So when are you getting her??


----------



## Laurelin

I'm not.  Just drooling at this point. 

I am going to hold out till Hank has been here at least a year. Then re-evaluate. Ideally I don't get another dog before Hank is trialling then I get to decide if I want to go rescue/rehome or puppy and need to narrow it down from BC, ACD, mix, or borderstaffy. Depends on the day you catch me daydreaming at this point.


----------



## chimunga

Why do people get so offended when you imply that maybe their dog might possibly be overweight? I'm not calling you fat. But your dog is shaped like a potato. A rotund potato.


----------



## Prozax

Oh, that's a very sensitive subject. My dog gets called skinny all the time. I don't mind. But if I dare imply that one's dog isn't pure muscle then I'll get a whole theory on how there isn't a gram of fat on their dog. Most common with dog show people and dogs that are obviously overweight.


----------



## Willowy

chimunga said:


> Why do people get so offended when you imply that maybe their dog might possibly be overweight? I'm not calling you fat. But your dog is shaped like a potato. A rotund potato.


Agh, I saw a little (well he would be little if he weren't so potato-y :/) Dachshund today who looked very much like a potato. He was even potato colored . There were 2 of them, the owner was sitting in the front yard with them on long lines, one was extremely fat and the other was only regular fat. Poor doggies .


----------



## Laurelin

And now I read someone's tribute to their late papillon and I am thinking 'screw all those plans, I NEED another papillon!'

Someone needs to create a giant papillon. I doubt I'd have anything else ever if they existed.

Also I have a strong urge to hug Mia right now.


----------



## Willowy

I worked in another town today, and I went by one house that had hotwire strung along their fence, a large doghouse, "beware of dog" and "danger high voltage wire" signs up, and the yard itself looked like a T-rex lived there---no grass, just trampled dirt, holes everywhere, shredded toys and blankets around, the screen door was dirty and scratched. . .but the dog wasn't outside so I didn't see him/her. I REALLY want to know what kind of dog lives there, LOL.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Willowy said:


> I worked in another town today, and I went by one house that had hotwire strung along their fence, a large doghouse, "beware of dog" and "danger high voltage wire" signs up, and the yard itself looked like a T-rex lived there---no grass, just trampled dirt, holes everywhere, shredded toys and blankets around, the screen door was dirty and scratched. . .but the dog wasn't outside so I didn't see him/her. I REALLY want to know what kind of dog lives there, LOL.


It's probably The Beast from "The Sandlot" lol.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola helped this boy find a home today  he was left at the kennel with 2 other dogs and my manager is convinced he's this devil dog..she's never met him. She had rescues refusing to touch him, and was going to dump him at the shelter, where if she continues to treat him like this evil dog, he would be walked directly to the euth floor. I know he's not that aggressive so I said I was fully willing to use my dogs as guinea pigs and she still said "no". She wasn't there today. I took my dogs out with him anyway. He was fine. Dominant, but easily corrected. He was fence fighting(so riled up) and Sola was chasing him, barking at him and jumping on his head, he grinned and wagged his tail. So evil I know. I sent the pictures with commentary to a person who wanted him but backed off because they had another dog and he was made out to be evil. She's taking him home tomorrow


----------



## Laurelin

Hank decided TODAY after 8 months of living here that vacuum cleaners need to die. WTF dog. Never been a problem before. And it was halfway through my vacuuming session this morning.


----------



## trek

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola helped this boy find a home today  he was left at the kennel with 2 other dogs and my manager is convinced he's this devil dog..she's never met him. She had rescues refusing to touch him, and was going to dump him at the shelter, where if she continues to treat him like this evil dog, he would be walked directly to the euth floor. I know he's not that aggressive so I said I was fully willing to use my dogs as guinea pigs and she still said "no". She wasn't there today. I took my dogs out with him anyway. He was fine. Dominant, but easily corrected. He was fence fighting(so riled up) and Sola was chasing him, barking at him and jumping on his head, he grinned and wagged his tail. So evil I know. I sent the pictures with commentary to a person who wanted him but backed off because they had another dog and he was made out to be evil. She's taking him home tomorrow


Sorry but, I'm siding with your manager (not on euthanasia but on not testing a pit bull type on your dogs). 
A pit bull type displaying dog aggression does not make him a devil any more them a JRT being aggressive towards a rodent, or a border collie nipping and herding sheep. DA is actually an expected characteristic of the APBT breed standard (not that he is purebred). 

He should not be euthanized (unless he is human aggressive) but he should not be interacting with other dogs, especially if he has already displayed DA. 

Honestly, you played with fire. You're lucky that you didn't get burned, but you may not be so lucky next time. That dog could annihilate your dog in a matter of minutes.


----------



## Kayota

the manager never met him and was just assuming he was DA though...


----------



## ireth0

Yea I was gonna say... Was he displaying DA in the first place?


----------



## trek

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola helped this boy find a home today  he was left at the kennel with 2 other dogs and my manager is convinced he's this devil dog..she's never met him. She had rescues refusing to touch him, and was going to dump him at the shelter, where if she continues to treat him like this evil dog, he would be walked directly to the euth floor. I know he's not that aggressive so I said I was fully willing to use my dogs as guinea pigs and she still said "no". She wasn't there today. I took my dogs out with him anyway. He was fine. *Dominant,* but easily corrected. H*e was fence fighting(so riled up)* and Sola was chasing him, barking at him and jumping on his head, he grinned and wagged his tail. So evil I know. I sent the pictures with commentary to a person who wanted him but backed off because they had another dog and he was made out to be evil. She's taking him home tomorrow





Kayota said:


> the manager never met him and was just assuming he was DA though...


Read the bold. At the very least, he was reactive... and that can quickly escalate with a combative breed.

Would you throw a rabbit in with a greyhound showing reactivity to other rabbits?

Playing with fire.


----------



## CptJack

Being aware that a pit can be DA is a responsible move. That said, fence fighting (because of overstimulation) is very, very common in dogs and unrelated to dog aggression. Like - completely - be it from over stimulation or barrier frustration. Dominant's so generic here I don't even know what it means in context, but it certainly has nothing to do with dog aggression, no matter how it's being defined.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> Read the bold. At the very least, he was reactive... and that can quickly escalate with a combative breed.
> 
> Would you throw a rabbit in with a greyhound showing reactivity to other rabbits?
> 
> Playing with fire.


That was after her dogs were already out with him though?


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah barrier aggression is really different than DA. I know loads of dogs who will be combative at fences or behind crate doors that are fine when loose.


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> Being aware that a pit can be DA is a responsible move. That said, fence fighting (because of overstimulation) is very, very common in dogs and unrelated to dog aggression. Like - completely - be it from over stimulation or barrier frustration. Dominant's so generic here I don't even know what it means in context, but it certainly has nothing to do with dog aggression, no matter how it's being defined.


 We expect and take precautions with many different breeds. We understand that small terriers have mastered the skill of dispatching small prey, so we take care that no small prey ends up in the vicinity. We understand that sight hounds have intense prey drive toward small moving quarry, so we make sure to keep our dogs properly contained and on leash in open areas. We understand that hound dogs follow their nose, so we contain and leash. We understand that collies herd, so we take the proper precautions that they are not herding inappropriate targets. We understand that guardian breeds will tend to have some level of human aggression, so we are watchful and take appropriate steps to maintain control. 

Why then, is it so hard to accept that breeds bred SPECIFICALLY for dog on dog combat should be respected in an identical manner? That is my rant.


----------



## trek

Laurelin said:


> Yeah barrier aggression is really different than DA. I know loads of dogs who will be combative at fences or behind crate doors that are fine when loose.


But when a dog is over stimulated, they are certainly more likely to redirect their aggression? And with a bull/terrier breed, that is a VERY dangerous chance to take.


----------



## CptJack

And yet I have a rat terrier I allow to interact with my rabbits and my cats - because he has shown no sign of ever having the slightest bit of prey-drive indoors, in spite of living here and with those animals for years. I know people with sight hounds who, atypical of sighthounds, are just fine off leash. I know beagles and other scent hounds doing agility outdoors and with rings marked by nothing more than a row of tape - and the same for huskies.

You prepare, you accept the possibility, but you *don't not treat dogs like individuals*. You don't ignore what the dog in front of you is showing you in favor of saying "BUT BREED". That's just stupidity.


----------



## ireth0

"he should not be interacting with other dogs, especially if he has already displayed DA. "

This is the bit that I was contesting. When did the OP say he displayed DA before making the decision to allow her dogs to interact with him?

Plenty of bullies and bully mixes are dog friendly. Take precautions, sure. But that doesn't MAKE them DA by default.


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> And yet I have a rat terrier I allow to interact with my rabbits and my cats - because he has shown no sign of ever having the slightest bit of prey-drive indoors, in spite of living here and with those animals for years. I know people with sight hounds who, atypical of sighthounds, are just fine off leash. I know beagles and other scent hounds doing agility outdoors and with rings marked by nothing more than a row of tape - and the same for huskies.
> 
> You prepare, you accept the possibility, but you *don't not treat dogs like individuals*. You don't ignore what the dog in front of you is showing you in favor of saying "BUT BREED". That's just stupidity.


 Then what are breed traits for? Why rely on the exception to the rule? 
You didn't answer my question regarding escalated reactivity.
Surely you can see sense? Just because you see a long standing member through rose coloured glasses doesn't mean that what I'm saying isnt correct. 
You may be ok with taking a chance with your rabbits knowing full well that it COULD happen. It hasn't happened yet, that doesn't mean it won't.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> "he should not be interacting with other dogs, especially if he has already displayed DA. "
> 
> This is the bit that I was contesting. When did the OP say he displayed DA before making the decision to allow her dogs to interact with him?
> 
> Plenty of bullies and bully mixes are dog friendly. Take precautions, sure. But that doesn't MAKE them DA by default.



Well in my opinion, he was showing aggression to another dog, and that is consistent with dog aggression. No matter if it was simply barrier frustration or over stimulation. Is the chance worth it?


----------



## Laurelin

I didn't get the notion that they threw Sola in WHILE the dog was barrier fighting. Yeah that would be dumb regardless of breed because yes, worked up dogs are more likely to redirect.


----------



## CptJack

Breed traits are to give you an idea of what to expect and prepare for, not to inform your decisions in how you interact with the individual that is in front of you who behaves counter to those breed traits. I don't know a single dog who isn't an 'exception' in some way - ie: Not ONE who is a dead on perfect example of a breed.

My Rat terrier could absolutely kill my rabbits. My 120lb dog could kill my 10lb dog when I let them play. I could have any one of them dash off and get killed or lost every time I let them off leash. Annnnd the person who chose to risk her own dogs based on what she had observed and knew of her dogs and this dog took a calculated risk. Redirected aggression can be a thing, but it clearly wasn't. Because, from the read here, the dog had a history of barrier fighting but no actual DA behavior at all.

As for rose colored glasses - LOL, no. Pay attention some time. That member and I dont' get along at all. I just happen to think you're being short-sighted and have some really stupid ideas about breed traits and what they do and don't mean.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> Well in my opinion, he was showing aggression to another dog, and that is consistent with dog aggression. No matter if it was simply barrier frustration or over stimulation. Is the chance worth it?


You still didn't answer the question. When did she say he had shown DA before making the decision for her dogs to interact with him?

Breed traits are general guidelines, but dogs are also all individuals. Especially when you're not dealing with a papered purebred, which I suspect was the case here.


----------



## trek

Laurelin said:


> I didn't get the notion that they threw Sola in WHILE the dog was barrier fighting. Yeah that would be dumb regardless of breed because yes, worked up dogs are more likely to redirect.


She mentioned Sola "jumping on his head".


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> She mentioned Sola "jumping on his head".


So Sola was being DA? Having one's head jumped on does not make you DA last I checked.


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> Breed traits are to give you an idea of what to expect and prepare for, not to inform your decisions in how you interact with the individual that is in front of you who behaves counter to those breed traits. I don't know a single dog who isn't an 'exception' in some way - ie: Not ONE who is a dead on perfect example of a breed.
> 
> My Rat terrier could absolutely kill my rabbits. My 120lb dog could kill my 10lb dog when I let them play. I could have any one of them dash off and get killed or lost every time I let them off leash. Annnnd the person who chose to risk her own dogs based on what she had observed and knew of her dogs and this dog took a calculated risk. Redirected aggression can be a thing, but it clearly wasn't. Because, from the read here, the dog had a history of barrier fighting but no actual DA behavior at all.
> 
> As for rose colored glasses - LOL, no. Pay attention some time. That member and I dont' get along at all. I just happen to think you're being short-sighted and have some really stupid ideas about breed traits and what they do and don't mean.


Wow. Now we're calling names. 
I'm done... I've said my piece.
Noticed that you edited it from "being stupid" to ^^. Nice touch. If you're going to be offensive, own it.


----------



## CptJack

trek said:


> She mentioned Sola "jumping on his head".


Yes. When Sola played with him, not at the time the dog was reacting at the fence. Even if that was the case, CLEARLY nothing happened at all so her read on that particular dog was more accurate than yours. 

And while we're at it, leash/barrier reactivity and aggression are SO far from the same thing they don't even exist in the same universe. Sometimes it's motivated by LIKING DOGS TOO MUCH.


----------



## trek

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola helped this boy find a home today  he was left at the kennel with 2 other dogs and my manager is convinced he's this devil dog..she's never met him. She had rescues refusing to touch him, and was going to dump him at the shelter, where if she continues to treat him like this evil dog, he would be walked directly to the euth floor. I know he's not that aggressive so I said I was fully willing to use my dogs as guinea pigs and she still said "no". She wasn't there today. I took my dogs out with him anyway. He was fine. Dominant, but easily corrected. *He was fence fighting(so riled up) and Sola was chasing him, barking at him and jumping on his head*, he grinned and wagged his tail. So evil I know. I sent the pictures with commentary to a person who wanted him but backed off because they had another dog and he was made out to be evil. She's taking him home tomorrow
> 
> View attachment 201634





CptJack said:


> Yes. When Sola played with him, not at the time the dog was reacting at the fence. Even if that was the case, CLEARLY nothing happened at all so her read on that particular dog was more accurate than yours.
> 
> And while we're at it, leash/barrier reactivity and aggression are SO far from the same thing they don't even exist in the same universe. Sometimes it's motivated by LIKING DOGS TOO MUCH.


 I'll just leave this here and MAYBE you can figure it out for yourself.


----------



## chimunga

Lol. My Corgi runs the fence with the Boston on the other side. Musta gotten one of those darn DA corgis. 

But all snarkiness aside. There's a boxer a few houses down that literally jumps and perches on top of the fence when you go by with your dog, because she's so excited. But she's a sweetie when she's not fenced. Anecdotal at best, but that's generally my experience. Boxers were once bred to fight. I wouldn't by any stretch consider her dog aggressive.


----------



## trek

chimunga said:


> Lol. My Corgi runs the fence with the Boston on the other side. Musta gotten one of those darn DA corgis.
> 
> But all snarkiness aside. There's a boxer a few houses down that literally jumps and perches on top of the fence when you go by with your dog, because she's so excited. But she's a sweetie when she's not fenced. Anecdotal at best, but that's generally my experience. Boxers were once bred to fight. I wouldn't by any stretch consider her dog aggressive.


No, you have a rude and questionably trained Corgi.
This is ridiculous... now I really have to leave as I don't want to get more frustrated then I already feel.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> No, you have a rude and questionably trained Corgi.


Why is the corgi rude and questionably trained but the pit mix is DA for the same behaviour?


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Why is the corgi rude and questionably trained but the pit mix is DA for the same behaviour?


 I explained myself. Reading comprehension... it matters.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah. Molly acts like cujo when she's leashed with other dogs. She really, really loves other dogs. She really, really wants to play with other dogs. Being unable to get to the other dogs because of the leash or fence is like putting her in a crate and dangling a piece of raw steak two inches in front of her. She's really sure as heck worked up, but she's really absolutely not aggressive at all. Not that I let her practice that behavior and we work on it because she needs to be able to keep her head and I also need her not to start something, but she's as much dog aggressive as she is a poodle. 

It's just *not related*. And, yeah, I've seen a lot of dogs who 'fence fight' for fun with each other. As in worked up, wagging tails, play bows, but still going after the fence in frustration because OMG WE CAN"T GET TO EACH OTHER!!!

Not great behavior at all but... it's just not DA. LOL.

(Redirecting onto another dog is a concern, sometimes, maybe, depends on the dog and the scenario. Some are more prone to it than others. Pits ARE known for DA, but most pits don't redirect at all. So if you want to defend yourself with breed traits....)


----------



## Laurelin

Any time you let dogs interact you run risks. Particularly when you're dealing with large size differences and yes, certain breed types. People can make their own choices about what they're ok with. Be aware for sure and supervise. Hank is a terrier type (and if he's got other things in him, it's probably ACD which is also prone to being a bit testy with other dogs). I have no doubt he could kill one of the papillons pretty easily. He's not big but he's much stronger and more tenacious and has a definite fuse on him that I've witnessed before. But I'm still going to let them interact while supervised. I'll be smart about it for sure but I'm not going to be paranoid.


----------



## trek

Laurelin said:


> Any time you let dogs interact you run risks. Particularly when you're dealing with large size differences and yes, certain breed types. People can make their own choices about what they're ok with. Be aware for sure and supervise. Hank is a terrier type (and if he's got other things in him, it's probably ACD which is also prone to being a bit testy with other dogs). I have no doubt he could kill one of the papillons pretty easily. He's not big but he's much stronger and more tenacious and has a definite fuse on him that I've witnessed before. But I'm still going to let them interact while supervised. I'll be smart about it for sure but I'm not going to be paranoid.


 Is permitting two Beagles to interact the same risk level as say, two combative breeds?
Literally everything in life is risk vs reward and I've never stated otherwise. That doesn't mean that I will let a hound (sight of scent) off leash in an open area, permit a collie to nip heels, a JRT to play with my pet rats, OR allow an excited bull/terrier play with another dog. You yourself said that it would be dumb!


----------



## Remaru

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola helped this boy find a home today  *he was left at the kennel with 2 other dogs *and my manager is convinced he's this devil dog..*she's never met him. *She had rescues refusing to touch him, and was going to dump him at the shelter, where if she continues to treat him like this evil dog, he would be walked directly to the euth floor. I know he's not that aggressive so I said I was fully willing to use my dogs as guinea pigs and she still said "no". She wasn't there today. I took my dogs out with him anyway. He was fine. Dominant, but easily corrected. He was fence fighting(so riled up) and Sola was chasing him, barking at him and jumping on his head, he grinned and wagged his tail. So evil I know. I sent the pictures with commentary to a person who wanted him but backed off because they had another dog and he was made out to be evil. She's taking him home tomorrow
> 
> View attachment 201634


You seem to have failed to notice this part. The clearly DA dog that lived with 2 other dogs that the manager "has never met". Maybe the OP had a better read on this dog than her manager and you? Both of which have never met him?


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> I explained myself. Reading comprehension... it matters.


You actually didn't. You said one was showing DA behaviour, and the other was rude and untrained. Why are they different when the behaviour is the same?


----------



## chimunga

trek said:


> No, you have a rude and questionably trained Corgi.
> This is ridiculous... now I really have to leave as I don't want to get more frustrated then I already feel.


No no. Please don't go. Continue telling me how rude and questionably trained my dog is. That will get you so far. I'm all ears. *grabs popcorn*



trek said:


> I explained myself. Reading comprehension... it matters.


"I didn't actually explain myself, but I am backed into a corner, so I'm going to insult you."


----------



## CptJack

trek said:


> Is permitting two Papillons to interact the same risk level as say, two combative breeds?


It's 2 paps and an ACD mix, actually. What was that about reading comprehension?


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah I missed where she said she put Sola in while the fence fighting was happening. I would not do that with a dog I did not know. That said I don't believe a fence fighting pit bull (or other terrier) is necessarily DA though. Hank fence fights the GSD next door and he's very not DA.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Yeah I missed where she said she put Sola in while the fence fighting was happening. I would not do that with a dog I did not know. That said I don't believe a fence fighting pit bull (or other terrier) is necessarily DA though. Hank fence fights the GSD next door and he's very not DA.


I wouldn't do it with a dog I didn't know, either, but that would be regardless of breed, you know? Not "IT"S A COMBATIVE BREED!!!!"


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> Yeah. Molly acts like cujo when she's leashed with other dogs. She really, really loves other dogs. She really, really wants to play with other dogs. Being unable to get to the other dogs because of the leash or fence is like putting her in a crate and dangling a piece of raw steak two inches in front of her. She's really sure as heck worked up, but she's really absolutely not aggressive at all. Not that I let her practice that behavior and we work on it because she needs to be able to keep her head and I also need her not to start something, but she's as much dog aggressive as she is a poodle.
> 
> It's just *not related*. And, yeah, I've seen a lot of dogs who 'fence fight' for fun with each other. As in worked up, wagging tails, play bows, but still going after the fence in frustration because OMG WE CAN"T GET TO EACH OTHER!!!
> 
> Not great behavior at all but... it's just not DA. LOL.
> 
> (Redirecting onto another dog is a concern, sometimes, maybe, depends on the dog and the scenario. Some are more prone to it than others. Pits ARE known for DA, but most pits don't redirect at all. So if you want to defend yourself with breed traits....)


 MOST PITS DONT REDIRECT AT ALL? Exactly how much experience do you have with the breed? Embarrassing.


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> It's 2 paps and an ACD mix, actually. What was that about reading comprehension?


I don't understand? I was giving an example. Ok... I'll change it to two beagles.


----------



## CptJack

trek said:


> MOST PITS DONT REDIRECT AT ALL? Exactly how much experience do you have with the breed? Embarrassing.


QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY!

How much do you? I've fostered somewhere in the neighborhood of 50. Of those 50, I'd say about half had some level of dog intolerance. Not a SINGLE ONE ever redirected onto anyone or anything else. Funny thing about them. They tend to be kind of tenacious and not easily distracted - also highly tolerant of pain/discomfort/annoyances. That can be a problem when they start something (or, more likely, someone else starts something with them), but it's also pretty great when, I don't know, they're in a dog fighting ring (no, I didn't fight them before your 'reading comprehension' skills show up again; I'm talking history) and someone had to yank them out. Or they had to live, you know, with a bunch of other pits on chains, or standing around outside the ring amped up. 

Talk about embarrassing.



trek said:


> I don't understand? I was giving an example. Ok... I'll change it to two beagles.


She said she let her two paps interact with Hank. That thing you quoted? 

When pointing out letting dogs interact and the potential danger in her own situation. One of her dogs interacting is an ACD mix who could kill either of the smaller dogs. Two of the same had nothing to do with it. Had nothing to do with her point or her example. 

READ.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> I wouldn't do it with a dog I didn't know, either, but that would be regardless of breed, you know? Not "IT"S A COMBATIVE BREED!!!!"


Yes I agree. I don't think it's a smart idea particularly with a strange dog that is bigger and more powerful than yours.


----------



## trek

I'm trying my best not to become combative myself. I'll sum my thoughts up with this:

I am speaking logic. Maybe DA wasn't the correct terminology in this case, maybe it was. The dog hadn't been tested so we will not know. 

My points have already been made. I think that most of what I've been saying has been repeated time and time again on this forum in reference to not only pit bull types, but also many other breeds. Now a long standing member is being "reprimanded" and you are all defensive, I understand. But in the name of civility, I think it's best to let this go for now. 
We are talking in circles.

If any of you have any SPECIFIC questions about my comments, please ask. If anyone wants to be snarky/sarcastic/immature, you will be ignored. 

I KNOW APBT's. I have experienced them in the flesh. I have owned them and other combat breeds. I'm not just talking to hear myself.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY!
> 
> How much do you? I've fostered somewhere in the neighborhood of 50. Of those 50, I'd say about half had some level of dog intolerance. Not a SINGLE ONE ever redirected onto anyone or anything else. Funny thing about them. They tend to be kind of tenacious and not easily distracted - also highly tolerant of pain/discomfort/annoyances. That can be a problem when they start something (or, more likely, someone else starts something with them), but it's also pretty great when, I don't know, they're in a dog fighting ring (no, I didn't fight them before your 'reading comprehension' skills show up again; I'm talking history) and someone had to yank them out. Or they had to live, you know, with a bunch of other pits on chains, or standing around outside the ring amped up.
> 
> Talk about embarrassing.
> 
> 
> 
> She said she let her two paps interact with Hank. That thing you quoted?
> 
> When pointing out letting dogs interact and the potential danger in her own situation. One of her dogs interacting is an ACD mix who could kill either of the smaller dogs. Two of the same had nothing to do with it. Had nothing to do with her point or her example.
> 
> READ.


Yes my point was there are a lot of situations where things could be a danger. Any dog size difference or yeah any more tenacious and scrappy breed. But I don't think people should live in fear/paranoia of their dogs doing each other in especially when they get on well enough. Be smart not paranoid. 

I also just don't think a fence fighting dog should be called DA regardless of breed. It could be DA or it could just have barrier frustration/aggression.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> I'm trying my best not to become combative myself. I'll sum my thoughts up with this:
> 
> I am speaking logic. Maybe DA wasn't the correct terminology in this case, maybe it was. The dog hadn't been tested so we will not know.
> 
> My points have already been made. I think that most of what I've been saying has been repeated time and time again in reference to not only pit bull types, but also many other breeds. Now a long standing member is being "reprimanded" and you are all defensive, I understand. But in the name of civility, I think it's best to let this go for now.
> We are talking in circles.
> 
> If any of you have any SPECIFIC questions about my comments, please ask. If anyone wants to be snarky/sarcastic/immature, you will be ignored.
> 
> I KNOW APBT's. I have experienced them in the flesh. I have owned them and other combat breeds. I'm not just talking to hear myself.


My specific question is; what makes fence fighting DA in a pit mix and rude and untrained behaviour in a corgi?

I have also experienced pits in the flesh, many many of them. I don't have an exact number, maybe a couple hundred?


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Yes my point was there are a lot of situations where things could be a danger. Any dog size difference or yeah any more tenacious and scrappy breed. But I don't think people should live in fear/paranoia of their dogs doing each other in especially when they get on well enough. Be smart not paranoid.
> 
> I also just don't think a fence fighting dog should be called DA regardless of breed. It could be DA or it could just have barrier frustration/aggression.


Yep. I mean Thud could, theoretically, kill every single dog in my house. That means I don't let him interact when we're not here just in case he gets tired of their crap. It doesn't mean he doesn't get to play with them. Conversely Kylie could be killed by almost any dog she interacts with in agility, or at home. That doesn't mean I wrap her in a bubble and say 'no'. Even if they have some leash reactivity or whatever.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> My specific question is; what makes fence fighting DA in a pit mix and rude and untrained behaviour in a corgi?
> 
> I have also experienced pits in the flesh, many many of them. I don't have an exact number, maybe a couple hundred?


They may both be rude and untrained, and they may both be DA. I don't know either. 
If you knew pit bull types, and loved them- you would accept their genetic predisposition to DA. I don't mean a little reactivity or DA as in *im going to bite once and retreat*, I mean *i'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I do* DA (which is the hallmark of a breed that was developed to kill other dogs. You would accept that most should not have "doggy friends" and if they do, it should be under VERY tight surveillance with a break stick on hand with the understanding that sh*t could go down. 
If one cannot handle this responsibility, don't have a combat breed.


----------



## chimunga

trek said:


> If any of you have any SPECIFIC questions about my comments, please ask. If anyone wants to be snarky/sarcastic/immature, you will be ignored.


Lol. You were a jerk and needlessly insulted my dog. Get off your high horse.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> They may both be rude and untrained, and they may both be DA. I don't know either.
> If you knew them, and loved them- you would accept their genetic predisposition to DA. I don't mean beagle DA, I mean *i'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I do* DA. You would accept that most should not have "doggy friends" and if they do, it should be under VERY tight surveillance with a break stick on hand. If one cannot handle this responsibility, don't have a combat breed.


Is there a reason you're presuming I don't know what DA is? If you don't know, why would you proclaim one one and the other another?

I have met many pit mixes that are DA, many that are not, and some that fall somewhere in between. Of course there is a place for reasonable precautions, but there is also a place for knowing YOUR dog. Especially since many (most) pits these days aren't purebred APBT, so a significant amount of the regular breeding for DA isn't around as strongly as it was anymore.


----------



## trek

chimunga said:


> Lol. You were a jerk and needlessly insulted my dog. Get off your high horse.


 If you are not controlling your dog when it fence fights... no high horse needed. I've got logic on my side.


----------



## CptJack

You know, the sad thing here is if you would lose the tough talk and baloney I'd kind of agree with you. I mean I recently just had a comment somewhere about how you don't get a pit if you're not prepared for the possibility fo DA cropping up at any point, and you don't let them have unsupervised access to each other, and you aren't prepared to crate and rotate or rehome if you have more than one.

But all the insulting baloney, the arrogance, and the flat out IGNORANCE of insisting every pit ever is super DA and wants to kill other dogs and repeatedly refering to them as a 'combat breed' just makes you a laughable joke. 

Yeah, you've got experience all right. With about 4 dogs, rather than the billions of them out there, living in pet homes and being put to sleep in shelters due to lack of homes because people buy your overinflated, egotistical, ignorant CRAP. The reality is, most are not purebred. Even the purebreds are now so far from their roots that they'd have no more idea what to do in a fight than that beagle you mentioned. Some are dog aggressive. Lots are dog selective. Not a tiny number have no more DA than your average beagle. 

DA IS NO LONGER BEING BRED FOR, and MOST PITS AROUND ARE MIXES. You can huff and puff all you want, but you're so full of it you're not only not making a point, you're turning it into a laughing point. An actual joke.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> If you are not controlling your dog when it fence fights... no high horse needed. I've got logic on my side.


Opinion =/= logic.


----------



## Remaru

I guess the question is, do you think you are the only one with APBT experience? Do you imagine your experience makes you capable of judging a situation and dog better than a person who was actually there and also has considerable dog experience? I have APBT experience as well as bulldog and mastiff experience. I have fostered probably 20 APBT/mixes, owned an American Bulldog and Great Dane, and worked with so many I couldn't count them all over the last several decades. I can't better judge the situation than the OP because I wasn't there.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Is there a reason you're presuming I don't know what DA is? If you don't know, why would you proclaim one one and the other another?
> 
> I have met many pit mixes that are DA, many that are not, and some that fall somewhere in between. Of course there is a place for reasonable precautions, but there is also a place for knowing YOUR dog. Especially since many (most) pits these days aren't purebred APBT, so a significant amount of the regular breeding for DA isn't around as strongly as it was anymore.


 Pardon me but, what a load of crap.
I've seen many watered down bull/terrier mutts that are just as ready to go as a papered ADBA champ. It may not be purebred, but it won't matter if it has every intention of killing another dog!

DA: dog aggression. Barrier frustration: excitability. I correct myself- I have no idea if said dog was reacting to his barrier frustration with DA or not, I wasn't there. I DO know that the dog was "riled up" << OP's own words.


----------



## trek

Remaru said:


> I guess the question is, do you think you are the only one with APBT experience? Do you imagine your experience makes you capable of judging a situation and dog better than a person who was actually there and also has considerable dog experience? I have APBT experience as well as bulldog and mastiff experience. I have fostered probably 20 APBT/mixes, owned an American Bulldog and Great Dane, and worked with so many I couldn't count them all over the last several decades. I can't better judge the situation than the OP because I wasn't there.



If you, or anyone else cannot accept and take precautions against a breed's inherent DA, then you are not a good bull/terrier owners and your experience has taught you nothing. Experience doesn't necessarily equal intelligence. (Not to say that you personally don't accept it).
The OP was irresponsible and wreckless for doing what she did and she put her dog at risk.


----------



## CptJack

LOL. My comment was even IN YOUR THREAD.



> I adore pits and pit mixes. I adore most bully breeds. They are sweet, energetic, cuddly, owner loving, exuberant, trainable, and just all around wonderful. They're also often not dog friendly. They are not alone in many not being dog friendly - and how not friendly ranges from dog selective, to flat out aggressive. There are MANY breeds that don't typically love other dogs. Acknowledging that is not a criticism of the breed, but it IS absolutely blind denial to imply otherwise. The breed has NO cushion for 'incidents' that a similarly DA Border Collie or Aussie (and those two breeds are ALSO known for not being great with other dogs) would.
> 
> It is fundamentally no different than saying 'sure, the odd beagle might be okay off leash, but it's not what you should expect as a rule because they are scent hounds and follow their noses to the exclusion of necessarily listening to training' or people talking about MOST terriers frequently being so prey-driven that recall goes out the window.
> 
> Reality isn't criticism, hatred or debate. Recognizing it's a thing that can crop up in pits and pit mixes and you need to be prepared for and willing to handle via whatever method is nothing but responsibility. Ignoring the possibility is just silliness, and asking for a dog to end up put down (the 'pit' or mix - when seized) or rehomed when it hits maturity and does not do well with existing dogs in the household.


So no. I don't disagree with your base point. I disagree with you taking it so far you're living in the land of paranoia and exclusion of the actual dog. Preparedness for potential and caution does not mean you ignore the actual animal and situation. Would I have done when Miss Bugs did? No, but I already covered that. It also doesn't mean the dog that is there is necessarily hugely DA and she couldn't read the situation and actual, real, live animal that was there.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> Pardon me but, what a load of crap.
> I've seen many watered down bull/terrier mutts that are just as ready to go as a papered ADBA champ. It may not be purebred, but it won't matter if it has every intention of killing another dog!
> 
> DA: dog aggression. Barrier frustration: excitability. I correct myself- I have no idea if said dog was reacting to his barrier frustration with DA or not, I wasn't there. I DO know that the dog was "riled up" << OP's own words.


Which part was the crap, exactly? I don't think I said mixes couldn't be DA?


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Which part was the crap, exactly? I don't think I said mixes couldn't be DA?


Do you have a point to make or are you just a fan of carousels?


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> Do you have a point to make or are you just a fan of carousels?


Well I was asking a question actually, not making a point.

Reading comprehension.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Well I was asking a question actually, not making a point.
> 
> Reading comprehension.


Your question was leading to what point?


----------



## Remaru

trek said:


> If you, or anyone else cannot accept and take precautions against a breed's inherent DA, then you are not a good bull/terrier owners and your experience has taught you nothing. Experience doesn't necessarily equal intelligence. (Not to say that you personally don't accept it).
> The OP was irresponsible and wreckless for doing what she did and she put her dog at risk.


I happen to be intelligent enough to know that if I have never interacted with an individual dog I know nothing about that dog. I do not feel the need to call bully breeds "combat breeds" to make myself sound tough.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> Your question was leading to what point?


My question was ideally leading to you answering my question. That being; what part of my post was total crap?


----------



## trek

trek said:


> We expect and take precautions with many different breeds. We understand that small terriers have mastered the skill of dispatching small prey, so we take care that no small prey ends up in the vicinity. We understand that sight hounds have intense prey drive toward small moving quarry, so we make sure to keep our dogs properly contained and on leash in open areas. We understand that hound dogs follow their nose, so we contain and leash. We understand that collies herd, so we take the proper precautions that they are not herding inappropriate targets. We understand that guardian breeds will tend to have some level of human aggression, so we are watchful and take appropriate steps to maintain control.
> 
> Why then, is it so hard to accept that breeds bred SPECIFICALLY for dog on dog combat should be respected in an identical manner? That is my rant.


This is MY point. I stand by it.
I'm done with the circles.
Maybe the OP will come back to explain why she permitted her dog to be in the vicinity of a dog in a highly agitated and excited state ("riled up"). Until then I don't know what else to say.


----------



## trek

Remaru said:


> I happen to be intelligent enough to know that if I have never interacted with an individual dog I know nothing about that dog. I do not feel the need to call bully breeds "combat breeds" to make myself sound tough.


 THAT^^ isn't so smart. APBT was a combat breed, bred specifically to COMBAT and KILL other DOGS. This was an INBRED TRAIT. It is still there... genetically inherited. 
I was in no way attempting to sound "tough". Lol


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> LOL. My comment was even IN YOUR THREAD.
> 
> 
> 
> So no. I don't disagree with your base point. I disagree with you taking it so far you're living in the land of paranoia and exclusion of the actual dog. Preparedness for potential and caution does not mean you ignore the actual animal and situation. Would I have done when Miss Bugs did? No, but I already covered that. It also doesn't mean the dog that is there is necessarily hugely DA and she couldn't read the situation and actual, real, live animal that was there.


Well... you do tend to become a little paranoid when BSL is on the line... but, that wouldn't affect you would it.


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> If you, or anyone else cannot accept and take precautions against a breed's inherent DA...


Inherent _potential_ for DA would be more correct description, and it's a pretty big difference. Not ALL of them are or turn out to be.


----------



## Laurelin

Are you saying you would never let any pit bull or bully type dog be around other dogs at all? I'm kind of getting lost in the argument here.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> Inherent _potential_ for DA would be more correct description, and it's a pretty big difference. Not ALL of them are or turn out to be.


 True.
But why take the chance? It doesn't singularly affect just that one dog. It affects the breed as a whole! It spreads BSL. 
Accepting the whole of a breed (and its potential for inbred characteristics) is part of loving the breed. 
Denial doesn't get anyone anywhere... better to be cautious (or paranoid) then careless as I felt the OP very much was.



Laurelin said:


> Are you saying you would never let any pit bull or bully type dog be around other dogs at all? I'm kind of getting lost in the argument here.


 Not when they are excited, that's for darn sure!
If you look at my very first post, where this all began, I simply disagreed with her putting her dog in a highly dangerous situation. She didn't know the dog, she permitted a fence fight, she permitted her dog getting in the face of an excited bull/terrier type. Indeed they were her guinea pigs and if she was a newb member, she would have been torn a new one.
It could have ended up in her dogs demise, the dog that killed her dog, and hey throw a dash of news media in there and voila! We have more BSL!


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> True.
> But why take the chance? It doesn't singularly affect just that one dog. It affects the breed as a whole! It spreads BSL.
> Accepting the whole of a breed (and its potential for inbred characteristics) is part of loving the breed.
> Denial doesn't get anyone anywhere... better to be cautious (or paranoid) then careless as I felt the OP very much was.


I prefer not to live my life in fear of potential problems. I look at the dog in front of me and treat/ train/ manage it accordingly as an individual, while being aware of its potential. I'm not sure how that's denial? 

I basically have four dogs who could be affected by BSL, I'm not unaware of or unaffected by the issue. But man, there's some middle ground between paranoid and careless. 

ETA: I think the poster in question was perhaps a bit cavalier, but I wouldn't say careless. My impression is that the two dogs were put outside together, where one subsequently fence fought with a dog in an adjacent run and nothing came of it. If that's DA then man, just about every dog I have ever known has been DA.


----------



## Kayota

i just

op2:

but really, dogs AT THE DOG PARK run the fence and i have never seen them redirect. not once. usually what happens is one starts running the fence with the big dogs, another starts chasing the running one and then you have a herd of tiny dogs running the fence with one big dog and having a hell of a time doing it. never really seen any harm come of it tbh. don't know why pit bulls would be different, they're just dogs.

also lol @ not when they're excited, do you expect them to just be calm-submissive all the time, cesar? lol lol


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> I prefer not to live my life in fear of potential problems. I look at the dog in front of me and treat/ train/ manage it accordingly as an individual, while being aware of its potential. I'm not sure how that's denial?
> 
> I basically have four dogs who could be affected by BSL, I'm not unaware of or unaffected by the issue. But man, there's some middle ground between paranoid and careless.
> 
> ETA: I think the poster in question was perhaps a bit cavalier, but I wouldn't say careless. My impression is that the two dogs were put outside together, where one subsequently fence fought with a dog in an adjacent run and nothing came of it. If that's DA then man, just about every dog I have ever known has been DA.


 I believe you are being cavalier, yes. Very. 
Your choices (your white dog I'm sure could be mistaken as a "pit bull") and those with bull/terrier breeds choices affect the breed as a whole. 
I'll just take my paranoia and be very much concerned about one of my utmost favourite breed groups. 
I can't stop you from doing whatever it is that you wish to do, but I will disagree with it.
Most people don't learn until they have a dead dog on their hands anyway. Ignorance is bliss (and no sassafras, I'm not directing that at you specifically).


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> I believe you are being cavalier, yes. Very.
> Your choices (your white dog I'm sure could be mistaken as a "pit bull") and those with bull/terrier breeds choices affect the breed as a whole. I'll just take my paranoia and be very much concerned about one of my utmost favourite breed groups.
> I can't stop you from doing whatever it is that you wish to do.


I am cavalier? For having multiple dogs? I doubt very much you have any idea how I manage or train my dogs, what my house and yard look like, or really anything about me. Feel free to assume the worst, though, that my home is like some sort of free for all Thunderdome. 

Thank goodness you can't stop me from doing "whatever it is I wish to do" - that is, have dogs. Because honestly I think your views are extreme. 

ps The white dog is 95#, anyone who mistakes him for a pit isn't very smart. He's probably part American Bulldog, though. It's the hairy one that gets called a pit all the time.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> I am cavalier? For having multiple dogs? I doubt very much you have any idea how I manage or train my dogs, what my house and yard look like, or really anything about me. Feel free to assume the worst, though, that my home is like some sort of free for all Thunderdome.
> 
> Thank goodness you can't stop me from doing "whatever it is I wish to do" - that is, have dogs. Because honestly I think your views are extreme.
> 
> ps The white dog is 95#, anyone who mistakes him for a pit isn't very smart. He's probably part American Bulldog, though. It's the hairy one that gets called a pit all the time.


The general public isn't that smart concerning APBT's and derivatives. This particular chunk of thread: case in point.
Where did I say that you were cavalier for having multiple dogs? I meant your attitude concerning bull/terrier breeds. Maybe you could try your hardest to leave emotion out of this?


----------



## sassafras

K




(tooshort)


----------



## Laurelin

So what about off leash type sports? Coursing/agility/etc? I see generic bully types and APBTs there all the time.

I do wonder what the instances of DA is in everyday pit types is versus say German shepherds. My GSD was very dog aggressive but also lived with another dog just fine. Yet he almost killed two loose dogs that ran up to him.


----------



## trek

Laurelin said:


> So what about off leash type sports? Coursing/agility/etc? I see generic bully types and APBTs there all the time.
> 
> I do wonder what the instances of DA is in everyday pit types is versus say German shepherds. My GSD was very dog aggressive but also lived with another dog just fine. Yet he almost killed two loose dogs that ran up to him.


 I don't know anything about dog sports. I'm not involved.


----------



## missc89

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola helped this boy find a home today  *he was left at the kennel with 2 other dogs and my manager is convinced he's this devil dog..she's never met him.*
> 
> *She had rescues refusing to touch him, and was going to dump him at the shelter, where if she continues to treat him like this evil dog, he would be walked directly to the euth floor. I know he's not that aggressive so I said I was fully willing to use my dogs as guinea pigs and she still said "no".*
> 
> She wasn't there today. I took my dogs out with him anyway. He was fine. *Dominant, but easily corrected.*
> 
> He was fence fighting(so riled up) and *Sola was chasing him, barking at him and jumping on his head, he grinned and wagged his tail. So evil I know.* I sent the pictures with commentary to a person who wanted him but backed off because they had another dog and he was made out to be evil. She's taking him home tomorrow


First bolded part: Manager never met the dog - and the dog came in with _two other dogs_.

Second bolded part: Sounds like someone based this dog on their TYPICAL BREED STANDARD and was going to off him without even giving him a chance. 

Third bolded part: Dogs with DA are NOT easily corrected.

Fourth bolded part: Sola is the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever - SHE was jumping on "the devils" head, and he was perfectly fine. If you're going to request others to check their reading comprehension, maybe you should take your own advice. Seriously, it's literally all there.


----------



## SydTheSpaniel

I better tell this Pit's owner that her dog is a combative breed and shouldn't be permitted to play and interact with other dogs in doggie daycare, I guess. 

https://youtu.be/Fch_J9DM6kk

https://youtu.be/BPPXzGFMkpw

Oh, and that second video is a Pit bull and a doberman. Imagine that.


----------



## Remaru

trek said:


> THAT^^ isn't so smart. APBT was a combat breed, bred specifically to COMBAT and KILL other DOGS. This was an INBRED TRAIT. It is still there... genetically inherited.
> I was in no way attempting to sound "tough". Lol


The assumptions on your part just abound.


----------



## trek

.


SydTheSpaniel said:


> I better tell this Pit's owner that her dog is a combative breed and shouldn't be permitted to play and interact with other dogs in doggie daycare, I guess.
> 
> https://youtu.be/Fch_J9DM6kk
> 
> https://youtu.be/BPPXzGFMkpw
> 
> Oh, and that second video is a Pit bull and a doberman. Imagine that.


 People should start making videos of greyhounds bounding in a field with bunnies and rat terriers hanging out with rats and fox terriers frolicking with foxes. And... everyone should get a pet lion... because you know, youtube. Are you kidding?


----------



## missc89

trek said:


> People should start making videos of greyhounds bounding in a field with bunnies and rat terriers hanging out with rats and fox terriers frolicking with foxes. Are you kidding?


Go see what I wrote - I'm really sorry, I like you, but you've strayed from your original point, everyone is getting emotionally involved, and I think it may be best to drop it. Everyone has differing opinions and you're just going to have to understand that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you share your OPINION, you're going to get some people who disagree with you and vocalize it.

Trust me - I made a really thoughtless comment about rescue dogs and I immediately regretted it when I realized I was speaking out of personal emotional turmoil rather than actually sticking to logic and facts.


----------



## trek

Common sense is not common anymore. 
This direction this thread has gone in is absolutely pointless. Even if one person reads it and gains some understanding of what bull/terrier or pit bull types are... that's all I need. 
You would all care if it was your dog on the line for BSL. 
No wonder most people don't stay on this forum too long... it's tedious to say the least.


----------



## missc89

trek said:


> Common sense is not common anymore.
> This direction this thread has gone in is absolutely pointless. Even if one person reads it and gains some understanding of what bull/terrier or pit bull types are... that's all I need.
> You would all care if it was your dog on the line for BSL.
> No wonder that most people with pit bulls don't stay on this forum too long (or most members of any breed for that matter)... it's tedious.


Well, that is your opinion, and I think it's a very sad one. You're dismissing us like you're accusing us of doing to bullies/terriers, and I really think you're basing things off of anecdotal evidence. 

Where do you live that BSL is such a huge thing? I happen to live in ONTARIO, where the BSL makes it near impossible for you to even have a dog that LOOKS like a bully, and everyone here has a lot of opinions on BSL - check this thread: http://www.dogforums.com/general-dog-forum/372601-bsl-emphasis-bs-breed.html lost of people who own bully breeds and those who don't - complete against it. 

You're fighting a battle with people who you should be siding with - we're ALL dog people, are we really going to divide ourselves because of peoples personal experiences and opinions on breeds? If anyone thinks that's okay, I'm gone. Wrong side of history - whites against blacks, westboro baptist church against gays, let's not have one dog person vs another - we need all the help we can get to make sure that the GOOD dog owners are not being lumped in with those who actually LET bullies fight. Did you know that the APBT is actually one of the better dogs temperament-wise for search and rescue?


----------



## trek

missc89 said:


> Go see what I wrote - I'm really sorry, I like you, but you've strayed from your original point, everyone is getting emotionally involved, and I think it may be best to drop it. Everyone has differing opinions and you're just going to have to understand that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you share your OPINION, you're going to get some people who disagree with you and vocalize it.
> 
> Trust me - I made a really thoughtless comment about rescue dogs and I immediately regretted it when I realized I was speaking out of personal emotional turmoil rather than actually sticking to logic and facts.


I am sticking to logic and facts. 
Fact: pit bulls (there is only one- the APBT) were bred to fight other dogs.
Fact: DA is expected and accepted 
Fact: if they decide that they don't like a dog anymore, their tenacity will make sure that that dog is finished. They are grippers and WILL finish the job. 
Fact: if the above does occur, it will be quick and you will need a breakstick.
Opinion: people that can't accept the above should not own this breed or any related breeds.


----------



## Remaru

Honestly, do you even hear yourself? What makes you the expert on these breeds? Do you think no one else here owns dogs that BSL can apply to (here is a hint for you, many of us own bully breeds and other breeds that pop up on those lists)? Just because we don't agree with all of your opinions doesn't make us all wrong.


----------



## trek

Remaru said:


> Honestly, do you even hear yourself? What makes you the expert on these breeds? Do you think no one else here owns dogs that BSL can apply to (here is a hint for you, many of us own bully breeds and other breeds that pop up on those lists)? Just because we don't agree with all of your opinions doesn't make us all wrong.


Aren't you the person who adopts and gets rid of dogs like most people buy and sell cars? Why would I care at all about what you think about a breed that I love the most?
Do you hear YOURSELF?


----------



## missc89

Yup, bye trek. Sorry it didn't work out. Sorry that other people disagreeing with you is a trigger. Have fun.


----------



## sassafras

Once again - it is not a fact that DA is _expected_, it is a fact that DA is _possible_. Every breed has washouts, they're not little programmed robots. It's possible to accept that a dog has the potential to be DA without fearmongering about it.


----------



## Remaru

trek said:


> Aren't you the person who adopts and gets rid of dogs like most people buy and sell cars? Why would I care at all about what you think about a breed that I love the most?
> Do you hear YOURSELF?


Wow you are classy.


----------



## trek

It is expected. Look up the ADBA description.


----------



## trek

Never claimed to be. 
Still... classy enough to have the same dog for 3.5 years.

This is ridiculous, I'm done.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> It is expected. Look up the ADBA description.


Let's all say it once more with feeling!

Most pits today are NOT purebred APBT. They are mixed, they are mutts. They are staffies, they are bullies, etc.

If I were looking into a purebred APBT I would be much more concerned about the probability of DA. With mixes, since you don't know how mixed they are, or what with, the possibility for DA is less. Still a possibility, sure. But not a certainty like you seem to be making it out to be.


----------



## sassafras

I don't know how reputable the ADBA is... they have a picture of FOUR pits sitting right next to each other in a picture! 

Also they say "some degree" is "characteristic" of the _breed_ - not that DA is expected in every _individual_.


----------



## ireth0

sassafras said:


> I don't know how reputable the ADBA is... they have a picture of FOUR pits sitting right next to each other in a picture!
> 
> Also they say "some degree" is "characteristic" of the _breed_ - not that DA is expected in every _individual_.


Reading comprehension!


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> I don't know how reputable the ADBA is... they have a picture of FOUR pits sitting right next to each other in a picture!
> 
> Also they say "some degree" is "characteristic" of the _breed_ - not that DA is expected in every _individual_.


Oh man. I said expected... in other words-- characteristic. I never said that all individuals would have it. 
Did you expect your Mal to bite? Oh you did? Do most people? Yes. Exactly.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Reading comprehension!


What they said on the website, is what I've been saying all along. 
It is characteristic
adjective
1.
*typical* of a particular person, place, or thing.
"large farms are characteristic of this area" OR "dog aggression is characteristic of the APBT"
synonyms:	typical, usual, normal, predictable, habitual; More

OR expected
regard (something) as *likely* to happen.
"we expect the best" OR "we expect the APBT to be DA"
synonyms:	anticipate, await, look for, hope for, look forward to; More

(See the bold as well)

Gee... 
Reading comprehension.
Are there any more hairs that you guys would like to split?


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> What they said on the website, is what I've been saying all along. It is characteristic-
> adjective
> 1.
> typical of a particular person, place, or thing.
> "large farms are characteristic of this area" OR "dog aggression is characteristic of the APBT"
> synonyms:	typical, usual, normal, predictable, habitual; More
> 
> Gee...
> Reading comprehension.


Still can't seem to answer my question a few posts back though. Gosh darn it.


----------



## sassafras

Aheeeeeeeeee!


----------



## Sibe

I have an announcement.
http://www.dogforums.com/dog-pictures-forum/354642-foster-amaze-bobb-tiny.html


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Let's all say it once more with feeling!
> 
> Most pits today are NOT purebred APBT. They are mixed, they are mutts. They are staffies, they are bullies, etc.
> 
> If I were looking into a purebred APBT I would be much more concerned about the probability of DA. With mixes, since you don't know how mixed they are, or what with, the possibility for DA is less. Still a possibility, sure. But not a certainty like you seem to be making it out to be.


 And your ilk will take the risk and HAVE taken the risk- hence BSL. Thank you for contributing.


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> Did you expect your Mal to bite?


I thought it would be _possible_ he would, and prepared myself for the possibility.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Still can't seem to answer my question a few posts back though. Gosh darn it.


 Not that I can't, that I don't care to.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> I thought it would be _possible_ he would, and prepared myself for the possibility.


Because it was characteristic for the breed? *nods slowly*


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> And your ilk will take the risk and HAVE taken the risk- hence BSL. Thank you for contributing.


Riiiight... What risk have I taken, exactly?


----------



## Remaru

trek said:


> Never claimed to be.
> Still... classy enough to have the same dog for 3.5 years.
> 
> This is ridiculous, I'm done.


Gee I didn't know rehoming two dogs for legitimate reasons, after more than 20years of rescue work, made me a horrible human being. I've had more dogs than that pass away. I've adopted senior dogs and had them pass away. Who knew?


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Riiiight... What risk have I taken, exactly?


I really don't know what you want from me? If you have pertinent questions, pm me.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> I really don't know what you want from me? If you have pertinent questions, pm me.


Just to respond to my questions, directly as asked. It's really not that difficult. You keep refusing to answer, or deflecting, for whatever reason.


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> Because it was characteristic for the breed? *nods slowly*


Because it's common in the breed and he had the potential.


----------



## trek

trek said:


> What they said on the website, is what I've been saying all along.
> It is characteristic
> adjective
> 1.
> *typical* of a particular person, place, or thing.
> "large farms are characteristic of this area" OR "dog aggression is characteristic of the APBT"
> synonyms:	typical, usual, normal, predictable, habitual; More
> 
> OR expected
> regard (something) as *likely* to happen.
> "we expect the best" OR "we expect the APBT to be DA"
> synonyms:	anticipate, await, look for, hope for, look forward to; More
> 
> (See the bold as well)
> 
> Gee...
> Reading comprehension.
> Are there any more hairs that you guys would like to split?





sassafras said:


> I thought it would be *expected/characteristic* he would, and prepared myself for the possibility.


 I fixed it for you.
Again^^

Being prepared for the worst is what I'm advocating. It's not paranoia, it's responsible dog ownership. ESPECIALLY with powerful breeds.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> Just to respond to my questions, directly as asked. It's really not that difficult. You keep refusing to answer, or deflecting, for whatever reason.


Ask it again.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> Ask it again.


You said I HAVE taken the risk, thus BSL. What risk have I taken?


----------



## sassafras

Who in this thread thinks there is no possibility that a given pit will be DA and that an owner doesn't have to be prepared to do anything special in the event that their individual dog does display DA?

I don't think anyone really has THAT different of an opinion than you of the breed as a whole. That is, individuals of certain breeds have certain possible behaviors and an owner should be prepared that their dog could have those behaviors. The only difference is that you seem to advocate assuming and acting as if any given individual does absolutely have them vs other people saying look at the dog in front of you and act accordingly. 

Not sure why that's so crazy? Different risk tolerances, just like some people seatbelt or crate dogs in the car and others have them ride loose, or some people never give rawhides and some do.

ETA: The dog in the original post that set this off had come in with 2 other dogs and unless I'm missing something hadn't displayed any history or evidence of DA. Yes the poster took a risk, but I don't think it was an apocalyptic risk given what she already had seen of the dog.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> You said I HAVE taken the risk, thus BSL. What risk have I taken?


If you advocate bull/terriers having canine friends (as a blanket statement), especially in a scenario where the dog is a high state of excitement, then you are taking risks.


----------



## ireth0

sassafras said:


> Who in this thread thinks there is no possibility that a given pit will be DA and that an owner doesn't have to be prepared to do anything special in the event that their individual dog does display DA?
> 
> I don't think anyone really has THAT different of an opinion than you of the breed as a whole. That is, individuals of certain breeds have certain possible behaviors and an owner should be prepared that their dog could have those behaviors. The only difference is that you seem to advocate assuming and acting as if any given individual does absolutely have them vs other people saying look at the dog in front of you and act accordingly.
> 
> Not sure why that's so crazy? Different risk tolerances, just like some people seatbelt or crate dogs in the car and others have them ride loose, or some people never give rawhides and some do.
> 
> ETA: The dog in the original post that set this off had come in with 2 other dogs and unless I'm missing something hadn't displayed any history or evidence of DA. Yes the poster took a risk, but I don't think it was an apocalyptic risk given what she already had seen of the dog.


All of these things.


----------



## sassafras

See, saying bullies should never have canine friends is just... over the top IMO as a blanket statement.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> Who in this thread thinks there is no possibility that a given pit will be DA and that an owner doesn't have to be prepared to do anything special in the event that their individual dog does display DA?
> 
> I don't think anyone really has THAT different of an opinion than you of the breed as a whole. That is, individuals of certain breeds have certain possible behaviors and an owner should be prepared that their dog could have those behaviors. The only difference is that you seem to advocate assuming and acting as if any given individual does absolutely have them vs other people saying look at the dog in front of you and act accordingly.
> 
> Not sure why that's so crazy? Different risk tolerances, just like some people seatbelt or crate dogs in the car and others have them ride loose, or some people never give rawhides and some do.
> 
> ETA: The dog in the original post that set this off had come in with 2 other dogs and unless I'm missing something hadn't displayed any history or evidence of DA. Yes the poster took a risk, but I don't think it was an apocalyptic risk given what she already had seen of the dog.


Isn't the dog in a shelter situation? Then couldn't the dog be shut down? Who knows? There's coulda woulda shouldas but I'm going by what the OP wrote. She wrote that she put her dog in with a bull/terrier that was fence fighting. 
OBVIOUSLY you have to work with individuals! That's pretty self evident. There are still breed types/characteristics specified for a reason. Bull/terriers- DA/combativeness/tenacity/gripping... all of these things are potentially lethal for another dog. 
Also, it isn't just affecting the one dog if the bull/terrier attacked. It would affect the breed as a whole. THAT is in the intrinsic difference.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> See, saying bullies should never have canine friends is just... over the top IMO as a blanket statement.


 In your opinion. Someone's opinion who is not under thread of legislation at the moment. It's easy to not worry when it's not your dogs being affected. This is where our opinions differ, and will continue to. 

Also, I do think that SOME bull/terriers are ok with SOME dogs. But under a VERY watchful and perceptive eye and ONLY if you have break sticks on hand. Also with the comprehension that crate and rotate (considering owning multiple dogs) could be a possibility.


----------



## ireth0

trek said:


> In your opinion. Someone's opinion who is not under thread of legislation at the moment. It's easy to not worry when it's not your dogs being affected. This is where our opinions differ, and will continue to.
> 
> Also, I do think that SOME bull/terriers are ok with SOME dogs. But under a VERY watchful and perceptive eye and ONLY if you have break sticks on hand. Also with the comprehension that crate and rotate (considering owning multiple dogs) could be a possibility.


What exactly do you define as 'under the threat of legislation'? Someone who owns a pit? Owns a bully mix? Owns a dog that looks enough like one? Lives in a BSL area? Lives in an area where BSL may be enacted soon?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Holy wow, I haven't even read all this lol. Obviously I took precautions, I have known the dog for a couple years, all 3 were regular boarders and actually used tp go out in groups. The reason they were separated was because the 3rd was added and he was a dominant male as well,and he badly attacked the pittie. My manager took the stance that everything was the pitties fault and screw him. Nevermind that the Pitt is the one with permanent scaring all over his head and neck because of it. I introduced Sola and him through a partition and his body language was completely friendly and relaxed, he was so excited to see another dog. So I let them out with him on a lead(kept slack) to ensure he remained friendly and relaxed, again he was completely fine relaxed and happy so I let him off and watched. Sola was being a rude little jerk( and I did correct her) but he had no problem at all with her jumping at him and barking in his face. He later started fence running and Sola chased him and he was still totally fine with that, I have seen great dogs react while fence running so I immediately stepped in to stop her, but he DIDN'T react, he didn't care at all. Reguardless all 3 dogs have homes now. Today I introduced this boy to his new brother and the other pittie to her new siblings


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> In your opinion. Someone's opinion who is not under thread of legislation at the moment. It's easy to not worry when it's not your dogs being affected. This is where our opinions differ, and will continue to.


Well obviously it's my opinion and our opinions differ. And any one of my dogs could potentially be affected by BSL. Three are mixes who could be and sometimes are perceived to be various bully breeds, and one everyone thinks is a GSD. 



> Also, I do think that SOME bull/terriers are ok with SOME dogs. But under a VERY watchful and perceptive eye and ONLY if you have break sticks on hand. Also with the comprehension that crate and rotate (considering owning multiple dogs) could be a possibility.


Acknowledging that some individuals aren't DA but that owners should be aware that management might be needed is exactly what multiple people who you are arguing with in this thread have said? So I'm not sure why you're arguing with any of us, lol.


----------



## trek

ireth0 said:


> What exactly do you define as 'under the threat of legislation'? Someone who owns a pit? Owns a bully mix? Owns a dog that looks enough like one? Lives in a BSL area? Lives in an area where BSL may be enacted soon?


 I mean lives in an area where BSL may be enacted soon, but technically this could be most states/provinces. 
People don't get scared until there is a proposition. There isn't a proposition until there are enough idiots being irresponsible. Cause and effect.

Do you think the idea of legislation came out of thin air? They just created it for something to do? Entertainment? No. People are the reason... people that advocate puppy friends/dog parks for bull/terriers not comprehending there genetic propensity for DA and not supervising properly, people who don't contain their dogs appropriately, people that do not euthanize human aggressive bull/terriers. < THEY are the reason. 

BSL is a well intended (but ineffective) way of controlling what the general public deem to be a serious threat. If there were more HONEST (I mean honest about this breed) and responsible people owning this AWESOME breed of dog- BSL would never have began in the first place.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> Well obviously it's my opinion and our opinions differ. And any one of my dogs could potentially be affected by BSL. Three are mixes who could be and sometimes are perceived to be various bully breeds, and one everyone thinks is a GSD.
> 
> 
> 
> Acknowledging that some individuals aren't DA but that owners should be aware that management might be needed is exactly what multiple people who you are arguing with in this thread have said? So I'm not sure why you're arguing with any of us, lol.



You'd better get a little bit more worried if you care for your dog. 

Just because they are not aggressive to one dog, does NOT mean that they won't be aggressive to another. Just because they are not DA for a time, does NOT mean that they won't be eventually. I've heard of dogs becoming "hot" at 5-6 years old and needing to be crated and rotated.

And I don't believe that I'm arguing alone. I've been consistent in my opinions.


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> You'd better get a little bit more worried if you care for your dog.


Oh that's easy, I don't care about them. -_-



> Just because they are not aggressive to one dog, does NOT mean that they won't be aggressive to another. Just because they are not DA for a time, does NOT mean that they won't be.


Yes, I understand all of this. As I said earlier, you don't know how I manage my household so not sure why you're assuming the worst.

Pretty sure my 10 year old isn't going to "turn on" any time soon, though.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> Oh that's easy, I don't care about them. -_-
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, I understand all of this. As I said earlier, you don't know how I manage my household so not sure why you're assuming the worst.
> 
> Pretty sure my 10 year old isn't going to "turn on" any time soon, though.


My problem isn't necessarily with you or how you keep your dogs, it is how this entire BREED is affected by the people "advocating" for them... well intentioned (like BSL) but so very flawed.

You don't describe a breed by the exception to the rule. Individuality only goes so far.


----------



## sassafras

Nobody is advocating describing a breed by the exception to the rule. Nobody. People are advocating describing individuals by their individual behavior.


----------



## CptJack

If someone asks me about beagles, I'm going to tell them what the rules are (as in what beagles behave like, AS A RULE), rather than describe a specific individual. I'll tell them that they're good little dogs, tend to be sweet and happy and get along well with people and other dogs and have some prey drive and a nose that often makes them unsafe off leash outside of fences, but they have enough food drive to make training them in general pretty easy.

If someone comes to me and asks me what to do about their DA beagle, I'm not going to tell them their beagle can't be DA because it's a beagle. Or someone says 'Yeah, I do agility with my beagle' I'm not going to SAY "GASP! YOUR BEAGLE CAN"T DO THAT OFF LEASH, IT IS A BEAGLE!!!" We're not talking about pits as a whole here. We're talking about ONE KNOWN INDIVIDUAL.


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> Nobody is advocating describing a breed by the exception to the rule. Nobody. People are advocating describing individuals by their individual behavior.


That's the problem. If we DO create a blanket caution (warning each person as if all bull/terriers are the same) then there can be no, or very few, screw ups. The screw ups in the case of the APBT are detrimental-- BSL. The question always is: is the risk worth the reward? Is the risk of cute doggy woggy play time with my smiley pibble wibble worth BSL? No.

You don't tell someone that THEIR German shepherd might not shed. You don't advocate that a guardian will be great with strangers. You don't advocate that ratter will be good with rats. And you sure as hell don't state that a pit bull or type similar might be good with dogs, especially dog parks. You just don't! And if you do, you helped create BSL, end of story.


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> If someone asks me about beagles, I'm going to tell them what the rules are, rather than describe a specific exception to the rule. I'll tell them that they're good little dogs, tend to be sweet and happy and get along well with people and other dogs and have some prey drive that makes them unsafe off leash but they have enough food drive to make training them in general pretty easy.
> 
> If someone comes to me and asks me what to do about their DA beagle, I'm not going to tell them their beagle can't be DA because it's a beagle. Or someone says 'Yeah, I do agility with my beagle' I'm not going to SAY "GASP! YOUR BEAGLE CAN"T DO THAT OFF LEASH, IT IS A BEAGLE!!!" We're not talking about pits as a whole here. We're talking about ONE KNOWN INDIVIDUAL.


 Oh yea! Cause beagles are under threat of being ripped away from the people that love them dearly and facing mass extermination. 
That individual was NOT known if they had just received it from the shelter.
Just sit down.


----------



## Willowy

> If there were more HONEST (I mean honest about this breed) and responsible people owning this AWESOME breed of dog- BSL would never have began in the first place.


I don't know. I mean, when my parents were kids everyone let their dog run around loose, even bull breed/terrier types, and sometimes dogs got in fights and sometimes dogs killed other dogs and everyone seemed sort of OK with it. Until the '80s and everybody lost their collective crap and freaked out over pit bulls and demon worshippers. Note: the demon worshipper thing was eventually proven to be some weird misunderstanding/hoax/irrational panic, although there are still laws on the books meant to counter that "threat". I think it's possible the panic about pit bulls was similarly irrational. The '80s were weird. Granted, they are favored by the scum of the earth (dog fighters) so that doesn't help matters, but I won't say BSL was caused in large part by irresponsible pet owners. Pet owners were just as irresponsible long before anyone considered BSL but nobody panicked about it.


----------



## trek

Willowy said:


> I don't know. I mean, when my parents were kids everyone let their dog run around loose, even bull breed/terrier types, and sometimes dogs got in fights and sometimes dogs killed other dogs and everyone seemed sort of OK with it. Until the '80s and everybody lost their collective crap and freaked out over pit bulls and demon worshippers. Note: the demon worshipper thing was eventually proven to be some weird misunderstanding/hoax/irrational panic, although there are still laws on the books meant to counter that "threat". I think it's possible the panic about pit bulls was similarly irrational. The '80s were weird. Granted, they are favored by the scum of the earth (dog fighters) so that doesn't help matters, but I won't say BSL was caused in large part by irresponsible pet owners. Pet owners were just as irresponsible long before anyone considered BSL but nobody panicked about it.


 Media doesn't help, and it has certainly exacerbated the problem. 

Nobody panicked about it in your corner of the world, doesn't mean that this hasn't been brewing for a LONG time.

ETA: You're correct that legislation has worsened in the past 20 years. Governmental control and illusion of "freedom"...


----------



## Willowy

trek said:


> Media doesn't help, and it has certainly exacerbated the problem.
> 
> Nobody panicked about it in your corner of the world, doesn't mean that this hasn't been brewing for a LONG time.


I don't have a corner of the world . I grew up a Navy brat and had no idea what was going on in the US. We always assumed all the stupid things people said when we came back to the States to visit were just local superstitions. I only just realized recently how widespread the panic over demon worshippers was. It wasn't just a bunch of farmers and small-town grandmas, it was a big thing! 

So I'll amend that: there is nothing I could find in published books/media/etc. that seems to indicate that pit bull-type dogs were largely feared/demonized before the '80s. Of course every era had their own version of dog breed panic (used to be Bloodhounds, sounds kinda funny now) but, well, nobody flipped out over Pete running around loose on Little Rascals.


----------



## sassafras

trek said:


> You don't tell someone that THEIR German shepherd might not shed. You don't advocate that a guardian will be great with strangers. You don't advocate that ratter will be good with rats. And you sure as hell don't state that a pit bull or type similar might be good with dogs, especially dog parks. You just don't! And if you do, you helped create BSL, end of story.


I would never say anything about an individual dog without _knowing_ that individual dog. If someone asked me a question about how their individual dog will act, I'd say "well in general this breed xyz but I don't know your dog."

Honestly I find extreme fear mongering to be as dangerous as rose colored glasses. If promoting the idea that these dogs are so dangerous that no individuals can ever, ever be around or play with another dog safely then how in the world is that an argument AGAINST BSL? 

I guess I should get a t-shirt that says "I helped create BSL" huh?


----------



## trek

@


Willowy said:


> I don't have a corner of the world . I grew up a Navy brat and had no idea what was going on in the US. We always assumed all the stupid things people said when we came back to the States to visit were just local superstitions. I only just realized recently how widespread the panic over demon worshippers was. It wasn't just a bunch of farmers and small-town grandmas, it was a big thing!
> 
> So I'll amend that: there is nothing I could find in published books/media/etc. that seems to indicate that pit bull-type dogs were largely feared/demonized before the '80s. Of course every era had their own version of dog breed panic (used to be Bloodhounds, sounds kinda funny now) but, well, nobody flipped out over Pete running around loose on Little Rascals.


 Could also be in part due to their explosive popularity in the last 15-20 years. Willy nilly breeding has created a lot of crappy dogs and their bites are more common. Add to that the fear mongering media and you have a perfect storm.


----------



## GrinningDog

What the heck did this thread devolve into? I came here to rant about something unrelated!


----------



## trek

sassafras said:


> I would never say anything about an individual dog without _knowing_ that individual dog. If someone asked me a question about how their individual dog will act, I'd say "well in general this breed xyz but I don't know your dog."
> 
> Honestly I find extreme fear mongering to be as dangerous as rose colored glasses. If promoting the idea that these dogs are so dangerous that no individuals can ever, ever be around or play with another dog safely then how in the world is that an argument AGAINST BSL?
> 
> I guess I should get a t-shirt that says "I helped create BSL" huh?



I think you know what I'm saying but you are fighting to have the last word. You can have it.

I gave it my best but I can't stop willful ignorance. It's been nice debating with you all. 
GoGoGypsy... carry on as usual!


----------



## CptJack

sassafras said:


> I would never say anything about an individual dog without _knowing_ that individual dog. If someone asked me a question about how their individual dog will act, I'd say "well in general this breed xyz but I don't know your dog."


Yes. This. 

I don't argue with someone when they tell me something about their dog. I might say 'that's typical for the breed' if they ask me about a behavior like their beagle baying, but I *don't* tell someone who is successfully living with their beagle in an apartment and who is telling me that their dog has never been loud that THEIR DOG MUST BE LOUD. Likewise, if someone says 'My pit loves other dogs', I'm really going to be inclined to believe them rather than yanking my dog off to the other side of the street while arguing with them and calling them liars. 

That's just stupid. 

Extreme fear mongering is every bit as stupid and irresponsible as someone who gets a pit and tosses it into a multi-dog family with the expectation that if they raised it with other dogs from puppyhood it'll be absolutely fine with all other dogs forever. 

It's just *DUMB*.


----------



## pawsaddict

trek,

I will admit that I haven't read every single point made in this argument. But I did see your multiple references to Beagles and scent hounds. I have a Beagle/Dachshund mix, and I let her off-leash all. the. time. She has a great recall. In fact, she usually stays by my side on most of our hikes. Yes, she will catch a scent and go check it out, but she always comes when called and is always within 15ft of me by her own choice. She is an individual. That has to be taken into account. Was I prepared to have a dog that I might have had to always keep on leash? Yes. Am I glad that I worked with her and have gotten to see her full potential rather than sticking her in a box? HECK. YES. 

Same goes for bully breeds. Do you have to be prepared for the possibility of DA or dog selectivity? Yes. Does that mean you need to keep your bully in a bubble? No. I also tend to think that bullies tend to be more dog selective (aggressive with certain dogs but not others) than dog aggressive (aggressive towards all dogs). I say that with rescue experience. A lot of bully breeds seem to do well interacting with a tempementally sound dog of the opposite sex. Is that all of them? Probably not. But don't lump them all into the DA category because that is false.


----------



## ireth0

CptJack said:


> Yes. This.
> 
> I don't argue with someone when they tell me something about their dog. I might say 'that's typical for the breed' if they ask me about a behavior like their beagle baying, but I *don't* tell someone who is successfully living with their beagle in an apartment and who is telling me that their dog has never been loud that THEIR DOG MUST BE LOUD. Likewise, if someone says 'My pit loves other dogs', I'm really going to be inclined to believe them rather than yanking my dog off to the other side of the street while arguing with them and calling them liars.
> 
> That's just stupid.
> 
> Extreme fear mongering is every bit as stupid and irresponsible as someone who gets a pit and tosses it into a multi-dog family with the expectation that if they raised it with other dogs from puppyhood it'll be absolutely fine with all other dogs forever.
> 
> It's just *DUMB*.


Yes. All of these things as well.

You can say that pits have a tendency to be DA. Okay, fine. You take reasonable precautions with that. You can't tell someone their dog IS DA because it is a pit when they have seen no DA from it at all ever.


----------



## d_ray

Isn't anyone going to acknowledge sibes post about amaze bob. 

Okay I will. That's awesome news!!!! He must really have stolen your heart. So happy for you and him. Love that guy.


----------



## CptJack

d_ray said:


> Isn't anyone going to acknowledge sibes post about amaze bob.
> 
> Okay I will. That's awesome news!!!! He must really have stolen your heart. So happy for you and him. Love that guy.


I think a bunch of us skipped over there to happy dance. I'm so happy for Bob *AND* SIbe.


----------



## Laurelin

Tornadoes here. They're way south but the winds just blew one of my trees on my neighbor's house and took out my fence. 

%*^&^*^*^&(%*&%*^&^*


----------



## chimunga

GoGoGypsy said:


> What the heck did this thread devolve into? I came here to rant about something unrelated!


Seriously. I come home like "Oh I'm gonna check dog forums." And this shiznit is still going on. 

This guy is rude and insulting. Why are we still talking to him? 



Sibe said:


> I have an announcement.
> http://www.dogforums.com/dog-pictures-forum/354642-foster-amaze-bobb-tiny.html


EEEEE. That means we demand constant pictures of Mr. Bobb.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Lol I was thrown for a loop when I logged on! I only posted because I was happy the dog found a home, I was super worried about him ending up dead just because someone who didn't know him decided he was aggressive with no basis for it! Combined with venting about the manager because she complained about having to do everything herself snd didn't want to deal with it, but also wouldn't let us take over, we were happy to help if she let us, but then basically "punished" us for asking about it by forbiding us doing anything at all with any of them yesterday..things we were allowed to do every other day, and there was no reason behind it. Us 3 supervisors working together? We had all 3 adopted, vetted and out in ONE DAY by ignoring her and mobilizing ourselves anyway :clap2: I dealt with manager today, she was happy it was all taken care of and nothing left to chance. 2 left today, 1 leaves tomorrow morning. I am extremely experienced in reading dogs, and I am required to be present for anything involving dogs that could potentially be a problem, as well as the only one who handles certain dogs. I feel like I'm dog bait at the kennel sometimes lol, I come in "we need your help, this dog seems really aggressive, can you go see if he's safe or will kill us? " lol


----------



## luv mi pets

I HATE ticks! They creep me out. I have pulled 3 off of me today. One was attached and two were walking up my body inside a store. I felt something crawling on my back and ugghhhh it was a tick. About 5 minutes later one was crawling down my arm. I want a Sersosto collar to wear. Yesterday it was two ticks. I am freaking out because I feel like I feel ticks crawling all over me. Sure the dogs get to have stuff on them but I am the one with the ticks crawling on me.


----------



## Willowy

I've been finding ticks on myself too :/. Every time I even walk around the yard there's a tick on me. The dogs have Seresto collars but not me, eww eww eww. Stupid ticks. I need to get some chickens or guinea hens or something.


----------



## Damon'sMom

My dogs are driving me crazy!

I took Jasper to Flyball yesterday morning and he dropped the ball EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! I was ready to pull my hair out. So we stopped and I took him to the fenced in yard to go to the bathroom. When I was ready to go back in he would not even look at me as I called him. I closed my eyes, took a breath and then went and leashed him to take him home. We got to the car I opened the trunk and told him to "load up". He looked at me, and then laid down on the ground and refused to move. I was beyond upset. I picked his big harry butt up off the ground and pushed him into his kennel. I got him home and he happily unloaded by himself and went inside to lay on the couch. Freaking dog.

Mason and his barking just keep getting worse and worse instead of better. If he gets even slightly excited he blows up and barks for 15-20 minutes straight. It doesn't help that I have had a migraine for the last 4 days straight!

Its been a terrible day/ week so far.


----------



## Sibe

chimunga said:


> EEEEE. That means we demand constant pictures of Mr. Bobb.


 Absolutely! It will be somewhere 1-3 months until we get him, but he's going to be doing such great things in San Diego until he's brought to us in Colorado! I'm already becoming _that person_ and looking at coats and sweaters and everything.


----------



## missc89

luv mi pets said:


> I HATE ticks! They creep me out. I have pulled 3 off of me today. One was attached and two were walking up my body inside a store. I felt something crawling on my back and ugghhhh it was a tick. About 5 minutes later one was crawling down my arm. I want a Sersosto collar to wear. Yesterday it was two ticks. I am freaking out because I feel like I feel ticks crawling all over me. Sure the dogs get to have stuff on them but I am the one with the ticks crawling on me.





Willowy said:


> I've been finding ticks on myself too :/. Every time I even walk around the yard there's a tick on me. The dogs have Seresto collars but not me, eww eww eww. Stupid ticks. I need to get some chickens or guinea hens or something.


Ugh that is really creepy :S not many things creep me out but bugs are definitely up there - especially the ones that feed on us! My sympathies go out to you guys!!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Damon'sMom said:


> My dogs are driving me crazy!
> 
> I took Jasper to Flyball yesterday morning and he dropped the ball EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! I was ready to pull my hair out. So we stopped and I took him to the fenced in yard to go to the bathroom. When I was ready to go back in he would not even look at me as I called him. I closed my eyes, took a breath and then went and leashed him to take him home. We got to the car I opened the trunk and told him to "load up". He looked at me, and then laid down on the ground and refused to move. I was beyond upset. I picked his big harry butt up off the ground and pushed him into his kennel. I got him home and he happily unloaded by himself and went inside to lay on the couch. Freaking dog.
> 
> Mason and his barking just keep getting worse and worse instead of better. If he gets even slightly excited he blows up and barks for 15-20 minutes straight. It doesn't help that I have had a migraine for the last 4 days straight!
> 
> Its been a terrible day/ week so far.


UGH ... today Lincoln was a jerk, too. I think its something in the air, I was randomly asking him to do things and I went to a obstacle that he has done a thousand time, since I brought him here with no trouble (it is a pipe border along the road that is about 12 inches tall and perfect to practice "over" with). Well, he knows "out" (jump away from me) and "here" (jump toward me) over, and today he jumped "out", but when I gave him the command "here" he just flat out refused ... like ... looked at me like he didnt know what the frack I was talking about. I tried to take hold of his collar to show him and he ran around me, barking his fool head off, then, all of the sudden, he just .... did it -_- little fuzzy jerk.


----------



## Kayota

Sibe said:


> Absolutely! It will be somewhere 1-3 months until we get him, but he's going to be doing such great things in San Diego until he's brought to us in Colorado! I'm already becoming _that person_ and looking at coats and sweaters and everything.


dressing dogs is the best honestly

also are you going to continue doing therapy work with him?


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

CptJack said:


> Yes. This.
> 
> I don't argue with someone when they tell me something about their dog. I might say 'that's typical for the breed' if they ask me about a behavior like their beagle baying, but I *don't* tell someone who is successfully living with their beagle in an apartment and who is telling me that their dog has never been loud that THEIR DOG MUST BE LOUD. Likewise, if someone says 'My pit loves other dogs', I'm really going to be inclined to believe them rather than yanking my dog off to the other side of the street while arguing with them and calling them liars.
> 
> That's just stupid.
> 
> Extreme fear mongering is every bit as stupid and irresponsible as someone who gets a pit and tosses it into a multi-dog family with the expectation that if they raised it with other dogs from puppyhood it'll be absolutely fine with all other dogs forever.
> 
> It's just *DUMB*.


Yes! I agree with all of this! I cheer on the people that bring their pit pups to be socialized at our dog park. Actually 70% of the dogs at our park are pits or pit mixes and Morrison is best buds with them all. And yes I have fostered pits and pit mixes in the past in my home with *GASP* other dogs! And never had a single issue and all my fosters went to homes where they ended up being the second or third dog. 

I am not saying there are not DA pits out there. I know a few. But that does not mean that a perfectly social and dog friendly pit or pit mix should be punished and kept away from the fun because of their breed type.


----------



## trek

CptJack said:


> Yes. This.
> 
> I don't argue with someone when they tell me something about their dog. I might say 'that's typical for the breed' if they ask me about a behavior like their beagle baying, but I *don't* tell someone who is successfully living with their beagle in an apartment and who is telling me that their dog has never been loud that THEIR DOG MUST BE LOUD. Likewise, if someone says 'My pit loves other dogs', I'm really going to be inclined to believe them rather than yanking my dog off to the other side of the street while arguing with them and calling them liars.
> 
> That's just stupid.
> 
> Extreme fear mongering is every bit as stupid and irresponsible as someone who gets a pit and tosses it into a multi-dog family with the expectation that if they raised it with other dogs from puppyhood it'll be absolutely fine with all other dogs forever.
> 
> It's just *DUMB*.


What you call fear mongering, I call over protective. I don't think there is such a thing as "too safe" when it comes to bull/terrier types. That is a difference in opinion but as I stated before, your dogs are not on the line so, no worry for you. 



pawsaddict said:


> trek,
> 
> I will admit that I haven't read every single point made in this argument. But I did see your multiple references to Beagles and scent hounds. I have a Beagle/Dachshund mix, and I let her off-leash all. the. time. She has a great recall. In fact, she usually stays by my side on most of our hikes. Yes, she will catch a scent and go check it out, but she always comes when called and is always within 15ft of me by her own choice. She is an individual. That has to be taken into account. Was I prepared to have a dog that I might have had to always keep on leash? Yes. Am I glad that I worked with her and have gotten to see her full potential rather than sticking her in a box? HECK. YES.
> 
> Same goes for bully breeds. Do you have to be prepared for the possibility of DA or dog selectivity? Yes. Does that mean you need to keep your bully in a bubble? No. I also tend to think that bullies tend to be more dog selective (aggressive with certain dogs but not others) than dog aggressive (aggressive towards all dogs). I say that with rescue experience. A lot of bully breeds seem to do well interacting with a tempementally sound dog of the opposite sex. Is that all of them? Probably not. But don't lump them all into the DA category because that is false.


 There are many ways to socialize and love your dogs without having them around other dogs. I do just fine all by myself with my bull/terrier type. She loves people much more then she would ever love another dog. She loves hiking more then she would ever love another dog. This breed truly thrives off of the attention and affection from human beings. 
So again I ask, why take the risk? Everything is fine, until it isn't. 
The difference between bull/terrier breeds and a dachshund/beagle is that one is at risk for mass extermination and the other is not... a fairly massive distinction. 


TheDarkestMinds said:


> Yes! I agree with all of this! I cheer on the people that bring their pit pups to be socialized at our dog park. Actually 70% of the dogs at our park are pits or pit mixes and Morrison is best buds with them all. And yes I have fostered pits and pit mixes in the past in my home with *GASP* other dogs! And never had a single issue and all my fosters went to homes where they ended up being the second or third dog.
> 
> I am not saying there are not DA pits out there. I know a few. But that does not mean that a perfectly social and dog friendly pit or pit mix should be punished and kept away from the fun because of their breed type.


 Yes well, your view would change if one of those sweet pibbles clicked in with their genetic predisposition.

I'm sure these dogs were fine, until they weren't... see the gripping/holding/shaking/tenacity:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZTiGWgQubA
And this one:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZxliBUvzA
And these ones:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ESHBBLeOaqk

^^ THIS is honesty. Willful ignorance is bliss. 
But you know... keep taking risks guys. Cause it's worth it to be right.
If you saw your dog being mauled by a bull/terrier, your views would change pretty damn quick.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Well in happy news the newly renamed CJ LOVES his new home and adores his new Chihuahua brother, his Chi brother isn't as sure about him, but CJ keeps bringing the Chi toys to play with lol he's loving having a home and slept sprawled on the couch last night &#55357;&#56838; 

And I spent my last hour at work being mauled by puppies..a Doberman puppy, A Golden puppy and an Am Bulldog puppy and this morning I snuggled with a Galgo


----------



## trek

chimunga said:


> Seriously. I come home like "Oh I'm gonna check dog forums." And this shiznit is still going on.
> 
> *This girl is honest and direct. Why are we still talking to her?*


 Fixed it for you. Feel free to block me, I won't be hurt.


----------



## chimunga

Back to our regularly scheduled thread?


----------



## trek

Trust me. I'm ranting.


----------



## Remaru

Miss Bugs said:


> Well in happy news the newly renamed CJ LOVES his new home and adores his new Chihuahua brother, his Chi brother isn't as sure about him, but CJ keeps bringing the Chi toys to play with lol he's loving having a home and slept sprawled on the couch last night &#55357;&#56838;
> 
> And I spent my last hour at work being mauled by puppies..a Doberman puppy, A Golden puppy and an Am Bulldog puppy and this morning I snuggled with a Galgo


I'm jealous. My son wants another American Bulldog but it just won't be happening for a few years. I want to make sure we are getting one for the right reasons not because we miss Duke so much. They're wonderful dogs though, I think my son will always have at least one. He's a bully fan all the way through. I would love to meet a Galgo, I never see them here.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Pictures! Scout the GR, Honey the Am Bulldog, Porsha the Doberman and Piny the Galgo


----------



## d_ray

This old coworker contacted me on fb and when he realized we have dogs, he went on a rant. He was bragging about having the same diploma as CM. Then he goes off on how the leader of his pack died and now he need a male dominant dog to put the rest of his dogs back in balance. He has a dog daycare and training facility and claims to specialize in rehabbing aggressive dogs. Scary stuff.


----------



## pawsaddict

trek said:


> There are many ways to socialize and love your dogs without having them around other dogs. I do just fine all by myself with my bull/terrier type. She loves people much more then she would ever love another dog. She loves hiking more then she would ever love another dog. This breed truly thrives off of the attention and affection from human beings.
> So again I ask, why take the risk? Everything is fine, until it isn't.
> The difference between bull/terrier breeds and a dachshund/beagle is that one is at risk for mass extermination and the other is not... a fairly massive distinction.


There are many ways to socialize a dog to OTHER things without having them interact with dogs. But you cannot properly socialize your dog to other dogs by not allowing her to have positive interactions with them. Of course your dog loves people more than other dogs....from what you're saying, she isn't allowed to interact with other dogs. If she is outright DA, then that is a good thing, but if she is not DA, then it seems...sad that she can't enjoy the companionship of other doggie friend or at least get the opportunity to prove you wrong (or right).

Everything is fine...until it isn't, but dogs usually give off signals that they are uncomfortable or do not like a certain dog or whatever. If you watch your dog carefully during an interaction, then you can remove her before anything escalates to the point of those youtube videos. 

And I'm pretty sure that if my Beagle/Dachshund severely injured another dog or, heaven forbid, a child, the media would find some pit bull in her. That's just what the media does...it twists and exaggerates things to tell a story. 

Trying to tell people that all bully breeds are DA and should not be interacting with any other dogs doesn't really help the general public's perception, IMO. What would help is properly socializing your dog to other dogs and exercising proper caution while she is out and about. Show the public how amazing she is. Show the public how to responsibly own a bully and how to have a bully breed responsibly around other dogs. Show the public that all bullies /= dangerous and uncontrollable and out for blood.


----------



## chimunga

d_ray said:


> This old coworker contacted me on fb and when he realized we have dogs, he went on a rant. He was bragging about having the same diploma as CM. Then he goes off on how the leader of his pack died and now he need a male dominant dog to put the rest of his dogs back in balance. He has a dog daycare and training facility and claims to specialize in rehabbing aggressive dogs. Scary stuff.


Like....just right out of the blue? That's so weird.


----------



## Sarah~

trek said:


> If you saw your dog being mauled by a bull/terrier, your views would change pretty damn quick.


I have. My pit was attacked by another pit as a puppy. Years later she is totally fine with other dogs, even my DA german shepherd, as long as I am vigilant and quick to separate when things get a little too intense! Yeah she loves me more than any dog, but I already had my GSD when I brought her home. Actually she likes dogs more than she likes people, but I don't make my family and friends stop coming over, I just supervise and crate her if she gets too stressed out. I think as long as you know your dog, the risks, and what to do in an emergency it's fine.


----------



## LocaButt

Hi all,
I am new here and saw a rant thread and thought I could use some venting.

My family has lived in this house for almost 9 years. We are basically in the country, in a subdivision. Each house has at least 3 acres I would say. Since day 1 we have had problems with the same neighbors not keeping their dogs in their yard, despite having a gate that they refuse to close. They have gone through numerous dogs since we have lived here.

Our dogs originally had an electric (collar) fence out back, which they all respected very well. The first major incident: the neighbor's dogs came into our yard, pack style, and attacked my puppy. I went to their house, 2 houses down and across the street, and told the owner. He said, "Well is he ok?" I said, "Yes, but YOUR DOGS CAME INTO MY YARD AND ATTACKED MY PUPPY!" Like he saw no problem with it as long as my dog was ok. Next incident, one dog came into my yard when my kids were outside playing. My PB (now deceased) attacked the dog, assuming he was protecting my kids, but came out on the losing side because he was obsessed with his balls (toys lol) his whole life and had progressively worn his teeth down. The other dog left holes in him. I called the sheriff out that time and filed a report, and took him to the vet to get patched up. Nothing serious was wrong with him, just some bite wounds. The sheriff said I would have to go up and get a copy of the report days later and then submit to have a warrant filed. I never did because I was literally leaving the state that same week to go stay with my mother over the summer - with all my furry babies, of course. When I returned I put up a real fence for the backyard. I found out from another neighbor that the irresponsible neighbor had to have at least 2 dogs put down for killing another neighbor's goats. They replaced them with more new dogs.

I have called the sheriff out twice more since then. I have recorded pictures and videos. I just haven't had the courage to put a warrant out on him because I have to live near these people. I keep hoping that the sheriff talking to them will convince them to simply keep their friggin dogs in their yard. My house was burglarized over a year ago (while no one was here thankfully) and I am just scared to death that they might have had something to do with it - I am just speculating, but there are a lot of weird things that coincide.

This guy's dogs roam where ever they want, driving my dogs crazy, tear up my trash when we set it out on trash day, go into everyone's yard to do their business, and worst of all - all of their dogs have always jetted out into the street as you drive by running along side the vehicles trying to bite the tires (as recent as today). I can't blame the animals for having crappy owners, but I am to the point where my heart just won't be broken if they get ran over. I would never try to do it intentionally, of course. We have a dually truck and obviously the back tires stick out further than the front tires. My heart always freezes when I see them darting out of the driveway. The guy mows grass for others in the neighborhood. Weekly, if not daily, I see him coming down the street on his lawn mower - dogs following behind him - stopping to investigate whatever they want along the way. Its like the biggest F YOU ever.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
That's really all I can say about it. I am not really asking what I should do. I could go ahead and file for a warrant, but I don't know if it would help or escalate an already tense neighbor relationship. These people are just so inconsiderate its sickening. I have horses and thankfully the loose dogs have never ventured to the back of my property to harass them. If that ever happened I would probably have no choice but to shoot them, though I am not sure I would have the heart to actually do it. That would be a difficult situation I, thankfully, have not had to deal with.

It feels good to vent - but I am still mad as all get out - ALL THE TIME!

Thank you to whoever has the time to listen <3


----------



## ireth0

Sarah~ said:


> I have. My pit was attacked by another pit as a puppy. Years later she is totally fine with other dogs, even my DA german shepherd, as long as I am vigilant and quick to separate when things get a little too intense! Yeah she loves me more than any dog, but I already had my GSD when I brought her home. Actually she likes dogs more than she likes people, but I don't make my family and friends stop coming over, I just supervise and crate her if she gets too stressed out. I think as long as you know your dog, the risks, and what to do in an emergency it's fine.


It's almost like we understand their point and still can have differing opinions and experiences. Shocker.


----------



## Laurelin

I get their point. Most the dog/dog fights I've seen have involved a pit bull type dog. Usually an intact male. Often blue and big but that may just be a coincidence. I have seen a greyhound decide to thrash a toy dog and a couple GSDs (including mine as a kid) get into serious fights with other dogs and some pretty unstable mutts too. But the vast majority of fights between dogs have involved at least one pit bull. The pit bulls do fight differently than most dogs, grab and hold and can be hard to separate. I would expect the bully breeds and some of the terriers to grip like that but the GSDs and such in my experience don't fight the same way. I'm not sure that makes the fights worse in general though? With the other dogs you can get tons of bite wounds on the losing dog. And every time something has happened people around are talking about how 'it's all in how you raise them'. Imo it's pretty ignorant.

That said, the dogs that I've seen cause issues had signs that made me uncomfortable long before the issue happened. I can usually pinpoint which dogs (of various breeds) are going to have problems before they happen. I actually meet a lot of shy and gentle pit types too.


----------



## Sarah~

ireth0 said:


> It's almost like we understand their point and still can have differing opinions and experiences. Shocker.


Craziness!! Lol I totally get trek's point of view. I am totally for educating people about pit bulls and the reality of owning them. I even have a break stick, I'm not psychic, I don't know the future, maybe one day Xena decides she doesn't like dogs anymore, who knows. But saying all pits shouldn't be around other dogs is just silly, and really reminds me of the mindset of the people who run the pit bull forum and is one of the reasons I barely post there anymore besides looking at pictures of the dogs. They have a very rigid, black and white view on things and if you dare disagree they attack you in a very similar way to what has happened here. It just isn't that simple, for someone preaching about common sense so much she could sure try to apply some here and realize dogs are individuals, not robots made in factories that always behave the same way, every time or guaranteed to have certain behaviors. Just seems so paranoid to shelter your dog like that and in a way, aren't you creating the thing you fear? You isolate your dog for so long when they finally do run into another dog you tense up and your dog sees it as something scary.


----------



## missc89

LocaButt said:


> Hi all,
> I am new here and saw a rant thread and thought I could use some venting.
> 
> My family has lived in this house for almost 9 years. We are basically in the country, in a subdivision. Each house has at least 3 acres I would say. Since day 1 we have had problems with the same neighbors not keeping their dogs in their yard, despite having a gate that they refuse to close. They have gone through numerous dogs since we have lived here.
> 
> Our dogs originally had an electric (collar) fence out back, which they all respected very well. The first major incident: the neighbor's dogs came into our yard, pack style, and attacked my puppy. I went to their house, 2 houses down and across the street, and told the owner. He said, "Well is he ok?" I said, "Yes, but YOUR DOGS CAME INTO MY YARD AND ATTACKED MY PUPPY!" Like he saw no problem with it as long as my dog was ok. Next incident, one dog came into my yard when my kids were outside playing. My PB (now deceased) attacked the dog, assuming he was protecting my kids, but came out on the losing side because he was obsessed with his balls (toys lol) his whole life and had progressively worn his teeth down. The other dog left holes in him. I called the sheriff out that time and filed a report, and took him to the vet to get patched up. Nothing serious was wrong with him, just some bite wounds. The sheriff said I would have to go up and get a copy of the report days later and then submit to have a warrant filed. I never did because I was literally leaving the state that same week to go stay with my mother over the summer - with all my furry babies, of course. When I returned I put up a real fence for the backyard. I found out from another neighbor that the irresponsible neighbor had to have at least 2 dogs put down for killing another neighbor's goats. They replaced them with more new dogs.
> 
> I have called the sheriff out twice more since then. I have recorded pictures and videos. I just haven't had the courage to put a warrant out on him because I have to live near these people. I keep hoping that the sheriff talking to them will convince them to simply keep their friggin dogs in their yard. My house was burglarized over a year ago (while no one was here thankfully) and I am just scared to death that they might have had something to do with it - I am just speculating, but there are a lot of weird things that coincide.
> 
> This guy's dogs roam where ever they want, driving my dogs crazy, tear up my trash when we set it out on trash day, go into everyone's yard to do their business, and worst of all - all of their dogs have always jetted out into the street as you drive by running along side the vehicles trying to bite the tires (as recent as today). I can't blame the animals for having crappy owners, but I am to the point where my heart just won't be broken if they get ran over. I would never try to do it intentionally, of course. We have a dually truck and obviously the back tires stick out further than the front tires. My heart always freezes when I see them darting out of the driveway. The guy mows grass for others in the neighborhood. Weekly, if not daily, I see him coming down the street on his lawn mower - dogs following behind him - stopping to investigate whatever they want along the way. Its like the biggest F YOU ever.
> 
> Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
> That's really all I can say about it. I am not really asking what I should do. I could go ahead and file for a warrant, but I don't know if it would help or escalate an already tense neighbor relationship. These people are just so inconsiderate its sickening. I have horses and thankfully the loose dogs have never ventured to the back of my property to harass them. If that ever happened I would probably have no choice but to shoot them, though I am not sure I would have the heart to actually do it. That would be a difficult situation I, thankfully, have not had to deal with.
> 
> It feels good to vent - but I am still mad as all get out - ALL THE TIME!
> 
> Thank you to whoever has the time to listen <3


Holy crap - what a vent! Thanks for sharing and I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. My sympathies go out to you!


----------



## pawsaddict

Sarah~ said:


> Just seems so paranoid to shelter your dog like that and in a way, aren't you creating the thing you fear? You isolate your dog for so long when they finally do run into another dog you tense up and your dog sees it as something scary.


Exactly!!! (Too short)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> This old coworker contacted me on fb and when he realized we have dogs, he went on a rant. He was bragging about having the same diploma as CM. Then he goes off on how the leader of his pack died and now he need a male dominant dog to put the rest of his dogs back in balance. He has a dog daycare and training facility and claims to specialize in rehabbing aggressive dogs. Scary stuff.


Ewww ... out of the blue??? Creepy! The stupid is definitely strong with that one :/



pawsaddict said:


> There are many ways to socialize a dog to OTHER things without having them interact with dogs. But you cannot properly socialize your dog to other dogs by not allowing her to have positive interactions with them. Of course your dog loves people more than other dogs....from what you're saying, she isn't allowed to interact with other dogs. If she is outright DA, then that is a good thing, but if she is not DA, then it seems...sad that she can't enjoy the companionship of other doggie friend or at least get the opportunity to prove you wrong (or right).
> 
> Everything is fine...until it isn't, but dogs usually give off signals that they are uncomfortable or do not like a certain dog or whatever. If you watch your dog carefully during an interaction, then you can remove her before anything escalates to the point of those youtube videos.
> 
> And I'm pretty sure that if my Beagle/Dachshund severely injured another dog or, heaven forbid, a child, the media would find some pit bull in her. That's just what the media does...it twists and exaggerates things to tell a story.
> 
> Trying to tell people that all bully breeds are DA and should not be interacting with any other dogs doesn't really help the general public's perception, IMO. What would help is properly socializing your dog to other dogs and exercising proper caution while she is out and about. Show the public how amazing she is. Show the public how to responsibly own a bully and how to have a bully breed responsibly around other dogs. Show the public that all bullies /= dangerous and uncontrollable and out for blood.


This. 

People forget that pitties, TRUE pit bull type dogs (NOT bullies, because they are a bit of a different strain) are TERRIERS, and that ALL terriers exhibit some sort of prey / animal / aggression and / or DA. My cute scruffy JRT, who is awesome around other dogs will not hesitate to shake a varmit to death in the same manner that a pit bull type dog would. At JRT shows, I have seen JRTs go after EACH OTHER and it looks JUST like a mini pit bull fight, the way they hold and shake each other. Anyone who has been to JRT racing will tell you that when you are a catcher, they give you thick gloves in case the muzzles come off and the dogs redirect in the heat of "battle". The POWER that those little dogs have when they bite and shake prey is surprising!



Sarah~ said:


> I have. My pit was attacked by another pit as a puppy. Years later she is totally fine with other dogs, even my DA german shepherd, as long as I am vigilant and quick to separate when things get a little too intense! Yeah she loves me more than any dog, but I already had my GSD when I brought her home. Actually she likes dogs more than she likes people, but I don't make my family and friends stop coming over, I just supervise and crate her if she gets too stressed out. I think as long as you know your dog, the risks, and what to do in an emergency it's fine.


Agreed, Josefina cant be around very small dogs, because of her prey drive, she gets really overstimulated by them and treats them like toys :/, on leash she can interact with them, but I wouldnt trust her loose.



Laurelin said:


> I get their point. Most the dog/dog fights I've seen have involved a pit bull type dog. Usually an intact male. Often blue and big but that may just be a coincidence. I have seen a greyhound decide to thrash a toy dog and a couple GSDs (including mine as a kid) get into serious fights with other dogs and some pretty unstable mutts too. But the vast majority of fights between dogs have involved at least one pit bull. The pit bulls do fight differently than most dogs, grab and hold and can be hard to separate. I would expect the bully breeds and some of the terriers to grip like that but the GSDs and such in my experience don't fight the same way. I'm not sure that makes the fights worse in general though? With the other dogs you can get tons of bite wounds on the losing dog. And every time something has happened people around are talking about how 'it's all in how you raise them'. Imo it's pretty ignorant.
> 
> That said, the dogs that I've seen cause issues had signs that made me uncomfortable long before the issue happened. I can usually pinpoint which dogs (of various breeds) are going to have problems before they happen. I actually meet a lot of shy and gentle pit types too.


I think it depends on the lines, and the TYPE of bully dog, like the more "game bred" pit bulls and mixes tend to have more of the DA and reactivity, while bull terriers, AM bullies and their mixes tend to have less and are more mellow ... at least IME.

People also forget that GSDs, Mal's, rotties, and other "high octane" breeds and even ACDs are prone to DA / SSA, ESP if they are intact.


----------



## elrohwen

In early July we're going on vacation with our friends - a married couple and a single guy. We've gone on vacation with them every year for the past 3 or so years. We're going to a lake house in New Hampshire owned by the one guy's family (most of us have never been there).

I just realized this week that our vacation will consist of 5 adult humans, a 1 year old human, 2 adult dogs, and a 12 week old puppy.

What have we done?! lol I'm preparing for chaos.


----------



## missc89

Ooooh that sounds like so much fun elro! You're going to have to keep a vacation dairy and let us know how it goes!


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> Ooooh that sounds like so much fun elro! You're going to have to keep a vacation dairy and let us know how it goes!


It's gonna be bananas. Last year the baby and wife stayed home and just did a day trip to where we were staying, because the baby was only 3 months. Though my husband did split his face open water skiing on the first full day, so we had enough excitement. 

I kind of thought the baby would stay with the grandparents, only an hour away in NH, but apparently he's staying with us the whole week. Watson hasn't seen him since he started walking either, and by then he'll be walking all over the place. I predict Watson and Grey (their dog) will hide in the bedrooms from the kid, and the puppy will tackle him and bite him until he cries. Should be fun times. lol


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> It's gonna be bananas. Last year the baby and wife stayed home and just did a day trip to where we were staying, because the baby was only 3 months. Though my husband did split his face open water skiing on the first full day, so we had enough excitement.
> 
> I kind of thought the baby would stay with the grandparents, only an hour away in NH, but apparently he's staying with us the whole week. Watson hasn't seen him since he started walking either, and by then he'll be walking all over the place. I predict Watson and Grey (their dog) will hide in the bedrooms from the kid, and the puppy will tackle him and bite him until he cries. Should be fun times. lol


Sounds like it's going to be fun times! I had the option of bringing my pup to a weekend-long tournament in Sudbury (about 6 hours away from where I live) but decided it would probably be a horrible idea to have a 10 week old pup (at the oldest) with 100+ amtguarders (live action role playing with foam swords!)


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> Sounds like it's going to be fun times! I had the option of bringing my pup to a weekend-long tournament in Sudbury (about 6 hours away from where I live) but decided it would probably be a horrible idea to have a 10 week old pup (at the oldest) with 100+ amtguarders (live action role playing with foam swords!)


Yeah, at that age you have to watch them the entire time so you wouldn't have any fun anyway. And the puppy would probably be freaked out by all those people in crazy costumers. 

I'm sure I'll have my eyes on the puppy 24/7 (though we'll have a crate), and the other girl will be watching the baby (probably while the men go fishing and take the well behaved dogs ... haha). But there's not much to do at a lake house anyway other than drink beer, fish, and play board games, so we'll have plenty of free time to look after the babies. I wouldn't want to bring them on a more active vacation.


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, at that age you have to watch them the entire time so you wouldn't have any fun anyway. And the puppy would probably be freaked out by all those people in crazy costumers.
> 
> I'm sure I'll have my eyes on the puppy 24/7 (though we'll have a crate), and the other girl will be watching the baby (probably while the men go fishing and take the well behaved dogs ... haha). But there's not much to do at a lake house anyway other than drink beer, fish, and play board games, so we'll have plenty of free time to look after the babies. I wouldn't want to bring them on a more active vacation.


Yeah. I mean I think I would probably be okay with bringing my pup camping (as long as the area we would be camping in is parvo free) but that would be the only kind of 'vacationing' I would do with a pup..besides a cottage


----------



## CptJack

I'm taking all five of my dogs on vacation the second week of August. Fortunately, it's about on par with 'lake house' - some relative visiting, no puppies under 1, and honestly the vacation location is pretty well meant for dogs. As in, it will be a lot more fun with them, since there's woods and farm and fields and lakes and all sorts of outdoor things to do, and I find it hard to get into that kind of thing without them. 

Noooot looking forward to 14 hours in the car with all 5 of them and both my kids though.


----------



## Remaru

Hubby has a "traveling" Derby Bout in mid-July. I am trying to decide if Lad should make the trip with us. The drive will be 3 hours, that shouldn't be an issue. The bout will last between 2-4 if we are there for two bouts or just one and how well run this thing is (two weeks ago we went to one and it started a full 2.5 hours late so....yeah...Derby time). He is used to sitting through 5 hours of derby practice, the activity and sounds don't bother him at all and all of the men on hubby's team at least know him. It will not however be at our venue, not sure if it will be a warehouse or an actual rink. I would love to say he will be 2months better trained and more mature but he will be hitting prime time for adolescent brain fog. We will be close to a state park where we can hike for a while before the bout (though it will be hot). Hubby says none of us have to go he can catch a ride with one of the guys. Lots to think about.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Noooot looking forward to 14 hours in the car with all 5 of them and both my kids though.


Yeah, I'm trying to figure out what we should do about vehicles. A couple years ago we took two cars, because we ended up bringing a lot of food, plus water ski stuff, etc. This year we'll have an additional dog and just as much stuff, but we have a truck. But that would require buying a cap for the bed I think, which is expensive. So we might end up just making the 3.5 hour trip with both vehicles, which doesn't sound like a lot of fun. The single guy lives near us so he can drive with my husband and I can take the dogs, which I think is how we did it 2 years ago.


----------



## sassafras

elrohwen said:


> In early July we're going on vacation with our friends - a married couple and a single guy. We've gone on vacation with them every year for the past 3 or so years. We're going to a lake house in New Hampshire owned by the one guy's family (most of us have never been there).
> 
> I just realized this week that our vacation will consist of 5 adult humans, a 1 year old human, 2 adult dogs, and a 12 week old puppy.
> 
> What have we done?! lol I'm preparing for chaos.


As long as the adults still have them outnumbered, you're good.


----------



## Laurelin

My house this last week has been home to Me, 1 high school student, 2 college students, 5 papillons and Hank. 

And now my grandma wants to come see my new house. It looks like I haven't cleaned in a month! And I cleaned all last week!


----------



## LocaButt

Laurelin said:


> And every time something has happened people around are talking about how 'it's all in how you raise them'. Imo it's pretty ignorant.


I am coming in on the tail end of some type of debate. It seems to go pages back so I am not sure what exactly sparked it. This comment stuck out to me. I guess I am one of these people, but I wouldn't say it is ALL in how you raise them. Just like humans, mental instability exists in all creatures. Dogs could be more so because of all the inbreeding that has occurred since forever. However, this applies to all dog breeds. I apologize if I misunderstood the above comment, but are you saying that human influence has nothing to do with how a dog behaves? I am an avid PB enthusiast, only because my best friend ever was a PB. I do not have one at the moment because I have a full house of furries already that I have taken in since he passed. The only fight he ever got into, ironically, I described in my rant last night about my neighbors. A dog came into my yard and got near my kids, I wholeheartedly believe he was protecting his family. I was petrified to call the sheriff out JUST BECAUSE he was a PB. I figured that it would have automatically been his fault just because of his breed. The sheriff, thankfully, was understanding.
Please don't flame me for this - but it honestly makes me angry that I should have had to be afraid to stand up for our rights, just because he was a certain breed. If people fought poodles, and made them wear 3 inch thick chains with padlocks around their necks, or starved them to make them meaner - wouldn't they have just as bad of a reputation? I do believe it is about how you raise them. Thug life vs loving home. Again, incidents could still happen in a happy home - but that is with any dog. It just breaks my heart that my Seezer would ever be seen as anything other than the wonderful friend that he was. He is resting on my mantle next to his bronze footprint. <3 

$0.02 - Now I must go blow my nose


----------



## elrohwen

sassafras said:


> As long as the adults still have them outnumbered, you're good.


Haha. Just barely! And single guy doesn't own any of the dogs or the kid, so I can't really pawn the dogs off on him (though he is Watson's favorite person on the entire planet).



Laurelin said:


> My house this last week has been home to Me, 1 high school student, 2 college students, 5 papillons and Hank.
> 
> And now my grandma wants to come see my new house. It looks like I haven't cleaned in a month! And I cleaned all last week!


How big is your house? That's quite a crowd, but at least the paps are little! We typically have 6 adults in the house for holidays (including me and my husband) and that feels like too many.


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> How big is your house? That's quite a crowd, but at least the paps are little! We typically have 6 adults in the house for holidays (including me and my husband) and that feels like too many.


Is that how many people you have staying with you over the holidays? A typical full house for my family (birthdays, events, etc...) is usually about 20 people minimum. We usually fit about 60 people in my parents house for Christmas. Generally the ratio is like... 90% family, 10% friends of family lol. I have a huge family...


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> Is that how many people you have staying with you over the holidays? A typical full house for my family (birthdays, events, etc...) is usually about 20 people minimum. We usually fit about 60 people in my parents house for Christmas. Generally the ratio is like... 90% family, 10% friends of family lol. I have a huge family...


Yeah, we have small families! I'm an only child, so just my parents. DH has a sister and his mom; sometimes his mom's boyfriend comes and sometimes his sister's fiance comes (fiance's family lives about 1.5 hours from us, so they usually fly in together and then split up to separate houses, and we'll just see him for dinner one night). Neither of us are particularly close to any aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents. My only aunt I talk to lives in Sweden, and my grandma lives in northern Michigan and doesn't travel. We see his cousins for weddings and send them Christmas presents, but that's about it.


----------



## missc89

Wow. My dad is the youngest out of 9, 7 girls 2 boys, and we don't talk to two of my aunts, so depending on who you ask in the family they're convinced there's only 7 of them now. Hurrah for family drama.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> Wow. My dad is the youngest out of 9, 7 girls 2 boys, and we don't talk to two of my aunts, so depending on who you ask in the family they're convinced there's only 7 of them now. Hurrah for family drama.


Well, my dad has 4 siblings and my mom has 2, and we only talk to the one aunt. Haha. My mom's family is crazy, and we just aren't close with my dad's though his other siblings are mostly ok people. We also all live very far away from each other. My closest relatives are probably my grandma and uncle who live in Michigan about 14 hours away. My mom's brother lives in Boston which isn't far, but we haven't talked to him in 20 years.


----------



## missc89

Wow. My moms side of the family is freakishly small, like its her and her adopted brother and a few cousins and they are SO much more messed up than my dads side of the family. I think the only reason we're so close to my dads side is they all had kids around the same age and we all babysat for one another etc... oh, and my furthest family lives in Montreal, which is about 2 hours away, so I don't have the distance. Oh darn I forgot! I actually have a cousin who lives in Alberta, and some extended family in Hawaii, so I guess that would count too.

It's been at least 10 years since I've spoken to two of my aunts but I see their kids still lol... one has borderline personality disorder and we think the other one is just a...female dog... but not the good kind


----------



## Denisekay

Wow, I needed a thread like this!

So after like a year of research I (and my family) am/are finally going to be getting a dog of my own (my brother had one which passed a few years back). We had found one from a shelter which if he is not claimed by his original owner, as he was a stray, he will be ours by Monday.  So since we've had about a week to wait I've been buying some new supplies and are in the process of dog proofing my room aswell as finding places to put his stuff, such as his bed, toys, etc. On top of that my mom wants me to make her something to hold Electronic Cigaratte thing in. Like something to put around her neck, and I have no idea what to do for that right now. XD And schoolwork, of course.


----------



## elrohwen

Denisekay said:


> Wow, I needed a thread like this!
> 
> So after like a year of research I (and my family) am/are finally going to be getting a dog of my own (my brother had one which passed a few years back). We had found one from a shelter which if he is not claimed by his original owner, as he was a stray, he will be ours by Monday.  So since we've had about a week to wait I've been buying some new supplies and are in the process of dog proofing my room aswell as finding places to put his stuff, such as his bed, toys, etc. On top of that my mom wants me to make her something to hold Electronic Cigaratte thing in. Like something to put around her neck, and I have no idea what to do for that right now. XD And schoolwork, of course.


Congrats on the new dog! You'll have to post a separate thread with pics when you get him.


----------



## missc89

Alright, so I feel like I'm the only one who didn't know that Zak George is an animal trainer for animal planet... among being a very famous TV guy. I kind of preferred Brad Pattison myself... though I know a LOT of people do NOT like him at ALL


----------



## Willowy

missc89 said:


> Alright, so I feel like I'm the only one who didn't know that Zak George is an animal trainer for animal planet... among being a very famous TV guy. I kind of preferred Brad Pattison myself... though I know a LOT of people do NOT like him at ALL


What did you prefer about him? He's kind of sadistic. Or really sadistic. 

I haven't actually seen Zak George's show but he sounds OK.


----------



## Laurelin

Ugh god, Brad Pattison. *shudder*


----------



## Remaru

I've only watched Zak George's Youtube videos and they are fine. He is sort of all over the place sometimes and really hyper. I think I like him better than Kikopup (I know everyone loves her but sometimes she is a little too over the top "if you don't do it my way you are going to ruin your dog" for me). His pep will grate on my eventually but my son adores him, they have similar personalities (bouncing off the walls excited all of the time) and my son has been able to learn a good bit about training from watching him.


----------



## Laurelin

Personally Zak George kind of grates a bit for me but his methods are usually good. I dunno something about his personality annoys me.

Kikopup has good methods too but yeah I think she goes over the top a lot of the time. Especially some of her posts about safety and stuff. I do like that kikopup owns several different dog breed types.


----------



## luv mi pets

Something seems to happen to the trainers when they become 'famous'. I see this in horse trainers. When they are nobody it does seem that they are good. Then they get notice and over time something just happens to their way of thinking. Horse trainers are the worst of the two.. Most of them have the idea unless you use their training tools the animal will not be trained. I love it when the horse trainer is trying to get you to spend 50 bucks for a 10 piece of rope. You just have to use their products. 

I had to google these trainers. That Brad guy! I do not know some of his videos I would not train those dogs like that. I like the guy who uses a special collar for the foster dogs and then in the end he buys the dog a new collar once he passes the tests. I do not know his name but he seems good.


----------



## SamiSaysRawr

Recently, I've been kind of disappointed/annoyed when I hear about all the different dog sports available in different countries, that I'll never have an opportunity to do.

Here it's just agility mainly (If you count a few shows a year mainly) and maybe a little competitive obedience and flyball. I can't do even do rally (competitively) because their are no shows for it here (and the one class is about 80 miles away). 

Particularly it's stuff like earthdog and barn hunt that I would like to do, but nope. Nothing.


----------



## LocaButt

SamiSaysRawr said:


> Recently, I've been kind of disappointed/annoyed when I hear about all the different dog sports available in different countries, that I'll never have an opportunity to do.
> 
> Here it's just agility mainly (If you count a few shows a year mainly) and maybe a little competitive obedience and flyball. I can't do even do rally (competitively) because their are no shows for it here (and the one class is about 80 miles away).
> 
> Particularly it's stuff like earthdog and barn hunt that I would like to do, but nope. Nothing.


Start setting them up! You can't be the only one who is interested in them. If you build it, they will come.


----------



## Laurelin

I'd very much like it to stop flooding every day now. Hank has not exercised since Sunday because of the tornados/hail/rain/flooding/tigernados ()


----------



## chimunga

Laurelin said:


> Personally Zak George kind of grates a bit for me but his methods are usually good. I dunno something about his personality annoys me.
> 
> Kikopup has good methods too but yeah I think she goes over the top a lot of the time. Especially some of her posts about safety and stuff. I do like that kikopup owns several different dog breed types.


I like Zak George's videos. Sometimes I wish he was more specific. And I wish he'd do things that weren't just puppy/new dog things. And I have a feeling that if I ever met him I'd just wanna punch him in the face. 

While we're on the subject, can we just talk about how badly produced Kikopup's videos are? Like seriously. They're terrible. They've gotten better. But the sound is terrible, she's not good at speaking into a camera, and the camera work is usually really sloppy. And I love kikopup. She's my go-to. But her zero aversive methods at all kinda rubs me the wrong way. And her dogs always look really bored in the background of her videos. And she doesn't make videos nearly enough. 

We don't talk about Kristin Crestejo enough. I really like her. I think her videos are better produced, and she covers a wide range of topics.


----------



## Denisekay

elrohwen said:


> Congrats on the new dog! You'll have to post a separate thread with pics when you get him.


Thanks, I certainly will.


----------



## d_ray

Jazz swims. So excited about this. We live on the river and jewel wants nothing to do with water. Jazz has been so excited about swimming and can't get enough.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> Jazz swims. So excited about this. We live on the river and jewel wants nothing to do with water. Jazz has been so excited about swimming and can't get enough.
> View attachment 201874


Yaaaaayyy go Jazz! I love that Ryker swims! It's so much fun watching them, and great exercise!


----------



## d_ray

It's so cute. She's like a fish. Love her enthusiasm.


----------



## Remaru

chimunga said:


> I like Zak George's videos. Sometimes I wish he was more specific. And I wish he'd do things that weren't just puppy/new dog things. And I have a feeling that if I ever met him I'd just wanna punch him in the face.
> 
> While we're on the subject, can we just talk about how badly produced Kikopup's videos are? Like seriously. They're terrible. They've gotten better. But the sound is terrible, she's not good at speaking into a camera, and the camera work is usually really sloppy. And I love kikopup. She's my go-to. But her zero aversive methods at all kinda rubs me the wrong way. And her dogs always look really bored in the background of her videos. And she doesn't make videos nearly enough.
> 
> We don't talk about Kristin Crestejo enough. I really like her. I think her videos are better produced, and she covers a wide range of topics.


I like Kristin Crestjo too. I watch some of Donna Hill's stuff too. I don't always love her stuff but she covers a lot.

ETA: Go Jazzy!!! Still hoping to get Magic out swimming. It isn't safe to go to the lake right now, the water levels are too high.


----------



## gingerkid

I'd really appreciate it if someone could remind me why I don't need a 10 week old cuddly land shark with toy and food drive, a good off-switch, and no obvious behavioural issues. Because I'm having a hard time convincing myself to not e-mail the shelter to have this puppy put on hold...


----------



## Remaru

gingerkid said:


> I'd really appreciate it if someone could remind me why I don't need a 10 week old cuddly land shark with toy and food drive, a good off-switch, and no obvious behavioural issues. Because I'm having a hard time convincing myself to not e-mail the shelter to have this puppy put on hold...


Do you really expect anyone here to say "no don't get the puppy!"? So when are you picking up this cute little fluff ball?


----------



## Miss Bugs

I dont know what to consider Sola in terms of age stages.... she is 26 weeks and born Nov 7th..do I call her 6 months or 6.5 months in terms of growth stages? From date to date she JUST turned 6 months yesterday but by weeks she was "6 months" 2 weeks ago. I'm confusing myself lol


----------



## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> I dont know what to consider Sola in terms of age stages.... she is 26 weeks and born Nov 7th..do I call her 6 months or 6.5 months in terms of growth stages? From date to date she JUST turned 6 months yesterday but by weeks she was "6 months" 2 weeks ago. I'm confusing myself lol


I had this with Molly. I think I gave up counting weeks somewhere around 7-8 months and just said 'to heck with it'. It all comes out even at a year, anyway.


----------



## chimunga

CptJack said:


> I had this with Molly. I think I gave up counting weeks somewhere around 7-8 months and just said 'to heck with it'. It all comes out even at a year, anyway.


I'm friends on facebook with a girl who owns one of Watson's littermates, and a few months ago she actually tried to start a mini argument over how old they are. The weeks vs months thing. *shrug* It doesn't matter much.


----------



## d_ray

Jasmine just keeps getting better every day. She is truly what I've always wanted in a dog. She has crazy drive. She goes insane over sticks and will jump into the river to fetch them. I stated running with her both on and off leash and she's great. She is so biddable. Jewel has a great off switch but jazz takes it to
another level. She is just as content to cuddle all day as she is to hike for hours. She has her issues but is really turning out to be exactly what I wanted in a dog.


----------



## Laurelin

My yard is flooded. Also I'm tired of constant rain. And supposedly it's gonna rain the next 9 days at least. 

/ded/


----------



## Miss Bugs

I used to think GSDs were high energy dogs... went out with my friend and her GSDs.. my dogs ran circles around them..litterally..the shepherds tried to keep up and then gave up. My friend was like "I used to think the shepherds were so fast.... but..umm... your dogs make them look like snails" her dogs ran and played..mine circled them 10x over and repeatedly vaulted the fences then we went to her place and the Shepherds were done..for hours... barley even saw them the rest of the day. mine settled for a while then got bored and lost their minds, I left and took my dogs for a 2 hour walk/swim. Now maybe its just the line as all her shepherds are from the same breeder and are related but man, they were CHILL compared to my crew, even Happy and she's nearly 15 for goodness sake!


----------



## luv mi pets

gingerkid said:


> I'd really appreciate it if someone could remind me why I don't need a 10 week old cuddly land shark with toy and food drive, a good off-switch, and no obvious behavioural issues. Because I'm having a hard time convincing myself to not e-mail the shelter to have this puppy put on hold...


I really can not think of any reasons why you do NOT need that puppy but I can def tell you 101 reasons why you should just go get that puppy!

reason #1 we want another thread devoted to watching the puppy grow up.


----------



## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> I used to think GSDs were high energy dogs... went out with my friend and her GSDs.. my dogs ran circles around them..litterally..the shepherds tried to keep up and then gave up. My friend was like "I used to think the shepherds were so fast.... but..umm... your dogs make them look like snails" her dogs ran and played..mine circled them 10x over and repeatedly vaulted the fences then we went to her place and the Shepherds were done..for hours... barley even saw them the rest of the day. mine settled for a while then got bored and lost their minds, I left and took my dogs for a 2 hour walk/swim. Now maybe its just the line as all her shepherds are from the same breeder and are related but man, they were CHILL compared to my crew, even Happy and she's nearly 15 for goodness sake!


Your dogs have a lifestyle that encourages that level of activity - and in some ways demands it. It builds stamina and strength, and doesn't require an off switch. It's reallllly not about breeds, much less lines. It's about you having dogs you exercise 8+ hours a day in a doggy daycare, and other people having lifestyles that don't allow that and dogs who adapt to what it DOES allow, and the physical fitness levels of both reflecting that lifestyle. I seem to remember you being frustrated initially because Paisley couldn't keep up, but clearly she does now. Or at least mostly. 

Basically, it's not the dogs or the breeds. I would be willing to bet ANY dog you got would end up like that. It's the routine. It's the normal. It's what's expected. They have an opportunity to build themselves up to that and no reason to ever be anything else.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Laurelin said:


> My yard is flooded. Also I'm tired of constant rain. And supposedly it's gonna rain the next 9 days at least.
> 
> /ded/


My yard is flooded too... With snow. At least 6 inches and there's supposed to be more coming tomorrow. I mean I should expect it, we always get a solid snow fall right around graduation time. But that doesn't make it any easier to accept.


----------



## Laurelin

Miss Bugs said:


> I used to think GSDs were high energy dogs... went out with my friend and her GSDs.. my dogs ran circles around them..litterally..the shepherds tried to keep up and then gave up. My friend was like "I used to think the shepherds were so fast.... but..umm... your dogs make them look like snails" her dogs ran and played..mine circled them 10x over and repeatedly vaulted the fences then we went to her place and the Shepherds were done..for hours... barley even saw them the rest of the day. mine settled for a while then got bored and lost their minds, I left and took my dogs for a 2 hour walk/swim. Now maybe its just the line as all her shepherds are from the same breeder and are related but man, they were CHILL compared to my crew, even Happy and she's nearly 15 for goodness sake!


Most GSDs underwhelm me a lot. Occasionally I meet a really really cool working line dog that I adore. There's a couple of those that I know that will go for days and are lovely. 

One thing about GSDs that is weird to me is all the ones I've ever seen run agility in person are very slow. It seems weird to me. Even a couple working line dogs I've seen run. I get all excited thinking 'Ok now HERE'S a GSD that should be really fast' and then while they look intense getting up to the line they start running and are slow?

There is one lady with a mid-fast kind of dog. I think it's a WGSL dog. But he's big and not the most agile and takes down bars like crazy. 

I have seen a couple sport GSDs in VIDEO I like but never in person yet. If I ever get a shepherd though it'd be a Belgian. I like their energy type 1000000x more.


----------



## Laurelin

ACDs are weird in that they seem to be the extremes. Either turbo charged and like a muscly wrecking ball or slower than slow.

I want an ACD like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tf3vg8oYWM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb2o8rWlhHg


----------



## Prozax

Im just so sad/confused. I went to two dog shows with Luna this weekend. It's like she isn't the samw breed as the other bullmastiffs. No big head, not wide, not remotely similar.
Leaving her health issues aside, i bought her as a show dog. She isnt remotely that. No more shows for her, but did i feel awkward and out of place when nobody talked to me and just looked at us like what the heck are they doing here...
I didn't like the atmosphere at all i felt so stupid. Glad its over, never again.


----------



## So Cavalier

Laurelin said:


> My yard is flooded. Also I'm tired of constant rain. And supposedly it's gonna rain the next 9 days at least.
> 
> /ded/


And we are in severe drought conditions here with mandatory water restrictions coming very soon. We are encouraged to let our lawns die. My backyard is becoming nothing but dirt which doesn't work well with 5 hairy dogs. I am thinking about artificial turf but don't really like the idea. Right now we can only water certain days and for so long. My lawn is almost dead and yet I see strip malls with green grass "only for looks".


----------



## Miss Bugs

CptJack said:


> Your dogs have a lifestyle that encourages that level of activity - and in some ways demands it. It builds stamina and strength, and doesn't require an off switch. It's reallllly not about breeds, much less lines. It's about you having dogs you exercise 8+ hours a day in a doggy daycare, and other people having lifestyles that don't allow that and dogs who adapt to what it DOES allow, and the physical fitness levels of both reflecting that lifestyle. I seem to remember you being frustrated initially because Paisley couldn't keep up, but clearly she does now. Or at least mostly.
> 
> Basically, it's not the dogs or the breeds. I would be willing to bet ANY dog you got would end up like that. It's the routine. It's the normal. It's what's expected. They have an opportunity to build themselves up to that and no reason to ever be anything else.


My friend with the GSDs runs a doggy daycare, and 2 of those GSDs litterally grew up at the doggy daycare I work at(daycare every day and boarded every weekend starting at 4 months old) thats MORE then my dogs lol

And Paisley is still chill, she can HANDLE my lifestyle now but she would just as soon stay home all day and sleep. Her first owner had a similar lifestyle as me, thats why she got an Aussie, but nothing could make that dog demand a high excerise requirement lol she's jokingly referred to as a Broken Aussie. she couldn't keep up when I got her because her foster home made her fat(they doubled her food intake because "she's not thick enough for an Aussie"...ya..) she was in foster only 2 months and I had to take 9 pounds off her.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Most GSDs underwhelm me a lot. Occasionally I meet a really really cool working line dog that I adore. There's a couple of those that I know that will go for days and are lovely.
> 
> One thing about GSDs that is weird to me is all the ones I've ever seen run agility in person are very slow. It seems weird to me. Even a couple working line dogs I've seen run. I get all excited thinking 'Ok now HERE'S a GSD that should be really fast' and then while they look intense getting up to the line they start running and are slow?
> 
> There is one lady with a mid-fast kind of dog. I think it's a WGSL dog. But he's big and not the most agile and takes down bars like crazy.
> 
> I have seen a couple sport GSDs in VIDEO I like but never in person yet. If I ever get a shepherd though it'd be a Belgian. I like their energy type 1000000x more.


I admit I've noticed this, but I've written it down to the fact that they're basically pacing/trotting dogs? Ie: they're not built to really SPRINT and run fast, and aren't supposed to. Even if you go all the way back to herding dogs/using them on livestock they tend and act as a living fence. The dogs used for other work just need to be able to outrun a person, which is not actually all that fast. Plus a lot of them are just really big. Some are intense and attentive, but I've yet to see one even Kylie can't outrun, for speed, to be honest, though most I see/have been around seem to have decent stamina.

That said, I'm REALLY not a GSD person and have relatively limited experience with dogs who aren't basically police dogs (either bred for or vocation) AND they kind of scare me so who the heck knows.


----------



## Laurelin

One GSD/mal person told me GSDs are super easy to turn into 'obedience agility' type dogs who want to do the correct thing vs be speedy. I dunno if that's true. 

Side note: I found Hank's 'I'm severely under-exercised' breaking point. I think he is definitely not as easy of a dog as I think he is because whoa boy do different things come out of the woodwork. Ever since I've gotten him, this is his first real stretch of not much activity. He's always gone even 3 days without much in the past and been fine. But he's only exercised maybe 3 times these last two weeks and the result? Not so great.


----------



## Remaru

Laurelin said:


> My yard is flooded. Also I'm tired of constant rain. And supposedly it's gonna rain the next 9 days at least.
> 
> /ded/


This is what we have going. It just won't stop raining for more than a couple of days. My yard has drainage issues so we have a swamp/lake going. It sucks here.


----------



## Equinox

lol GSDs would be under a different kind of mindset in a doggy daycare, they're not going to be YAY DAYCARE WHEE WHEE LET'S PLAY WITH OTHER DOGS and run around excitedly. Throw a GSD in a daycare and they're more likely to follow their handler around or find a corner and settle. Agree with Cpt Jack regarding lifestyle and expectations - these dogs care more about their handler/person than other dogs. 

Playing is treated like a job if done at all. They don't romp and zip around mindlessly until they exhaust themselves, why exert the energy without purpose. When it comes to going after something they actually WANT, my German Shepherd is faster than my Malinois, and my Malinois is not a slow dog lmao Neither are "low energy" (or even moderate energy).

When it comes to agility I find that a lot of them will second guess themselves because they are thinking dogs, and like Laurelin's friend says, will put more thought into the obedience of it all than other breeds. Take the same dogs from the agility trial and onto an IPO field and see how fast they go in a long bite compared to a BC or Retriever


----------



## CptJack

GSD, or even Thud (who honestly sounds a lot like Trent in some ways, but is still of course a mix) are kind of hard for me to describe when it comes to things like energy level. I mean... Thud didn't stop moving indoors until he was 18 months old, unless he was crated. But he's not the same kind of high energy as a retriever or herder. Molly doesn't mindlessly run, though sometimes she'll mindlessly react. She moves with focus, purpose, and objective. She is handler focused in the extreme - maybe more so than Thud, even; she is always up my butt and into what I'm doing, whether it's entertaining or not. 

But she's more reactive, less *obviously* deliberate, and is more willing to be handler focused when I'm being boring than Thud. Thud is... just a different kind of energy and work ethic and mental process, I guess. Different kind of intensity. 

I throw a ball for Molly, she's GOING to bring it back - because the ball was thrown. I throw a ball for Thud, he'll bring it back about a half dozen times, decide it's boring and is over it. Other dogs run by and play and Molly's going to respond to that either by playing or trying to shut it down because she can't (easily) not respond to that. Thud DECIDES that he's going to play and plays until he's done and it's not engaging/interesting. Molly hangs out with me and does laundry with me and follows me around because I'm there and I'm her person and it's what she does. Thud checks in with me, sees I'm doing nothing he considers interesting and leaves. 

I'm not saying Molly doesn't think; she definitely does and makes lots of decisions that kind of blow me away in being obvious, like mitigating her own arousal level - but it's just not the same kind of deliberation. She's not even more 'playful' because she is REALLY freaking serious about her games. She decides NOT to engage, sometimes, I guess, and Thud decides TO. You point her at something, her default is full intensity, unless you convince her or have shown her that it's appropriate to tone it down. Thud's default is "how much of my energy and effort does this need/is this worth?" 

And I STILL haven't described that in a way that I feel like actually manages to explain it, but I'm out of things to suggest.


----------



## CptJack

Related aside: I never did agility with Thud, because I realized that he doesn't find movement intrinsically fun the way a lot of other dogs do. He moves, he runs, he's very powerful, but movement for movement's sake isn't his thing. I've never seen him have zoomies in his life, or romp just for the sake of running and romping. He doesn't even like games of chase the human, unless they end with the human on the ground and biting them. 

Could I work with that? Yeah, sure. I just don't see much point and I don't know how I'd explain letting my dog maul me as his trial reward


----------



## Miss Bugs

My friend was walking around them all when I snapped the picture, thats what they are all staring at lol




Equinox said:


> lol GSDs would be under a different kind of mindset in a doggy daycare, they're not going to be YAY DAYCARE WHEE WHEE LET'S PLAY WITH OTHER DOGS and run around excitedly. Throw a GSD in a daycare and they're more likely to follow their handler around or find a corner and settle. Agree with Cpt Jack regarding lifestyle and expectations - these dogs care more about their handler/person than other dogs.
> 
> Playing is treated like a job if done at all. They don't romp and zip around mindlessly until they exhaust themselves, why exert the energy without purpose. When it comes to going after something they actually WANT, my German Shepherd is faster than my Malinois, and my Malinois is not a slow dog lmao Neither are "low energy" (or even moderate energy).
> 
> When it comes to agility I find that a lot of them will second guess themselves because they are thinking dogs, and like Laurelin's friend says, will put more thought into the obedience of it all than other breeds. Take the same dogs from the agility trial and onto an IPO field and see how fast they go in a long bite compared to a BC or Retriever


.....I have never owned a dog in my life thats anything like you described other breeds to be like lol. I mean Sola will go "yay daycare" and run off to play but she's a puppy.(and give me break about GSDs not being like that, we're the official police dog kennel and have several working line GSDs that come to daycare, they are JUST as "woo daycare!!!" As the labs and don't even glance in their owners direction) my dogs don't give 1 wit about anything but working with me..hence I was throwing toys and having them vault the rink walls, that's the only way they will actually move and not just stare at me.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank has these random fearful moments where he totally shuts down. It is really frustrating because they are incredibly infrequent and I cannot for the life of me find a common trigger. Today I think it was this bridge we walked across. It is pretty tall (but height isn't usually a problem) and one board is loose and moves and clangs when you step on it. But w'eve walked across it many times just fine. Today though? He was shaking, would not take food, tried refusing to move. And then was super spooky by totally normal things the rest of the walk. Person sitting at a table with sunglasses? Scary. We sat by the pond and he was spooking just left and right for no reason. A leaf moved? Scary.

He has maybe done this 4-5 times in the 8 months since I got him. Every other time he is over confident. I don't quite get it.

On the way back we crossed the bridge again (had to) and I got out cookies and we raced and ran across it. He got real low and cautious about it but ran without stopping. We had a party upon reaching the other side and he was grinning and totally relaxed. So maybe taking things fast is what we need to do. Make it a game. I'm thinking this is very related to his fear of the teeter.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Laurelin said:


> My yard is flooded. Also I'm tired of constant rain. And supposedly it's gonna rain the next 9 days at least.
> 
> /ded/


House training the puppy would be better if it would be DRY given Donut just runs inside if it's wet. *Picks up puppy*, *Goes to far corner of the yard*, *Gives me offended/hurt look*, *Runs/prances back to the door, trying to keep contact with the grass minimal*, *Repeat 5-10 times*, *Quit and stuff him in the crate*

Also, how are you? Tornado sirens went off at work today. We all had to go to the back of the store with all of 15 customers, and be ready to duck into the meat and produce coolers. Luckily, just a sideways wall of water we pretended was rain was what we had, plus high winds. My friends actually had a tornado touch down by their apartments  and trees are knocked over everywhere, metal signs in the street.

No one was hurt around here.

How goes it for other North Texas/Oklahoma residents?


----------



## chimunga

/facepalm

My mom's dog is pregnant. She has a year old chocolate lab, and a JRT/Beagle that's about Watson's age. The lab went into heat, and the JRT wasn't fixed AND SHE LEFT THEM ALONE. She was even joking that when she got back home, they were both sitting smoking cigarettes. Good god. Not only that, but she's had nothing but problems with this poor JRT. He was from an oops litter that she was taking care of for a friend. He's mean, he bites, he growls. She had to buy a muzzle for him the other day. She's always just taken dogs on a whim, and it drives me nuts. The lab (who isn't fixed) gets out all the time. She has to pick the dog up from the shelter like once a month. And then she complains that the shelter fines her. 

I wish I lived back home near my mom, so I could just foster the pregnant lab and try to give the puppies the best start I can. UGH. Frustrated. Dogs are important to me. And my mother loves animals too, but there's no structure to her love.


----------



## d_ray

chimunga said:


> /facepalm
> 
> My mom's dog is pregnant. She has a year old chocolate lab, and a JRT/Beagle that's about Watson's age. The lab went into heat, and the JRT wasn't fixed AND SHE LEFT THEM ALONE. She was even joking that when she got back home, they were both sitting smoking cigarettes. Good god. Not only that, but she's had nothing but problems with this poor JRT. He was from an oops litter that she was taking care of for a friend. He's mean, he bites, he growls. She had to buy a muzzle for him the other day. She's always just taken dogs on a whim, and it drives me nuts. The lab (who isn't fixed) gets out all the time. She has to pick the dog up from the shelter like once a month. And then she complains that the shelter fines her.
> 
> I wish I lived back home near my mom, so I could just foster the pregnant lab and try to give the puppies the best start I can. UGH. Frustrated. Dogs are important to me. And my mother loves animals too, but there's no structure to her love.


That's a really crappy situation esp since you are too far away to help.


----------



## Kyllobernese

thread 



Hank has these random fearful moments where he totally shuts down. It is really frustrating because they are incredibly infrequent and I cannot for the life of me find a common trigger. Today I think it was this bridge we walked across. It is pretty tall (but height isn't usually a problem) and one board is loose and moves and clangs when you step on it. But w'eve walked across it many times just fine. Today though? He was shaking, would not take food, tried refusing to move. And then was super spooky by totally normal things the rest of the walk. Person sitting at a table with sunglasses? Scary. We sat by the pond and he was spooking just left and right for no reason. A leaf moved? Scary.

Just copied Laurelin's post as can't figure out how to quote.

Kris is 2 and a half years old. She has always been very confident but for some reason she has become really spooky about one corner of the arena which she has been training in for the last year and more. She would not go into the corner, or take treats. If she had a tail it would have been between her back legs. The agility equipment which she loves, is in that end of the arena. I did finally get her to go through the tunnel and over the teeter but could tell she was still spooky about that corner. This has happened the last two times I have been there and does not seem to be getting any better. Nothing has happened to her in that corner so can't figure out this "spookiness".


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Equinox said:


> lol GSDs would be under a different kind of mindset in a doggy daycare, they're not going to be YAY DAYCARE WHEE WHEE LET'S PLAY WITH OTHER DOGS and run around excitedly. Throw a GSD in a daycare and they're more likely to follow their handler around or find a corner and settle. Agree with Cpt Jack regarding lifestyle and expectations - these dogs care more about their handler/person than other dogs.
> 
> Playing is treated like a job if done at all. They don't romp and zip around mindlessly until they exhaust themselves, why exert the energy without purpose. When it comes to going after something they actually WANT, my German Shepherd is faster than my Malinois, and my Malinois is not a slow dog lmao Neither are "low energy" (or even moderate energy).
> 
> When it comes to agility I find that a lot of them will second guess themselves because they are thinking dogs, and like Laurelin's friend says, will put more thought into the obedience of it all than other breeds. Take the same dogs from the agility trial and onto an IPO field and see how fast they go in a long bite compared to a BC or Retriever


I know she wasnt a GSD, but that is exactly how Izze was. She wouldnt learn tricks or other useless things, if it didnt have a purpose that she could see, she wasnt doing it LOL. I see that a lot in Lincoln as well, he is still a goofy teenage puppy, but his play has a PURPOSE, its not just mindless games and fooling around to him.

Random vent: There is a dead something or other somewhere in one of our AC vents, the one vent in the bedroom on route to the bathroom smells just awful


----------



## missc89

Random question and sorry if I am interrupting anything: I want to get an ex-pen for my pup, looking in to getting one now, but I want one that'll last it its life. How big of an ex-pen should I get? 

Pup is gonna be an Aussie to make it easier.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank climbed a 7' wall yesterday. Was kind of impressive.


----------



## GrinningDog

Three final exams down, four to go. 

Then, on Friday, I roadtrip it with the furry beasties back to OH for break. So excited! SO, SO excited! This semester was brutal, between having 31 credit hours and dealing with crap outside of school. I'm just dying to go home. Gonna be hard to motivate myself to study for my remaining exams.


----------



## Denisekay

So tomorrow the new dog should be coming home tomorrow if everything goes well, however he will have just been neutered that day so probably kinda drowsy and will need supervision. Speaking of supervision we don't know how the cat is gonna react to the dog, he tends to not like new animals in the house although they were all cats and not dogs and I think the problem was with dominance. Also the dog may need training as well. My parents will be working most of the week so it will be just me and my brother to look out him. Then on Friday I have a state standardized Civics test to take which will hopefully only be a few hours, and it is my last test too thankfully.


----------



## ireth0

missc89 said:


> Random question and sorry if I am interrupting anything: I want to get an ex-pen for my pup, looking in to getting one now, but I want one that'll last it its life. How big of an ex-pen should I get?
> 
> Pup is gonna be an Aussie to make it easier.


I wouldn't count on an expen to contain an adult aussie. I'd plan to switch to a crate or dog proofed room.


----------



## missc89

ireth0 said:


> I wouldn't count on an expen to contain an adult aussie. I'd plan to switch to a crate or dog proofed room.


Fair - but I'm hoping the ex-pen can contain at the very least a pup aussie until it can be trusted in the house !!


----------



## ireth0

missc89 said:


> Fair - but I'm hoping the ex-pen can contain at the very least a pup aussie until it can be trusted in the house !!


Eh, I don't know if it would. Especially a medium sized breed, it will probably be adult sized before it is fully housebroken, or close enough. 

I would use an expen for young puppies and small/toy breeds, but nothing bigger. Too easy to tip over or jump out of.


----------



## Laurelin

The first time I put Hank in an xpen he was like 'oh that's cute' *HOP* 

Of course he can climb trees and 7' walls so....

Puppy Mia did not stay in an xpen well either. Summer and Mia will stay in one NOW but I think that's mostly because Mia's knees prevent climbing.


----------



## ireth0

Laurelin said:


> The first time I put Hank in an xpen he was like 'oh that's cute' *HOP*
> 
> Of course he can climb trees and 7' walls so....
> 
> Puppy Mia did not stay in an xpen well either. Summer and Mia will stay in one NOW but I think that's mostly because Mia's knees prevent climbing.


I think if I put Luna in an expen she would just walk through it like it wasn't even there.

Mind you she is much bigger than Hank, but still.


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> The first time I put Hank in an xpen he was like 'oh that's cute' *HOP*
> 
> Of course he can climb trees and 7' walls so....
> 
> Puppy Mia did not stay in an xpen well either. Summer and Mia will stay in one NOW but I think that's mostly because Mia's knees prevent climbing.


Ahahahaha. In that case I'm going to have to make sure he/she can't escape before I leave him/her alone!


----------



## elrohwen

I have 36" expens for the bunnies and I would totally not trust them to contain a puppy. My 5lb rabbit can move the pen herself. They are useful to gate off areas too wide for regular gates (I'll take one out on the porch to block the steps) but that's about it. I would get a crate instead and not worry about an xpen


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> I have 36" expens for the bunnies and I would totally not trust them to contain a puppy. My 5lb rabbit can move the pen herself. They are useful to gate off areas too wide for regular gates (I'll take one out on the porch to block the steps) but that's about it. I would get a crate instead and not worry about an xpen


I'm hoping to get one of those ex-pens you can just click on to the crate and the BF and I are going to make sure it is well-grounded and that the pup is unable to move it.


----------



## elrohwen

That's the set up I have for the rabbits - cage with xpen clipped on. But again, 5lb rabbit can move the entire pen and there is no easy way to keep it stationary. A 20lb puppy who wants to move it will be able to move it unless you build a cinder block wall around it. My rabbit can also escape where it attaches to the cage and while a puppy will mostly be too big to sit through, I wouldn't trust it. Puppies can also climb and even one who can't jump it might climb out. 

Honestly, I would just do a crate until the pup can be in a room alone. You'll need to only use the crate during the first few months of potty training anyway.


----------



## missc89

The only reason I'm thinking of doing the ex-pen is so that the dog can have some room to roam while I'm out of the house and at work instead of being cramped up in a crate all day. The new place the BF and I are (most likely) going to be moving in to has mostly carpet so there aren't many rooms I would leave the dog in unattended.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> The only reason I'm thinking of doing the ex-pen is so that the dog can have some room to roam while I'm out of the house and at work instead of being cramped up in a crate all day. The new place the BF and I are (most likely) going to be moving in to has mostly carpet so there aren't many rooms I would leave the dog in unattended.


If the puppy isn't potty trained reliably then you will want him in the crate. If he is potty trained it won't matter if there is carpet. 

Also, xpens are not large. Most are 4ftx4ft if you set them up square and that's not bigger than a large crate. I think you would be better off investing in a huge crate.


----------



## chimunga

d_ray said:


> That's a really crappy situation esp since you are too far away to help.


It is. It just really annoys me. Because this same situation has happened to her before. We had an oops litter when I was about 13, because my mom let her unspayed female run around the neighborhood. And then the day before the dog was scheduled to get spayed she "ran away." I adored that dog. 

When I was about 5 we have TWENTY CATS. Because my mom didn't get the mom cat spayed. There are still descendants of those cats running around our old neighborhood. 

There are just things she does that I can't even really fathom.


----------



## d_ray

chimunga said:


> It is. It just really annoys me. Because this same situation has happened to her before. We had an oops litter when I was about 13, because my mom let her unspayed female run around the neighborhood. And then the day before the dog was scheduled to get spayed she "ran away." I adored that dog.
> 
> When I was about 5 we have TWENTY CATS. Because my mom didn't get the mom cat spayed. There are still descendants of those cats running around our old neighborhood.
> 
> There are just things she does that I can't even really fathom.


What's her reason for not fixing them? Can you try to convince her to?


----------



## chimunga

elrohwen said:


> If the puppy isn't potty trained reliably then you will want him in the crate. If he is potty trained it won't matter if there is carpet.
> 
> Also, xpens are not large. Most are 4ftx4ft if you set them up square and that's not bigger than a large crate. I think you would be better off investing in a huge crate.


IMO x-pens aren't for potty training. The main use for Watson's x-pen when he was a baby was time-out time. He'd throw a temper tantrum, or bite too hard, and we'd plop him in there. We'd watch him while he was in there, because he wasn't potty trained yet. But it was a way to remove access to us when he was being a jerk. Watson was potty trained quickly. I think we were at no accidents by 16-18 weeks. But he probably would have been trained quicker if he hadn't had the x-pen. The x=pen made us lazy. We'd mean to watch him, but out of sight out of mind.


----------



## chimunga

d_ray said:


> What's her reason for not fixing them? Can you try to convince her to?


She has very very little money. She's on food stamps and (I think) welfare. Our whole family always tells her that she can't have pets because she doesn't have the money or time to take care of them, but she always says we're being condescending and does it anyways. There are low-cost options in my home town, and I really don't understand why she has never taken advantage of them

She actually wanted me to take the JRT/Beagle (knowing I dislike both breeds) when he was born. She offered to bring him to me. He was born right before Watson was, and I knew I was getting my Corgi pup soon. She's one of those "mutts are better" people, and thought I was being snooty getting such an expensive dog.


----------



## missc89

Okay, so basically a better way of going about it would be to maybe just block off the kitchen for time-out times and as a dog-proof room for puppy to roam? And I already have a really large crate that my parents are giving to me (kitchen has tiles and is bigger than an ex-pen; crate that parents are giving me could comfortably house a golden retriever fully grown)


----------



## missc89

chimunga said:


> She has very very little money. She's on food stamps and (I think) welfare. Our whole family always tells her that she can't have pets because she doesn't have the money or time to take care of them, but she always says we're being condescending and does it anyways. There are low-cost options in my home town, and I really don't understand why she has never taken advantage of them
> 
> She actually wanted me to take the JRT/Beagle (knowing I dislike both breeds) when he was born. She offered to bring him to me. He was born right before Watson was, and I knew I was getting my Corgi pup soon. She's one of those "mutts are better" people, and thought I was being snooty getting such an expensive dog.


If I am not mistaken, every year or so there are some vets who go around low-income housing areas and offer free spay/neuter to those who want to get their dogs fixed. Maybe you could look in to that where your mom is living and then maybe a surprise visit around that time of the year would be a great coincidence?


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> Okay, so basically a better way of going about it would be to maybe just block off the kitchen for time-out times and as a dog-proof room for puppy to roam? And I already have a really large crate that my parents are giving to me (kitchen has tiles and is bigger than an ex-pen; crate that parents are giving me could comfortably house a golden retriever fully grown)


Yeah, I would just do that. Crate until you think he's reliable with house training, then let him have the kitchen. Don't be in a rush though.

Do you know what size crate it is? Watson is in a crate that people generally use for goldens and it's not huge. A full grown male aussie would fit in it but it wouldn't be extra large or anything.


----------



## chimunga

missc89 said:


> If I am not mistaken, every year or so there are some vets who go around low-income housing areas and offer free spay/neuter to those who want to get their dogs fixed. Maybe you could look in to that where your mom is living and then maybe a surprise visit around that time of the year would be a great coincidence?


I know this sounds terrible, but I really doubt she'll still have the dogs by the time I'm home next. Her dogs tend to have a pretty high turnover rate.


----------



## sassafras

I know a handful of people who use expens just fine for puppies. I used one for Squash for awhile as a puppy because it was easier to move around, I especially used it for visiting other people's houses. A lot of puppies (not all obviously) can learn to respect boundaries pretty young, and even if they can move it a little it's not the end of the world.

I prefer to get the tallest one I can get my hands on, so I can use them as door blocks/baby gates later.


----------



## elrohwen

I like having xpens around and they are useful sometimes, but I don't think I would've bought one if I didn't already have them for the bunnies. And the tall ones aren't cheap either!


----------



## missc89

I found one on Kijiji for like 50$, 16 sq/ft, 24W x 36H. It looks like it has a whippet on the box lol


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> I found one on Kijiji for like 50$, 16 sq/ft, 24W x 36H. It looks like it has a whippet on the box lol


I would try to talk them down on price, depending on how much it's been used, but I think it would be fine unless your dog is one who learns to climb it. Bunny people like to clip a sheet across the top to prevent escapes.


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> I would try to talk them down on price, depending on how much it's been used, but I think it would be fine unless your dog is one who learns to climb it. Bunny people like to clip a sheet across the top to prevent escapes.


Haha actually they bought it at 80$ for their bunnies and realized it was WAY too big, so it's brand new not even out of the box yet.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> Haha actually they bought it at 80$ for their bunnies and realized it was WAY too big, so it's brand new not even out of the box yet.


Don't tell my bunnies that - they act like their lives are over when I close the pen, and since it's attached to a 4ftx2ft cage, they have 24sqft. lol During the day they get an entire room.

Tell those people it's the perfect size for their bunny and not too big!


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Don't tell my bunnies that - they act like their lives are over when I close the pen, and since it's attached to a 4ftx2ft cage, they have 24sqft. lol During the day they get an entire room.
> 
> Tell those people it's the perfect size for their bunny and not too big!


Yeaaaah, my rabbits alternately share 2 rooms, most of the time. Smallest portion of access any of them have is something like 8X10 feet. ...Not counting vertical space within it.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH I think there is a dead something or other somewhere in the vents of my AC system, every time the air kicks on I can smell it ... the smell is strongest in the two vents in the bedroom -_-


----------



## Willowy

Urgh, people are dumb. One of the mail carriers got bitten by a dog. So of course the sheriff and everyone was involved, typical farm dog, no rabies shots, etc. So the owners shot the dog. Now he can't be quarantined or tested for rabies. Now the carrier will probably need to get rabies shots. Jeez, I mean, if you want the dog dead just let the sheriff take him so he can be tested.

They thought the reason the sheriff was involved and all that was because the dog was "vicious" (by all accounts he wasn't; he just didn't like the mail carrier), so they'd have to get rid of him. That wasn't the problem. We just want to make sure our carriers aren't going to keel over from rabies. They cost a lot to replace .


----------



## Rescued

missc89 said:


> I'm hoping to get one of those ex-pens you can just click on to the crate and the BF and I are going to make sure it is well-grounded and that the pup is unable to move it.


I just have to say that it IS possible... Nug will stay in/behind one when I need to, and grey does every time I leave. They are VERY good about boundaries though and I drilled that into them. An 18 inch baby gate will keep both of them in even though they can easily jump out.


----------



## d_ray

chimunga said:


> I know this sounds terrible, but I really doubt she'll still have the dogs by the time I'm home next. Her dogs tend to have a pretty high turnover rate.


I'm sorry you have to deal with this. It must be so hard having to witness this.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

This probably belongs in off topic, but wish us luck please. We are in the process of signing for an apartment and the pet interview is tomorrow morning!


----------



## cookieface

Yesterday, Tyson peed (marked?) and pooped in new places!!! I know, seems like a weird thing to be excited about, but he's so timid that he usually doesn't go unless he's in one of about four spots in the yard.



CrimsonAccent said:


> This probably belongs in off topic, but wish us luck please. We are in the process of signing for an apartment and the pet interview is tomorrow morning!


Good luck (not that you need it)!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

poor Lincoln started sneezing A LOT yesterday, so I checked his nose for something like a foxtail, but there was nothing in there, and he could breathe out of both nostrils (checked by putting a mirror under his nose and putting my finger over each nostril), so no obstruction. I didnt think he could be a foxtail because they arent seeding as of yet, but I wanted to make sure. He was fine all day until he started playing with Josefina, so I dont know if that was coincidental, or if she rolled in some pollen or something... she is always rolling in gross / weird stuff -_-

He isnt the only one, OH and I are both sneezing, too -_-


----------



## Willowy

They're telling the carrier they can force him to take the rabies vaccine. He would rather not. He is, shall we say, unhappy with the situation.

Yikes. This whole mess makes me want to not report a bite if it ever happens to me. You can get written up for that but it seems better than this nonsense.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Yikes and rabies vaccs are painful, too -_-

I cant believe its not required by state law, or if it is, its not enforced in your area, because here they are sticklers about it.


----------



## Willowy

Nope, no state law, no requirements if you live outside town limits. Most towns have ordinances.

But people ought to know not to destroy the brain tissue if there's a question of rabies. Worst part is, the sheriff's deputy knew they were going to kill the dog, even went out to look at the body, and didn't tell them it would be a problem :/. Apparently he was under the impression that the bite was the problem too, not the lack of rabies vaccination.


----------



## elrohwen

Last night Watson stepped on a fishhook. Not any fishhook, but a three pronged one (didn't even think they sold those? I don't know what use that could be as a baited hook). I carried him up from the lake to the walking trail and set him down to look at it more closely, and the hook fell out as I put him down. It must have pinched him hard, and then gotten stuck between his toes, but it wasn't embedded. Thank goodness. I gathered up the ~20ft of line, weight, and hook and he walked fine the rest of the way home.

So mad that someone would leave that on the shore. It wasn't near the edge of the water at all, so I don't think someone fishing in a boat got it caught in vegetation; I think it was someone fishing from land who just forgot it.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Random: So glad Watson is okay! Yesterday I saw a Chi/Klee Kai mix, the dog was cute. He was small, cream, and was more gravitated to Luke than coming to me. But I did pet him, he was 7yrs old and named Bean (or Beanie...I didn't hear the owner too much when she said his name). But I couldn't believe the mix, the dog was cute and friendly.


Rant: I don't care if my neighbors have a good time. That's great! But don't stand so close to our yard, nor put your drink on our grill. Luke was barking constantly at them cause they were so close that I had to shut the curtain and it was a nice day outside. Why don't people have common sense or common curtsey?


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Last night Watson stepped on a fishhook. Not any fishhook, but a three pronged one (didn't even think they sold those? I don't know what use that could be as a baited hook). I carried him up from the lake to the walking trail and set him down to look at it more closely, and the hook fell out as I put him down. It must have pinched him hard, and then gotten stuck between his toes, but it wasn't imbedded. Thank goodness. I gathered up the ~20ft of line, weight, and hook and he walked fine the rest of the way home.
> 
> So mad that someone would leave that on the shore. It wasn't near the edge of the water at all, so I don't think someone fishing in a boat got it caught in vegetation; I think it was someone fishing from land who just forgot it.


Yikes! Glad he's okay. I never really thought about that, but definitely something I'm going to look out for when we're near water from now on.


----------



## cookieface

Willowy said:


> Nope, no state law, no requirements if you live outside town limits. Most towns have ordinances.
> 
> But people ought to know not to destroy the brain tissue if there's a question of rabies. Worst part is, the sheriff's deputy knew they were going to kill the dog, even went out to look at the body, and didn't tell them it would be a problem :/. Apparently he was under the impression that the bite was the problem too, not the lack of rabies vaccination.


Hope the carrier is ok. I can't believe no one thought about testing the dog. Yikes!



elrohwen said:


> Last night Watson stepped on a fishhook. Not any fishhook, but a three pronged one (didn't even think they sold those? I don't know what use that could be as a baited hook). I carried him up from the lake to the walking trail and set him down to look at it more closely, and the hook fell out as I put him down. It must have pinched him hard, and then gotten stuck between his toes, but it wasn't imbedded. Thank goodness. I gathered up the ~20ft of line, weight, and hook and he walked fine the rest of the way home.
> 
> So mad that someone would leave that on the shore. It wasn't near the edge of the water at all, so I don't think someone fishing in a boat got it caught in vegetation; I think it was someone fishing from land who just forgot it.


Poor Watson. Glad the hook didn't get stuck. I've had fishhooks stuck in my feet and OUCH!! 

I don't think it was necessarily left by a careless fisher person (obviously, it very well could have been). I've watched my husband fish and lines get caught in trees and bushes, and are impossible to find. I wouldn't be surprised if started out high in a tree and was carried by birds or squirrels. Fishhooks in the bedroom are completely the fault of messy, careless individuals.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Yikes! Glad he's okay. I never really thought about that, but definitely something I'm going to look out for when we're near water from now on.


At first when he yelped I thought he stepped on glass, but then I saw he was standing on fishing line and thought "Oh crap". It looked like it was in his foot, but luckily he's furry and it just jammed in between his toes. Probably not taking him down to that lake again any time soon.


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> Poor Watson. Glad the hook didn't get stuck. I've had fishhooks stuck in my feet and OUCH!!
> 
> I don't think it was necessarily left by a careless fisher person (obviously, it very well could have been). I've watched my husband fish and lines get caught in trees and bushes, and are impossible to find. I wouldn't be surprised if started out high in a tree and was carried by birds or squirrels. Fishhooks in the bedroom are completely the fault of messy, careless individuals.


That was my first thought too, but just based on where I found it, and the fact that the line wasn't tangled in anything (and it was a lot of line) I'm not so sure. I told my husband where I found it and he agreed it sounds like it was left there carelessly, vs getting caught in vegetation. He was also furious at the type of hook since he has no idea why you would even use one like that, and the fact that it was three prongs made it much easier for someone to get hurt on it (vs a regular hook that would lay fairly flat on the ground).

There are only one or two areas you can really get down to the lake's edge, and this one is right off the walking trail, so it would be nice if people would be more careful when fishing near there, even if it was an accident and got stuck on something.


----------



## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> That was my first thought too, but just based on where I found it, and the fact that the line wasn't tangled in anything (and it was a lot of line) I'm not so sure. I told my husband where I found it and he agreed it sounds like it was left there carelessly, vs getting caught in vegetation. He was also furious at the type of hook since he has no idea why you would even use one like that, and the fact that it was three prongs made it much easier for someone to get hurt on it (vs a regular hook that would lay fairly flat on the ground).
> 
> There are only one or two areas you can really get down to the lake's edge, and this one is right off the walking trail, so it would be nice if people would be more careful when fishing near there, even if it was an accident and got stuck on something.


Is it really not common to use 3 pronged fish hooks where you are? I'm not into fishing but my bf is, and I grew up around fishing in my family, and 3 pronged hooks have never been uncommon to see. I couldn't tell you the why of it, but it's not like they're a rare type of hook, here anyway.


----------



## missc89

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Rant: I don't care if my neighbors have a good time. That's great! But don't stand so close to our yard, nor put your drink on our grill. Luke was barking constantly at them cause they were so close that I had to shut the curtain and it was a nice day outside. Why don't people have common sense or common curtsey?


There are not many things that bother me more than someone encroaching on my space. Like, sorry, I live here, not you, you've got your entire back yard, leave mine alone.



CrimsonAccent said:


> This probably belongs in off topic, but wish us luck please. We are in the process of signing for an apartment and the pet interview is tomorrow morning!


Fingers crossed for you!! We are in the process of putting in an application in to a townhouse and we really hope we get it too!!


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Is it really not common to use 3 pronged fish hooks where you are? I'm not into fishing but my bf is, and I grew up around fishing in my family, and 3 pronged hooks have never been uncommon to see. I couldn't tell you the why of it, but it's not like they're a rare type of hook, here anyway.


Interesting! Outside of large lures, that's not something my husband and I have ever seen used around here, and he's done a decent amount of fishing. I'll have to ask my other friend who fishes all the time.


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> Interesting! Outside of large lures, that's not something my husband and I have ever seen used around here, and he's done a decent amount of fishing. I'll have to ask my other friend who fishes all the time.


Don't most spinners and spoons have three prongs?


----------



## cookieface

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Rant: I don't care if my neighbors have a good time. That's great! But don't stand so close to our yard, nor put your drink on our grill. Luke was barking constantly at them cause they were so close that I had to shut the curtain and it was a nice day outside. Why don't people have common sense or common curtsey?


Our neighbor built a huge shed _right next to_ the property line opposite our new deck. It annoys us every time we go outside. People are so inconsiderate. I _really_ want to move to the country far, far away from people.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> elrohwen said:
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting! Outside of large lures, that's not something my husband and I have ever seen used around here, and he's done a decent amount of fishing. I'll have to ask my other friend who fishes all the time.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't most spinners and spoons have three prongs?
Click to expand...

Right, exactly what I'm talking about. You see them with lures but I haven't seen one tied to a line and baited. At least with a big yellow thing attached you're unlikely to lose it or step on it.


----------



## missc89

cookieface said:


> Our neighbor built a huge shed _right next to_ the property line opposite our new deck. It annoys us every time we go outside. People are so inconsiderate. I _really_ want to move to the country far, far away from people.


My parents neighbours had this large gross tarp-type garages for their car and it was really ugly, we could see it from our yard, so we put up bushes to hide the ugly garage. What do they do? They built a deck and moved the garage further down their lane way (I have a very VERY large back-yard)



elrohwen said:


> Right, exactly what I'm talking about. You see them with lures but I haven't seen one tied to a line and baited. At least with a big yellow thing attached you're unlikely to lose it or step on it.


In that case, I think you're right. It was probably someone who made a make-shift fishing rod with a stick and a hook and just left it there. At least that's what its starting to sound like. Ooo I love being a detective!


----------



## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> Right, exactly what I'm talking about. You see them with lures but I haven't seen one tied to a line and baited. At least with a big yellow thing attached you're unlikely to lose it or step on it.


Oooh okay I thought you were meaning in general. Yea, I don't think I've ever seen one tied right to the line. Maybe by someone inexperienced or without money for proper lures. Or being an idiot.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Thanks for the good vibes cookieface and missc89!

We took Cupcake and Donut to the vet this morning (for shots and weight for heartworm meds respectively) and that was fairly smooth. Cupcake is 76 pounds and is a little overweight--73 pounds would be better. But I knew we needed to cut back food/up exercise, so I'm just glad it's not worse! Donut is 33 pounds and looking to max out between 45-50 pounds but we'll see!

The vet's vote for breeds is Border CollieXRetriever for Cupcake, with no real way to tell if it's Golden or Lab lol. And Catahoula/BirdDogXHerder (Aussie?) for Donut, with the caveat that he's on the smaller side.

Passed the pet interview with flying colors. We drove about 30 minutes, went to their office and they got cooed at essentially. We attempted to have both of them sit in front of us for a photo (I guess they need that for paperwork?) with limited success. They got treats for sitting/being cute. And that was literally it. 

I guess we overcompensated? We brought their shot records and they didn't even ask to see it lol. But the vet contact information is part of the application so maybe they do that themselves.

Went to Petco after that to get Donut a new collar/harness/leash set. The other stuff was getting too small and worn. Then swung by a friend's apartment for lunch.

Now to settle in and study/work on my essay for my last two finals tomorrow!

---

Good luck on the townhome missc89  I don't know if that we've just lucked out with a good place, but we haven't had a bad time so far as first time renters. The management is friendly and very straight forward about it all. 

Glad Watson is OK elrohwen. Makes my feet/hands wince just thinking about it 

And just yikes for the mail carrier Willowy. And sad about the dog. I mean, a head shot isn't necessarily inhumane, but just seems...like a shotgun reaction, no pun intended. And now all this mess with rabies just makes it worse.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> In that case, I think you're right. It was probably someone who made a make-shift fishing rod with a stick and a hook and just left it there. At least that's what its starting to sound like. Ooo I love being a detective!





ireth0 said:


> Oooh okay I thought you were meaning in general. Yea, I don't think I've ever seen one tied right to the line. Maybe by someone inexperienced or without money for proper lures. Or being an idiot.


Yeah, exactly, that's why we were confused and annoyed that they were using that type of hook, because it makes no sense if it's not part of a lure, and it's more dangerous to leave lying around then a regular hook. They did have a small weight on the line, and it was a lot of line which makes me think maybe they did catch it on something. Maybe it was so far back from the water because they tried to cast and it immediately got stuck in a tree. lol I do see teenagers down there a lot, so the inexperienced and no money for proper equipment makes sense. The more experienced looking people tend to go out onto the lake in boats, even though it's not much more than a pond.


----------



## ireth0

So, that time a while ago when someone hit my car.

Yea, now I'm paying my deductible AND my insurance is going up because SOMEONE ELSE HIT MY STOPPED CAR. I am so upset right now I don't even know where to start.

It basically comes down to technicalities in the regulations, and the provider the other person has for insurance.


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> So, that time a while ago when someone hit my car.
> 
> Yea, now I'm paying my deductible AND my insurance is going up because SOMEONE ELSE HIT MY STOPPED CAR. I am so upset right now I don't even know where to start.
> 
> It basically comes down to technicalities in the regulations, and the provider the other person has for insurance.


Wow, that really sucks!


----------



## missc89

I didn't want to start a new thread just for this, but this imaging website I am on often made a REALLY awesome post about Positive Dog Training and proving that Cesar has no clue what he's talking about when it comes to dogs based on the clip of him being bitten by a yellow lab.

Link for those who are curious: http://imgur.com/gallery/8zdXp


----------



## missc89

ireth0 said:


> So, that time a while ago when someone hit my car.
> 
> Yea, now I'm paying my deductible AND my insurance is going up because SOMEONE ELSE HIT MY STOPPED CAR. I am so upset right now I don't even know where to start.
> 
> It basically comes down to technicalities in the regulations, and the provider the other person has for insurance.


Was it a rear-ending? I unfortunately have a LOT of experience with insurance companies...


----------



## pawsaddict

ireth0 said:


> So, that time a while ago when someone hit my car.
> 
> Yea, now I'm paying my deductible AND my insurance is going up because SOMEONE ELSE HIT MY STOPPED CAR. I am so upset right now I don't even know where to start.
> 
> It basically comes down to technicalities in the regulations, and the provider the other person has for insurance.


I always thought that if someone rear-ends another car, it is always their fault for following to close?


----------



## Remaru

pawsaddict said:


> I always thought that if someone rear-ends another car, it is always their fault for following to close?


We just had to fight this with hubby. He was stopped waiting to turn into our neighborhood, a truck was stopped behind him when a third car (small car) hit the truck going so fast that it pushed into the back of our minivan and totaled the van. The car was wedged up under the truck. It took months to get the whole thing sorted out, the man driving the car refused to admit he was at fault (insisted that both hubby and the woman driving the truck had slammed on their brakes in front of him). He had been speeding (the area is 35mph, he could not have hit them nearly hard enough to do that sort of damage at that speed) and more than likely texting when it happened but still wouldn't claim fault. At this point we still haven't received the final payout from the wreck.


----------



## missc89

It is 100% your fault if you:
Run a red light and hit someone
Run a stop sign and hit someone
Hit a parked car with no one in it (unfortunately this is a very important distinction)
Rear end someone

And you are AUTOMATICALLY at fault if you are turning left on an Amber (yellow) light.

You are also at fault of another traffic violation if you are rear-ended and: (both determined by traffic investigators about the accident)
You are stopped beyond the white stop line
Stopped too close to the car in front of you

I know someone who got a ticket for being parked in an intersection after being rear-ended because the strength of the car hitting the other persons car could NOT have caused him to move over the white line.

..I wanted to be a cop..specifically a traffic cop.. because the amount of traffic violations I see in my own city just...road rage isn't the word for it.


----------



## pawsaddict

I have been in one accident to date. I was following a van and we approached a yield sign. The van yielded and then proceeded to go forward...and then slammed on the brakes (don't know why....no one was coming) while I was shoulder-checking and moving forward. I ended up rear-ending him and it was deemed that I was at fault.

Now personally, I don't think that every rear-end accident is the rear-ender's fault. Lots of variables to consider, but I thought the general rule was that it is always the rear-ender's fault.


----------



## Remaru

It was a longish process in hubby's accident because there were 3 vehicles involved. Obviously the truck that actually hit him was not at fault, she was also stopped. The young man who hit her was found at fault (there really was not question considering he was speeding) but because he never would admit he was at fault both hubby and the other driver had to have it out with his insurance company and they had to admit fault for him. It was slow. Our insurance company paid initially but we haven't gotten our deductible back yet (that would have been from the other driver's company) it has been really irritating.


----------



## GrinningDog

missc89 said:


> You are also at fault of another traffic violation if you are rear-ended and: (both determined by traffic investigators about the accident)
> You are stopped beyond the white stop line
> *Stopped too close to the car in front of you*


Is this why (some) people (in FL) stop, like, several bus lengths behind the car in front of them at traffic lights? If Car A is stopped at a light and is rear-ended by Car B, causing Car A to hit the car in front of them, is Car A at fault for having been too close?


----------



## pawsaddict

I am so sad and feel so dumb! I was talking to this amazing agility instructor and competitor and expressed interest in one of her classes. Somehow my eyes missed the email she sent me with the date and time of the next upcoming class. I thought she didn't get back to me....well, now I look like a flake AND probably can't join the class because it's too short notice to get the times off work. Bah!!!! And to make it worse, I missed that email but saw one she sent a day prior...I responded to that email instead. My response didn't make any sense, but now it seems they think I registered. Fml.


----------



## cookieface

Tonight in heeling class, I learned that I can't walk and think at the same time.



Remaru said:


> We just had to fight this with hubby. He was stopped waiting to turn into our neighborhood, a truck was stopped behind him when a third car (small car) hit the truck going so fast that it pushed into the back of our minivan and totaled the van. The car was wedged up under the truck. It took months to get the whole thing sorted out, the man driving the car refused to admit he was at fault (insisted that both hubby and the woman driving the truck had slammed on their brakes in front of him). He had been speeding (the area is 35mph, he could not have hit them nearly hard enough to do that sort of damage at that speed) and more than likely texting when it happened but still wouldn't claim fault. At this point we still haven't received the final payout from the wreck.


I had a somewhat similar experience. I was rear ended a few years ago, but there was minimal damage to my car. I was stopped for traffic, the guy behind me was stopped for traffic, and the guy behind him didn't stop. The third guy ended up the the entire front end of his car under the pickup truck; the pickup truck was pushed into me. The third guy (who didn't stop) was at fault for everything. I felt so bad for the guy. He was a WWII vet (enlisted right out of HS), got his license when he returned to the States, never had an accident until then. I seriously thought he was going to have a heart attack right there.

I'm not sure what happened with the insurance. I had my car at the body shop within a week or so, but the pickup truck guy called me a few weeks later and was still having trouble getting things settled and having his truck repaired or replaced.

Hope your claim is resolved soon. What a mess.


----------



## gingerkid

GoGoGypsy said:


> Is this why (some) people (in FL) stop, like, several bus lengths behind the car in front of them at traffic lights? If Car A is stopped at a light and is rear-ended by Car B, causing Car A to hit the car in front of them, is Car A at fault for having been too close?


Yes, that is correct, at least in most places/situations. I imagine that kind of collision happens a lot more often in the winter. (Although maybe not in FL).

I feel like there may also be other considerations... for instance if you are rear-ended by a semi-truck (or a vehicle doing several times the speed limit), it is going to have a LOT more inertia than regular car and require more distance to come to a stop - regardless of whether it's the semi's brakes or the car in front of it doing the work. Like, if you're stopped at a red light in a 50 zone and someone tries to run the light doing 100 and slams into you... a "reasonable person" would probably not leave enough enough buffer room between them and the next car to avoid being rammed into another vehicle. But I have no idea if anything like that is actually written into any traffic laws.


----------



## CptJack

tonight in class we had one dog 'expelled' from agility and another sent to the e-vet. this was with two dogs who were separated by a fence and a crate. (ACD jumped the fence, Pit tore through the crate and that was very much the end of that)

Molly didn't bat an eyelash which I find somewhat astonishing, but I sure as heck did. Molly... recovered, completed the class, took her cookies, won her competition, played with a toy, took food from people and was an absolutely normal dog. I was freaked out for considerably longer. 

ACD vs. Pit is NOT a fight I ever want to see again. It was BAD.


----------



## Remaru

We had a visitor for the weekend. Little tiny chihuahua who was displaced by the storms. We found her huddled and cold during a "potty walk" for Magic and of course brought her home. We were able to get her scanned and back to her family today. I guess there was a storm damage at their home and she was frightened and bolted during the ins and outs. She was a cute little thing, super cuddly and adored my youngest son (I think I've mentioned before that all dogs sort of flock to him, this one spent 3 days following him around the house and snuggling in his lap) but....she was a lot of work. Today, though it was sort of fun having a little tiny cute puppy to cuddle (her family says she is 6months old) I am grateful to be back to just my dogs. She really made me appreciate how good my dogs are. Lad is an easy puppy, I mean he is really easy. He doesn't really bark (he does sometimes, I mean he is a Collie after all), he is polite, and he is house broken. Freyja is sweet and calm, Magic for all her hyperness is well behaved in the house and Blue couldn't be better behaved. She definitely drove any thought of another dog any time soon out of my mind. However hubby has been saying "she was kind of cute...." and "I miss my tiny snuggle buddy...." He doesn't even like tiny dogs. Oy!


----------



## ireth0

missc89 said:


> Was it a rear-ending? I unfortunately have a LOT of experience with insurance companies...





pawsaddict said:


> I always thought that if someone rear-ends another car, it is always their fault for following to close?


It was in a parking lot, and here the laws are that anything in a parking lot is 50/50, regardless of what happened.

For those curious; I had backed out of my spot and stopped to switch gears into drive and turn my wheel, then the lady behind me started backing out of her spot, obviously too fast to have been aware I was there. I honked my horn to alert her but it was too late/she didn't pay attention and backed into me.

After I had the estimate done we had decided to not go through insurance and split the cost of the repair (as ridiculous as even THAT is, she hit ME), but now we think (it is being looked into) that the particular insurance company she is with doesn't allow withdrawing claims once they are made so it will effect her insurance either way.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> tonight in class we had one dog 'expelled' from agility and another sent to the e-vet. this was with two dogs who were separated by a fence and a crate. (ACD jumped the fence, Pit tore through the crate and that was very much the end of that)
> 
> Molly didn't bat an eyelash which I find somewhat astonishing, but I sure as heck did. Molly... recovered, completed the class, took her cookies, won her competition, played with a toy, took food from people and was an absolutely normal dog. I was freaked out for considerably longer.
> 
> ACD vs. Pit is NOT a fight I ever want to see again. It was BAD.


Scary! but Go Molly!!


----------



## jade5280

missc89 said:


> I didn't want to start a new thread just for this, but this imaging website I am on often made a REALLY awesome post about Positive Dog Training and proving that Cesar has no clue what he's talking about when it comes to dogs based on the clip of him being bitten by a yellow lab.
> 
> Link for those who are curious: http://imgur.com/gallery/8zdXp


I'm glad someone posted that, the OP made me so irritated because people were praising Cesar for kicking the dog in the comments section. Cesar sucks.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Scary! but Go Molly!!


I'm starting to develop a ...bias against cattle dogs. It isn't fair, I've known lots of nice ones and there's another one in that class that's about Molly's age that is as steady and stable as can be, but lately I've seen enough scary behavior from that I'm starting to have little red alert sirens go off in my head when I see them. Kind of hypocritical of me since Molly was doing a pretty good cujo impersonation for a while there, but Jesus. Good illustration for me that whatever she had going on wasn't THAT.

And I am so proud of Molly. I think mostly she is just growing out of that brand of weirdness, but honestly I'll take it. I mean she's still weird and spooky about stuff but it looks like I'm going to maybe, possibly, end up with a fairly normal adult dog. Definitely, we'll end up with a manageable one.


----------



## Laurelin

Kinda tired of having 5 dogs in the house to be honest. I've had 5-6 dogs the last three weeks with no breaks. To be fair most are papillons but still. Beau is like a walking mop and with all the rain he drags in soooo much crap. Plus it's like 3 hours of grooming. I got a ton of hair off of Hank last night. You know what is weird? The hair you remove from him is mostly black. He looks mostly white and doesn't seem to have an undercoat. Mind. Blown.

I need to get a picture though. It's weird.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I'm starting to develop a ...bias against cattle dogs. It isn't fair, I've known lots of nice ones and there's another one in that class that's about Molly's age that is as steady and stable as can be, but lately I've seen enough scary behavior from that I'm starting to have little red alert sirens go off in my head when I see them. Kind of hypocritical of me since Molly was doing a pretty good cujo impersonation for a while there, but Jesus. Good illustration for me that whatever she had going on wasn't THAT.
> 
> And I am so proud of Molly. I think mostly she is just growing out of that brand of weirdness, but honestly I'll take it. I mean she's still weird and spooky about stuff but it looks like I'm going to maybe, possibly, end up with a fairly normal adult dog. Definitely, we'll end up with a manageable one.


Katie will watch other dogs in class, run to the end of her leash, try to initiate play, etc. She's gotten better, but is still a rude little social butterfly. Last night our instructor (who's know Katie since she was about a year old) said, "Seems like she's finally growing a brain." I just hope it keeps growing. 



Laurelin said:


> Kinda tired of having 5 dogs in the house to be honest. I've had 5-6 dogs the last three weeks with no breaks. To be fair most are papillons but still. Beau is like a walking mop and with all the rain he drags in soooo much crap. Plus it's like 3 hours of grooming. I got a ton of hair off of Hank last night. You know what is weird? The hair you remove from him is mostly black. He looks mostly white and doesn't seem to have an undercoat. Mind. Blown.
> 
> I need to get a picture though. It's weird.


Pictures, yes please.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> I'm starting to develop a ...bias against cattle dogs. It isn't fair, I've known lots of nice ones and there's another one in that class that's about Molly's age that is as steady and stable as can be, but lately I've seen enough scary behavior from that I'm starting to have little red alert sirens go off in my head when I see them. Kind of hypocritical of me since Molly was doing a pretty good cujo impersonation for a while there, but Jesus. Good illustration for me that whatever she had going on wasn't THAT.
> 
> And I am so proud of Molly. I think mostly she is just growing out of that brand of weirdness, but honestly I'll take it. I mean she's still weird and spooky about stuff but it looks like I'm going to maybe, possibly, end up with a fairly normal adult dog. Definitely, we'll end up with a manageable one.


I am getting to where I really like cattle dogs. I've always been a bit iffy on them- always preferred BCs and Aussies in looks and temperament. I've gotten to be around a lot lately- one in particular at the park whose owner adores Hank. Hank fits in with the ACDs very well. The thing with ACDs I am finding is that they don't often SEEM as high drive as Aussies/BCs in a lot of ways but they seem to turn on and off really nicely. They have a lot of grit and stamina. I love the ACD we are around all the time. He is no nonsense, a Frisbee nut, outwardly incredibly calm but turns it on on a dime. Very sensible dog all around and total eyes on his owner at all times. Not DA but not into dog games at all. Much of the time comes across as lazy but he is a worker when it gets down to it. I have been trying to get his owner into agility- the dog would completely rock. Very different energy than a BC though. It's taken me a bit to appreciate because it's not as flashy. I'm also starting to like how muscly ACDs are and even the stockiness. I used to think they were very ugly, plain dogs compared to other herders but that's changing a lot.

I haven't met too many unstable ones and they are dime a dozen here- one of the most common breeds. Actually I can't think of any really nutty ones? Many are protective but generally very appropriately so. A favorite instance was a timid acting 5-6 month old ACD that stepped up and tried to fight off a bully mix that went after her owner for no real reason (I watched and that dog was unstable). The little ACD was going to lose that fight but she still stepped up. Thankfully the pit mix owner got the dog off before much happened. He lunged straight to bite the ACD's owner on the arm. I know a couple DR or slightly DA dogs- space bubble dogs essentially. Not more than the BCs though.... Actually I know more flat out not trustworthy Aussies than any of the others. But ACDs have a reputation, especially in Texas, as dogs you don't mess with. Hank is... not very intimidating. He's only 21 lbs and is much more outwardly friendly and goofy than 'real' ACDs (and more distractible in general). But even then I have had people say things like 'watch out for that dog!" just based on his coloring. 

I would not want to see ACDs fight...Just knowing the ones I know they would definitely be dogs wanting to finish the fight and giving it their all if a fight happened....and I have seen pit bulls fight and it's not pretty. That's is a very scary incident in your class. I don't even know how that would go over here or what would happen (obviously other than expelling the offending dog).


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I am getting to where I really like cattle dogs. I've always been a bit iffy on them- always preferred BCs and Aussies in looks and temperament. I've gotten to be around a lot lately- one in particular at the park whose owner adores Hank. Hank fits in with the ACDs very well. The thing with ACDs I am finding is that they don't often SEEM as high drive as Aussies/BCs in a lot of ways but they seem to turn on and off really nicely. They have a lot of grit and stamina. I love the ACD we are around all the time. He is no nonsense, a Frisbee nut, outwardly incredibly calm but turns it on on a dime. Very sensible dog all around and total eyes on his owner at all times. Not DA but not into dog games at all. Much of the time comes across as lazy but he is a worker when it gets down to it. Very different energy than a BC though.
> 
> I haven't met too many unstable ones and they are dime a dozen here- one of the most common breeds. Actually I can't think of any really nutty ones? Many are protective but generally very appropriately so. A favorite instance was a timid acting 5-6 month old ACD that stepped up and tried to fight off a bully mix that went after her owner for no real reason (I watched and that dog was unstable). The little ACD was going to lose that fight but she still stepped up. Thankfully the pit mix owner got the dog off before much happened. He lunged straight to bite the ACD's owner on the arm. A couple DR or slightly DA dogs- space bubble dogs essentially. Not more than the BCs though.... Actually I know more flat out not trustworthy Aussies than any of the others. But ACDs have a reputation, especially in Texas, as dogs you don't mess with. Hank is... not very intimidating. He's only 21 lbs and is much more outwardly friendly and goofy than 'real' ACDs (and more distractible in general). But even then I have had people say things like 'watch out for that dog!" just based on his coloring.
> 
> I would not want to see ACDs fight...Just knowing the ones I know they would definitely be dogs wanting to finish the fight and giving it their all if a fight happened....and I have seen pit bulls fight and it's not pretty. That's is a very scary incident in your class. I don't even know how that would go over here or what would happen (obviously other than expelling the offending dog).


Honestly, your description is a lot of the ACDs I know. It's even the other ACD in Molly's class. Either dog reactive, dog selective, or just disinterested in playing with other dogs and fine/not starting stuff. They are a little too hard tempered for my taste (AUSSIES are too hard tempered for my preference) and I'm perfectly aware my reactions are not fair. It's pure emotional reaction to some specific incidents where a dog went out of its way to start something and that dog happened to be a cattle dog. 

Last night the dog came from the extreme other side of the building (100 feet? 200?), sailed over a 4 foot fence and went after the first dog it came to. Which just happened to be the crated pit. It wasn't even facing he other dogs, but did a U turn to jump out of the 'ring' down there. I'm not sure I can call it unstable so much as flat out dog aggressive. Dunno. Either way, that + an idiot with an ACD off leash inside a Petstore that came tearing around an aisle and trounced Molly and apparently I have enough for me to start side-eyeing them when I see them and don't know them. It'll probably go away again with some time. And in fairness, I side-eye other BCs, too, though for slightly different reasons.

I don't know what else could be done than was, though I am also not privy to details of the handling beyond 'that dog isn't coming back'. I feel bad for everyone involved though, including the cattle dog's owner. She was pretty devastated.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah I was mostly just musing about how I am becoming very interested in a dog breed I used to find totally not to my taste. They're interesting dogs... taken me a bit to understand and appreciate. I think I would like a purebred one day. I still think I'd be aiming for an adult rescue though. There's so many here they're easy to find.

I've had repeated bad experiences with American eskimos and mini schnauzers so I totally get being wary of certain breeds. That ACD sounds totally unstable though.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I'm glad someone posted that, the OP made me so irritated because people were praising Cesar for kicking the dog in the comments section. Cesar sucks.


LOL he kicked the dog to get it off him, then he had the gall to be all like "I didnt see that coming!" I was like "Really?!?!" I saw that coming from a MILE away.

My suggestion to those people? put the friggin dog in a crate, and FEED IT IN THERE! WHY do people feel the need to poke at their dog while they are trying to eat is beyond me and it drives me crazy ... I wanted to slap them all in that episode.


----------



## missc89

GoGoGypsy said:


> Is this why (some) people (in FL) stop, like, several bus lengths behind the car in front of them at traffic lights? If Car A is stopped at a light and is rear-ended by Car B, causing Car A to hit the car in front of them, is Car A at fault for having been too close?


Yup - basically


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> tonight in class we had one dog 'expelled' from agility and another sent to the e-vet. this was with two dogs who were separated by a fence and a crate. (ACD jumped the fence, Pit tore through the crate and that was very much the end of that)
> 
> Molly didn't bat an eyelash which I find somewhat astonishing, but I sure as heck did. Molly... recovered, completed the class, took her cookies, won her competition, played with a toy, took food from people and was an absolutely normal dog. I was freaked out for considerably longer.
> 
> ACD vs. Pit is NOT a fight I ever want to see again. It was BAD.


OMG, two breeds who have high threshold to pain, and wont back down ... scary!!!


----------



## missc89

ireth0 said:


> It was in a parking lot, and here the laws are that anything in a parking lot is 50/50, regardless of what happened.
> 
> For those curious; I had backed out of my spot and stopped to switch gears into drive and turn my wheel, then the lady behind me started backing out of her spot, obviously too fast to have been aware I was there. I honked my horn to alert her but it was too late/she didn't pay attention and backed into me.
> 
> After I had the estimate done we had decided to not go through insurance and split the cost of the repair (as ridiculous as even THAT is, she hit ME), but now we think (it is being looked into) that the particular insurance company she is with doesn't allow withdrawing claims once they are made so it will effect her insurance either way.


Urgh - parking lot hits are the worst. One of my friends moms was hit by an older lady in a parking lot and she had fully admitted it was her fault etc etc, then two days later changes her tune and says "Oh I only admitted that because you looked scary coming out of the car with a cigarette"... -.-' come ON!

Unfortunately, its a 50/50 thing so your insurance will go up. However, her insurance being a PITA is probably because she has a really crappy insurance company, which means she's probably a really crappy driver to begin with (the people I've been hit by had ALWAYS had prior accidents on their records). Yeah, I've been hit 3.5 times (once I think I got hit because there was enough inertia to have my back seats come flying down but no damage so..half accident?) and I only ever hit someone ONCE, while I was checking my blind spot. Though, someone else hit ME after I had hit the person in FRONT of me, so they got a ticket too. It was on the 401 in Toronto, and I _*HATE*_ highway traffic and there was a LOT of it because there had been a car fire further up the high way..not a good day lol.


----------



## chimunga

jade5280 said:


> I'm glad someone posted that, the OP made me so irritated because people were praising Cesar for kicking the dog in the comments section. Cesar sucks.


My "positive" petco dog trainer does the CM kick. I like her personally, but nope. Nope nope nope.


----------



## missc89

chimunga said:


> My "positive" petco dog trainer does the CM kick. I like her personally, but nope. Nope nope nope.


There is absolutely 0 reason to physically and 'negatively' touch a dog that you are training unless its attacking a) another person or b) another dog.


----------



## Willowy

> And just yikes for the mail carrier Willowy. And sad about the dog. I mean, a head shot isn't necessarily inhumane, but just seems...like a shotgun reaction, no pun intended. And now all this mess with rabies just makes it worse.


Do you know how every time we have a thread here about a bite incident, _somebody_ always has to pop in and gleefully inform us how dead their dog would be if he/she even so much as growled at a human? That's a pretty common mindset in this area. And forget about it if you even imply that animals might have feelings, preferences, moods, etc. 

Although with the timing of it I think they just wanted the problem to go away. But now it caused bigger problems :/. Nobody thinks the dog had rabies but I guess some things can be forced by the health department, just because. But I haven't heard any updates today.


----------



## ireth0

missc89 said:


> Was it a rear-ending? I unfortunately have a LOT of experience with insurance companies...





pawsaddict said:


> I always thought that if someone rear-ends another car, it is always their fault for following to close?





missc89 said:


> Urgh - parking lot hits are the worst. One of my friends moms was hit by an older lady in a parking lot and she had fully admitted it was her fault etc etc, then two days later changes her tune and says "Oh I only admitted that because you looked scary coming out of the car with a cigarette"... -.-' come ON!
> 
> Unfortunately, its a 50/50 thing so your insurance will go up. However, her insurance being a PITA is probably because she has a really crappy insurance company, which means she's probably a really crappy driver to begin with (the people I've been hit by had ALWAYS had prior accidents on their records). Yeah, I've been hit 3.5 times (once I think I got hit because there was enough inertia to have my back seats come flying down but no damage so..half accident?) and I only ever hit someone ONCE, while I was checking my blind spot. Though, someone else hit ME after I had hit the person in FRONT of me, so they got a ticket too. It was on the 401 in Toronto, and I _*HATE*_ highway traffic and there was a LOT of it because there had been a car fire further up the high way..not a good day lol.


Yea, she claimed she had never been in an accident before but of course I don't have anything to prove that.

That's why we had agreed to split the cost out of pocket, so neither of our policies would go up, but now possibly she can't do that. So I get screwed because she hit me and has crappy insurance.


----------



## missc89

ireth0 said:


> Yea, she claimed she had never been in an accident before but of course I don't have anything to prove that.
> 
> That's why we had agreed to split the cost out of pocket, so neither of our policies would go up, but now possibly she can't do that. So I get screwed because she hit me and has crappy insurance.


You could probably argue it in court if you really wanted to. It would require a bit of work but you could probably also discredit the insurance company.


----------



## chimunga

missc89 said:


> There is absolutely 0 reason to physically and 'negatively' touch a dog that you are training unless its attacking a) another person or b) another dog.


She's literally the only "positive" class within 45 minutes. But she does heavy leash corrections, haunch kicks for over excited dogs, and promotes shock collars for dogs that clearly aren't at the level to need them. Watson was the most well-behaved dog in her class. And I like to think that that was because I only ever took her advice when it was positive. I tried leash corrections, and that is not nearly as effective as using treats.


----------



## missc89

chimunga said:


> She's literally the only "positive" class within 45 minutes. But she does heavy leash corrections, haunch kicks for over excited dogs, and promotes shock collars for dogs that clearly aren't at the level to need them. Watson was the most well-behaved dog in her class. And I like to think that that was because I only ever took her advice when it was positive. I tried leash corrections, and that is not nearly as effective as using treats.


I agree, Old Breeder used a really heavy-handed leash correction on one of her dogs and it made me really uncomfortable. The dog looked absolutely TERRIFIED of this woman afterwards. I would NEVER want my dog to be afraid of me - I'm even working on my anger/emotions now so that I don't screw up my dog (or my relationship with my BF lol)


----------



## chimunga

Watson's pano finally hit one of his back legs. It had gone away for a few weeks. He's super pathetic. When it was his front legs, he understood what was going on, and he was mostly his normal self. Now that his back leg is lame, he's so confused. He doesn't understand why he can't run around. He's just sitting on my back porch whining. Poor guy :/


----------



## jade5280

missc89 said:


> There is absolutely 0 reason to physically and 'negatively' touch a dog that you are training unless its attacking a) another person or b) another dog.


 I get why he kicked the dog. If a dog were attacking me I would kick it too, but the fact that he CAUSED the dog to attack him in the first place is what makes me angry.


----------



## chimunga

jade5280 said:


> I get why he kicked the dog. If a dog were attacking me I would kick it too, but the fact that he CAUSED the dog to attack him in the first place is what makes me angry.


I actually remember seeing that episode of CM. I can understand why people like him. I liked him for a little too. I'm happy I realized before I got a dog that he's nuts. This episode was on of the cinchers. That dog did not want to bite him. He pretty much forced her to. Then right after he bites her he says "I didn't see that coming" REALLY? Really? Because every else did.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> That ACD sounds totally unstable though.


Yeah :/ Definitely an eye-opener for me in a lot of ways, or maybe a better way of putting it would be just to call it a reminder. I've seen a lot of dogs who are dog selective, who are intolerant of dogs in their faces, who will finish what other dogs start, who have barrier frustration, who are fearful/lacking confidence, but this is one of very, very few dogs I've seen flat out go after another dog, and go out of its way and put effort into doing so. Also worthy of note that the dog has been loud at previous points, but it didn't make a *sound* when it was going after that pit. 

It put Molly's issues, even at their worst (they seem to have disappeared?idk.) into perspective. Makes me more inclined to 'listen' to her judgement of other dogs, too. She clearly reads them better than I do and has had more issues with this dog than any of the others from day 1. I wrote it off as him also being loud/reactive and being an ACD but in retrospect, probably not entirely. ...and once he was out of that class, her tension level dropped even more. Like flopped on her back for tummy rubs levels of relaxed.

(Kind of making me rethink my views on dog reactivity in dog classes and not so much that they shouldn't be there but that maybe spreading them out so there are a limited number of dogs with issues in a given class is a good idea. Hard to implement if not impossible, but it'd be ideal. Fortunately, that's about where we're going to end up next class.)


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Yeah :/ Definitely an eye-opener for me in a lot of ways, or maybe a better way of putting it would be just to call it a reminder. I've seen a lot of dogs who are dog selective, who are intolerant of dogs in their faces, who will finish what other dogs start, who have barrier frustration, who are fearful/lacking confidence, but this is one of very, very few dogs I've seen flat out go after another dog, and go out of its way and put effort into doing so.


I went to a JRT show with my friend, and during conformation one dog broke his leash, ran straight at another dog (the one acting most submissive and nervous about being there), grabbed him by the throat, and did not let go or even adjust his grip until they were physically pulled apart. It was terrifying. The poor little dog who was attacked was just showing for fun, had never done it before, and the owner didn't know what he was doing (a lot of people at the JRT shows are novices/just out to have some fun). I felt so bad for them. I doubt they will be attending a show again.

And the owner/handler got a new leash and went right back in the ring. My friend and I were horrified, but I guess DA is in the standard as something that exists, so they don't penalize it. I still think it would have been in much better taste for her to leave the ring.


----------



## CptJack

Yep, one of the other 'very few' I've seen that kind of thing from was either a JRT cross, or a JRT cross who didn't really fit the conformation standard at all. The only other one off the top of my head was some kind of chow-mix thing one of my uncles had when I was a kid. 

Honestly, I ran away in tears when Molly blew off a tunnel and ran TOWARD other dogs. That's a radical over-reaction but I don't think anything could convince me to hang around after my dog tried to kill another one. DA in the standard or not, there's something to be said for management and training. I don't really have anything against the cattle dog's owner because that dog went to insane levels to get to another dog and had been successfully managed through 6 weeks of classes. There were mistakes made, but she was UPSET and clearly so, even before she got 'kicked out'. Back on leash and back in the ring afterward kind of horrifies me. That's just total disregard for the safety of other dogs, you know?


----------



## Laurelin

I've seen dogs flat out go all out over nothing. It has been a pit or pit type in every instance I've seen. :/

The bully mix that attacked the ACD's owner gave me that weird vibe. I tend to listen to it now. I watched that thing go down and the dog just started attacking for no reason. I have also seen a labx go after a human like that out of the blue. Scary stuff. 

All these instances have always been silent.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Yep, one of the other 'very few' I've seen that kind of thing from was either a JRT cross, or a JRT cross who didn't really fit the conformation standard at all. The only other one off the top of my head was some kind of chow-mix thing one of my uncles had when I was a kid.
> 
> Honestly, I ran away in tears when Molly blew off a tunnel and ran TOWARD other dogs. That's a radical over-reaction but I don't think anything could convince me to hang around after my dog tried to kill another one. DA in the standard or not, there's something to be said for management and training. I don't really have anything against the cattle dog's owner because that dog went to insane levels to get to another dog and had been successfully managed through 6 weeks of classes. There were mistakes made, but she was UPSET and clearly so, even before she got 'kicked out'. Back on leash and back in the ring afterward kind of horrifies me. That's just total disregard for the safety of other dogs, you know?


Exactly. I think your turn is done once your dog has attacked another.

Oh, this time I'm sure your leash won't snap. Or you won't drop it. Sure, no problem, I totally trust you even though your dog just attacked another without any provocation or even warning. *eye roll*

There was a bouvier in Watson's agility classes who rushed him multiple times in one class. Standing over him, growling, posturing, etc. The owner was so slow to get him, and kept saying "Just grab his collar". Lady, your dog weighs over 100lbs and I can't even see his collar in the fluff. I'm managing my own dog. Run your ass over here and get him! I was furious. I didn't have much confidence that she could physically handle him if he really did want to start something. I ended up having to leave the building every time that dog ran. Didn't help that Watson would then run up to that dog, though in a more "Hey, I want to sniff your butt and check you out" kind of way when it was our turn. It was just an incident waiting to happen. If I can help it I will never take another agility class where dogs are in the ring at the same time as the off leash dog, especially if I have an intact male. We were rushed another time by an Aussie who actually jumped out of the ring and opened the huge sliding barn door in order to follow us.


----------



## Laurelin

Some dogs aren't meant for classes and in particular high octane type exciting sports where dogs will be around other dogs when aroused. Sad but true. I know of an issue a few months ago at a flyball tournament where a dog jumped lanes and grabbed ahold of another dog. Had to be pried off.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Some dogs aren't meant for classes and in particular high octane type exciting sports where dogs will be around other dogs when aroused. Sad but true. I know of an issue a few months ago at a flyball tournament where a dog jumped lanes and grabbed ahold of another dog. Had to be pried off.


I do think classes should be set up to be as safe as possible even if you have a no dog aggressive dogs rule. At least Watson and the Aussie were not aggressive, just very interested in other dogs. The bouvier was probably aggressive from what I saw when he ran up to other dogs. But still, even if those dogs would not do well in a trial environment, they should be able to safely complete some beginner classes and have a chance to learn how to function around other dogs.


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## CptJack

Kylie's been rushed and pounced on once or twice by an over-enthusiastic golden, but fortunately she knows and likes that dog and he's well... a typical golden and was a teenager at the time. We had to do some management FOR that dog by picking Kylie up and holding her with our back-turned, but luckily for everyone her reaction was always 'meh, whatever, hi'. I'd be pretty outraged if that was the OWNER's attitude. 

I... am kind of torn on the class issue, still. I do think classes need to be set up to minimize the possibility for issues. I also think that, really, there are dogs who just have no business being in classes where off leash handling is going to be a large part of the curriculum. Like... there is nothing going to be a dog on course with you in an agility trial, but there ARE going to be dogs running in flyball and dogs coming in and out of the ring, and most rings are delineated by snow fencing, or short garden fencing or something. Lanes in flyball are basically the same. Really easy to cross. 

I don't think that means that dogs who aren't perfectly good shouldn't be in a class, and I admittedly used to be pretty meh about it since the dogs I was seeing in those classes were really stable, rock solid dogs who were fine. After this and having Molly, separation needs to be a thing that is available (and I'd prefer required but never going to happen for me, sadly), but I also think people need to be able to recognize when their dog just isn't going to be able to do it or presents a danger and walk away. I don't think ANYTHING will stop things breaking out sometimes, especially in sports, but awareness of potential problems, prevention, management, and knowing when to stop are good things.


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## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I'm starting to develop a ...bias against cattle dogs. It isn't fair, I've known lots of nice ones and there's another one in that class that's about Molly's age that is as steady and stable as can be, but lately I've seen enough scary behavior from that I'm starting to have little red alert sirens go off in my head when I see them. Kind of hypocritical of me since Molly was doing a pretty good cujo impersonation for a while there, but Jesus. Good illustration for me that whatever she had going on wasn't THAT.
> 
> And I am so proud of Molly. I think mostly she is just growing out of that brand of weirdness, but honestly I'll take it. I mean she's still weird and spooky about stuff but it looks like I'm going to maybe, possibly, end up with a fairly normal adult dog. Definitely, we'll end up with a manageable one.





Laurelin said:


> I am getting to where I really like cattle dogs. I've always been a bit iffy on them- always preferred BCs and Aussies in looks and temperament. I've gotten to be around a lot lately- one in particular at the park whose owner adores Hank. Hank fits in with the ACDs very well. The thing with ACDs I am finding is that they don't often SEEM as high drive as Aussies/BCs in a lot of ways but they seem to turn on and off really nicely. They have a lot of grit and stamina. I love the ACD we are around all the time. He is no nonsense, a Frisbee nut, outwardly incredibly calm but turns it on on a dime. Very sensible dog all around and total eyes on his owner at all times. Not DA but not into dog games at all. Much of the time comes across as lazy but he is a worker when it gets down to it. I have been trying to get his owner into agility- the dog would completely rock. Very different energy than a BC though. It's taken me a bit to appreciate because it's not as flashy. I'm also starting to like how muscly ACDs are and even the stockiness. I used to think they were very ugly, plain dogs compared to other herders but that's changing a lot.
> 
> I haven't met too many unstable ones and they are dime a dozen here- one of the most common breeds. Actually I can't think of any really nutty ones? Many are protective but generally very appropriately so. A favorite instance was a timid acting 5-6 month old ACD that stepped up and tried to fight off a bully mix that went after her owner for no real reason (I watched and that dog was unstable). The little ACD was going to lose that fight but she still stepped up. Thankfully the pit mix owner got the dog off before much happened. He lunged straight to bite the ACD's owner on the arm. I know a couple DR or slightly DA dogs- space bubble dogs essentially. Not more than the BCs though.... Actually I know more flat out not trustworthy Aussies than any of the others. But ACDs have a reputation, especially in Texas, as dogs you don't mess with. Hank is... not very intimidating. He's only 21 lbs and is much more outwardly friendly and goofy than 'real' ACDs (and more distractible in general). But even then I have had people say things like 'watch out for that dog!" just based on his coloring.
> 
> I would not want to see ACDs fight...Just knowing the ones I know they would definitely be dogs wanting to finish the fight and giving it their all if a fight happened....and I have seen pit bulls fight and it's not pretty. That's is a very scary incident in your class. I don't even know how that would go over here or what would happen (obviously other than expelling the offending dog).


 


CptJack said:


> Honestly, your description is a lot of the ACDs I know. It's even the other ACD in Molly's class. Either dog reactive, dog selective, or just disinterested in playing with other dogs and fine/not starting stuff. They are a little too hard tempered for my taste (AUSSIES are too hard tempered for my preference) and I'm perfectly aware my reactions are not fair. It's pure emotional reaction to some specific incidents where a dog went out of its way to start something and that dog happened to be a cattle dog.
> 
> Last night the dog came from the extreme other side of the building (100 feet? 200?), sailed over a 4 foot fence and went after the first dog it came to. Which just happened to be the crated pit. It wasn't even facing he other dogs, but did a U turn to jump out of the 'ring' down there. I'm not sure I can call it unstable so much as flat out dog aggressive. Dunno. Either way, that + an idiot with an ACD off leash inside a Petstore that came tearing around an aisle and trounced Molly and apparently I have enough for me to start side-eyeing them when I see them and don't know them. It'll probably go away again with some time. And in fairness, I side-eye other BCs, too, though for slightly different reasons.
> 
> I don't know what else could be done than was, though I am also not privy to details of the handling beyond 'that dog isn't coming back'. I feel bad for everyone involved though, including the cattle dog's owner. She was pretty devastated.


ALL OF THIS is why I always say ACDs are NOT for the faint hearted or all but the most dedicated dog owner. I love them I had them for YEARS and I dont have one anymore. Why? Not because I dont love them anymore ... because I DO love them, because my life situation has changed and my new lifestyle and routine is not conducive to having a "true" (I say this because Josefina doesnt have what I would call a "true" ACD temperament) ACD.

It takes a "special" (and I use that loosely) person to handle one of these dogs and the dog should never be blamed, it should be the owner you have the bias against, not the dog. All of the cattle dogs and their mixes I have owned and come into contact with have been dog selective, if they didnt like a dog ... or a person for that matter, that was it, there was nothing that could be done.

It doesnt make them bad dogs ... IMO that's what I find AWESOME about them, but definately doesnt make them for everyone. NOW you know why I say not everyone should own one of those dogs.


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## CptJack

...did you actually read what you quoted? 

The dog in question wasn't dog selective or dog reactive, the dog did a u turn, ran somewhere between 100 and 200 feet, and went after a dog in a crate that wasn't facing him. That's not dog selectivity, and that's not something I'd expect from even a cattle dog. That's dog aggression, and some mental unbalancing. I really fail to see HOW I can blame the owner for that one, besides recognizing that her dog had the potential to be dangerous and putting it in the class to start with. 

Which I can't really say with impunity, since I have no way of knowing the dog had ever done that before. It certainly hadn't shown major signs of being that dedicated to sending another dog to the e-vet in that class.

There is a difference between a dog who doesn't like other dogs, only likes some other dogs, a dog that doesn't take crap, and a dog who will go WAY out of its way to START the crap and eat another dog that it can't even SEE and has never had any interaction with. The ACD didn't decide it disliked this dog (these two had been in class together for close to two months with no interaction and no issues). FAIK/could tell the pit was freaking asleep at the time. It wanted to attack another dog and any dog that was there would have done. I can't say the ACD was riled up, either, since what it was working on was a fairly sedentary exercise and was the only one really doing anything.

Sometimes, it really IS the dog. And that's not even normal by ACD standards - or pit ones, or anything else for that matter. 

The only blame I can lay on the trainer, again, is in that the dog was in the class to start with and I honestly don't know that I feel good doing that since I don't know the dog's history outside of class.

(in the PetSmart incident, I certainly blame the owner, because who the HECK thinks a dog off leash in a petstore is a good idea?)


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## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> Kylie's been rushed and pounced on once or twice by an over-enthusiastic golden, but fortunately she knows and likes that dog and he's well... a typical golden and was a teenager at the time. We had to do some management FOR that dog by picking Kylie up and holding her with our back-turned, but luckily for everyone her reaction was always 'meh, whatever, hi'. I'd be pretty outraged if that was the OWNER's attitude.
> 
> I... am kind of torn on the class issue, still. I do think classes need to be set up to minimize the possibility for issues. I also think that, really, there are dogs who just have no business being in classes where off leash handling is going to be a large part of the curriculum. Like... there is nothing going to be a dog on course with you in an agility trial, but there ARE going to be dogs running in flyball and dogs coming in and out of the ring, and most rings are delineated by snow fencing, or short garden fencing or something. Lanes in flyball are basically the same. Really easy to cross.
> 
> I don't think that means that dogs who aren't perfectly good shouldn't be in a class, and I admittedly used to be pretty meh about it since the dogs I was seeing in those classes were really stable, rock solid dogs who were fine. After this and having Molly, separation needs to be a thing that is available (and I'd prefer required but never going to happen for me, sadly), but I also think people need to be able to recognize when their dog just isn't going to be able to do it or presents a danger and walk away. I don't think ANYTHING will stop things breaking out sometimes, especially in sports, but awareness of potential problems, prevention, management, and knowing when to stop are good things.


I agree. I see reactive or even maybe DA (people categorize differently but not 100% dog tolerant) dogs all the time in sports. But there's a big big difference between a dog that doesn't want other dogs in it's space or barks and growls at fast dogs and a dog that actively aggresses without warning or attacks other dogs when over the top. Accidents do happen even in well set up classes and the nature of some sports is to really amp dogs up which can be a problem. Maybe an obedience class or something lower key where no dogs are off leash would be better. I don't think this is most dogs or even lots of dogs but I do think there's a handful that find high energy sports to overstimulating and class settings too prone to triggering things.

All of my classes have dogs crated while not working. I like that a lot. I think all classes need to be this way. But even so there are still dogs that shouldn't be there in that setting.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> All of my classes have dogs crated while not working. I like that a lot. I think all classes need to be this way. But even so there are still dogs that shouldn't be there in that setting.


Yes, agreed. There are some dogs who are just not appropriate to have in a high stimulation off leash environment.

And obviously I have my own personal dog issues with classes having uncrated dogs (even behind a fence would be fine). My own dog self-rewarded by running up to other dogs, and his off leash reliability never got better. Plus he is intact, which can cause other dogs to be aggressive, and I don't want anybody to start anything for any reason (and things almost started a couple times). I don't care how generally friendly other dogs are, but they shouldn't be able to rush each other in class.

We had one golden who was very snarky. A little dog ran up to him once and he roared like I've never seen. But he was also under full control, was never the dog to run up to others, and his owner managed him well. I always felt terrible when Watson would run up to him, even though Watson was acting friendly and sniffing his butt, it wasn't fair to that dog who really did not want other dogs in his space but tried to hard to be tolerant and do what his owner said. I would've been fine if he snarked at Watson to stop being such a brat, but his owner kept him quiet and controlled. He was probably the dog who had the biggest issue with other dogs out of the class, but I also trusted that his owner had him under control and that he had no intention of randomly running off and starting something as long as the others left him alone


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## Laurelin

OwnedbyACDs said:


> ALL OF THIS is why I always say ACDs are NOT for the faint hearted or all but the most dedicated dog owner. I love them I had them for YEARS and I dont have one anymore. Why? Not because I dont love them anymore ... because I DO love them, because my life situation has changed and my new lifestyle and routine is not conducive to having a "true" (I say this because Josefina doesnt have what I would call a "true" ACD temperament) ACD.
> 
> It takes a "special" (and I use that loosely) person to handle one of these dogs and the dog should never be blamed, it should be the owner you have the bias against, not the dog. All of the cattle dogs and their mixes I have owned and come into contact with have been dog selective, if they didnt like a dog ... or a person for that matter, that was it, there was nothing that could be done.
> 
> It doesnt make them bad dogs ... IMO that's what I find AWESOME about them, but definately doesnt make them for everyone. NOW you know why I say not everyone should own one of those dogs.


This dog doesn't sound dog selective though at all. It sounds over the top dog aggressive or unstable. I don't think dogs that attack with no warning/for no reason are completely right in the head.


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## CptJack

> there's a big big difference between a dog that doesn't want other dogs in it's space or barks and growls at fast dogs and a dog that actively aggresses without warning or attacks other dogs when over the top


Yeeeep. 

I do see tons of reactive and overstimulated dogs, and I also see them being properly managed, under control, worked with, and by whatever method kept from interacting with other dogs and the dog's space proactively maintained. If I've learned nothing in the past 6 months, it's to open my mouth and manage not just my dog but the environment and other people. Rearranging line orders, using the kennels available in the training barn between runs, just flat out telling people that they need to move, and sometimes telling the instructor/assistant what to do for me. 

A lot of the issues I've seen, which fortunately haven't been many of, are at lower level classes where people who otherwise get it, don't quite understand how to ask for what their dog needs, so they just wrestle and struggle and things get more dangerous and worse. 

And to be honest, I don't think a thing in the world would have prevented that cattle dog from going after another dog. I'm not sure I can even blame the owner. I mean Molly is/was dog reactive. There's another dog reactive dog in class. I have no way of knowing if this owner knew this was something her dog could/would do or not. If so, she's a jerk. I kind of think she must half be aware that her dog's not stable (especially the lengths of management she went to), but I don't really know that. If she wasn't aware, she is now and I'm kind of heartbroken for her.


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## CptJack

> I don't think dogs that attack with no warning/for no reason are completely right in the head.


This. As I said, there's another ACD in class that is fine. He actually prefers his space and can be a little dog selective, but I only know about it because the owner said so. The owner's a first time dog owner and a college student, and the dog's great. I mean, yeah, he kind of fits the standard in being aloof, liking his people but other ones and being a hard-butt, but he's not an unstable or dangerous dog. If another dog got in his face or started something, I have no doubt that he would finish it, but he's not going out of his way to get to dogs that literally CAN NOT incite/instigate/whatever because of barriers and positioning.

He attacked the dog that was closest. If who had been closest was the 4lb chi, there'd have been a dead dog instead of an injured one. The dog wasn't provoked or overstimulated or afraid. He just wanted to fight with another dog, and any dog he came to would have been perfectly valid for him.

So basically no, I still don't think they require special owners in particular. I think this dog is just a basket case and shouldn't have been there. Possibly this particular dog shouldn't be owned by that particular owner/a novice owner, I don't know, but it's really kind of a lousy representation of the breed. Because it's *insane*.


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## MelTruffles

So, it's only noon and I'm already in tears.

Last night, my SO and I ran into an issue that I wasn't really willing to discuss right at that moment. Then, this morning Sherman refused to go in his crate for breakfast and so I picked him and I must have scared him cause when I picked him up he literally peed drops (he's known to pee when he gets scared) that went on the couch and the coffee table and the carpet. Well, I don't know where on the carpet all the drops went so I was only able to clean up the coffee table and the couch and febreze the carpet (we have a very thin carpet in our apartment). Truffles nor him would eat their breakfast at all and that gives me a lot of anxiety. I just want to point out I never raise my voice to my dogs or make any gestures towards them, if they frustrate me i'm just like "ohhh why did you do that Sherman? Trufffleessss! Sigh! You're such a butt." So, I don't know what made Sherman get all upset when I was just picking him like I would normally do. I guess he sensed my frustration.

So, I had to rush out the door to go to work and I left their food bowls down and didn't take them outside to potty the second time right before I leave and my SO tells me he can't come home during lunch (like normally) because he has a meeting he forgot to remind me about. 

Also, I am having a hard time bonding with Sherman because he jumps on my legs and digs into them which I'm working at training him out of and he can't sleep with us in bed cause he is shedding a TON. 

I just feel like giving up sometimes with Sherman and taking him back to the rescue, but I care about him, but he's frustrating, but he's sweet, but I can't bond with him quickly, butsafjkjas;lfklsajlfjls;al;sa. It did take me like 2-3 months to bond to Truffles, so..

So many emotions today. BLEH.


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## cookieface

I am so thankful there has never been an issue in any of the classes we've taken. I don't know if it's the owners, the dogs, the instructors, luck, or what. There's barking and jumping around, sometimes lunging, sometimes a little snarking (usually in the lobby or near the front door), but nothing serious. The worst I've heard about was a dog that got loose and ran across the road several times before he was caught. 

There are a number of classes and activities I haven't (and maybe won't ever) do with Katie because she gets overstimulated easily. When she's focused, she's awesome! When she's not, she's awful. I'm a little worried about agility, but the instructor who knows her best said she's ready and I know there is good management in all the classes, so I'm crossing my fingers and jumping in. 




MelTruffles said:


> So, it's only noon and I'm already in tears.
> 
> Last night, my SO and I ran into an issue that I wasn't really willing to discuss right at that moment. Then, this morning Sherman refused to go in his crate for breakfast and so I picked him and I must have scared him cause when I picked him up he literally peed drops (he's known to pee when he gets scared) that went on the couch and the coffee table and the carpet. Well, I don't know where on the carpet all the drops went so I was only able to clean up the coffee table and the couch and febreze the carpet (we have a very thin carpet in our apartment). Truffles nor him would eat their breakfast at all and that gives me a lot of anxiety. I just want to point out I never raise my voice to my dogs or make any gestures towards them, if they frustrate me i'm just like "ohhh why did you do that Sherman? Trufffleessss! Sigh! You're such a butt." So, I don't know what made Sherman get all upset when I was just picking him like I would normally do. I guess he sensed my frustration.
> 
> So, I had to rush out the door to go to work and I left their food bowls down and didn't take them outside to potty the second time right before I leave and my SO tells me he can't come home during lunch (like normally) because he has a meeting he forgot to remind me about.
> 
> Also, I am having a hard time bonding with Sherman because he jumps on my legs and digs into them which I'm working at training him out of and he can't sleep with us in bed cause he is shedding a TON.
> 
> I just feel like giving up sometimes with Sherman and taking him back to the rescue, but I care about him, but he's frustrating, but he's sweet, but I can't bond with him quickly, butsafjkjas;lfklsajlfjls;al;sa. It did take me like 2-3 months to bond to Truffles, so..
> 
> So many emotions today. BLEH.


:grouphug:


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## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> So basically no, I still don't think they require special owners in particular. I think this dog is just a basket case and shouldn't have been there. Possibly this particular dog shouldn't be owned by that particular owner/a novice owner, I don't know, but it's really kind of a lousy representation of the breed. Because it's *insane*.


Yeah I'd expect an ACD to finish a fight if one happened and to be dogs that don't like other dogs in their faces and could step up to a threat but that's totally different than running that far and attacking a crated dog. Let's not parade around unstable dogs as examples of why people shouldn't own a breed/examples of appropriate breed temperament.

I don't think they're the easiest breed on the planet for sure even when right in the head. But this dog doesn't sound stable... They can definitely be not right in the head and it could be an issue with a dog versus the owner. They're not infallible. Any dog of any breed can have issues. And an ACD is not a dog you want to have issues... not that you want any breed to have issues but hopefully people know what I mean.

I just don't want people thinking the breed is crazy unstable and that's how they should be. Especially because I would like to own one someday!


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## ireth0

Luna is not dog reactive/aggressive in the slightest... but I still go out of my way to avoid incidents in the first place. 

At the beginning/end of classes when everyone is moving we go to the side and we wait until the bottleneck is done before we go in/out. And generally speaking I go out of my way to give all dogs (unless we know them outside of class) a wide berth.
There have been times where we got to class early and picked a spot to stand, and then dogs/handlers started to slowly fill that area, and then another class was letting out and their dogs were coming through... 

Yea, no. More than 2-3 unfamiliar leashed dogs within a 5-10 feet of each other is not a party I want to have.


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## Laurelin

FTR we have never had any major problems in any of our classes. Thankfully.


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## cookieface

ireth0 said:


> Luna is not dog reactive/aggressive in the slightest... but I still go out of my way to avoid incidents in the first place.
> 
> At the beginning/end of classes when everyone is moving we go to the side and we wait until the bottleneck is done before we go in/out. And generally speaking I go out of my way to give all dogs (unless we know them outside of class) a wide berth.
> There have been times where we got to class early and picked a spot to stand, and then dogs/handlers started to slowly fill that area, and then another class was letting out and their dogs were coming through...
> 
> Yea, no. More than 2-3 unfamiliar leashed dogs within a 5-10 feet of each other is not a party I want to have.


Our training center has dog etiquette rules that I think help keep issues to a minimum. Dogs walk out of class with a certain amount of space, on a short leash, often gates are used to separate exiting dogs from dogs in the lobby, only one training room empties at a time, etc. The instructor also take a short course in dog body language before teaching. I've been very impressed by how it's run.


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## CptJack

I know what you mean, anyway, and I'm at least usually a people.

It's hard sometimes to find the line between 'no one should own these dogs but the very experienced and elite and special' and 'these dogs have some traits that may make them a lousy fit for you/your life/what you want' or even 'if mismanaged these dogs/this dog can be dangerous'. I just don't really associate it with skill or experience of the handler, so much as lifestyle and personality and sometimes on whether they're 'serious dog people' or just want a dog. Some people like difficult ;-) *Cough*you*cough*.

Either way, the unstable examples are really not where to draw your information from when discussing a breed as a whole. If all ACD were like that, I'd actually probably say NO ONE should own them.


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## Laurelin

To be honest most heelers I know or am around are not unfriendly dogs towards people. Maybe not as showy in affection as other breeds but... 

Other dogs are more of a gamble but there's plenty that are good with many other dogs and a lot in multi dog homes.


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## ireth0

cookieface said:


> Our training center has dog etiquette rules that I think help keep issues to a minimum. Dogs walk out of class with a certain amount of space, on a short leash, often gates are used to separate exiting dogs from dogs in the lobby, only one training room empties at a time, etc. The instructor also take a short course in dog body language before teaching. I've been very impressed by how it's run.


Yea, we've been to a few different facilities for training now. Some are actually dog training facilities, so there are gates, separate areas, etc. But some are just rooms rented in multi-purpose centers, so you don't have the ability to have defined separate spaces as much.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> To be honest most heelers I know or am around are not unfriendly dogs towards people. Maybe not as showy in affection as other breeds but...
> 
> Other dogs are more of a gamble but there's plenty that are good with many other dogs and a lot in multi dog homes.


The best way to describe Wyatt (the stable ACD) is to say that he's... tolerant? He reminds me of Jack, actually. He's very into his owner, but he'll accept attention and cookies from other people and has been used as a demo once or twice. He's pretty serious for his age, but he's a nice dog all around. Not my kind of dog because he really is pretty hard and really assertive/forward/physical, but he's a good dog and I know his owner is crazy about him. Really good match, those two, even if she's new to dogs.


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## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I'm starting to develop a ...bias against cattle dogs. It isn't fair, I've known lots of nice ones and there's another one in that class that's about Molly's age that is as steady and stable as can be, but lately I've seen enough scary behavior from that I'm starting to have little red alert sirens go off in my head when I see them. Kind of hypocritical of me since Molly was doing a pretty good cujo impersonation for a while there, but Jesus. Good illustration for me that whatever she had going on wasn't THAT.
> 
> And I am so proud of Molly. I think mostly she is just growing out of that brand of weirdness, but honestly I'll take it. I mean she's still weird and spooky about stuff but it looks like I'm going to maybe, possibly, end up with a fairly normal adult dog. Definitely, we'll end up with a manageable one.





Laurelin said:


> I am getting to where I really like cattle dogs. I've always been a bit iffy on them- always preferred BCs and Aussies in looks and temperament. I've gotten to be around a lot lately- one in particular at the park whose owner adores Hank. Hank fits in with the ACDs very well. The thing with ACDs I am finding is that they don't often SEEM as high drive as Aussies/BCs in a lot of ways but they seem to turn on and off really nicely. They have a lot of grit and stamina. I love the ACD we are around all the time. He is no nonsense, a Frisbee nut, outwardly incredibly calm but turns it on on a dime. Very sensible dog all around and total eyes on his owner at all times. Not DA but not into dog games at all. Much of the time comes across as lazy but he is a worker when it gets down to it. I have been trying to get his owner into agility- the dog would completely rock. Very different energy than a BC though. It's taken me a bit to appreciate because it's not as flashy. I'm also starting to like how muscly ACDs are and even the stockiness. I used to think they were very ugly, plain dogs compared to other herders but that's changing a lot.
> 
> I haven't met too many unstable ones and they are dime a dozen here- one of the most common breeds. Actually I can't think of any really nutty ones? Many are protective but generally very appropriately so. A favorite instance was a timid acting 5-6 month old ACD that stepped up and tried to fight off a bully mix that went after her owner for no real reason (I watched and that dog was unstable). The little ACD was going to lose that fight but she still stepped up. Thankfully the pit mix owner got the dog off before much happened. He lunged straight to bite the ACD's owner on the arm. I know a couple DR or slightly DA dogs- space bubble dogs essentially. Not more than the BCs though.... Actually I know more flat out not trustworthy Aussies than any of the others. But ACDs have a reputation, especially in Texas, as dogs you don't mess with. Hank is... not very intimidating. He's only 21 lbs and is much more outwardly friendly and goofy than 'real' ACDs (and more distractible in general). But even then I have had people say things like 'watch out for that dog!" just based on his coloring.
> 
> I would not want to see ACDs fight...Just knowing the ones I know they would definitely be dogs wanting to finish the fight and giving it their all if a fight happened....and I have seen pit bulls fight and it's not pretty. That's is a very scary incident in your class. I don't even know how that would go over here or what would happen (obviously other than expelling the offending dog).





CptJack said:


> Honestly, your description is a lot of the ACDs I know. It's even the other ACD in Molly's class. Either dog reactive, dog selective, or just disinterested in playing with other dogs and fine/not starting stuff. They are a little too hard tempered for my taste (AUSSIES are too hard tempered for my preference) and I'm perfectly aware my reactions are not fair. It's pure emotional reaction to some specific incidents where a dog went out of its way to start something and that dog happened to be a cattle dog.
> 
> Last night the dog came from the extreme other side of the building (100 feet? 200?), sailed over a 4 foot fence and went after the first dog it came to. Which just happened to be the crated pit. It wasn't even facing he other dogs, but did a U turn to jump out of the 'ring' down there. I'm not sure I can call it unstable so much as flat out dog aggressive. Dunno. Either way, that + an idiot with an ACD off leash inside a Petstore that came tearing around an aisle and trounced Molly and apparently I have enough for me to start side-eyeing them when I see them and don't know them. It'll probably go away again with some time. And in fairness, I side-eye other BCs, too, though for slightly different reasons.
> 
> I don't know what else could be done than was, though I am also not privy to details of the handling beyond 'that dog isn't coming back'. I feel bad for everyone involved though, including the cattle dog's owner. She was pretty devastated.





CptJack said:


> ...did you actually read what you quoted?
> 
> The dog in question wasn't dog selective or dog reactive, the dog did a u turn, ran somewhere between 100 and 200 feet, and went after a dog in a crate that wasn't facing him. That's not dog selectivity, and that's not something I'd expect from even a cattle dog. That's dog aggression, and some mental unbalancing. I really fail to see HOW I can blame the owner for that one, besides recognizing that her dog had the potential to be dangerous and putting it in the class to start with.
> 
> Which I can't really say with impunity, since I have no way of knowing the dog had ever done that before. It certainly hadn't shown major signs of being that dedicated to sending another dog to the e-vet in that class.
> 
> There is a difference between a dog who doesn't like other dogs, only likes some other dogs, a dog that doesn't take crap, and a dog who will go WAY out of its way to START the crap and eat another dog that it can't even SEE and has never had any interaction with. The ACD didn't decide it disliked this dog (these two had been in class together for close to two months with no interaction and no issues). FAIK/could tell the pit was freaking asleep at the time. It wanted to attack another dog and any dog that was there would have done. I can't say the ACD was riled up, either, since what it was working on was a fairly sedentary exercise and was the only one really doing anything.
> 
> Sometimes, it really IS the dog. And that's not even normal by ACD standards - or pit ones, or anything else for that matter.
> 
> The only blame I can lay on the trainer, again, is in that the dog was in the class to start with and I honestly don't know that I feel good doing that since I don't know the dog's history outside of class.
> 
> (in the PetSmart incident, I certainly blame the owner, because who the HECK thinks a dog off leash in a petstore is a good idea?)


there were two teenage maligators who acted in much the way you described in my agility class and yes, they were annoying and I did also gripe about them, but you know what I realized? that I was wrong. young high octane working and herding type dogs tend to be like this, but MOST of them grow out of it.


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## CrimsonAccent

Reading all this makes me really thankful for the training facility we use. Puppy/Dog Manners 1 (basic obedience) all the dogs start off separated by barriers, and the barriers are moved as classes go on and we see that they can handle it. Usually by Dog Manners 2 and 3 they aren't used, but they are still in the ring if someone is just having an off day or a particularly reactive dog(s) is/are in the class.

There is also a blanket no-greeting policy. I mean sometimes it still happens, but they really emphasize that this is NOT a place to socialize (barring puppy socializing parties/puppy manners 1 which has a socialization period in the class) and that not all dogs are comfortable/OK with greetings. Luckily in our current class the problem is mostly dogs that are TOO friendly. And actual social butterflies, not the "My dog is off leash and totally friendly but really not" scenario.

Dog savvy people run this place and I'm in love. That's the only bad part about moving closer to college (I'll still totally drive the 30-45 minutes there though).
----

I know what you mean Willowy. I grew up in a relatively rural area and it really can be a different mindset when it comes to animals, particularly cats and dogs.


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## CptJack

For the record, the place I go to REALLY stresses that dogs are not always okay with other dogs, to give them space, and not to allow greetings, which I appreciate. If nothing else, they've got THAT going right.


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## CrimsonAccent

CptJack said:


> For the record, the place I go to REALLY stresses that dogs are not always okay with other dogs, to give them space, and not to allow greetings, which I appreciate. If nothing else, they've got THAT going right.


Oh yeah, I'm sure. From what you've said it sounds like something you really couldn't have prevented unless the ACD just ...wasn't physically present. I shudder at the thought of just being stuck with Petsmart/Peto trainers who can be great or horrible depending on your luck. Shout out to the owners here that make the best of those kinds of training options!


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## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> The best way to describe Wyatt (the stable ACD) is to say that he's... tolerant? He reminds me of Jack, actually. He's very into his owner, but he'll accept attention and cookies from other people and has been used as a demo once or twice. He's pretty serious for his age, but he's a nice dog all around. Not my kind of dog because he really is pretty hard and really assertive/forward/physical, but he's a good dog and I know his owner is crazy about him. Really good match, those two, even if she's new to dogs.


Hank (who is a mix I know) is interesting. He is overall the best dog I have had with other dogs but he has occasionally not been a fan of particular dogs. I am keeping an eye on it as he ages for sure. He can be rough with many other dogs but he doesn't tolerate rough back at him very well. If something happened despite him being small, he would not back down. With a person or dog, I don't think. 

The real ACDs I know range from overly almost lab friendly to everyone (but also young to be fair) to ignoring other dogs completely to needing their space (but I also know a lab that does not do other dogs in her space either). With people most are reserved but not aggressive. I have seen them step up up in person protectively in a couple situations but always warranted. 

Hank surprised me the other day by not working with my trainer. It was weird and unexpected. But he did work for the ACD's (Nipper lol) owner at the park. He had a frisbee though so that could be it.


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## pawsaddict

ireth0 said:


> It was in a parking lot, and here the laws are that anything in a parking lot is 50/50, regardless of what happened.


Yeah, I have heard of thay rule. You have to be so careful in parking lots. I have heard stories of people deliberately getting into parking lot accidents. Not sure if that is true, but I am super leery now.


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## Laurelin

OwnedbyACDs said:


> there were two teenage maligators who acted in much the way you described in my agility class and yes, they were annoying and I did also gripe about them, but you know what I realized? that I was wrong. young high octane working and herding type dogs tend to be like this, but MOST of them grow out of it.


I have been around a lot of young herding breeds and would still say that a dog running that distance and attacking a dog in a crate (particularly ASLEEP) is way way way out of the norm. Are some of the (particularly younger intact) males jerks? Some of the older female herders bitchy bitches? Yep and yep. Overstimulate easily at loud noises and fast movement? Yep. Space bubble dogs? Yep. Still learning not to be over the top? Yep. 

Totally different though.


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## CptJack

Dude, If you had to dogs busting though fences and crates to send dogs to the e-vet to get sewn back together and think that is normal because of breed I don't know what to say. Fortunately I remember your complaints and that never happened, so I don't need to figure it out.

Ps. I own a hgh octane reactive herding breed and have been around more. That crap you're insisting is typical is not. Over stimulated, over the top, intolerant, willing to finish crap, yes. Deliberately seek out the nearest dog to beat up? Lol, no, not hardly. Feel free to get Johnny or sass to weigh in, though.


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## sassafras

CptJack said:


> Ps. I own a hgh octane reactive herding breed and have been around more. That crap you're insisting is typical is not. Over stimulated, over the top, intolerant, willing to finish crap, yes. Deliberately seek out the nearest dog to beat up? Lol, no, not hardly. Feel free to get Johnny or sass to weigh in, though.



Screams obscenities if stared at or space bubble encroached upon? Yes.
Forgets about it two seconds after eye contact is broken and attention redirected? Yes.

Interest can be motion activated? Yes
Obsess about other dogs in class? Nope.

Settles and minds his own business? Yes
Notices or cares what other dogs are doing when we are working an exercise? Nope

A lot of mals are extremely handler focused. If someone messes with them they will mess back (and "messing" can be OMG YOU LOOKED AT ME YOU TURD) but just hanging or working around other dogs in a class is not an unreasonable expectation and charging across a room to throw down with a random dog is NOT a stable dog regardless of the breed IMO.


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## pawsaddict

The situation in your class, CptJack, makes me very happy that we didn't enroll Nova in a local reactivity group class. We saw it advertised when she was at the height of her reactivity (she is much better now that she is not going to daycare and is on SJW for her anxiety - in addition to us actively counter-conditioning her), and thought about it briefly and decided it wasn't something we were interested in. Reading about what happened in your class (although, the dog in your class took it beyond reactivity), I can only imagine what *could* go wrong in a group full of big, strong, reactive dogs (this class is advertised for helping owners of pits, rotties, etc., manage their dog's reactivity). Granted, I have no idea how this class is managed or anything.


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## Laurelin

I almost feel like I should start a 'why I like ACDs' thread. I really just think they're neat. Good off switch, often high drive. Intelligent and trainable. Hardy and tough. Compact medium sized. Athletic (well... some of them. I also see a lot of fat ones) Great endurance. Usually good toy drive (Frisbees! and tugs) One man dogs usually. Loyal (couldn't think of a better word) and often protective when need be. Level headed and sensible (at least most the ones I know?) Usually good off leash. Handler oriented.

Like I said, really really popular dogs here. They do end up in shelters quite often but I think that is mostly popularity. There's just a lot of them.

Edit: clarifying but not aimed at you cpt jack.


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## Kyllobernese

I have worked really hard on Kris not reacting to other dogs and she has been really good lately. At our class last Thursday night, (there are only five dogs, an Akita, Border Colllie, Springer, another collie cross and Kris. We were doing a long sit and the owner of the Akita was told to stay with his dog on leash. Everything was going fine and he let the leash go and it ran over and jumped on Kris (just in a playful way) but it made Kris jump up, then the Springer came running over and they were leaping all over each other) Both the springer and Kris came back when we called and everything got under control. They decided to do another Long Sit and the idiot with the Akita let him jump on Kris again. Made me so mad as I had finally gotten her steady on her stays. It is just lucky that the Akita is still a puppy and none of the other dogs was aggressive. I can see problems coming up with the Akita if he does not get it under better control. It is going to jump on the wrong dog and then there will be a fight especially as it gets older. He just will not listen to what he is told. (the owner and the dog)


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## ireth0

Laurelin said:


> I almost feel like I should start a 'why I like ACDs' thread. I really just think they're neat. Good off switch, often high drive. Intelligent and trainable. Hardy and tough. Compact medium sized. Athletic (well... some of them. I also see a lot of fat ones) Great endurance. Usually good toy drive (Frisbees! and tugs) One man dogs usually. Loyal (couldn't think of a better word) and often protective when need be. Level headed and sensible (at least most the ones I know?) Usually good off leash. Handler oriented.
> 
> Like I said, really really popular dogs here.


I also really like them on paper, but I dunno if that would translate to real world compatible for me.


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## gingerkid

OwnedbyACDs said:


> there were two teenage maligators who acted in much the way you described in my agility class and yes, they were annoying and I did also gripe about them, but you know what I realized? that I was wrong. young high octane working and herding type dogs tend to be like this, but MOST of them grow out of it.


So... two dogs in your class flat out attacked without any provocation other dogs that landed up at the e-vet?

If that happened to me, I'd find a new training facility.


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## gingerkid

pawsaddict said:


> The situation in your class, CptJack, makes me very happy that we didn't enroll Nova in a local reactivity group class. We saw it advertised when she was at the height of her reactivity (she is much better now that she is not going to daycare and is on SJW for her anxiety - in addition to us actively counter-conditioning her), and thought about it briefly and decided it wasn't something we were interested in. Reading about what happened in your class (although, the dog in your class took it beyond reactivity), I can only imagine what *could* go wrong in a group full of big, strong, reactive dogs (this class is advertised for helping owners of pits, rotties, etc., manage their dog's reactivity). Granted, I have no idea how this class is managed or anything.


Most of the reactive dog classes that I know of are strictly on-leash and require muzzles for dogs who have ever punctured another dog or person. They also have small class sizes i.e. ( > 30ft diameter for each dog to work in) and make use of barriers/crates when necessary. In the classes we took, most of the dogs were small-to-medium.


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## elrohwen

My problem with reactive dog classes are that my dog is pretty much only reactive to other reactive dogs. So seeing a GSD flail and lunge and bark would make him insane, and then he would hate them more. Working around my friend's super non-reactive GSD was much more helpful.

I think it depends a lot on the dogs in question and how reactive they really are, and whether your dog is reactive in general or just specifically to other reactive dogs.


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## gingerkid

Oh for sure, I didn't mean to imply that everyone with a reactive dog needs to take a class. Reactive Dog classes aren't necessary to mitigate/fix reactivity, especially if you already know what you're doing (or are willing/able to pay for private training) and/or know other dogs that you can use to work on it.


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## pawsaddict

gingerkid said:


> Most of the reactive dog classes that I know of are strictly on-leash and require muzzles for dogs who have ever punctured another dog or person. They also have small class sizes i.e. ( > 30ft diameter for each dog to work in) and make use of barriers/crates when necessary. In the classes we took, most of the dogs were small-to-medium.


This one isn't offered via EHS. Not sure how they manage it, but I hope it is like the classes you have taken.


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## gingerkid

pawsaddict said:


> This one isn't offered via EHS. Not sure how they manage it, but I hope it is like the classes you have taken.


I know other trainers offering reactivity classes too, not just EHS, and they're all similar. 

Edit: That's not to say that all reactive-dog classes in the area are like that, just that all of the ones I know of run by trainers I know are.


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## cookieface

Not a reactive dog class in the traditional sense, but I would love to take a Control Unleashed class or do Pamela Dennison's REWARD Zone workshop.


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## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> Not a reactive dog class in the traditional sense, but I would love to take a Control Unleashed class or do Pamela Dennison's REWARD Zone workshop.


Now a Control Unleashed class I would do! That would be the absolute perfect thing for Watson's issues since he's not necessarily super reactive, he's just way too interested in other dogs, and does not realize he's supposed to work when he's off leash.

My friend in Vermont does Control Unleashed classes and I got to sit in on one - it was really cool.


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## gingerkid

I am so jealous of y'all out east and having all these awesome opportunities. There are so few workshops that come through here, and most of the ones I've heard about are only for specific dog sports.


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## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> Now a Control Unleashed class I would do! That would be the absolute perfect thing for Watson's issues since he's not necessarily super reactive, he's just way too interested in other dogs, and does not realize he's supposed to work when he's off leash.
> 
> My friend in Vermont does Control Unleashed classes and I got to sit in on one - it was really cool.


Leslie McDevitt used to teach at a facility near us. They still offer the class, but I doubt she teaches it. 

I think Katie's issue is somewhat similar to Watson's - too interested in other dogs and people. She's gotten _so_ much better since our recall class, though.


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## Laurelin

I love our distractions classes. I want another round for Hank.


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## elrohwen

gingerkid said:


> I am so jealous of y'all out east and having all these awesome opportunities. There are so few workshops that come through here, and most of the ones I've heard about are only for specific dog sports.


We have a lot less options than I would expect, considering I'm not that far from NYC. I guess we're on the rural edge of suburbia. Northern Jersey has a ton of stuff and is ~1-1.5 hours away. We only have one facility close to me, and two (on only agility) an hour away. None of them have a distractions/Control Unleashed/recall type class though. I don't need help teaching the basic obedience, I need help proofing it off leash and nobody has classes for that.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Yeah I'd expect an ACD to finish a fight if one happened and to be dogs that don't like other dogs in their faces and could step up to a threat but that's totally different than running that far and attacking a crated dog. Let's not parade around unstable dogs as examples of why people shouldn't own a breed/examples of appropriate breed temperament.
> 
> I don't think they're the easiest breed on the planet for sure even when right in the head. But this dog doesn't sound stable... They can definitely be not right in the head and it could be an issue with a dog versus the owner. They're not infallible. Any dog of any breed can have issues. And an ACD is not a dog you want to have issues... not that you want any breed to have issues but hopefully people know what I mean.
> 
> I just don't want people thinking the breed is crazy unstable and that's how they should be. Especially because I would like to own one someday!


Without being there to see it, I cant say if its a bad example. One of the teenage mals (the male) did something very similar to that, he was doing a run and he broke through the fencing in the training area to fence fight with the instructor's lab (who wasnt doing anything at the time but did have a habit of snarking at dogs who got too close to her ex pen) if that ex pen hadnt been there, there would have been a very bloody dog fight. I dont think that one incident (it was the only time it happened) makes that dog a bad dog, it makes him a teenage jerk in the hands of someone who really isnt fit to handle him. I doubt he gets enough stimulation and exercise at home (though he might, I dont know).

There was a female there, too but she was much more mature than the male and only wanted to work, she was VERY mouthy, though LOL


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## pawsaddict

gingerkid said:


> I know other trainers offering reactivity classes too, not just EHS, and they're all similar.
> 
> Edit: That's not to say that all reactive-dog classes in the area are like that, just that all of the ones I know of run by trainers I know are.


I wasn't implying that you didn't know other trainers. I just know that you are really involved with EHS. Didn't mean to offend.


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## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> We have a lot less options than I would expect, considering I'm not that far from NYC. I guess we're on the rural edge of suburbia. Northern Jersey has a ton of stuff and is ~1-1.5 hours away. We only have one facility close to me, and two (on only agility) an hour away. None of them have a distractions/Control Unleashed/recall type class though. I don't need help teaching the basic obedience, I need help proofing it off leash and nobody has classes for that.


At least two of Katie's camp instructors teach in north Jersey / NYC area and one teaches in central PA: close, but not close enough. Another agility instructor teaches nearby, but, again, not close enough for regular classes.

We have lots of basic manners-type classes, behaviorists, and a few more serious competition-level groups, but not many options for bridging-type classes.


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## gingerkid

pawsaddict said:


> I wasn't implying that you didn't know other trainers. I just know that you are really involved with EHS. Didn't mean to offend.


Oh, I wasn't offended, was just clarifying (b/c I knew you knew that I was involved with EHS, haha). To be fair, it's through them that I know the trainers I know.


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## pawsaddict

gingerkid said:


> Oh, I wasn't offended, was just clarifying (b/c I knew you knew that I was involved with EHS, haha). To be fair, it's through them that I know the trainers I know.


Glad no offense was taken


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## Mint

Sophie's new hobby is mole killing. She's killed three in the past few days, and she's very proud about that fact.


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## Laurelin

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Without being there to see it, I cant say if its a bad example. One of the teenage mals (the male) did something very similar to that, he was doing a run and he broke through the fencing in the training area to fence fight with the instructor's lab (who wasnt doing anything at the time but did have a habit of snarking at dogs who got too close to her ex pen) if that ex pen hadnt been there, there would have been a very bloody dog fight. I dont think that one incident (it was the only time it happened) makes that dog a bad dog, it makes him a teenage jerk in the hands of someone who really isnt fit to handle him. I doubt he gets enough stimulation and exercise at home (though he might, I dont know).
> 
> There was a female there, too but she was much more mature than the male and only wanted to work, she was VERY mouthy, though LOL


Fence fighting is really common and pretty different from actually breaking into a crate and tearing up a dog badly. Hank will fence fight and crate fight if allowed. Heck even my old sheltie would fence fight.

From what it sounds like this dog would not have stopped at the x-pen.


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## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> So... two dogs in your class flat out attacked without any provocation other dogs that landed up at the e-vet?
> 
> If that happened to me, I'd find a new training facility.


there were no injuries, the other dog was in an ex pen, so no contact was made. Luckily, I think the owner of the mal in question found a new facility, I dont knoe because I got promoted to the more advanced class, then a month later, I moved up here.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Fence fighting is really common and pretty different from actually breaking into a crate and tearing up a dog badly. Hank will fence fight and crate fight if allowed. Heck even my old sheltie would fence fight.
> 
> From what it sounds like this dog would not have stopped at the x-pen.


Exactly, and also - usually fence fighting involves some reaction from the dog on the other side, even if it's not mutual the dog is there and VISIBLE and therefore frustrating or exciting the other dog and upping it's level of arousal. Not the case here.

*ETA:* To be clear, and restate: There was NO overly aroused state on behalf of the ACD. It wasn't barking, fixating, lunging, or in any way ramped up. It was perfectly calm as it spun around, jumped the fence, bee-lined to the crate and tore into it. There were no hackles or barking or growling or ANYTHING until it was ON the pit and the pit was fighting back. By all appearances it was a perfectly relaxed dog who decided to start crap because. Well, it could.

That's a LOT of why I came down on the side of unbalanced. Instead of more understandable stuff that sometimes leads to noise or redirection or whatever.


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## CrimsonAccent

Uggggh dogs.

We were so close 

We had two misses on the CGCA test they offer at the end of class. Our first miss was on the recall past the distraction. She actually made it past the intended distraction--a bowl on the floor. Instead she veered left to greet the trainer/helpers. Lol.

The last test, settle for two minutes, was sooooo close. I know this would be the hardest. They gave a 20 second warning and Cupcake started shifting. She started... Puffing her lips? Not sure how to describe it. That motion they do before a whine or bark. I made a shhh sign and reminded her to stay. So did FI. Ten seconds left and BARK. Five seconds. BARKBARK.

We are both proud of her though. In the previous class she couldn't go thirty seconds without reinforcement for silence. So progress.

And we have to retest on her CGC anyway as she never originally passed that. I'm confident we can do it though!


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## CptJack

It's always something. EVERY regular run we had at our agility trial we missed the Q by one, tiny, piddling mistake. You'll get there - and hopefully, so will we.


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## CrimsonAccent

I swear life just likes to taunt us sometimes!  I'm not sure where we want to go with Cupcake next, aside from the CGC and CGCA. They offer agility and therapy dog classes but the agility foundations class is almost always full or at a conflicting time  They also offer "Great Dog" an ongoing class (you can buy classes in packs of 4 if you want for $80, vs $25 for a single "drop-in" class) you can join whenever there is an opening. According to their website/what our instructor said, the first half is spent on obedience, with an emphasis on impulse control and second half is "advanced behaviors and tricks".

But the next paid class should really be for Donut. I know I could do all the basic obedience myself/with FI but I like taking classes as it's fun and they hold me accountable. Otherwise, just getting Cupcake into shaping with 101 things to do with a box. I know she's a problem solving dog IRL but once the treat pouch comes out she is expecting a lure or signal. She is just throwing tricks and staring at me, completely ignoring the box. Talked to trainer: I just need to be really, really small for now and reward even a GLANCE at the box, and throw the treat on it until she gets the idea of interacting with it. 

It's just weird. I'm so used to her just GETTING things that this has really tripped me up. And shown me our progress as well.

Haha, I guess this would be more in the support/motivation thread in the training forums, but whatever


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## Miss Bugs

If the Galgo at work is typical of the breed, I fail to understand why they are looked down upon as pets in Spain. He is absolutely wonderful, I've only seen him 3 times and I am head over heels for that dog, his temperment and whole demeanor is just amazing. And obviously its not just me only seeing him a few times because his dad told me today that he's rescuing another.


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## Laurelin

So this is sorta cheesy but I have figured out the bonding issue with Hank. We just need to quadruple cuddle time. 

This dog is so affectionate.


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## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Exactly, and also - usually fence fighting involves some reaction from the dog on the other side, even if it's not mutual the dog is there and VISIBLE and therefore frustrating or exciting the other dog and upping it's level of arousal. Not the case here.
> 
> *ETA:* To be clear, and restate: There was NO overly aroused state on behalf of the ACD. It wasn't barking, fixating, lunging, or in any way ramped up. It was perfectly calm as it spun around, jumped the fence, bee-lined to the crate and tore into it. There were no hackles or barking or growling or ANYTHING until it was ON the pit and the pit was fighting back. By all appearances it was a perfectly relaxed dog who decided to start crap because. Well, it could.
> 
> That's a LOT of why I came down on the side of unbalanced. Instead of more understandable stuff that sometimes leads to noise or redirection or whatever.


ACD's have a bad habit of being very stoic with their body language, especially when it comes to other dogs. It often looks like they "just went after the dog that was closest" but really they were targeting that dog. 

And if that ex pen hadnt been there, that mal would have torn the instructor's lab up, for sure.


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## sassafras

I don't think an ex-pen would stop almost any dog of a certain size who was really committed to a tearing up another dog. Certainly not a high-drive mali.


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## CptJack

sassafras said:


> I don't think an ex-pen would stop almost any dog of a certain size who was really committed to a tearing up another dog. Certainly not a high-drive mali.


No, it wouldn't. Not even close. What with the fact that we just had a discussion about 10lb puppies shoving them around. I mean not unless the mal in question was either really weak or really stupid, and that sure doesn't sound much like a mal.

Regardless, I'd love to know how that dog targeted a dog it couldn't *see*, and wasn't making noise. Like, really, what part of 'the dog was out of sight and faik asleep and was certainly silent involves it instigating? And why are you arguing that this is normal behavior? It's not. For any dog. Of any breed. Like, what, exactly do you accomplish by making it sound like a breed you love is so mentally unhinged that it goes over a fence, run 200 feet through a building, and THROUGH a crate to tear into another dog? Is this more about your ego and trying to claim that only special people should own these dogs? Because there's way to do that without making it sound like all ACDs and Mals and 'high octane' herding breeds are dangerous lunatics. I won't agree with you then, either, but then I'd just disagree instead of you being blatantly wrong and incorrectly demonizing entire groups of dogs in the process. 

Is your ego REALLY that important to you? 

Or have you just owned so many dangerous and unhinged dogs that you can't tell the difference? 

Or are you so invested in the argument and proving me wrong you refuse to back down, even when you know you're wrong? 

I mean seriously, WHAT are you after here?

(...the you here is clearly not sass)


----------



## Willowy

Willow took down an ex-pen when she was 7 weeks old. I'd say any dog who is stopped by an ex-pen just wants to fence-fight.


----------



## Miss Bugs

CptJack said:


> Exactly, and also - usually fence fighting involves some reaction from the dog on the other side, even if it's not mutual the dog is there and VISIBLE and therefore frustrating or exciting the other dog and upping it's level of arousal. Not the case here.
> 
> *ETA:* To be clear, and restate: There was NO overly aroused state on behalf of the ACD. It wasn't barking, fixating, lunging, or in any way ramped up. It was perfectly calm as it spun around, jumped the fence, bee-lined to the crate and tore into it. There were no hackles or barking or growling or ANYTHING until it was ON the pit and the pit was fighting back. By all appearances it was a perfectly relaxed dog who decided to start crap because. Well, it could.
> 
> That's a LOT of why I came down on the side of unbalanced. Instead of more understandable stuff that sometimes leads to noise or redirection or whatever.


This is what Gypsy is like and the reason I walked her muzzled till I was able to control her better. She would just calmly and relaxed wander up to people who wanted to say hi to her and just..bite them. Not every time though, sometimes she would actually be totally polite and it drove me nuts because I couldn't predict it, her body language was all calm and relaxed either way it went. She was muzzled till I could get a handle on it. I don't muzzle her anymore but I don't let her go up to anyone either, she's put in a sit behind me when people want to stop and see my dogs.


----------



## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> This is what Gypsy is like and the reason I walked her muzzled till I was able to control her better. She would just calmly and relaxed wander up to people who wanted to say hi to her and just..bite them. Not every time though, sometimes she would actually be totally polite and it drove me nuts because I couldn't predict it, her body language was all calm and relaxed either way it went. She was muzzled till I could get a handle on it. I don't muzzle her anymore but I don't let her go up to anyone either, she's put in a sit behind me when people want to stop and see my dogs.


Honestly, I don't know this dog's history and I feel bad for the owner more than anything else. It's clearly got an issue above and beyond it being able to be in group off leash dog classes right now. I am kind of hoping that the owner gets past the heartbreak (and she was devastated) and gets to work with the dog and is able to figure out whatever it is and deal with it by whatever means. It was actually pretty good with people from what I could tell. I think maybe it just had exercised all the self-control with other dogs it could exercise and that was that, bye 'mom, got stuff to do (and dogs to eat). Best theory I can come up with, anyway, though in any case the whole thing was bizarre and somewhat scary.


----------



## missc89

Just a random thought - I feel like I've come to a point in my life where I'm afraid I can't really grow anymore as a person. It feels like there's something missing in my life to help me take that one extra step; like I've hit an invisible wall and no matter how hard I try to push forward, there's something in my way. I'm a bit afraid that the dog is what is missing in my life, because if my pup ends up not being what I imagined it to be, I really don't want to spiral back to anxiety/depression because this dog isn't "the thing I thought I was missing in my life and now it's just made it that much more miserable"..


----------



## GrinningDog

missc89 said:


> Just a random thought - I feel like I've come to a point in my life where I'm afraid I can't really grow anymore as a person. It feels like there's something missing in my life to help me take that one extra step; like I've hit an invisible wall and no matter how hard I try to push forward, there's something in my way. I'm a bit afraid that the dog is what is missing in my life, because if my pup ends up not being what I imagined it to be, I really don't want to spiral back to anxiety/depression because this dog isn't "the thing I thought I was missing in my life and now it's just made it that much more miserable"..


Hey! You are ALWAYS growing as a person - every day, thought, experience - even if it seems slow at times.

My pup was nothing like I expected her to be, and although it was hard at first, having her counter my expectations was probably better for me. She pushed me out of my comfort zone, forced me to adapt to her needs. It sounds cheesy, but I'm more patient, responsible, confident, and social in many areas of my life because of my dog. You're here, on this forum, and you strike me as the kind of person who researches, works hard, and tries to do things right. I'm sure that whatever challenges your pup presents, you will rise to them, and become better for it.

It'll be great!  No worries!


----------



## missc89

GoGoGypsy said:


> Hey! You are ALWAYS growing as a person - every day, thought, experience - even if it seems slow at times.
> 
> My pup was nothing like I expected her to be, and although it was hard at first, having her counter my expectations was probably better for me. She pushed me out of my comfort zone, forced me to adapt to her needs. It sounds cheesy, but I'm more patient, responsible, confident, and social in many areas of my life because of my dog. You're here, on this forum, and you strike me as the kind of person who researches, works hard, and tries to do things right. I'm sure that whatever challenges your pup presents, you will rise to them, and become better for it.
> 
> It'll be great!  No worries!


Thanks !! I really needed to read that today =)


----------



## gingerkid

My husband is a total enabler (of me) where dogs are concerned.

This is both the best and worst thing.


----------



## missc89

I hear ya.. hopefully one of you is also the voice of reason lol


----------



## Laurelin

So the shelter I volunteer/ed at needs foster homes. They sent me the pictures of the ones needing fostering right now. One is a 27 lb schnauzer/BC supposedly (I can see it!). GORGEOUS dog. Omg. So pretty. Really well built and looks fast. Perfect size too- 27 lbs


----------



## Laurelin

It is kind of weird looking at the list this shelter has.... they pull from the shelter I got Hank from (city intake). It seems like they pull most the non pit bull or large ACD type dogs. That might explain why most the dogs at the shelter Hank is from seem to be those breeds. Like... 70-80% seem to be those breeds. 

It makes me wonder why Hank didn't get pulled though because he was a small dog. And young. And healthy. And that seems to be their go to type.

Mama Bear in me is like 'Wait what? Was Hank not good enough? Why wasn't Hank good enough to pull for the no kill?' xD


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> It is kind of weird looking at the list this shelter has.... they pull from the shelter I got Hank from (city intake). It seems like they pull most the non pit bull or large ACD type dogs. That might explain why most the dogs at the shelter Hank is from seem to be those breeds. Like... 70-80% seem to be those breeds.
> 
> It makes me wonder why Hank didn't get pulled though because he was a small dog. And young. And healthy. And that seems to be their go to type.
> 
> Mama Bear in me is like 'Wait what? Was Hank not good enough? Why wasn't Hank good enough to pull for the no kill?' xD


Cause Hank was meant to be good enough for you!


----------



## cookieface

missc89 said:


> Just a random thought - I feel like I've come to a point in my life where I'm afraid I can't really grow anymore as a person. It feels like there's something missing in my life to help me take that one extra step; like I've hit an invisible wall and no matter how hard I try to push forward, there's something in my way. I'm a bit afraid that the dog is what is missing in my life, because if my pup ends up not being what I imagined it to be, I really don't want to spiral back to anxiety/depression because this dog isn't "the thing I thought I was missing in my life and now it's just made it that much more miserable"..


Unless you're completely oblivious to the world (which you're *not* in any way from what I've seen here), you will always change, learn, and grow. You may not realize it at the time, but some day you'll back and think, "look how far I've come."

As far as your pup not being what you imagined or making you miserable, that might happen. I thought I was completely prepared for a puppy. Then, we got Katie.  Really though, I think that what happens depends on how you interpret things. Again, from your posts here, you seem to be very adaptable and open to learning and changing as new information becomes available. You seem to be the type of person who can see the long term even if it makes the short term worse, and who can see the positive in the face of negativity. I don't think you'll have difficulty when you have your new pup.



Laurelin said:


> Mama Bear in me is like 'Wait what? Was Hank not good enough? Why wasn't Hank good enough to pull for the no kill?' xD


They probably figured he was so awesome that he'd certainly be adopted quickly.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> Just a random thought - I feel like I've come to a point in my life where I'm afraid I can't really grow anymore as a person. It feels like there's something missing in my life to help me take that one extra step; like I've hit an invisible wall and no matter how hard I try to push forward, there's something in my way. I'm a bit afraid that the dog is what is missing in my life, because if my pup ends up not being what I imagined it to be, I really don't want to spiral back to anxiety/depression because this dog isn't "the thing I thought I was missing in my life and now it's just made it that much more miserable"..


I used to think this, too. Especially since I DIDNT get the dog I wanted (I wanted a medium sized female, and I got a larged sized male LOL). But he BECAME the dog I wanted when I LET GO of all my expectations and, hopes and dreams of what I wanted in my dog and what I wanted him/ her to be.


----------



## gingerkid

So this happened today.

2015-05-14_06-51-31 by Ginger, on Flickr


----------



## pawsaddict

Tell us more! Tell us more!


----------



## CptJack

TELL US EVERYTHING! There are people living vicariously through you. ;-)


----------



## gingerkid

Fell in love with an american eskimo mix(? collie? shepherd?) while volunteering last Friday. Smart, cuddly, toy drive, pretty fearless. Normally when I show hubby pictures of dogs/puppies at the shelter he's all "we can't have another dog".

This time he was all "She's the cutest".

ATM, she's stolen a cardboard egg carton from my stash for enrichment at the shelter and is just walking around the house with it.

And peeing. So much peeing.


----------



## pawsaddict

Awe!!! That's awesome. Name ideas? 

And pictures. Lots of pictures!


----------



## Remaru

Awww cute new puppy!!! More pictures!


----------



## gingerkid

Currently her name is Spirit, but we haven't settled yet. It really suits her, but I generally prefer two-syllable names ending in vowel sounds for recall... other names I've considered include Layla And Ursa.

(I was also thinking about naming her Trouble because I'm sure she will be, hah).


----------



## GrinningDog

She's sooooooo cute, gingerkid!


----------



## sassafras

Go start a picture thread IMMEDIATELY.


----------



## d_ray

I third more pics. She's adorable. Congrats.


----------



## luv mi pets

Gingerkid she is so cute. I can not wait to see more of her. What does your other dog think of the new addition?


----------



## Miss Bugs

I dont follow some peoples logic... 2 Weims came in for boarding, not fixed females. She said she's considering rehomeing them so "if we know of anyone" but then she goes on to say that they would have to go together BECAUSE they are not spayed and they are just too much of a handful because they are intact.....I don't follow the logic?! What does being intact have to do with having to having to stay together? And if they are "too much" because they are intact(as opposed to being..ya know..Weims) why wouldn't she just spay them? I don't get it, the logic made no sense :/


----------



## Miss Bugs

I'm disappointed  I just ran across another dog named Sola..and she's also a Toller.


----------



## cookieface

Gingerkid - she's adorable!! More pictures, please.


----------



## ireth0

Yay congrats Gingerkid! She's adorable!


----------



## Willowy

There is a robin with white wings who comes back to my neighborhood every spring. It must be a male because I always see him hopping around---females take some time off to sit on their nests. I'm sure it's been at least 8 years now. I'm surprised because I would think his white wings would make him a target for predators. How long do robins live anyway? I wish I could get a clear picture of him.


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> There is a robin with white wings who comes back to my neighborhood every spring. It must be a male because I always see him hopping around---females take some time off to sit on their nests. I'm sure it's been at least 8 years now. I'm surprised because I would think his white wings would make him a target for predators. How long do robins live anyway? I wish I could get a clear picture of him.


Average lifespan is ~2 years, with the longest surviving robin reaching 14. Maybe its an offspring and they have white wings?


----------



## Willowy

I thought about that but I've only ever seen one white-winged robin at a time (I would think that if his offspring inherited his coloring, they might hang out together) and his wings aren't pure white, just kind of a washed-out grayish white, so I don't even know if that's inheritable. He might just be a really smart and/or lucky robin. . .


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I never should of joined The Available Sport/Working dogs FB group. It doesn't help.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I guess even caterpillars get tired of moving around. Found one on my shoe hitching a ride to wherever, I put him on our outside ceramic bunny, Thumper.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I never should of joined The Available Sport/Working dogs FB group. It doesn't help.


I love that group!


----------



## elrohwen

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I never should of joined The Available Sport/Working dogs FB group. It doesn't help.


Ooo! What's the full name? I can't find it on FB.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH my eye twitch is back -_-


----------



## Mint

I really want to name a dog Angel. It's the most cliche name, but I really want a dog named Angel. Bonus points if they're actually a buttface.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

elrohwen said:


> Ooo! What's the full name? I can't find it on FB.


Not sure what the full name is, but I looked up sport dogs(something like that, haha), and I think I found it that 

I can't accesses FB right now, but I'll try to post it later.


----------



## elrohwen

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Not sure what the full name is, but I looked up sport dogs(something like that, haha), and I think I found it that
> 
> I can't accesses FB right now, but I'll try to post it later.


I found it! Thanks! For whatever reason it wasn't coming it up with the variety of things I tried.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I think it is "available sport and working dogs" or something to that effect.


----------



## Miss Bugs

This morning a girl was working who's only casual, so she doesn't know Sola very well. So she was having trouble with this super crazy GSD that was too rough for the other dogs, I was helping her and after watching for a bit I said "go get Sola" and she looked at me like I had lost my mind, Sola is tiny and this GSD is throwing dogs her own size and larger around in her attempt to play. I has to assure that that, no really, I know Sola is small but she can take her, no problem. So she got Sola and oh look, they love eachother lol, the GSD would get too rough, Sola would launch through the air and tackle her right back lol. It's really funny explaining too people that no, really pipsqueak can easily take on that crazy dog 10 times her size lol


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

The Animal Welfare Association Walk is today!! Can't wait to go, we have to leave early though (7:45am) and the walk starts at 9:15am. Luke (and I) will see many dog breeds and talk to nice people. I like seeing which breeds are there and guessing what they are and Luke likes making new friends.


----------



## CptJack

The last few times I've gone to a private lesson, I've handed the instructor my twenty dollars (for half an hour) and she's handed me 5.00 change at the end and I've been bewildered. Her website *says* it's 20.00/30 minute session. Today I actually asked what was up. Apparently that's for new people, not her established group and I'm part of the established group now.

It's probably petty and weird and/or wrong, but it made me feel good.

*ETA:* Also, I'm down FOUR pants sizes since doing agility 'for real' or regularly. Yay exercise?


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Established group privilege!!

And dogs are great. I seriously exercise more because of them. Congrats


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, I get out and do some things regardless but the dogs keep me honest about it and I do it a lot more because of them. Less flatteringly, I'm allergic to running unless given REALLY GOOD MOTIVATION. So most of their exercise is them running and me either walking or throwing a ball or something. Agility makes me haul my butt and apparently that's just enough of a kick up intensity to make a difference. 

I'm still allergic to running though. I mean, outside those 30 second sprints.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

AWA Walk was good and fun! It was hot, but we had water with us, so Luke was able to drink from that. We saw a lot of breeds: Treeing Walker, Cane Corso, Beagles, Labs, Pits, Boston Terrier with a tail, Hound Mixes, GSDs, Aussies, Mutts, etc! Luke got a lot of compliments and his picture was taken twice. He made a friend that was a Terrier Mix and liked a Westie.

I saw this dog though that was a different looking coloring and I thought at first of a rare breed, but knew it couldn't be them because they're so rare and are only found in Germany. I had to know what breed, so I asked the owner and he says Aussie! I've never seen an Aussie with his coat coloring before and the owner said it was called Self Merle. So I also learned something new that day!


----------



## Laurelin

Mia is shaved. Only my clippers died halfway through so she's very.... choppy looking. Kind of goofy looking. We'll have to tidy her up.


----------



## jade5280

Ah I love Saturday cuddles watching netflix with my two bean bag hounds. They sure know how to make sure the bed doesn't get up and run away


----------



## chimunga

Watson is a year old next month. Holy jeezus. I have had this dog for 9 months.


----------



## chimunga

I'm on this positive dog training group on facebook, a ton actually, and there's this guy who always talks about how humane prong collars are. Chain collars I can give some leeway. I don't like them, but I think the right person with the correct understanding can use them just fine. But please, continue to tell me how digging metal spikes into your dogs neck is humane. Here, lemme put the prong on your neck and give it a good yank. Then you can tell me how humane it is.


----------



## CptJack

Chain collars are actually worse than prongs - and more dangerous. That's because they have no 'stop'. They will continue to constrict as long as the dog is pulling, or leaning, or the person is pulling back on them. Prong collars hurt, yes, but they're blunt so there is no way for them to penetrate and the fact that they are limited movement (ie: they can only constrict by about an inch between segments) means they can't pinch more than skin (information picture to show there are no spikes/nothing that digs in: closeup here. Chain collars, in the wrong hands, can do serious neck and trachea damage because, again, they will continue to contrict. Like seriously bad. 

You don't have to think prongs are humane and I have no intention of trying to convince you, like at all. Just PLEASE don't think choke chains are safer/better/preferable. They're not, not by a long shot.

Again: Not trying to convince you that prongs are okay - that's your call - just saying choke chains absolutely are not.


----------



## chimunga

I guess it's kind of my own perceptions. Anytime I've seen someone using a prong they're always doing it brutally and meanly. Like a little kid just yanking on the dog because they don't know what they're doing. I have never seen anyone using a prong in a way that I personally see acceptable. 

But whenever I see someone using a chain in a way I think it's okay, it tends to just be used like a reminder. A slight pressure on the dog's neck. Of course there are still the people that just yank the hell out of the dog. So I can see what you mean. A lot of people around here use chain martingales instead of straight chains.


----------



## CptJack

Most of the time I see chains used, they aren't being used at all. The dog's just being allowed to pull, with the idea that being choked by the chain will be aversive enough to make them stop. Unfortunately, no. It just... hangs the dog. Bad.


----------



## chimunga

That's how it was in my petco class, which is one of the reasons I stopped going. The trainer suggested one of the people there continue to use a chain on a dog when it was clearly not working. If it's not working in the first place, persevering and using it more is not going to magically make it work.


----------



## Flaming

I had a properly fitted prong on me before and had a cousin of mine who's huge crank on it.

I was nervous about putting it on a foster who was known for breaking peoples bones on walks (100lbs of excitement ) .

Does it hurt...kind of. Its more weird than pain and I would never crank on it like my cousin and myself did on each other.
But the collar has to be properly fitted. Too many people don't know how to fit one and that's when injuries are possible.


Edit: yes on my neck, not on my leg like some people suggest.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Most of the time I see chains used, they aren't being used at all. The dog's just being allowed to pull, with the idea that being choked by the chain will be aversive enough to make them stop. Unfortunately, no. It just... hangs the dog. Bad.


That's exactly how my mom "trained" our dog years ago. What worked was allowing her to hold the leash in her mouth while we walked.


----------



## cookieface

We're visiting my parents this weekend and my mom casually mentioned that her friends wanted to stop by to meet Katie and Tyson. I'm not a social person, but I figured it wouldn't be a big deal; her friends would drop by, stay for a bit, and leave. Well, this morning, she said, "Oh, I invited J & D, B & B, Y & J, and S & S over. They'll all be here around 4."

Panic!

Katie is an over exuberant greeter, to put it mildly. Tyson is a scaredy cat. My husband went fishing. And *eight* people were coming over for drinks and snacks. Eight new people, plus my parents, in a relatively unfamiliar place. I thought for sure Tyson would have a meltdown and Katie would be a huge PITA.

My little boy was a rock star. I kept both of them with me, feeding treats, while people arrived. Tyson was allowed to approach or avoid people on his own terms. Everyone was fairly calm and gave him space. By the end of the evening, he was approaching people for pets and sitting on laps. 

Katie was polite, calm, mannerly. She didn't jump or paw, I don't think she inspected anyone's ears, she didn't bark (except at the end of the evening when they were both over tired).

I'm overwhelmed. Obviously not speechless, but for all my worry, they were great little dogs.


----------



## gingerkid

That's great, Cookieface!


----------



## luv mi pets

chimunga said:


> Watson is a year old next month. Holy jeezus. I have had this dog for 9 months.


And you are still alive! Happy early Birthday Watson.


----------



## sassafras

CptJack said:


> Agility makes me haul my butt and apparently that's just enough of a kick up intensity to make a difference.


Haha, I was joking with our agility instructor recently that I'm going to write a book about my new "agility workout." Don't even need a dog, just run around a course.


----------



## chimunga

After talking to some people with some pretty decently reasoned arguments, I understand prongs a little more. I tend to run my mouth, and then people smarter than me correct me, and then I feel stupid, but I'm okay with it because I understand a little better. Lol. Learning is fun.


----------



## jade5280

My friends sister works at a doggy daycare and recommended she use a prong collar on her 6 month old corgi to stop her from pulling. I have no problem with prongs for large dogs that are stronger than you, but I don't see any reason in the world to use a prong collar on a 20lb corgi puppy....


----------



## Miss Bugs

I don't understand the point of leash training tools on young puppies at all :/ why wouldn't you just train proper walking normally instead of teaching puppy from the get go that walking properly is what you do when "insert training tool here" is on. I get it for larger dogs, adult dogs that were not trained young or just dogs that never got the hint no matter how much training they had as a puppy as a training tool that will be faded out. but something I see a lot these days is puppy training classes fitting all these 2-5 month old puppies with front attach harnesses as the very first step...why?? just...why??


about 2 weeks ago, walking my dogs, leashes dropped except Sola because she's 6 months old, but she is loose leash. I really dislike physical restraint tools in general, so my above views may be colored by that lol 
https://youtu.be/DE65cL0nJxw


----------



## MelTruffles

I hate chain collars and I'm personally not a fan of prong collars. I feel like if you have exhausted your options than I commend you for trying other methods before whipping the prong collar out. I personally do not like saying much about prong and chain collar because I have dogs under 20lbs. I don't know what a person has to endure when they walk their 100b great dane that is dragging them all over the place. Sherman pulls me sometimes and I give him a firm "NO." and he stops, but for dogs that are 80lbs+ and they are pulling? That's dangerous for all parties involved. Especially if you're dog is reactive to squirrels (*COUGH*. SHERMAN. *COUGH*). I've heard prong collars could cause nerve issues, not sure about the statistics of that, but if you are properly using a prong collar for your 80lb dog, I can't blame you. Now, if you're strapping one to your 20lb dog or something... Then there is some reasonable issues.


----------



## Remaru

I have considered a prong for Magic. She is only 37lbs but she is pure pulling muscle and has high prey drive. I am stronger than her but I have coordination issues. Some days I am perfectly fine and some days I trip over my own feet. My brain doesn't effectively communicate with the rest of my body all of the time, it is fine with a dog who is well behaved or who won't run if they get the chance (Freyja, Lad) but if she pulls and I fall she will just keep going. So far we have been fine but when she jerks it can be difficult. If she jerks and the roads are slick from rain or worse, ice and snow it could be dangerous. She is not at all slowed by anti-pull harnesses. I am working with her on walking nicely on the leash but I don't know that she will ever totally "get it" as far as not reacting when she sees small furries or other dogs. So far I haven't done it yet, I can usually have hubby walk her if the weather is bad or if I'm having a bad day but it is in consideration. I just want us all safe. I definitely wouldn't do it for a puppy and wouldn't normally for a medium sized dog, she is a very tough/hard dog.


----------



## jade5280

Remaru said:


> I have considered a prong for Magic. She is only 37lbs but she is pure pulling muscle and has high prey drive. I am stronger than her but I have coordination issues. Some days I am perfectly fine and some days I trip over my own feet. My brain doesn't effectively communicate with the rest of my body all of the time, it is fine with a dog who is well behaved or who won't run if they get the chance (Freyja, Lad) but if she pulls and I fall she will just keep going. So far we have been fine but when she jerks it can be difficult. If she jerks and the roads are slick from rain or worse, ice and snow it could be dangerous. She is not at all slowed by anti-pull harnesses. I am working with her on walking nicely on the leash but I don't know that she will ever totally "get it" as far as not reacting when she sees small furries or other dogs. So far I haven't done it yet, I can usually have hubby walk her if the weather is bad or if I'm having a bad day but it is in consideration. I just want us all safe. I definitely wouldn't do it for a puppy and wouldn't normally for a medium sized dog, she is a very tough/hard dog.


Do you want one? I have this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006L0UGC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 + extra links to measure 20", but you can take links out. I used it once, didn't work for us because they will pull through anything. Will just charge you the shipping. PM me if you want it.


----------



## gingerkid

Remaru said:


> I have considered a prong for Magic. She is only 37lbs but she is pure pulling muscle and has high prey drive. I am stronger than her but I have coordination issues. Some days I am perfectly fine and some days I trip over my own feet. My brain doesn't effectively communicate with the rest of my body all of the time, it is fine with a dog who is well behaved or who won't run if they get the chance (Freyja, Lad) but if she pulls and I fall she will just keep going. So far we have been fine but when she jerks it can be difficult. If she jerks and the roads are slick from rain or worse, ice and snow it could be dangerous. She is not at all slowed by anti-pull harnesses. I am working with her on walking nicely on the leash but I don't know that she will ever totally "get it" as far as not reacting when she sees small furries or other dogs. So far I haven't done it yet, I can usually have hubby walk her if the weather is bad or if I'm having a bad day but it is in consideration. I just want us all safe. I definitely wouldn't do it for a puppy and wouldn't normally for a medium sized dog, she is a very tough/hard dog.


Safety trumps comfort, IMO.


----------



## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> Do you want one? I have this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006L0UGC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 + extra links to measure 20", but you can take links out. I used it once, didn't work for us because they will pull through anything. Will just charge you the shipping. PM me if you want it.


Thank you, I messaged you. 



gingerkid said:


> Safety trumps comfort, IMO.


I've been trying to avoid it and try other options but this is really how I feel. I'm hoping we can reach a point where it would only need to be a back up thing, we've made some general walking progress but I don't think she was trained to walk on a leash when she was a puppy. She does get very excited by birds, bunnies, other dogs, cats, and that sort of thing so it is something to keep working on.


----------



## momtolabs

Mia is going back to being trained as a puppy.... Holy cow I have had enough :insert angry face: Since my aunts dog has came back here Mia keeps crapping upstairs. She won't downstairs but it's been almost daily now and I have HAD ENOUGH!!! It's always in the room my aunt stays in and it doesn't help my freaking aunt doesn't properly pick her her dogs pee/poop. It doesn't help no one but me knows the concept of how to close a door. My aunt..... Okay not even going to get started that's a rant for another day. But it is freaking aggravating!! Mia was literally just outside an hour ago and I just got done cleaning up her poop upstairs. So looks like she is back to staying in a crate, only out on leash inside and outside for potty breaks and strictly potty breaks(and her walks). 4 more days and my aunt is out for GOOD!!! FOUR MORE DAYS GUYS!!!!! I have never ever been so excited in my life. I'm hoping once my stress level is down again I will be able to peacefully live with my dogs again. My mental state has gotten bad this past year. At school I'm happy and honestly feel great. But I have no motivation to do anything anymore. Even going out with my friends has become a struggle. I get agitated a lot easier anymore. I have caught myself raising my voice a lot more anymore. It's just been bad..... But FOUR MORE DAYS!! Let's hope all will go back to normal :/


----------



## sassafras

I really don't think I would have been able to walk an adolescent Squash without a prong. I never "popped" him with it but he wouldn't pull against it. It was a long road to both LLW and walking with some control in harness/canicrossing with him, and in the meantime sometimes he just needed to be walked.

I haven't used it in... I can't remember when. I'm not even sure where it is anymore and I won't need it for Toast. It is super important to fit it properly and I would recommend a backup, some dogs can pop the links.


----------



## CptJack

My feelings about prongs are pretty clear. See also: I use one for Thud, I don't and never have for anyone else. Thud doesn't always wear his now, and I don't need to deliver 'corrections' with it, but it works to keep me from eating dirt or him from getting lose. When we're in an 'urban' environment, I don't need it at all, but when we're out in more rural areas with wildlife? Yes, I still use it. Most often clipped to a flat collar so it doesn't engage unless the flat collar fails, but there. 

I... don't have any guilt about that. I don't see me still needing it 6 months from now, though who knows. In some ways it has become my security blanket with him. That's maybe less ideal, but he's huge and I really DO NOT want to 'accidentally' lose control of him and wind up with a broken leg in the middle of the woods.


----------



## Laurelin

So Hank has been obsessively trying to hump Mia lately. Absolutely obnoxious and Poor Mia has had enough.


----------



## Willowy

I like to go through craigslist and pick out which ads are scams. This is a good one (and why is it almost always Sibes?): 

"Siberian husky puppies. They are very well behaved, loves people, kids, and other pets, shy at first but once you get to know them, they are very charming so well behaved, potty trained, and very smart. They know simple commands such as sit, stop, stand. They come with all their papers, food, clothing, & other items. Asking for a small re-homing fee."

Nooo, that's not a scam. Everybody needs a Sibe puppy that comes with all his clothing .

Wow, did a search on the phone number and this person has the same ad up on just about every city's craigslist. Wonder how many people fall for that? :/


----------



## Laurelin

I saw a mosaic colored Chihuahua yesterday. I had no idea that was possible but I guess it makes sense that the pattern could show up in more than Labradors. I've only ever seen labs with that coloring.


----------



## Prozax

Laurelin said:


> I saw a mosaic colored Chihuahua yesterday. I had no idea that was possible but I guess it makes sense that the pattern could show up in more than Labradors. I've only ever seen labs with that coloring.


Oh wow, look at those dogs. Mosaic Chihuahua didn't return any relevant pictures  But look at those Labs! Never knew that color existed.


----------



## Willowy

It is COLD today. 45 degrees, damp, and strong winds. I wouldn't complain about 45 degrees if it were sunny, dry, and not too windy. But I'm freezing! It was almost summer. . .why must the weather tease us so?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Prozax said:


> Oh wow, look at those dogs. Mosaic Chihuahua didn't return any relevant pictures  But look at those Labs! Never knew that color existed.


Wow! those patterns are cool! Aren't dogs like this classified as chimeras?


----------



## Kyllobernese

We had two days where we did some Agility training outside at my sister's before it got too hot, then the last few days it has rained. We really needed the rain as it has been dry for so long but made training outside not possible. We did train at the indoor arena on Saturday which was nice. This morning it is quite cloudy out and about 50F (10C) and on those two nice days it was up to over 70F (20C) so hope it comes back to that.


----------



## Laurelin

This dog only had one mosaic patch. It was fawn with a black patch over one leg and its rump. It's a somatic mutation. Pretty nifty. I had seen photos but never one in real life. I wanted to take a picture but was too shy. If I see it again I'm taking a picture.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> It is COLD today. 45 degrees, damp, and strong winds. I wouldn't complain about 45 degrees if it were sunny, dry, and not too windy. But I'm freezing! It was almost summer. . .why must the weather tease us so?





Kyllobernese said:


> We had two days where we did some Agility training outside at my sister's before it got too hot, then the last few days it has rained. We really needed the rain as it has been dry for so long but made training outside not possible. We did train at the indoor arena on Saturday which was nice. This morning it is quite cloudy out and about 50F (10C) and on those two nice days it was up to over 70F (20C) so hope it comes back to that.


It's 76 degrees here now  LOTS and LOTS of rain, though  I think this is the wettest summer I can remember in a long time.


----------



## d_ray

I'm sooooo proud of jazz. We had about 15 people over for a bbq yesterday. 6 of the people jazz had never met. She only barked once when the first stranger got here. She was so great with everyone and even let one of the strangers pet her belly. Both girls were awesome and sooooo calm. They just laid beside us all afternoon and evening. 

She's also made amazing progress on the trails. She no longer barks at people without dogs. She just checks them out from the distance and then runs away. 

The girls are still pooped from all the action yesterday.


----------



## gingerkid

This video gives me hope that Snowball and Ida might play nice someday, when she's figured out how to be less obnoxious.

https://youtu.be/tAhrp_xqH2k


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> It's 76 degrees here now  LOTS and LOTS of rain, though  I think this is the wettest summer I can remember in a long time.


Are you in Flower Mound right now? It hasn't stopped raining here for more than a day or two at a time. I think it is supposed to be 79 today but feel like 82 because of the humidity. It isn't supposed to rain today but it is tomorrow. The storms have been really bad, lightning split a giant tree in my neighbor's yard last week (it is split right through the middle). The lake levels are really high too, several of the roads are closed from flooding.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Are you in Flower Mound right now? It hasn't stopped raining here for more than a day or two at a time. I think it is supposed to be 79 today but feel like 82 because of the humidity. It isn't supposed to rain today but it is tomorrow. The storms have been really bad, lightning split a giant tree in my neighbor's yard last week (it is split right through the middle). The lake levels are really high too, several of the roads are closed from flooding.


Yep, I am up in flower Mound right now. yesterday and today are supposed to be nice, but then its supposed to be rain for the rest of the week :/


----------



## Laurelin

It's been almost non stop rain the last three week here too. Standing water on the agility fields and even in my yard. Supposed to rain starting tomorrow for over a week. Blegh

Today I was asked if Hank was a dacshund mix. That's a new one. And apparently he looks like someone put a dachshund head and ears on a cattle dog body. 

I swear I could not make this up if I tried.


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yep, I am up in flower Mound right now. yesterday and today are supposed to be nice, but then its supposed to be rain for the rest of the week :/


I'm in Lewisville, so very very close. I can't remember it being this wet in a long time. My yard is just muck, the dogs aren't liking it because we can't really get out much. The boys can't get out and play much either (at least they go skating).


----------



## Laurelin

At least it's not as hot as usual this time of the year? I can't recall okc ever being this rainy either.


----------



## CptJack

Anybody in NC want a Thud?

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pet/5026770329.html


----------



## Willowy

Frost advisory tonight. I brought in my potted petunias. But seriously? What is up with that? It's too late for a frost.


----------



## Laurelin

What would make Hank suddenly obsessed with humping Mia? Pre this week he has never tried. Now he won't leave her alone.


----------



## Willowy

Laurelin said:


> What would make Hank suddenly obsessed with humping Mia? Pre this week he has never tried. Now he won't leave her alone.


Maybe she has some kind of infection? That'll usually do it.


----------



## Laurelin

I am beginning to wonder if she has a UTI. He keeps licking her down there and trying to hump her. She has been acting normal.

EDIT: Hank has been watching a national geographic documentary about mammals for about an hour. Rapt attention the whole time. He really likes the reindeer.


----------



## Remaru

Well I'm super awesome and graceful.  Took Lad for a walk and tripped over my own feet. I didn't hurt myself badly, just banged my knees and hands a bit. Poor Laddie was a little gentleman, when I fell (almost on top of him) he did not run off. He shoved his nose in my face, to make sure I was okay, licked me a couple of times and sat down next to me. He spent the rest of this evening laying on top of me on the couch, I think he is afraid I'm going to hurt myself again if I walk.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I am beginning to wonder if she has a UTI. He keeps licking her down there and trying to hump her. She has been acting normal.
> 
> EDIT: Hank has been watching a national geographic documentary about mammals for about an hour. Rapt attention the whole time. He really likes the reindeer.


Yes Lincoln has proven to me that dogs actually CAN see, watch and comprehend TV to some extent LOL


----------



## gingerkid

I feel like a Manners Minder would make crate/alone-time training soooo much easier.


----------



## d_ray

Remaru said:


> Well I'm super awesome and graceful.  Took Lad for a walk and tripped over my own feet. I didn't hurt myself badly, just banged my knees and hands a bit. Poor Laddie was a little gentleman, when I fell (almost on top of him) he did not run off. He shoved his nose in my face, to make sure I was okay, licked me a couple of times and sat down next to me. He spent the rest of this evening laying on top of me on the couch, I think he is afraid I'm going to hurt myself again if I walk.


Awww that's so sweet. Hope you are okay! I wiped out once pretty badly with jewel and all she did was bite me and jump on me lol


----------



## d_ray

Does anyone else have a dog who freaks out during a car wash. We were borrowing a friends car and took it through the car wash before returning it. I didn't even think twice how the dogs would react. 

Well lets just say, Jewel HATED it. She had a complete melt down. I should have known since she's terrified of thunder. Thank gosh it was over quickly.


----------



## cookieface

gingerkid said:


> I feel like a Manners Minder would make crate/alone-time training soooo much easier.


I've used one with Tyson. It helps, but he also beats on it and makes it jam. We need to work on reinforcing good behavior around it.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> I'm in Lewisville, so very very close. I can't remember it being this wet in a long time. My yard is just muck, the dogs aren't liking it because we can't really get out much. The boys can't get out and play much either (at least they go skating).


WOW I didnt realize we were do close! Cool


----------



## CptJack

Bug is going to do a little bit of agility tomorrow, for the first time in a year. Our trial practice is having one of the two courses be set up as a tunnelers course which I was pretty excited about anyway, just for sheer WHEE FUN (I've never seen one but they look awesome) but I'm even MORE eager to go play with Bug a little bit. She's going to have a blast. (I might actually split trial days and take Jack and Bug along for a day each just to hang out and be loved on).


----------



## Laurelin

Supposed to rain for another week and a half. This is ridiculous.


----------



## cookieface

I'm torn. Our training center is offering two more free nose work classes to be taught by the instructor-in-training we had for our first class. I hadn't planned to put my name in the running for a spot because we've already taken advantage of one free class (I suspect the instructor will want new participants) and it's weekends in the summer (I don't have an issue, but my husband probably will and we're already doing agility on Friday evenings in June and July). Now, they've sent a second request for participants.


----------



## ireth0

1 day after I applied to be a foster home and I have gotten my first offer of foster kittens. Oooh dear.

Not sure if they will be coming yet but eep!


----------



## Willowy

ireth0 said:


> 1 day after I applied to be a foster home and I have gotten my first offer of foster kittens. Oooh dear.
> 
> Not sure if they will be coming yet but eep!


Kitten season . You'll be busy! I'm sure there will be as many as you're willing to take.


It's still cold! I'm going to file an offical complaint .


----------



## ireth0

Willowy said:


> Kitten season . You'll be busy! I'm sure there will be as many as you're willing to take.


Yea, I wanted to try fostering a mom and babies since we have an extra room now and see how we felt about it. The BF has to be agreeable even though I don't expect him to DO anything for them, but he has to deal with the crazy kitten madness, lol.

So we'll try this batch (or another if this one doesn't pan out) and see how it goes, haha.


----------



## chimunga

I was having a discussion on a dog behavior FB group about punishment vs. correction. She posted this. lol:


----------



## cookieface

chimunga said:


> I was having a discussion on a dog behavior FB group about punishment vs. correction. She posted this. lol:


I saw that! We must be in the same group.


----------



## d_ray

ireth0 said:


> Yea, I wanted to try fostering a mom and babies since we have an extra room now and see how we felt about it. The BF has to be agreeable even though I don't expect him to DO anything for them, but he has to deal with the crazy kitten madness, lol.
> 
> So we'll try this batch (or another if this one doesn't pan out) and see how it goes, haha.


Kittens! Can't wait for pics. It's been so long since I've had a kitten, I miss the madness


----------



## elrohwen

I caved and got a prong for Watson about a year ago and I can't believe I waited so long. He would get so overstimulated and flaily and it was very hard to hold him. He won't pull into the prong or flail around. I still use it in situations where I know he's going to be over the top, or where I need a lot of control (an event with lots of dogs around for example), but he now calms down much faster and doesn't need it as much as he did. For regular walks at our usual location, he's fine with a flat collar or harness now (despite squirrels, bikes, other dogs, etc) but I usually bring the prong just in case he's having a ridiculous day.

I don't use it as a training tool in the sense that I don't pop him with it, and I don't use it to position him for heeling or anything. I do know people who train heeling completely on a prong (not using it to pop or correct the dog, just to guide into position) and you can get a lot of precision that way, but I'd rather do it off leash. 

I don't feel any guilt about it. Self correcting a little on the prong taught him to have some impulse control and not go racing off at top speed whenever he felt like it. I clip the leash to both rings and to his collar so it's giving the least amount of correction, which is all that he's needed.


----------



## chimunga

elrohwen said:


> I caved and got a prong for Watson about a year ago and I can't believe I waited so long. He would get so overstimulated and flaily and it was very hard to hold him. He won't pull into the prong or flail around. I still use it in situations where I know he's going to be over the top, or where I need a lot of control (an event with lots of dogs around for example), but he now calms down much faster and doesn't need it as much as he did. For regular walks at our usual location, he's fine with a flat collar or harness now (despite squirrels, bikes, other dogs, etc) but I usually bring the prong just in case he's having a ridiculous day.
> 
> I don't use it as a training tool in the sense that I don't pop him with it, and I don't use it to position him for heeling or anything. I do know people who train heeling completely on a prong (not using it to pop or correct the dog, just to guide into position) and you can get a lot of precision that way, but I'd rather do it off leash.
> 
> I don't feel any guilt about it. Self correcting a little on the prong taught him to have some impulse control and not go racing off at top speed whenever he felt like it. I clip the leash to both rings and to his collar so it's giving the least amount of correction, which is all that he's needed.


After A LOT of discussion about it, I understand. I think. Some dogs get so riled up and are so terrible on walks, that they are just no fun. They're anxious and stressed out. So I can get how the "negativity" of a stressful walk can be tamed by a prong, and how it can be a useful tool.


----------



## elrohwen

chimunga said:


> After A LOT of discussion about it, I understand. I think. Some dogs get so riled up and are so terrible on walks, that they are just no fun. They're anxious and stressed out. So I can get how the "negativity" of a stressful walk can be tamed by a prong, and how it can be a useful tool.


The way I see it, Gentle Leaders and other "positive" walking aids are aversive. That's why they work. And I have seen dogs who seem way more sad or upset to put on a head halter than a prong. I also dislike front clip harnesses because they can mess up a dog's shoulders and gait. The prong looks scary, but for a dog who is used to it and doesn't pull into it it's one of the safer and more effective options to prevent pulling while you work on loose leash walking, especially on strong dogs.

Watson will get so excited that he will race at top speed and hit the end of a leash or long line, repeatedly, on a flat collar or harness to the point where he is almost flipping over. 45lbs of muscle just ramming into the end of the leash repeatedly is not healthy for either of us. He's tried that on a prong once or twice (and I don't connect the prong to a long line) and quickly decided it wasn't a good idea and that he could, in fact, show some impulse control.


----------



## gingerkid

Anyone who says a halti or even an easy walker is "positive" is either way, way over-simplifying things into black and white or has no clue what they're talking about. Unless they're referring to it being positive punishment - which it is (albeit milder than what most people consider to be "bad").

That being said, not all aversives are equally uh.. aversive, and no one aversive is equally aversive to all dogs.


----------



## elrohwen

I will also add that I think using a prong does take some skill. Not lots of skill, but an awareness of what is going on with your dog and how not to use it. Watson can be a little reactive, and if I let him react and hit the prong hard, he would likely become more reactive and dislike that dog more (I've actually seen it happen once or twice). So I have to be careful with it in certain situations. If it was a front clip harness or something it would be much less likely to increase reactivity if he lunged hard at another dog. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who was clueless, and I don't really feel comfortable with just anyone walking him in it.


----------



## cookieface

According to the radar map, Katie and I are going to get caught in a deluge on our way to heeling class tonight.

On a better note, her arch-nemesis, the vizsla next door, was out and barking at us earlier. She didn't make a sound. Maybe she's growing up.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Supposed to rain for another week and a half. This is ridiculous.


It is raining NOW ... UGH ... SO tired of this!!!


----------



## Sibe

OwnedbyACDs said:


> It is raining NOW ... UGH ... SO tired of this!!!


 Colorado has been stormy and wet for like 2 weeks, and have another week at least of it.


----------



## Denisekay

It's raining here too, we'll probably be getting alot of it come summertime. :rain:


----------



## chimunga

elrohwen said:


> The way I see it, Gentle Leaders and other "positive" walking aids are aversive. That's why they work. And I have seen dogs who seem way more sad or upset to put on a head halter than a prong. I also dislike front clip harnesses because they can mess up a dog's shoulders and gait. The prong looks scary, but for a dog who is used to it and doesn't pull into it it's one of the safer and more effective options to prevent pulling while you work on loose leash walking, especially on strong dogs.
> 
> Watson will get so excited that he will race at top speed and hit the end of a leash or long line, repeatedly, on a flat collar or harness to the point where he is almost flipping over. 45lbs of muscle just ramming into the end of the leash repeatedly is not healthy for either of us. He's tried that on a prong once or twice (and I don't connect the prong to a long line) and quickly decided it wasn't a good idea and that he could, in fact, show some impulse control.





gingerkid said:


> Anyone who says a halti or even an easy walker is "positive" is either way, way over-simplifying things into black and white or has no clue what they're talking about. Unless they're referring to it being positive punishment - which it is (albeit milder than what most people consider to be "bad").
> 
> That being said, not all aversives are equally uh.. aversive, and no one aversive is equally aversive to all dogs.


I don't think a lot of regular people realize that. They think "hey it doesn't have metal spikes, so it must be positive!" Ummm. No.


----------



## d_ray

Jasmine did a naughty today. She got up in the counter and knocked the deep fryer over. Then she drank the oil and barfed it up all over our area rug. My house reeks like oil. She's lucky she's so darn cute.


----------



## chimunga

d_ray said:


> Jasmine did a naughty today. She got up in the counter and knocked the deep fryer over. Then she drank the oil and barfed it up all over our area rug. My house reeks like oil. She's lucky she's so darn cute.


Oh god. I'm happy she didn't get burned. Is she okay?


----------



## luv mi pets

My take on Prong collars. If you are walking and doing more things with your dog because you can FINALLY do something with your dog then that is a good thing. Now if you are using other devices because you do not believe in using other things and your dog is pulling you and you do not do that many things with your dog then that is bad, and that is not a good thing.

so many walks adventures = positive
making excuses not do go on adventures = negative


----------



## Laurelin

We are on track to have the record wettest month in my city in history....On the news they said if we got 1 more inch of rain it'd be the wettest month ever recorded. It is pouring right now. And should for a week and a half straight according to the weather. Unreal. 

Is the entire US flooding? At this rate we won't have an agility field until july.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank's response to thinking an intruder is in the house is apparently to bark and growl and hide under the bed. Super helpful.


----------



## Remaru

d_ray said:


> Jasmine did a naughty today. She got up in the counter and knocked the deep fryer over. Then she drank the oil and barfed it up all over our area rug. My house reeks like oil. She's lucky she's so darn cute.


Oh no, I hope she feels ok.  



It has rained a little here tonight but not too much yet. There is a good bit of lightening going on though so I guess it is on the way.


----------



## gingerkid

Question:

I know adults chasing their tails/spinning in circles isn't healthy behavior, but how concerning is it in puppies? Ida occassionally tries to catch her tail, and will walk around holding on to it when she catches it and it's adorable.


----------



## d_ray

chimunga said:


> Oh god. I'm happy she didn't get burned. Is she okay?


She's good as ever. It was old oil from the weekend. I would never leave hot oil unattended. Little brat she is.


----------



## ireth0

gingerkid said:


> Question:
> 
> I know adults chasing their tails/spinning in circles isn't healthy behavior, but how concerning is it in puppies? Ida occassionally tries to catch her tail, and will walk around holding on to it when she catches it and it's adorable.


I don't think it's necessarily bad unless they OBSESS about doing it and wont stop unless you physically make them. 

Occasional tail chasing is normal IMO.


----------



## Denisekay

Laurelin said:


> Is the entire US flooding? At this rate we won't have an agility field until july.


It isn't flooding here, but we're getting a lot of rain due to entering thunderstorm season.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> We are on track to have the record wettest month in my city in history....On the news they said if we got 1 more inch of rain it'd be the wettest month ever recorded. It is pouring right now. And should for a week and a half straight according to the weather. Unreal.
> 
> Is the entire US flooding? At this rate we won't have an agility field until july.


I dont know about the rest of the country ... but we are water logged down here, too!


----------



## elrohwen

gingerkid said:


> Question:
> 
> I know adults chasing their tails/spinning in circles isn't healthy behavior, but how concerning is it in puppies? Ida occassionally tries to catch her tail, and will walk around holding on to it when she catches it and it's adorable.


It's not bad if it's not obsessive. Watson does it occasionally now, but he did it way more often as a puppy.



d_ray said:


> Jasmine did a naughty today. She got up in the counter and knocked the deep fryer over. Then she drank the oil and barfed it up all over our area rug. My house reeks like oil. She's lucky she's so darn cute.


Wow, now that is naughty!


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Definitely waterlogged across the DFW area!

I just want this whole tornado thing to go away lol. Give me my Houston-area hurricanes back!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

So.. I haven't been on the past few days much at all and I come back and see quite a few people are banned. 

What happened..?


----------



## Willowy

I'm going to take several of the cats to a discounted vaccination event in a town about half an hour away. Yay fun . Driving with kitties is an adventure!


----------



## momtolabs

Willowy said:


> I'm going to take several of the cats to a discounted vaccination event in a town about half an hour away. Yay fun . Driving with kitties is an adventure!


I hate it,haha!! I offered to drive a few cats up and a dog to the discount vet an hour and half away OMG I wanted to jump out my car,lol. 4 cats + a dog that cries in the car was not a fun ride. It was SO peaceful on the way back. Luckily the transport brought them back!


----------



## momtolabs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> So.. I haven't been on the past few days much at all and I come back and see quite a few people are banned.
> 
> What happened..?


Drama mainly. Some back seat moderating, saying things that are against the rules.


----------



## Willowy

momtolabs said:


> I hate it,haha!! I offered to drive a few cats up and a dog to the discount vet an hour and half away OMG I wanted to jump out my car,lol. 4 cats + a dog that cries in the car was not a fun ride. It was SO peaceful on the way back. Luckily the transport brought them back!


LOL, once my mom and I took 13 cats to the low-cost spay/neuter clinic 3 1/2 hours away! That was an experience. 

I wonder how wild/well managed it will be, and how many people will be there.


----------



## gingerkid

You know when you scratch a dog's belly and it starts kicking its feet? I wonder if that's because they're ticklish.


----------



## elrohwen

gingerkid said:


> You know when you scratch a dog's belly and it starts kicking its feet? I wonder if that's because they're ticklish.


When Watson's feet are itchy from allergies he will chew on one foot while his back feet kick. I'm not sure what to make of that except that it means they don't just do that when you scratch the belly. That's all I've got though!


----------



## cookieface

gingerkid said:


> You know when you scratch a dog's belly and it starts kicking its feet? I wonder if that's because they're ticklish.


Neither of mine do the leg kick thing. Tyson did once, but never again.


----------



## chimunga

gingerkid said:


> You know when you scratch a dog's belly and it starts kicking its feet? I wonder if that's because they're ticklish.


I always thought it was kind of a nerve thing, like when a doctor taps your knee with his knee tapper thingy.


----------



## CptJack

I always thought it was finding an itchy spot and them 'scratching' it reflexively, even if they can't quite reach it.


----------



## CptJack

Unrelated: Kylie's learning curve is a right angle. She either gets something and does it perfectly in just about every permutation of it, or she doesn't understand it at all. There is NO period wherein she gets closer/better at a thing. It's like she ONLY learns in 'light bulb moments'.


----------



## Willowy

Willowy said:


> I wonder how wild/well managed it will be, and how many people will be there.


Well that was interesting . It was OK, some people brought cats in not in carriers (!) but none of them freaked out so I guess that was fine. Some people dropped the leash but those dogs were friendly. Someone came in with 3-4 little girls and a big rambunctious dog, and the 2 littlest girls were running around petting all the dogs and sticking their fingers in cat carriers and running around the vet while he was trying to do stuff. Their mom kept calling them but she had her hands full with the dog, poor mom! And poor everybody else . Someone came in with a huge bully-type dog (I couldn't identify the particular breed) wearing a leather muzzle and making noises I can only call roaring. They just tagged their place in line and took him back to the car until it was his turn. It was probably worth the savings for me but wow. I guess the vet thinks it's worth it because he does it every year but that's just exhausting.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is madly in love with the chuckit bumper.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I feel so bad for Jazzy around this time of year, unfortunately, she has seasonal allergies(which was confirmed by her Vet.). It definitely isn't something life-threatening, but it's something bothersome to her. 

Obviously, we could try medication, but does anyone have any "natural" remedies, or something that doesn't involve drugs, or a lot of chemicals.


----------



## Willowy

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I feel so bad for Jazzy around this time of year, unfortunately, she has seasonal allergies(which was confirmed by her Vet.). It definitely isn't something life-threatening, but it's something bothersome to her.
> 
> Obviously, we could try medication, but does anyone have any "natural" remedies, or something that doesn't involve drugs, or a lot of chemicals.


Eh, I wouldn't mess around with "natural" remedies for allergies. I take a Zyrtec daily; why bicker about giving it to pets? I hear Zyrtec is quite effective in cats, so ask the vet about that.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Some of you people must be getting all our rain. We have had such a long dry spell that I was glad to see some rain but can do without the thunder and lightning. It starts out clear in the morning, then gradually clouds up. I just managed to mow my yard today before we had a short rain storm. It has stayed warm though, up to 20-25C (70-80F).


----------



## chimunga

Weird observation. When I raise my eyebrows at Watson, his ears go forward. Like he's paying attention. It's odd.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Willowy said:


> Eh, I wouldn't mess around with "natural" remedies for allergies. I take a Zyrtec daily; why bicker about giving it to pets? I hear Zyrtec is quite effective in cats, so ask the vet about that.


Thanks, for the suggestion! I'll talk to our vet tomorrow, when they open.

It just concerns me I know. I know, it shouldn't. I jouned a FB group/reading a book, and they promote natural approaches... Its basically why I thought of it.


----------



## DGerry

Great job!
(video link)

Lol.


----------



## chimunga

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Thanks, for the suggestion! I'll talk to our vet tomorrow, when they open.
> 
> It just concerns me I know. I know, it shouldn't. I jouned a FB group/reading a book, and they promote natural approaches... Its basically why I thought of it.


I'm all for questioning. But you also have to ask yourself "Why?" Is whatever is in this "unnatural" solution going to cause my animal harm? It's really easy to jump on the all-natural bandwagon. I do it sometimes too. I make my own deoderant, lotions, and rarely wash my hair. But it's not fair to your animal to let her suffer. She can't make a choice.


----------



## Laurelin

So I've been scouring A/Cs fb pages all night looking for Hank's intake picture. Sadly no luck. 

I did see a video where they were talking about how the live release (aka animals not euthanized) was at 26% only a few years ago. It's now around 50%.

Gonna go hug my dog right now.


----------



## chimunga

Laurelin said:


> So I've been scouring A/Cs fb pages all night looking for Hank's intake picture. Sadly no luck.
> 
> I did see a video where they were talking about how the live release (aka animals not euthanized) was at 26% only a few years ago. It's now around 50%.
> 
> Gonna go hug my dog right now.


Have you seen this? https://www.facebook.com/karmacolla...0.1432185090./758627444182670/?type=3&theater

I saw it on Karma collars and thought it was Hank, lol.


----------



## Laurelin

Yes! I love the look of that dog!


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> So I've been scouring A/Cs fb pages all night looking for Hank's intake picture. Sadly no luck.
> 
> I did see a video where they were talking about how the live release (aka animals not euthanized) was at 26% only a few years ago. It's now around 50%.
> 
> Gonna go hug my dog right now.


 Jesus. That is a huge increase though! I feel so fortunate to have volunteered where I did. Save rate on dogs was 85-87%. Pts only for severe behavior/medical issues.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah I know their goal is to get to 70+% in the next couple years. It is definitely a GOOD increase. It's crazy that it was that low of a rate only 7 years ago. 

http://www.okhumane.org/news/oklaho...rives-to-continue-improving-live-release-rate

Wish I could save more than just Hank...


----------



## Laurelin

Holy crap intake number in 2011: *27,545*! O_O


----------



## chimunga

I really want to start getting into shelter and rescue work. But I honestly have no idea where to start. And I'm not sure if I really have time. I barely have time to function as an adult and take care of my dog and husband.


----------



## cookieface

chimunga said:


> I really want to start getting into shelter and rescue work. But I honestly have no idea where to start. And I'm not sure if I really have time. I barely have time to function as an adult and take care of my dog and husband.


I feel the same way.


----------



## CptJack

We've had truly gorgeous weather almost all month. 

There is an agility trial next weekend. As of now the forecast is for steady thunderstorms. 

BLAH.


----------



## ireth0

Find a local shelter and find out what their requirements for volunteering are. At the shelter I am with you have to commit to one 3 hour shift once a week, but members of the public can come in any time the shelter is open to walk a dog. I know with other groups the rules are different. 

And honestly, even just coming in and taking a dog for a walk is still a huge help. Some of the dogs NEED more exercise/stimulation than the shelter workers are able to give consistently.


----------



## Laurelin

Also donating food or money can help a lot too. Or things like old blankets and towels. 

One day I'd love to try to network/pull sport type dogs and foster them. Not sure the best way to get started on that.


----------



## ireth0

Laurelin said:


> Also donating food or money can help a lot too. Or things like old blankets and towels.
> 
> One day I'd love to try to network/pull sport type dogs and foster them. Not sure the best way to get started on that.


Yea absolutely, I'd call the shelter or check online (or on FB if they have one) to see what kinds of items they are most in need of. Even office supplies like copy paper, etc are useful. And newspaper for puppies! Our shelter also uses a ton of bleach. 

Laurelin, I'd think the best way to start would be to start building a relationship with the shelter/rescues you wanted to work with, and the sport clubs and such. That way they know you and know your skill level, and when the time comes that you're ready to start, you're already a trusted person vs some random trying to take and rehome dogs.


----------



## Denisekay

Last night while I was in bed there was a huge flash of lightning which lit up like half my room, I was just waiting for a giant crack of thunder. You can tell it'll be storm season soon.


----------



## gingerkid

ireth0 said:


> Find a local shelter and find out what their requirements for volunteering are. At the shelter I am with you have to commit to one 3 hour shift once a week, but members of the public can come in any time the shelter is open to walk a dog. I know with other groups the rules are different.
> 
> And honestly, even just coming in and taking a dog for a walk is still a huge help. Some of the dogs NEED more exercise/stimulation than the shelter workers are able to give consistently.





chimunga said:


> I really want to start getting into shelter and rescue work. But I honestly have no idea where to start. And I'm not sure if I really have time. I barely have time to function as an adult and take care of my dog and husband.


Our shelter doesn't allow the public to walk dogs (we seem to have enough problems with just the public interacting with the dogs in a closed room). But during open hours the public is allowed to visit with most of the dogs that are available for adoption.

Our regular volunteer requirements are two 2-hour shifts a month (or one 4-hour shift) to active status. There are different programs with higher requirements than that, but it's usually for an initial period (e.g., 3-6 months), and once you're trained in a program you can always contribute to that program even if you stop doing it regularly. We also have "special events" volunteers, who don't have to meet the monthly commitment, and just work... well, special events like BBQs, expos, fundraising galas, etc.


----------



## ireth0

gingerkid said:


> Our shelter doesn't allow the public to walk dogs (we seem to have enough problems with just the public interacting with the dogs in a closed room). But during open hours the public is allowed to visit with most of the dogs that are available for adoption.
> 
> Our regular volunteer requirements are two 2-hour shifts a month (or one 4-hour shift) to active status. There are different programs with higher requirements than that, but it's usually for an initial period (e.g., 3-6 months), and once you're trained in a program you can always contribute to that program even if you stop doing it regularly. We also have "special events" volunteers, who don't have to meet the monthly commitment, and just work... well, special events like BBQs, expos, fundraising galas, etc.


Yea it really varies by the individual organization. Best bet is to contact ones near you and find out what their requirements are!

We also have volunteers who (as far as I know) don't work at the actual shelter but do events. Santa Pix, BBQ's, etc


----------



## d_ray

chimunga said:


> I really want to start getting into shelter and rescue work. But I honestly have no idea where to start. And I'm not sure if I really have time. I barely have time to function as an adult and take care of my dog and husband.


You can start small. I do the reference checks for Jewel and jazzy's rescue and also help at events when I can. I also look after fosters here and there when their regular fosters are on vacation. I'm going to an event on Saturday. Just manning the booth and doing some baking.


----------



## cookieface

ireth0 said:


> Find a local shelter and find out what their requirements for volunteering are. At the shelter I am with you have to commit to one 3 hour shift once a week, but members of the public can come in any time the shelter is open to walk a dog. I know with other groups the rules are different.
> 
> And honestly, even just coming in and taking a dog for a walk is still a huge help. Some of the dogs NEED more exercise/stimulation than the shelter workers are able to give consistently.


One of the trainers at our center works for a local SPCA, so I could always talk to her. There are a number of other members involved with rescues in various ways. It wouldn't be difficult to get more information; it's more the stepping out of my comfort zone and getting over the guilt of "abandoning" my own dogs.

Perhaps when Tyson is a little older and has gotten over some of his fear, I'll take concrete steps.



Laurelin said:


> Also donating food or money can help a lot too. Or things like old blankets and towels.
> 
> One day I'd love to try to network/pull sport type dogs and foster them. Not sure the best way to get started on that.


I do donate, but I'd still like to do more and do more specifically with the animals. Katie and Tyson's breeder has a rescue and is the chair for the national breed club rescue and I've told her on several occasions that I'm willing to do anything she needs. She's never taken me up on my offer.


----------



## Willowy

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Thanks, for the suggestion! I'll talk to our vet tomorrow, when they open.
> 
> It just concerns me I know. I know, it shouldn't. I jouned a FB group/reading a book, and they promote natural approaches... Its basically why I thought of it.


I generally do prefer a more natural approach for most things. But allergies aren't going to be helped by anything else, although of course an air filter and frequent cleaning are helpful for airborne allergies. I would try to avoid steroids though, because of the potential side effects. Antihistamines are usually pretty safe though.


----------



## chimunga

cookieface said:


> One of the trainers at our center works for a local SPCA, so I could always talk to her. There are a number of other members involved with rescues in various ways. It wouldn't be difficult to get more information; *it's more the stepping out of my comfort zone* and getting over the guilt of "abandoning" my own dogs.


That's how it is for me as well. I can get pretty bad anxiety when trying to involve myself in new things. Sometimes it's almost debilitating. I just need to take a deep breath and get past it. Lol, if only it were that easy.


----------



## ireth0

The good thing about working with dogs is that they don't judge.


----------



## Willowy

One of the dogs at the vaccination clinic was a GSD/Rough Collie mix. His owner said he was a mix between Lassie and Rin Tin Tin  (and I bet his grandkids don't know who they are, LOL). Now I want a GSD/Rough Collie so bad. He was beautiful and seemed like a great dog.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

chimunga said:


> I'm all for questioning. But you also have to ask yourself "Why?" Is whatever is in this "unnatural" solution going to cause my animal harm? It's really easy to jump on the all-natural bandwagon. I do it sometimes too. I make my own deoderant, lotions, and rarely wash my hair. But it's not fair to your animal to let her suffer. She can't make a choice.


Last time we talked to our vet, she said it isn't bad to wear she needs medication. I defintely wouldn't hold back veterinian care, and if it does get worse? We'll call the vet.



Willowy said:


> I generally do prefer a more natural approach for most things. But allergies aren't going to be helped by anything else, although of course an air filter and frequent cleaning are helpful for airborne allergies. I would try to avoid steroids though, because of the potential side effects. Antihistamines are usually pretty safe though.


Thanks for the suggestion! We already have air filter, but who knows old it is

Glad I asked here before, I too, prefer more natural approaches, but... Since there isn't much along those lines for allergies I'll start looking into medication.


----------



## Willowy

JazzyTheSiberian said:


> Last time we talked to our vet, she said it isn't bad to wear she needs medication. I defintely wouldn't hold back veterinian care, and if it does get worse? We'll call the vet.


Since the research is fairly new, some vets don't know that cetirizine works well and is safe for cats (antihistamines have always been a tricky thing with cats, along with painkillers). . .and of course they'll be reluctant to prescribe steroids because of all the side effects. If you mention cetirazine, the vet may not have thought of it before and it might be just the thing to make her feel a bit better. This guy thinks it's great :
http://m.petmd.com/blogs/dailyvet/2010/february/zyrtec_for_cats-5403


----------



## CptJack

I have Lyme. Yay.

I want people flea and tick repellent/killers dang it.


----------



## missc89

CptJack said:


> I have Lyme. Yay.
> 
> I want people flea and tick repellent/killers dang it.


What!? (too short)


----------



## CptJack

I spend a lot of time in the woods. Have felt like crap for the last week and noticed I've got a nice bullseye rash going on in a hard to see spot when I dragged out of the shower last night. Went to the doctor. Yay? I got antibiotics and I'm sure it'll be fine but ergh.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> I have Lyme. Yay.
> 
> I want people flea and tick repellent/killers dang it.


Ugh sorry to hear! SO go Lyme last year. Do you know when you got it?

Just saw your second post...It's good that you got it early. SO didn't until a few weeks after he had been bitten and started getting flu like symptoms. He's fine now after being on the antibiotics so I'm sure you'll be okay.


----------



## missc89

CptJack said:


> I spend a lot of time in the woods. Have felt like crap for the last week and noticed I've got a nice bullseye rash going on in a hard to see spot when I dragged out of the shower last night. Went to the doctor. Yay? I got antibiotics and I'm sure it'll be fine but ergh.


I am really sorry to hear that :/ that sounds like no fun whatsoever


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, I'm really glad I caught onto it early and am sure I'll be all right. That stuff gets scary, and glad you're SO wound up without having lasting issues, too.


----------



## Remaru

Willowy said:


> One of the dogs at the vaccination clinic was a GSD/Rough Collie mix. His owner said he was a mix between Lassie and Rin Tin Tin  (and I bet his grandkids don't know who they are, LOL). Now I want a GSD/Rough Collie so bad. He was beautiful and seemed like a great dog.


This is apparently a popular mix. There is a breeder (no idea how ethical I just see ads) that breeds this mix. The puppies look beautiful though. They are breeding second generation crosses at this point. I am actually shocked by how many people don't know what a Rough Collie is. When the kids at roller derby ask me what Lad is I tell them rough collie and pyr/anatolian. They know what a pyr is (some of them have them) most know what an anatolian is but the majority have no idea what a Rough Collie is, just border collies. I said "like Lassie" but nope, no one knows who Lassie is except my kids. We binge watched old Lassie the other day. LOL


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> I spend a lot of time in the woods. Have felt like crap for the last week and noticed I've got a nice bullseye rash going on in a hard to see spot when I dragged out of the shower last night. Went to the doctor. Yay? I got antibiotics and I'm sure it'll be fine but ergh.


I'm sorry, I hope the antibiotics work quickly.


----------



## elrohwen

Ugh, that sucks, CptJack. So good you caught it!


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I have Lyme. Yay.
> 
> I want people flea and tick repellent/killers dang it.


Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you caught it early which is good. Hope you have a quick and full recovery.


----------



## jade5280

I wish they would come out with something to eradicate all tick species.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I wish they would come out with something to eradicate all tick species.


UGH me too, luckily they keep the grass pretty trimmed over here, but I always check the dogs to make sure after every walk. I especially hate pulling them off, esp when they are engorged, because I had a bad experience where I was pulling one off and the tweezers slipped down the tick's body and its body ruptured and sprayed me in the face uke: that was horrible.


----------



## missc89

I wish they came out with something like flea and tick collar for humans - unfortunately, ticks are part of an ecosystem and we could lose some animals that feed on ticks if we were to wipe them out completely.


----------



## jade5280

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH me too, luckily they keep the grass pretty trimmed over here, but I always check the dogs to make sure after every walk. I especially hate pulling them off, esp when they are engorged, because I had a bad experience where I was pulling one off and the tweezers slipped down the tick's body and its body ruptured and sprayed me in the face uke: that was horrible.


Ew ew ew ew ewwwwwwwww


----------



## Eenypup

It's great that you caught it in time! My mom has been dealing with the symptoms of chronic Lyme for the past 4 years and it's been a nightmare.


----------



## cookieface

So much for a quiet summer. Katie has four more weeks of Heeling 2 and then, assuming she passes the eval, has eight weeks of agility foundations. Tyson starts NW exteriors and vehicles next week and dog sport fundamentals at the end of June.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

CptJack said:


> Yeah, I'm really glad I caught onto it early and am sure I'll be all right. That stuff gets scary, and glad you're SO wound up without having lasting issues, too.


It really sucks you have it, but I'm so glad you got it early, and that it won't have lasting effects.


----------



## sassafras

Toast missed a tug and nailed me right in the knee by mistake. 

Owie. F'reals.


----------



## CptJack

And my computer died. It was the only one in the house with photo editing stuff, so. Gess Molly's bday picture post will happen in a couple of weeks. 

Also god, sass, all the sympathy.


----------



## Remaru

Something is biting me. I have 10 little itchy bites just on one leg. All of the dogs and the cat have been flea treated and I don't see any fleas on them, I sprayed the carpets, washed the bedding ect weeks ago. I have no idea what this could be. I did take Lad into some tall grass Wednesday for a potty break but we were only there for a few minutes, he wasn't terribly interested in wading in the grass for long and I wasn't staying (it was wet and snakes are a problem). Could be mosquito bites but they sort of look different. Blegh....


----------



## d_ray

Volunteered at a dog event today and hung out with 2 five month old catahoula pups. I need one in my life.


----------



## BernerMax

ouch, sorry, cie la vie with dogdom...
OOPS forgot to include quote/ Sass got nailed in the knee by accident...


----------



## kcomstoc

So I've been thinking lately that since we are getting a house after we settle in I would like to foster a dog or volunteer at a shelter...it's something I've been thinking about for awhile but I don't know much about either


----------



## d_ray

Cptjack sorry to hear about your illness. Hope you recover quickly!


----------



## Laurelin

I went to an agility trial. Knew it was supposed to rain some for the next week and a half. It came a torrential downpour. We all got stuck at the building. The building started flooding under the doors and in the bathrooms through the walls. The parking lot was a river. Finally left. Ended up having to turn around 4 times due to flooded roads. Probably saw 8 emergency crews. Apparently there's been 70+ water rescues today here. Finally got home and water is coming in my garage. My yard is entirely full of an inch and a half or so of standing water.

Can this please stop now? I have NEVER seen anything like this around here. It just will not stop raining! It's been doing this for a month!


----------



## Laurelin

I met some super cool rat terrier breeder people I met on FB today at the AKC trial. Ridiculously friendly and really neat dogs. They think Hank may be 3/4 rat terrier and 1/4 cattle dog. They said you just don't get that much ticking on purebreds even though you see some. Plus he is just a bit coarse in bone and head compared to their standard sized ratties.


----------



## d_ray

Jewel never ceases to amaze me. She came to a rescue event today. Was there for about 4 hours. She was an angel. Loved everyone and was in heaven getting pets and treats. She was awesome with all the kids too. She even put up with a lot of obnoxious puppy behaviour.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Ugh, so turns out the person who adopted that pittie we had abandoned at the kennel is a big fat liar and dumped him at the local shelter with an ever changing story as to how and why- seriously on Thursday she was going camping with him, on Friday she "rehomed" him on Sat that person "rehomed" him and today none of that actually happened and she dumped him at the shelter on Friday rather then taking him camping! Like WTF?? its a kill shelter and he's not a young dog, we are trying to pull him but the shelter is not being helpful, we are trying to contact our rescue friends to see if they can help with pulling a dog.


----------



## kcomstoc

Really not trying to start something but what happened to that thread with the GSD mix that the owner wanted to get rid of? I know it got deleted but what the heck happened it was there when I went to bed and I wake up and it's not locked or anything just gone....did it really get that bad in 9 hours?


----------



## SamiSaysRawr

I don't know what happened after he posted a youtube video of dogs attacking someone, tried to play the victim card, then used the dog's temperament (not the lack of socialisation though) as an excuse to dump it, but that was scary thread. The wanted to buy an 8 year old a dog that attacks people, but they aren't going to even train or socialise it?


----------



## kcomstoc

SamiSaysRawr said:


> I don't know what happened after he posted a youtube video of dogs attacking someone, tried to play the victim card, then used the dog's temperament (not the lack of socialisation though) as an excuse to dump it, but that was scary thread. The wanted to buy an 8 year old a dog that attacks people, but they aren't going to even train or socialise it?


Exactly that's why I was wondering what happened


----------



## watch4whales

packetsmom said:


> *Rave*
> 
> We're meeting our foster dog this evening. I'm equal parts excited and nervous. It's kind of ironic that we're fostering exactly the sort of dog I was looking for when we found Sam. Talk about karma! I'm hoping we love him, but not so much that we foster fail. I'm also hoping that he and Sam get along great and have fun playing together. Mostly, I'm just hoping we all survive the experience of two 100lb+ dogs (Sam is at 73 now, so it's not that far off) in our house!


I ended up being a foster failure with my 4th foster dog. lol She's a 75lb Bulldog/Staffie mix. I already had a 65lb mutt that looks like a lab/boxer or lab/staffie and never intended on owning two dogs but OOPS! lol


----------



## Remaru

kcomstoc said:


> Exactly that's why I was wondering what happened


He got really angry at everyone here because no one agreed with him. Started yelling about how there were no experts here and he was going to just delete his profile and then his post just disappeared.


----------



## kcomstoc

Remaru said:


> He got really angry at everyone here because no one agreed with him. Started yelling about how there were no experts here and he was going to just delete his profile and then his post just disappeared.


Oh, that's really sad  I really hope they come back and listen because their 8 year old GSD mix will probably end up in a shelter or worse


----------



## d_ray

I was wondering too. Thanks for clarifying.


----------



## Laurelin

Guys. After saying rat terriers were one of my least favorite breeds I am really really liking the well bred ones. They are nothing like my grandma's psycho dog. And super duper fast agility dogs. And the people are so friendly compared to the other breeds I've looked into!


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Laurelin said:


> Guys. After saying rat terriers were one of my least favorite breeds I am really really liking the well bred ones. They are nothing like my grandma's psycho dog. And super duper fast agility dogs. And the people are so friendly compared to the other breeds I've looked into!


Rat terrier club! My childhood dog was a RT mix. Definitely want a well-bred one in the future.


----------



## CptJack

Well, I am obviously and definitely a fan. Jack's a bit of a weirdo in some ways, but they are such. good. well balanced. dogs.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> Well, I am obviously and definitely a fan. Jack's a bit of a weirdo in some ways, but they are such. good. well balanced. dogs.


I can agree with that funny enough my best friend had a RT also named Jack but he died a few years ago after being hit by a car, it was very unfortunate because the dog was just such a genuinely good dog that I kinda fell in love with the breed as well.  he was also a tri colored dog. How did I not notice before?


----------



## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> I can agree with that funny enough my best friend had a RT also named Jack but he died a few years ago after being hit by a car, it was very unfortunate because the dog was just such a genuinely good dog that I kinda fell in love with the breed as well.  he was also a tri colored dog. How did I not notice before?


I don't know! I don't talk about Jack very much here, but for all his slight oddnesses (which are the result of his previous home, not so much him) he is a crazy, crazy good dog. Who really, really loves to run.


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> I don't know! I don't talk about Jack very much here, but for all his slight oddnesses (which are the result of his previous home, not so much him) he is a crazy, crazy good dog. Who really, really loves to run.


Yes my best friend's Jack really liked to run a lot too, they have a huge yard though it's not fenced in but Jack was a very obedient. Funny enough he loved their cat


----------



## cookieface

My husband just put a plate of meat in the oven instead of leaving it on the counter and yelling at Tyson for the next 20 minutes. Click/treat for him.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I spent most of the day with 6 dogs at an in law get together. They are in the country. It was awesome and I am super jealous of their beautiful land.

I can't wait to move now so I can get more dogs.. because two dogs is just not enough.


----------



## missc89

cookieface said:


> My husband just put a plate of meat in the oven instead of leaving it on the counter and yelling at Tyson for the next 20 minutes. Click/treat for him.


Ahahahahaha I love it!


----------



## Laurelin

CrimsonAccent said:


> Rat terrier club! My childhood dog was a RT mix. Definitely want a well-bred one in the future.


I'm not sure if I will actually have one unless Hank is a really really out of standard one. But I may be following a breeder's fb page and stuff now. Holy cow their dogs are putting out crazy agility times!

Hank seems less soft than the ones I met though. A little bit more physical too. But they're cool dogs. Maybe one day... I got too many breeds I like.


----------



## CptJack

Told two kids that they couldn't pet Molly an Kylie today. Kids were little and fine with it. Parents acted like I peed on me or something they were I offended. Like, it was actually funny. Apparently that has never happened before!

(not that anyone asked. Just preschoolers running up with outstretched arms while I stepped forward and said "no. No. No you can't pet the dogs.")


----------



## d_ray

I don't get how some people just don't get it. My in laws know that Jasmine is reactive with people and always complain that she's mean. So we're having a family dinner yesterday. Jasmine is on edge and is barking since they always show up at the same time (all 8 of them) and make a big deal about their arrival. Eg ring door bell 10 times and hoot and holler. I'm sitting with jazz and trying to give her treats and calm her down. She starts to calm down and they start shrieking and laughing over some joke. These people were even over when we had the trainer so they heard what she said. They continued to be so loud and obnoxious all night. Jazz was quite good once she settled down. The best part is when they agreed that they like jewel better because her tail is always wagging and jazz looks scared. Umm Ya think? The worst of the bunch is actually starting to foster. I'm not touching that with a 10 foot pole


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

d_ray said:


> I don't get how some people just don't get it. My in laws know that Jasmine is reactive with people and always complain that she's mean. So we're having a family dinner yesterday. Jasmine is on edge and is barking since they always show up at the same time (all 8 of them) and make a big deal about their arrival. Eg ring door bell 10 times and hoot and holler. I'm sitting with jazz and trying to give her treats and calm her down. She starts to calm down and they start shrieking and laughing over some joke. These people were even over when we had the trainer so they heard what she said. They continued to be so loud and obnoxious all night. Jazz was quite good once she settled down. The best part is when they agreed that they like jewel better because her tail is always wagging and jazz looks scared. Umm Ya think? The worst of the bunch is actually starting to foster. I'm not touching that with a 10 foot pole


Ugh that's why I never have people over lol


----------



## cookieface

The pups and I took separate walks. I should have quit while I was ahead. 

Katie did great! I was impressed that she remembered her walk manners (stay on the left, sit and wait at street crossings, and get on the grass* when cars pass), she looked for all the dogs that live along our route, and was amazingly attentive. We saw deer run past in the distance and instead of lunging at the end of the leash, she looked at me! What a good girl.

Tyson's walk started with a neighbor and his dog walking up our drive a shortcut to their house. Tyson was not happy, but quickly recovered. We got to the end of our street where I planned to turn around, but since he was doing so well we kept going. We walked a little more then crossed paths with a man and a chocolate lab. Tyson and I moved waaaayyyy off the street and I fed him treats as fast as he could eat them, but then he saw the lab and freaked. I held a Stella & Chewy patty for him to eat: he bit my thumb (entirely accidental) and swallowed the whole thing in one gulp. 

I feel so defeated. 

* move out of the street, sit or down, don't move until released


----------



## ireth0

cookieface said:


> The pups and I took separate walks. I should have quit while I was ahead.
> 
> Katie did great! I was impressed that she remembered her walk manners (stay on the left, sit and wait at street crossings, and get on the grass* when cars pass), she looked for all the dogs that live along our route, and was amazingly attentive. We saw deer run past in the distance and instead of lunging at the end of the leash, she looked at me! What a good girl.
> 
> Tyson's walk started with a neighbor and his dog walking up our drive a shortcut to their house. Tyson was not happy, but quickly recovered. We got to the end of our street where I planned to turn around, but since he was doing so well we kept going. We walked a little more then crossed paths with a man and a chocolate lab. Tyson and I moved waaaayyyy off the street and I fed him treats as fast as he could eat them, but then he saw the lab and freaked. I held a Stella & Chewy patty for him to eat: he bit my thumb (entirely accidental) and swallowed the whole thing in one gulp.
> 
> I feel so defeated.
> 
> * move out of the street, sit or down, don't move until released


I know the feeling! Our neighbourhood is a loop, and sometimes when I decide to go around one more time with Luna... that one more time is when all the distractions come out, or she starts walking faster and pulling, or finds some piece of garbage she wants to eat or... you get the idea.


----------



## missc89

d_ray said:


> I don't get how some people just don't get it. My in laws know that Jasmine is reactive with people and always complain that she's mean. So we're having a family dinner yesterday. Jasmine is on edge and is barking since they always show up at the same time (all 8 of them) and make a big deal about their arrival. Eg ring door bell 10 times and hoot and holler. I'm sitting with jazz and trying to give her treats and calm her down. She starts to calm down and they start shrieking and laughing over some joke. These people were even over when we had the trainer so they heard what she said. They continued to be so loud and obnoxious all night. Jazz was quite good once she settled down. The best part is when they agreed that they like jewel better because her tail is always wagging and jazz looks scared. Umm Ya think? The worst of the bunch is actually starting to foster. I'm not touching that with a 10 foot pole


You should tell them that if they can not respect the rules of the house, they are no longer welcome in the house.

Speaking of people who shouldn't foster... my roomie and her gf got a cat yesterday from a foster home that had NINETEEN cats and they sent a 6 year old cat off with senior food...made in china... and then my roomies gf had the gall to start arguing with me when I said that that food could kill it and to please let me get it appropriate cat food. Really? I'm trying to do something nice, you aren't the one who bought the cat food, and you do NOT know more than I do about animals!! (I spend my time researching this stuff while she spends her time playing video games and going out every night)


----------



## gingerkid

So... I think Ida might be terrified of the air conditioner, but only if we're not around. Both at night and during the day when she's crated, we can correlate her ceasing to panic with the exact moment the AC turns off.

So that's going to make for a fun summer.


----------



## Willowy

> they sent a 6 year old cat off with senior food...made in china... and then my roomies gf had the gall to start arguing with me when I said that that food could kill it and to please let me get it appropriate cat food.


Eh, senior food won't kill a 6-year-old cat. I'd probably argue about that too . I don't know which brand is made in China but the majority of pet foods sold in the US at least won't kill your pet, most of the time. I would probably have gently tried to steer them toward some canned food but I wouldn't have gone all Rambo on them over that particular subject.


----------



## missc89

Willowy said:


> Eh, senior food won't kill a 6-year-old cat. I'd probably argue about that too . I don't know which brand is made in China but the majority of pet foods sold in the US at least won't kill your pet, most of the time. I would probably have gently tried to steer them toward some canned food but I wouldn't have gone all Rambo on them over that particular subject.


Yeah I know I overly-freaked with the whole "Pet food made in China = OMG SO BAD!" but still - why even take the chance when there have been so many reports of animals dying due to the fact that China just does not have the same standards in pet foods as North America does? It was the flippant attitude towards the lack of quality in the food they were feeding their cat that really ground my gears.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Got a new leash for Luke and...it doesn't work properly. I have to take it back and get another one. It's not so much a rant as a "oh come on, really" post. It's a retractable leash and the one button for the lock, isn't the lock but is the release for the top button which is the lock. Which makes no sense cause if you're pulling your dog away, it's going to lock up and the leash is lax now. No one wants to pull a lax retractable leash cause mainly "Ouch!!!" So back to PetsMart I go...


----------



## ireth0

This morning I found a thumbtack in Luna's water bowl. I think the cats are plotting revenge...


----------



## gingerkid

Is it normal for a puppy to pee when panicking? That's not weird and a precursor of separation anxiety, right? I'm totally being paranoid about it?


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> Is it normal for a puppy to pee when panicking? That's not weird and a precursor of separation anxiety, right? I'm totally being paranoid about it?


Normal.

Vitae let a river flow on my inlaws carpet when mother in law started the vacume. 

Fear/startled pee happens.


----------



## Laurelin

And the terrier just caught a bird. RIP cardinal. :/

I know they're dogs but I never like watching them kill anything. I figured it was a matter of time for Hank to actually catch something.


----------



## Laurelin

Welp bird is actually not dead completely.  Why couldn't he just kill it outright like Mia did her rodents? 

The worst part is the parent birds were trying to save the baby cardinal. I think it must've fallen before he caught it.


----------



## d_ray

ireth0 said:


> This morning I found a thumbtack in Luna's water bowl. I think the cats are plotting revenge...


Lmao. Damn cats.


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> And the terrier just caught a bird. RIP cardinal. :/
> 
> I know they're dogs but I never like watching them kill anything. I figured it was a matter of time for Hank to actually catch something.


I'm grateful every day that the girls don't catch a bunny. I think I would faint if they did.


----------



## momtolabs

Well off to the vet with Mia Friday :/ went to the pond yesterday for her to swim/play with my friends coonhound/lab mix. They were in the water swimming and the coonhound got on top of Mia and luckily my friend hollered and all was okay(I had my shoes off ready to go in.) and now Mias ear is bugging her and when she scratches she whines...... I'm guessing her ear is irritated from taking in water from when the hound dunked her. Hoping it's not the start of an infection Caleb had one last summer and it took a good month to get rid of it.


----------



## Remaru

2nd trip to the vet in a week. We knew when we brought Lenore home she had an upper respiratory infection, she has been kept pretty well separated from the other dogs until she was well into treatment and not coughing. They all have their bordatella vax but it appears this is something else. Blue definitely has it and now both Freyja and Lad are sneezing (not 100% it is the same thing though, allergies are really bad right now and they are not coughing so I'm just watching them). Lad was actually finishing a round of antibiotics for an intestinal thing so only time will tell I guess. Feeling a little paranoid, there was a dog with parvo in the office just before we came in. They were back in the back while we were in the waiting area.


----------



## cookieface

My husband called me fat last night.  Well, not exactly "fat" but not as thin as I was. To top it off, he _knows_ I'm not happy about the weight gain - why the frig does he bring it up?!?!?



Laurelin said:


> And the terrier just caught a bird. RIP cardinal. :/
> 
> I know they're dogs but I never like watching them kill anything. I figured it was a matter of time for Hank to actually catch something.





d_ray said:


> I'm grateful every day that the girls don't catch a bunny. I think I would faint if they did.


Katie has dispatched birds, mice, and rabbits. The rabbit was the worst: It was dark and I could see her chasing something. She cornered it under a giant rhododendron and there was nothing I could do.



momtolabs said:


> Well off to the vet with Mia Friday :/ went to the pond yesterday for her to swim/play with my friends coonhound/lab mix. They were in the water swimming and the coonhound got on top of Mia and luckily my friend hollered and all was okay(I had my shoes off ready to go in.) and now Mias ear is bugging her and when she scratches she whines...... I'm guessing her ear is irritated from taking in water from when the hound dunked her. Hoping it's not the start of an infection Caleb had one last summer and it took a good month to get rid of it.





Remaru said:


> 2nd trip to the vet in a week. We knew when we brought Lenore home she had an upper respiratory infection, she has been kept pretty well separated from the other dogs until she was well into treatment and not coughing. They all have their bordatella vax but it appears this is something else. Blue definitely has it and now both Freyja and Lad are sneezing (not 100% it is the same thing though, allergies are really bad right now and they are not coughing so I'm just watching them). Lad was actually finishing a round of antibiotics for an intestinal thing so only time will tell I guess. Feeling a little paranoid, there was a dog with parvo in the office just before we came in. They were back in the back while we were in the waiting area.


Sending good thoughts for quick recoveries all around.


----------



## Denisekay

So I just read the semi-old thread on dyeing dog fur and now I'm thinking of dyeing some of the white fur on Scrappy. XD


----------



## CptJack

Molly ate the leg off a teddy bear yesterday evening. As in tore it off and swallowed it. We called the vet, they talked us through using peroxide to make her puke, and the follow up of making sure she actually puked up the bear leg. So you know, happy outcome on that front.

Except today, she is *terrified* of me. She's a soft dog at best, I am 99% sure she thought having her mouth pried open for the peroxide and then feeling bad were punishment, and she's just... pathetic today. Slinking, appeasement gestures all over the place, avoiding the kitchen (where this was going on) and just... sad and scared. We'll get through it, but man. Break my heart, why don't you, puppy?


----------



## JeJo

Neither a question nor a rant; just to air...

I brought Kayla (3 yrs?) in for her annual wellness check last week and for the most part, all is well... good weight (not a loady lab!), parasite free, everything appears to be in good order; as expected but always comforting to have confirmed. She was a good girl throughout the exam and vaccinations

The only thing amiss, which I brought to the vet's attention as she was starting the oral check, is that Kay's two lower, central incisors have very obvious wear. Although there is no way of knowing for sure, Doc believes it is due to how her upper and lower incisors come together. Anyway, we decided to get the two extracted sooner than later so as to avoid possible (inevitable?) infection down the road. I have been concerned and it will be good to have that worry put behind us next week. Kayla will go in for the extractions June 3rd.

~Jeanne


----------



## CptJack

Really (totally) random:

People at our agility club keep telling my husband he should run a dog. This is mostly because he's around and helpful - helps load and unload equipment, sets and breaks down courses, did every volunteer job from bar setting and leash running to gate stewarding - and I think they feel bad that he's not getting any of the fun parts. Heck, I'll be honest: *I* have suggested he run Kylie. For the same reason.

I don't think it's ever going to happen. He doesn't have any interest in running around the course and, probably more importantly, he finds training dogs to be tedious and annoying and lacks the patience and consistency (mostly because he doesn't care enough about the outcome). I think, maybe, he might actually tell people that this weekend just so they can stop feeling like I use him as slave labor I'm loaning out  Maybe/hopefully?

I'm not going to lie, though. I'm actually kind of glad he doesn't want to train/run. I'm glad he's involved and likes people and does it 'with me' for trials, but the training time and classes and all are... my time? Not that I'd ever tell him that, but there you go.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Really (totally) random:
> 
> People at our agility club keep telling my husband he should run a dog. This is mostly because he's around and helpful - helps load and unload equipment, sets and breaks down courses, did every volunteer job from bar setting and leash running to gate stewarding - and I think they feel bad that he's not getting any of the fun parts. Heck, I'll be honest: *I* have suggested he run Kylie. For the same reason.
> 
> I don't think it's ever going to happen. He doesn't have any interest in running around the course and, probably more importantly, he finds training dogs to be tedious and annoying and lacks the patience and consistency (mostly because he doesn't care enough about the outcome). I think, maybe, he might actually tell people that this weekend just so they can stop feeling like I use him as slave labor I'm loaning out  Maybe/hopefully?
> 
> I'm not going to lie, though. I'm actually kind of glad he doesn't want to train/run. I'm glad he's involved and likes people and does it 'with me' for trials, but the training time and classes and all are... my time? Not that I'd ever tell him that, but there you go.


I feel the same way. My husband comes to dog shows, and some training classes (especially puppy and basic obedience classes), but he's really not interested in training for sports at all.

Though he said he might want to run the new pup in rally some day, and I just laughed at him. I assume this would require me to fully train the puppy and then he would just go in the ring? I dunno. I don't see it happening. But I'm glad. I wouldn't mind if he wanted a dog to train just for himself I guess, but I would have to help him so much and training a husband is about as much work as training a dog.


----------



## Laurelin

So the bird is still in my yard and the parent birds are still hanging around (feeding it I assume). It looks ok and keeps flapping around but it can't fly. I think it fell out of a nest somewhere.

I'm not sure what to do... I know Hank will kill it if given a chance. So I'm leash pottying them.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I feel the same way. My husband comes to dog shows, and some training classes (especially puppy and basic obedience classes), but he's really not interested in training for sports at all.
> 
> Though he said he might want to run the new pup in rally some day, and I just laughed at him. I assume this would require me to fully train the puppy and then he would just go in the ring? I dunno. I don't see it happening. But I'm glad. *I wouldn't mind if he wanted a dog to train just for himself I guess, but I would have to help him so much and training a husband is about as much work as training a dog*.


My husband made noises, briefly, about doing agility with 'his' next dog. He stopped when I asked him if he was going to do classes with it and he kind of stared at me like I was suggesting he crawl naked over broken glass. Yeah, that's kind of what I thought. He was envisioning a scenario similar to Kylie, where I did all the training and he took the dog into the ring. Failing to realize that what stops him with Kylie (not really wanting to do it in public, but also the fact that Kylie doesn't really work for him and he's not aware of the how-tos (commands I use, crosses, body language) would stop him with any future dog. 

He loves the dogs, he loves the dogs dearly and he's not bad with them at all. But if left to his own devices he'd have dogs who were housebroken and didn't entirely destroy the house, but didn't know 'sit'. He does NOT like training. He doesn't CARE about training. Even the dogs we have now jump and climb all over him, annoy him for his food, and pull like freight trains when he's got their leash because he just doesn't... care. I can not see him doing any kind of advanced training, or even basic training. 

The irony is, he really, really likes to show off and brag about our dogs and thinks what they know is cool as heck. 

But yeah, if he decided to train a dog, I'd end up training him how to train and honestly? That sounds exhausting. And frustrating for my inner control freak.



Laurelin said:


> So the bird is still in my yard and the parent birds are still hanging around (feeding it I assume). It looks ok and keeps flapping around but it can't fly. I think it fell out of a nest somewhere.
> 
> I'm not sure what to do... I know Hank will kill it if given a chance. So I'm leash pottying them.


You can move the bird if you can find somewhere safer to move it and parents will keep feeding. Probably it is at an age where it was fledging rather than fallen from the nest. Which means it jumped out on its own and parents feeding on the ground is pretty normal.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> He stopped when I asked him if he was going to do classes with it and he kind of stared at me like I was suggesting he crawl naked over broken glass.


ROFL!!!!!!! Thanks for the laugh.


----------



## elrohwen

Your husband sounds exactly like mine! Haha. He wants a well trained pet who can go places, but that's where his interest stops. I do think it bothers him that Watson listens to him less and less over the years, but then he does less and less training with him. They walk together, they snuggle, they play, but no real training happens. He used to help us practice recalls, when Watson could be off leash and run between us in the field, but he hasn't worked on that in forever. And he's inconsistent about rewarding stuff (asks for a sit, gets a down, gives treat anyway) so Watson just does whatever he wants.

I wouldn't mind if he wanted to do a rally class with Watson or something, now that he's mostly trained, but I would also be afraid that he would mess up all of the careful work I've put into heeling (letting him get away with dropping his head, or being really wide, or whatever). 

We'll see what happens with this puppy. I predict that he comes to puppy class and maybe the first or second round of obedience classes after that, helps work on sit/down/leave it/recall at home, but that will be it.


----------



## gingerkid

I'm so frustrated with potty training today - Ida let us know this morning she had to go, hubby took her out, she did both her businesses. Then a couple hours later she was whining and pulling towards the door which previously has meant "I have to poop" so I took her out - nothing, not even a pee, she just sniffed a couple things, chased a bug and then laid on the grass and refused to move. 20 minutes later, same thing - this time she peed (yay, party!). Did some crate training, an hour later same thing - whining and pulling/staring at the door, so we go for a walk; she peed again, sniffed lots of stuff, chased some more bugs, tore up some dandelions. We were gone for ~15 minutes and took quite a few breaks. She peed outside so I let her loose in the house (all the rooms are shut off so she only has access to the kitchen and living room and hallways) for a few minutes....

What do you think was the first thing she did when we got inside?

:doh::Cry:


----------



## CptJack

Our agility trials provide food at the trial. Saturdays are (this and the previous) time pot-luck kind of deals, Sundays involve a huge pizza delivery. I was befuddled last time, but this time I think I'm going to get a sheet cake from a bakery, a couple of bags of apples, a case of water, and a bag of like mini-candy bars. We've got plates and utensils but reality is no one stops anything to eat, no one sits down to eat, they just eat bits and pieces and graze. So, you know, it pretty much amounts to a snack table. Might throw in some crackers and canned cheese or something, but overall this is not a real picnic ;-)

And yes, I had to type and talk that out somewhere and y'all won.


----------



## Remaru

Lad's stomach is upset again. Not sure what is going on. He isn't sneezy anymore so I don't think he caught the URI, that is good. I just wish I new what was up with his stomach. We will have to get him in to the vet again but hubby can't get off work to take him (this is where not driving sucks) so it won't happen until Friday. The vet was pretty certain he had picked up some bacteria either from the outing at Paws in the Park or from his obsession with rain puddles and everything did seem to clear up with the antibiotic but here we are less than a week off the antibiotics and he is running out to potty every couple of hours again. Don't know if it is the same thing or if it is possibly a food issue. He has been on Muenster Naturals for months but I changed him from Large Breed to Pork and Chicken. I guess we will see what the vet says. In the mean time I will be supplementing with rice and pumpkin.


----------



## Willowy

Suri's owner says she has a terribly delicate stomach. Well, since she's been with me, I've changed her food a bunch (found several small bags of decent food on clearance at Petco), gave her raw beef ribs with all the meat/fat on them, and last night she snitched a 13-oz can of cat food (she must have an anteater tongue because it was on the back of the stove and the plate wasn't moved). She's fine. I don't know why her owner thinks that at all.


----------



## luv mi pets

It took me 6 hours to mow the pasture. I now know where every crater is thanks to the dogs digging trying to get those darn gophers. A couple of times I thought I would be catapulted off of the tractor. It took me another two hours filling in those craters. I really must teach those dogs how to dig effectively They could at least dig me a pond.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

cookieface said:


> My husband called me fat last night.  Well, not exactly "fat" but not as thin as I was. To top it off, he _knows_ I'm not happy about the weight gain - why the frig does he bring it up?!?!?


Ugh. I'm sorry. (((hugs)))



momtolabs said:


> Well off to the vet with Mia Friday :/ went to the pond yesterday for her to swim/play with my friends coonhound/lab mix. They were in the water swimming and the coonhound got on top of Mia and luckily my friend hollered and all was okay(I had my shoes off ready to go in.) and now Mias ear is bugging her and when she scratches she whines...... I'm guessing her ear is irritated from taking in water from when the hound dunked her. Hoping it's not the start of an infection Caleb had one last summer and it took a good month to get rid of it.





Remaru said:


> 2nd trip to the vet in a week. We knew when we brought Lenore home she had an upper respiratory infection, she has been kept pretty well separated from the other dogs until she was well into treatment and not coughing. They all have their bordatella vax but it appears this is something else. Blue definitely has it and now both Freyja and Lad are sneezing (not 100% it is the same thing though, allergies are really bad right now and they are not coughing so I'm just watching them). Lad was actually finishing a round of antibiotics for an intestinal thing so only time will tell I guess. Feeling a little paranoid, there was a dog with parvo in the office just before we came in. They were back in the back while we were in the waiting area.


Oh no! Sending good vibes your way. Here's to it not being too serious! 



ireth0 said:


> This morning I found a thumbtack in Luna's water bowl. I think the cats are plotting revenge...


At least your cat don't jump on the counters, and runway with food?...

But, seriously, what don't people get when I say don't leave food out unattended at where she could get it?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Just saw a stacked picture of one of Sola's brothers and literally all I could do was look at it and think "oh..dear..that's some..uhh.. f'd up structure..." I sincerely hope that dog evens out with age because holy man he is going to have serious issues very quickly if he stays like that :/ I don't even know how you get something so messed up from the good solid breeding behind him!

I showed my mom the picture and even she was like "oh..dear.. I'm glad you didn't pick that one!"


----------



## momtolabs

Mia has an ear infection


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

momtolabs said:


> Mia has an ear infection


Oh no.  How bad is it?


----------



## momtolabs

Not too bad but still sucks  Caleb had a horrible ear infection last summer and it took almost a month to get rid of. Hers isn't nearly as bad but I still feel bad for her!


----------



## jade5280

Ryker has had an upset stomach as well. He had diarrhea in the house the other day, but has been fine since then. Waiting to get the results back for the fecal.


----------



## d_ray

I'm curious about something. I guess I'm wondering if it is a learnt behaviour, a personality trait, or a combo of both.

Jewel will steal food right in front of your face and has no shame counter surfing while you are staring right at her. She doesn't even try to be sneaky about it.

Jasmine has never counter surfed or stolen anything while we can see her. The only time she gets stuff is if we forget something food related on the counters when we go to bed or to out. The only way I know it's her is because Jewel can't get onto the counters and one time I caught her in the act when I came downstairs in the middle of the night to get something. It couldn't help but laugh. There is my 50 pound dog standing on the counter eating butter like it's ice cream.

I'm wondering why Jasmine won't steal when she knows she will get caught and Jewel couldn't care less. Do certain dogs just care more about what you think? Or do you think in her previous home someone got really mad at her for stealing food?


----------



## CptJack

Hard to say. 

My dogs won't steal if I'm there/working in the kitchen. Like assembling sandwiches on the counter top or working on food prep and moving to the sink to wash my hands or whatever. However, of the dogs I own three of the five WOULD LIKE to take the food but have been trained now to, and the other two (Jack and Kylie) have to have food you're willing for them to have handed directly to them, no matter what. Thud and Molly have also gone through stages of garbage can diving, too, but at this stage have stopped in part because of consistent training and probably just partially because of age. However, if I left food on the counter overnight, they'd sure as heck take and eat it.


----------



## d_ray

Jewel won't steal food if I am right in the kitchen. But if I run to the washroom or into another room, she will try. When I catch her in the act, she doesn't even stop trying. She will just look at me likt "what"? I don't care about the stealing really since it's easy to manage. I'm just curious why Jasmine doesn't try this. They are equally pigs. Maybe Jasmine was previously trained? Or got in trouble?


----------



## cookieface

d_ray said:


> I'm curious about something. I guess I'm wondering if it is a learnt behaviour, a personality trait, or a combo of both.
> 
> Jewel will steal food right in front of your face and has no shame counter surfing while you are staring right at her. She doesn't even try to be sneaky about it.
> 
> Jasmine has never counter surfed or stolen anything while we can see her. The only time she gets stuff is if we forget something food related on the counters when we go to bed or to out. The only way I know it's her is because Jewel can't get onto the counters and one time I caught her in the act when I came downstairs in the middle of the night to get something. It couldn't help but laugh. There is my 50 pound dog standing on the counter eating butter like it's ice cream.
> 
> I'm wondering why Jasmine won't steal when she knows she will get caught and Jewel couldn't care less. Do certain dogs just care more about what you think? Or do you think in her previous home someone got really mad at her for stealing food?


I think there has to be a personality component. We never actively trained Katie not to counter surf or steal food, and she doesn't. I've left her alone in the kitchen with food out and she doesn't move. The worst thing she does is tear up trash in my husband's bathroom if she's left alone.

Tyson will climb on your lap to steal food. He also gets into _everything_. Lately he's been fascinated with my husband's shoes (the ones that smell like cat pee). He'll grab the mail, newspaper, pens, anything he can reach off tables and counters. We've been doing impulse control exercises, time outs when he gets into stuff, more general training; he's a persistent little guy.

I call Katie the "good" one and Tyson the "good thing you're cute" one.


----------



## CptJack

d_ray said:


> Jewel won't steal food if I am right in the kitchen. But if I run to the washroom or into another room, she will try. When I catch her in the act, she doesn't even stop trying. She will just look at me likt "what"? I don't care about the stealing really since it's easy to manage. I'm just curious why Jasmine doesn't try this. They are equally pigs. Maybe Jasmine was previously trained? Or got in trouble?


Yeah, IMO it's not NECESSARILY linked to being a chow hound. Jack isn't one, but Kylie is - and is fat - she just doesn't take food you don't make clear you want her to have. ...Except the cat food. She's an expert at breaking into the cat food no matter where it is. Molly is a huge food hound, but Thud really isn't and he still tries to counter surf if I'm gone for long enough, so I just don't know. Thrill of 'hunting' for themselves? Molly was pretty easy to convince not to when I'm around, at least, since she cares what I think and want. Thud... Lol.


----------



## d_ray

cookieface said:


> I think there has to be a personality component. We never actively trained Katie not to counter surf or steal food, and she doesn't. I've left her alone in the kitchen with food out and she doesn't move. The worst thing she does is tear up trash in my husband's bathroom if she's left alone.
> 
> Tyson will climb on your lap to steal food. He also gets into _everything_. Lately he's been fascinated with my husband's shoes (the ones that smell like cat pee). He'll grab the mail, newspaper, pens, anything he can reach off tables and counters. We've been doing impulse control exercises, time outs when he gets into stuff, more general training; he's a persistent little guy.
> 
> I call Katie the "good" one and Tyson the "good thing you're cute" one.


haha Tyson sounds like Jewel. She's gotten a lot better with age, but used to destroy slippers, socks, and anything small we left out (pens, remote controllers, etc). Jasmine has never destroyed a thing. She has gotten the odd bit of food but that's it.


----------



## Laurelin

Mia is HILARIOUS about food theft. Omg cracks me up. If I'm around the food she basically tries to charm her way close to the food she wants. 'Oh look at me, I am soooooo sweet and cute and loving and here let me cuddle you' And then she will be sweet and I'll tell her how she's so cute and then she backs up and looks at me expectantly like 'Ok give me the food now!' Most the time I don't realize what she's doing until she's already charmed her way in. She's so subtle about it all. You can't turn your back on her or she'll eat it. the second you leave she's stealing. She will go to great lengths to climb, unlock things, open cabinets, etc to get to it too.

Hank on the other hand will not steal at all. I've left bags of dog treats open on the table or in the car and he just doesn't do it. 

Summer will actually steal but only now in her old age (which I think is funny). I think she genuinely is going happily along and doesnt' even think she's not supposed to have it. 'Oh look! Food! Happy Summer!' But Mia KNOWS. Mia knows.


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> Yeah, IMO it's not NECESSARILY linked to being a chow hound. Jack isn't one, but Kylie is - and is fat - she just doesn't take food you don't make clear you want her to have. ...Except the cat food. She's an expert at breaking into the cat food no matter where it is. Molly is a huge food hound, but Thud really isn't and he still tries to counter surf if I'm gone for long enough, so I just don't know. Thrill of 'hunting' for themselves? Molly was pretty easy to convince not to when I'm around, at least, since she cares what I think and want. Thud... Lol.


Jasmine listens a lot better in general though and cares a lot more about pleasing me. If I raise my voice at her for chasing the cats, she will jump on my lap and cuddle me to make sure I'm not upset with her. Jewel honestly couldn't care less what I think.


----------



## CptJack

Oh and Kylie will beg until the cows come home. Sit pretty, throw tricks, stare holes through you, yap softly and pathetically, whatever - but she won't just take it and she won't climb on you to take it. I rarely give in. The boys in the house always do.

...And I wonder why this dog is fat.


----------



## d_ray

Laurelin said:


> Mia is HILARIOUS about food theft. Omg cracks me up. If I'm around the food she basically tries to charm her way close to the food she wants. 'Oh look at me, I am soooooo sweet and cute and loving and here let me cuddle you' And then she will be sweet and I'll tell her how she's so cute and then she backs up and looks at me expectantly like 'Ok give me the food now!' Most the time I don't realize what she's doing until she's already charmed her way in. She's so subtle about it all. You can't turn your back on her or she'll eat it. the second you leave she's stealing. She will go to great lengths to climb, unlock things, open cabinets, etc to get to it too.
> 
> Hank on the other hand will not steal at all. I've left bags of dog treats open on the table or in the car and he just doesn't do it.
> 
> Summer will actually steal but only now in her old age (which I think is funny). I think she genuinely is going happily along and doesnt' even think she's not supposed to have it. 'Oh look! Food! Happy Summer!' But Mia KNOWS. Mia knows.


HAHAHA Mia what a character.

Jewel thinks she is sneaky and she is the opposite. She isn't a huge cuddler, but you better believe she is when I have food. She will lay next to me on the couch and pretend she's just hanging out. The second I look away, her tongue in on my plate.


----------



## d_ray

CptJack said:


> Oh and Kylie will beg until the cows come home. Sit pretty, throw tricks, stare holes through you, yap softly and pathetically, whatever - but she won't just take it and she won't climb on you to take it. I rarely give in. The boys in the house always do.
> 
> ...And I wonder why this dog is fat.


Haha yah this is jasmine. She will even lay her head on the lap of strangers if they have food and give them pathetic eyes. And this is the same person she was barking at 10 minutes prior. She has a way of making herself look so sad and pathetic. I don't fall for it, but my sister and mom do.


----------



## cookieface

d_ray said:


> haha Tyson sounds like Jewel. *She's gotten a lot better with age*, but used to destroy slippers, socks, and anything small we left out (pens, remote controllers, etc). Jasmine has never destroyed a thing. She has gotten the odd bit of food but that's it.


That gives me hope! 

Tyson has gotten better, but he's not Katie-level good.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

d_ray said:


> Jewel won't steal food if I am right in the kitchen. But if I run to the washroom or into another room, she will try. When I catch her in the act, she doesn't even stop trying. She will just look at me likt "what"? I don't care about the stealing really since it's easy to manage. I'm just curious why Jasmine doesn't try this. They are equally pigs. Maybe Jasmine was previously trained? Or got in trouble?


Neither of my dogs (usually) steal in front of us, though Peggy will try if there was a situation where she'd be able to snag it and run away. I work hard to prevent those scenarios, though the other day she ALMOST managed to steal a chicken wing that was fresh out of the deep fryer. Silly husband thought he could walk a few feet away and she wouldn't try. 

My cats, on the other hand. Tabby boy considers it a challenge and gladly accepts when people are right there watching him.


----------



## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> Ryker has had an upset stomach as well. He had diarrhea in the house the other day, but has been fine since then. Waiting to get the results back for the fecal.


Aww poor guy. Hope he is feeling better. 

Lad was fine last night, made it through 6hours of derby practice with only one trip out to pee (we wandered the parking lot for a while just to have a break but no need to potty). He slept through the night as well. I don't know what is up, maybe he just got into something. I will keep watching him and see if it comes back. We can make an appt for Friday or Saturday morning if he needs to go in. I hate to take him to the vet if there is nothing wrong. Luckily it does look like no one else is coming down with the URI so hopefully Lenore and Blue will be all better soon.


----------



## chimunga

So I actually have kind of a problem. I'm not sure it's actually solvable. 

Long story short, Watson managed to anger the magpies that live in the tree in the backyard. One of their babies fell on the ground, and he chased it around a little bit before we were able to put it back in the tree. And now the magpies *hate *him. They will not leave him alone. He goes outside, and they just squawk at him constantly. It's stressing him out. If he's sitting by the back door, which is a window, they will sit outside the door and squawk at him. They're not attacking him. But it still sucks. I have no idea what to do. We live on base. I'm not even sure if we're allowed to take down the nest, or how we would go about it. And there are still babies in the nest.


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Ryker has had an upset stomach as well. He had diarrhea in the house the other day, but has been fine since then. Waiting to get the results back for the fecal.


How's Ryker feeling today? Any news from the vet?


----------



## jade5280

He seems to be feeling better. He's eating a pooping normally. We should have the fecal results back later today. Thanks for asking!


----------



## Willowy

chimunga said:


> So I actually have kind of a problem. I'm not sure it's actually solvable.
> 
> Long story short, Watson managed to anger the magpies that live in the tree in the backyard. One of their babies fell on the ground, and he chased it around a little bit before we were able to put it back in the tree. And now the magpies *hate *him. They will not leave him alone. He goes outside, and they just squawk at him constantly. It's stressing him out. If he's sitting by the back door, which is a window, they will sit outside the door and squawk at him. They're not attacking him. But it still sucks. I have no idea what to do. We live on base. I'm not even sure if we're allowed to take down the nest, or how we would go about it. And there are still babies in the nest.


 Nothing you can do. Taking down an active nest is illegal. The babies will be grown and gone soon, and hopefully they'll get over it at that point. It might be an annoying couple of weeks . I hope they're not as bad as crows----they've done studies, and crows never forget (or forgive) someone who messes with them! They hold grudges.


----------



## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> He seems to be feeling better. He's eating a pooping normally. We should have the fecal results back later today. Thanks for asking!


Glad to hear!


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> Nothing you can do. Taking down an active nest is illegal. The babies will be grown and gone soon, and hopefully they'll get over it at that point. It might be an annoying couple of weeks . I hope they're not as bad as crows----they've done studies, and crows never forget (or forgive) someone who messes with them! They hold grudges.


So do Magpies. They both also recognize faces, which is awesome/terrifying. One of my uni professors did behavioral studies on wild magpies; caught them, banded them, and did some learning experiments with them and stuff before releasing them.... well the magpies that he released would dive-bomb him any time he saw them, and they also ended up teaching other magpies to do the same thing. He ended up having to to wear a hat around campus so that they wouldn't recognize him.


----------



## cookieface

Willowy said:


> Nothing you can do. Taking down an active nest is illegal. The babies will be grown and gone soon, and hopefully they'll get over it at that point. It might be an annoying couple of weeks . I hope they're not as bad as crows----they've done studies, and crows never forget (or forgive) someone who messes with them! They hold grudges.





gingerkid said:


> So do Magpies. They both also recognize faces, which is awesome/terrifying. One of my uni professors did behavioral studies on wild magpies; caught them, banded them, and did some learning experiments with them and stuff before releasing them.... well the magpies that he released would dive-bomb him any time he saw them, and they also ended up teaching other magpies to do the same thing. He ended up having to to wear a hat around campus so that they wouldn't recognize him.


Huh, I suspect I'm part crow or magpie (and I'm sure my husband and colleagues would agree). 

There was an episode of Nature (I think), _A Murder of Crows_, that was absolutely fascinating. A study was started to determine if baby crows could learn to dislike people who were nasty to their parents. Not enough of the babies were able to finish the study, but the preliminary data was surprising considering we use "bird brain" as an insult.


----------



## gingerkid

cookieface said:


> Huh, I suspect I'm part crow or magpie (and I'm sure my husband and colleagues would agree).
> 
> There was an episode of Nature (I think), _A Murder of Crows_, that was absolutely fascinating. A study was started to determine if baby crows could learn to dislike people who were nasty to their parents. Not enough of the babies were able to finish the study, but the preliminary data was surprising considering we use "bird brain" as an insult.


As an aside, I really love this article. http://the-toast.net/2015/04/01/thi...ut-crows-despite-a-complete-lack-of-evidence/


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## gingerkid

Do you ever have moments when you wish you didn't have dogs? B/c I sure do. Mostly when Ida is barking because she is small but she is LOUD and her bark is PIERCING and AWFUL and she hasn't yet learned that barking doesn't get her anything.


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> Do you ever have moments when you wish you didn't have dogs? B/c I sure do. Mostly when Ida is barking because she is small but she is LOUD and her bark is PIERCING and AWFUL and she hasn't yet learned that barking doesn't get her anything.


Yep. Usually when thud won't shut up. Kylie barks often, Molly is louder, but Thud is so darned...methodical it makes me nutty.

In other news trial this weekend. All weavers unless I day of entry a run or two. Wish us luck. I skipped last practice, and have been sick so it's been a good ten days since even looked at agility.


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> Do you ever have moments when you wish you didn't have dogs? B/c I sure do. Mostly when Ida is barking because she is small but she is LOUD and her bark is PIERCING and AWFUL and she hasn't yet learned that barking doesn't get her anything.


Manna decided she wanted attention about 5 minutes ago. She pushed the computer desk with desktop computer ~3 feet away from me....it's a heavy wooden desk, I needed Hubby's help to move it back.


----------



## BernerMax

cookieface said:


> I think there has to be a personality component. We never actively trained Katie not to counter surf or steal food, and she doesn't. I've left her alone in the kitchen with food out and she doesn't move. The worst thing she does is tear up trash in my husband's bathroom if she's left alone.
> 
> Tyson will climb on your lap to steal food. He also gets into _everything_. Lately he's been fascinated with my husband's shoes (the ones that smell like cat pee). He'll grab the mail, newspaper, pens, anything he can reach off tables and counters. We've been doing impulse control exercises, time outs when he gets into stuff, more general training; he's a persistent little guy.
> 
> I call Katie the "good" one and Tyson the "good thing you're cute" one.


I thought I was losing my mind.... had 4 steaks in a big cast iron skillet and then its gone.... Dog had the empty pan on her bed!!!

yeah she was and IS an unremorseful food stealer....


----------



## chimunga

Willowy said:


> Nothing you can do. Taking down an active nest is illegal. The babies will be grown and gone soon, and hopefully they'll get over it at that point. It might be an annoying couple of weeks . I hope they're not as bad as crows----they've done studies, and crows never forget (or forgive) someone who messes with them! They hold grudges.


Honestly, at this point, I don't really give a flying frak if it's illegal. Watson came inside with a mark under his EYE. Those stupid fricken birds are dive-bombing him. I have literally witnessed them dive-bombing him. They are no longer a nuisance. They are an active threat. If they had actually hit his eye, I would have gone out and bought a shotgun with some bird shots. 

I'm going to get an owl statue, and see if that helps, and after the baby birds are gone, that nest is out. I don't know how I'm getting rid of it, but it is going to be gone. I'll cut down the stupid tree if I have to. The babies keep falling on the ground, there are atleast three. And when they're on the ground, I can't let Watson have access to the yard. But I can't put them back in the stupid tree every five minutes.


----------



## xoxluvablexox

You're obviously not superstitious.... FWIW, seeing two magpies (like a breeding pair) usually signifies good luck. A flock of magpies leaving a nesting ground (or being forced out by someone cutting down their nesting tree) signifies death and bad luck. So... yeah. Good luck with that.


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## BernerMax

sorry but I like our pair of resident magpies.... the dogs keep them in line....


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## Denisekay

gingerkid said:


> Do you ever have moments when you wish you didn't have dogs? B/c I sure do. Mostly when Ida is barking because she is small but she is LOUD and her bark is PIERCING and AWFUL and she hasn't yet learned that barking doesn't get her anything.


Yes, most definitely. Being a rescue dog Scrappy wasn't housetrained and he didn't know any commands, it's like having a slow motion puppy. XD


----------



## chimunga

BernerMax said:


> sorry but I like our pair of resident magpies.... the dogs keep them in line....





xoxluvablexox said:


> You're obviously not superstitious.... FWIW, seeing two magpies (like a breeding pair) usually signifies good luck. A flock of magpies leaving a nesting ground (or being forced out by someone cutting down their nesting tree) signifies death and bad luck. So... yeah. Good luck with that.


Superstition is nice and all, but they're attacking my dog. I understand they're birds, and they're just protecting their nest. But Watson was just being a dog who was herding a small animal around. I liked them before. But my dog's safety takes precedence.


----------



## Flaming

I could loan you Manna and Vitae if you were close enough. 

Manna despite her size catches adult magpies in our yard and eats them, since getting Vitae, Manna has had an easier time of it because they figured out how to work together for their tasty feathered treats. 

*disclaimer:* no I did not train this and have no clue how or the willpower to stop this, I just use a lot of food grade DE for preventing worms and get them tested often.


----------



## xoxluvablexox

chimunga said:


> Superstition is nice and all, but they're attacking my dog. I understand they're birds, and they're just protecting their nest. But Watson was just being a dog who was herding a small animal around. I liked them before. But my dog's safety takes precedence.


I don't blame you. I would probably be in the same mindset if I was having something attacking my dog like that. I just find folklore interesting and there's a lot of it when it comes to Magpies. People in England, like to this day, will see a Magpie and do something, either take of their hat and do a little bow or something else. One person mentioned (on another forum I'm on) that they're grandmother always says something like "Good day m'lord"" whenever they see a lone Magpie. There was some more intense stuff back in the day, maybe some people that are really old school are still into those things. Stuff like drawing a cross on the ground with your foot and spitting on the ground and saying some saying about cursing the devil and some other mumbo jumbo whenever you see a lone magpie. Or the belief that they were Witches familiars. One site mentioned that the witches that were burned at the stake in some country were believed to be reincarnated as magpies and if you offend a magpie it might very well be a reincarnated witch and could very well curse you lol. Another country believed that there was a drop of the devils blood under the tongue of a magpie and basically they're like some demonic creature lol. It's interesting... but by all means do what ya gotta do. 

Crows, ravens, even mockingbirds also have their own little scary omens and folklore. I forget where I heard it but for the longest time as a child I used to think that a crow landing in front of you and then flying away meant that a loved one was going to die. It actually happened to me and someone I loved died. I took that **** as no joke back then.... still don't really. Like I down right almost had a panic attack when like 100 black birds landed in my back yard and chilled there for almost 30 min before flying on there way last year. I'm sure they were just migrating but that was not funny at all.... scared the **** out of me.


----------



## cookieface

Tyson did great at nose work today! He stayed in the car and didn't bark at all; he did spill water all over the back seat. When it was his turn, he had no hesitation, climbed into the boxes to get the treats, and didn't have any problems searching the car.  



chimunga said:


> Superstition is nice and all, but they're attacking my dog. I understand they're birds, and they're just protecting their nest. But Watson was just being a dog who was herding a small animal around. I liked them before. But my dog's safety takes precedence.


I could send you Katie. She'd take care of those pesky magpies.


----------



## gingerkid

My neighbor told me today that apparently when we're gone, Ida "barks all day". Which doesn't make sense to me because... Ida is almost never home alone for more than 2-3 hours at a time. Does she start barking a few minutes after we leave and stops a few minutes before we get back, or is my neighbor just being dramatic? Or is he reporting what she was doing a week go? 

If she's actually barking the whole time we're gone, that's something we need to work on but this same neighbor told me the same thing about a foster dog a few months ago, who I subsequently videoed after leaving, and she barked for a few minutes after I left and then went to sleep until I got home. I'm going to set up a video feed when we take Snowball to the park tomorrow morning but like... I think the barking he's hearing is her demand barking when I am at home.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Grr I duuno what to do about Happy's teeth :/ she hasn't been eating much because her teeth are pretty bad, I have asked my regular vet about a dental before but she didn't reccomend it because Happy is pretty old. I took her to a different clinic today just because I couldn't get in to my regular vet at a time possible for me anytime soon, this vet said she really badly needs a dental, she has a broken tooth and an abscessed tooth. She said the dental could make her feel a whole lot better and we don't want all the bacteria from her mouth causing heart issues in addition to her Kidney Disease. She said she's not worried about the kidney disease thing, it just means she requires more monitoring, and fluids. BUT for ne..She's just shy of 15 and has kidney disease and the last dog I put under for minor surgery who "we have no concerns, she won't have any trouble at all" never came back home at all. I'm really....I dunno :/ for now she's on Antibiotics for 2 weeks and this rinse stuff for brushing her teeth every day. If I did the dental at this clinic she said I'd be looking at around $760, I said I want to talk about it with my regular vet first, if I did go through with the dental at my own vet it would be well over a thousand. I can pay for it either way, I'm just really back and forth about doing it at all.


----------



## gingerkid

I understand why you're hesitant, but at the same time - the abscessed/broken tooth is probably affecting her quality of life if it's so painful that it's preventing her from eating.

Regardless what you decide, I hope Happy starts to feel better soon.


----------



## Willowy

If you find a vet who uses isoflurane or sevoflurane, gives fluids, monitors blood pressure, etc., the risk should be pretty minimal. I know it's scary but the new anesthetics are just so much safer. 

Hope Happy feels happy again soon!


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> If you find a vet who uses isoflurane or sevoflurane, gives fluids, monitors blood pressure, etc., the risk should be pretty minimal. I know it's scary but the new anesthetics are just so much safer.
> 
> Hope Happy feels happy again soon!


She lost the other dog fairly recently and with modern anesthetics. 

Honestly, I don't know. I'd hate to risk it but broken/abscessed tooth or just general dental pain intense enough to throw a dog off it's food... not fun to live with either. Good thoughts coming at you, whatever you decide. I hope you're able to find something that works.


----------



## luv mi pets

Flaming said:


> I could loan you Manna and Vitae if you were close enough.
> 
> Manna despite her size catches adult magpies in our yard and eats them, since getting Vitae, Manna has had an easier time of it because they figured out how to work together for their tasty feathered treats.
> 
> *disclaimer:* no I did not train this and have no clue how or the willpower to stop this, I just use a lot of food grade DE for preventing worms and get them tested often.


I know how you feel. Been there done that I used to be surprised at what I might find in the yard or see the last of a tail or foot being swallowed by one of the dogs. Now I just deworm on a regular basis. There has been a rabbit living under the brush pile in the yard. DH and I named him or her 'Deathwish'


----------



## momtolabs

Tomorrow is the day I graduate from HS..... I'm so nervous I could throw up.....


----------



## CrimsonAccent

It'll be great momtolabs  Congrats on that diploma!!


----------



## kcomstoc

momtolabs said:


> Tomorrow is the day I graduate from HS..... I'm so nervous I could throw up.....


That's awesome...I mean the first part not the second  I wasn't nervous about graduating but during my graduation the principle decided to tell a humiliating story about something I had done, he did not ask first so I was completely unprepared and was very embarrassed. He didn't mean to humiliate me I'm sure and he NEVER mentioned my name but I was like "really?!!? can we just not mention this ever again ever" so I'm sure your graduation will be fine.


----------



## cookieface

momtolabs said:


> Tomorrow is the day I graduate from HS..... I'm so nervous I could throw up.....


Congratulations! You've already done the hard work, tomorrow (today?) is just the celebration!


----------



## cookieface

Husband training, day 147,693
him: Hey, did Tyson eat my extra pancakes?
me: I don't know. Where did you leave them?
him: On the counter. I remember making them and I remember seeing the empty plate, but I can't find the pancakes in the refrigerator.
me: Guess he ate them.
him: Huh, maybe I shouldn't leave things on the counter.


----------



## momtolabs

Thanks guys! My mom has me up at 4am as we got a but load of stuff to still finish up(graduation is at 2) ...... I might fall asleep at the graduation...... I already told my mom I'm taking a nap at my graduation party,lol.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

It was the tiny dogs turn to go for their walk around the neighborhood this morning...We get a mile from home and it starts to down pour! I knew it was cloudy when I took Morrison on his walk earlier, but news said it wasn't supposed to rain until late afternoon! Lol needless to say the girls were not impressed at all. By the time we got back home we all looked like we had gone swimming.


----------



## notgaga

The tiny poodle was eating a thread on my blanket. I moved the blanket so he wouldn't be able to chew it anymore. And he bit me twice, on the hand with the blanket and then on my thigh. Roommate did nothing but tell him no and then laugh. So obnoxious.


----------



## cookieface

My husband took the dogs to the park, came home, and complained about their misbehavior. Yet, he does nothing to training them. You can't will them into having good manners, you need to do the hard work. Would you like me to explain it to you _again_? <sigh>


----------



## luv mi pets

cookieface said:


> My husband took the dogs to the park, came home, and complained about their misbehavior. Yet, he does nothing to training them. You can't will them into having good manners, you need to do the hard work. Would you like me to explain it to you _again_? <sigh>


Maybe it was the sugar from the pancakes that made the dogs act that way?


----------



## luv mi pets

Ugghhhh! I got a cold or allergies. I am miserable.  Coughing, sneezing, runny nose watery eyes, lungs hurt. I bent over to pick something up off the floor and my nose just drained. It is so nice outside and I am laying in bed under a heap of covers/ It is okay to be sick on cloudy rainy days not nice days


----------



## CptJack

I now have an entire list of words I need to spell out because Molly recognises them and makes assumptions/reactions. I don't even have to do that crap with Kylie.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

cookieface said:


> Husband training, day 147,693
> him: Hey, did Tyson eat my extra pancakes?
> me: I don't know. Where did you leave them?
> him: On the counter. I remember making them and I remember seeing the empty plate, but I can't find the pancakes in the refrigerator.
> me: Guess he ate them.
> him: Huh, maybe I shouldn't leave things on the counter.


Story of my life! Nika's jumped up on the counter when nobody is looking, and runs off with food. I learned about 2 months ago that food can't be left out, after Nika jumped up, and ran off with my sandwich. I've t



luv mi pets said:


> Ugghhhh! I got a cold or allergies. I am miserable.  Coughing, sneezing, runny nose watery eyes, lungs hurt. I bent over to pick something up off the floor and my nose just drained. It is so nice outside and I am laying in bed under a heap of covers/ It is okay to be sick on cloudy rainy days not nice days


Oh no, sorry to hear that. Sending vibes you get better soon. Being sick sucks.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> I now have an entire list of words I need to spell out because Molly recognises them and makes assumptions/reactions. I don't even have to do that crap with Kylie.


I have a list of things I can't say in casual sentences with Kairi. Time, Eat, Food, Sweep/Vacuum, Floor, Dinner, Want, Everybody, Flop, etc.. weird stuff sometimes. I use noms for anything food related or that dog goes nuts. I'm sure she will eventually figure that one out too. Smart dogs are annoying. 

Speaking of smart dogs.. my Border Collie puppy is turning into a real BC. I'm starting to see that crazy intensity.. especially with the frisbee. Also.. she likes to stalk birds now.


----------



## Sibe

Instead of spelling things out, we say "R-word," "A-word," "P-word." Ride (meaning bike ride), agility class, and parp (park, but we say parp).


----------



## Remaru

cookieface said:


> My husband took the dogs to the park, came home, and complained about their misbehavior. Yet, he does nothing to training them. You can't will them into having good manners, you need to do the hard work. Would you like me to explain it to you _again_? <sigh>


My hubby is like this too. He will actively do things to get the dogs misbehaving and then get annoyed when they are naughty. I wish he would take a more active roll in training but he just won't. 



luv mi pets said:


> Ugghhhh! I got a cold or allergies. I am miserable.  Coughing, sneezing, runny nose watery eyes, lungs hurt. I bent over to pick something up off the floor and my nose just drained. It is so nice outside and I am laying in bed under a heap of covers/ It is okay to be sick on cloudy rainy days not nice days


I'm sorry. I hope you get well soon. 


Lad is feeling bad again. It seems to come and go so we are headed back to the vet. I noticed some pink/red patches on his skin as well and he has been itchy. Could be unrelated (mosquitoes are bad, though the K9 Advantix is supposed to help repell them, it is also bad allergy season here thanks to all the rain) but I am now starting to think this could be a food allergy thing. Hoping the vet can help pinpoint what it is since it is looking more like the antibiotics didn't really knock it out.


----------



## cookieface

Both dogs slept on the floor last night. I had so much room in bed that I stayed wide awake to enjoy it?!?! Ugh. It's going to be a long day.



luv mi pets said:


> Maybe it was the sugar from the pancakes that made the dogs act that way?


Still blaming the husband. 



luv mi pets said:


> Ugghhhh! I got a cold or allergies. I am miserable.  Coughing, sneezing, runny nose watery eyes, lungs hurt. I bent over to pick something up off the floor and my nose just drained. It is so nice outside and I am laying in bed under a heap of covers/ It is okay to be sick on cloudy rainy days not nice days


Hope you feel better. Under blankets sounds like a cold.  



Remaru said:


> Lad is feeling bad again. It seems to come and go so we are headed back to the vet. I noticed some pink/red patches on his skin as well and he has been itchy. Could be unrelated (mosquitoes are bad, though the K9 Advantix is supposed to help repell them, it is also bad allergy season here thanks to all the rain) but I am now starting to think this could be a food allergy thing. Hoping the vet can help pinpoint what it is since it is looking more like the antibiotics didn't really knock it out.


Poor boy. Hope he's doing better soon.


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## Denisekay

Today is my brother's high school graduation! I'm so happy for him, in August he will be leaving for college though. Still proud of him, but a little sad. :redface:


----------



## JeJo

Today is Kayla's Birthday/Gotcha day! She is thought to be three years old but as there was no history on this rescued stray, there is no way to know for sure. We found her waiting for us at the Humane Society two years ago and feel so blessed to have her in our lives.


----------



## luv mi pets

JeJo said:


> Today is Kayla's Birthday/Gotcha day! She is thought to be three years old but as there was no history on this rescued stray, there is no way to know for sure. We found her waiting for us at the Humane Society two years ago and feel so blessed to have her in our lives.


Happy gotcha day Kayla


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## JeJo

Thank you, Luv mi pets! Kayla thoroughly enjoyed a cheeseburger with a lettuce and tomato in celebration tonight, a first for her and a treat considering the only people food she gets regularly are vegetables.


----------



## d_ray

JeJo said:


> Thank you, Luv mi pets! Kayla thoroughly enjoyed a cheeseburger with a lettuce and tomato in celebration tonight, a first for her and a treat considering the only people food she gets regularly are vegetables.


Yay. Happy gotcha Kayla. Sounds like she had a great day.


----------



## d_ray

luv mi pets said:


> Ugghhhh! I got a cold or allergies. I am miserable.  Coughing, sneezing, runny nose watery eyes, lungs hurt. I bent over to pick something up off the floor and my nose just drained. It is so nice outside and I am laying in bed under a heap of covers/ It is okay to be sick on cloudy rainy days not nice days


Hope you feel better. It's not fun being sick when the weather is nice.


----------



## d_ray

Jazzy is a little insane. Left steak trimmings in the oven the other night. Forgot them the next day. Came home from work and she had taken off the element, the drip pan and the pipe for the warming element that goes from the oven to stove. That Girl has a crazy nose.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> Jazzy is a little insane. Left steak trimmings in the oven the other night. Forgot them the next day. Came home from work and she had taken off the element, the drip pan and the pipe for the warming element that goes from the oven to stove. That Girl has a crazy nose.


 Lol what the heck, Jazz!!!!


----------



## mudypony

Just need to rant a little bit...

Reactivity sucks. Duke was progressing so much with it. We completed his first training class, and he wouldn't react to dogs in there as long as he didn't have a direct sight line to the other dogs for more than a few seconds. He also completely stopped reacting to people, even in close quarters.

But, this week it seems like he has gone so far backwards. He's reacted to people on two separate occasions and has started reacting to people in other cars while we're driving. Not to mention that he turns into kujo at the sight of another dog. He's such a great dog in every other way, at least to me!, and I just want get this under control, so I can take him out and about with me.

It doesn't help that he is utterly terrifying to other people when he's reacting. He definitely puts on quite the show, which includes deep barks/growls, raised hackles, lunging to the end of the leash. Plus, most people have never even heard of reactivity in dogs, let alone that reactivity does not equal aggression. And, normally when he reacts, I'm just trying to control the situation and a 75 lb dog who's lost his mind and get out of there! In addition, most non-dog people assume he's a pit bull, and I don't want him adding to the negative stigma surrounding bully breeds, even if he likely doesn't have much, if any, pit bull in him.

I'm sure his reactivity is more frustration than fear based, as he will go up to any dog or person (perhaps with a little too much enthusiasm) when he is off leash. It's just so difficult and embarrassing to do anything with him. Why can't his problem be something that occurs in the house where only I have to see/deal with it?? Of course he has to have a problem that only occurs in public...

This summer is definitely going to be filled with an insane amount of reactivity prevention training, starting today. This is going to be fun *sarcasm*


----------



## d_ray

mudypony said:


> Just need to rant a little bit...
> 
> Reactivity sucks. Duke was progressing so much with it. We completed his first training class, and he wouldn't react to dogs in there as long as he didn't have a direct sight line to the other dogs for more than a few seconds. He also completely stopped reacting to people, even in close quarters.
> 
> But, this week it seems like he has gone so far backwards. He's reacted to people on two separate occasions and has started reacting to people in other cars while we're driving. Not to mention that he turns into kujo at the sight of another dog. He's such a great dog in every other way, at least to me!, and I just want get this under control, so I can take him out and about with me.
> 
> It doesn't help that he is utterly terrifying to other people when he's reacting. He definitely puts on quite the show, which includes deep barks/growls, raised hackles, lunging to the end of the leash. Plus, most people have never even heard of reactivity in dogs, let alone that reactivity does not equal aggression. And, normally when he reacts, I'm just trying to control the situation and a 75 lb dog who's lost his mind and get out of there! In addition, most non-dog people assume he's a pit bull, and I don't want him adding to the negative stigma surrounding bully breeds, even if he likely doesn't have much, if any, pit bull in him.
> 
> I'm sure his reactivity is more frustration than fear based, as he will go up to any dog or person (perhaps with a little too much enthusiasm) when he is off leash. It's just so difficult and embarrassing to do anything with him. Why can't his problem be something that occurs in the house where only I have to see/deal with it?? Of course he has to have a problem that only occurs in public...
> 
> This summer is definitely going to be filled with an insane amount of reactivity prevention training, starting today. This is going to be fun *sarcasm*


I feel you and don't envy you. Jazzy is the exact same. We started making progress and she has regressed quite a bit. My saving grace is that we have an off leash area like 2 minutes from my house. Every day I pray that we don't encounter any dogs, cats, blowing garbage, or people in those 2 minutes. Jazz can be distracted with treats but only if I catch it before she starts reacting. She is not reactive at all off Leash and is fine if she is allowed to greet the dog. But who in their right mind wants their dog to greet Kujo.


----------



## jade5280

mudypony said:


> Just need to rant a little bit...
> 
> Reactivity sucks. Duke was progressing so much with it. We completed his first training class, and he wouldn't react to dogs in there as long as he didn't have a direct sight line to the other dogs for more than a few seconds. He also completely stopped reacting to people, even in close quarters.
> 
> But, this week it seems like he has gone so far backwards. He's reacted to people on two separate occasions and has started reacting to people in other cars while we're driving. Not to mention that he turns into kujo at the sight of another dog. He's such a great dog in every other way, at least to me!, and I just want get this under control, so I can take him out and about with me.
> 
> It doesn't help that he is utterly terrifying to other people when he's reacting. He definitely puts on quite the show, which includes deep barks/growls, raised hackles, lunging to the end of the leash. Plus, most people have never even heard of reactivity in dogs, let alone that reactivity does not equal aggression. And, normally when he reacts, I'm just trying to control the situation and a 75 lb dog who's lost his mind and get out of there! In addition, most non-dog people assume he's a pit bull, and I don't want him adding to the negative stigma surrounding bully breeds, even if he likely doesn't have much, if any, pit bull in him.
> 
> I'm sure his reactivity is more frustration than fear based, as he will go up to any dog or person (perhaps with a little too much enthusiasm) when he is off leash. It's just so difficult and embarrassing to do anything with him. Why can't his problem be something that occurs in the house where only I have to see/deal with it?? Of course he has to have a problem that only occurs in public...
> 
> This summer is definitely going to be filled with an insane amount of reactivity prevention training, starting today. This is going to be fun *sarcasm*


I feel your pain, I can't take Gypsy anywhere. Part of the reason why we are moving is because of her. Ryker's issues are only inside where I have to see/deal with it (separation anxiety) and he is great outside of the house. Gypsy is very easy inside (as long as she can't see a dog out the window) and super dog and sometimes people reactive outside. So I guess I got the best of both worlds.

I tried to train her and sought out a couple trainers and a behaviorist, but in the end I just gave up (and I don't easily give up!) and decided that we should move somewhere where we don't have to worry about other dogs all the time. It's pretty bad when moving is easier than training LOL! Reactivity sucks! It's frustrating and exhausting.


----------



## luv mi pets

d_ray said:


> Jazzy is a little insane. Left steak trimmings in the oven the other night. Forgot them the next day. Came home from work and she had taken off the element, the drip pan and the pipe for the warming element that goes from the oven to stove. That Girl has a crazy nose.


Can I borrow her? My oven needs to be cleaned 

BTW thanks for all the get well wishes. I think I am over the dying part.


----------



## d_ray

luv mi pets said:


> Can I borrow her? My oven needs to be cleaned
> 
> BTW thanks for all the get well wishes. I think I am over the dying part.


Glad to hear you're feeling better and you borrow her any time


----------



## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> I feel your pain, I can't take Gypsy anywhere. Part of the reason why we are moving is because of her. Ryker's issues are only inside where I have to see/deal with it (separation anxiety) and he is great outside of the house. Gypsy is very easy inside (as long as she can't see a dog out the window) and super dog and sometimes people reactive outside. So I guess I got the best of both worlds.
> 
> I tried to train her and sought out a couple trainers and a behaviorist, but in the end I just gave up (and I don't easily give up!) and decided that we should move somewhere where we don't have to worry about other dogs all the time. It's pretty bad when moving is easier than training LOL! Reactivity sucks! It's frustrating and exhausting.


You have it a lot worse than me in both aspects. However I find it really interesting that our dogs have similar dynamics. 

Jewel is a pain in the house and "bullies" Jazz to some extent. But she's awesome outside and with other dogs. She also has some SA. 

Jazz is lazy in the house and generally a dream at home: So cuddly and content to be a couch potato. She is reactive on leash though and can sometimes be too much for other dogs off leash. 

It's a toss up for me what I would rather deal with. I still say reactivity since I find it easier to manage and work with. 

Hugs and hang in there. It's awesome that you're moving to better your dogs. Good thing they're so damn cute.


----------



## Remaru

Magic is reactive too. I know she is friendly but most people don't want to stick around and find out. She isn't so bad with people, she just pulls and wiggles but despite not being huge she is crazy strong. With other dogs she just starts barking and jumping, she will pull backwards towards them long after we pass. I think far more people deal with reactivity in their dogs, they just don't talk about it or assume it is aggression (or call it something cutesy like "oh he is just trying to be boss" or whatever when it is a small dog). She is actually friendly, a lot of it is excitement and desire to play combined with over stimulation. Things that move quickly get her going too. Blue has SA, we kind of just live with it at this point. Having Lenore loose with her has helped (Lenore is fine as long as she isn't crated and can get to a couch or bed). Duke had SA badly and it was hard. I don't know which I've found harder to deal with. On the one hand it is hard not being able to take Magic as many places as I would like because she gets so over excited (and yes feeling like people are always judging) but then knowing Duke was at home miserable and what we would probably come home to was hard too. Duke was a perfect dog except for that.


----------



## Pia

How do you watch "dog movies" together with your dogs?
Tried yesterday to watch Jack London's "The Call of the Wild", the 1997 remake. Rigged up on the couch with Tina, treats for both, action... o holly molly, had to stop the film, she tried to jump behind the tv, plus got super agitated by the dogs' barking and joined the conversation from the first sequence. Haven't seen her like this before.
Ended up watching "The Duchess" - obviously aristocratic love affairs don't disturb my dog's peace of mind... but seriously, are you able to watch movies with barking dogs appearing?


----------



## Remaru

My dogs don't really react to dogs barking on TV. We watch a lot of "dog TV". My boys and I enjoy things like Lassie (the old TV show), Too Cute, Dog Shows, Homeward Bound, 101 Dalmations (the animated but my boys watch the live one too), really all sorts of Disney movies with dogs. I've always done it so they just get used to it. You could try turning the volume down until she isn't reacting and reward for being calm then slowly work up her tolerance. Eventually she should figure out that the dog in the TV isn't real.


----------



## Pia

Remaru said:


> My dogs don't really react to dogs barking on TV. We watch a lot of "dog TV". My boys and I enjoy things like Lassie (the old TV show), Too Cute, Dog Shows, Homeward Bound, 101 Dalmations (the animated but my boys watch the live one too), really all sorts of Disney movies with dogs.


Now twist the knife around... kidding! Just jealous, but happy for you  



Remaru said:


> You could try turning the volume down until she isn't reacting and reward for being calm then slowly work up her tolerance. Eventually she should figure out that the dog in the TV isn't real.


Thank you! Such a simple solution, don't know why I didn't think of it, must be Tina's passionate barking muted my thoughts.
Will do the way you suggest, wonderful, have to use subtitles anyway. This can save the day as Tina and me look to "share interests", both love movies, though she will usually fall to sleep before the end, with her head on my leg and snoring loudly like a real watch dog, he he


----------



## Remaru

Pia said:


> Now twist the knife around... kidding! Just jealous, but happy for you
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you! Such a simple solution, don't know why I didn't think of it, must be Tina's passionate barking muted my thoughts.
> Will do the way you suggest, wonderful, have to use subtitles anyway. This can save the day as Tina and me look to "share interests", both love movies, though she will usually fall to sleep before the end, with her head on my leg and snoring loudly like a real watch dog, he he


LOL we can't watch any nature shows with the cat in the room, things flying (or fish swimming) on the TV get her going and I'm afraid she is going to knock the TV over. She has a thing for one of the boys' video games too, the little characters on the screen get her "hunter instincts" all riled. I have to make sure she is sleeping in another room or lock her up if she comes out. She can understand that the cat in the mirror is just her reflection but she is sure those birds on TV are real.


----------



## Pia

He he, go girl!
She might knock the TV over or at least move it if she takes off from a sofa table or some other furniture. 
Ask me how I know. My youngest, Toto Jr. is on safari just like Halloween, when watching these movies for cats, you know, the "When you are gone" entertainment for cats, that actually makes you stay and supervise


----------



## Mint

I really wish I could add another dog. A breeder who I really like has a young ACD girl she's looking to place, and she's pretty much my ideal aesthetic when it comes to ACDs. This dog want is killing me.


----------



## cookieface

I spent yesterday morning almost in a complete panic because Katie and Tyson went to the groomer. Tyson seems to be more reactive than he's been and I was so afraid he'd freak out at the groomers' dogs (there's usually one or two in their "shop"). I'm guessing everything went ok since I didn't hear anything from my husband.



mudypony said:


> Just need to rant a little bit...
> 
> Reactivity sucks. Duke was progressing so much with it. We completed his first training class, and he wouldn't react to dogs in there as long as he didn't have a direct sight line to the other dogs for more than a few seconds. He also completely stopped reacting to people, even in close quarters.
> 
> But, this week it seems like he has gone so far backwards. He's reacted to people on two separate occasions and has started reacting to people in other cars while we're driving. Not to mention that he turns into kujo at the sight of another dog. He's such a great dog in every other way, at least to me!, and I just want get this under control, so I can take him out and about with me.
> 
> It doesn't help that he is utterly terrifying to other people when he's reacting. He definitely puts on quite the show, which includes deep barks/growls, raised hackles, lunging to the end of the leash. Plus, most people have never even heard of reactivity in dogs, let alone that reactivity does not equal aggression. And, normally when he reacts, I'm just trying to control the situation and a 75 lb dog who's lost his mind and get out of there! In addition, most non-dog people assume he's a pit bull, and I don't want him adding to the negative stigma surrounding bully breeds, even if he likely doesn't have much, if any, pit bull in him.
> 
> I'm sure his reactivity is more frustration than fear based, as he will go up to any dog or person (perhaps with a little too much enthusiasm) when he is off leash. It's just so difficult and embarrassing to do anything with him. Why can't his problem be something that occurs in the house where only I have to see/deal with it?? Of course he has to have a problem that only occurs in public...
> 
> This summer is definitely going to be filled with an insane amount of reactivity prevention training, starting today. This is going to be fun *sarcasm*


I feel for you. I have two reactive dogs - one over excited, the other fearful. It's not easy and there have been days I've been in tears over it. I found with Katie that she had good days and bad; made progress, then went backwards; and suddenly seemed to be an almost normal dog. The other week, she and I met up with Elrohwen, Finkie_Mom, Kimma, and Jari at a public park (lots of people, dogs, kids, bikes). Katie needed management, but wasn't a complete loon (even Elrohwen said so  ).



Pia said:


> How do you watch "dog movies" together with your dogs?
> Tried yesterday to watch Jack London's "The Call of the Wild", the 1997 remake. Rigged up on the couch with Tina, treats for both, action... o holly molly, had to stop the film, she tried to jump behind the tv, plus got super agitated by the dogs' barking and joined the conversation from the first sequence. Haven't seen her like this before.
> Ended up watching "The Duchess" - obviously aristocratic love affairs don't disturb my dog's peace of mind... but seriously, are you able to watch movies with barking dogs appearing?


We've watched Westminster agility. Both dogs were excited and barky, but I've used it as an opportunity for training. On the other hand, Tyson is fascinated by beavers.


----------



## mudypony

d_ray said:


> I feel you and don't envy you. Jazzy is the exact same. We started making progress and she has regressed quite a bit. My saving grace is that we have an off leash area like 2 minutes from my house. Every day I pray that we don't encounter any dogs, cats, blowing garbage, or people in those 2 minutes. Jazz can be distracted with treats but only if I catch it before she starts reacting. She is not reactive at all off Leash and is fine if she is allowed to greet the dog. But who in their right mind wants their dog to greet Kujo.





jade5280 said:


> I feel your pain, I can't take Gypsy anywhere. Part of the reason why we are moving is because of her. Ryker's issues are only inside where I have to see/deal with it (separation anxiety) and he is great outside of the house. Gypsy is very easy inside (as long as she can't see a dog out the window) and super dog and sometimes people reactive outside. So I guess I got the best of both worlds.
> 
> I tried to train her and sought out a couple trainers and a behaviorist, but in the end I just gave up (and I don't easily give up!) and decided that we should move somewhere where we don't have to worry about other dogs all the time. It's pretty bad when moving is easier than training LOL! Reactivity sucks! It's frustrating and exhausting.





Remaru said:


> Magic is reactive too. I know she is friendly but most people don't want to stick around and find out. She isn't so bad with people, she just pulls and wiggles but despite not being huge she is crazy strong. With other dogs she just starts barking and jumping, she will pull backwards towards them long after we pass. I think far more people deal with reactivity in their dogs, they just don't talk about it or assume it is aggression (or call it something cutesy like "oh he is just trying to be boss" or whatever when it is a small dog). She is actually friendly, a lot of it is excitement and desire to play combined with over stimulation. Things that move quickly get her going too. Blue has SA, we kind of just live with it at this point. Having Lenore loose with her has helped (Lenore is fine as long as she isn't crated and can get to a couch or bed). Duke had SA badly and it was hard. I don't know which I've found harder to deal with. On the one hand it is hard not being able to take Magic as many places as I would like because she gets so over excited (and yes feeling like people are always judging) but then knowing Duke was at home miserable and what we would probably come home to was hard too. Duke was a perfect dog except for that.





cookieface said:


> I feel for you. I have two reactive dogs - one over excited, the other fearful. It's not easy and there have been days I've been in tears over it. I found with Katie that she had good days and bad; made progress, then went backwards; and suddenly seemed to be an almost normal dog. The other week, she and I met up with Elrohwen, Finkie_Mom, Kimma, and Jari at a public park (lots of people, dogs, kids, bikes). Katie needed management, but wasn't a complete loon (even Elrohwen said so  ).


Thanks everyone! It's nice to hear from people who are going through this too. I feel like it would be so much easier to deal with if he was half his size. But, he's 75 lbs, pure muscle, and pulls like a freight train when in reactivity mode (sounds a lot like Magic actually, just supersized). Also he has growled at our trainer once (Second time at training class, so a high stress environment, and I asked her to help me adjust his easy walk harness. Obviously, he was uncomfortable, growled, and she backed off. By the end of the class, she was able to hold his leash and give him treats/pets.), who handled it fantastically, as she only uses positive reinforcement, so I never let him meet random people we meet, too much of a liability. Even though I know growling is a good thing and serves as a warning that he's uncomfortable, it still scared me and makes me worry every time he meets someone new or people come over. Other than that though he's loved everyone he's met, which is probably his only other major problem -- greeting people too enthusiastically, he literally loses his brain--and manners-- for a minute (exuberance is his middle name haha). But, that problem is so much easier to handle.

He's definitely scared a few people to death with his antics. I wish they could see what he is like normally, so they could realize he isn't this crazy, possessed dog who has no training whatsoever. 

I'm also living in an apartment, which does not help as there are people/dogs out all the time, and we run into someone at least once a day (I've started to bring treats to every potty break; though I do go to my grandparents private, wooded property for walks because... private). Just have to make it through the next year and a half here, and, then, I'm getting a place with a yard that has a 6' privacy fence. It's funny how the #1 priority in my next place is for my dog haha. I really could care less about the rest of the house as long as it has a nice yard. 

I think I need to just accept that he's not going to be the dog I can take with me everywhere, like pet stores, the park, etc. Next Dog is most likely going to be a Eurasier puppy (which I first heard about here and have fallen in love with) from a breeder and will be raised with the goal of being the dog I can take everywhere and get a CGC with (though I know it's not a guarantee).


----------



## CptJack

> ... how to train the dog I have rather than the dog I think I should have.


That's from my trainer's website. This is why I love my trainer, I think. 

Also why I am still sane and in classes with Molly,, frankly, and actually doing agility with Kylie.


----------



## jade5280

d_ray said:


> You have it a lot worse than me in both aspects. However I find it really interesting that our dogs have similar dynamics.
> 
> Jewel is a pain in the house and "bullies" Jazz to some extent. But she's awesome outside and with other dogs. She also has some SA.
> 
> Jazz is lazy in the house and generally a dream at home: So cuddly and content to be a couch potato. She is reactive on leash though and can sometimes be too much for other dogs off leash.
> 
> It's a toss up for me what I would rather deal with. I still say reactivity since I find it easier to manage and work with.
> 
> Hugs and hang in there. It's awesome that you're moving to better your dogs. Good thing they're so damn cute.


It's funny, they do seem so much alike! I'm really not sure what I would rather have, SA vs reactivity. They both suck!!! Can I choose neither? No? Okay....haha


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> It's funny, they do seem so much alike! I'm really not sure what I would rather have, SA vs reactivity. They both suck!!! Can I choose neither? No? Okay....haha


Honestly, just not both? One means you can't leave the dog and the other one means you can't take it. I mean you can, but not with ease either way. That's stressful in combination!


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Honestly, just not both? One means you can't leave the dog and the other one means you can't take it. I mean you can, but not with ease either way. That's stressful in combination!


Thankfully Ryker's SA has gotten a lot more manageable and isn't nearly as bad as it used to be. If that weren't the case I would just be dead right now.


----------



## cookieface

Just the date for Katie's pre-agility assessment. I can officially start worrying.


----------



## gingerkid

d_ray said:


> I feel you and don't envy you. Jazzy is the exact same. We started making progress and she has regressed quite a bit. My saving grace is that we have an off leash area like 2 minutes from my house. Every day I pray that we don't encounter any dogs, cats, blowing garbage, or people in those 2 minutes. Jazz can be distracted with treats but only if I catch it before she starts reacting. She is not reactive at all off Leash and is fine if she is allowed to greet the dog. But who in their right mind wants their dog to greet Kujo.


This was Snowball exactly! He was totally fine once he got to greet the dog, and was friendly (albeit rude) off leash.

Once it started improving, we realized that a lot of it is territory-based; although he's at the point now where he only very rarely reacts outside of our neighborhood (usually when he's surprised by a dog coming around a corner), he's still reactive around home. At least his threshold is MUCH lower than it was when we got him.


----------



## d_ray

gingerkid said:


> This was Snowball exactly! He was totally fine once he got to greet the dog, and was friendly (albeit rude) off leash.
> 
> Once it started improving, we realized that a lot of it is territory-based; although he's at the point now where he only very rarely reacts outside of our neighborhood (usually when he's surprised by a dog coming around a corner), he's still reactive around home. At least his threshold is MUCH lower than it was when we got him.


Jazz is good for about 20 feet of distance. If there is a dog in the distance, she won't react. Her re activity got A LOT worse since she slipped her collar and then later her harness and now she knows it's possible to get to the dog. She also re-directs on Jewel and they sometimes have all out brawls on the street. I absolutely cannot leave the house without a pocket of treats.


----------



## gingerkid

d_ray said:


> Jazz is good for about 20 feet of distance. If there is a dog in the distance, she won't react. Her re activity got A LOT worse since she slipped her collar and then later her harness and now she knows it's possible to get to the dog. She also re-directs on Jewel and they sometimes have all out brawls on the street. I absolutely cannot leave the house without a pocket of treats.


I feel you. Luckily Snowball is small enough that I can contain him with one hand. We'll see how that goes when Ida get's bigger; Vet thinks she'll top out at 25 lbs, but her paws at 14-15 weeks are almost the same size as Snowball's so... we'll see.


----------



## Sibe

Nothing dog related. Husband and I are so bad at being adults (I'm 26, he's 31). Called today to cancel homeowners insurance, as we sold our house. They were like "uhhh... I don't see a policy...." They had our info. Address. Phone numbers. No policy. We've not had insurance for like 3.5 years on that house. Husband and I are like.. Hmm... yeah, I don't think we ever paid them. They never billed us. We don't have any record of payments, contact, nothing. Honestly we forgot about it until our realtor reminded us to cancel it like a week ago. Whoops. Glad we never needed it. 0.0


----------



## kcomstoc

Sibe said:


> Nothing dog related. Husband and I are so bad at being adults (I'm 26, he's 31). Called today to cancel homeowners insurance, as we sold our house. They were like "uhhh... I don't see a policy...." They had our info. Address. Phone numbers. No policy. We've not had insurance for like 3.5 years on that house. Husband and I are like.. Hmm... yeah, I don't think we ever paid them. They never billed us. We don't have any record of payments, contact, nothing. Honestly we forgot about it until our realtor reminded us to cancel it like a week ago. Whoops. Glad we never needed it. 0.0


I'm glad nothing happened  but yea we got to get homeowners insurance by the end of the month and I'm just thinking "great another place for my money to go except in my pocket" >.>


----------



## cookieface

Sibe said:


> Nothing dog related. Husband and I are so bad at being adults (I'm 26, he's 31). Called today to cancel homeowners insurance, as we sold our house. They were like "uhhh... I don't see a policy...." They had our info. Address. Phone numbers. No policy. We've not had insurance for like 3.5 years on that house. Husband and I are like.. Hmm... yeah, I don't think we ever paid them. They never billed us. We don't have any record of payments, contact, nothing. Honestly we forgot about it until our realtor reminded us to cancel it like a week ago. Whoops. Glad we never needed it. 0.0


I drove around with an expired license for almost three months. I completely forgot about it until my mom mentioned getting her DL picture taken.


----------



## CptJack

Someone today complimented me on Molly performing commands at a distance. Then asked me how I trained it. I told them I didn't (true) and then got snitty with me. ...I think they thought I was lying for some reason. Like not imagined snitty but SNITTY. 

Weirdest encounter I've had with anyone in quite a while.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Sibe said:


> Nothing dog related. Husband and I are so bad at being adults (I'm 26, he's 31). Called today to cancel homeowners insurance, as we sold our house. They were like "uhhh... I don't see a policy...." They had our info. Address. Phone numbers. No policy. We've not had insurance for like 3.5 years on that house. Husband and I are like.. Hmm... yeah, I don't think we ever paid them. They never billed us. We don't have any record of payments, contact, nothing. Honestly we forgot about it until our realtor reminded us to cancel it like a week ago. Whoops. Glad we never needed it. 0.0


That is actually kind of hilarious. Ooops!



CptJack said:


> Someone today complimented me on Molly performing commands at a distance. Then asked me how I trained it. I told them I didn't (true) and then got snitty with me. ...I think they thought I was lying for some reason. Like not imagined snitty but SNITTY.
> 
> Weirdest encounter I've had with anyone in quite a while.


They must have just been jealous.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Saw what looked like an honest PapillonXJRT mix at the park. Very fun dog. Weirdly, the tail was cropped (I suppose it could have been a natural bob but doesn't seem like a common thing) but it happens. Saw a Welshie and Boykin Spaniel as well. But the best part was the Great Pyr's that showed up  Fluffy goobers who just came up to you and _leaned_ on you until you started petting them


----------



## Sibe

I blame the full moon for all my adult fails today. So first it was never having home insurance. And then I got randomly selected for vehicle inspection while driving onto base. GREAT. My first thought was that I know my registration is expired. Here's the deal. I know there is a 30 day grace period. It expired March 22nd. We left California the first week of May. I knew I'd be barely over the grace period when registering in Colorado, but I was not about to pay an entire year of registration in California to cover like, 2 weeks. So then the movers came and packed my title. Whoops. Adult fail. It was all sent out to Colorado. Once here we immediately got a storage unit and called the moving company. Of course, it would take another 2-3 weeks to get all our stuff. Nooooooo. They finally came and we got the file cabinet on Saturday. Haven't had the chance to get down to the DMV yet (first I need to take my car to a dealership to have the VIN verified, because Colorado). It's on the list along with a hundred other things that are high priority.

So anyway. Dogs are out of raw food, I have 10 days left to use my military ID, and commissaries have great meat selection for great prices to I head over to the base. Guard waves me over to the side and tells me I'd randomly selected, he needs my military ID, DL, insurance, and registration. I tell him I know my registration is expired and give him the story. I can see him really wrestling in his head. He should cite me (which would probably mean I wouldn't be allowed on base until I had it registered) but he gets the situation and that I have 10 days left of base access. Tells me I need to get it done, dmv down the road, can get a temp registration, etc etc I'm super nice and he's nice to me.

Then the rest of the vehicle inspection. Put your car in park, keys on the dashboard. Open all your doors, pop the hood, go stand by that cone. As I'm walking to the cone I see the dog-handler team. Cutest dog, like a really small golden. I'm a dog trainer. My car has treats in one of the door pockets, has harnesses and lines and mushing stuff, all kinds of smelly dog stuff. The dog is a pro and checks everything out. I smile as they're walking back and say, "Well done, tons of treats in there!" Handler smiles back and says, "She thought about it, she really did, but decided not to!"

Half an hour later, finally got on base. Bought a giant 20 lb pork arm, couple beef hearts, couple bags of whole frozen sardines, beef liver, 2 whole chickens, and also pack of boneless chicken thighs for the cats. Plus some people food. I get the weirdest looks at the register.


----------



## cookieface

At the park last night, I left my wallet and keys in my unlocked car. More adult fail.


----------



## cookieface

Someone I know just had border collie puppies. I *do not* want a border collie, but *puppies*!!!!


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> They must have just been jealous.


Maybe? I really mostly think they just thought I was outright lying to them about it for some reason. It truly was just really weird and kind of unpleasant.


----------



## jade5280

cookieface said:


> Someone I know just had border collie puppies. I *do not* want a border collie, but *puppies*!!!!


 Yeah you do.


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Yeah you do.


Oh heck no!


----------



## luv mi pets

My brother's DL listed him as a female. He was shown the mistake by the police officer who had pulled him over for speeding. Bro says the officer kept looking at him and at the DL. Finally the officer asked my brother. I guess you really should look at your DL besides looking at the picture.


----------



## Sibe

cookieface said:


> At the park last night, I left my wallet and keys in my unlocked car. More adult fail.


 Adult fails are amusing in a "That should have been REALLY bad" way. I'm so thankful for luck.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

CptJack said:


> Maybe? I really mostly think they just thought I was outright lying to them about it for some reason. It truly was just really weird and kind of unpleasant.


People are just really odd!

I had a similar experience with Leia. I was at an ice cream stand with a friend last summer and had puppy Leia with us. Everyone was going on and on about how cute and sweet she was. And this one lady asked me what breeder I got her from, and how much did I pay for her? I explained that I didn't buy her from a breeder, that she was from an oops litter and I got her for free. The lady got all huffy and rolled her eyes and gave me a real sarcastic "sure" as if she thought I was lying. 

It was so weird.


----------



## mudypony

Took Duke on a walk last night around the apartment complex, and he saw two different dogs and did not react! Yay!!!! Although, as seen as I caught sight of them I did our LAT and gave him an endless train of treats till we hurried out of sight. One of the dogs he has reacted to in the past, and I was able to quickly explain to the owner that Duke is NOT aggressive just leash reactive from a combination of excitement and frustration and that his training is a work in progress. He seemed relieved to hear that my dog (who he probably thought would tear his dog to pieces if given the chance) lives with a 12 lb maltese/poodle mix. Definitely nice to be able to explain this to people and have them understand, at least a little bit, as I'm sure we'll run into each other again.

Despite being amazing on our walk last night, he did react to a lawn maintenance guy earlier that day, who took off running from my 75 lb cujo. I felt terrible. Can't ask for too much... right?


----------



## Pia

Sibe said:


> Nothing dog related. Husband and I are so bad at being adults (I'm 26, he's 31). Called today to cancel homeowners insurance, as we sold our house. They were like "uhhh... I don't see a policy...." They had our info. Address. Phone numbers. No policy. We've not had insurance for like 3.5 years on that house. Husband and I are like.. Hmm... yeah, I don't think we ever paid them. They never billed us. We don't have any record of payments, contact, nothing. Honestly we forgot about it until our realtor reminded us to cancel it like a week ago. Whoops. Glad we never needed it. 0.0


Look at the bright side: you did call and cancelled it. That's being 50% responsible about the policy


----------



## Pia

Rant:

Sometimes living with a dog feels like a curse, other times like a blessing. Also almost spooky how alike Tina and me are. Maybe because we are together 24/7, maybe because we are same sign in the horoscope, or maybe dogs just have the (mis)fortune of becoming their humans' alike... no idea, but she's been giving me wake up calls since we met.
Was in the blues for a couple days. I usually get totally quiet then, except work when having students. Tina picked up on it yesterday and she too got the blues, can you believe it? We were like two robots here, potty, walk, food, long nothing, then repeat. No play, no nothing, didn't even go for our daily run and went to sleep in the living room, I on my couch, she on hers. 
Today she started looking kinda annoyed, but I was still indulging myself in self pity and didn't react. When out for potty, she did nothing when she usually delivers number 2, just turned back home. Fine, I got back to my silent corner, she went upstairs, straight to the bedroom and left a clear message right outside my closet. When I found it, I was pleased with the consistence, but why so dramatic? Ok ok, cleaned up, got my shoes on, grabbed our hiking bag and we drove to the sports park. You wanna walk? Ok, let's walk, but just for the record I am not enjoying it. We went miles, around and around 4 football fields, then a few times around tennis courts, circling on the trails, had some water, kept walking, and somewhere somehow both got out of the blue mood. Back home both exhausted but happy again, I kissed her ear as thank you, she licked me in the eye (ouch!). Just thinking, if it wasn't for her, I would probably be in the existential analysis mode by now... instead hiding for the shower now as we are both more or less covered with mud, seeds and other flora  

Do you feel sometimes like the dog senses more than one would think? 
It is all still pretty new for me and I might just be imagining, but she has not have an accident for months and I could swear she did the poop show today on purpose, like telling me "Hey, it's enough!"


----------



## Laurelin

I just saw Silvia Trkman's La passed away.  So sad. I always adored that dog.


----------



## Kayota

just put in a time off request to go see timmy trumpet live in santa ana... wish me luck!


----------



## ireth0

cookieface said:


> At the park last night, I left my wallet and keys in my unlocked car. More adult fail.


If it makes you feel better; I've left my wallet, keys, -and- phone in my LOCKED car. That one took some doing.


----------



## cookieface

I've decided that I should make dog toys that smell like my husband's feet - the dogs love to shove their noses in his shoes, lick his toes, carry his socks. Weirdos.



ireth0 said:


> If it makes you feel better; I've left my wallet, keys, -and- phone in my LOCKED car. That one took some doing.


My saving grace is that it's theoretically impossible to lock the keys in my car. I'm sure I could do it, but it wouldn't be easy.


----------



## Kayota

my car locks itself so i have locked the keys in the car three times with it running, once at midnight in winter and once with rox in the car. once at seven am at the dog park. it shouldnt do that but the wiring is kind of screwy bc its fifteen years old.


----------



## Willowy

I used to keep a spare car key in my wallet (which I keep in my pocket, not a purse). Most keys are flat; they fit well in the coin pocket of most wallets. I used that key more times than I like to admit . Alas, I've been using my mom's van for a while now and the key to that is a great big plastic thing, plus you can't unlock it without the fob :/. So I can't carry a spare anymore. But at least I haven't locked myself out so far.

There is an episode of Corner Gas in which the cops end up locking their keys in the boot of the car. It's hilarious. Everybody should watch it .


----------



## Miss Bugs

This is Sola presently.. napping in a bucket of Gerbil supplies..primarily empty glass jars. there is a towel there but really..I dont think a towel suddenlyl really makes glass jars the epitome of comfort... it should be said, her empty big soft bed is TOUCHING this bucket.


----------



## cookieface

Tyson was an awesome little problem solver at nose work today. There was a hide tucked under a chair in one of those magnetic spice containers. He couldn't get to the container to eat the treat, so he knocked the it off the chair. Then, he couldn't get his nose inside the container, so he picked it up, carried it out from under the chair, and flipped it over. Finally, he ate the treat off the ground. It's amazing that this little boy was scared of moving boxes when he started classes.


----------



## gingerkid

cookieface said:


> I've decided that I should make dog toys that smell like my husband's feet - the dogs love to shove their noses in his shoes, lick his toes, carry his socks. Weirdos.
> 
> 
> 
> My saving grace is that it's theoretically impossible to lock the keys in my car. I'm sure I could do it, but it wouldn't be easy.


I can't lock the driver's side door without physically using the key. That hasn't stopped me from locking my keys in the trunk. Multiple times.


----------



## CptJack

Thud actually seems to finally be growing up. Since he turned 2 and most especially the last couple of months he's just suddenly like a different dog. He's still independent and high energy, and he's still got a real love of wallowing on and biting me, but he's... interested in learning, relatively calm, seems to have some attention span. In the house he's content to lay around and nap occasionally instead of constantly getting into things or riling the other dogs up. Outside he actually STOPS and comes to lay down or just hang out with us, instead of exploding constantly the entire time we're out. 

I THINK I LIKE THIS DOG, Y'ALL.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Took Luke to Nala's b-day party and all was going well until some idiot owner decided to bring his big dog into the small dog pen. Luke isn't good with Pits, so we had to leave after 20min. If I wasn't near people I know, I would've told the guy that there are big dog areas and small dog areas and his dog doesn't belong in the small dog area. So we left and went to another dog park that had only two dogs in there, but on the plus side it's always fun to be with my Dad and Luke...and it didn't rain.


----------



## BernerMax

mudypony said:


> Took Duke on a walk last night around the apartment complex, and he saw two different dogs and did not react! Yay!!!! Although, as seen as I caught sight of them I did our LAT and gave him an endless train of treats till we hurried out of sight. One of the dogs he has reacted to in the past, and I was able to quickly explain to the owner that Duke is NOT aggressive just leash reactive from a combination of excitement and frustration and that his training is a work in progress. He seemed relieved to hear that my dog (who he probably thought would tear his dog to pieces if given the chance) lives with a 12 lb maltese/poodle mix. Definitely nice to be able to explain this to people and have them understand, at least a little bit, as I'm sure we'll run into each other again.
> 
> Despite being amazing on our walk last night, he did react to a lawn maintenance guy earlier that day, who took off running from my 75 lb cujo. I felt terrible. Can't ask for too much... right?


Wow your dog sounds like mine... same issues exactly... have sort of given up on mine (I just run her til she is exhausted and then she is much less reactive/ she is halftime out in the country as well)... more power to you in your Training!


----------



## d_ray

BernerMax said:


> Wow your dog sounds like mine... same issues exactly... have sort of given up on mine (I just run her til she is exhausted and then she is much less reactive/ she is halftime out in the country as well)... more power to you in your Training!


Jazz is the same. Less reactive with more exercise. I can get her attention with treats. My strategy is to get her to an off leash area as soon as possible.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie went to lowes after agility. She took treats, and let people met her. Reserved and kind of aloof still but totally comfortable. Wild.


----------



## kcomstoc

Saw a bull terrier today  he was super sweet and wanted to play with Jake who did NOT want to play but wasn't aggressive towards him at all but just kinda stood there and peed on this territory. It was awesome, Jake's come along way from not tolerating any male dogs to tolerating them as long as they are neutered. The bull terrier was a rescue, the poor thing got his muzzle zip tied shut when he was 9 months old  he had a scar from it because it was so tight. I just don't understand why people would do something so horrible to a dog or ANY animal


----------



## Remaru

Took everyone (yes all of them) out into the yard to run yesterday. First, Blue actually ran with the big dogs, I have never seen her do that. She was so excited to run with Lenore, she looked so happy! She hasn't been this happy since Duke died. And Lenore can RUN. I wish I had a camera that could actually capture her running. Freyja is pretty fast and Magic can take tight corners and really dig into the ground but Lenore is so fast and graceful she just sped through the yard jumping over the rest of them. She was having the best time out there. Poor Lad can't even try to keep up in his goofy puppy body. He eventually resorts to whining and barking at them to slow down. Unfortunately both Freyja and Magic tore their paw pads running.  It's just the top layer but they will have to rest for a few days. I put medicine and sock on them, they weren't pleased. 

We spent yesterday evening at a team building event for my youngest son's roller derby team. Since Lad has been sick I took Lenore along. It was a campout but we didn't stay the night (since we had the dogs to come home to). The kids skated, played with water guns, grilled, and generally ran around. Lenore got to run a giant property with a small pack of dogs. She had a great time. She chased hubby and the kids while they skated, begged for food from the grill (and one of the big kids gave her part of a hotdog), and got petted by kids. She didn't do a lot of playing with the other dogs, they played fetch with sticks, tennis balls and frisbees but she isn't really into that. She did follow them around some but mostly stayed with hubby and I or a couple of toddlers she really seemed to like (wondering if her previous family had some small children). I'm sure Lad would have had a wonderful time but I'm afraid he might have hurt himself over doing it with Obie (my friend's young Lab) fetching and wrestling. There was also a couple of Aussies playing frisbee he would have probably enjoyed. Hopefully I can take him next time.


----------



## BernerMax

d_ray said:


> Jazz is the same. Less reactive with more exercise. I can get her attention with treats. My strategy is to get her to an off leash area as soon as possible.


Layla spits out food when in full reactive/ excitement mode/ I have an emergency squeaky rubber ball (especially ear piercing that drives her nuts for it) attached to my keys at all times....yeah we hustle into the woods and then I let her off to run.. sometimes have to resort to midnight forays...


----------



## gingerkid

First puppy class today! It was good.... except that apparently Ida is _terrified_ of other dogs. Yay. And when I asked the instructor what I could do to help her faster (other than socialization in class) she told me to.... hand feed to increase bonding to me? Which... we already do half hand feeds and half crate feeds, and also... how is her bonding to me going to help her be less terrified of other dogs?


----------



## pawsaddict

SO and I took the girls on a leash walk this afternoon. We were at a pretty busy crosswalk, facing the street and waiting to cross. I turned around to see a woman coaxing her toddler into coming up to Nova (who was facing the street and had no idea this was happening). I immediately was like, "no, do not let your child....," but it was too late. The little girl grabbed Nova's butt.

Nova freaked right out and whirled around. Then she tucked her tail and quickly backed away from the little girl. The little girl started crying and screaming. SO was pretty upset and definitely let the mother have it. It was quite the scene...

I am so proud of Nova, though, for recovering so quickly afterwards. We saw a few more young kids on the walk, and Nova wasn't phased at all. (For those who don't know, Nova is not a fan of children - or any stranger, really- paying a lot of attention to her or trying to touch her.)


----------



## cookieface

Apparently, the release cue requirement for agility has been dropped, so as long as Katie doesn't lose her mind we should be good! Perhaps that's why the instructor didn't really answer my questions.



pawsaddict said:


> SO and I took the girls on a leash walk this afternoon. We were at a pretty busy crosswalk, facing the street and waiting to cross. I turned around to see a woman coaxing her toddler into coming up to Nova (who was facing the street and had no idea this was happening). I immediately was like, "no, do not let your child....," but it was too late. The little girl grabbed Nova's butt.
> 
> Nova freaked right out and whirled around. Then she tucked her tail and quickly backed away from the little girl. The little girl started crying and screaming. SO was pretty upset and definitely let the mother have it. It was quite the scene...
> 
> I am so proud of Nova, though, for recovering so quickly afterwards. We saw a few more young kids on the walk, and Nova wasn't phased at all. (For those who don't know, Nova is not a fan of children - or any stranger, really- paying a lot of attention to her or trying to touch her.)


Good for Nova! Just when I think people can't get more stupid, I read something like this. Good grief!


----------



## pawsaddict

cookieface said:


> Good for Nova! Just when I think people can't get more stupid, I read something like this. Good grief!


Good grief is right. My hands were actually shaking, I was so mad. Hopefully the mom learned her lesson...things definitely didn't turn out the way she had anticipated.


But ya, go Nova!


----------



## GrinningDog

I love when other people say they love my dog. She's an adorable, smart, crazy, lovable, fluffy doofus. It makes me ridiculously happy when people appreciate any part of that with me. 

That is all.


----------



## gingerkid

We're still trying to guestimate how big Ida is going to get... she was 13.8 lbs at 13 weeks. Vet said she'd probably be 20-25lbs. Someone else said she'd probably be closer to 60 lbs - when I said the shelter thought she was an American Eskimo Mix the lady was like "she's got to be mixed with something huge then!" but a lot of people don't seem to realize that eskies come in multiple sizes. Hubby and I think she'll be around 40 lbs.

I mean, it doesn't _really_ matter - size isn't a deal breaker for us, especially since we're moving into a large house with a large yard at the end of July, I just find it odd how widely the estimates vary.


----------



## CptJack

14lbs at 13 weeks, my guess is honestly maybe 30lbs. She's probably going to be medium enough that when she hits 16 weeks you can double that and get a *rough* idea. 

And yeah, the guesses are wild. Some people expected Kylie to weigh 30 and uh, no. The real thing is they just assume puppies are all going to grow at the same rate they start at for as long as another puppy, and ultimately large breeds grow a lot faster for a lot longer than small and medium ones.


----------



## elrohwen

gingerkid said:


> We're still trying to guestimate how big Ida is going to get... she was 13.8 lbs at 13 weeks. Vet said she'd probably be 20-25lbs. Someone else said she'd probably be closer to 60 lbs - when I said the shelter thought she was an American Eskimo Mix the lady was like "she's got to be mixed with something huge then!" but a lot of people don't seem to realize that eskies come in multiple sizes. Hubby and I think she'll be around 40 lbs.
> 
> I mean, it doesn't _really_ matter - size isn't a deal breaker for us, especially since we're moving into a large house with a large yard at the end of July, I just find it odd how widely the estimates vary.


I would have to pull Watson's records, but he was approximately 1lb per week of age up until 13 weeks. Hazel was 9.5lbs at the vet when she was 8.5 weeks, so even a bit bigger. Watson is currently 47lbs and Hazel will probably be around 40lbs. So I vote something in the 30-40lb range for Ida. It's hard to tell when they're little though - lots of puppies are the same weight at 8 weeks and then end up completely different adult sizes. I think 4 months is when you can get a pretty good estimate (is it double the weight at 4 months to get adult weight?)


----------



## CptJack

> think 4 months is when you can get a pretty good estimate (is it double the weight at 4 months to get adult weight?)


Double at 4 months for mediumish dogs, yeah. Small dogs are probably 3/4 done at 4 months, some super tiny toys are basically done then, and doubling at 6 months is closer for big/xl dogs. It's honestly more about when they slow down/stop than anything like how much they grow in a week most of the time, that makes guessing hard.


----------



## gingerkid

So... since we have no idea how big her parents were, she could literally be any of those sizes. Haha. Well, I'm pretty sure she won't be smaller than Snowball, since her paws are pretty close to the same size as his.


----------



## elrohwen

gingerkid said:


> So... since we have no idea how big her parents were, she could literally be any of those sizes. Haha. Well, I'm pretty sure she won't be smaller than Snowball, since her paws are pretty close to the same size as his.


I also don't think that's a good indicator, unless the dogs are the same breed (so in your case it might work). Our friends' ACDx has teeny tiny little paws, and Watson has giant flipper feet, and they are actually quite close in size. Probably the same height, and Watson weighs a bit more. But if you judged by their paws when they were young you would have assumed that Watson would be huge and the other would be tiny in comparison.


----------



## cookieface

gingerkid said:


> We're still trying to guestimate how big Ida is going to get... she was 13.8 lbs at 13 weeks. Vet said she'd probably be 20-25lbs. Someone else said she'd probably be closer to 60 lbs - when I said the shelter thought she was an American Eskimo Mix the lady was like "she's got to be mixed with something huge then!" but a lot of people don't seem to realize that eskies come in multiple sizes. Hubby and I think she'll be around 40 lbs.
> 
> I mean, it doesn't _really_ matter - size isn't a deal breaker for us, especially since we're moving into a large house with a large yard at the end of July, I just find it odd how widely the estimates vary.


For some comparison, Tyson was 17lbs at 13 1/2 weeks. He's about 43lbs at 14 1/2 months. His growth slowed significantly around 6-7 months.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, paws are weird and a lot of it has to do with shape. Molly and Thud's feet aren't hugely dissimilar in size, but Thud has those neat, tight, round feet and Molly's are shaped longer and narrower and still take up about the same space overall. Long toes? LOL.

That said you can tell something based on size now. I mean she's almost certainly going to break 20lbs. She's almost definitely not going to be over 50. So... medium and you can probably safely double at 16 weeks to get a better idea.


----------



## cookieface

I really don't like email messages sent using BCC. I _know_ why it's done and I appreciate that, but *I want to know who's in my training classes!*


----------



## CptJack

Molly's my medium dog and one I have most recent weights on.

Molly was 14lbs at 12 weeks, 18lbs at 16 weeks 30lbs at 7 months, and at a year she's right at 35lbs. I would not be shocked if she gains an inch and another 5lbs over the next year, but I won't be shocked if she doesn't either.



cookieface said:


> I really don't like email messages sent using BCC. I _know_ why it's done and I appreciate that, but *I want to know who's in my training classes!*


Me. Too. Darn it, give me those email addresses! >.> Or a list or something. I care less with classes than I do with practices and trials and I do get it and appreciate it but I still want to know!


----------



## ireth0

cookieface said:


> I really don't like email messages sent using BCC. I _know_ why it's done and I appreciate that, but *I want to know who's in my training classes!*


Hahaha, I know! Most of the places I've gone to haven't used BCC and I always snoop to see the other emails.


----------



## cookieface

Some instructors use BCC, some don't. And it's not as though names and contact information aren't listed in the member directory any way. Geez. Don't they know I have the patience of a 9-week-old puppy?


----------



## Remaru

Poor Magic, she and Lad were playing this afternoon and I noticed afterwards that her third eyelid was swollen and red. She had surgery for cherry eye in both eyes before we adopted her. Looks like she will be making a trip to the vet. I'm hoping she doesn't need surgery.


----------



## Flaming

Paws are weird. Vitae's paws are twice the size of Manna's paws. 

Manna should be more or less done growing now and she's a bit over 150lbs....Vitae is an Old English Sheep dog. ..she shouldn't break 80lbs max but her paws say otherwise when compared to Manna's paws.

A 300lbs sheep dog would be terrifying


----------



## CptJack

I keep saying I'm going to take agility breaks, but now that I've reached this magical points where I can get regular private lessons I think it's time for me to just fess up and admit that I'm never taking another break again. 

Private lessons are my FAVORITE.


----------



## CptJack

There are two exhaust fans in my bathroom. One in the ceiling and one basically IN the shower. We never use the one in the shower. I discovered, while in the shower, there are birds living in it. And they twitter really loudly when I turn the shower on.


----------



## Laurelin

I cannot keep up with the thread posting lately. Too much going on.


----------



## ireth0

I just booked a studio photoshoot for Luna, proceeds going to greyhound rescue. 

I may be obsessed.


----------



## Willowy

CptJack said:


> There are two exhaust fans in my bathroom. One in the ceiling and one basically IN the shower. We never use the one in the shower. I discovered, while in the shower, there are birds living in it. And they twitter really loudly when I turn the shower on.


Haha! Maybe they like (or don't like) the steam! 

I had a bird in my dryer vent. It's long and goes up at one point, with smooth metal sheeting so he couldn't get out. I had to pull the dryer away from the wall, disconnect the vent, and then I had a bird inside the house :/. But fortunately I just opened a window and he went out.


----------



## d_ray

Remaru said:


> Poor Magic, she and Lad were playing this afternoon and I noticed afterwards that her third eyelid was swollen and red. She had surgery for cherry eye in both eyes before we adopted her. Looks like she will be making a trip to the vet. I'm hoping she doesn't need surgery.


Hope she's ok. Please send her my love.


----------



## Remaru

d_ray said:


> Hope she's ok. Please send her my love.


Aww thank you.  I guess sleep helped because this morning the swelling was gone. Her eye still looked a little red so I'm watching her but I don't think she will need to see the vet after all. A quick google search told me that it can resolve on its own. I'm definitely going to be keeping a closer eye on her (no pun intended). I guess we will have to be more careful with the rough housing too. I may at least speak to the vet and see if there are drops that can help should it happen again or if this is normal in dogs that have had the surgery.


----------



## gingerkid

Dear lord, does Ida look like a tiny white Tervuren and/or White Shepherd.

(Nevermind that I'm pretty sure that none of the Belgian shepherds come in white. The white shepherd thing is actually plausible if she's actually mixed with an eskie. Maybe someday will DNA test her....)


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Laurelin said:


> I cannot keep up with the thread posting lately. Too much going on.


I can't keep up with half of the threads on here.


----------



## luv mi pets

Asked a co-worker to come back and clean up the mess they left on the counter (clippers, hair, scrub, scissors and etc) She rolled her eyes and did that huff kind of thing. Typical teenage stuff and got mad at me for asking her to clean up after herself. I really hate that eye rolling huff thing. Kids used to drive me crazy with that. BUT when it is your mess. The inner mean self wants to bop the back of their heads to make their eyes go back down. What really got her was that she just sat down!


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

That moment when your dog picks up some dead, shriveled up, sun baked, critter off the side of the road! Blagh! People probably thought I was crazy as I pried Tyrions jaws apart exclaiming "Spit it out! Spit it out!" lol. I will give him credit, he DID spit it out . On a gross note I couldn't tell if it was a frog or baby bird.....*GAG*


----------



## pawsaddict

About to take my entrance typing test for admission to school. Please let all the typing I have done on this forum help!


----------



## Alla

This morning Porsche helped catch a stray dog! Well not stray, it was a little well-groomed poodle mix dragging a leash, obviously had gotten away from its owner - and came on my porch probably because he smelled that I have a dog. 

Skittish little thing, wouldn't allow me near him to grab the 6ft leash, but also not straying too far away from my front yard. I brought out a hot dog, no reaction. He happened to see Porsche through the crack in the door and was super interested, coming up close, so I let Porsche come out and while they were sniffing and playing snuck up and grabbed the leash.  Catching Porsche was a little harder, she was all like "OH MY GOD ANOTHER DOG! I haven't played in ages, wheeeee zoooooom!!"

Thankfully the owner wasn't too far behind, handed the dog off and put Porsche inside (she was -not- happy) and left to go to work.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

luv mi pets said:


> Asked a co-worker to come back and clean up the mess they left on the counter (clippers, hair, scrub, scissors and etc) She rolled her eyes and did that huff kind of thing. Typical teenage stuff and got mad at me for asking her to clean up after herself. I really hate that eye rolling huff thing. Kids used to drive me crazy with that. BUT when it is your mess. The inner mean self wants to bop the back of their heads to make their eyes go back down. What really got her was that she just sat down!


lol that brought back some flash backs. in the military the kennels were manned 24 hrs CQ duty by one assigned Handler to be there only for the dogs and watch over them care for them... I came in to start my CQ duty and found all the dogs completely filthy, absolutely 24 hours of no cleaning of their areas from the CQ I was relieving.. I was livid and told them they could leave after they got in there and cleaned up the kennels. Had to threaten to make a phone call so it would show up on the Post incident report that the Post Commander see's every morning.. He did stay and clean every one of them , when I wouldn't back down for screaming in my face over it.. He went to the company Commander the next day and cried about it... And the Commander called me in to have a talk to me about . how wrong I was.. I laughed explain that is part of being a Dog Handler and performing his duties as CQ, is caring for the dogs not leaving them sitting in their own waste for 24 hours. (believe me the military choice food they poop alot) How dare I make that Sgt perform his job...


----------



## PatriciafromCO

TheDarkestMinds said:


> That moment when your dog picks up some dead, shriveled up, sun baked, critter off the side of the road! Blagh! People probably thought I was crazy as I pried Tyrions jaws apart exclaiming "Spit it out! Spit it out!" lol. I will give him credit, he DID spit it out . On a gross note I couldn't tell if it was a frog or baby bird.....*GAG*


Had to laugh... it was just yesterday getting Adele's collar on her to take her for a walk and she came out of the barn with an old abandoned egg she found in passing that didn't hatch, but the baby was formed inside. She was struggling with standing there eating it or coming with me on the walk.. I finally said leave it there Adele you can get it when we come back lol and she let it go to trot with me to go on our walk down to the gate.. As soon as we got back on property and unleashed her at the gate she went running back to where she left that nasty egg and ate it lol .. They all crazy ...


----------



## Willowy

Hehe, the other day Penny found a dead baby bird. My friend was with me and she was all like "Eek! get it away from her! Eww eww eww!" and I just shrugged. Meh. Dogs are gross. I'd rather have her eat it than have to dispose of a slobbery dead bird myself.


----------



## cookieface

Katie and Tyson seem to have invented a new game. Katie stands on the floor, barking, growling, and nipping at Tyson who is on the sofa. Tyson responds by burying his head under the cushions. As long as no one gets hurt, it's all good.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Lol, normally I don't get grossed out. But that road kill was oozing yellow pus and just looked so nasty. And with Tyrion being so new I don't know how strong his stomach is. I really didn't want to scrub rotten carcass puke out of my carpet lol.


----------



## luv mi pets

Came home yesterday to see Apache guarding a spot in the pasture. She was not letting any dogs near the spot. The matriarch stood her ground and no dogs where getting close. I got out of the car to investigate what she had NOW! I did not see anything at first. Then I spotted a tail sticking out of the ground. It looked to be a squirrel's tail and only about two inches of it. I thought oh great Deathwish (name we gave the squirrel that had just taken up residency in our yard) is now tail-less. I went to pick up the tail and the tail grew to now three inches. I pulled a little more but could not because the earth was so packed down. I moved the thistles and carefully pulled on the tail a little more. Up came the body of Deathwish. He was complete and no puncture marks or tears anywhere on his body. Really! 5 dogs and not one of them ate him! They buried him and what I must of witnessed when pulling in the driveway was the funeral.


----------



## Laurelin

So Hank can unlock and open the back door now...


----------



## luv mi pets

Laurelin said:


> So Hank can unlock and open the back door now...



Good dog Hank you will outsmart Skidboot any day now


----------



## Flaming

Laurelin said:


> So Hank can unlock and open the back door now...


Manna says "yay I'm not alone"


I feel for ya, I really do. Sometimes dogs are too smart.


----------



## Laurelin

It's totally not a fluke either. He's done it several times and I just caught him over there playing with the latch. At least this time he opened it just enough to peek outside then came back in.


----------



## Flaming

Same, there's a thread somewhere here on the forums with me ranting that Manna lets herself and Vitae out to pee but never closes the door behind themselves. 

Manna started by letting herself in when we were taking showers or pooping and demanding pets...then she figured out the back door.

Edit: all of which are ROUND metal door knobs


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

My dog is getting better! He still will be somewhat hyped up seeing a Boxer and/or Pit Bull, but he's now heeling beside me as we go by (we walk on the opposite side) and the trainer I met at the Animal Welfare Association advice really helped. He didn't even pay attention to a motorcycle that went by and normally those drive him nuts! I'm so proud of my little dude, the progress/training is working!!!


----------



## Flaming

ok I can leave the room with cheese crackers and meat on a platter and not have to worry about the dogs. Seriously it's at head level to both of them but they apparently know better...but the cat...I can be looking right at the platter and Lilac will steal crackers in front of me!


and I'm going to be cleaning cat vomit tonight, Lilac isn't supposed to have grains


----------



## gingerkid

We took Ida to the off-leash park for the first time today (on a long line, of course). After the disaster that was puppy class, where she was totally terrified of all the other puppies, I was expecting the worst, but she only barked at the first two dogs, and he actually approached a a few dogs that we met! She seemed much more nervous of small dogs than large ones though, which was weird.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

gingerkid said:


> We took Ida to the off-leash park for the first time today (on a long line, of course). After the disaster that was puppy class, where she was totally terrified of all the other puppies, I was expecting the worst, but she only barked at the first two dogs, and he actually approached a a few dogs that we met! She seemed much more nervous of small dogs than large ones though, which was weird.


Ember was/is afraid of other puppies/dogs. I just make sure she only meets calm dogs/puppies and give cookies for any interaction. She now likes all the other Border Collies in class because she had good experiences with them since they were much calmer than the retrievers. Keep at it.. she will get better.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Thats good gingerkid,,, agree with ForTheLoveOfDogs,, given the opportunity for it to get better with experience... I never worry about reactions,, I really focus in on how they handle it when given the opportunity to make their own choices... what behaviors they do to make them feel better about situations, so I can use that direction for them in other situations ..


----------



## gingerkid

I think she also got a lot of confidence from seeing Snowball interact with the other dogs, which doesn't happen in puppy class, obviously. 

I suspect she hasn't had much interaction with other dogs, since she was found as a 9-10 week old puppy and I'm guessing wasn't socialized much prior to ending up in the shelter, but her fear of dogs was kind of a shock since she 100% totally fine (as in not afraid of him, hah) with Snowball right from the moment we did the meet and greet at the shelter, and was great with my friend's two dogs - a 9 mo aussie and a 6 yr chiweenie. She might just be entering her puppy fear period though... so yaaaay.


----------



## luv mi pets

Mowgli has decided tonight he does not want to jump the fence to run away he tried jumping the fence to get into the house. In the front of the house I have a small section fenced in so I can let the little dogs outside and that area is fenced in . Mowgli decided that if he jumped that fence he would be able to go in the house with the small dogs. Hot weather outside and air conditioning inside the house, Mowgli has decide he wants to be a house dog.


----------



## Sibe

I took photos of a bumblebee today! After asking my husband about a dozen questions about camera settings and having a lot of photos that went straight to shift+delete.


















/daily random nonsense achieved


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Laurelin said:


> So Hank can unlock and open the back door now...


lol gotta love them, am sure you will be able to use that skill somewhere... My Clydes can open the front door on the house, so I have to have the dead bolt locked at all times.. that is how I handle it ...


----------



## momtolabs

luv mi pets said:


> Came home yesterday to see Apache guarding a spot in the pasture. She was not letting any dogs near the spot. The matriarch stood her ground and no dogs where getting close. I got out of the car to investigate what she had NOW! I did not see anything at first. Then I spotted a tail sticking out of the ground. It looked to be a squirrel's tail and only about two inches of it. I thought oh great Deathwish (name we gave the squirrel that had just taken up residency in our yard) is now tail-less. I went to pick up the tail and the tail grew to now three inches. I pulled a little more but could not because the earth was so packed down. I moved the thistles and carefully pulled on the tail a little more. Up came the body of Deathwish. He was complete and no puncture marks or tears anywhere on his body. Really! 5 dogs and not one of them ate him! They buried him and what I must of witnessed when pulling in the driveway was the funeral.


I was laughing so hard I cried..... My dogs would of had a snack out of him


----------



## cookieface

Laurelin said:


> So Hank can unlock and open the back door now...


I'm trying to picture Katie and Tyson doing something like that. I can imagine them trying to get the key off the hook and fit it in the lock.



Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> My dog is getting better! He still will be somewhat hyped up seeing a Boxer and/or Pit Bull, but he's now heeling beside me as we go by (we walk on the opposite side) and the trainer I met at the Animal Welfare Association advice really helped. He didn't even pay attention to a motorcycle that went by and normally those drive him nuts! I'm so proud of my little dude, the progress/training is working!!!


That's great!



Sibe said:


> I took photos of a bumblebee today! After asking my husband about a dozen questions about camera settings and having a lot of photos that went straight to shift+delete.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> /daily random nonsense achieved


Lovely! I have great admiration for people who can take good pictures.


----------



## momtolabs

My grandma found a beagle in a shelter and is currently filling out the application. Since I'm moving in with her she is putting Mia down as a dog who live there and they needed the vet number...... Mia has 3 different vet offices,lol. I know that is a lot but for spays I go to one, rabies a different, general shots and check ups is a different one,lol. The one for rabies I wouldn't go to at all but there the only in county vet and I don't want to pay the out of county fee for rabies at our general clinic. So I'm just having her put the general one down as the reference but my grandmas face was priceless when I was telling her the different vets I go to. She did not understand my logic behind it


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Well before noon today it was 90° out. So walks are out of the question between my asthma and the searing hot pavement it's a no. So today will be the test to see how Tyrion does without his 2 1/2 hours of walking exercise today. The other dogs don't mind a day of rest lol.

So far so good! I played some fetch with him in the house, and then he went to town on a couple of toys. Currently he and Fae (Yay the hatred is subsiding







) are snuggled up to me on the chair enjoying the air conditioning and napping. I am hoping it cools off this evening enough to get everyone out for at least one walk. Buy if not I just plane on keeping Tyrion engaged with toys and training.

He's having a good first week so far. I keep him tethered indoors just to help him learn boundaries and to keep him from the harassing the girls. But every day is a bit better. They girls are coming around. At least to the point where they have stopped giving the crazy eyes and showing teeth. They now just ignore him for the most part. Though Leia actually was running zoomies with him and Morrison yesterday.

Training is going good. I have kept the sessions short and positive. He can now sit , lay down, and is learning leave it/wait. He catches really quickly. Not bad for a 1 year old with no prior training. He crates well but I have been letting him sleep in the bed at night because he behaves. So he just gets crated when we leave the house for errands.

So promising so far! Pretty positive he is a keeper!


----------



## Willowy

There's an event in town this weekend, and they had the Zoomobile out this morning. My boss and I took turns going out to see the animals, because the girl only took one out every half hour or so (makes sense). They had a ferret (fully domesticated animal!), a hedgehog, a chinchilla, and some Madagascar hissing cockroaches. More like a pet-store-mobile than a Zoomobile!  

Haha, no, I know there are probably a lot of liability concerns with letting children pet actual wild animals but it would have been fun to see something more zoo-ish. I was hoping for a ball python, of course .


----------



## Flaming

The downside to clicker training.

You can't watch a video with it or your dogs get all pavlovian on you. 

I watched a heeling video and now both Manna and Vitae are practically up my backside wanting to start training, I fed them a piece of my supper for sitting there not moving for 10 minutes


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Poor Kairi isn't feeling too well. Her back end is hurting her and I cannot tell if it is her leg or back. Who knows what happened.. whether it was agility or from one of the many wipe outs on my hard floors with the puppy..

Keeping an eye on her and giving pain killers until later in the week. Hoping that is was just sore from a wipeout and goes away soon.. if not it is back to the vet. I feel so bad for the poor girl.


----------



## Laurelin

Every dog trainer is going to facepalm hard at Chris Pratt's 'clicker training' in Jurassic World. 

So annoying!


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> Every dog trainer is goin to facepalm hard at Chris Pratt's 'clicker training' in Jurassic World.
> 
> So annoying!


 d̶o̶g̶
Probably every trainer who works with any kind of animal then! At least it's "clicker training" and not "use your hand to jab it behind the ribs until it listens."


----------



## Laurelin

It was say a command then point the clicker at them like a remote and click repeatedly. LOL


----------



## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> Every dog trainer is going to facepalm hard at Chris Pratt's 'clicker training' in Jurassic World.
> 
> So annoying!


THANK YOU.

I just about died laughing in the theatre when he started clicking. People were staring at me.

*CLICKCLICK click CLICKCLICLICICKKKK click click CLICKCLICK*


----------



## pawsaddict

Must. See. This. Lmao!


----------



## Laurelin

GoGoGypsy said:


> THANK YOU.
> 
> I just about died laughing in the theatre when he started clicking. People were staring at me.
> 
> *CLICKCLICK click CLICKCLICLICICKKKK click click CLICKCLICK*



I think I literally facepalmed. It was SO BAD.

Though someone on facebook said in some article they said he was trying to mimic the noise the velociraptors made with the clicker. 

Sure.

I enjoyed the movie a lot though. Despite the horrible clicking.


----------



## chimunga

NO. I haven't seen it yet! 

afjnfdgjhdsfg. So sad.


----------



## CptJack

I've been working really hard to get Molly to be quiet lately (she's a serious barker, and she's got a LOUD, high pitched bark). I think it's working? Because now she 'woofs' and talks and warbles and occasionally howls, but she's not BARKING so much, and the noises she does make are lower pitched and quieter. And also crack me up.


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> I've been working really hard to get Molly to be quiet lately (she's a serious barker, and she's got a LOUD, high pitched bark). I think it's working? Because now she 'woofs' and talks and warbles and occasionally howls, but she's not BARKING so much, and the noises she does make are lower pitched and quieter. And also crack me up.


What kind of techniques did you use?


----------



## CptJack

I'd love to have some novel, grand, useful approach but truthfully I just kind of glared at her and quiet 'Hey!' every time she'd get going, and 'better!' and throw her a toy or pet when she lowered the volume. Really hard here mostly just means being really consistent.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

First of all.. we have a dog fest going on right now where you can try out cool things like Agility, Lure Coursing, Dock Diving and Barn Hunt. Second. Kairi can't try anything except for maaaabye Barnhunt tomorrow if she is feeling better. I am so sad... because she would have LOVED loved loved the Lure Coursing. She would have had so much fun today seeing all the dogs.. but we had to take just Ember who hates the dogs everywhere. 

On the upside.. Kairi seems a whole heck of a lot better today. The girl had me worried sick about her.


----------



## ireth0

That moment when going after a food toy your dog shuts off the power bar to your TV which you were watching the new season of Orange is the New Black on. Whyyyy Luna?


----------



## jade5280

ireth0 said:


> That moment when going after a food toy your dog shuts off the power bar to your TV which you were watching the new season of Orange is the New Black on. Whyyyy Luna?


Evil dog. Love that show!


----------



## CptJack

The longer I live with herding breeds/mixes, the more two things happen:
1 - I become more sure I love them and will have them forever.
2- The more appealing sighthounds become. 

They just seem so SOOTHING now.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> The longer I live with herding breeds/mixes, the more two things happen:
> 1 - I become more sure I love them and will have them forever.
> 2- The more appealing sighthounds become.
> 
> They just seem so SOOTHING now.


Border-Whippet!


----------



## CptJack

Sounds awesome, but not necessarily relaxing  (I still want a Border-Rat like I want air, though, and that's actually DANGED close.)


----------



## chimunga

GoGoGypsy said:


> THANK YOU.
> 
> I just about died laughing in the theatre when he started clicking. People were staring at me.
> 
> *CLICKCLICK click CLICKCLICLICICKKKK click click CLICKCLICK*


My husband looked at me when he started clicking and just said "Don't. Just don't" I started cracking up. Clickclickclickclickclickclickclick. What? Lol did they even talk to an animal trainer?


----------



## Laurelin

My sister was like 'It's a movie about dinosaurs. It's not supposed to be realistic!'

Butbutbutbut


----------



## GrinningDog

CptJack said:


> The longer I live with herding breeds/mixes, the more two things happen:
> 1 - I become more sure I love them and will have them forever.
> 2- The more appealing sighthounds become.
> 
> They just seem so SOOTHING now.


Haha! There's a reason I'm sold on a sighthound as my next dog.

For me, one Gypsydog at a time!


----------



## CptJack

I am honestly not sure I could handle more than one BC at a time. Maybe a BC, a Sheltie (so little easier, maybe, if I find the right individual) or pap or RT, and then some kind of sighthound. I love Molly to BITS, but the older she gets the more tired I bit. I tell Kylie to sit or lie down, she SITS OR LIES DOWN. I tell Molly to lie down and she'll do it once, realize she got it, test to make sure she's got it by doing it correctly a second time and then it's all this creative crap that makes me laugh and want a nap at once. "What about on my side? How about my back? What if I ROLL, but never stand up? Is that all a down?" No dog. Just. No. 

I love her, I want BCs forever, but I also sometimes need some tylenol and a nap after any actual training 'session' lasting over 2 minutes.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Ugh gotta love the puppy/new dog blues! I really really like Tyrion I see a lot of potential in him and I don't take giving a home lightly. As some of you may know I share a home with my retired mother. I do not LIVE off of her, I am almost 27 make enough money to live alone. But we have always gotten along really well and we usually live together with no problem. We share the bills etc She was there when Tyrion was shown to me and I would not have been able to take him home without her approval. That's fine, it would be no different with a normal roommate. I think she thought because Fae is not altered (was in heat two months ago) that I planned on breeding her to Tyrion (because my mom goes on and on about wanting Fae puppies). I told her that I could not/would not breed them and already scheduled Tyrion to be neutered on the 23rd and Fae to be spayed after the 18th of next month. Both spay and neuter cost coming from MY pocket. This at first I thought went over fine....And then I went to work for 6 hours yesterday...I called three times to make sure all was good, and every time I did my mom said that everything was good that the dogs were giving her no problems, and that Tyrion was sweet. I reminded her that he had a crate if he got to be "too much" but she assured me that he was great.

That night I was talking about his vet appointment and just some random things about him. I then asked my mom what she thought of the whole thing. She told "I think we were fine before we got him" and then went into a whole thing about how we would not have worry about this or that if we would have never gotten him. This made me feel super crappy and I asked her why she agreed even after she knew I would not breed them, to let me keep him? She even on her own ordered him a new crate off of Amazon that is to be delivered tomorrow. I told her if that's the way she felt that I would just treat him as a foster and find him a new home. She got very short with me and told me it was my decision. That killed me because I felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. I don't want my mom to resent me for having brought Tyrion into the home, but I also made a commitment when I took Tyrion and giving up on him so soon seems so unfair. I literally went to bed in tears. 

Woke up this morning and....my mom tells me first thing this morning that she didn't know why she said what she said and that I should just keep Tyrion. Of course now I have all this guilt because I have upset the "harmony" in the home by bringing in a new dog. But I know that is normal. I had another cry this morning and now have to remind myself that everything will be okay. One day at a time.


----------



## CptJack

I suspect Mom doesn't want Fae spayed, got cranky or just had a bad day for other reasons, lashed out a little and got over it. Also possible she's just adjusting to new routine too. Take some deep breaths and move on. Mom doesn't have an issue with him, from what I read here, just had a moment of being kind of mean and snappish, which happens to the best of us.

And honestly there are days if y husband asked me if I wanted to keep KYLIE I'd give it some real consideration and probably say some things I absolutely don't mean, you know? And I've had her for YEARS. There are CERTAINLY days if I asked what I thought about keeping Thud my reaction would have been "OMG CAN WE GIVE HIM AWAY? REALLY?"


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> I am honestly not sure I could handle more than one BC at a time. Maybe a BC, a Sheltie (so little easier, maybe, if I find the right individual) or pap or RT, and then some kind of sighthound. I love Molly to BITS, but the older she gets the more tired I bit. I tell Kylie to sit or lie down, she SITS OR LIES DOWN. I tell Molly to lie down and she'll do it once, realize she got it, test to make sure she's got it by doing it correctly a second time and then it's all this creative crap that makes me laugh and want a nap at once. "What about on my side? How about my back? What if I ROLL, but never stand up? Is that all a down?" No dog. Just. No.
> 
> I love her, I want BCs forever, but I also sometimes need some tylenol and a nap after any actual training 'session' lasting over 2 minutes.


Hahaha this made me laugh so much! This is my dog exactly, so I feel your pain.

On a side note: My dog, Duke, sounds just like a combo of your Thud and Molly from what I've seen on your threads. He borders on physically abusive sometimes but then is reactive, sensitive, and crazy smart.


----------



## CptJack

mudypony said:


> On a side note: My dog, Duke, sounds just like a combo of your Thud and Molly from what I've seen on your threads. He borders on physically abusive sometimes but then is reactive, sensitive, and crazy smart.


I want to say that Thud would benefit from some intelligence and sensitivity, but then I think about the way both of those things actually look and about reactivity and yeaaaah, no. Duke sounds awesome but my rule going forward is the dog can be smart and sensitive OR it can be physically abusive and kind of stubborn, but absolutely not both.


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> I want to say that Thud would benefit from some intelligence and sensitivity, but then I think about the way both of those things actually look and about reactivity and yeaaaah, no. Duke sounds awesome but my rule going forward is the dog can be smart and sensitive OR it can be physically abusive and kind of stubborn, but absolutely not both.


Yeah, it's definitely not the easiest combo at times, haha. Age has truly done wonders for him though. But yeah, NextDog will hopefully just have the smart/sensitive side if I can help it. But with my luck I'll end up with crazy, combo monster pups for the rest of my life...


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

CptJack said:


> I suspect Mom doesn't want Fae spayed, got cranky or just had a bad day for other reasons, lashed out a little and got over it. Also possible she's just adjusting to new routine too. Take some deep breaths and move on. Mom doesn't have an issue with him, from what I read here, just had a moment of being kind of mean and snappish, which happens to the best of us.
> 
> And honestly there are days if y husband asked me if I wanted to keep KYLIE I'd give it some real consideration and probably say some things I absolutely don't mean, you know? And I've had her for YEARS. There are CERTAINLY days if I asked what I thought about keeping Thud my reaction would have been "OMG CAN WE GIVE HIM AWAY? REALLY?"


Yeah I think she was just having a bad night. She admitted as much to me about 30 minutes ago while she was sitting loving up on Tyrion. She looked at me and said "I don't know why I said what I did, it was just a bad night". I told her I understood and that I understand that he wasn't planned and of course there is some upheaval in our lives due to that. It would be really different if he was an obnoxious dog but he isn't (I type this as he lies at my feet), he is really smart and sweet and has been easy to train so far. I think it's just the fact that it hasn't even been a full week since he got here and I know all kinds of thoughts and feelings fly around in that time. 

But *big sigh* everything is good now between my mom and I. Another reason why we live well together. We have these moments but we always come back to a place of understanding.


----------



## CptJack

Ugh, ugh, ugh. This person I actually like and am friends with in another context is dog sitting and trying to talk to me about how this dog isn't trained the way he would train it because it's the 'boss' and so on and I'm just... trying so hard not to engage. They don't even have dogs right now or I might be more compelled to say something, but they don't and.

DROP THE SUBJECT OMG PLEASE.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Ugh, ugh, ugh. This person I actually like and am friends iwth in another context is dog sitting and trying to talk to me about how this dog isn't trained the way he would train it because it's the 'boss' and so on and I'm just... trying so hard not to engage.
> 
> DROP THE SUBJECT OMG PLEASE.


I know a lot of people who still think like this...and most of them either do rescue work or work at dog day cares. It's really frustrating. I just don't say anything at all otherwise I would end up pissing people off.


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## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> I know a lot of people who still think like this...and most of them either do rescue work or work at dog day cares. It's really frustrating. I just don't say anything at all otherwise I would end up pissing people off.


I just ended up saying 'I love tomato season' and chattering on. I'm adding dog training to crap I don't talk about with people I want or need to have a civil relationship with.


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## chimunga

CptJack said:


> Ugh, ugh, ugh. This person I actually like and am friends with in another context is dog sitting and trying to talk to me about how this dog isn't trained the way he would train it because it's the 'boss' and so on and I'm just... trying so hard not to engage. They don't even have dogs right now or I might be more compelled to say something, but they don't and.
> 
> DROP THE SUBJECT OMG PLEASE.


I have quite a few friends like that. In fact, pretty much all of my RL friends are like that. It's unfortunate, because they're the type of people you can't correct.


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## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Ugh, ugh, ugh. This person I actually like and am friends with in another context is dog sitting and trying to talk to me about how this dog isn't trained the way he would train it because it's the 'boss' and so on and I'm just... trying so hard not to engage. They don't even have dogs right now or I might be more compelled to say something, but they don't and.
> 
> DROP THE SUBJECT OMG PLEASE.


I have friends who are dog owners, but not dog people. They regularly talk about alpha this and leader of the pack that. I bite my tongue because I really don't want to cause trouble, but I have contacted a few people privately to offer more science-based advice. 

Of course, one of the people who is the most alpha / pack leader-oriented also talks about juice fasts, candida cleanses, and other pseudo-scientific hocus pocus, so I'm not too surprised.


----------



## cookieface

My husband is convinced that I encourage Tyson to counter surf to get back at him for leaving stuff all over the house. Of course I do because I enjoy chasing him around the house wondering what he's gotten into.


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## CptJack

cookieface said:


> I have friends who are dog owners, but not dog people. They regularly talk about alpha this and leader of the pack that. I bite my tongue because I really don't want to cause trouble, but I have contacted a few people privately to offer more science-based advice.
> 
> Of course, one of the people who is the most alpha / pack leader-oriented also talks about juice fasts, candida cleanses, and other pseudo-scientific hocus pocus, so I'm not too surprised.


This person is a really good person overall, but it's been quite a while since they had a dog and their last dog was one they got as a puppy and died in its teens so 15-20 years, maybe? So what I'm hearing isn't surprising and if he cropped up with a new dog I'd try to offer advice but right now I'm just mostly shutting up. I reallllly don't want the fight, you know? 

Conversely probably why I get so WTF NO at people here. Bubbling over frustration from biting my tongue IRL.


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## CptJack

Molly is sitting at my feet under the desk and periodically shoving her chin down against the top of my foot. I have... no idea what she's trying to do? And every time I peek she just gives me this big-eyed 'What?'. It doesn't hurt, but it's WEIRD.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> This person is a really good person overall, but it's been quite a while since they had a dog and their last dog was one they got as a puppy and died in its teens so 15-20 years, maybe? So what I'm hearing isn't surprising and if he cropped up with a new dog I'd try to offer advice but right now I'm just mostly shutting up. I reallllly don't want the fight, you know?
> 
> Conversely probably why I get so WTF NO at people here. Bubbling over frustration from biting my tongue IRL.


The people I know are part of a vegetarian / vegan group, so I'd expect kind, gentle, and more, IDK, hippy dippy training methods. One woman adopted a dog who sounded fearful from her description (cowering, growling at her son) and the recommendations from the group included things like "stare him down" and "force him to tolerate your son petting him." I was all "you should check out Sophia Yin and Patricia McConnell and Debbie Jacobs."


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## momtolabs

I don't talk "dog" to anyone in my family. They know not to bring up the dog subject as well. I had one uncle who would constantly go on and on about dogs this or that and usually I would just blow up on my dad later for letting him talk like that(I am very bad about redirecting my anger) and one day he was talking about stupid crap and I just was done. My RL friends are well teens and could care less or dog people. The dog people are from me watching there dogs and we all have similar views but other then "oh Mia had normal poops today" we don't talk about anything training related..... We just know not too,lol.


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## Laurelin

I had two agility people tell me today that Hank is absolutely the perfect dog for me.


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## luv mi pets

I am dog sitting a 5 month old Lab. Day 1 she ran around like crazy. It is day 3 and she is pooped out. On the second pee/poo walk of the day she would run ahead and lie down, wait for me to pass her up and she would get up and run up ahead to lie back down. Repeat. she is passed out in the crate with the door open. Maybe owning a Lab would not be so bad after all.


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## Laurelin

Also I am falling for my classmate's aussie girl. I really like her. She is one of the most pleasant dogs to be around and gorgeous to boot. She's show line but not that big or poofy. Really nice dog all around. Good work ethic and also really well behaved (she's a therapy dog too!). Very athletic and kept up with Hank and the Belgian. She's also a show champion but completely moderate and not big at all (41 lbs). Have half a mind to ask where she's from because if I ever get an aussie, I want one like her. I don't see ones like her often.


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## momtolabs

Yes let's dump food in the middle of the floor and have six strong dogs all eat together so the world thinks it's cute! Nothing at all could possibly go wrong

/ end sarcasm


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## Flaming

People keep telling me that Manna was more hyper and worse than Vitae, but I just don't see it. Manna at least had an attention span for training even if she's not as handler focused as Vitae. Vitae is clingy while Manna is and always was more independant. 

I just...I love Vitae but she's my husbands dog. I wouldn't own another like her unless it was for my husband.


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## CptJack

I think 'worse' and 'hyper' come down to what kind of activity and 'bad' you can handle. Thud makes me nuts not because of drive or energy level, but because he had no off switch for years, he's got a hard temperament and he's independent. Those three things are the OPPOSITE of what I want in a dog, so (for me) it turned energy/drive/intelligence into something obnoxious and hard to live with, when in a softer dog who was on my butt they're desirable. Thud should be my husband's dog - he LOVES THAT. Unfortunately Thud had a strong opinion and does not care if the husband or boys (who are who wanted to keep him) exist or not, over all. Good thing I wound up loving him and he matured decently but still - no more. I've learned that I do all the dog training and work anyway, so 'husband's dog' from here on out is going to be a dog I participate heavily in the selection of. 
---










I have to dig that out for something every once in a while and every time I do I wonder WHAT I WAS THINKING to allow that to happen. Ugh.


----------



## ireth0

Last foster kitten is going back to the shelter today. The others went back on Sun to be spayed/neutered but she wasn't big enough so stayed with us... Except without her siblings she went nuts crying constantly when we left her alone. We tried letting her sleep with us last night but it didn't help much. 

BF can't take another night of no sleep so I'm taking her back today after work. I feel so bad for her.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

While visiting my brother today he told me that our younger cousins chi mix "Charlie" had been shot with a Beebe gun. He was shot by one of my cousins loser friends. Apparently my cousin got home from work and found Charlie bleeding in the backyard. He ended up rushing the dog to the vet. He ended up with the Beebe lodged in his back leg.

The "friend" claims that he shot him on accident and that he panicked and left without telling anyone what he did. This guy had a history of being a jerk to Charlie.

I feel horrible for the little guy. The dog actually belongs to my uncle who is in the process of moving from state to state. He actually was supposed to pick up Charlie weeks ago but literally blew off those plans and never showed up. So poor Charlie has essentially been living in a frat house.


----------



## CptJack

I just spet ten minutes convincing Molly that if she pushed a spot on the back of my hand it made me beep. I need more hobbies or something.


----------



## CptJack

I am having all these odd mixed feelings working with Molly lately, that I really don't understand or know what to do with. It's only in the past few weeks/maybe month, and I'm sure it's temporary but....

I feel like I'm living with and training someone else's dog. 

Didn't feel like that at ALL with her before, don't usually feel like that with dogs except when I first have them, so I don't know what my deal is but I'm not loving myself for it. 

Don't mistake me. I love her. I love her endlessly. I am attached to her and adore working with her. She astounds me frequently. There's just some disconnect in my headthat I don't like or entirely know the source of. Maybe it really is just that we're now trying to do this dog sports thing and don't entirely speak one another's language, yet, or maybe it's just that she's growing into herself and I'm not 100% sure who that is, yet, maybe I'm just in a hurry for her to finish growing up and get there, maybe we're just generally out of synch, or... something. 

Just. Ergh, self.


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## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> I just spet ten minutes convincing Molly that if she pushed a spot on the back of my hand it made me beep. I need more hobbies or something.


If Snowball pushes my finger with his nose, I make a "boop" sound.


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> If Snowball pushes my finger with his nose, I make a "boop" sound.


Vitae knows if dhe bops my butt I squeel....no I didn't want to train this but she figured it out anyways.


Vitae's nose is too long


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Well...No more Tyrion . The vet tech at my vets office really fell in love with him. She had just lost her older chi to cancer. I saw how much he liked her and responded to her.

I thought about how I really need to be focusing on Leia at this time because she too is just a 1 year old puppy. Honestly this girl was just a better fit for him than I am. She had no other dogs and could make him her main focus.

It wasn't an easy decision and I told her I would take him back if she had any issues. But I really think this was the best thing for everyone.


----------



## cookieface

Tyson is learning that he can't pick up a toy if he's standing on it.


----------



## Remaru

TheDarkestMinds said:


> Well...No more Tyrion . The vet tech at my vets office really fell in love with him. She had just lost her older chi to cancer. I saw how much he liked her and responded to her.
> 
> I thought about how I really need to be focusing on Leia at this time because she too is just a 1 year old puppy. Honestly this girl was just a better fit for him than I am. She had no other dogs and could make him her main focus.
> 
> It wasn't an easy decision and I told her I would take him back if she had any issues. But I really think this was the best thing for everyone.


That is a really hard decision but it sounds like you made a good one. Maybe this was just meant to be.


----------



## Flaming

So I'm not sure how to think about this.

I don't exactly keep it a secret that I have 3 different genetic diseases/disorders that cause me to have trouble with life in general (hearing/sight/fine motor control/circulation/balance/ect)
But I just got told by a new doctor that he doesn't think that it's actually 3 different things, and I had to go get a few extra scans done. 

Still waiting on 1 more test, but the doc is pretty convinced and the other tests are more concerning.

I might just have the 1 disease...I probably have MS. 


yup, I have no clue what to think or do or anything. 

Yup...


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> So I'm not sure how to think about this.
> 
> I don't exactly keep it a secret that I have 3 different genetic diseases/disorders that cause me to have trouble with life in general (hearing/sight/fine motor control/circulation/balance/ect)
> But I just got told by a new doctor that he doesn't think that it's actually 3 different things, and I had to go get a few extra scans done.
> 
> Still waiting on 1 more test, but the doc is pretty convinced and the other tests are more concerning.
> 
> I might just have the 1 disease...I probably have MS.
> 
> 
> yup, I have no clue what to think or do or anything.
> 
> Yup...


Oh Flaming, I'm so sorry.


----------



## Flaming

gingerkid said:


> Oh Flaming, I'm so sorry.


not confirmed yet.

I have another appointment next week, and then another in Edmonton, July the 20th. I need to schedule another brain scan as they need to confirm. 

I won't get a diagnosis for a few months yet, but the prelim tests and the doctors opinion point to a strong possibility. 


on a slightly better note, 
If it's true I'll be saving up my money faster (less splurge and more saving my pay checks), selling the house up here and moving closer to Edmonton. Fort mac doesn't have the specialists and such. I hate traveling so it'll be easier. 
Might get to finally meet you


----------



## cookieface

Flaming said:


> So I'm not sure how to think about this.
> 
> I don't exactly keep it a secret that I have 3 different genetic diseases/disorders that cause me to have trouble with life in general (hearing/sight/fine motor control/circulation/balance/ect)
> But I just got told by a new doctor that he doesn't think that it's actually 3 different things, and I had to go get a few extra scans done.
> 
> Still waiting on 1 more test, but the doc is pretty convinced and the other tests are more concerning.
> 
> I might just have the 1 disease...I probably have MS.
> 
> 
> yup, I have no clue what to think or do or anything.
> 
> Yup...


So sorry to hear this.


----------



## Ilovedogs56

I fell in love with a litter of GSD puppies on the ground right now, and they're available! Maybe later.


----------



## gingerkid

Why do people assume their dog has been stolen when it goes missing? Is dog theft really that common?


----------



## ireth0

gingerkid said:


> Why do people assume their dog has been stolen when it goes missing? Is dog theft really that common?


I have heard of certain areas here where dogs have been stolen for dog fighting, but I haven't experienced it myself (obviously) or felt like it was prominent enough in my area to take extra precautions. 

There was one individual here a couple years ago that was notorious for posing as a pet sitter or similar on kijiji and then selling people's dogs once they were left with her.


----------



## cookieface

gingerkid said:


> Why do people assume their dog has been stolen when it goes missing? Is dog theft really that common?


I don't think it's common where I am, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen elsewhere. 

Or, people assume that someone (else) must be at fault if their dog is missing.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

TheDarkestMinds said:


> Well...No more Tyrion . The vet tech at my vets office really fell in love with him. She had just lost her older chi to cancer. I saw how much he liked her and responded to her.
> 
> I thought about how I really need to be focusing on Leia at this time because she too is just a 1 year old puppy. Honestly this girl was just a better fit for him than I am. She had no other dogs and could make him her main focus.
> 
> It wasn't an easy decision and I told her I would take him back if she had any issues. But I really think this was the best thing for everyone.


It does sound like you've made the right decision, for yourself, Tyrion, and everyone else involed. I'm so sorry you had to go through this, but, sometimes, making thr hardest decision, can have the best results.



Flaming said:


> So I'm not sure how to think about this.
> 
> I don't exactly keep it a secret that I have 3 different genetic diseases/disorders that cause me to have trouble with life in general (hearing/sight/fine motor control/circulation/balance/ect)
> But I just got told by a new doctor that he doesn't think that it's actually 3 different things, and I had to go get a few extra scans done.
> 
> Still waiting on 1 more test, but the doc is pretty convinced and the other tests are more concerning.
> 
> I might just have the 1 disease...I probably have MS.
> 
> 
> yup, I have no clue what to think or do or anything.
> 
> Yup...


 Oh no. I'm so so sorry. That's awful.

Keeping you in my prayers, and thoughts, and hoping for only the best.

(((Hugs)))


----------



## gingerkid

cookieface said:


> I don't think it's common where I am, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen elsewhere.
> 
> Or, people assume that someone (else) must be at fault if their dog is missing.


Oh, I'm sure it happens - it just seems like every "missing dog" post I've seen on FB in the past couple weeks has been for a "stolen" dog.


----------



## cookieface

gingerkid said:


> Oh, I'm sure it happens - it just seems like every "missing dog" post I've seen on FB in the past couple weeks has been for a "stolen" dog.


Oh, I didn't think you were saying that it doesn't happen. It does. I was kinda saying the same thing as Ireth0 but with fewer words and less clarity. 

I just think that some people are quick to say, "my dog was stolen" rather than thinking, "hmm, there's a hole in the fence, perhaps she escaped" or "maybe he slipped out while the kids were holding the door open."


----------



## Flaming

Thanks for all the warm thoughts and prayers guys. 
I'm gonna need them.



gingerkid said:


> Why do people assume their dog has been stolen when it goes missing? Is dog theft really that common?


Up here? Yes, so far this summer we have found 4 dogs in other parts if the provence resold and witnesses for 2 more dog nappings and 1 attempted. 

They seem to be targeting chis, poms, and dauchounds.


----------



## gingerkid

Flaming said:


> Thanks for all the warm thoughts and prayers guys.
> I'm gonna need them.
> 
> 
> 
> Up here? Yes, so far this summer we have found 4 dogs in other parts if the provence resold and witnesses for 2 more dog nappings and 1 attempted.
> 
> They seem to be targeting chis, poms, and dauchounds.


Most of the "thefts" around here seem to be bullies or mixed breeds - all medium/large dogs, at any rate.


----------



## CptJack

Molly has learned that she doesn't 'have' to do anything with my husband, including have manners. I'm trying to decide if I care if she's an obnoxious jerk with him or not. I'm leaning toward no, because frankly it doesn't impact a thing with me and saves me dumb arguments with the husband. OTOH, ARGH. It's all dumb stuff like leash walking and not outing the ball/disc when she fetches to him, jumping in his face, grabbing his clothes/arms. He doesn't... like it but apparently doesn't care? But watching her act like that with him makes me BATTY.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

gingerkid said:


> Why do people assume their dog has been stolen when it goes missing? Is dog theft really that common?


Here? Yes it is extremely common. There are a few suspected fighting rings in North Dakota and dogs from SD and northern NE have been stolen as bait dogs. It got really bad in western SD where multiple people saw dogs being stolen and the zip ties and such put on fences as signs that this house has a dog to steal. 
Since I'm in northern NE for 9 months you can bet Maisy is never outside when no one is home. I've also considered locking the late when I'm gone and after I get home at night but the landlord got grumpy when I put a caribeaner (sp?) clip on the gate to prevent a Ares (friends dog that sometimes came over) from escaping, so...


----------



## Sibe

Dog "flipping" is common in San Diego too. Dogs are stolen from yards then usually sold in Mexico.


----------



## Laurelin

So Hank is pretty much perfect. I'm going to shamelessly brag a second.

He had an ear infection so I took him to the vet. He handled it like a pro. He is so well behaved and happy and friendly. He did tricks for everyone, sat on a dime when asked, begged for treats, gave hugs, ignored the other dogs and animals. My vet ADORES him (who doesn't?) and wants to come watch him compete one day for serious. I talked to him about agility with him a good 20 minutes about how we train and how Hank is doing. He just kept saying 'Man, I really like this dog. This is a really great dog'

And to make me blush I was telling him how I cold not believe someone did not want Hank. And he told me that Hank was very wild the first time I brought him in and I have obviously done a lot of work with him and it shows. Me ------>    

He's just so great. So friendly, so easy to live with, so capable and smart and fun. I love him. I really really do. 

On a side note, he's up to 23 lbs now!


----------



## cookieface

Laurelin said:


> So Hank is pretty much perfect. I'm going to shamelessly brag a second.
> 
> He had an ear infection so I took him to the vet. He handled it like a pro. He is so well behaved and happy and friendly. He did tricks for everyone, sat on a dime when asked, begged for treats, gave hugs, ignored the other dogs and animals. My vet ADORES him (who doesn't?) and wants to come watch him compete one day for serious. I talked to him about agility with him a good 20 minutes about how we train and how Hank is doing. He just kept saying 'Man, I really like this dog. This is a really great dog'
> 
> And to make me blush I was telling him how I cold not believe someone did not want Hank. And he told me that Hank was very wild the first time I brought him in and I have obviously done a lot of work with him and it shows. Me ------>
> 
> He's just so great. So friendly, so easy to live with, so capable and smart and fun. I love him. I really really do.
> 
> On a side note, he's up to 23 lbs now!


Sounds like the perfect dog to me. 


In other news, weenie neighbor scared Tyson while he was peeing. Startled me, too. Guess it's better that he make himself known _before_ I start singing the pee song.


----------



## Akamichi

Does anyone know when is the best time to fill out a 'Puppy App' for a breeder (I'll be ready for a puppy in around 2018 so I know now is a bit overkill, but should I start calling around 2017)? I just wan to make sure I'm not too late haha.


----------



## kcomstoc

So Jake decided the other day that he would rub his face in raccoon poop....he needed a bath before but after this he didn't have a choice, poor guy didn't stand a chance with my SO and I  though the noise was terrible...he always makes such a fuss you'd think we were killing him instead of giving him a bath.


----------



## Sibe

Akamichi said:


> Does anyone know when is the best time to fill out a 'Puppy App' for a breeder (I'll be ready for a puppy in around 2018 so I know now is a bit overkill, but should I start calling around 2017)? I just wan to make sure I'm not too late haha.


 I've been wondering that too. We're adopting Amaze-Bobb on the 29th and won't be getting a puppy for several years but I know what I want and where I'm getting her from and what her name will be. Just a matter of timing.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

I filled out an application for approval for a cane corso but didn't have a time factor at all.. was really waiting for the planned litter parent combination to grab my attention before I committed and put a deposit down. I wasn't going to have a choice as it was a breeder choice to pick a puppy for me, so I wanted to really love the parents so it wouldn't matter which puppy I would get,. That went on for over a year almost 2, until I saw Adele being sold as a 5 month old pup that she was dropping from her breeding program.. I jumped on the opportunity to ask for her.. Don't think there is a too far in advance to fill out an application and be approved by a breeder build that relationship of what you looking for...

My Bengal breeder knew I wanted a snow Bengal with blue eyes,, she never forgot about it... so over a year later, when she was doing a breeding that she felt she would get at least one she called me and ask if I was interested in this litter... liked the parents and put my deposit down and got my pick of the two kittens..... Do feel the right breeders wants that special pup to go to the right home when it's a perfect match for the owner...


----------



## cookieface

I was awake far too early: general sleeplessness, storms, prancy puppy. <sigh> It's going to be a two-kong kinda day.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> I was awake far too early: general sleeplessness, storms, prancy puppy. <sigh> It's going to be a two-kong kinda day.


Meeee too. Ugh.


----------



## cookieface

I'm watching a litter of border collie pups grow up on FB. They're a little over 2 weeks now (I think) and just starting to toddle around. Apparently 94% of the dogs they've bred have agility titles. Don't know if it is, but it sounds impressive to me.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

So we're out walking this morning and we see a puppy Pug and she's all feisty and Luke just stands their patiently letting her sniff him all over. I asked the owner her name, he says, "Leia." I laughed and said my dog's name was Luke. He thought it was funny too, so there was a Luke and a Leia meeting this morning.


----------



## Willowy

The post office I work in is an old federal building built in the '30s. Granite floors, marble wainscoting, a depression mural, etc. There is also a hidden room in the walls with tinted peep windows in every room, because the inspectors used to hide up there and spy on everyone to make sure the employees weren't slacking off or stealing stuff. I was washing out the coffee pot in the mens' room (because it's closer to the coffee maker ) and realized there's a peep window IN THE BATHROOM. That's just so illegal now. And let's not even mention the institutional sexism, because there wasn't even a ladies' room originally---it's an add-on. I'm so grateful for the work of the people who came before me, who fought for humane and dignified treatment for women and workers in general, so that inspectors can't watch you pee anymore  (not that it's perfect now but SO much better than it used to be!). Too bad it's not Labor Day, LOL. I want to appreciate some Labor people today, darnit!


----------



## olivethedog

So, I'm in Idaho until July 3rd. It is beautiful and amazing here.

Since I have an abundance of free time here, I went to see Jurassic World. The mannerisms of the velociraptors reminded me so much of Olive and now I'm missing her something awful. Strange? Maybe. Haha

She is now my phone wallpaper and I've gone back through all of my photos/videos of her. Even had the future mother-in-law send me a few new pics as Olive was visiting to play with their dog. I'm pathetic, I tell ya'.


----------



## CptJack

I swear by all that is holy, I would have an easier time convincing a brick wall to get up and walk than convince Molly to actually LISTEN TO ME once she's decided she knows what I'm looking for. 

I love this dog so much and she is so smart and so easy to train in most ways but omfg. 

Also: LOL.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I went to the grand opening of the new dog training place in our area, it was really fun! We took our dogs and both of them did really great! Lincoln was not overwhelmed at all he was social, friendly with other dogs and even solicited test from a couple of ladies, and that's something he never does. He still really selective about who he approaches but that's okay with me. He was great with all the dogs he met.

why only then does that there was one lady with a working line German Shepherd honest Lexie and clearly had zero control over her dog, her dog was very active and possibly dog aggressive and he went after Lincoln while we were all waiting to get our photos taken, I was quicker though and pulled Lincoln behind my legs and gave that dog and that lady is a very hard look, she left shortly after. I have a funny feeling it was because she knew she was probably going to get asked to leave anyway, the RSVP specifically said no aggressive dogs. There was also an intact male boxer that this lady had a head taller on that had zero control over her dog luckily he wasn't aggressive. lol but she tried to do the bit of agility equipment they had set up for people to try, they had an A frame, a tire, & a job setup she tried to get her dog to do all of them and failed miserably. but I couldn't resist showing off Lincoln so I asked him to do all the obstacles and he did them splendidly in the background I could hear her telling the guy she was with "how does she get her dog to do that!" I could help be proud of my boy.


----------



## CptJack

I am crossposting this because holy heck, dog.


----------



## Flaming

well, 3 1/2 hour hike with Manna and Vitae yesterday. 

It was Vitaes first hike and we only meant to go for an hour but we lost track of time and I was having a good leg day so 1 hour turned into 3 1/2 hours and now I'm paying for it. 

Manna and Vitae act like it was nothing.


----------



## cookieface

Hold on to your hats! My husband just put a plate of grilled meat in the oven to prevent Tyson from trying to eat it. This is the man who rarely, very reluctantly makes changes to his routine to keep the puppy out of trouble. Where are the liver snaps when you need them?


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!

I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


----------



## ireth0

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!
> 
> I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


Oh my gosh! Are there any laws against dog flipping in your area?


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

I'm not sure. I am going to look into it. But Ohio is known for being extremely lax when it comes to animal welfare laws. I flagged her posts on craigslist. I am just livid and heartbroken right now. I really thought she was a good person.


----------



## cookieface

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!
> 
> I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


What the...? There are no words.

Could you mention the situation to your vet?


----------



## ireth0

Yesterday Luna had a professional photoshoot in a real studio and everything. It was in support of the local greyhound rescue, and only $30 so I jumped on it!

Of course it started raining about an hour before we had to leave, and the shoot was downtown so we had to walk a bit to get there from where we parked, so I put her coat on, packed a towel, and off we went. Luna did fantastic walking downtown with all the different people and sounds and smells. Didn't pull once (mainly because I was also walking quickly due to the rain, but I'll take it) and didn't bother other people when we were waiting for the lights to change to cross the street.

We did the shoot and she did pretty well with posing and staying in place sans leash. She didn't pee or knock any equipment over, so I consider that a win. 

After we were done she was sniffing around since we had some extra time in our slot. Then she jumped up on the couch with one of the people running the shoot and just sat next to him, lmao. He put his arm around her and they took a picture, it was too funny. She's such a funny dog. When we go to new places she just like instantly walks around like she owns the room, and goes to say hi to everybody. Like "Oh yea, I know you were waiting for me."

Very excited to see the finished photos!


----------



## Kayota

cookieface said:


> What the...? There are no words.
> 
> Could you mention the situation to your vet?


i second this, if i were a vet and my employee did something like that to a client they would be out the door at least.

cant wait to see your photos ireth0!


----------



## Kayota

you know is anyone else annoyed by rescues that do home checks? i am probably going to add at least one more bird eventually and i would love to go through the oregon bird rescue but rescues can be so judgmental and weird and i dont really like the idea of someone judging my living space...


----------



## ireth0

Kayota said:


> you know is anyone else annoyed by rescues that do home checks? i am probably going to add at least one more bird eventually and i would love to go through the oregon bird rescue but rescues can be so judgmental and weird and i dont really like the idea of someone judging my living space...


They're generally less about judging your space and more about making sure what you said on your application is actually true.


----------



## jade5280

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!
> 
> I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


 That's awful! It's not your fault though, you thought he was going to a good home and this girl obviously took advantage of you. Can you file a complaint with the vets office that she works at?


----------



## BellaPup

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!
> 
> I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


Unfreakingbelieveable. There must be something you can do to get him back. If the authorities won't do anything, do you have friends and/or relatives who would maybe help get together some money and answer the ad and take the dog from her? Maybe pay with a check and then put a stop on it saying the ad was misrepresenting what was being sold? 

Would a shelter be able to do anything? 

There must be a legal way to handle this.

And don't blame yourself! You never would have given him to her if you had even the slightest idea she was a scuzbucket.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

CptJack said:


> I am crossposting this because holy heck, dog.


I remember when he was still really tiny, and that feels like just a few days ago.

I tell you, they grow up to fast. Nika is already 10 months. It's just... unbelievable. 


TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!
> 
> I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


It's not your fault, you thought she was going to a good home(frankly, from what you described, I thought that,too.) So sorry you need to go through this



cookieface said:


> What the...? There are no words.
> 
> Could you mention the situation to your vet?


This.

Also, is there anyway you can get him back?


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!
> 
> I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


Unfortunately not everyone who works in a vet is a good animal owner, which I've learned from experience. I can't believe they didn't get him neutered (I'm sure she gets a huge discount!) and puts him at risk of being bred! I'm sorry that happened. Also, curious which part of Ohio you are in. I'm NE.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

I am in NE Ohio


jade5280 said:


> That's awful! It's not your fault though, you thought he was going to a good home and this girl obviously took advantage of you. Can you file a complaint with the vets office that she works at?


I called my vet and told him about the situation. He was not happy with what he heard. He told me that he would try and get in contact with her and talk to her about giving Tyrion back to me. Of course today is her day off . So it's just a wait and see sort of thing. She has already posted THREE ads for him on craigslist. I just feel so dumb.


----------



## jade5280

Don't beat yourself up about it. I'm glad the vet is taking action.


----------



## BellaPup

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am in NE Ohio
> 
> 
> I called my vet and told him about the situation. He was not happy with what he heard. He told me that he would try and get in contact with her and talk to her about giving Tyrion back to me. Of course today is her day off . So it's just a wait and see sort of thing. She has already posted THREE ads for him on craigslist. I just feel so dumb.


Oh wow - I didn't think she pulled that and STILL worked there?! Not the sharpest knife in the drawer is she? I really hope your vet can help.
You're not the dumb one here...not even close!


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

Thanks for the support everyone. This has just been a nightmare. And it gets even more disturbing. My vet gave me a call back and told me that this girl no longer has Tyrion in her possession. She told him that she gave Tyrion to a second party (apparently a friend) who is going to sell him for her. She flat out refused to return him to the vets office or to me. My vet assured me that she won't be keeping her job.

She was a newly hired tech. My vet just apologized profusely because he is the one who introduced us. 

I just don't know what to think . I am just crushed.


----------



## BellaPup

Oh no.  That makes things more difficult. Just don't give up looking for him! Was he microchipped? Maybe your vet can help find him somehow? 

I know it doesn't help at the moment, but there's this thing called Karma. She'll get what she deserves.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

TheDarkestMinds said:


> Thanks for the support everyone. This has just been a nightmare. And it gets even more disturbing. My vet gave me a call back and told me that this girl no longer has Tyrion in her possession. She told him that she gave Tyrion to a second party (apparently a friend) who is going to sell him for her. She flat out refused to return him to the vets office or to me. My vet assured me that she won't be keeping her job.
> 
> She was a newly hired tech. My vet just apologized profusely because he is the one who introduced us.
> 
> I just don't know what to think . I am just crushed.


Oh no.  Since I'm not too far, if I catch any wind of it where I am I will make sure to let you know and help if I can.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

He isn't microchipped . I just feel bad because I got him out of a bad situation and then in my opinion put him into a worse situation. That girl could win an Emmy with her acting skills.


ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Oh no.  Since I'm not too far, if I catch any wind of it where I am I will make sure to let you know and help if I can.


Thanks so much! I really appreciate that there is someone else keeping an eye out.


----------



## Willowy

Can you have a friend answer the craigslist ad and then let things. . .develop from there? Might get interesting.


----------



## Kayota

ireth0 said:


> They're generally less about judging your space and more about making sure what you said on your application is actually true.


bird people can be extremelu judgmental... ex i just had someone tell me i need a shop vac, a dehumidifier, a steamer, an air purifier, and f10 in my bird room, then when i said that seemed like a bit much they acted like i had committed a grave sin.


----------



## Willowy

Considering the other current story on this thread is about an adoption gone wrong. . .I wouldn't expect any reputable rescue to not do a home check. If you want to skip that, another private re-home is probably the way to go. But be really careful about having multiple birds. Different species (and sometimes same species if not raised together) don't generally get along, if they do get along you risk having them bond to each other and forget about you, and illness can spread fast. If you do get another bird, quarantine carefully!


----------



## Kayota

Willowy said:


> Considering the other current story on this thread is about an adoption gone wrong. . .I wouldn't expect any reputable rescue to not do a home check. If you want to skip that, another private re-home is probably the way to go. But be really careful about having multiple birds. Different species (and sometimes same species if not raised together) don't generally get along, if they do get along you risk having them bond to each other and forget about you, and illness can spread fast. If you do get another bird, quarantine carefully!


i know... they wont be living in the same cage so that alone circumvents a lot of those problema. i have already read up on quaranine and everything.


----------



## cookieface

Nothing like an early morning fox encounter (and requisite scream) to get one moving. My husband slept through it, so I'm guessing we didn't disturb the neighbors.


----------



## cookieface

Waiting is hard. Still haven't heard anything about the agility class. Every time I get a new email message I have a moment of anticipation; then I realize it's my husband sending me something silly or Coursera suggesting new courses. I'd really just like to know so I can plan.


----------



## d_ray

TheDarkestMinds said:


> Thanks for the support everyone. This has just been a nightmare. And it gets even more disturbing. My vet gave me a call back and told me that this girl no longer has Tyrion in her possession. She told him that she gave Tyrion to a second party (apparently a friend) who is going to sell him for her. She flat out refused to return him to the vets office or to me. My vet assured me that she won't be keeping her job.
> 
> She was a newly hired tech. My vet just apologized profusely because he is the one who introduced us.
> 
> I just don't know what to think . I am just crushed.


I'm so sorry to hear this. That's so disturbing!


----------



## Laurelin

Oh man. What to do.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32508736/

I think I'm going to go see if he's still there at lunch. Maybe I can pull him for a BC rescue. He sounds like a gem and like he needs a sport type home.


----------



## North&South

TheDarkestMinds said:


> Thanks for the support everyone. This has just been a nightmare. And it gets even more disturbing. My vet gave me a call back and told me that this girl no longer has Tyrion in her possession. She told him that she gave Tyrion to a second party (apparently a friend) who is going to sell him for her. She flat out refused to return him to the vets office or to me. My vet assured me that she won't be keeping her job.
> 
> She was a newly hired tech. My vet just apologized profusely because he is the one who introduced us.
> 
> I just don't know what to think . I am just crushed.


I would hit the social media circuit big time, along with pictures. I think you would have a lot of public support and it wouldn't be long before you would find him. 

I found this thread because I saw you no longer had Tyrion's picture in your signature and I wondered what had happened with him. I am so sorry to hear of this, how awful!

When we adopted our dog from a local rescue, I had to sign a contract saying if I needed to rehome him, it would be through them. We also had some intuitive nudges when we adopted our dog, so we made sure we had all the paperwork, signatures, and vet records to make sure that in a court of law, we could prove 100% that we had full legal ownership of our dog. I even printed out the text messages between myself and the shelter and it's backed up to physical and cloud storage. And the dog is chipped now. 

Best wishes to you and don't give up!


----------



## taquitos

Laurelin said:


> Oh man. What to do.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32508736/
> 
> I think I'm going to go see if he's still there at lunch. Maybe I can pull him for a BC rescue. He sounds like a gem and like he needs a sport type home.


Oh he is so precious <3

You should do ittttt


----------



## CptJack

Remember all that talk I was doing about Molly and I being all out of synch and disconnected? Yeah, it went away. I don't know what the deal was, or if it was me or her, but it's gone away. I think we're figuring out how to work together now and (unsurprisingly) she's been pretty glued to my ankles lately, too. I still don't know what was up, at all, but I'm glad we're back to 'normal' (or better than).

Let me know what you find out about the BC, Laurelin! He's gorgeous and sounds great.


----------



## Remaru

He is handsome Laurelin, sounds like a lot of potential too. 

I really need our local shelter off of my facebook...https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32321543 not happening.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I am beyond angry right now! I THOUGHT Tyrion had gone to a great forever home. I get on craigslist today just because I had a weird feeling. And first thing I see is an ad with his PICTURES. It is definitely him because the girl I gave him to had texted me the same pics and said he was so spoiled two days ago! I told her that I would take him back if she had any problems with him! I thought because she worked in my vets office that she was a decent person and would give him a great home....NOPE!!! Instead she won't return any of texts or calls and has him posted as a 10 month old puppy (he is over a year old) for $150!!! God people make me sick! I feel like I completely failed him. I should have just kept him. But she went on and on about how he was just want she wanted and how he would be with her forever, and of course she would bring him back if it didn't work out! What a conniving little liar! Oh and she had promised to get him neutered since she worked at the clinic. But in the ad it says that he is still intact!!!
> 
> I feel like I am going to throw up...literally. Never ever again!


am so sorry, you couldn't of known...


----------



## Laurelin

Well I am just passing him around the agility community. I really can't get another right now though my friends keep telling me 4 is a good number lol. It would be cool if he could get an agility home but I don't know anyone looking right now. I do eventually want another dog but right now I have a lot of work to do with Hank so another sport dog isn't really feasible at the moment. He does sound great.


----------



## Miss Bugs

When your sorting through resumes and applications and going "yes, yes, this person looks wonderful on paper and then get to this part under skills. 











For anyone who can't see it it says , "Classy, never Trashy, and just a bit Sassy" on a job resume... who puts that on their RESUME!! Lol


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

North&South said:


> I would hit the social media circuit big time, along with pictures. I think you would have a lot of public support and it wouldn't be long before you would find him.
> 
> I found this thread because I saw you no longer had Tyrion's picture in your signature and I wondered what had happened with him. I am so sorry to hear of this, how awful!
> 
> When we adopted our dog from a local rescue, I had to sign a contract saying if I needed to rehome him, it would be through them. We also had some intuitive nudges when we adopted our dog, so we made sure we had all the paperwork, signatures, and vet records to make sure that in a court of law, we could prove 100% that we had full legal ownership of our dog. I even printed out the text messages between myself and the shelter and it's backed up to physical and cloud storage. And the dog is chipped now.
> 
> Best wishes to you and don't give up!


I got in contact with a group based of Ohio called "Citizens Against Dog Flipping" they are an activist group. They said that they would help me out any way they could. I also have friends scanning craigslist and any online classifieds for him. A couple are willing to buy him for me if it comes to that...I have a bad feeling though. Yesterday evening I checked back on craigslist and saw that whoever has him now had posted the fourth ad that day. I should have taken a picture of it with my phone but I wasn't thinking straight. I flagged it and came back 20 minutes later and it clicked on the ad and it said "This Ad has been removed by author" which in my experience means that they have sold the dog and removed the ad . Because usually if taken down because of flagging it will say "This post has been flagged and removed due to such such rule breakage". I checked craigslist again today just in case they were start posting his ad again..And so far I have seen nothing.

My worst fear is that he ends up in a puppymill/backyard breeding situation because people will classify him as "Designer Dog". I have never ever adopted out intact dogs in the past. But I stupidly let this girl take him intact because he was scheduled for a neuter already at the clinic she worked at. And she even talked about getting him neutered sooner than when I had scheduled. Obviously that was a line of bull. 

All I can do now is continue to scour the internet and hope that if he was sold already, that he was sold to a good home . This is why I don't generally trust people. The ones who seem the most sincere end up being the biggest con artists.


----------



## North&South

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I got in contact with a group based of Ohio called "Citizens Against Dog Flipping" they are an activist group. They said that they would help me out any way they could. I also have friends scanning craigslist and any online classifieds for him. A couple are willing to buy him for me if it comes to that...I have a bad feeling though. Yesterday evening I checked back on craigslist and saw that whoever has him now had posted the fourth ad that day. I should have taken a picture of it with my phone but I wasn't thinking straight. I flagged it and came back 20 minutes later and it clicked on the ad and it said "This Ad has been removed by author" which in my experience means that they have sold the dog and removed the ad . Because usually if taken down because of flagging it will say "This post has been flagged and removed due to such such rule breakage". I checked craigslist again today just in case they were start posting his ad again..And so far I have seen nothing.
> 
> My worst fear is that he ends up in a puppymill/backyard breeding situation because people will classify him as "Designer Dog". I have never ever adopted out intact dogs in the past. But I stupidly let this girl take him intact because he was scheduled for a neuter already at the clinic she worked at. And she even talked about getting him neutered sooner than when I had scheduled. Obviously that was a line of bull.
> 
> All I can do now is continue to scour the internet and hope that if he was sold already, that he was sold to a good home . This is why I don't generally trust people. The ones who seem the most sincere end up being the biggest con artists.


I'm not familiar with Craigslist, but can you post an ad there with pictures saying that you are looking for this dog? Maybe with the headline that he was adopted under false pretenses by a dishonest person who lied to you, and then the dog was promptly flipped? Maybe a local news agency might take an interest in a story about the practice of dog flipping in general, too and a reporter might like to feature a picture of Tyrion. Perhaps the new owners don't know the circumstances. It would sure give a heads up to people who might want to rehome a dog, maybe make them think about things very carefully before handing the dog over.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

I just posted an ad with his picture asking if anyone has seen or purchased him. I made it clear that if he was in a good situation I would not force them to give him back. I just simply want to know where he is. Hopefully it leads to something.


----------



## North&South

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I just posted an ad with his picture asking if anyone has seen or purchased him. I made it clear that if he was in a good situation I would not force them to give him back. I just simply want to know where he is. Hopefully it leads to something.


I hope you hear back, and hopefully it's good news. Keep us posted.


----------



## North&South

And if it's any consolation, the lady's career as a vet technician is probably over.


----------



## CptJack

So agility class tonight, I split treats up into three different baggies so they'd fit in my inadequate pockets. Husband comes to the door and waves me over, holds up a bag and asks if they're mine. WEll, it looks like our baggies, and the stuff inside is more or less the same so I say sure, stuff it in my pocket and carry on. 

...Not ours, and I didn't realize until we got all the way back home and I found my other two bags of treats. And he told me he found those in the bathroom I didn't use today.

Um. Whoops?


----------



## Miss Bugs

when your going through the full time resume's and read "worked at Little River kennels in Nova Scotia" under experience and you completely ignore that the person couldn't even fill out the application properly because Little River kennels is a Toller breeder and throw her immediately into the "yes" pile based on that alone lol. I didn't even look at her name, just went "yes" and my co-supervisor was like "but..but.." and I was like "don't care, yes" lol


----------



## CptJack

This dog looks so much like Molly. He'd break my heart anyway, but looking that much like her just -ouch. 

Think I'm going to contact a couple of people and see if there's something I can do. Or, well, something they can do, really.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I totally forgot to update on the Happy teeth situation, so she finished the antibiotics and I have been brush her teeth every day with the stuff the ve gave me and her teeth actually look waaay better, she's eating normay again and..to my delight, the other day after she finished her breakfast she asked for a bone!! I gave her a Turkey neck and she happily chewed and ate the whole thing!


----------



## ireth0

One upside of feeding coconut oil is that your dog's poops smell like coconut. Fun fact for the day.


----------



## Flaming

ireth0 said:


> One upside of feeding coconut oil is that your dog's poops smell like coconut. Fun fact for the day.


Does it make their farts smell like coconut? 

Manna ate something and her farts have been rancid for days. 

----------

It's bad when you can run inside for a pee and know when you came back some small animal was eaten because there is fresh blood on the back steps. 
No fur or feathers or bones, just blood with neither dog injured. Breaking out the DE for another week of worming just in case.


----------



## CptJack

Jack has another tumor and while not in the same location as the last one, it got pretty big pretty fast, and I'm pretty sure we're not going to be getting news from the vet.


----------



## Sibe

Hey guys. Amaze-Bobb will be here in 3 1/2 days!
https://www.facebook.com/animalsynergy/videos/vb.463176140407336/900008586724087/?type=2&theatera


----------



## Miss Bugs

I feel so betrayed  this morning I felt loved, Gypsy crawled in the shower with me because just being in the same room wasn't close enough..but then she straight up abandoned me! Like went to my moms room and refused to come to work with me, refused to spend any time with me when I got home and now refused to come to bed with me..like.... she hid in the doghouse when I tried to take her to bed, finally my mom said she could stay with her if she wanted. 

* this isn't totally unusual, she's always been attached to my mom and prefered to stay home, and been reluctant to separate from my mom, but she's never straight up refused before!


----------



## Kayota

I ordered a Beak Box for Orion and I'm going to get a Bark Box for Roxie as soon as my paycheck comes in!  I'll update when they arrive. If any of you have birds Beak Box is through Things for Wings and can be found easily by google.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

Any updates, TheDarkestMinds?


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> Jack has another tumor and while not in the same location as the last one, it got pretty big pretty fast, and I'm pretty sure we're not going to be getting news from the vet.


How is Jack? I secretly really love him.


----------



## CptJack

I'm kind of worried about the lump but honestly otherwise? He's gained weight, he's happy, he's been CRAZY active lately. I need to get some fresh pictures of him. I haven't gotten good ones in a while.


----------



## ireth0

Reason #36 why I love my vet; today while I was there with the cats for an appt they were filming a segment for Hope for Wildlife, a local wildlife rehab center, and had a baby fawn in the back of the clinic.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank and I got rushed by a freaking SAINT BERNARD and black lab while in a parking lot with Hank on a leash. It ran up growling and charging us and what scared the crap out of me was that Hank met that dog head on and was escalating the incident. I mean Hank was on a leash so he couldn't get away. He ALMOST backed out of his collar and that would have been crappy since we were right next to a busy road. Hank was very non confrontational at first but then the dog kept on and was getting more and more aggressive. Snarling and charging us. Hank finally launched at the dog's face and got nasty back. Ugh... just BAD. I was yelling at the idiot owners to grab his -expletive- dogs. Then the guy proceeded to bring the two dogs into the nearby dog park. I stayed and watched. And the saint attacked the first dog that he came across in the park (large husky type mix). Finally the idiot leashed the dog and could not get the lab to come back (the lab wasn't nearly as aggressive though). And they left. 

But they were just letting them wander around the freaking parking lot off leash and down the trails off leash. Right next to a busy road. Letting their dogs attack people. Then after their dog clearly has issues with other dogs they STILL brought it into the dog park part of the park.

Just UGH WHYYYYYYY. 

But yeah... now I know that Hank will fight a dog 6x his size and that's kind of...scary. Well really getting rushed by any dog is no fun but it's really quite scary when it's a giant dog and you have your small/medium dog with you.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Well today: decided roller blading with my dogs is a bad idea

Gem tried to kill herself by jumping over my deck railing while tied up(note my deck railing is pretty high, she was tied to keep her from jumping the xpen gate which she only barely gets over, not the railing) thank god she's not that heavy as I bolted to her, held her up with one arm and unclipped the tie with the other while swearing and calling her an idiot..and I got the whole thing on video..well audio, the only video is hearing her jump and me going "wha? Holy sh*t!!" And running to catch her then its just audio of me swearing and asking her if she's trying to give my a heart attack. 

My dogs all attacked me. I was just minding my own buisness when Gem Gyp and Sola all clobbered me at once and when Gem and Gyp finally released me Paisley joined Sola in the "attack" lol


----------



## sydneynicole

I went to a 5k yesterday with Tucker and Grace. I have two complaints about it 

1. Why would you bring an aggressive (or at least, a dog that gets nervous/scared in hectic environments and becomes aggressive) dog to an event where you KNOW there are going to be thousands of dogs. Really? And then just let it try to start a fight with any dog that gets near it. No warning vest or anything. I don't get it. There are plenty of other settings if you are trying to get him comfortable and he should have had some sort of vest/collar on at least. And an owner who paid attention.

2. DO NOT TRY AND PUT SOME RANDOM CREAM on my dog's "dry" nose. Without asking me, while my back was turned. Really? Ugh.


----------



## luv mi pets

Mower broke down. Took a couple of weeks to decide what mower and where to purchase the mower from. Brought mower on Friday night, went today to pick it up. It was the floor model. I had told them I did not want the floor model. They assured me they had one in back and they were going to put my name on it. When I told the clerk who had pushed it up that the mower looked like a used one because of all the scratches on it and the big rusty gouge on the mower deck, his reply was that it was just going to get dirty when I mowed anyway. My reply was that if I wanted a used mower I would have gotten one off of Craigslist. They did not have anymore. They called another store and I drove 20 miles to get it. Drove it home 25 miles. unloaded it! and it will not start. Conclusion: Faulty starter switch. Drove it back to the store. Returned it. Drove to a different name store. They had one. bought it. drove it home. About a mile from home and it start downpouring. I wanted to get up early (6:30 am) to get the mower early to get the yard mowed. My grass is so long right now I can make hay out of it. 
I just wanted to mow my yard today not spend it towing a stock trailer behind a truck in construction traffic hauling mowers around for the heck of it. I feel like I did not accomplish anything today.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

luv mi pets said:


> Mower broke down. Took a couple of weeks to decide what mower and where to purchase the mower from. Brought mower on Friday night, went today to pick it up. It was the floor model. I had told them I did not want the floor model. They assured me they had one in back and they were going to put my name on it. When I told the clerk who had pushed it up that the mower looked like a used one because of all the scratches on it and the big rusty gouge on the mower deck, his reply was that it was just going to get dirty when I mowed anyway. My reply was that if I wanted a used mower I would have gotten one off of Craigslist. They did not have anymore. They called another store and I drove 20 miles to get it. Drove it home 25 miles. unloaded it! and it will not start. Conclusion: Faulty starter switch. Drove it back to the store. Returned it. Drove to a different name store. They had one. bought it. drove it home. About a mile from home and it start downpouring. I wanted to get up early (6:30 am) to get the mower early to get the yard mowed. My grass is so long right now I can make hay out of it.
> I just wanted to mow my yard today not spend it towing a stock trailer behind a truck in construction traffic hauling mowers around for the heck of it. I feel like I did not accomplish anything today.


ick what a pain !!!! it was the same thing here... we got the new tractor got some basic attachments, and purchased a refurbished mower attachments.. was assured every thing had been gone over and prepped before being loaded and hauled down to us for delivery... While showing me how the Auger worked on the new tractor it started spraying hydrolic fluid everywhere, so they will have to return to replace the fluid in the tractor and tighten the auger up.. Then I trying to use the mower, and the dip stick for oil checking is missing (looks broken off inside the box) and while mowing it started oosing oil all over the place .. but I did get the front property and a side free play fenced area mowed down... yip glad the tractor guy couldn't come last Friday to fix the other stuff,, so now he can come and fix both the auger, tractor, and the mower.. oh and the air conditioner in the tractor was working like it should either.. .. gotta love new stuff right.... will go over all the fluid levels just to make sure they ddin't just load it and not really do all the checks like they should of .....

do hope your new mower works once the rain stops...


----------



## pet_heaven

Great topic guys


----------



## HVani

Here's my rant for the day. 

Luma had surgery on Thursday to remove a mammary tumor. She's been sleeping on the bed since she didn't feel good and so we could be close by. Last night she woke me up so many times! She insisted in lying with her butt up against me and kicked me all night. I moved her away a few times but she always came back. So after getting very little sleep, I got up and fed the dogs. Then she wanted to be picky about eating and extra skittish. I wanted to throw the food at her I was so frustrated. 

I took her to the vet during my lunch break to make sure she was healing fine. The vet said the incision looks great and is healing well. Now she's at home asleep while I'm at work and struggling to stay awake. 

Why do I have dogs again? lol


----------



## CptJack

My aunt's wildlife/trail cam. Just liked the picture and wanted to share.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> My aunt's wildlife/trail cam. Just liked the picture and wanted to share.


 Wow that's awesome!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

am glad Luma is doing well and on the mend.. hope your able to catch up on your sleep   

awesome photo capture..CptJack


----------



## HVani

Last night we had some thunderstorms roll through so I got to bed later than I wanted but finally slept well. 

That bear is awesome!


----------



## CptJack

I'm still in love with that photo.

Back from the vet with Jack. Vet seems to think it isn't a tumor, just some smallish injury that he's worried and licked to heck and back. Didn't want to do surgery at all except maybe debridment and putting in a single stitch. Instead he got a cone and some topical stuff. This makes me feel better.

In other news a friend found a couple of tiny frisbees in a clearance bin somewhere and mailed them to me. They arrived today. Kylie is in business!


----------



## Remaru

That is good news CptJack, hopefully it will heal up quickly. I'm glad he is doing well. That is a great picture, perfect timing. 

Luv mi pets, Why does it always turn out that way? Hubby went out to mow for the first time this season and the lawn mower wouldn't start. He called his dad (because they always tinker with it together) and they spent an hour playing with it before deciding it just wasn't going to be fixed. FIL said we could borrow his to just get it done, great because the weeds were huge after the snow melt and rains. They went and picked it up, got it back and it wouldn't start. I don't know why they didn't try starting it there. So FIL comes back over, they tinker with that mower but can't get it going. Finally they give up, take the mower back and the lawn doesn't get mowed until the next weekend when hubby buys a new mower. At least we have a new mower now though.


----------



## Willowy

Must be broken-mower week . My push mower broke (the handle snapped off, of all things! Mechanically it's fine though) and I HAD to mow the lawn at the house in town before I got a ticket, so I borrowed a mower from my dad, but the only one of his we could fit in my vehicle (he likes to reinforce his mower handles with t-bar so the handles can't fold down) was a small mulching mower, and my grass had gotten so long that the mulching mower kept getting bogged down so it took forever. It might have gone faster if I had gone out with a pair of rusty kindergarten scissors . I was this close to running to TSC and buying a $600 trailer for the riding mower so I could take that into town. Haha, it would be cheaper to just hire a lawn service but see how stubborn I am? LOL.

The riding mower better not break. It's only a year old.


----------



## CptJack

Also Jack's weight today was a pound and a half less than in Feb. Except he has visibly gained weight/body condition/cover over his ribs. I don't think I trust that scale, at all.


----------



## cookieface

We had a pleasant day out with the pups. Had lunch at brew pub then went to a natural food store and farmers market. The pups were surprisingly well behaved. Tyson and I had a bit of a scare with a loose dog behind my MIL's shore house. I think I was more scared than he was. All is well except that my husband is unsympathetic to my fears.


----------



## luv mi pets

Finally got the yard mowed! Last strip of grass was mowed in the rain. WHY?


----------



## jade5280

*@CptJack* So glad it's nothing serious with Jack!


----------



## Laurelin

So uh.... there is no pretending that bird Hank caught a few weeks ago flew off and lived happily. I saw Hank catch it but got him to spit it out. It was still alive (I thought for sure it wouldn't be) I went inside to figure out how to kill it and it was gone. I pretended like it flew away happily. And now Hank has re-found it. It's very.... dead.


----------



## CptJack

Ugh. I'm so sorry in so many ways.

Molly saw a Mouse in our bathroom. It surprised her. Now she's afraid of the bathroom. Yay.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> So uh.... there is no pretending that bird Hank caught a few weeks ago flew off and lived happily. I saw Hank catch it but got him to spit it out. It was still alive (I thought for sure it wouldn't be) I went inside to figure out how to kill it and it was gone. I pretended like it flew away happily. And now Hank has re-found it. It's very.... dead.


Uhm. gross. Poor bird! 

Ember caught a baby bird last week. She then proceeded to carry it around like she didn't know what to do with it until we made her drop it. I want to say it lived but...


----------



## CptJack

Y'all have dogs killing small things and mine's petrified of them. 

Though thinking about it, I don't think my guys have ever successfully gotten a bird. Rabbit once or twice, chipmunks, mice, voles, moles, etc, but nothing really flying.


----------



## Flaming

I could loan you Manna, she'd teach others real quick how to catch random small animals. 

It's weird, normally I wouldn't say she has any prey drive but...for a lumbering 150 lbs dog she sure is good at catching small and medium sized birds.


----------



## GrinningDog

Gypsy had a suspicious lump removed today, a deviation from what was supposed to be a routine yearly well visit to the vet. The vet expects it's benign, but because Gypsy's a young dog and she's never had a lump before, we're getting it biopsied to be sure. I'm stressing a little. I'll know in a week. 

Miss Gyp now has a snazzy bald patch on her hip where they shaved, and a couple sutures. First thing she did when we got home was try to tear them out (with near success), so she's now in the Cone of Shame. Between fireworks being shot off + the utter misery of wearing a cone, my dog is drooping around the house, making me feel absolutely terrible for her. She was hiding in the bathtub for an hour because of the fireworks and then couldn't get OUT of the tub because of the cone...


----------



## Laurelin

Mia is going grey. Amazing how it just sneaks up on you. Can't believe she's working on 7 years.

2 years
mia 2 years by Lauren Fortenberry, on Flickr

6 and a few months
63 by Lauren Fortenberry, on Flickr


----------



## jade5280

When your dogs catch small animals, how do they do it? Sneak up on them? Mine have never caught anything before, I'm assuming because they scream while they are running and that scares the animals off before they can catch them.


----------



## jade5280

GoGoGypsy said:


> Gypsy had a suspicious lump removed today, a deviation from what was supposed to be a routine yearly well visit to the vet. The vet expects it's benign, but because Gypsy's a young dog and she's never had a lump before, we're getting it biopsied to be sure. I'm stressing a little. I'll know in a week.
> 
> Miss Gyp now has a snazzy bald patch on her hip where they shaved, and a couple sutures. First thing she did when we got home was try to tear them out (with near success), so she's now in the Cone of Shame. Between fireworks being shot off + the utter misery of wearing a cone, my dog is drooping around the house, making me feel absolutely terrible for her. She was hiding in the bathtub for an hour because of the fireworks and then couldn't get OUT of the tub because of the cone...


I hope it's nothing to worry about. Gypsy has like 5 small lumps on her that are benign, but I'm always worried that it's going to turn into something serious. I call her Lumpy princess.


----------



## cookieface

Glad to hear Jack's lump wasn't serious and hoping for the same results for Gypsy. 



jade5280 said:


> When your dogs catch small animals, how do they do it? Sneak up on them? Mine have never caught anything before, I'm assuming because they scream while they are running and that scares the animals off before they can catch them.


I've seen Katie stalk prey, but not really sneak up. She'll watch intently and then chase (if necessary) and pounce. Most of the critters she gets are when she has her head in tall grass or ground cover, so she sees/smells and then quickly grabs them. Other critters, she'll chase until she catches them (or they escape). She's eerily quiet the entire time.


----------



## Kayota

laur i feel you, roxie is about six and her muzzle is white... everyone thinks she is old between that and the scruffiness. her eyebrows are white too. my icon was taken at about three years and the sig just recently, even between the two there is a huge difference although she was getting a touch of grey in the icon.


----------



## jade5280

cookieface said:


> Glad to hear Jack's lump wasn't serious and hoping for the same results for Gypsy.
> 
> 
> 
> I've seen Katie stalk prey, but not really sneak up. She'll watch intently and then chase (if necessary) and pounce. Most of the critters she gets are when she has her head in tall grass or ground cover, so she sees/smells and then quickly grabs them. Other critters, she'll chase until she catches them (or they escape). She's eerily quiet the entire time.


 Interesting. That makes sense. Mine don't know what quiet means lol


----------



## Laurelin

jade5280 said:


> When your dogs catch small animals, how do they do it? Sneak up on them? Mine have never caught anything before, I'm assuming because they scream while they are running and that scares the animals off before they can catch them.


Mia has caught mice and Hank has so far just gotten the one bird. They both basically just run up and grab them. Mia is a *bit* more stealthy but Hank just goes nuts. He just jumped up and grabbed the bird as it tried to take of. The first mice Mia got I didn't see. Just found her with the dead body. Second mouse she chased around a while then pinned then killed. After that she got to where she'd just run up and snap their neck in a single motion. 

Both my dogs are quiet when actually catching animals.

I handled the bird much much better than the mice. Mice skeeve me out so bad. I'd actually have a snake if I didn't have to deal with dead mice. I HATE them. It's probably borderline phobia.


----------



## Ilovedogs56

Laurelin said:


> Mia is going grey. Amazing how it just sneaks up on you. Can't believe she's working on 7 years.
> 
> 2 years
> mia 2 years by Lauren Fortenberry, on Flickr
> 
> 6 and a few months
> 63 by Lauren Fortenberry, on Flickr


Mia! I have always loved Mia. I also can't believe she is almost seven!


----------



## CptJack

I'm hoping for good results for Gypsy, too, and the gowing gray thing kills me. Jack looks so old lately. Acts fine, but he looks ancient to me. 

Catching prey - mine mostly freeze for a bit when they spot something and then rush it/chase it until they catch it or lose it. They're not sniffy dogs, but pretty visually hunters.


----------



## Laurelin

Mia only really played with that first couple mice. It really was like watching a cat play with their prey. Hank was playing with the bird too. Carry it and then spit it out then pick it back up. It looked in bad shape when it finally got away from him. But then it vanished into my bushes. Then today Hank comes bringing the dead bird out of those same bushes. Hopefully it didn't suffer for long and died shortly after the incident. I kinda feel bad like I should have killed it sooner and not waited to see if maybe it was ok.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, mine don't play just sometimes they're better at the catch than others and some chasing happens. 

Mention of the having snakes except for mice reminded me that I have pet mice that Molly has been warned away from a few times and basically told to stay away from pretty heavily for about half her life. She is just weird enough that I would not be terribly surprised if she's now avoiding the wild mice who occasionally break in/spot where she saw one. No huge deal since Jack also lives here, but it's kind of funny.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> Mia has caught mice and Hank has so far just gotten the one bird. They both basically just run up and grab them. Mia is a *bit* more stealthy but Hank just goes nuts. He just jumped up and grabbed the bird as it tried to take of. The first mice Mia got I didn't see. Just found her with the dead body. Second mouse she chased around a while then pinned then killed. After that she got to where she'd just run up and snap their neck in a single motion.
> 
> Both my dogs are quiet when actually catching animals.
> 
> I handled the bird much much better than the mice. Mice skeeve me out so bad. I'd actually have a snake if I didn't have to deal with dead mice. I HATE them. It's probably borderline phobia.


Maya (the black cocker) caught a bird like that once. Stalked it up to a bush and then when it tried to fly away she jumped up and caught it. I chased her around for a bit (she did NOT want me to take it from her) but it was dead once I got her.


----------



## BellaPup

Bella's muzzle has always had a little grey in it. But now it's spreading and her eyebrows and whiskers are turning, too  The years just go by way too fast. 

I'm sure Gypsy will be okay....but I'll keep her in my thoughts, Jade! Lumpy-bumpies can be scary!


----------



## North&South

@CptJack, I'm new to this forum. Can you tell me the names of your dogs as they appear in your signature please?


----------



## North&South

TheDarkestMinds said:


> I just posted an ad with his picture asking if anyone has seen or purchased him. I made it clear that if he was in a good situation I would not force them to give him back. I just simply want to know where he is. Hopefully it leads to something.


Have you been able to find out anything yet?


----------



## CptJack

North&South said:


> @CptJack, I'm new to this forum. Can you tell me the names of your dogs as they appear in your signature please?


Sure! Jack, Bug, Kylie, Thud, Molly - that's also in order of age. So Jack: 8.5, Bug 8, Kylie 3, Thud 2.5, Molly 1.


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## jade5280

Ryker just got out of surgery for a neuter. Everything went well and I should be able to pick him up soon. Ugh if we weren't having issues with him that neutering may possibly help I would have kept him intact. I just feel sick thinking about the risks of surgery (even though they're small) and the pain in the arse recovery. He's going to wear a cone for 7-10 days.

Also the bloodwork that we did came back and they said his thyroid levels are low and that could be a cause for anxiety. She also said it could be normal for him since all dogs are different and to not be concerned about it since he's not showing any physical signs of it. I elected to have further blood tests done just in case.


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## Laurelin

Totally random musing but I'm alone and bored at work so. Shoulda vacationed like everyone else.

I really like having a very high energy and relatively high drive dog. I wish people were less weird about it though. There was a convo at agility this week where Hank was lumped into 'with dogs like THESE' about how hard 'these kinds of dogs' are to live with. The entire class is young herders (BCs and aussies and a corgi) and Hank. Hank is definitely up there as far as the energy level and intensity goes compared to the classmates. Both my trainers have referred to him as very high drive.

He's not hard to live with. He fits me very well. His drive is one of my favorite things about him. He's easy to motivate, eager to work and learn. I spend less time having to ramp him up- he does it himself. He's game to work whenever and for however long. Instead I get to focus on the fun stuff and fine tuning. I can throw toy rewards with him which makes agility 1000x easier. I am getting distance work on him I'd never dream of with the papillons. I'm getting down into agility training nitty gritty I never would have been able to with my other dogs. It's fun. Because he's so easy to motivate he learns fast. He's easy to exercise because he's so easy to focus. 

I got looked at like I had multiple heads when I said he was very easy. But it's true.

I feel like the bad side of 'high drive dogs' gets talked about a lot but not the good side. For people really into training it makes so many things so freaking much easier. Like sooooo much easier. Well... I guess if the dog is biddable and focused too.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Totally random musing but I'm alone and bored at work so. Shoulda vacationed like everyone else.
> 
> I really like having a very high energy and relatively high drive dog. I wish people were less weird about it though. There was a convo at agility this week where Hank was lumped into 'with dogs like THESE' about how hard 'these kinds of dogs' are to live with. The entire class is young herders (BCs and aussies and a corgi) and Hank. Hank is definitely up there as far as the energy level and intensity goes compared to the classmates. Both my trainers have referred to him as very high drive.
> 
> He's not hard to live with. He fits me very well. His drive is one of my favorite things about him. He's easy to motivate, eager to work and learn. I spend less time having to ramp him up- he does it himself. He's game to work whenever and for however long. I can throw toy rewards with him which makes agility 1000x easier. I am getting distance work on him I'd never dream of with the papillons. Because he's so easy to motivate he learns fast. He's easy to exercise because he's so easy to focus.
> 
> I got looked at like I had multiple heads when I said he was very easy.
> 
> I feel like the bad side of 'high drive dogs' gets talked about a lot but not the good side. For people really into training it makes so many things so freaking much easier. Like sooooo much easier. Well... I guess if the dog is biddable and focused too.


I think "dogs like these" lump in a lot of high energy/drive dogs who aren't particularly biddable or focused, especially when young. A dog with too much energy and no way to channel it is exhausting. 

My friends ACDx is pretty high energy and high drive, he reminds me so much of Hank, and he is really easy to live with. They hardly exercise him beyond fetch because they have a baby, and they aren't dog people so they haven't done any training. He is just so biddable and listens to everything you say immediately, and will work or do tricks all day long. The only thing difficult about him is his reactivity, but he is totally fine off leash. He would be a dream dog for dog sports, but he really does just fine in a low key family with little dog experience. But I don't know how common that is. I see a lot of higher energy dogs in classes and think "glad I don't own that dog!" even though people are probably looking at mine and saying the same thing. lol


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## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> I think "dogs like these" lump in a lot of high energy/drive dogs who aren't particularly biddable or focused, especially when young. A dog with too much energy and no way to channel it is exhausting.
> 
> My friends ACDx is pretty high energy and high drive, he reminds me so much of Hank, and he is really easy to live with. They hardly exercise him beyond fetch because they have a baby, and they aren't dog people so they haven't done any training. He is just so biddable and listens to everything you say immediately, and will work or do tricks all day long. The only thing difficult about him is his reactivity, but he is totally fine off leash. He would be a dream dog for dog sports, but he really does just fine in a low key family with little dog experience. But I don't know how common that is. I see a lot of higher energy dogs in classes and think "glad I don't own that dog!" even though people are probably looking at mine and saying the same thing. lol


I think the difficulty of those dogs is not the drive it's the 'other stuff'. But it made me laugh when people said 'high drive dogs are hard to live with'. Because that's not true. High drive + frantic+ no off switch + not biddable would probably be pretty hard lol. But high drive + off switch + stable temperament + biddable has to be the easiest or one of the easiest types of dogs particularly in dog sports. Just so much potential to tap into and use.


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## CptJack

I think like everything else it's about fit. I consider Molly easier to live with than Jack in many ways, but *MY* perception of what is easy to live with, because it fits my lifestyle, training goals and desires does not mean that she would be easy for other people to live with. Objectively, if someone wasn't going to work her, she'd be miserable and so would they. 

I think all the warning off and special snowflake syndrome is annoying as I ever did, but I'm really coming to understand more why people do it. I think they do it wrong, I think they are defeating their own purposes, I think they're being insulting of other people while patting themselves on the back/being self-congratulatory, and I think they're often just being obnoxious but. 

Me finding Molly easy to live with doesn't mean she would be easy to live with in another home - unlike Jack who would not be the ideal dog for everyone but would never be truly difficult to LIVE with or develop bad behaviors based on lack of ...anything, really, from his owner. He'd be hard to train at an advanced level, he might be frustrating, but he'd never truly make day to day life annoying for anyone. Bug COULD be trained at any level, and owned by just about anyone with any lifestyle who wanted to do anything and be okay. 

I just think, ultimately, the higher energy, higher drive dogs have a more narrow range of homes where EVERYONE is happy. Not that they're harder or easier, just... more specific in what they need to be happy and the sort of person they're going to make happy instead of driving batty.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I think the difficulty of those dogs is not the drive it's the 'other stuff'. But it made me laugh when people said 'high drive dogs are hard to live with'. Because that's not true. High drive + frantic+ no off switch + not biddable would probably be pretty hard lol. But high drive + off switch + stable temperament + biddable has to be the easiest or one of the easiest types of dogs particularly in dog sports.


Yes! Totally agree. The high drive part is not the difficult part, it's the other stuff that sometimes comes with it. If Watson was exactly the same as he is now, but higher drive, he would be so much easier to deal with. I think both his overstimulated side, and his sensitivity to training pressure would both be easier if he had more drive.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I think the difficulty of those dogs is not the drive it's the 'other stuff'. But it made me laugh when people said 'high drive dogs are hard to live with'. Because that's not true. High drive + frantic+ no off switch + not biddable would probably be pretty hard lol. But high drive + off switch + stable temperament + biddable has to be the easiest or one of the easiest types of dogs particularly in dog sports. Just so much potential to tap into and use.


I think the thing is, though, I can't think of a single high energy, high drive dog who started off with a good off switch and a stable temperament. As an adult in rescue - yes. As a young puppy? Usually those are things you need to train to some degree. And once you've got them, awesome, but they don't come out of the box that way probably 99% of the time. *ETA:* I'm not saying they need that trained in all the time, just that the intermediate stages that seem to commonly occur are not fun and would be less so if you were unprepared/didn't see them coming.

That said, I will never own a dog without good drive again because it's the easiest thing in the WORLD to harness. If it's drive for the right things, and well. LEt's just say I'm never owning a scenthound, either.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I think the thing is, though, I can't think of a single high energy, high drive dog who started off with a good off switch and a stable temperament. As an adult in rescue - yes. As a young puppy? Usually those are things you need to train to some degree. And once you've got them, awesome, but they don't come out of the box that way probably 99% of the time. *ETA:* I'm not saying they need that trained in all the time, just that the intermediate stages that seem to commonly occur are not fun and would be less so if you were unprepared/didn't see them coming.


The ACDx came home when he was ~9 months, and he was pretty nuts. A couple years makes a big difference. He is still easier to deal with than Watson in many ways though, mostly because he's so biddable and has always had 100% recall. Dropping toys on your feet for an hour is much easier to live with than a dog who won't recall, even for regular pet people.


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## Laurelin

I do wonder how Hank would be in another home. I go back and forth on it but mostly think he'd be fine in a good number of them provided they were active. His first two weeks especially were pretty freaking rough though. I've had my vet and some sport people comment about how far he's come along behaviorally and how well I've been able to mold him into a 'do anything dog'. But none of it felt like WORK on my end, you know? The initial adjustment- yes, but that's true with any dog. He tries very hard to be a good boy.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> The ACDx came home when he was ~9 months, and he was pretty nuts. A couple years makes a big difference. He is still easier to deal with than Watson in many ways though, mostly because he's so biddable and has always had 100% recall. Dropping toys on your feet for an hour is much easier to live with than a dog who won't recall, even for regular pet people.


Some of it, though, is grass is greener. I never had to teach Molly a recall - ever. That was GREAT. That... doesn't mean she didn't come with her own issues. Like that toy drive and chase drive that made the recall so easy (when I had a toy!) meant she chased the cats obsessively for nearly a year. And that I'd 'lose her' to grasshoppers in the yard, or birds landing and for a while birds IN THE AIR. And that she tried to leap out the car windows when we were passed by other cars for a while. Or that she came danged close to being actually OCD about fetch at one point and we had to put the balls away because she lost her ability to see/hear/do anything else in the presence of a ball, including, you know, listen to anything I said including recall. 

I'm NOT saying they're not easy in some ways, I'm just saying that as in anything else there is a trade off and to get the benefit you get some other stuff that keeps it from being cake. YES, you can teach a recall in two minutes, but there's also other stuff you're going to have to fight with to make it happen. YES, you get biddability - IF you can break the environmental focus, because it's visual but it's a big danged deal sometimes.


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## Laurelin

I guess my main point is even though drive always appealed to me I was semi-scared off at a couple points by hearing horror stories but now that I have that in a dog I realize I shouldn't have ever been worried about living with it. Because it's easy *for me* to live with high energy and high drive. In fact it's easier for me to live with in a lot of ways than low energy/low drive.


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## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> The ACDx came home when he was ~9 months, and he was pretty nuts. A couple years makes a big difference. He is still easier to deal with than Watson in many ways though, mostly because he's so biddable and has always had 100% recall. Dropping toys on your feet for an hour is much easier to live with than a dog who won't recall, even for regular pet people.


See, Luna's recall isn't perfect (I have never let her off leash outside of fenced areas- day to day we live as though she has no recall, always leashed or contained) and I would much rather deal with this for the rest of her life than her constantly needing attention and needing me to actively engage with her. I think I would go crazy.


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## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> The ACDx came home when he was ~9 months, and he was pretty nuts. A couple years makes a big difference. He is still easier to deal with than Watson in many ways though, mostly because he's so biddable and has always had 100% recall. Dropping toys on your feet for an hour is much easier to live with than a dog who won't recall, even for regular pet people.


Hank has been mostly good about toys since day 1. Possibly because I learned my lesson with Mia. 

Hank's recall is my least favorite thing about him. He has some pretty serious prey drive issues.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I do wonder how Hank would be in another home. I go back and forth on it but mostly think he'd be fine in a good number of them provided they were active. His first two weeks especially were pretty freaking rough though. I've had my vet and some sport people comment about how far he's come along behaviorally and how well I've been able to mold him into a 'do anything dog'. But none of it felt like WORK on my end, you know? The initial adjustment- yes, but that's true with any dog. He tries very hard to be a good boy.


Molly works her butt off for me, and she's been no work really from my perception except reactivity. I think any DOG person would do okay with her, if they were willing to get her into some classes or some sport on any level or any capacity (doesn't matter what, just structured stuff). I also think, given her fear periods, her reactivity, her chase-y-ness, and her inclination to fixate/obsess she could have wound up as a seriously neurotic and nearly nonfunctional dog. Like not patting myself on the back, I'm not special and she's not bad, and she hasn't been HARD for me, but there is some stuff there that I could see leading nowhere good. 

And I just... don't see that stuff in Jack and Bug, or even Kylie. Like it doesn't matter how you raised them, you were going to ultimately end up with a really good dog. Maybe a fearful shut down one with too much harshness (jack), a super shy one without lots of confidence building (Kylie), and a rude one if not trained (Bug) but nothing that would result in a dog who was really falling apart or a problem for the people it lived with.


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## Laurelin

TL DR;

I'm glad I branched out away from shelties and papillons this time.


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## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> See, Luna's recall isn't perfect (I have never let her off leash outside of fenced areas- day to day we live as though she has no recall, always leashed or contained) and I would much rather deal with this for the rest of her life than her constantly needing attention and needing me to actively engage with her. I think I would go crazy.


Yeah, I guess not everybody would choose that. I like the interaction and a dog who pushes me to interact with them. And I don't like that I have 10 acres and a dog with a sketchy recall. Haha.

Still, we pretty much all agree that when Watson is annoying, he is much harder to live with than Grey. Watson is a good dog really, and would be a good pet for most people, his lack of biddability and drive that is easily harnessed makes him difficult to deal with at times. Grey just takes a word from you and he'll do whatever you want.


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## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> Molly works her butt off for me, and she's been no work really from my perception except reactivity. I think any DOG person would do okay with her, if they were willing to get her into some classes or some sport on any level or any capacity (doesn't matter what, just structured stuff). I also think, given her fear periods, her reactivity, her chase-y-ness, and her inclination to fixate/obsess she could have wound up as a seriously neurotic and nearly nonfunctional dog. Like not patting myself on the back, I'm not special and she's not bad, and she hasn't been HARD for me, but there is some stuff there that I could see leading nowhere good.
> 
> And I just... don't see that stuff in Jack and Bug, or even Kylie. Like it doesn't matter how you raised them, you were going to ultimately end up with a really good dog. Maybe a fearful shut down one with too much harshness (jack), a super shy one (Kylie), and a rude one (Bug) but nothing that would result in a dog who was really falling apart or a problem for the people it lived with.


I'm not sure that is a *drive* thing per say though? Of mine the one most apt to be real 'messed up' is definitely Mia. She's sharp, obsessive, very quirky, reactive, kind of a bitch (lol). Maybe intolerant is a better word. 

But she's lower energy and lower drive than Hank. Hank DID end up as a really really good dog with who knows what upbringing. You can have a lot of drive and energy and still have a really solid, easy temperament.


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## elrohwen

Watson would have been hell on wheels in most pet homes, until about 3 years old. I don't think you could screw him up, but he could make you want to strangle him for a couple years.


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## CptJack

ireth0 said:


> See, Luna's recall isn't perfect (I have never let her off leash outside of fenced areas- day to day we live as though she has no recall, always leashed or contained) and I would much rather deal with this for the rest of her life than her constantly needing attention and needing me to actively engage with her. I think I would go crazy.


For me the 'NO WAY" spot is when you have a dog with lots of energy and exuberance who needs and demands all the attention AND exercise ever - on their terms, while not really wanting to listen/be biddable. 

I love Thud a lot but he is not a dog that should, honestly, probably even exist. You want to see me pat myself on the back for owning a difficult dog, he is IT.


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## Laurelin

I'm pretty sure you could not ever mess Summer up. She's just kind of perfect.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I'm not sure that is a *drive* thing per say though? Of mine the one most apt to be real 'messed up' is definitely Mia. She's sharp, obsessive, very quirky, reactive, kind of a bitch (lol). Maybe intolerant is a better word.
> 
> But she's lower energy and lower drive than Hank. Hank DID end up as a really really good dog with who knows what upbringing. You can have a lot of drive and energy and still have a really solid, easy temperament.


No, I don't think it's a drive thing re: a dog who could be screwed up in another home. 

I DO think it's a drive thing with Molly, though, because of what her drive IS. All of her stuff is related to her fundamental drive which is to notice, react to and control movement. Every last one of those things is, from the obsessiveness to her desire to jump out of a moving car to the fact that she recalls easily because I HAD THE BALL TO THROW, or could run the other way. 

She's also biddable which helped deal with the issues, but the potential difficulties themselves? They came from the same drive that made her into toys.


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## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, I guess not everybody would choose that. I like the interaction and a dog who pushes me to interact with them. And I don't like that I have 10 acres and a dog with a sketchy recall. Haha.
> 
> Still, we pretty much all agree that when Watson is annoying, he is much harder to live with than Grey. Watson is a good dog really, and would be a good pet for most people, his lack of biddability and drive that is easily harnessed makes him difficult to deal with at times. Grey just takes a word from you and he'll do whatever you want.


Luna pushes interaction but it is more passive interaction. IE: I'm going to lay on top of you now so you will pet me while you are watching TV/interneting/etc. VS needing to be 100% present in an activity like fetch or tug or something like that. 

We also just recently got chairs for our backyard (after a year...) so lately we have been enjoying hanging out in the backyard more often together and she will just sprawl in the sun. 

Not to say that she won't engage if we try to engage with her, she's always up for stuff, but she also doesn't NEED to be doing stuff with us all the time, which fits our lifestyle well.


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## Laurelin

Several agility friends have gotten more 'agility oriented' (higher drive- being honest basically all BCs lol) dogs/breeds. For the most part it's gone really really well for them despite many having reservations about it prior.


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## elrohwen

Oh, apparently all of Watson's children are crazy. LOL Some of the other puppy buyers sound a bit overwhelmed. I'm not at all surprised at that for a couple of the bigger boys who seemed like hellions, but I'm surprised on some of the others. One, my honest pick of the litter for personality alone, is being described as an "alpha dog" and they are getting in a trainer. They are 13 weeks old, how hard can they be? I also picked the 2nd or 3rd craziest in the litter on purpose, and I think Hazel is fine. She can be nuts, but she also sleeps a lot, and can be easily redirected from bad stuff. Really, the only thing I struggle with is how often she has to pee. Haha

Most of these people have had dogs before, often Welshies, so I can't tell if they're just inexperienced or what. I didn't even think he was wild until about 8 months, which makes me feel bad for the people who think they are nuts now.


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## CptJack

I have absolutely no regrets about Molly, at all. The reactivity thing has been a pain in my butt, for pure fit for me she is the best dog I have ever owned - except Kylie, and Kylie's not a breed. I doubt I will ever own a purebred that is not a BC going forward. She's been weird, but she's been a good kind of weird for me - and I really think by the time she's 2 or 3 she's going to be out of this world.


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## Laurelin

I think I still want a variety but it'll likely be variety in the form of a BC, an ACD, pyrshep, Aussie, Belgian, borderstaffy... etc sticking to the general personality type. I just can't see myself as a one breed person again. After having so many shelties and papillons it's nice to get something that brings something different to the table. 

If Hank was a breed I'd be sorely tempted to go with another. I have honestly not run into a dog just like him yet. Certain breeds have bits and pieces but not the whole picture and it's a bummer. I'm pretty sure I'd have about 20 people in line if I could figure out how to make more. He is everyone's favorite dog whenever I take him anywhere. 

I see what I like in individuals and not so much breeds. I'm super glad I didn't get a sheltie though. Hank is showing me that I am very much more a Hank person than a sheltie person. Only problem is what is a Hank? And how do I find another?

On that note I doubt I'll get another dog till after Summer is gone. I've toyed with it and I like the thought on the one hand. On the other hand I don't know that I have time and money with Hank. On the plus side two of my friends have BCs that are from a line I'm interested in so I'll get to see how they turn out? They're both babies just starting sports stuff.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Kairi has some absolutely great drive. She is not hard to live with one bit. She has an off switch to die for. People wouldn't tolerate her barking or reactive issues well.. but other than that she is and always has been a piece of cake. She is just.. solid and not afraid of anything. Loves dogs. I have yet to see any real aggression in her what so ever. Always happy. Always goofy but serious at the same time. She wants to please but can be a little bull headed in her confidence at times. Because she is between soft and hard, she would not easily be ruined. 

Ember on the other hand.. man. She has great biddability and focus. Learns like lightning and is definitely obsessive over toys. She sticks close by default. Fairly soft. Mostly great stuff. But.. she is just WEIRD. She has went through more fear stages than I've ever dealt with. She is a PUPPY that is already flaky with other dogs. Though my BC people in agility say that's not uncommon in the breed at all. I just.. can't put my finger on her. I really do think a more dog savvy person is needed for a dog like her. She is definitely different. 

She is not a bad dog by any means and I love her, but I'm pretty convinced that Aussies are more for me. I feel like they are more stable with some of the herding breed perks.  Maybe as time goes on I will figure her out better, she will mature and we will come to an understanding. I really love some of her quirks. They are a lot of fun.


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## Laurelin

I don't know if I'm a BC person to be honest. There's an ACD here I ADORE and a mini aussie in my class I adore too. The BC in my class is wired but not biddable at all and very un-focused. 

My friends have a lot of BCs and I admire their work ethics overall. A couple are definitely up my alley. A lot are really soft. Hank overwhelms a few of them. My friend's BC pup was afraid of me for a few weeks. I'm not sure if I'm too loud? I KNOW Hank is too rough and loud. They have become friends but Hank still gets too over the top sometimes. 

I like ACDs but dang the dog-dog issues and I run into more drive issues in ACDs than BCs. They're either flat out crazy or just... flat. Aussies I like sometimes but most aren't drivey enough. I'd take a Kairi though. Maybe the right sport bred BC for me? I want something intense, dog friendly, not phased by anything, biddable, focused, people friendly, good off switch, loves to work.


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## elrohwen

Just thinking out loud, but I think the problem with intense dogs is that they can be intense about the wrong things, like disliking other dogs, disliking strangers, etc. A low key dog is going to be low key about everything, including work. An intense dog may be intense about work, but may also displace that intensity. It's a tough balance. 

I think that may be why people say drivey dogs are hard to own. A nice stable dog who also has high drive is fine, but any little instability can be magnified by a dog who does everything all out. In a less drivey dog, that little instability may remain small and easier to live with.


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## Laurelin

It is a tough balance for sure. Hank puts that intensity up in ways I don't like sometimes. He will get somewhat fired up over conflicts (must be the ACD in him). He full out was ready to take on that saint Bernard that charged us for example. At lure coursing he is probably the most obnoxious dog there with his screaming. He screams a lot. But in 'normal' situations with normal, friendly dogs he's good. Overall though I'd rather deal with that than deal with flat. 

He actually does have some weird fears though. He decided this probably almost 80 year old lady wearing sunglasses was not supposed to be in the dog park last weekend. WTF Hank? She bothered him a lot, walking around.


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## d_ray

elrohwen said:


> My friends ACDx is pretty high energy and high drive, he reminds me so much of Hank, and he is really easy to live with. They hardly exercise him beyond fetch because they have a baby, and they aren't dog people so they haven't done any training. He is just so biddable and listens to everything you say immediately, and will work or do tricks all day long. The only thing difficult about him is his reactivity, but he is totally fine off leash. He would be a dream dog for dog sports, but he really does just fine in a low key family with little dog experience. But I don't know how common that is. I see a lot of higher energy dogs in classes and think "glad I don't own that dog!" even though people are probably looking at mine and saying the same thing. lol


This is Jazz to a T. She has never ending energy and drive, but only outdoors. She is the most biddable dog I have ever met. I never trained recall and she comes the second you even say her name. She can be mid sprint and will come to complete stop and run back to you. She is the easiest dog to live with. She gets into nothing (while we are home), barely barks, pretty well chills all the time and just wants to snuggle, has no SA, and no RG. She is the perfect dog with the exception of mild fear of strangers and extreme leash re-activity towards other dogs. She is just so biddable and it's almost like it has never occurred to her not to listen. She is either ON (100%) outside or Off (100%) indoors. There is no middle ground. I would get another "Jazz" in a heartbeat.


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## elrohwen

d_ray said:


> elrohwen said:
> 
> 
> 
> My friends ACDx is pretty high energy and high drive, he reminds me so much of Hank, and he is really easy to live with. They hardly exercise him beyond fetch because they have a baby, and they aren't dog people so they haven't done any training. He is just so biddable and listens to everything you say immediately, and will work or do tricks all day long. The only thing difficult about him is his reactivity, but he is totally fine off leash. He would be a dream dog for dog sports, but he really does just fine in a low key family with little dog experience. But I don't know how common that is. I see a lot of higher energy dogs in classes and think "glad I don't own that dog!" even though people are probably looking at mine and saying the same thing. lol
> 
> 
> 
> This is Jazz to a T. She has never ending energy and drive, but only outdoors. She is the most biddable dog I have ever met. I never trained recall and she comes the second you even say her name. She can be mid sprint and will come to complete stop and run back to you. She is the easiest dog to live with. She gets into nothing (while we are home), barely barks, pretty well chills all the time and just wants to snuggle, has no SA, and no RG. She is the perfect dog with the exception of mild fear of strangers and extreme leash re-activity towards other dogs. She is just so biddable and it's almost like it has never occurred to her not to listen. She is either ON (100%) outside or Off (100%) indoors. There is no middle ground. I would get another "Jazz" in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...


Oh, I didn't mean to imply that Grey was quiet in the house. Lol. He barks at the slightest thing and never sleeps. He rests, but I swear he always has one eye open ready to leap to action if you twitch a muscle. At least when Watson sleeps he is down hard but I've never seen Grey that relaxed.


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## CptJack

If Kylie were a breed I'd never have another question about what breed to own again. She isn't the greatest sports dog in the world but she's solid and she's good. Way more importantly to me than the sports stuff is she's a really good ME dog. That's not about anything I could define easily, though, and it's certainly nothing I could narrow down to a trait or series of traits to look for with any expectation of getting the same result again. If I had to take all those traits in her I love and match them against a basic breed profile, I'd wind up with some cobbled together mix of pap, sheltie, and BC. 

Herding breed wise... I land firmly in preferring the soft, sensitive, kind of spooky, sometimes fearful, obsessive dogs rather than the harder tempered ones. I WANT to like Aussies and ACD more than BCs and the like, because they are everywhere and they look AWESOME and I admire a lot of traits they have, but at the end of the day I really wouldn't enjoy living with them and if Thud has taught me nothing it is that. I can handle the weird fears, the spookiness, the neurosis, the obsessions, the noise level, the reactivity, the strange quirks, and general weirdnesses, even dog issues, but I can not handle a dog who does not respect my physical space or one who has a 'hard' temperament. 

I swear to god I can't believe this is coming out of my mouth (because I SWORE I liked harder dogs more) but Jack, Kylie and Molly and Thud have made it really, really clear to me that while I like a dog who bounces back FROM things and can recover and carry on (Jack can't), I can not handle a dog who just doesn't care, or seem to notice. It sounds awful (to me) in saying, but when I communicate 'you're wrong/not that/stop' to the dog (usually via no-reward marker) I want the dog's response to be the doggy equivalent of 'Oops, my bad! Sorry!' NOT 'Whatever.' I mean I could just up the corrections, but I don't want to. Mostly though it just really, really, irrationally DRIVES ME INSANE. 

Ditto the DRIVES ME INSANE for a dog who is physically rough and tumble with people. I do not want to be jumped on, pounced on, climbed, bitten or anything involving physical contact that basically isn't 'rebound because I told you to', sleeping at my feet, or stationary affection (ala cuddle on the couch).


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## Laurelin

Hank is this weird lazy and active paradox. He sleeps like a rock... a cuddly rock. But he goes more than most any dog I've seen at any opportunity. And he's not hard but not soft either. Physical? Yes. Responds to corrections? Most the time. Except for leash pulling and instances where prey drive trumps me. He is the most responsive dog I've ever owned. It's pretty much uncanny. Once he's got his job in whatever situation down it's down pat.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> For me the 'NO WAY" spot is when you have a dog with lots of energy and exuberance who needs and demands all the attention AND exercise ever - on their terms, while not really wanting to listen/be biddable.
> 
> I love Thud a lot but he is not a dog that should, honestly, probably even exist. You want to see me pat myself on the back for owning a difficult dog, he is IT.


Being honest this was Remus. This is what breeders don't tell you about Carolina Dogs (and probably because a lot of the breeders are using other breeds in their breeding programs, he was from feral). I loved him so much and I miss him all of the time but he was a hard dog. It wasn't the drive, it was that he just didn't care. Forget training games to wear him out, he wasn't interested and had no real motivation. In reality he wanted to be doing what he was built to be doing, running, digging, hunting, not cooped up in a house. So that left us with jogging, swimming and hiking to keep him busy and it just really didn't do it for him. He had reactivity and crazy prey drive. He loved us though, he just had more and more difficulty being content as he reached maturity. 

Magic has easily the same amount of drive and energy but she is really not the difficult to live with. She is a little crazy when the weather is bad and she can't run but I have dogs she can wrestle it out with and she is so eager to please. She just really wants to be a good dog. Yes she wants to eat the bunnies and the squirrels, and the birds, and quite possibly the neighbor's cat but she leaves my cat alone and she is up for anything any time. She does demand all of the attention all of the time but my son is exactly like her. I guess I sort of have "that type of kid" too (actually kind of have two of them). 

I don't think you could mess up Freyja, if you were really harsh she might shut down but that would be it. She is just easy. Lenore is pretty easy too though she was never taught not to play by nipping fingers so we are going to work on that (not that she bites hard but still). She isn't the easy to train dog in the world. I don't know about Lad yet but so far so good.


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## CptJack

Molly is on or off, period and the end. In the house she's off. Everywhere else she's on. Once she knows the drill, she's got it and does it - this can be a problem when the drill changes and she doesn't believe me, but I'm cool with that.

I don't even know how to explain what exactly it is about me, but it's not just in the dog being attentive or not. It's not just the response to correction, either, but how it fits in with the bigger picture, but the part I was talking about there literally is just correction - ie: how the dog acknowledges correction, or doesn't acknowledge it at all (and by that I don't mean 'fix the thing' I mean the dog responds to a no reward marker or correction the same way as you saying the sky is blue or offering them food or a toy). This ALSO applies to corrections given by other dogs. 

Suffice it to say I have an irrational response to happy, physical, extremely confident dogs that would make me a poor fit, regardless of biddability. I'm a terrible person but honestly Thud hits that and I have had to walk away from him because I am a patient person in most circumstances and have very little temper but he pushes buttons that I didn't know I had that leave me needing to leave before the top of my head blows off. Fortunately, as he gets older he gets 'better' in that he's toned down a lot and we've found compromises to keep us both okay.

He is the only dog I've ever owned to make me ANGRY, though, and thinking about it ten years ago he wouldn't have been an issue for me at all. Heck, five years ago, probably. Then again, ten years ago extremely extroverted, confident, enthusiastic people wouldn't have bothered me either and they also now tend to be a personality type I can handle in small doses. 

ACDs and Aussies and the like aren't that extreme (at least most I've met) and certainly are more biddable/handler focused which helps, but they're far enough that while I enjoy watching them, visiting them, and other people's, I wouldn't want to live with most. They just live with labs for me in that respect. Individuals yes, I've met a few I loved and there is ONE aussie breeder producing dogs I love, but I just can't hack it anymore. It's not good for anyone.


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## CptJack

Remaru said:


> Being honest this was Remus. This is what breeders don't tell you about Carolina Dogs (and probably because a lot of the breeders are using other breeds in their breeding programs, he was from feral). I loved him so much and I miss him all of the time but he was a hard dog. It wasn't the drive, it was that he just didn't care. Forget training games to wear him out, he wasn't interested and had no real motivation. In reality he wanted to be doing what he was built to be doing, running, digging, hunting, not cooped up in a house. So that left us with jogging, swimming and hiking to keep him busy and it just really didn't do it for him. He had reactivity and crazy prey drive. He loved us though, he just had more and more difficulty being content as he reached maturity.
> 
> Magic has easily the same amount of drive and energy but she is really not the difficult to live with. She is a little crazy when the weather is bad and she can't run but I have dogs she can wrestle it out with and she is so eager to please. She just really wants to be a good dog. Yes she wants to eat the bunnies and the squirrels, and the birds, and quite possibly the neighbor's cat but she leaves my cat alone and she is up for anything any time. She does demand all of the attention all of the time but my son is exactly like her. I guess I sort of have "that type of kid" too (actually kind of have two of them).
> 
> I don't think you could mess up Freyja, if you were really harsh she might shut down but that would be it. She is just easy. Lenore is pretty easy too though she was never taught not to play by nipping fingers so we are going to work on that (not that she bites hard but still). She isn't the easy to train dog in the world. I don't know about Lad yet but so far so good.


Fortunately Thud is getting better as he matures instead of worse. He's honestly a very, very temperamentally sound dog, and that helps a lot. Like, that's his saving grace. If he had reactivity issues on top of the rest, I really don't know how I'd deal. He's beautiful, he's sweet, he's loving, he's trusting, and he is absolutely willing to listen more now than he was even a few months ago. So all my "HE MAKES ME MAD" stuff other post is mostly in the past, I just. I can't do that again. I can't. Not ever.

And maybe that's what my real issue is. "Does the dog remind me of Thud in any serious respect" and if the answer is yes, then I recoil. I LOVE HIM A LOT, and I can't imagine life without him, but I just. Do not have the mental fortitude to raise another him. Or, heck, maybe I'm just getting old and cranky and hate happiness.


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## Laurelin

I know several BCs that are pretty physical and hard. I also know some that are very very soft but a lot of the boys are pretty rowdy physical dogs. I find hank fits in well play wise with most the younger male BCs that are dog friendly. My trainers BC and hank are cut from very similar cloth. Unfortunately hump buddies. Lol


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## CptJack

Yeah, I've met some physical and hard BCs. I wouldn't buy or adopt a random BC without assessing (there are still some who rub me exactly wrong, just like there were before Molly, though fewer since I've learned I don't mind the crazy out of the house house behavior so much) nor would I turn down the right individual aussie or ACD or GSD. Like I said there is one local breeder who's dogs I love a lot, though they're HUGE and that's a bit of a turn off for me. 

I'm just pretty content with Molly at the moment, and I really like quite a few of the BCs in my club, both from breeders and rescues. Most of the ones I love are pretty similar to Molly - reactive, loud, intense, but crazy sweet and soft-ish, with a similar 'no touch' sort of play style with people and other dogs. There's one really soft, sweet, male who was in Molly's first foundations course. He is the dog who went after the GSD, but has apparently matured out of that now. We set up next to him at the last trial, and he spent a lot of time belly crawling to me for treats and love or going belly up for belly rubs. I would have stole that dog in a heartbeat. 

All truth though my next dog is likely to be some unidentifiable mix. It's just a toss up between that and a BC, at this point. And it's years and years away.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I can totally understand not wanting a super physical bounce off of you type of dog. Kairi does bounce off me. She walks on me with a wiggle butt and wraps herself around my neck/shoulders like a scarf while I'm sitting on the couch. She bounces from the floor to my face. She has knocked my husband in the balls so many times. Yup. It's not a trait that is right for everyone. When I get older I might not care for it as much. Honestly it makes me laugh a lot at this point in my life. 

That softness in the BC though.. just. Ouch. I feel so bad for Ember because I have anxiety and occasional depression. Kairi doesn't seem to care too much and will go about her day all while trying to make me laugh with her goofiness. Ember will avoid and do things that irritate me even more, like not go pee because she thinks I'm mad at her or something. It's not her fault by any means. It just means I have to work harder to be a better owner for her.


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## Eenypup

elrohwen said:


> I think that may be why people say drivey dogs are hard to own. A nice stable dog who also has high drive is fine, but any little instability can be magnified by a dog who does everything all out. In a less drivey dog, that little instability may remain small and easier to live with.


I feel like this is why any of Bennie's "issues" remain overall easy for me to deal with? She's SUCH a chill dog. She'll play for a bit or go for a run happily, but she's so content to lounge around and just never is drivey about anything except prey. Even that she's relatively easy to distract from, compared to other dogs I've seen/heard about. Most people are so shocked about how calm she is once she's greeted them... She's just very low-key. So yeah, she's weirded out by kids and other dogs a bit. But she just doesn't have enough, I guess it's drive? to make either of those things a big deal. She just doesn't react until she's forced to. Just minds her own business 99.9% of the time. Sometimes I think I want a higher energy dog so we could do dog sports or play fetch out in a field for hours, but I don't think I could handle a drivey dog with potential issues. I can barely (emotionally/mentally) handle Bennie when she's not perfect, and she's just so laid back.


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## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> That softness in the BC though.. just. Ouch. I feel so bad for Ember because I have anxiety and occasional depression. Kairi doesn't seem to care too much and will go about her day all while trying to make me laugh with her goofiness. Ember will avoid and do things that irritate me even more, like not go pee because she thinks I'm mad at her or something. It's not her fault by any means. It just means I have to work harder to be a better owner for her.


Jack got me used to this early and really forced me to moderate myself. He'd never try and appease me, but he was very aware of my moods and respond to them in general as though I was upset at her. Kylie tries to comfort me or gets a little flat/sad herself. Between the two of them I sort of learned before Molly came along I'd taught myself to be a lot more subtle with my emotional state (which is, granted, not always successful or easy) and I'm pretty used to it now. I can't believe I'm used to it now since it used to make me insane, but I've gotten there over the years, and the other stuff is what feels jarring to me. 

So basically exactly what you said, just backward ;-)?

And yes, absolutely, my 'jump off me' is HUGELY related to age. Some of it's tolerance in general and some of it's because that crap hurts more now than it used to. Molly jumps but she jumps because you tell her to rebound or after something you're holding. Random enthusiastic pouncing doesn't happen and thank goodness because OW. I'm too old for that crap


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## Remaru

Yeah Magic is pretty physical. It isn't a trait I would necessarily choose in a dog. Quite frankly some days I find myself yelling at her because she hurt me before I could remember to cue her off. That is what I have to say for her though, she is hard enough that my yelling at her doesn't phase her and she is biddable enough that I can ask her not to rebound off my chest (why the heck can that short stumpy dog hit me in the chest anyway?) and she will refrain from doing it. Oh she will positively shake with barely contained energy until I release her but she won't bounce off of me again, for at least an hour or two. 

Freyja will bounce on me but it is my own fault. I taught her to give high fives and she sometimes offers it in excitement. Hubby also picks her up sometimes and so she has been encouraged to hop up when she is excited. It isn't a super common occurrence for her and she is reasonably gentle about it. She never bites or climbs all over and is quickly redirected to appropriate behaviors (she would probably stop completely if hubby would stop sabotaging me). Lenore is also prone to physical affection. She bounces against my legs or waist (she is taller than she seems) or jumps into the air and rebounds against me but she is light and so I don't really do anything about it. I probably should but her zoomies are cute and because it doesn't hurt I tend to ignore it. Sort of like ignoring Blue jumping (my son has actually mostly trained Blue not to jump, I'm extremely proud of him).


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## Remaru

Soft dogs are hard for me too. Freyja is entirely too soft. We have a peace. She just avoids me when I'm having bad days and I gave up training her (my youngest does it mostly now that she has the basics). We don't work together well. She does shut down completely when I have a bad day. She heads to a corner of the room and watches me. Magic is excellent, bad days don't phase her at all she is her same goofy self no matter what mood I am in (makes her ideal for my son, he is also bipolar and prone to hard moods). Duke was perfect too, he could read moods and would check in, sit with you, lay on you, really whatever you wanted. You could order him away (I managed it, my son could not) but he always came back to make sure you were ok. Lad is not bothered, he just presses closer if I am anxious or really stressed. He will follow me round and round in circles, lay on my feet while I cook, climb up on top of me on the couch, doesn't matter to him. Blue heads off to my oldest son's room, she is very anxious on her own though she handles my son's anxiety well (he's autistic but his moods don't seem to bother her). Lenore hasn't been here that long but she doesn't seem to get phased when I am anxious.


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## Laurelin

Oh Hank annoys me sometimes. He likes to stomp and smash and bite. But he's not a hard dog I don't think. Just physical. Sometimes hank is very oblivious to things and it's annoying.

He is VERY sweet. Very very sweet and upon meeting his first thing is to roll over and beg for belly scratches. With other dogs he will crawl on the ground and then just give kisses and flip over. He loves people and wants cuddles from everyone. 

Summer is soft. It also annoys me lol. Sometimes she gets in these funks where she's SURE I'm mad (I'm not) and that's hard to handle too. she is equally as physically obnoxious because she's up in my face going 'Are you mad? Are you mad? Are we friends again? Please love me again. Please.'

Whereas Hank is like 'Oh you're sad?' *STOMP STOMP BITE BITE*

Mia is ironically the only dog I've had ever that truly never annoys me. And she's probably objectively the most obnoxious of the bunch. We just mesh so I don't notice it.


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## CptJack

I can honestly say Molly has never annoyed me either way, and neither has Kylie. They make me laugh and groan but I have never wanted to throw them out a window. Kylie shuts down if she thinks she's not getting rewarded in training often enough (ie: she's wrong too much/it's too hard but I've learned not to do that), but she's not a dog who thinks you're mad at her because you're in a mood. If you make her go away or snap at her she gets sad, but she'll recover from that pretty fast. Molly is almost the reverse. She gets slinky and sad and throws all the appeasement gestures ever, and goes full on submissive grin and belly crawling and tail between her legs while she comes to your lap for a cuddle if she thinks you are mad at her/you snap in her general direction/are just in a bad mood, but she'll take a "nope, try again" in training just fine but will slow down and try harder and do better - or just never do that thing again, if it was something like counter surfing (seriously - ONE 'no' and never again) - but not be obviously concerned. Neither one is an in your face dog. Sit beside you, sit on you, head on your lap, lay at your feet, yes, but they're not effusively affectionate dogs.

Jack goes too far and that bugs me. He shuts down entirely if you're mad, if he's wrong, if you might be mad, and just disappears under the bed for the whole day. And then spends another day refusing to get off your butt. 

Bug is okay. She's a lot like thud but little. She doesn't care if you're upset, but she will at least adjust her behavior if you indicate that what she's doing isn't what you're going for/want, including climbing all over you and being in your face. 

Thud doesn't care, at all. Doesn't matter if you're sick as a dog, doesn't matter if you're screaming yourself blue in the face, doesn't matter if you're trying to teach him something new or stop him from doing something. He's happy, he's up, he's bouncing all over at the first vague opportunity or otherwise having fun and he doesn't much care what you think about it. I have taught him not to without permission but just... even his general affection style involves stomping and biting which is really a pain at his side (literally). Most of my dogs I hurt myself, they're concerned/worried/something. Thud seems to just go 'Yay, you're on the floor and there's blood all over, COOL NEW GAME"

Maybe it's a sensitivity issue. Dont' know.

I AM glad most people have dogs who irritate them sometimes though. That makes me feel less awful


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## Eenypup

Bennie may not be high drive but she is veeeery physical. Definitely the bully in her! When she gets excited she thinks the best way to show it is to launch herself at you, full force. Often to the face, lol. I don't mind it and it's not something she will do without getting worked up first so it doesn't happen with anyone but me.  She gets more excited if I push her when she jumps at me too. Silly dog.


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## Flaming

Cptjack.

I will take Thud off your hands if you ever feel the need. I'm good with rock headed derpy dogs.


on another note;
I think Vitae needs ritiline...she's always vibrating and just can't/doesn't focus but she's always looking to humans for direction. 
It's hard to explain, she wants badly to hang onto your every word, you can tell that by how she's always staring at you in your eyes...but the excitement over everything and nothing at the same time is just intense. 

"sit" -can't be taught
"stay" can't be taught
why? she just doesn't have the attention span

"go jump through that hoop"
or
"recall from 100' away and do some sort of complicated air maneuver when you get to me, then bounce off that wall, go to hubby and find the blue ball out of a bucket of green balls and then sing the song of your people while unlocking the crate door to get to you bed for a low value shew"
completely doable because it involves moving


Honestly as a younger pup I just thought she had zero food or toy drive....but doing active and complicated things has taught me that she WILL do things for a "yay good girl" and maybe a head scratch....but if it involves something stationary then it's impossible. 


On the plus side I her recall is amazing



edit: even when she's sleeping she vibrates


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## CptJack

I am totally not ever giving Thud up - but even if I would and didn't love him like air in spite of himself, I'd be afraid of law suit. He really is not just rock headed and derpy, he is physically intense and kind of vaguely accidentally dangerous and I'm afraid of being liable for him breaking someone's neck or biting them.


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## gingerkid

Ida just brought both my husband and I our walking shoes. (One at a time, of course)

I think she's trying to tell us something.


----------



## luv mi pets

Today at work we were talking about hard to live with dogs. I asked the co-worker if she wanted Mowgli back since it seems the light of smart came on in his brain. She hysterically laughed and said no way. She was still paying off the damage bill from all the things he damaged. That was two years ago.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My house  ^^


Sola will be 8 months on Tuesday. Where the heck did the time go? She remains a midget. She hasn't grown at all over the past month, doesn't even crack 20lbs without extra chunk and just a touch over 15.25" tall. Weirdest thing ever, though I love it lol


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## jade5280

I tried putting the cone on Ryker, but he wouldn't even move. I left it off yesterday and he did fine (I had an eye on him 24/7). He was really out of it yesterday, but much better today. He's being baby sat today so he doesn't have to be home alone with the cone on. I'm thinking we will be able to get through the 7 day healing period without needing the cone because someone will always be with him. If he starts licking I'm going to be putting it on him though. They gave him a laser treatment that is supposed to speed up the healing process.


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## CptJack

Molly has yet another new collar in the mail. Because what is self-control? Also I keep buying HER collars. I'm not quite sure why to be frank, except they show up REALLY well on her.


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## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Molly has yet another new collar in the mail. Because what is self-control? Also I keep buying HER collars. I'm not quite sure why to be frank, except they show up REALLY well on her.


I love dogs with short fur because collars show so well.


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## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> I love dogs with short fur because collars show so well.


Yes and she's BLACK which makes bright colors pop, too. Bug can't really use collars because brachy, and Jack is multi-colored which makes things show up less well, but a nice mostly solid color there? I just want to DECORATE LOL.


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## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Yes and she's BLACK which makes bright colors pop, too. Bug can't really use collars because brachy, and Jack is multi-colored which makes things show up less well, but a nice mostly solid color there? I just want to DECORATE LOL.


 Oh yeah black fur is the best. I love red leather, but it would blend in too much with their red fur. Next dog needs to be black haha.


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## olivethedog

jade5280 said:


> I tried putting the cone on Ryker, but he wouldn't even move.


Gotta love cone-induced paralysis. 

Olive cut herself pretty badly on some oysters about a year ago. We tried stapling the wound, but she pulled them out when her daddy was "watching" her (he felt bad for her and promised he'd watch her real close without the cone..... >.>). Had to completely start over with debridement and sutures. The poor thing ended up wearing a cone most of the time for about a month. She would just lie around looking like the definition of sadness. However, she was miraculously cured one day by a bug on the wall. Completely forgot the cone was even there and was fine with it afterwards.

Anyways, I get to go home today after three weeks away! I miss my pup a ridiculous amount and can barely contain myself. I get to see her so soon!! Aaaaahhhh! I'm really looking forward to our couch cuddles that degrade into flailing, mouthy nonsense much more than I ever thought I would.


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## Kayota

CptJack said:


> Molly has yet another new collar in the mail. Because what is self-control? Also I keep buying HER collars. I'm not quite sure why to be frank, except they show up REALLY well on her.


some sites have a monthly collar club, you should look into that... one i saw was fifteen dollars per month.


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## jade5280

olivethedog said:


> Gotta love cone-induced paralysis.
> 
> Olive cut herself pretty badly on some oysters about a year ago. We tried stapling the wound, but she pulled them out when her daddy was "watching" her (he felt bad for her and promised he'd watch her real close without the cone..... >.>). Had to completely start over with debridement and sutures. The poor thing ended up wearing a cone most of the time for about a month. She would just lie around looking like the definition of sadness. However, she was miraculously cured one day by a bug on the wall. Completely forgot the cone was even there and was fine with it afterwards.
> 
> Anyways, I get to go home today after three weeks away! I miss my pup a ridiculous amount and can barely contain myself. I get to see her so soon!! Aaaaahhhh! I'm really looking forward to our couch cuddles that degrade into flailing, mouthy nonsense much more than I ever thought I would.


 Ugh yeah he hasn't been paying any attention to it so far, hope it stays that way. I don't have a problem leaving the cone on, but don't feel like I need to leave it on all the time if it's not necessary. I put it on him only when I can't be fully watching him and then take it off after. We took time off work anyways to make sure he was going to be okay.


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## jade5280

*@CptJack*....you just made me order Ryker another collar....I'm using his birthday in 2 weeks as an excuse.


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## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> *@CptJack*....you just made me order Ryker another collar....I'm using his birthday in 2 weeks as an excuse.


I AM NOT SORRY! Show me what you got him, though! (Molly's is just a satin covered 1" martingale, in BRIGHT pink that I'm excited about.)

Also folks, the agility weight loss program continues. I'm now down to a size 12, which I haven't seen since before I had kids. I mean I only have like 2 pair of pants that fit, but still! Also got a 400.00 new with tags eddie bauer leather coat at goodwill today - for 6.00. I'm liking this weekend.


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## cookieface

Not commenting on collars. Katie and Tyson don't even wear collars except in class and when we're traveling, but I still want them all!



CptJack said:


> Also folks, the agility weight loss program continues. I'm now down to a size 12, which I haven't seen since before I had kids. I mean I only have like 2 pair of pants that fit, but still! Also got a 400.00 new with tags eddie bauer leather coat at goodwill today - for 6.00. I'm liking this weekend.


Go you! We haven't started anything too active (and probably won't until at least the next class), but I am hoping for some weight loss, too. I've gained about 20lbs in the past 2 years and would like it to go away - NOW!


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## CptJack

It's sad, but all those freaking collars? Yeah, Molly lives in a Nylon collar with a pretty ribbon stitched on top, the rest wear rolled leather collars and have for years for the most part. But. PRETTY COLLARS. 

I'm pretty surprised it's made as much difference as it has for me. It does SEEM overly active, really? Not like you ever run for more than maybe a minute in a go, but apparently even those short sprints have made a HUGE difference to me. I'll take it!


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I envy those who can get pretty collars for their dogs! I don't see any collar under all the fluffs. Then I'm a super coat snob and won't buy collars that break the long luscious mane. Boooo longer hair. 

Random today. Decided to teach Ember to work for her frisbee since she is so friggin obsessed and my husband has been busy. Did some tunnels and jump stands (no jump) with her, not a whole lot of pressure. At first there was no focus on anything but that frisbee. Had to hide it and wait like 2 minutes for her to finally do something other than stare at me to throw it. Once she understood.. my goodness. I don't understand why people think they want Border Collies for agility starting out. Trying to harness that intensity when you are still learning is just.. a whole lot of nope. I mean.. Kairi has drive and speed but she does not have this same obsessive intensity that is the Border crazy.


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## CptJack

Protecting coat is WHY my martingales are all satin covered. They're just... also pretty satin brocade. Win/win? Even short haired dogs broken off fur bothers me.

I actually kind of agree with this. I mean I know dogs are individuals, but GAAAAAH. Especially when they just keep looping in circles and you can't break in to redirect. And especially especially when they're WRONG but they *won't stop* long enough to be shown what to do. "oh you want me to -" do it 83 times in a row and then get confused by the lack of reward, but NO! That's not what I wanted! At all! I'd have the same issue with any dog who was highly fast and highly obsessive and focused but. Dude. DUDE. There is a learning curve when it comes to working with that, for sure.

Kylie. Kylie is great. Kylie MOSTLY waits to see what I want.


----------



## jade5280

Wow not having Ryker here makes me realize how easy Gypsy is...I pulled into the driveway, no barking, no mess in the house, no frantic greeting, no obnoxious whining when I have to get something outside or upstairs, she's just....laying on the couch looking at me. It's so...quiet...too quiet. I miss my crazy dog haha.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have had probably a total of 10 dogs spayed in the past few years. I have two now that I am just looking after till they are healed up and can go to new homes. I have never needed a cone on any of them. I have never had any of them so much as look at where they have been spayed. I don't know if it is the way they are spayed or what but it is sure nice to not have to have cones on them especially with the hot weather we are having right now. I have never had a male neutered so don't know how they would be.


----------



## Remaru

Went to the Lone Star Classic Dog Show today. This is actually my first dog show experience in person. I've been to plenty of other dog events but never an actual dog show. It was a lot of fun, even though we got there kind of late (got up a little late after spending the week getting up early to get the youngest off to derby camp and being sadly low on energy). Everything was really low key, people and dogs everywhere. Hubby says as we are walking in "no baby voice" and of course he is first one going "look at the huskies!!!!" in baby voice LOL. Still we were able to see some really great dogs, dogs you don't see a lot locally. We sat right at the edge where the dogs were waiting for judging during groups and Best in Show so we were up close with many of the dogs. A Beauceron came over the gate to shove his head into our laps and get a good petting, the Kuvasz was also keen to check the boys out and his handler invited them to give him some loving as did the Rottweiler's handler and the Saint Bernard (who tried to get in my lap over the gate). We also got to see a Berger Picard up close and greet several Ibizan hounds. I was sort of surprised by how small the Bernese looked, she was smaller than the Malamute. They aren't common in this area but I've seen them around before and they always seemed larger. It was interesting getting to see some of the dogs in context with other breeds. A very lovely Greater Swiss took Best of Breed.


----------



## cookieface

Katie and Tyson had a really good week at the shore. After a slight mishap at the first farmers market, my husband decided that I knew what I was talking about when I said not to let people approach or pet Tyson.

We had lunch on the patio of a nice restaurant (pups got bits of brisket), stopped at another farmers market (where my husband told people that Tyson is shy but Katie would _love_ pets); they were spoiled by my mother-in-law, got to explore a new place with lots of interesting smells; and when we got home, Katie had her second agility class and ran through a tunnel. Nice mini vacation. 

ETA: And! We found a place for our fall vacation. Not exactly where we originally planned, but it seems like a nice place and secluded enough that Tyson should be happy.


----------



## CptJack

Oh, husband. Sorry you had a minor mishap, but I'm glad he decided to listen!

Definitely sounds like you guys had a really great time!


----------



## CptJack

Kylie is blowing me *away* with agility, lately. She's blown me away before with these sudden upswings in ability and confidence, but lately I'm seeing speed, ability, and JOY coming together more and more every time we get out there and it's just incredible. She's getting discriminations (even one that was tunnel/tunnel with the tunnels next to each other and y'all that ain't easy) and weaves are back only now with finding entries reliably and off sides, and I just. It kind of makes me want to cry with pure happiness. This dog, y'all. THIS DOG.

And yank all my hair out because I swear by all that is holy sometimes my brain just falls out. I got SO lost on the course today. So, so, completely lost. I like to think I'm not stupid, but sometimes I really question it while I'm out there going 'wait, what?' . Though so as not to be a total negative nelly, my timing and general fitness are better, and I'm getting better at figuring out where to put my crosses?


----------



## AgentP

Blue got attacked by a CAT (who was smaller than her). My terrier, who acts like she is any rat's, mouse's, rabbit's, squirrel's, chipmunk's and bird's worst nightmare and who goes bonkers about cats when on a leash, just TOOK it and screamed when this ferocious house cat jumped her out of nowhere!! I was surprised, and on behalf of my dog felt indignant, LOL. Honestly, I am glad that Blue wasn't hurt (I checked her thoroughly, and the cat didn't seem to have drawn blood); I think she was scared shitless though. It will be interesting to see how she'll be around cats next time we see one.


----------



## Flaming

*So just as a heads up Manna reads all the posts here...not joking she sits next to me and stares at the screen every time I'm on a forum or facebook. I'm debating buys a cheap webcam to prove this cause my sister doesn't believe me. 



*What is 100% recall?

Vitae will either stop mid pee/poo or pee/poo while running to me if I call her and will come to me even if it's a stupid idea. 

Manna makes judgement calls and is generally slower by does get to me in a semi straight lumbering line unless coming to me is a stupid idea. Manna will finish eliminating before walking (she rarely runs but because she doesn't see the point not because she can't) and the other day on the trails she refused to come to me...there was a bear...the bear saw us and ran away luckily (note to self next time Manna doesn't lumber my way check whats behind me). Other than the random bear and elimination Manna does come too me 100% of the time just 90% of the time she takes her time. Again she's not reluctant...just lazy. 


*Training styles
You would think that a dog whose highest reward is a "yay" and belly scratches would be the easiest dog to train...but no. Vitae even vibrates in her sleep. (seriously you can go over her threshold with human interaction) 
She wants to please, she really does, but I swear she has puppy ADHD or something. And I know she's brilliant, she's taught herself so many awesome things just to please us, without input from us...but things like "sit/stay" impossible. Jump through the firey hoops of the underworld? Vitae says "yes ma'am how many times you want me to do it?" 
She has next to zero toy or food drive. 

Manna both food and toys are gold and she's often willing to work for a hug or permission to tackle her human, she stops and thinks and figures things out in such a slow deliberate way to make sure she gets it right the first few times, but it also doesn't faze her if she wrong, and is a breeze to train most days. 


Wanna know the funny part?
Despite all and more of the above differences, my husband wants more Vitaes! 
I never want another Vitae again, I love her but she knows all my buttons. We really do have a difference in dog preferences. 


*Ok so when do OES stop growing? Vitae is solidly within the weight bracket for a full grown female OES but she still looks like a lanky teen (she has not been altered yet, I'm waiting on the growth plates to close because my vet who use to do Ovary sparing spays, no long does them. )

I hope she doesn't turn out to be another giant. It seems like all the animals I raise from puppy/kittenhood grow to be insanely tall and long. I don't know what I'm doing different, the only overweight animal I had was Lilac and she came to me overweight from the shelter, we have since fixed that. 

It's hilarious because I'm tiny but I grown big (but healthy) animals. It's actually a trend
overly muscular huskies, tall mini american eskie, pekin ducks who can only be described as having gigantism, 20# cats (yes multiple over the years) the size of a medium sized dog (except lilac, we got her as an adult and she's normal sized) a tall 150+ lbs newfie (we compared her to other newfies in town, actually stood them next to each other, Manna is too tall and too long but otherwise looks identical structurally to the rest, if not a little skinnier), and now Vitae.

Am I cursed to give all my height that I should have grown myself with to my animals instead?


----------



## Pasarella

Not sure if someone will read this,but I need to tell it to someone. 
I have a friend(may be she will become ex-friend soon) who has 2 purebred dachshund males,two brothers form the same litter.She got the second one when he was already a year old,it was like placement home at first,but her mother decided to keep him.Later they started to fight so they started to separate them in a small kennel,but they did switch them.Now,a week ago I visited them,and they no longer switch the dogs.Now only one is locked up in the bathroom and in the kennel! He is way too much overweight,he has very long nails,and bald spots on all over his sides,probably from rubbing against the kennel all the time.I was there for two hours,he cried all the time,her mother switched them for about 10 minutes because I asked to.We decided I will help to find him a new home.I did it,and I was planning on taking him to the new home tomorrow,but the mother asked me for the new owners phone number,I thought she wanted to just talk.Instead she told how bad dog he is(which he is not,my friend tells me she hates that dog).The woman who was about to take him,changed her mind because of that,no other person has showed any interest in taking him. He is a fantastic dog!
The video is in Latvian,but you can see how fun dog he is.




I feel so sad for him.He deserves a home where some one loves him.


----------



## jade5280

I don't know where that petfinder thread went but.....https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32510773/ zomg he's gorgeous. Such a pretty color. I don't need a greyhound...I don't need a greyhound...I don't need a greyhound


----------



## Laurelin

Hank let my 6 year old niece handle him in some agility work. He did everything she asked and was just perfect. 

I just love this dog.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Hank let my 6 year old niece handle him in some agility work. He did everything she asked and was just perfect.
> 
> I just love this dog.


That is AWESOME. It took Kylie a year and a half to listen to the INSTRUCTOR.


----------



## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> I don't know where that petfinder thread went but.....https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32510773/ zomg he's gorgeous. Such a pretty color. I don't need a greyhound...I don't need a greyhound...I don't need a greyhound


Um wow what a cutie! I'm not going to be the one to say you don't need a greyhound. I would love to have one someday.


----------



## luv mi pets

I saw a dog get hit by a car poor guy was chasing after the dog and had crossed the street in front of me when I turned around to help catch the dog, the poor dog had just gotten hit. The poor young guy was just crying his eyes out. It was his girlfriend's dog and he had taken it with him to go to the store. He was not allowed to take it in the store with him so he tied it up to a post in front of the store. The dog slipped the leash Poor guy he was afraid his girlfriend would be mad at him, not talk to him, break up with him. The person who hit the dog never stopped or anything, just kept going. Poor guy. the dog had gotten hit in the head so I am sure he died instantly. I felt no heartbeat on the dog soon after the hit.


----------



## Laurelin

And now he let my three year old niece run him through a jump and weaves. And he's unphased by the fireworks. 

Seriously I did not know they made dogs this good. And someone didn't want him. Why? How?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Laurelin said:


> And now he let my three year old niece run him through a jump and weaves. And he's unphased by the fireworks.
> 
> Seriously I did not know they made dogs this good. And someone didn't want him. Why? How?



Gem is the same, the most stable dog I've ever owned, nothing phases her, super friendly, I can take her places with large crowds and weird things and she doesn't care. At Canada day a confetti cannon shot off and between me my friend, and the 3 dogs we had with us, Gem is the only one that didn't even blink, she met horses, didn't care, sat outside a demo ring and watched dogs do things she loves and just chilled, snuggled up and did tricks for anyone who wanted. I mean, don't get me wrong, she's crazy high energy and crazy smart and is so excited for training time she accidently hurts you..but I've done nothing but fun stuff with her since I got her, she needed zero work, like not even normal puppy stuff...and yet she was dumped at a shelter and even as a flashy looking puppy, nobody wanted her, she was dumped at 8 weeks with a littermate who was adopted the moment they hit the floor and Gem sat for a month and a half without interest, I seriously don't get it :/


----------



## CrimsonAccent

luv mi pets said:


> I saw a dog get hit by a car poor guy was chasing after the dog and had crossed the street in front of me when I turned around to help catch the dog, the poor dog had just gotten hit. The poor young guy was just crying his eyes out. It was his girlfriend's dog and he had taken it with him to go to the store. He was not allowed to take it in the store with him so he tied it up to a post in front of the store. The dog slipped the leash Poor guy he was afraid his girlfriend would be mad at him, not talk to him, break up with him. The person who hit the dog never stopped or anything, just kept going. Poor guy. the dog had gotten hit in the head so I am sure he died instantly. I felt no heartbeat on the dog soon after the hit.


How awful 

Hopefully the dog doesn't tear them apart. But what a bad situation all around.


----------



## Kathyy

Laurelin said:


> And now he let my three year old niece run him through a jump and weaves. And he's unphased by the fireworks.
> 
> Seriously I did not know they made dogs this good. And someone didn't want him. Why? How?


That's what we ask about Ginger. Left at the kill shelter fat and covered with fleas when she is the best dog. Meant to be mine I guess. Total silence last night through all the booms, bliss. I jumped more than she did.


----------



## jade5280

luv mi pets said:


> I saw a dog get hit by a car poor guy was chasing after the dog and had crossed the street in front of me when I turned around to help catch the dog, the poor dog had just gotten hit. The poor young guy was just crying his eyes out. It was his girlfriend's dog and he had taken it with him to go to the store. He was not allowed to take it in the store with him so he tied it up to a post in front of the store. The dog slipped the leash Poor guy he was afraid his girlfriend would be mad at him, not talk to him, break up with him. The person who hit the dog never stopped or anything, just kept going. Poor guy. the dog had gotten hit in the head so I am sure he died instantly. I felt no heartbeat on the dog soon after the hit.


 Oh wow that's so terrible


----------



## Kayota

My coworker found a dog on Saturday and I got her a leash and I said she should put it in her car instead of tying it up because the fireworks would scare it.
Well she went inside and tied it up and came back 15 mins later and it slipped its collar.
Now it's loose by a busy road and has no ID.
Just... facepalm.


----------



## jade5280

You don't know how much dog crap you have until you have to move it all. I filled one dresser, a large storage bin, and there's still stuff that needs to be put away, not counting the mound of toys in the corner. Why do I have 6 dog beds!?


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

I've said twice already, in different places, but could you all pray or send good thoughts towards Luke? I'm calling the vet today cause I discovered a hard lump near his rib cage and it's scaring me a lot! I feel in some places my nerves are shot, he's my buddy, my first dog and I want it all to come out okay. So if you could just pray/send good vibes our way please.


----------



## taquitos

jade5280 said:


> You don't know how much dog crap you have until you have to move it all. I filled one dresser, a large storage bin, and there's still stuff that needs to be put away, not counting the mound of toys in the corner. Why do I have 6 dog beds!?


Haha Ryker and Gypsy are spoiled rotten  Kidding! But seriously, that's a lot of toys/beds lol! Meeko has two dog beds and two crates though so I don't think I'm any better lol! At his rate I would have had 8 beds/crates with a second dog!! lolol



Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> I've said twice already, in different places, but could you all pray or send good thoughts towards Luke? I'm calling the vet today cause I discovered a hard lump near his rib cage and it's scaring me a lot! I feel in some places my nerves are shot, he's my buddy, my first dog and I want it all to come out okay. So if you could just pray/send good vibes our way please.


Oh no!!!  I hope it's nothing serious.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Me too thank you; vet visit at 11am. I'll update you guys.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I know what you mean about dog "stuff". I have a barn full of dog crates. I go to Garage Sales almost every Saturday and I just cannot seem to resist buying the dog crates I see that are anywhere from $1.00 to around $10.00 for the really big ones. I bought a big plastic crate for Kris, then ended up buying a couple of big wire crates as I like them better for her. Will have to have my own Garage Sale. My sister got a Golden Retriever puppy so she borrowed crates from the smaller ones to the bigger ones as she grew so they do come in handy, just not always in use. That is not counting all the dog beds I seem to accumulate plus other dog supplies, leashes, collars, etc. Every once in a while I gather a bunch of stuff up and take it into the Rescue for them to use.


----------



## Willowy

Yeah, I'm in the process of moving and just about all of it is pet junk. I hope Goodwill takes pet supplies because this is ridiculous .


----------



## CptJack

Goodwill takes pet stuff. I bought 2 dog beds, my mouse tank, and a crate there. ...I have a problem, too.


----------



## jade5280

Oh I didn't even think of that. My problem is I just hold onto stuff in case I get another dog lol...but really that doesn't even work because I will just want to buy more stuff for the new dog.


----------



## Remaru

I guess my dogs are just destructive, toys and beds don't last here. The only thing I have a ton of are collars, harnesses and leashes. I don't even really have that many extra leashes, Remus ate a couple when they were hanging in the entryway and Lad ate one recently (why do they always eat my favorite leashes?) so I've actually had to buy some new ones. I have a bag of collars and harnesses I don't think we will ever need again that I have been meaning to donate to the shelter.


----------



## CptJack

Oh. Toys don't last. I buy massive amounts of stuffed toys for a quarter at good will and keep them in a giant bag behind the christmas tree in the hall closet, and pass out a few at a time, clean up the fluff and dispose when the skin is gross and no longer fun. We keep a full box of used tennis balls on the porch, tug toys and squeaky kong tennis balls and frisbees live in my training bag. THe only thing they have tons of and access to are a toy box full of bones/chews, and hard plastic toys they can't utterly decimate (a foot ball, some baby toys) and puppets which are surprisingly sturdy. They do okay with beds, though a couple have gotten really lumpy from washing (no covers).

But I still have collars, leashes, crates, blanket collections, the bag o' stuffies for periodic dispersal, and then the stuff that lives outside for supervised play. Like I literally bought 100 tennis balls a year ago and we have most of them. A handful of frisbees. A dozen tugs. You know. Stuff. LOL.

I actually need to take my enormous bag of unused nylon collars and leashes to Goodwill myself - or the animal shelter.

*ETA:*And if anyone wants a purple and pink lowered lupin harness that should fit something like a lab or GSD, hit me up (somewhere between 50-80lbs for most dogs, depending on how it's adjusted). That one's too nice for me to give away.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Luke is okay! It was a bit strange though cause I felt the lump and so did my parents, but when we went to the vet's it wasn't there! She had him standing up and feeling all over, had him sitting down, laying on both sides and then I went to find it for her. My mother tried to help and none of us could find it! My only conclusion is that God did something cause I was praying so hard yesterday and this morning. 

So basically Luke is okay!!!


----------



## Kayota

i usually give lumps a few days to a week and keep an eye on them before i panic and rush to the vet.


----------



## BellaPup

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> Luke is okay! It was a bit strange though cause I felt the lump and so did my parents, but when we went to the vet's it wasn't there! She had him standing up and feeling all over, had him sitting down, laying on both sides and then I went to find it for her. My mother tried to help and none of us could find it! My only conclusion is that God did something cause I was praying so hard yesterday and this morning.
> 
> So basically Luke is okay!!!


Yay!! 

Me: "My car is making the weirdest, loudest noise!!"
Mechanic: "I don't hear anything"

I don't know how many times I've taken my car to the shop or my dog to the vet and looked like a crazy person. Maybe "oh, God...please no" is heard after all!?

Maybe it was a bug bite or something that went away on its own? Whatever it was, I'm glad to hear it's gone!


----------



## Eenypup

Glad Luke is okay!!

So... Bennie went to the dog park for the first time! Okay, so maybe the dog park emptied out around 10 pm on a Sunday night and we had it all to ourselves instead  But hey, no complaints about outdoor zoomies without having to be driven to my dad's house! Her prey drive is too crazy for her recall off leash to be reliable, so it's nice to have a nearby place for her to be free for a little bit. It's often really busy but since we don't work and aren't in school right now, after hours works for us


----------



## BellaPup

So yesterday was an absolutely beeeeeeautiful day and I was looking forward to having a nice quiet Sunday outside with my flowers and Bella....do some watering, pinching, weeding, play some ball, enjoy a nice cold beer etc...etc...
...but NO! The constant freaking roar of Harley's going by totally ruined it. It was literally deafening..._literally_. 

I gave up trying to ignore it (before I completely freaked out and ended up in jail) and went inside - closed all the windows so I could watch a movie. Well, it helped with the noise, but Bella decided barking at the stupid bikes - and the neighbors setting off cherry bombs - was necessary. arrrrgh!!! 

I'm gonna have to move. I honestly can't take it anymore. I just have no idea how I'm going to find another place I can afford in the general area (AWAY from the **** Harley dealership.) that will allow Bella. I also don't want to move too far from my Mom. And I sure can't afford a house for us both to live in. 

Seriously - I'm gonna lose it. This used to be such a quiet little town. I've lived here for the past 35 years and I love it, but I can't enjoy the summers (springs or falls) where I am.


----------



## Laurelin

I *think* long term plan is to buy a puppy for my big 3-0 birthday. So a year and a half from now. Research till then then do something for myself. 

And it gives Hank time to be further along.


----------



## Ilovedogs56

What breed are you planning on getting Laurelin? A Pyrenean Shepherd?


----------



## CptJack

I occasionally get just a little more butt-hurt than I would normally admit when Molly is asleep on the couch, I sit down on the couch and she gets up and leaves to sleep in the floor or on the loveseat. She'll cuddle with me and play with me and listen to me - when she's awake but TOUCH her or get within reach of her while she's asleep and I swear to god she HUFFS while she gets up and leaves, then flops down with the most... put-upon air I have ever seen a dog manage.


----------



## Laurelin

Ilovedogs56 said:


> What breed are you planning on getting Laurelin? A Pyrenean Shepherd?


Dunno yet.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I have a slight rant. 

My user name is a bajillion years old and I don't like it. I thought I was being "cute" when I made it 8 years ago. Blehhh.


----------



## Laurelin

Haha mine too!! I chose mine in like 8th grade.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Just had to rant. I could not do any Agility last year and half of this year waiting to get a by-pass on my right leg. I got the left one done with angioplasty last October and they have been mucking about ever since so between cancellations and mix-ups, by the time they got to my right leg, the angioplasty would not work so they had to do a by-pass. That was three weeks ago and I am still limping around, can't walk far as my knee hurts so much as the by-pass was done just above it and there must be a lot of bruising. It cured the problem but now I have to wait till whatever they did around my knee heals up. I did set up the weave poles and will start back working on them with Lucy and Kris. Lucy is my Shih Tzu x Maltese and Kris is my Doberman and hopefully along with the other equipment when I am able I will be able to do some Agility trials this year. Have sure missed it and so has Remmy.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I have a slight rant.
> 
> My user name is a bajillion years old and I don't like it. I thought I was being "cute" when I made it 8 years ago. Blehhh.


Me three. I wish I could change it.. especially since my mother gave Kodi away without telling me when I was away at college.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Haha mine too!! I chose mine in like 8th grade.





KodiBarracuda said:


> Me three. I wish I could change it.. especially since my mother gave Kodi away without telling me when I was away at college.


Glad I'm not the only one! And that is just awful about Kodi! 

Not sure what on earth I would even make it now if I could change it.


----------



## Remaru

KodiBarracuda said:


> Me three. I wish I could change it.. especially since my mother gave Kodi away without telling me when I was away at college.


Add me to the list. Since we lost Remus I would rather not have this name.


----------



## cookieface

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I have a slight rant.
> 
> My user name is a bajillion years old and I don't like it. I thought I was being "cute" when I made it 8 years ago. Blehhh.


My name isn't that old, but it's embarrassing. I never expected to stick around here; my plan was to ask a few questions and be gone, so the name didn't really matter. That plan didn't really work out and here I still am with my silly user name.



KodiBarracuda said:


> Me three. I wish I could change it.. especially since my mother gave Kodi away without telling me when I was away at college.


I'm so sorry. That's horrible.


----------



## ireth0

Probably going to have to put off starting Rally for another month to accumulate funds again after car repair expenses. Adulting sucks... but at the same time I'm kind of enjoying the 'break' from classes and just spending time together.


----------



## Mint

The best way to protest against being in a crate is to pull the entire crate cover in with you.


----------



## CptJack

I am seriously thinking of taking a few months long break from agility with Molly to recover from a car purchase. I haven't quite committed to doing it yet both because it's really not that expensive and (mostly) because I'm afraid that if I take her out of classes she's going to go back to square one with reactivity stuff. We'll have practices for a month or so at a time she can go to, and trials she can spectate at, but. I'm still afraid. I also have this sneaky feeling that if I take a 'break' I will basically never go back to it with her, and I don't want that. 

Also because my alternative plan she's ready to get out there in trials in January, which is actually really soon. 

I guess I mostly need a plan for continuing work if we do break for a bit, and a solid plan for coming back. Or just to suck it up and keep going. She's only got one more agility level after this, anyway, before I have to decide to move on to privates or loop back. 

...I hate options.


----------



## cookieface

I'd like to take a break from classes, but I know if I do we'll do next to nothing on our own. I need to threat of embarrassment to keep me focused. 

Tyson is starting back to regular group classes tonight and I'm panicking a bit because he hasn't really been in that situation since April. I do hope he doesn't freak, but I have a plan.


----------



## gingerkid

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Glad I'm not the only one! And that is just awful about Kodi!
> 
> Not sure what on earth I would even make it now if I could change it.


I really like your username!


----------



## CptJack

And then I went outside because Molly was in the back yard barking. I was prepared to call her off deer. I was not prepared to be staring at a black bear right outside our fence. So, that was fun.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> And then I went outside because Molly was in the back yard barking. I was prepared to call her off deer. I was not prepared to be staring at a black bear right outside our fence. So, that was fun.


Yikes! Glad everyone is ok. Every time I think I want to move to the country, I need to read this and remember why I live in the suburbs.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Yikes! Glad everyone is ok. Every time I think I want to move to the country, I need to read this and remember why I live in the suburbs.


I live in the suburbs! Sort of! I mean. I'm inside town limits by about 6" and it's all rural as heck  but it's RURAL suburbs. . Woods are right there. As is a river and a meadow and. Usually it's awesome but ergh.


----------



## Remaru

Yikes! I thought we had a lot of run ins with wildlife with the coyotes and possums around. Glad everyone is ok.


----------



## CptJack

Remaru said:


> Yikes! I thought we had a lot of run ins with wildlife with the coyotes and possums around. Glad everyone is ok.


Fortunately we only have black bears around, and they're not really bad. I mean temperamentally. It's still a giant wild animal. I'd prefer them to coyotes, I think, but maybe just the devil you kind of know.

Not that that stopped my knees from shaking.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I live in the suburbs! Sort of! I mean. I'm inside town limits by about 6" and it's all rural as heck  but it's RURAL suburbs. . Woods are right there. As is a river and a meadow and. Usually it's awesome but ergh.


Yeah, I think our suburbs are vastly different from your suburbs. I could use more rural in my life, but not black bear rural.


----------



## ireth0

I seriously need someone to kick me so I consistently take treats on morning potty walks. So many times we encounter situations I could train or better manage if I had treats on hand but I just never bother and I always regret it.


----------



## cookieface

ireth0 said:


> I seriously need someone to kick me so I consistently take treats on morning potty walks. So many times we encounter situations I could train or better manage if I had treats on hand but I just never bother and I always regret it.


What, all your pockets aren't filled with treats and poop bags?!?


----------



## ireth0

cookieface said:


> What, all your pockets aren't filled with treats and poop bags?!?


Lady it is too hot for things with pockets! (I am already in office clothes when these walks occur)

My purse is bad enough because it's small, but it does regularly have a clicker and poop bag as required. For actual dog outings I have a backpack that has ALL THE THINGS.

I'm possibly upgrading to a more dog-friendly purse for day to day for my birthday this year.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> What, all your pockets aren't filled with treats and poop bags?!?


Pft. Tie your poop bags to your leash handle. This is my new 'never be caught without them' strategy. It's working well (and yet I still have rolls of poop bags EVERYWHERE)

Also, Cargo shorts, man. CARGO SHORTS.


----------



## ireth0

CptJack said:


> Pft. Tie your poop bags to your leash handle. This is my new 'never be caught without them' strategy. It's working well (and yet I still have rolls of poop bags EVERYWHERE)
> 
> Also, Cargo shorts, man. CARGO SHORTS.


It's funny because I used to take extra poop bags home from the shelter accidentally all the time BEFORE we had a dog. I'd just shove a roll in the pocket of my scrubs and go out to pick up poop in the dog runs. 

We do have a poop bag dispenser but I have been too lazy to transfer it back to the leash (was taking it off for nosework) and just grab a single before going out the door.


----------



## cookieface

I'm not really one to talk - I'm usually in yoga pants, so no place for treats there. My jackets and robes, though, filled with necessities.


----------



## CptJack

I used to have a dispenser. I've since moved on to the classy, classy look of literally just tying empty bags to the handles of the leashes. I DO have rolls, everywhere, and my training bag is crammed with them but still with the tying to leashes.


----------



## Willowy

CptJack said:


> Also, Cargo shorts, man. CARGO SHORTS.


I'm wearing womens' cargo shorts now. They hardly deserve the name---little dainty flat pockets that can't hold anything decent, with stupid little decorative metal buttons that catch on everything. I can't find any decent shorts in the ladies' dept. I think I'm just going to bit the bullet and buy a pair of mens' cargo shorts and anyone who doesn't like how I look can sit on it.


----------



## ireth0

Seriously. Who decided that women don't get to have functional pockets anyway?

The only shorts I have are athletic shorts, so no pockets.


----------



## CptJack

I don't know which stupid designer decided it but I found one brand (and I'm not taking my pants off to look) that are womens and have real pockets - FOUR of them - and bought like 6 pair. They are now officially dog training shorts.


----------



## Remaru

Yeah I wear yoga pants, My treat bag can clip to the top and I know it looks ridiculous but I don't care that much. I've seriously considered buying one of those aprons from Lowes, weighing the silliness factor vs the "I can carry all the things" factor. I think the "so many treats, toys, junk" fits in it factor may win out. I love winter when I can shove junk in my coat pockets. Hubby reached into his coat one day and was like "why is there a squeaky tennis ball in here?" "Um your coat pockets are bigger?"


----------



## ireth0

Yea, I tried to get away with just using my training treat pouch (fanny pack type) to go to a dog event the other day... I could have gotten away with it if I hadn't needed my wallet to pay for parking.


----------



## CptJack

I have a treat bag and I hate it. It is largely because it weighs my pants down but also because even with the clip, it doesn't stay clipped on for agility because I run and hit it and then it gets pushed up and off. I definitely have considered one of those Lowes aprons or a fanny pack, but in the end I keep a loaded messenger bag (army surplus) in the car with shelf-stable treats, a variety of toys, spare poop bags, a slip leash and so on and just drag out what I need at a given time. Or just cart the whole thing around, with my wallet and glasses and keys in one of the pockets.


----------



## ireth0

I had one of the clip ones and hated it. During the winter I took advantage of pockets in sweaters, jackets, coats, etc and in the spring I bought the one I have now from the woman who did our tricks class.


----------



## CptJack

ireth0 said:


> I had one of the clip ones and hated it. During the winter I took advantage of pockets in sweaters, jackets, coats, etc and in the spring I bought the one I have now from the woman who did our tricks class.


The REAL irony? The clip ones will stay on better if you attach it to a pocket. Which, you know, WHEN I HAVE POCKETS I DON"T NEED THE FREAKING THING.

...I have a lot of strong feelings about pockets, apparently.


----------



## cookieface

I have a Rapid Rewards bag that I like (now that it doesn't reek) because it has enough room for car keys, a phone, ID, bags, and treats. I'm thinking about making / buying something more low profile and washable for training classes when I don't need to carry extras.

CptJack - does your messenger bag have pockets? I have a few tote bags (filled with wallet, keys, phone, extra treats, toys, targets, mats, collars, bags, etc.) that I take to class, but I hate that it's not organized and I can never find anything.


----------



## cookieface

I just use the bag with a belt.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> I have a Rapid Rewards bag that I like (now that it doesn't reek) because it has enough room for car keys, a phone, ID, bags, and treats. I'm thinking about making / buying something more low profile and washable for training classes when I don't need to carry extras.
> 
> CptJack - does your messenger bag have pockets? I have a few tote bags (filled with wallet, keys, phone, extra treats, toys, targets, mats, collars, bags, etc.) that I take to class, but I hate that it's not organized and I can never find anything.


That's the same bag I have - I'd probably have my pants weighed down less if I carried less in it  (Or could use the belt but the pants I have without pockets also don't have belt loops and the belt bugs me because it ends up under my shirt - I'm persnickety, apparently)

Yes! It's similar to this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Yukon-T...312?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5673e86c10 I couldn't find the exact one I have (mine is less bulky), but it's the same company. It has. 2 pockets in front, a big pocket in back, a pocket on either side, and then a zip compartment on the inside - as well as the big space inside. I LOVE that thing, because it's not huge but I can keep things sorted. It's also canvas and washes up beautifully.


----------



## CptJack

Whoops, had the brand name wrong.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tactical-US...751?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3b39fdff

This is what I use. Basically, though, look tactical bags and you get some neat options with many, many pockets.


----------



## Remaru

Yeah it is fine for basic training classes and walks but it won't work for hiking or anything really active. I don't tend to take treats when I hike with the dogs (or I throw everything in the back pack and pull out as needed). I also don't like that I can't toss a ball or several types of treats in it, I can but then they are mixed together or hard to get to.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> That's the same bag I have - I'd probably have my pants weighed down less if I carried less in it  (Or could use the belt but the pants I have without pockets also don't have belt loops and the belt bugs me because it ends up under my shirt - I'm persnickety, apparently)


Ha Ha! You do have opinions, don't you.  I just put the belt around my waist and my hips hold it up - no belt loops needed. 



> Yes! It's similar to this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Yukon-T...312?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5673e86c10 I couldn't find the exact one I have (mine is less bulky), but it's the same company. It has. 2 pockets in front, a big pocket in back, a pocket on either side, and then a zip compartment on the inside - as well as the big space inside. I LOVE that thing, because it's not huge but I can keep things sorted. It's also canvas and washes up beautifully.


That looks nice! If I looked around enough I probably have something I could use (I have tons of bags from conferences and whatnot), but new is always nice!


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Ha Ha! You do have opinions, don't you.  I just put the belt around my waist and my hips hold it up - no belt loops needed.
> 
> That looks nice! If I looked around enough I probably have something I could use (I have tons of bags from conferences and whatnot), but new is always nice!


You know, honestly, if I had hips or a butt I'd be happier with the belt  I'm built WEIRD. But I'm also opinionated and persnickety about mostly inconsequential things.

New things are always nice. Especially new dog things AND you can call it organization so it's actually NOT like it's really a new thing - it's just containing other things. Or something.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Whoops, had the brand name wrong.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tactical-US...751?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3b39fdff
> 
> This is what I use. Basically, though, look tactical bags and you get some neat options with many, many pockets.


LOL Rapid Dominance - I'm surprised he who shall not be named didn't adopt this product line.


----------



## ireth0

For ALL THE THINGS I have a bag similar to this; http://www.amazon.ca/Kattee®-Should...UTF8&qid=1436295365&sr=8-56&keywords=rucksack that we 'borrowed' from my BF. 

Has water, bowl, mat, poop bags, extra leash, small towel, and a couple toys as needed. Treats and such I keep on me either in a pocket or treat pouch.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> LOL Rapid Dominance - I'm surprised he who shall not be named didn't adopt this product line.


Probably why I blocked the name from my head. They're military though which somehow makes me feel less inclined to laugh hysterically about it. A little. Vaguely.


----------



## cookieface

Obviously, I need to go shopping this weekend. Y'all are enablers.


----------



## Willowy

The smoke from the Canadian wildfires is something else. It's been hazy here for quite a while because of the smoke way up in the atmosphere, but yesterday, the smoke was THICK on the ground and I could even smell it. The weirdest part is that there was a strong south wind so it should have been blowing Canadian smoke away from us. . .maybe it was circulating the smoke down from where it usually stays in the atmosphere? That was nuts anyway. Hope everybody is safe up there!

Also odd: despite the smoke, I haven't had to use my inhaler recently, I haven't been wheezy at all. Normally I get wheezy and have to use the inhaler once or twice a week (the reason the doctor won't give me anything other than a rescue inhaler), but earlier this spring I was using it much more frequently (I guess the pollen count was terrible. . .one of my co-workers is much more severely asthmatic and needed to go on oral steroids). And usually I'm pretty sensitive to smoke of any kind. Very strange.


----------



## cookieface

Willowy said:


> The smoke from the Canadian wildfires is something else. It's been hazy here for quite a while because of the smoke way up in the atmosphere, but yesterday, the smoke was THICK on the ground and I could even smell it. The weirdest part is that there was a strong south wind so it should have been blowing Canadian smoke away from us. . .maybe it was circulating the smoke down from where it usually stays in the atmosphere? That was nuts anyway. Hope everybody is safe up there!
> 
> Also odd: despite the smoke, I haven't had to use my inhaler recently, I haven't been wheezy at all. Normally I get wheezy and have to use the inhaler once or twice a week (the reason the doctor won't give me anything other than a rescue inhaler), but earlier this spring I was using it much more frequently (I guess the pollen count was terrible. . .one of my co-workers is much more severely asthmatic and needed to go on oral steroids). And usually I'm pretty sensitive to smoke of any kind. Very strange.


Maybe because it's polite Canadian smoke?


----------



## Willowy

Haha, probably!

And they just had a thing on the news about how the smoke is so horrible for allergy sufferers, etc. My lungs/bronchial tubes just want to be contrary I guess.

And it's weirdly cool here too. Maybe because of the haze? High today of 71, and it's not humid at all. It's July! It should be 95 degrees with 95% humidity. Not that I'm complaining at all .


----------



## Laurelin

Oh man Mia has stooped to a new low. I was eating a taco and she just waltzed over and bit it. No pretenses even.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

gingerkid said:


> I really like your username!


Ha thanks! I don't really care for it as a username mostly. Not that it's bad.. just that it really doesn't suit me at all. 

... and LOL Mia. Sounds like Kairi these days.. getting braver..


----------



## CptJack

I admit, trying to figure out how to reference you in posts is sometimes... odd. "OH FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS!"


----------



## CptJack

I think I saw Molly 'turn on' to agility tonight. Not just doing it, not even just having fun doing it, but to what the game is all about. She was so happy, so on, so utterly confident and herself in a way I have never seen in classes (home, disc, ball yes, but not class), even when I've seen her more relaxed and happy and non-reactive, that I just. I could cry. THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> I admit, trying to figure out how to reference you in posts is sometimes... odd. "OH FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS!"


That's where the rant came from. How awkward it is to reference to me. When people say "FTLOD" I almost don't notice they are talking to me. Everything else is just a pain to type and weird to read. "Forthelove" is like the best you can get without typing the whole name and even that is still just strange. Pretty sure "OH FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS" is what I was going for originally.


----------



## Eenypup

So my dad's backyard is fenced only on three sides. I let her off leash there and have yummy treats for recall if she wanders off. Well, she figured that out VERY quickly. So she now ambles off toward the unfenced side and if I call her name looks back at me. She'll keep on walking and wait until I say "come!" and then come BOUNDING over so extremely happy and ready for her treat. She'll do it over and over again, she thinks it's a game!


----------



## cookieface

In a few hours I'm going to need a reminder of why I love my dogs, primarily Tyson. We had class at 8, he peed at about 9:30, then again 10:45. At 1:45 he was walking around the bedroom. I couldn't ignore him, so I took him out a little before 2:30. Got back into bed and he started making mouthy noises as if he were going to vomit. So, 3:30 and we're all up sitting in the kitchen. The dogs can sleep all day; I have to work - and be nice to people.



Laurelin said:


> Oh man Mia has stooped to a new low. I was eating a taco and she just waltzed over and bit it. No pretenses even.


I love Mia. 



CptJack said:


> I think I saw Molly 'turn on' to agility tonight. Not just doing it, not even just having fun doing it, but to what the game is all about. She was so happy, so on, so utterly confident and herself in a way I have never seen in classes (home, disc, ball yes, but not class), even when I've seen her more relaxed and happy and non-reactive, that I just. I could cry. THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.


Awesome!



Eenypup said:


> So my dad's backyard is fenced only on three sides. I let her off leash there and have yummy treats for recall if she wanders off. Well, she figured that out VERY quickly. So she now ambles off toward the unfenced side and if I call her name looks back at me. She'll keep on walking and wait until I say "come!" and then come BOUNDING over so extremely happy and ready for her treat. She'll do it over and over again, she thinks it's a game!


Benny is such a smart little girl.


----------



## Kayota

laur roxie has done that... if i get fast food and shes in the car she will snatch fries out of my hand if i dont pay atrention to her.. lol


----------



## jade5280

Today is the first day that Ryker has to be alone in the new house. We don't have internet yet so I can't watch him on the IP cam. I'm dreading going home and finding out what he destroyed. Crossing my fingers that he will be okay.


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Today is the first day that Ryker has to be alone in the new house. We don't have internet yet so I can't watch him on the IP cam. I'm dreading going home and finding out what he destroyed. Crossing my fingers that he will be okay.


Sending good thoughts that Ryker is ok today.


----------



## BellaPup

jade5280 said:


> Today is the first day that Ryker has to be alone in the new house. We don't have internet yet so I can't watch him on the IP cam. I'm dreading going home and finding out what he destroyed. Crossing my fingers that he will be okay.


Sending "be good" vibes to Ryker!


----------



## Laurelin

When your dog runs head first into a wall then pulls up lame. *sigh*


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Today is the first day that Ryker has to be alone in the new house. We don't have internet yet so I can't watch him on the IP cam. I'm dreading going home and finding out what he destroyed. Crossing my fingers that he will be okay.


How was he?



Laurelin said:


> When your dog runs head first into a wall then pulls up lame. *sigh*


Oh no! Hank? Hope he's ok. Katie ran into a bush once and started limping. She took a few steps and was fine.

Tyson is so much fun to shape. He does stuff! Like really does stuff! Obvious stuff! Stuff I can see! And - *super bonus* - he seems so happy when he does it. It's like a game - what can I do to win a treat? Maybe I'm not bad at shaping, maybe Katie is too easily frustrated.


----------



## jade5280

Thanks for asking. He did so much better than I thought. He DID poop in the house in the corner (even though he pooped 2x that morning), but he didn't scratch the door and didn't rip anything up. I even forgot to put the trash can away and he didn't touch it, thankfully! I'm not sure how long he barked for, but I don't think it was too long.


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Thanks for asking. He did so much better than I thought. He DID poop in the house in the corner (even though he pooped 2x that morning), but he didn't scratch the door and didn't rip anything up. I even forgot to put the trash can away and he didn't touch it, thankfully! I'm not sure how long he barked for, but I don't think it was too long.


That's great! Way to go, Ryker!


----------



## missc89

Kinda proud of myself for this one!! 

Called in to a radio show where the host was talking about the dog that attacked and killed that man in Hamilton and (hopefully) I helped shed a bit more light on why BSL isn't working in Ontario and how people generalize any Bully / Molosser-type dog as a Pittie.


----------



## ireth0

missc89 said:


> Kinda proud of myself for this one!!
> 
> Called in to a radio show where the host was talking about the dog that attacked and killed that man in Hamilton and (hopefully) I helped shed a bit more light on why BSL isn't working in Ontario and how people generalize any Bully / Molosser-type dog as a Pittie.


You did great!


----------



## missc89

ireth0 said:


> You did great!


Thank you!! ^-^


----------



## Kayota

cookieface said:


> How was he?
> 
> 
> 
> Oh no! Hank? Hope he's ok. Katie ran into a bush once and started limping. She took a few steps and was fine.
> 
> Tyson is so much fun to shape. He does stuff! Like really does stuff! Obvious stuff! Stuff I can see! And - *super bonus* - he seems so happy when he does it. It's like a game - what can I do to win a treat? Maybe I'm not bad at shaping, maybe Katie is too easily frustrated.


roxie is really bad at shaping bc i started training without that and started trying shaping when she was around four.. we did 100things to do with a box and.once i clicked for one behavior she would.just keep offering the same one over and over. shes better at it.now but it still seems pretty lost on her.


----------



## gingerkid

I hate it when people use threat of shelters and euthanasia to rehome their *puppy*. A friend of a friend's post makes it sound like the puppy is going to get euth'd as soon as he takes it to their (high-adoption rate) shelter. :doh:


----------



## jade5280

gingerkid said:


> I hate it when people use threat of shelters and euthanasia to rehome their *puppy*. A friend of a friend's post makes it sound like the puppy is going to get euth'd as soon as he takes it to their (high-adoption rate) shelter. :doh:


I CAN'T STAND THIS! I see it all the time on FB. Like they are trying to guilt people into fixing their mistakes and it would be anyone's fault but their own if their dog gets PTS.


----------



## cookieface

I took Katie out and left Tyson in the kitchen with the Manners Minder. It malfunctioned so he got a steady stream of treats - he was a happy boy.


----------



## gingerkid

jade5280 said:


> I CAN'T STAND THIS! I see it all the time on FB. Like they are trying to guilt people into fixing their mistakes and it would be anyone's fault but their own if their dog gets PTS.


Not to mention that it paints all shelters with the brush that any dog (or cat) that ends up there will get euthanized. It's a puppy! They usually don't last more than a day at our shelter.. a week tops if they're between 4-6 months with a history of serious behavior issues.


----------



## cookieface

Off to the vet this morning. Both dogs are vomiting what looks like blood-tinged bile. This is when I wish I had dog friends nearby - I don't know how I'm going to manage both of them at once in an office filled with other dogs.


----------



## jade5280

cookieface said:


> Off to the vet this morning. Both dogs are vomiting what looks like blood-tinged bile. This is when I wish I had dog friends nearby - I don't know how I'm going to manage both of them at once in an office filled with other dogs.


 Oh no! I hope everything is okay.


----------



## ChelseaOliver

cookieface said:


> Off to the vet this morning. Both dogs are vomiting what looks like blood-tinged bile. This is when I wish I had dog friends nearby - I don't know how I'm going to manage both of them at once in an office filled with other dogs.


Wishing you tons of good luck! Maybe they both ate the same wrong thing? I hope it's nothing!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Hope they are both ok... short lead hold just above the collar gives you a decent power position... just like a horse don't let them get out a head of you keep them inline their shoulder to your shoulder...


----------



## Kathyy

I would leave one in the car, wait outside with both or even have separate appointments to avoid that. More because they were not happy campers at the vet though as they ignored other animals due to stress.


----------



## sydneynicole

Trying to pull a puppy off of the euth. list this morning. Such a hassle, really. We'll see if it happens!
http://nycdogs.urgentpodr.org/phineas-a1042773/


----------



## PatriciafromCO

sydneynicole said:


> Trying to pull a puppy off of the euth. list this morning. Such a hassle, really. We'll see if it happens!
> http://nycdogs.urgentpodr.org/phineas-a1042773/


oh that is terrible.... hope you can...


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Oh no! I hope everything is okay.





ChelseaOliver said:


> Wishing you tons of good luck! Maybe they both ate the same wrong thing? I hope it's nothing!





PatriciafromCO said:


> Hope they are both ok... short lead hold just above the collar gives you a decent power position... just like a horse don't let them get out a head of you keep them inline their shoulder to your shoulder...





Kathyy said:


> I would leave one in the car, wait outside with both or even have separate appointments to avoid that. More because they were not happy campers at the vet though as they ignored other animals due to stress.


Thanks so much. Unless you'd been up at 2am cleaning dog puke, you'd have no idea they were sick - which is a relief. They've been running around outside, gobbled a little rice, and have been following me around while I do laundry. We were able to get an appointment this evening, so my husband will be able to go with me. I just need to remind him that it's going to take forever to get there with weekend traffic.



sydneynicole said:


> Trying to pull a puppy off of the euth. list this morning. Such a hassle, really. We'll see if it happens!
> http://nycdogs.urgentpodr.org/phineas-a1042773/


Good luck! He sounds like a really good dog. I'm impressed with the assessment process and detailed notes from the shelter.


----------



## sydneynicole

Well, it's now after 12pm and I have yet to hear back from the shelter. I applied to foster through the shelter he is located at, but was told I'd need to go through a different group to pull him for me, and have yet to hear back. 
Usually young and friendly dogs, especially non-pitbulls, will have a few extra days. I'm hoping he isn't being euthanized today, but there is a chance since he is on the list.
It's frustrating, but everything happens for a reason.


----------



## petpeeve

missc89 said:


> Kinda proud of myself for this one!!
> 
> Called in to a radio show where the host was talking about the dog that attacked and killed that man in Hamilton and (hopefully) I helped shed a bit more light on why BSL isn't working in Ontario and how people generalize any Bully / Molosser-type dog as a Pittie.


When the report first came out, the dog was labeled as a pit. Very shortly after that it was amended to a shar pei x fila mix of about 40 pounds. Pretty gory incident. Apparently the dog dismembered the body, literally, before bystanders had a chance to intervene with baseball bats etc. Following yesterday's autopsy authorities now say the victim died before the dog attacked, and the dog was incited by the act of him falling down as he died. So yeah, the dog wasn't responsible for killing him. Actual cause of death remains unknown until toxicology reports are available in a few weeks time. I believe the victim was only around 30 years old. 

Such a horrific tragedy, all around.


----------



## missc89

petpeeve said:


> When the report first came out, the dog was labeled as a pit. Very shortly after that it was amended to a shar pei x fila mix of about 40 pounds. Pretty gory incident. Apparently the dog dismembered the body, literally, before bystanders had a chance to intervene with baseball bats etc. Following yesterday's autopsy authorities now say the victim died before the dog attacked, and the dog was incited by the act of him falling down as he died. So yeah, the dog wasn't responsible for killing him. Actual cause of death remains unknown until toxicology reports are available in a few weeks time. I believe the victim was only around 30 years old.
> 
> Such a horrific tragedy, all around.


It really is a horrific tragedy, but it goes to show how quick people are to assume that ANY dog attack is caused by a Pit Bull, and is perpetuating the stereotype of pitties being 'bad dogs' because not many people are well educated enough on the differences in dogs to be able to tell one breed from another (even with something as simple as differentiating between a black tri Aussie pup and a Berner pup)


----------



## ireth0

Everything about this case is an example of why BSL doesn't work.

For those who don't know, this happened in a province that HAS a BSL ban on pits. Obviously super effective in preventing harm to the public.


----------



## Miss Bugs

There is a dog at work today...a smooth coated red Border Collie that looks exactly like Misty but red instead of black....her name? Paisley. Like..seriously? (for those that dont know Misty was my little smooth coated BC who passed away 2 years ago and I adopted my Aussie Paisley shortly after).


----------



## luv mi pets

Miss Bugs said:


> There is a dog at work today...a smooth coated red Border Collie that looks exactly like Misty but red instead of black....her name? Paisley. Like..seriously? (for those that dont know Misty was my little smooth coated BC who passed away 2 years ago and I adopted my Aussie Paisley shortly after).


Up for adoption? One more dog can fit on that porch!


----------



## Miss Bugs

luv mi pets said:


> Up for adoption? One more dog can fit on that porch!


Unfortunately, no, she's an owned dog  my brother was like " so you're gonna steal her? 'Thanks for taking care of my reincarnated dog for me, I'll just be taking her back now'" lol


----------



## Sibe

Bobb has an appointment on Thursday to evaluate his gait, movement, and potential for using a prosthetic on his front leg nub. I'm such a mix of nervous, excited, guarded hopefulness. It's about an hour and a half long appt that is very in depth, extensive analysis, they do video of his movement, etc etc. If he's a good candidate it's not a cheap process to get the prosthetic and then we'd be doing rehab which is more expense. I hate that it may be a money thing. The rescue has already said that she will present cost quotes to the board and see if they would help, but honestly I feel like he should be fully our financial responsibility because we committed to him and adopted him; cost for getting the prosthetic would be about $100 for this appt, $75 for casting/impression, $1400-1600 for prosthetic, and most dogs need a second which is another $1400-1600, plus $25 if it even needs adjusting. Then the cost of rehab to not only teach him to use it but to build his muscle back up as it's completely atrophied and gone. It would be a long road. If he can't get one.. I... I don't even know. I can't process that thought yet because it would be a bit crushing. He does fine on 2 legs for the most part, he's been on 2 for years and years, he's not going to suffer being on two. But there are some things that are really hard to see him struggle with. Even while peeing, he wobbles and he often sets his chin down on the ground for balance. It's cute in a sad way, makes me laugh in a sad way. I want him to able to pee, and poop, and eat, and drink, without losing his balance. I want him to be able to run and not faceplant. I want to be able to set him down and not have to keep my hands on his sides for a moment as he gets his balance. I want so much more for him.


----------



## Laurelin

Poor Summer is really sore today.  Can't tell if it's her neck or her shoulder but it's making me sad. I don't know if she tweaked something jumping off the bed.


----------



## cookieface

Sending good thoughts to Bobb and Summer.

This morning I was at Trader Joe's buying food for the dogs (just to stay somewhat on-topic) and I won a bouquet of flowers! It was a very pleasant surprise.


----------



## Sibe

cookieface said:


> Sending good thoughts to Bobb and Summer.
> 
> This morning I was at Trader Joe's buying food for the dogs (just to stay somewhat on-topic) and I won a bouquet of flowers! It was a very pleasant surprise.
> View attachment 206810


 Thank you.

Did you also buy Cookie Butter? We eat it by the spoonful.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I really haven't been on here much, but I do plan to start coming back, and actually participating, because I've really missed a lot of you.


Laurelin said:


> Poor Summer is really sore today.  Can't tell if it's her neck or her shoulder but it's making me sad. I don't know if she tweaked something jumping off the bed.


Oh no. Hoping that it's nothing serious, and that she feels better quickly.


Sibe said:


> Bobb has an appointment on Thursday to evaluate his gait, movement, and potential for using a prosthetic on his front leg nub. I'm such a mix of nervous, excited, guarded hopefulness. It's about an hour and a half long appt that is very in depth, extensive analysis, they do video of his movement, etc etc. If he's a good candidate it's not a cheap process to get the prosthetic and then we'd be doing rehab which is more expense. I hate that it may be a money thing. The rescue has already said that she will present cost quotes to the board and see if they would help, but honestly I feel like he should be fully our financial responsibility because we committed to him and adopted him; cost for getting the prosthetic would be about $100 for this appt, $75 for casting/impression, $1400-1600 for prosthetic, and most dogs need a second which is another $1400-1600, plus $25 if it even needs adjusting. Then the cost of rehab to not only teach him to use it but to build his muscle back up as it's completely atrophied and gone. It would be a long road. If he can't get one.. I... I don't even know. I can't process that thought yet because it would be a bit crushing. He does fine on 2 legs for the most part, he's been on 2 for years and years, he's not going to suffer being on two. But there are some things that are really hard to see him struggle with. Even while peeing, he wobbles and he often sets his chin down on the ground for balance. It's cute in a sad way, makes me laugh in a sad way. I want him to able to pee, and poop, and eat, and drink, without losing his balance. I want him to be able to run and not faceplant. I want to be able to set him down and not have to keep my hands on his sides for a moment as he gets his balance. I want so much more for him.


Sending good thoughts your way! I really find it admirable how much you're putting towards Bobb. Excited to see his progress, and see how he adjusts to the prosthetic.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I have been crazy busy all week and I'm irritable and exhausted. My poor dogs finally got out for the first time all week. Also, Kairi is developing seasonal allergies and I want to cry because she is itching so much and pulling hair out of areas. She is already on fish oil, probiotics and now antihistamines. Nothing works. Sigh. I don't want to put her on steroids or immune suppressants but I hate to watch her like this. Sigghh. My poor wiggle butt...


----------



## Laurelin

This is just a mild vent, I am not sure there IS really a solution out there but I took Mia to the pet store yesterday and she is so much more flighty and reactive than she used to be. Growling at people who look at her too long, that kind of thing. I know its because she has to stay home a lot more nowadays and in the past she was out walking, hiking, doing classes, etc most days. It makes me sad. But she just can't last in this weather out and about. In the winter she can do more but still not get the socializing and work she used to. She is very content staying at home and doing short walks, playing in the yard, playing mild ball. But it's sad. And I wish she could do more. It's sad seeing such a regression in her too.

On the flip side it was so nice getting her out and to the store so maybe we can do more of that. Maybe she can be my 'go to store' dog. She had her big goofy crazy Mia grin the whole time and was just very happy to get to come.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I made this, of Misty and her red twin Paisley.


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## North&South

Laurelin said:


> This is just a mild vent, I am not sure there IS really a solution out there but I took Mia to the pet store yesterday and she is so much more flighty and reactive than she used to be. Growling at people who look at her too long, that kind of thing. I know its because she has to stay home a lot more nowadays and in the past she was out walking, hiking, doing classes, etc most days. It makes me sad. But she just can't last in this weather out and about. In the winter she can do more but still not get the socializing and work she used to. She is very content staying at home and doing short walks, playing in the yard, playing mild ball. But it's sad. And I wish she could do more. It's sad seeing such a regression in her too.
> 
> On the flip side it was so nice getting her out and to the store so maybe we can do more of that. Maybe she can be my 'go to store' dog. She had her big goofy crazy Mia grin the whole time and was just very happy to get to come.


We're dealing with reactivity with our Papillon as well. So many things he needs to work on--reacting to hubby, reacting to strangers in the house, reacting to strangers outside the house, some separation anxiety. (I think an unavoidable 9 hour absence resulted in a setback in that area.) We're lucky he's merely vocal, and not destructive when we're away. There's a small family get together tomorrow and my mother likes to remind me that 'you should bring the dog so he gets used to other people'. OK, sure, hehe! (He needs to learn to be alone, but he also needs to learn to get used to other people...) He hasn't been to their place since the first week we had him, when he was too shut down to show these behavior issues we are seeing now. Back then, there were 5 big humans standing over him, staring at him, and all going "aw, is he ever cute!" These days, if there's another human around me, life is just one big training/counterconditioning session while I try to catch him in that fraction of a millisecond before he hits threshold. 

My budget is blown--calming collars and rescue remedy drops on order, several McConnell books on the way. Whew!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I have been crazy busy all week and I'm irritable and exhausted. My poor dogs finally got out for the first time all week. Also, Kairi is developing seasonal allergies and I want to cry because she is itching so much and pulling hair out of areas. She is already on fish oil, probiotics and now antihistamines. Nothing works. Sigh. I don't want to put her on steroids or immune suppressants but I hate to watch her like this. Sigghh. My poor wiggle butt...


I dont know if it works for allergies, but I feed a supplment called "nupro" and I have seen my dog licking and chewing at his feet less since he has been on it. He still does it, but to a lesser extent and will stop when I tell him.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Adventure day today! Went to the dog park with my friend who is dogsitting 2 labs for 3 weeks and she has the dogs owners vehicle. To avoid having too many things she took the jeep key off the ring and put it in her pocket, then as we were ready to leave the park, she goes to pull out the key and..it's gone. Its an 18 acre park. After searching for like 45 minutes and freaking out, my friend called her dad hoping he would know what to do, he basically laughed and said that really sucks! We tell several people so they can keep a lookout as well and I tried calling my mom, my mom knows all lol. My mom said to call the dogs/jeep owner to see if she has a spare somewhere and came and picked us up, my friend got a hold of the lady and she said she has a spare in her sons jeep at her place and there are keys for his car in her condo, she would call the lady at the show suite to let my friend in, so my mom drives us there we eventually get in, my friend locates the keys then has to find the sons car in the parking garage, roots around and finds the spare in the jeep then has to put all the other keys back, my mom drives us back to the dogpark and one of the ladies we talked too had found the original key! So that little dog park trip turned into a 3 hour adventure lol


----------



## luv mi pets

I am getting tired of feeding the mosquitoes all the time! As soon as I am outside they start to swarm. I hate it.


----------



## ireth0

Going to a dog event for Pride on Saturday, so excited! Gotta pick up some rainbow stuff for Luna and I...


----------



## CptJack

I have found a way to put an end to Kylie's demand barking.

Every time she barks at me for something, I give it to Molly. 

It's GREAT.


----------



## BellaPup

Hahahaha...I've heard that works great for kids, too.


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## ireth0

With all the discussion of shock collars lately...

There is a place here called Peggy's Cove, with beautiful rocks and coastline that tourists come to regularly and you can walk over the rocks. (pictures easily googl-able) It is also known to have rogue waves and it is not unusual for people to die being swept off the rocks if they go to certain areas, despite many signs in the area warning you not to go to these areas.

There has been talk lately about if we should do anything more to prevent these occurrences, (erect fences, have safety patrols on the rocks, more signs, etc) and one of the (joking obviously) suggestions was to put shock collars on people that zap them if they go to the areas they aren't supposed to. It makes me giggle.


----------



## BellaPup

It's called natural selection...LOL If there are signs warning people of the dangers, they takes their chances. If they're dumb enough to risk it...well........ <shrug>
I doubt zappin' 'em'll work anyway.


----------



## cookieface

ireth0 said:


> With all the discussion of shock collars lately...
> 
> There is a place here called Peggy's Cove, with beautiful rocks and coastline that tourists come to regularly and you can walk over the rocks. (pictures easily googl-able) It is also known to have rogue waves and it is not unusual for people to die being swept off the rocks if they go to certain areas, despite many signs in the area warning you not to go to these areas.
> 
> There has been talk lately about if we should do anything more to prevent these occurrences, (erect fences, have safety patrols on the rocks, more signs, etc) and one of the (joking obviously) suggestions was to put shock collars on people that zap them if they go to the areas they aren't supposed to. It makes me giggle.


I've thought about using a shock collar on my husband for a variety of transgressions, but I know that positive reinforcement is more effective. I just need to find something that would be reinforcing to him; tuna fudge isn't going to work on him.


----------



## ireth0

BellaPup said:


> It's called natural selection...LOL If there are signs warning people of the dangers, they takes their chances. If they're dumb enough to risk it...well........ <shrug>
> I doubt zappin' 'em'll work anyway.


A woman on the radio the other day was saying she saw someone holding a baby and dipping the baby's feet in the water, and just hearing that story made me catch my breath. 

Do not tempt fate people! The ocean is a mighty force to be reckoned with.


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

Bella, a beautiful brown/white Lab/Shepherd mix (personally I think she has Golden/Setter in her) but I can't stand being near her! Her owners do not train this dog, she jumps and scratches me. Luke isn't fond of her either cause she's too energetic. I always tend to avoid them when I can, but today couldn't be helped. They went one way, I went another and bam...we smacked into each other. Good thing her owners aren't chatty and it was hot out! Why don't people train their dogs? (rhetorical question)


----------



## North&South

Had the reactive doggie to my folks' place today for the first time since the first week we adopted him. After a few treats, he was calm with the ladies, less so with the men. ....I administered treats pez style as pup met these people, some for the first time, and was told I was rewarding the dog for barking. But the dog calmed down and I was able to leave him there while I went out for a half hour or so to visit another housebound auntie and grab a takeout pizza. My mom and aunt continued to give him treats while I was gone and they reported that he was just fine with them.


----------



## cookieface

North&South said:


> Had the reactive doggie to my folks' place today for the first time since the first week we adopted him. After a few treats, he was calm with the ladies, less so with the men. One family member kept sort of hissing at him to shush him as per the dog whisperer sort of thing, which only served to increase my dog's agitation even more....I administered treats pez style as pup met these people, some for the first time, and was told I was rewarding the dog for barking. But the dog calmed down and I was able to leave him there while I went out for a half hour or so to visit another housebound auntie and grab a takeout pizza. My mom and aunt continued to give him treats while I was gone and they reported that he was just fine with them.


Awesome! When my dogs (Miss OverExcited and Mr ScaredyPants) met a bunch of new people, I put them on short leashes, fed treats almost non-stop, and kept them at a safe distance away from everyone at first. After a short time, Miss OverExcited was politely greeting people and Mr ScaredyPants was seeking attention from everyone. Management and counter conditioning work!


----------



## Grace_

Two Random Rants: 

1. Do not make kissy/ smoochy/ come here type noises at me. Do not make kissy noises at my dog when I walk him. You do not know me and you do not know my dog. Just because Dex is small and cute doesn't mean he might not bite you or something. Okay, I really hope that never EVER happens, but that doesn't mean you know me or my dog well enough to make kissy noises at us to call us over, especially if you are less than sober. Especially do not make kissy noises at us and then lunge in Dex's face when you want to pet him. You don't know him. He scares so easily and ends up hurting himself in the process of jumping/ running away from people. If you want to pet him, ask! Maybe this is something all dog owners go through, or because I have a bar on my corner we tend to attract some less that sober people. I don't know. But it really gets on my nerves. I try to ignore people I don't know as best as possible when that happens, and anyone who wants to pet Dex or have their dogs get friendly with him is usually okay by me (maybe not by him- little scaredy dog). 

2. I must know. Who are these really classy people in my neighborhood who eat chicken while walking down the street and then toss their chicken bones on the sidewalk. Really, who are you? Because I might just put you on a leash and take you to obedience training. Dex manages to find at least a few bones a week, and not dog bones, fried chicken or chicken wing type bones, and not only is it gross enough to have to take them out of his mouth but I'm terrified he might choke. So I must know who these people are. I wonder in what kind of home they grew up in. Maybe that's weird of me. I don't know. But it's not like it's garbage day and there are bones left on the sidewalk from the trash. It happens quite often and we are working on leave it but outside of the house it's not a concept he's grasping well. But we've only had Dex for 2 months (not even that) and he is doing really well, so I'm positive. 

Thanks for the space to rant!


----------



## ireth0

Had a great moment last night.

We went to nosework class to get/fill out some forms for our upcoming trial. Last time I filled out a form there was when we first started nosework, which was last... Sept or Oct I believe. At that time Luna was pulling my arm ALL over the place, it was all I could do to just get the form filled out/keep it in one place, much less with any semblance of legible writing. 

This time, I put Luna in a sit/stay while I filled out the forms and she just... sat and stayed. I filled them out like a normal person, although I did stop periodically to reward her because I could, but it was no big deal AT ALL. 

It was just... one of those wow moments that really showed how far we've come.


----------



## BellaPup

Grace_ said:


> 2. I must know. Who are these really classy people in my neighborhood who eat chicken while walking down the street and then toss their chicken bones on the sidewalk. Really, who are you? Because I might just put you on a leash and take you to obedience training. Dex manages to find at least a few bones a week, and not dog bones, fried chicken or chicken wing type bones, and not only is it gross enough to have to take them out of his mouth but I'm terrified he might choke. So I must know who these people are. I wonder in what kind of home they grew up in. Maybe that's weird of me. I don't know. But it's not like it's garbage day and there are bones left on the sidewalk from the trash. It happens quite often and we are working on leave it but outside of the house it's not a concept he's grasping well. But we've only had Dex for 2 months (not even that) and he is doing really well, so I'm positive.
> 
> Thanks for the space to rant!


I HATE this! I'm sure they think it isn't "littering" since it will biodegrade, but they obviously don't own dogs...or if they do, they know NOTHING about them. 

It's super difficult to see bones - Bella always sees stuff like that first and there ain't no amount of "leave it!" that will keep her from eating chicken! She found the remains of a whole cooked chicken once in a neighborhood baseball field when she was about 6 months old...I tried to take her away from it and she almost took off my hand! I think a scavenger had taken it out of someones trash, though.


----------



## taquitos

ireth0 said:


> Had a great moment last night.
> 
> We went to nosework class to get/fill out some forms for our upcoming trial. Last time I filled out a form there was when we first started nosework, which was last... Sept or Oct I believe. At that time Luna was pulling my arm ALL over the place, it was all I could do to just get the form filled out/keep it in one place, much less with any semblance of legible writing.
> 
> This time, I put Luna in a sit/stay while I filled out the forms and she just... sat and stayed. I filled them out like a normal person, although I did stop periodically to reward her because I could, but it was no big deal AT ALL.
> 
> It was just... one of those wow moments that really showed how far we've come.


Yay Luna!!!


----------



## North&South

CptJack said:


> I have found a way to put an end to Kylie's demand barking.
> 
> Every time she barks at me for something, I give it to Molly.
> 
> It's GREAT.


LOL! I love it! I have a mental image of Molly hiding around a corner, making faces at Kylie so she barks. OK, I know dogs don't really do that, but it gave me a giggle thinking about it.  I enjoy reading about your crew.


----------



## CptJack

North&South said:


> LOL! I love it! I have a mental image of Molly hiding around a corner, making faces at Kylie so she barks. OK, I know dogs don't really do that, but it gave me a giggle thinking about it.  I enjoy reading about your crew.


Believe me, Molly KNOWS that Kylie barking at me means she's going to get something. She spent a while this morning following Kylie around and poking her in the flank and getting grumped at. I stopped it, but it was HYSTERICALLY funny.


----------



## cookieface

ireth0 said:


> Had a great moment last night.
> 
> We went to nosework class to get/fill out some forms for our upcoming trial. Last time I filled out a form there was when we first started nosework, which was last... Sept or Oct I believe. At that time Luna was pulling my arm ALL over the place, it was all I could do to just get the form filled out/keep it in one place, much less with any semblance of legible writing.
> 
> This time, I put Luna in a sit/stay while I filled out the forms and she just... sat and stayed. I filled them out like a normal person, although I did stop periodically to reward her because I could, but it was no big deal AT ALL.
> 
> It was just... one of those wow moments that really showed how far we've come.


Yay, Luna!

We've found things like bones, half-eaten sandwiches, pizza crust on our walks, but I think the more likely culprit are the crows and fox in the neighborhood. We once found a cooked shrimp in our yard - no way could anyone have dropped it there.


----------



## Remaru

I took Lad to derby practice last night. It is something I do pretty regularly but I haven't in just a little while because it is hot and it has rained a good bit. I guess I just haven't because it has been inconvenient so it has been a couple of weeks since he went. He was really well behaved. It isn't that he is normally "bad" but he is a puppy and he gets into stuff and I usually take him out to walk at least once during practice (Monday is 2hours, Wednesday is at least 5hours). Last night he mostly just laid at my feet on his mat or slightly off his mat, chewed his bone a bit rolled on his back a bit and wagged his tail when my friend's daughter petted him. He pretty much ignored all of the people which is a shift from his previous attention seeking personality. When the kids came up to say high he was happy to see them, let them pet him, drool on them, but he didn't go looking for them. Part of it may have been that he was feeling pretty warm but it seems he is growing up. We stopped by TSC to pick up dog food and he was super interested in the dog food, carts, things on shelves in general but not in all of the people who wanted to "ooh" and "ahh" over him. Just last month he would have wanted to be in their laps. I want to be super excited about this, I prefer an aloof dog, but part of me is a little nervous about the change. I don't want him to swing too far the other direction. I wish it were easier for me to just enjoy my dogs without looking for what could go wrong.


----------



## North&South

Grace_ said:


> Two Random Rants:
> 
> 1. Do not make kissy/ smoochy/ come here type noises at me. Do not make kissy noises at my dog when I walk him. You do not know me and you do not know my dog. Just because Dex is small and cute doesn't mean he might not bite you or something. Okay, I really hope that never EVER happens, but that doesn't mean you know me or my dog well enough to make kissy noises at us to call us over, especially if you are less than sober. Especially do not make kissy noises at us and then lunge in Dex's face when you want to pet him. You don't know him. He scares so easily and ends up hurting himself in the process of jumping/ running away from people. If you want to pet him, ask! Maybe this is something all dog owners go through, or because I have a bar on my corner we tend to attract some less that sober people. I don't know. But it really gets on my nerves. I try to ignore people I don't know as best as possible when that happens, and anyone who wants to pet Dex or have their dogs get friendly with him is usually okay by me (maybe not by him- little scaredy dog).


The kissy/smooch thing at you...well, that's just plain old sexual harrassment, isn't it?...akin to guys on the street doing catcalls at women. Just people being jerks, and wow, when is society going to get past such asinine behavior? 

Re the dog...I'm sure we'll run into that in a few months when we're in our city home for the winter. We just adopted a dog a couple of months ago, and he's very little and cute and people just always gotta do the "awe he's so cute" thing as they loom over him. But he's a reactive, snarling little beastie now if he doesn't want the attention and sensible people are put off by that. And...well, we're working on his being able to be calm around people he doesn't know. But really, from his perspective, it has to look scary and really, no one has the right to approach your dog without your permission, it's simply not good manners.


----------



## North&South

CptJack said:


> Believe me, Molly KNOWS that Kylie barking at me means she's going to get something. She spent a while this morning following Kylie around and poking her in the flank and getting grumped at. I stopped it, but it was HYSTERICALLY funny.


 Molly is one smart girl!


----------



## North&South

I wanted to clicker train my dog, but no access yet to a pet supply store to find a clicker. Our house is full of clicky pens. DH sometimes sits and clicks while he's watching tv in the evenings or doing some deep thinking and problem solving (we're both ex-smokers!). Hmmmm. Last night I hunted around the house, trying to find something that would click a little differently and I came upon a larger pen with a particularly distinctive click to it. I worked with my dog with that for about 10 minutes or so, and he's got it. When the thing that I want to click is happening in another room, I click, he hears it and comes to me. 

Gotta be resourceful here in the sticks. 

I guess the test will be next time DH clicks a pen repeatedly as he does, will doggie be all over him looking for a reward, lol! (I'll get a proper clicker when I'm able.)


----------



## elrohwen

North&South said:


> I wanted to clicker train my dog, but no access yet to a pet supply store to find a clicker. Our house is full of clicky pens. DH sometimes sits and clicks while he's watching tv in the evenings or doing some deep thinking and problem solving (we're both ex-smokers!). Hmmmm. Last night I hunted around the house, trying to find something that would click a little differently and I came upon a larger pen with a particularly distinctive click to it. I worked with my dog with that for about 10 minutes or so, and he's got it. When the thing that I want to click is happening in another room, I click, he hears it and comes to me.
> 
> Gotta be resourceful here in the sticks.
> 
> I guess the test will be next time DH clicks a pen repeatedly as he does, will doggie be all over him looking for a reward, lol! (I'll get a proper clicker when I'm able.)


You can also use a verbal marker, like "yes!". It is slightly less accurate than a clicker, but it's the same concept and is really the same thing. I use a verbal marker far more often than a clicker. And you never have to worry about losing it!


----------



## CptJack

When I first started clicker training I actually used the pop up lid of a baby jar. You know those 'safety seals' that pop up when you break the seal? Yeah, that. Worked beautifully. ...and was what I had on hand since at that stage I had tiny kids.


----------



## North&South

elrohwen said:


> You can also use a verbal marker, like "yes!". It is slightly less accurate than a clicker, but it's the same concept and is really the same thing. I use a verbal marker far more often than a clicker. And you never have to worry about losing it!


Yup, I was using "yes" and it was and is working, but I thought the clicker might be less irritating to those around me who do not agree with my training methods. I am still getting a constant string of criticism from people who think I am rewarding the dog for barking, rather than conditioning him not to be fearful of them.  I have about one nerve left....


----------



## cookieface

North&South said:


> Yup, I was using "yes" and it was and is working, but I thought the clicker might be less irritating to those around me who do not agree with my training methods. I am still getting a constant string of criticism from people who think I am rewarding the dog for barking, rather than conditioning him not to be fearful of them. I have about one nerve left....


If you're doing counter conditioning, there's no need for a marker. Have you seen the videos by Sophia Yin or Donna Hill? They have really good explanations. One of Yin's addresses the issue of rewarding (in her case) aggression. Of course, if your critics are anything like mine, they wouldn't watch anyway.


----------



## North&South

Oh, OK. I was trying to catch THE exact thing the dog is reacting to. Maybe the marker thing is confusing him more, I might be adding an extra element that doesn't need to be there. (Poor little guy.) This marker thing does prove the dog catches on quickly, it's just that he hasn't always been getting the message we were trying to convey. It's like living with a noisy little Martian, we just don't speak the same language or view the world in the same way! 

My critics like to point out that (a) every dog is different and (b) they don't believe my dog's behavior is induced by anxiety, he's just being 'bad'. And I know it does look that way. I'm sick of explaining myself, I'm just going to press on. I've seen Sophia's video's, even have one of her books and subscribe to her news letter. I was shocked and saddened to find out she had passed away, and especially under what circumstances. What a loss, and I'm sorry for the personal suffering she herself must have been undergoing.


----------



## elrohwen

If you're going to mark any behavior, mark the moment your dog looks at another dog but before he reacts. It's the Look At That Game (LAT). 

Once he's barking and reacting, training is done and you just need to manage him through the situation. If stuffing treats in his face will quiet him down and get him passed the trigger than do that (I know I have!) but that's not really the training part. Training happens when the dog is still under threshold.


----------



## cookieface

North&South said:


> Oh, OK. I was trying to catch THE exact thing the dog is reacting to. Maybe the marker thing is confusing him more, I might be adding an extra element that doesn't need to be there. (Poor little guy.) This marker thing does prove the dog catches on quickly, it's just that he hasn't always been getting the message we were trying to convey. It's like living with a noisy little Martian, we just don't speak the same language or view the world in the same way!


Noisy little Martian - that's about right! 

Operant conditioning (i.e., training new behaviors) sessions use markers; classical conditioning (i.e., creating associations) doesn't. Of course, classical conditioning is happening when you are teaching behaviors - that's why my dogs _love_ our training center: it's the treat place. 



> My critics like to point out that (a) every dog is different and (b) they don't believe my dog's behavior is induced by anxiety, he's just being 'bad'. And I know it does look that way. I'm sick of explaining myself, I'm just going to press on. I've seen Sophia's video's, even have one of her books and subscribe to her news letter. I was shocked and saddened to find out she had passed away, and especially under what circumstances. What a loss, and I'm sorry for the personal suffering she herself must have been undergoing.


Ha Ha Yes, every dog _is_ different, but they all learn the same way (barring brain damage). I haven't read all of your other posts, so I'm not familiar with your dog...that said, his barking may not be caused by anxiety. It doesn't matter. My older dog is reactive, but in her case it's over excitement; counter conditioning (i.e., feeding treats every time we saw another dog) worked! Maybe not because of CC, maybe because she was reinforced for looking at me when we saw a dog; doesn't really matter. She can walk past other dogs without freaking out (elrohwen saw it first hand  ) - although I have her under strict management most of the time.

One more tip - you may be doing this already - when counter conditioning, you want to try to reinforce before the dog reacts. It's not clear if you're doing that - and it should be easier if you're not worrying about clicking. 

Yin's death was a huge loss to the animal community; she did so much for them, for trainers, for vets, for pet owners. It did help to raise awareness of compassion fatigue, so there is a tiny bright light.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> If you're going to mark any behavior, mark the moment your dog looks at another dog but before he reactions. It's the Look At That Game (LAT).
> 
> Once he's barking and reacting, training is done and you just need to manage him through the situation. If stuffing treats in his face will quiet him down and get him passed the trigger than do that (I know I have!) but that's not really the training part. Training happens when the dog is still under threshold.


In practice, with a really bouncy fast dog, I find it much easier to eliminate the clicker until the reactivity has improved a bit. Depends on the dog and handler. 




I should add that I'm probably the most uncoordinated person to ever try to train a dog. :redface:


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> In practice, with a really bouncy fast dog, I find it much easier to eliminate the clicker until the reactivity has improved a bit. Depends on the dog and handler.


True! And it depends a lot on how much you can control the situation. If you're sitting in an obedience class with other dogs around, and the other dogs are staying a set distance away and your dog is not freaking out, work on some LAT. If you're on a walk and things are popping up all over the place, then it's going to be different.

Sometimes I mark the staring behavior as a last ditch effort to prevent a reaction. Usually on walks I can say "leave it" or his name and Watson will focus on me. Sometimes another dog just gets under his skin and he ignores me cue and keeps staring. Often if I say "yes!" right at that moment, it will break his stare and he'll look at me. A cue can be ignored, but "yes!" is ingrained into his brain because it's used so often to mean "delicious treats". 



> I should add that I'm probably the most uncoordinated person to ever try to train a dog. :redface:


So not true!


----------



## Laurelin

My brain right now is all agility agility agility. 

Also my parents want to come watch Hank. Weird.


----------



## Remaru

Had Lad back to the vet today. He vomited last night, no big deal that happens to all of the dogs from time to time. Then he had me up at 4:45, and 5:30 and was out again at 6:30. Ugh.....he was out every 30minutes all day. The vet is still insistent it must be his food or something he is finding to eat outside. I have no idea why. Took in another stool sample, hopefully we will hear back soon. I was going to take him to the other vet but they were super insistent on doing a parvo test (extra fees of course) and after arguing that my fully vaxed 7month old who has no symptoms of parvo other than diarrhea (he is acting totally normal, been bouncing off the walls with Freyja and Lenore all day) and this is exactly the same as he had about a month ago, so unless he had it, it magically went away and came back um nope not parvo. I finally was so annoyed with them I said heck no and just took him back to my old vet. The down side is that it means we don't have new eyes looking at him. He did have a slight temp this time and so he got an injected antibiotic and some antibiotics to take for the rest of the week. I really want this done, don't want him sick again a month from now.


----------



## Miss Bugs

So we have this new guy at work, and he's this muscle type dude who looks like the type a lot of our dogs would hate. Now we have this Aussie thst comes and he is VERY aggressive towards men, like he WILL attack, and he will rip a leash from your hand to go after a guy if he see's one. So I was out in yard with this dog in it, snd new guy walks outside to take over, dog lunges at the fence at the guy, new guy ignores him and just walks through the gate before I can warn him that this dog is not all show...except..nothing happened. The dog didn't even bark ay him again, just wandered over happily and said hello. New guy asked me a question and I just stood there staring in shock..like...how are you still standing unscathed right now? I don't understand... WTF??


----------



## Kathyy

Ginger reached a new low in treat finding ability this morning. Tossed a bit of cheese and while looking for it she stepped on it then couldn't figure out why her foot felt funny. Gotta teach this dog how to use her nose, she hasn't a clue.


----------



## Remaru

Miss Bugs said:


> So we have this new guy at work, and he's this muscle type dude who looks like the type a lot of our dogs would hate. Now we have this Aussie thst comes and he is VERY aggressive towards men, like he WILL attack, and he will rip a leash from your hand to go after a guy if he see's one. So I was out in yard with this dog in it, snd new guy walks outside to take over, dog lunges at the fence at the guy, new guy ignores him and just walks through the gate before I can warn him that this dog is not all show...except..nothing happened. The dog didn't even bark ay him again, just wandered over happily and said hello. New guy asked me a question and I just stood there staring in shock..like...how are you still standing unscathed right now? I don't understand... WTF??


Maybe he gives off some sort of pheromone that dogs really like? I swear my youngest son does, or something I don't know. People will tell me about how much their dog hates kids and to keep him away, next thing I know their dog is pulling at the leash to rub against his legs and lick his hands. It's weird, dogs just really like him. Even when he was really little. I tell him it is because he is actually a dog in a human body.  He is presently trying to convince me that we need to buy a farm so he can live outside with the farm dogs (no idea where he got this idea but I think it is from letting him watch old episodes of Lassie and Sebastian and Belle).


----------



## CptJack

> You've gone to Puppy kindergarten and socialized your puppy well, but they seem to have a character change as they are growing up. He/she starts to seem more aware and sort of worried about certain environmental changes like big garbage bags, other dogs, overhead planes,etc on the street or certain people or children coming into the house or towards them. Sometimes they growl or bark and back away. Sometimes they advance/lunge towards what is worrying them. How would you handle that and why do you think they are behaving that way?


^That?

That's a question on a BC breeder's puppy questionnaire. "The exact same way I handled it in Molly?" Not that I'm filling this thing out, but it made me laugh, a lot.


----------



## cookieface

Ugh. My husband complains about having gates up and doors closed in the house*, he won't put anything out of reach, then he gets angry when Tyson chews/eats his stuff. Yet, he calls Tyson the stubborn one. Sometimes I feel like I'm living with a bunch of two year olds.


* In his defense, he did buy two semi-permanent gates for the living room and dining room that look a bit more presentable than old baby gates.


----------



## sandgrubber

cookieface said:


> Ugh. My husband complains about having gates up and doors closed in the house*, he won't put anything out of reach, then he gets angry when Tyson chews/eats his stuff. Yet, he calls Tyson the stubborn one. Sometimes I feel like I'm living with a bunch of two year olds.
> 
> 
> * In his defense, he did buy two semi-permanent gates for the living room and dining room that look a bit more presentable than old baby gates.


Have you tried crating your husband?


----------



## jade5280

cookieface said:


> Ugh. My husband complains about having gates up and doors closed in the house*, he won't put anything out of reach, then he gets angry when Tyson chews/eats his stuff. Yet, he calls Tyson the stubborn one. Sometimes I feel like I'm living with a bunch of two year olds.
> 
> 
> * In his defense, he did buy two semi-permanent gates for the living room and dining room that look a bit more presentable than old baby gates.


Lol my SO has had so many things ripped apart by Ryker that he's finally learned to put away ANYTHING that he doesn't want to be destroyed when we leave the house...it took a long time though.


----------



## CptJack

I took a nap. 

I then promptly dreamed that cookieface was having a cursing, screaming, spitting FIT on DF because of people talking among themselves in a post and more than one person giving a similar answer. 

I have no idea, but I feel so guilty that my subconscious pasted that onto such a sweet person. Also pretty strange that I *dreamed* about DF.


----------



## Remaru

Dog Backpacks are genius. I just had to share. I ordered a backpack for Magic figuring "why not" worth a try to get her a little extra exercise on her walks. I put it on and she was a little skeptical (I just put a can of pumpkin in each side, yes I have pumpkin in the house all of the time). I clipped one end of the leash to her regular flat collar and one end to her backpack and off we went. I won't say she walked quite as nicely as she does on the prong collar, when she saw the neighbor cat she got pretty antsy and she did make a run at a bunny, but all in all she was so much nicer to walk. She didn't pull the entire time and she didn't even pay attention to kids playing at the park or do her bunny hop sideways thing trying to get back at the rabbit after we were past. Part of it is probably the training we have been doing with the prong collar but I think a lot of it was the backpack, she had to work harder so she wasn't as interested in checking out people or chasing things. However there are some downsides the the pack, she slammed into my legs, the mailbox and the door frame (both coming out and going back in). Still I will call this a win. She was also tired when we got home, for at least 10minutes!


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Lol my SO has had so many things ripped apart by Ryker that he's finally learned to put away ANYTHING that he doesn't want to be destroyed when we leave the house...it took a long time though.


He's a slow learner. You'd think that after losing a plate of pancakes, a plate of bacon, a ball of pizza dough, various pieces of mail, a sneaker insole, and who knows what else he'd catch on. 



CptJack said:


> I took a nap.
> 
> I then promptly dreamed that cookieface was having a cursing, screaming, spitting FIT on DF because of people talking among themselves in a post and more than one person giving a similar answer.
> 
> I have no idea, but I feel so guilty that my subconscious pasted that onto such a sweet person. Also pretty strange that I *dreamed* about DF.


That's too funny! LOL I often dream about people I know only online. It's weird. 





But just make sure y'all give unique answers to my questions.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Like 2 months ago this girl contacted me on instagram looking for some guidance, she has a dog with stage one Kidney Disease like Happy and she was wanting to try switching to raw from the kidney diet kibble and meds she was on, she kept trying to research but didn't have a basic understanding of raw so trying to learn how to adapt it for kidney disease was confusing. I helped her get started and her dog just had her first bloodwork since the switch and she messaged me and said the results were amazing! Thats so great to hear, unlike Happy, her dog is very young.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Miss Bugs said:


> Like 2 months ago this girl contacted me on instagram looking for some guidance, she has a dog with stage one Kidney Disease like Happy and she was wanting to try switching to raw from the kidney diet kibble and meds she was on, she kept trying to research but didn't have a basic understanding of raw so trying to learn how to adapt it for kidney disease was confusing. I helped her get started and her dog just had her first bloodwork since the switch and she messaged me and said the results were amazing! Thats so great to hear, unlike Happy, her dog is very young.


That's exellent !!!  hope the vet took notes to be able to help others seeing the results.


----------



## Laurelin

OMG. Went to set up courses for the trial tomorrow. Came home and Mia has WRECKED my dining room table. I don't even know. How does she do this? It looks like a tornado hit my dining room. Mail everywhere. My centerpiece strewn all over. It's a HEAVEY vase too. Clothes I had bought scattered everywhere (I had bought them online and I sat them with the mail this afternoon) I accidentally left my agility bag on the table. She ate a whole bag of treats and then also opened and spilled a big bag of dog food all over.

I don't even know. WTF.

She's all huge looking for shoving her face full of food.


----------



## Sibe

Bobb had his in depth prosthetics specialist appointment today. She looked at his recent xrays, felt his nubs, took pics and videos, measurements, and we got a cast of his front nub. Really, really needing prayers, thoughts, good vibes and juju that he is a suitable candidate for a prosthetic. It'd be a long and costly road but I want to offer him the best life possible after the horrific life he's had.

The tiny white thing Dr. Dusty is holding? That's the cast.


----------



## Remaru

Had a fail moment training Lad today. We were working on "left" and "right" commands. You know teaching your dog "left" and "right" works so much better when you actually know your left from your right? I have Lad come between my legs, and I pointed right but I said "left" he took a step and just looked at me like "really, are you testing me?" It took me a second to realize I had totally sent him mixed signals. Poor guy, he has to work extra hard.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Sibe said:


> Bobb had his in depth prosthetics specialist appointment today. She looked at his recent xrays, felt his nubs, took pics and videos, measurements, and we got a cast of his front nub. Really, really needing prayers, thoughts, good vibes and juju that he is a suitable candidate for a prosthetic. It'd be a long and costly road but I want to offer him the best life possible after the horrific life he's had.
> 
> The tiny white thing Dr. Dusty is holding? That's the cast.


sending our thoughts and prayers.........


----------



## Spirit_of_Cotons

The dog poop trash cans are purely for people to throw their dog's poop in. But nooo....people who are too lazy to walk another 50 steps to the people garbage can, now put their own trash in the dog area. Now it's filled up and I know who's doing it. My father told them to stop, but obviously it didn't work. I feel like putting an anonymous sign up that says: THIS IS A FOR DOG POOP YOU MORONS!!! Seriously though, why are people so lazy and stupid?


----------



## cookieface

Laurelin said:


> OMG. Went to set up courses for the trial tomorrow. Came home and Mia has WRECKED my dining room table. I don't even know. How does she do this? It looks like a tornado hit my dining room. Mail everywhere. My centerpiece strewn all over. It's a HEAVEY vase too. Clothes I had bought scattered everywhere (I had bought them online and I sat them with the mail this afternoon) I accidentally left my agility bag on the table. She ate a whole bag of treats and then also opened and spilled a big bag of dog food all over.
> 
> I don't even know. WTF.
> 
> She's all huge looking for shoving her face full of food.


Oh, Mia! How is she feeling today.



Sibe said:


> Bobb had his in depth prosthetics specialist appointment today. She looked at his recent xrays, felt his nubs, took pics and videos, measurements, and we got a cast of his front nub. Really, really needing prayers, thoughts, good vibes and juju that he is a suitable candidate for a prosthetic. It'd be a long and costly road but I want to offer him the best life possible after the horrific life he's had.
> 
> The tiny white thing Dr. Dusty is holding? That's the cast.


Good thoughts to you and Bobb!



Remaru said:


> Had a fail moment training Lad today. We were working on "left" and "right" commands. You know teaching your dog "left" and "right" works so much better when you actually know your left from your right? I have Lad come between my legs, and I pointed right but I said "left" he took a step and just looked at me like "really, are you testing me?" It took me a second to realize I had totally sent him mixed signals. Poor guy, he has to work extra hard.


I totally get that. I was giving someone directions at work, told him to turn left, and he looked at me very confused and said, "But you're pointing to the right." I walked him where he needed to go. :redface:


----------



## ireth0

Last night I randomly asked Luna to 'push' our small rolling chair. She learned this for our copy class and being honest I haven't used the cue since which has been like... months. 

But bam, she was all "Oh, you mean this thing which I obviously know exactly what you're talking about?" The little things man. Makes me smile.


----------



## CptJack

First day of school for my kids is the Friday before we're back from Vacation. Open house (for the younger, older is irrelevant/doesn't have them) are also the week we're gone. ...I am in no way not going on vacation for ONE day of school and an open house. I just need to get in touch with SOMEONE about this.


----------



## cookieface

Stopped at Petsmart for a ball on a rope for Katie. There was a woman in line behind me with a tiny baby puppy - her eyes weren't even open. Apparently the mother abandoned the puppies (or got out and lost / ??), so the woman took a puppy and is trying to save her. Good intentions, but the idea of having a pup that young in Petsmart made me uncomfortable.


----------



## Remaru

cookieface said:


> Stopped at Petsmart for a ball on a rope for Katie. There was a woman in line behind me with a tiny baby puppy - her eyes weren't even open. Apparently the mother abandoned the puppies (or got out and lost / ??), so the woman took a puppy and is trying to save her. Good intentions, but the idea of having a pup that young in Petsmart made me uncomfortable.


I worry about my older puppies in Petsmart, even after all shots are completed. I hope the puppy thrives though. 


Freyja is sick now. No idea what happened but she is really not doing well. So off to the vet again. Her stomach is really delicate, it could honestly be anything from getting a bit of biscuit to finding something in the yard. Hopefully she is feeling better quickly.


----------



## CptJack

I am getting sick and tired of the questions surrounding us taking the dogs on vacation/to visit family (not stay with them, be in the area) with us.

Yes, all five.
No, we can't board them - we can't afford to board all 5 for more than a week right now AND go on vacation.
No, my mother can't watch them - she has her mother and mother in law both living with her. both are over 90, both have serious health issues, and you KNOW this.
No, we can't have (friend) watch them - he and his wife just divorced and he no longer lives next door. you know this, too.

The alternative to bringing the dogs is either none of us goes, or I stay home myself. I'm willing to do that - I am SO willing to stay home with them at this stage - but for some strange reason my husband wants me to come along and is convinced they want to see me, too (which... I'm doubting based on the obvious solution to this being me staying home). I definitely know that if I don't go, it'll be taken as an insult. Except now, after getting these questions from multiple people, multiple times, with slight variations on phrasing, I'm going to spend the whole visit just waiting for the snide remark, PA comment or eye-roll.

I know it's inconvenient. I know it isn't ideal. I know it limits what we can do.

I also know that for this particular trip we don't have an alternative. It's just... making me feel unwelcome, unwanted, judged and crappy. Admittedly more because the more people crawl out of the woodwork to ask about things we mentioned to ONE person the more clear there's a whole lot of in-talking going on than the questions themselves. 

And also because inlaws. I love them a lot, but it's fraught, man and I am admittedly kind of... sensitive to things there.


----------



## jade5280

Gypsy has a perianal tumor. I noticed a small lump on her butt that seemed like it appeared over night. We had it biopsied and are waiting for the results. I'm hoping it's not malignant, but I'm expecting the worse. Either way it will be removed, but if it's cancerous then it's going to complicate things because a larger amount of tissue will need to be removed and it's going to be difficult to do that without compromising her bowel muscles. The expected life span of dogs with cancer in that area isn't good.


----------



## GrinningDog

jade5280 said:


> Gypsy has a perianal tumor. I noticed a small lump on her butt that seemed like it appeared over night. We had it biopsied and are waiting for the results. I'm hoping it's not malignant, but I'm expecting the worse. Either way it will be removed, but if it's cancerous then it's going to complicate things because a larger amount of tissue will need to be removed and it's going to be difficult to do that without compromising her bowel muscles. The expected life span of dogs with cancer in that area isn't good.


I'm hoping for the very best for you and your Gypsy! Our results came back benign. Hopefully yours do too!


----------



## Miss Bugs

So...Sola might get to be a flyball dog! A friend of mine really really wants a flyball dog but can't have a dog in her current living situation, she does have a dog that she trains and competes with(Agility mostly) but it doesn't live with her. Sola LOVES the limited flyball training I have done with her in my backyard and I posted pictures of her box turn on Facebook hakf jokingly offering her up as a height dog for anyone that wants to train/handle her, this friend of mine messaged me and said she would love too! Actually 2 of my friends did but Sola doesn't know the first one at all so I dunno how well Sola would work for her.... this other one has known Sola since before I even got her though, so Sola knows and trusts her.


----------



## jade5280

GoGoGypsy said:


> I'm hoping for the very best for you and your Gypsy! Our results came back benign. Hopefully yours do too!


Thanks, I'm glad your Gypsy's was benign. I'm trying not to psyche myself out too much about it. I'm sure it will be okay, but I guess we will wait and see.


----------



## CptJack

Thinking about you and Gypsy. Jack's thing ended up being benign, too, so I'm hoping for the continued streak of good news. 

In totally frivolous whinging: I have to be awake in four hours, to leave for an agility lesson. My brain will NOT turn off long enough for me to sleep.


----------



## Remaru

I will be thinking of you and Gypsy. Hoping you get good news.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I am getting sick and tired of the questions surrounding us taking the dogs on vacation/to visit family (not stay with them, be in the area) with us.
> 
> Yes, all five.
> No, we can't board them - we can't afford to board all 5 for more than a week right now AND go on vacation.
> No, my mother can't watch them - she has her mother and mother in law both living with her. both are over 90, both have serious health issues, and you KNOW this.
> No, we can't have (friend) watch them - he and his wife just divorced and he no longer lives next door. you know this, too.
> 
> The alternative to bringing the dogs is either none of us goes, or I stay home myself. I'm willing to do that - I am SO willing to stay home with them at this stage - but for some strange reason my husband wants me to come along and is convinced they want to see me, too (which... I'm doubting based on the obvious solution to this being me staying home). I definitely know that if I don't go, it'll be taken as an insult. Except now, after getting these questions from multiple people, multiple times, with slight variations on phrasing, I'm going to spend the whole visit just waiting for the snide remark, PA comment or eye-roll.
> 
> I know it's inconvenient. I know it isn't ideal. I know it limits what we can do.
> 
> I also know that for this particular trip we don't have an alternative. It's just... making me feel unwelcome, unwanted, judged and crappy. Admittedly more because the more people crawl out of the woodwork to ask about things we mentioned to ONE person the more clear there's a whole lot of in-talking going on than the questions themselves.
> 
> And also because inlaws. I love them a lot, but it's fraught, man and I am admittedly kind of... sensitive to things there.


Sounds like a sucky situation all around. Sending good thoughts that your trip goes well. 



jade5280 said:


> Gypsy has a perianal tumor. I noticed a small lump on her butt that seemed like it appeared over night. We had it biopsied and are waiting for the results. I'm hoping it's not malignant, but I'm expecting the worse. Either way it will be removed, but if it's cancerous then it's going to complicate things because a larger amount of tissue will need to be removed and it's going to be difficult to do that without compromising her bowel muscles. The expected life span of dogs with cancer in that area isn't good.


Oh no! Hope Gypsy's tumor is benign.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Ugh. Of all the times Ember has chased and snapped at bugs.. the time she does nothing but sniff a little at a bee it decides to sting her. Husband pulled the stinger out of her nose. I hope she is not allergic.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Sounds like a sucky situation all around. Sending good thoughts that your trip goes well.
> .


Thanks. I'm feeling better about it in general, now. I'd understand the interest/questions if we were staying with them, but I honestly can't think of a single way this impacts them. Like... they probably won't even SEE the dogs. I don't know. I've stopped caring, though.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Thanks. I'm feeling better about it in general, now. I'd understand the interest/questions if we were staying with them, but I honestly can't think of a single way this impacts them. Like... they probably won't even SEE the dogs. I don't know. I've stopped caring, though.


Some people, even family dont realize how much dogs mean to some of us.


I went to agility class with Lincoln and he KILLED it!!! He did so so well his first time, the only issue he had is with the closed chute, but in the end he did it! he had NO FEAR of any other obstacle and the instructor was very impressed with how much raw talent he has. 

Why is this a rant? Because some of the people were kind of jerks. This one lady with a male aussie, she had a CKCS also and put them together in one of the large crates away from everyone. Things were about to start when this lady come in with 4 huskies, two females and two males, all intact and the females had panties on, so that means they were in heat :frusty:. 

I know there is no official rule keeping people from bringing in heat dogs to class or competition, but I really hate it. She also told the lady with the aussie and the CKCS that she "had to move because she wanted all her dogs together." The aussie lady wasnt happy, but she moved her dogs, if it was me I would have told the husky lady what to buzz off, that I was here first.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Thanks. I'm feeling better about it in general, now. I'd understand the interest/questions if we were staying with them, but I honestly can't think of a single way this impacts them. Like... they probably won't even SEE the dogs. I don't know. I've stopped caring, though.


Glad you're feeling better. I could understand some curiosity (e.g., Are you traveling with the dogs? How do they ride together in the car? Did you have trouble finding a place to stay?), but that's not what it sounded like from your post.

Talked to my mom today and she said her friend still talks about sweet Tyson and wants him to visit again. This is because my little shy boy was sitting on her lap just an hour or so after meeting her. On the one hand, I was mortified that he was so close and rude; on the other, I was happy that he had overcome his initial trepidation.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Glad you're feeling better. I could understand some curiosity (e.g., Are you traveling with the dogs? How do they ride together in the car? Did you have trouble finding a place to stay?), but that's not what it sounded like from your post.


Yeah, the vibe I'm getting is much more 'you're insane' and that makes me unhappy. I really have just decided it's basically none of their business, doesn't impact them and I can't be bothered to stress about it - just had to get the freak out out of my system, first. 

This whole month is starting to stress me, and I just don't have anything left. This week 'the germans' (the people who are the overseas contemporaries of my husband and his department) are around, so he's eating out and doing social things with them basically every night. This weekend we've got plans for both days, and both will be pretty all day things. Next week we've got another agility lesson and need to get the cleaning/backing/organizing taking care of, weekend after that we're gone for a week - then weekend after THAT we're traveling home. Kids start school as soon as we're back (before we're back, actually), then lessons resume, then Molly's classes resume, then trial. 

I'll be fine once we're all back home since then it's just settling into a schedule, but I HATE the waiting and lead up and constant activity in the meanwhile. Whine whine whine, I know. First world problems, etc.


----------



## GrinningDog

A tiny rave:

I've been training Miss Gypsy on a pawstand/handstand for quite a while now. We've been using the wall, the arms of the couch, my body, etc. as props for her back legs as she gains core strength. Today she offered a little pawstand without back leg support. Multiple times. We had a treat party, hehe.


----------



## cookieface

I registered Tyson for another class; we're repeating advanced manners). We'll have a few busy weeks when his other two classes overlap the new one, but I want to keep him in classes. I talked to the instructor yesterday (same one we had the first time). She said, "Oh, Tyson's nemesis is registered, too." <sigh> In the first class Tyson and a keeshond didn't get along; we're really not sure what happened - one minute we were walking along, next they were both jumping around. The keeshond is in one of our current classes, too. It's like we can't get away from that dog.


----------



## taquitos

Meeko tried brush hunt over this weekend at the K9 Sport Fest.

He has no instinct for it at all LOL The two times he showed interest in the rats the stupid lady ruined it by trying to pet him (he doesn't like strangers touching him -- it's very aversive to him). After that all he wanted to do was pee and look for my boyfriend outside the fence ahaaaa.

Maybe I'll try him in lure hunting sometime soon though. I think he is visually triggered.


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## CptJack

Guys, there is going to be a *really* incredible photographer taking pictures of the agility trial in September. I am over the MOON about this - you just have no idea how excited I am. I've seen her work and it is absolutely stunning.


----------



## Laurelin

Petty but we are having a ton of cicadas right now and every night I let the dogs out and at least one ends up buzzing in my house. Mia and Hank go NUTS after them and it's a pain. They eventually kill them but it's this ordeal every time I let the dogs out.


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## DogTheGreat

Was standing around at the training club w/ my dog, an Aussie, while waiting for agility to start. Had a random lady yell at me from 10+ feet away "I have three Aussies at home!!" proceeds to tell me about her mini and toy Aussies. I put on a big grin and nodded. Do people really think their 12 pound dogs that look _absolutely nothing_ like Aussies beyond the same color patterns have the same genes and drives the Australian Shepherd has?


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## CptJack

MAS are wildly variable. There are 30lb MAS who actually are pretty freaking similar to fullsized Aussies. 

There are also 10lb dogs who look like Pom mixes. They aren't the same breed, no, but how similar they are to an aussie can be from 'indistinquishable to the casual observer' to 'LOL, no."


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## DogTheGreat

I've come across a few of the larger ones that do look and act like Aussies for the most part and I don't really have an issue chatting or commiserating with the owners, but this woman showed me pictures and the "mini" ones at that were max 20lbs and obviously mixed. Just makes me a bit uncomfortable.


----------



## elrohwen

DogTheGreat said:


> Was standing around at the training club w/ my dog, an Aussie, while waiting for agility to start. Had a random lady yell at me from 10+ feet away "I have three Aussies at home!!" proceeds to tell me about her mini and toy Aussies. I put on a big grin and nodded. Do people really think their 12 pound dogs that look _absolutely nothing_ like Aussies beyond the same color patterns have the same genes and drives the Australian Shepherd has?


I've had so many people swear to me up and down that they grew up with same type of dog I have and they tell me all sorts of stories. It always turns out they had ESS (which they claim was "the exact same color!" even though they don't come in red and white) or a brittany (which do come in red and white, but don't look particularly similar). Even if I say they are Welsh springer spaniels, the people go on and on about how they had the same thing but in black and white. So yeah, seems totally normal to me that a person with toy aussies would say their dogs were the same as a regular aussie. Most people don't think about this stuff too hard, or don't realize the differences.


----------



## CptJack

Also, honestly, if I was going to gravitate toward someone with a breed to talk about similarities to my two mutts - it'd be sheltie or pap people with Kylie and GSD people with Thud. Neither one LOOKS like those things, but they're the closest I can get to a breed. Not the same, I know, but since people with those breeds gravitate back I figure it's mostly okay.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Also, honestly, if I was going to gravitate toward someone with a breed to talk about similarities to my two mutts - it'd be sheltie or pap people with Kylie and GSD people with Thud. Neither one LOOKS like those things, but they're the closest I can get to a breed. Not the same, I know, but since people with those breeds gravitate back I figure it's mostly okay.


Yeah, but you realize that they are not exactly the same at least. You wouldn't go up to a GSD owner and say "I have a GSD at home!" You would actually explain what Thud is. I think lots of people just don't really *know* what they have in the first place. Or how their dog's breed is different from other breeds.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, but you realize that they are not exactly the same at least. You wouldn't go up to a GSD owner and say "I have a GSD at home!" You would actually explain what Thud is. I think lots of people just don't really *know* what they have in the first place. Or how their dog's breed is different from other breeds.


I agree with that. There are even people here from time to time who refer to their MAS as aussies. Which, weirdly, kind of drives me nuts. It's strange how nuts, because I *know* some are basically aussies in size and temperament, but it still makes me slightly crazy. I'm not sure why, though, and it makes me feel mean.


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## DogTheGreat

I can get the same way when people refer to a MAS as an Aussie, but I try hard not to get too miffed over it. What bugs me far more than regular people doing it is the breeders of the dogs promoting them as Aussies and not MAS.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I agree with that. There are even people here from time to time who refer to their MAS as aussies. Which, weirdly, kind of drives me nuts. It's strange how nuts, because I *know* some are basically aussies in size and temperament, but it still makes me slightly crazy. I'm not sure why, though, and it makes me feel mean.


Usually I'm ok with people telling me about their black and white dogs who are the same breed as mine, but sometimes I want to be mean about it and say "No, this is a Welsh springer. You had an English springer. ESS don't even come in this color. It was your dog, don't you know what it looked like?" But I hold back. Haha. The worst is the couple people who tell me their friend breeds them. When I ask who it is and where they are, I'm 99% sure that they don't breed Welshies, but I just nod and smile. 

I don't mind at all when people phrase it in the form of a question, like "Is that a brittany?" It's the people who are so sure of what they're talking about, even when they have no idea.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> It's the people who are so sure of what they're talking about, even when they have no idea.


Every. Time. 

And somehow it's worse when they'll sit there and argue about what *your* dog is, because they think they know what their's was - or just in general.


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## ireth0

CptJack said:


> Every. Time.
> 
> And somehow it's worse when they'll sit there and argue about what *your* dog is, because they think they know what their's was - or just in general.


I've taken to the routine of;
"Oh I've never seen a dog like that before! What breed/kind/mix is she?"
"Oh we don't really know, we got her as an adult from the SPCA."
"Hmm... looks like she's a *whatever they feel suggesting she might be*."
"Yea, maybe!"

Unless someone actually wants to have an in depth discussion about it. But for random people asking I just go with whatever they say.


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## CptJack

I don't care what Kylie and Thud are ided as - for all I know those people are right, though I made a face at the person who called Kylie a pug.

But when Bug gets identified as a Pit or Molly is identified as a lab, my head caves in.


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## DogTheGreat

I've only had a few people actually know my dog was an Aussie off the bat. Everybody else confidently refers to her as a BC. 

"BCs are so pretty!"
"Oh BCs are so smart!"
"It's that BC intensity!"

Most people are receptive when I tell them she's an Aussie, but I've also gotten a few pity looks and I can just tell they want to ask me if I'm sure.


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## CptJack

I have a more black than traditional, tip eared, short-coated BC. NO ONE recognizes her, though weirdly that doesn't bother me. She could be mixed - not by much, I don't find it likely, but it's possible. 

It's "NICE LAB!" that makes me NUTS. Like I don't even know what to say. Smile and nod and hope they don't want convo?


----------



## elrohwen

I had a guy come up to talk about my "spaniel" and said he had an Irish Water Spaniel. I figure since those are really rare, so he probably knows what Welshies are so I asked if he knew my dog's breed and he couldn't come up with it. I actually teased him a bit and said that us rare spaniel people have to stick together and know each other's breeds. Nobody else knows what they are! He agreed and said everybody thinks his dog is a poodle or a doodle.


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## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> It's the people who are so sure of what they're talking about, even when they have no idea.


And those people are _everywhere_!


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## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> And those people are _everywhere_!


And they know all about all sorts of subjects!


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## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> And they know all about all sorts of subjects!


I work with a woman like that. She spent like two hours one day telling my colleague and me how to do our jobs. We were like "Lady, we have degrees in this stuff..."


----------



## Miss Bugs

I just remember when Gem was younger, I was in a pet store and a lady starts telling me about her aussie that "looked exactly like her!" As she shows me a picture of a blue merle Aussie... Gem is not an Aussie for one, but she's bob tailed so I understand the mistake, but she is Piebald Sable... her legs are freckled tan and her couple of patches and body speckles are clearly sable, so no she doesn't look "just like" your blue merle dog lol

Or now that I have Paisley "oh they are twins! Are they sisters? They look exactly the same!" in reference to Gem(second from left in my sig) and Paisley(second from right in my sig)....uuuummm they look nothing alike, but sure if you say so lol


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## elrohwen

Miss Bugs said:


> I just remember when Gem was younger, I was in a pet store and a lady starts telling me about her Family's Aussie that "looked exactly like her!" As she shows me a picture of a blue merle Aussie... Gem is not an Aussie for one, but she's bob tailed so I understand the mistake, but she is Piebald Sable... her legs are freckled tan and her couple of patches and body speckles are clearly sable, so no she doesn't look "just like" your blue merle dog lol


I get a lot of people who claim to have had an ESS the "exact same color" as Watson. Red and liver really aren't the same color.


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## Laurelin

Mini Aussie makes far more sense to me than Mini American Shepherd. Considering there is no American Shepherd and the minis are essentially smaller Aussies. I know a lot of minis and toys and the minis typically are pretty aussie. I have two in my class right now and they are both very drivey. One is even smaller than Hank so maybe 14"? I think she said 16 lbs. He's pretty drivey and fun though. I like 'em. A couple of my friends have toys and they're also good little agility dogs. Kind of remind me of a sheltie and a papillon having a puppy. So obviously I like them too. lol The bigger mini in my class is awesome. Definitely drivier than most aussies I come across. He and Hank are almost identical in size.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Mini Aussie makes far more sense to me than Mini American Shepherd. Considering there is no American Shepherd and the minis are essentially smaller Aussies. I know a lot of minis and toys and the minis typically are pretty aussie. I have two in my class right now and they are both very drivey. One is even smaller than Hank so maybe 14"? I think she said 16 lbs. He's pretty drivey and fun though. I like 'em. A couple of my friends have toys and they're also good little agility dogs. Kind of remind me of a sheltie and a papillon having a puppy. So obviously I like them too. lol The bigger mini in my class is awesome. Definitely drivier than most aussies I come across. He and Hank are almost identical in size.


I think they should have just named them Mini Aussies. I know all of the Aussie people say there is no such thing and Aussies can come in any size, etc. But giant schnauzers, standard schanuzers, and mini schnauzers aren't really the same breed at all in temperament, yet they are all schnauzers. Might as well call them all Aussies even if the breeds do diverge a bit in temperament from the regular Aussie. I don't have an issue with it


----------



## Laurelin

Me too. I also find a lot of MAS breeders will call them both mini aussies and mini americans. Many pet owners are very familiar with the breed as 'mini aussies' so the breeders need to advertise as both. Potential customers aren't going to know to search for mini American shepherd breeders.

The MAS people I know also all consider their dogs Aussies. The toys I could see being more debatable but it's pretty similar to toy and standard poodles.... they're not really the same either.

Shelties started out as Shetland collies but the collie people had a fit. Changed collie to sheepdog. But at least collie is more a type kind of thing. I don't see why shelties couldn't be Shetland collies since we have bearded collies, border collies, rough collies, etc.


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## CptJack

Honestly, almost to a one the MAS I know are more like BCs than Aussies, but again - wildly different geographic area, and I admittedly only know a handful so they're probably all the same lines (and by this I mean they're softer, not physical, dogs - and I realize there are BCs who aren't that and Aussies who are). And I *do* know some who are basically stereotypical aussies, but smaller.

The only toys I know are just... wildly different and I don't know them in a sports setting at all. Pretty sure the breeding there is AWFUL, though, and I know like 2.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I haven't liked any of the MAS I've met. They've all had that snippy face and bug eyes. I did see one that was actually nice correct structure/face but it wasn't super drivey. I don't know any of them that act even slightly like BCs though. I mean, unless you are referring to drive. I have seen some on videos that can FLY. 

I'll stick to versatile line smaller sized Aussies though. They are perfect.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Me too. I also find a lot of MAS breeders will call them both mini aussies and mini americans. Many pet owners are very familiar with the breed as 'mini aussies' so the breeders need to advertise as both. Potential customers aren't going to know to search for mini American shepherd breeders.
> 
> The MAS people I know also all consider their dogs Aussies. The toys I could see being more debatable but it's pretty similar to toy and standard poodles.... they're not really the same either.
> 
> Shelties started out as Shetland collies but the collie people had a fit. Changed collie to sheepdog. But at least collie is more a type kind of thing. I don't see why shelties couldn't be Shetland collies since we have bearded collies, border collies, rough collies, etc.


"mini aussie " and "mini american" is a very dirty word in some aussie circles, some HATE mini [insert name here]. Some so much so that they outright say that they are "too small" to work anything larger than ducks and it is "cruel" to have them do so.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I haven't liked any of the MAS I've met. They've all had that snippy face and bug eyes. I did see one that was actually nice correct structure/face but it wasn't super drivey. I don't know any of them that act even slightly like BCs though. I mean, unless you are referring to drive. I have seen some on videos that can FLY.
> 
> I'll stick to versatile line smaller sized Aussies though. They are perfect.


No, not refering to drive. Soft, little spooky, kind of hands-off, definitely reserved with strangers and not at all rough and tumble is mostly what I meant there. But like I said, probably a limited number of lines - or even single breeding, given the tiny size of this area.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DogTheGreat said:


> Was standing around at the training club w/ my dog, an Aussie, while waiting for agility to start. Had a random lady yell at me from 10+ feet away "I have three Aussies at home!!" proceeds to tell me about her mini and toy Aussies. I put on a big grin and nodded. Do people really think their 12 pound dogs that look _absolutely nothing_ like Aussies beyond the same color patterns have the same genes and drives the Australian Shepherd has?


I will take you up on that bet, my MAS can herd cattle with the best of them and has no fear! He also is a drivt work machine that would (if I let him) do anything I asked of him until he dropped from exhaustion.


----------



## CptJack

Found out today my aunt has and hunts Brits. Her dog now is 13, but I think I found a way to spend more time around the breed - or to have my husband do it.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Found out today my aunt has and hunts Brits. Her dog now is 13, but I think I found a way to spend more time around the breed - or to have my husband do it.


Just be careful! A 13 year old is going to seem really appealing and then you'll want one. And then you'll find out they are nuts. haha


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Just be careful! A 13 year old is going to seem really appealing and then you'll want one. And then you'll find out they are nuts. haha


Oh, no, I know. I'm thinking more chill with the 13 year old and then go make him meet the breeder and dogs he came from. I was having trouble finding local people to do that with, but apparently there ARE people who hunt them here. My actual desire is for him to get radically turned off and overwhelmed and go back to rat or boston terriers or look into bassets or something. 

I love my husband but if we get a dog 'for him' it is danged well NOT going to be a brit. If I get one it's fine (probably not, but maybe) but I know the man. He doesn't train, he doesn't really exercise, I do all the work, he wants to cuddle.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Oh, no, I know. I'm thinking more chill with the 13 year old and then go make him meet the breeder and dogs he came from. I was having trouble finding local people to do that with, but apparently there ARE people who hunt them here. My actual desire is for him to get radically turned off and overwhelmed and go back to rat or boston terriers or look into bassets or something.
> 
> I love my husband but if we get a dog 'for him' it is danged well NOT going to be a brit. If I get one it's fine (probably not, but maybe) but I know the man. He doesn't train, he doesn't really exercise, I do all the work, he wants to cuddle.


Rescue one? Then it would be calmer and more cuddly for him.

Or just get a Welshie


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> No, not refering to drive. Soft, little spooky, kind of hands-off, definitely reserved with strangers and not at all rough and tumble is mostly what I meant there. But like I said, probably a limited number of lines - or even single breeding, given the tiny size of this area.


I think more working line Aussies are kind of like that as well. I wonder if more working style Aussies went into creating the MAS since they are smaller in size.

I think that is why there is such a big deal about "mini" Aussies though. Just call them all Aussies because they can be any size kinda deal. My personal opinion is to just leave them all in the Aussie category to keep the gene pool more open.. but..


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Rescue one? Then it would be calmer and more cuddly for him.
> 
> Or just get a Welshie


Well given that his preference is for floppy eared dogs - a Welshie isn't a bad idea, actually. Bench ESS is in the running too, frankly. Rescue might not be a bad idea if we can find one cropping up at the right time and in the right place. Cockers are even possible.

I'll be honest, for all my ARGH at sporting dogs, I LOVE Brits, and Setters, and Spaniels and (some) Goldens. So apparently everything but labs and most pointers. If I went with a sporter for me at this point it'd probably be a Brit but *I* have been around them. My husband kind of goes 'look, it's a fluffy beagle'. HUSBAND, NO.

and I'm really likely to carry on living in the land o' herders and mutts. Or whatever lands in my lap. I'm getting lazy about it. At this point I've gone back to a 'nope' list instead of a maybe one. It's shorter.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> No, not refering to drive. Soft, little spooky, kind of hands-off, definitely reserved with strangers and not at all rough and tumble is mostly what I meant there. But like I said, probably a limited number of lines - or even single breeding, given the tiny size of this area.


This is what pretty much all of the Aussies I have known have been like. I've fostered or trained a few in rescue and all but one or two were like this. I had one that was a little harder temperamentally and more physical (nothing like Remus or the bully breeds but a bit more rough and tumble) but not most of them. Maybe it is just the area.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Well given that his preference is for floppy eared dogs - a Welshie isn't a bad idea, actually. Bench ESS is in the running too, frankly. Rescue might not be a bad idea if we can find one cropping up at the right time and in the right place. Cockers are even possible.


For all Watson's annoying habits, he is such a bro dog. Loves to just cuddle and watch tv. Men seem to love him. My husband adores him. If it weren't for the getting overstimulated stuff he would be perfect for most casual dog owners who were willing to put in a bit of time on walks every day. 

I think you need a field bred ECS. Because they are awesome and adorable and I want one.


----------



## CptJack

Remaru said:


> This is what pretty much all of the Aussies I have known have been like. I've fostered or trained a few in rescue and all but one or two were like this. I had one that was a little harder temperamentally and more physical (nothing like Remus or the bully breeds but a bit more rough and tumble) but not most of them. Maybe it is just the area.


Honestly, the aussies I know personally are ... I don't know, lab-like? Really hard, really physical, really happy no matter what dogs who think everything is a game. Or pretty solid, steady, and unflappable (that's one - and I love that dog, he's owned by an agility friend). I mean super smart, super fast, super driven, but just... happy inspite of everything, all the time, love almost everyone, dogs. I'm starting to wonder wtf is going on with aussies around here.



elrohwen said:


> For all Watson's annoying habits, he is such a bro dog. Loves to just cuddle and watch tv. Men seem to love him. My husband adores him. If it weren't for the getting overstimulated stuff he would be perfect for most casual dog owners who were willing to put in a bit of time on walks every day.
> 
> I think you need a field bred ECS. Because they are awesome and adorable and I want one.


My husband would probably be fine with him even with the overstimulated stuff, to be honest. Because he'd never care about performance and we have to make an effort to get out into settings with lots of activity. I might look into it more.

But um. Yeah. I'd LOVE to poke him toward an ECS. Especially a field bred one. I know like none in reality but I kind of love them in theory.


----------



## Laurelin

Field bred English Cocker! That'd be my sporting group choice.


----------



## Laurelin

I was around a lot of BCs this weekend. The more I'm around the more I am simultaneously sure they're the breed I want next. But also the less I see the individual dogs fall into stereotypes regarding lines. Which is confusing to try to figure out where I want a dog from.


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, I have reached the point where I am 98% sure when I get another BC it will be:
A random farm bred puppy being sold on a ranch site OR craigslist. 
Or
An adult rehome or rescue. 

I've given up having opinions. I got what I absolutely did not want in Molly in a lot of ways and I'm still gaga over her. Short of the next dog being the embodiment of satan I'm pretty sure I'll be okay.

Or my next dog in general will be "That dog looks cool. I like it." and done. I PLAN REAL WELL, Y'ALL.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I think more working line Aussies are kind of like that as well. I wonder if more working style Aussies went into creating the MAS since they are smaller in size.
> 
> I think that is why there is such a big deal about "mini" Aussies though. Just call them all Aussies because they can be any size kinda deal. My personal opinion is to just leave them all in the Aussie category to keep the gene pool more open.. but..


Well, Lincoln's breeder decided to register her dogs as mini americans with the AKC, but I believe that mini aussies and mini americans can still interbreed, and I hope they keep it that way at least for a little longer for the sake of the gene pool. 

And yes, some breeders cheated and bred aussies with toy breeds like paps, and poms to get their size down faster. But the breed standard specifically says that toylike features are a serious fault and are DQ'd in the ring.


----------



## Laurelin

My favorite two BCs- 1) stray from animal control and pulled 1 day from being euthed and 2) craigslist rehome. 

But I frequently meet siblings where I like one (as in, what I am looking for), don't like the other or something of that sort. Also know a crazy show line dog and a mellow, low drive sport (BIG name breeder) line dog. I don't see reactivity/spookiness very different at all between lines. Most are dog iffy regardless of line. Though everyone has opinions from one person telling me they'd never have another sport line to another telling me they'd never have another working line.

EDIT: Hank was a 'that dog looks cool and I like it' and he's been great. lol


----------



## DogTheGreat

Remaru said:


> This is what pretty much all of the Aussies I have known have been like. I've fostered or trained a few in rescue and all but one or two were like this. I had one that was a little harder temperamentally and more physical (nothing like Remus or the bully breeds but a bit more rough and tumble) but not most of them. Maybe it is just the area.


Majority of Aussies I've known and lived with have been rather hard and all but one have been rather physical once comfortable with a person. All but one very territorial, protective, and somewhat reserved with strangers. The "all but one" dog was a failed show prospect, though, so that should almost be expected. The others were working lines or versatility.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> My favorite two BCs- 1) stray from animal control and pulled 1 day from being euthed and 2) craigslist rehome.
> 
> But I frequently meet siblings where I like one (as in, what I am looking for), don't like the other or something of that sort. Also know a crazy show line dog and a mellow, low drive sport (BIG name breeder) line dog. I don't see reactivity/spookiness very different at all between lines. Most are dog iffy regardless of line. Though everyone has opinions from one person telling me they'd never have another sport line to another telling me they'd never have another working line.
> 
> EDIT: Hank was a 'that dog looks cool and I like it' and he's been great. lol


I don't think there's enough divide in the lines, at this point, to have things be as consistent as some people would like to claim. I think people get turned on or off based on individuals and that sticks with them and they think that if they swap lines they'll be fine. I think if you want a dog with herding ability you should probably go to working X working, but I don't think it matters for most people. Like - I think preserving that trait requires breeding for it, but I don't think loss of that impacts other things, necessarily, and sports/showing/working are all pretty mixed up, still, genetically. 

I am also sort of realizing that basically, BCs are weird dogs and while there's a lot of individuals and variance some of the weird things are basically just things that... you can't expect them to respond to like *most* (not all) other dogs - or if they do it's at a magnitude higher intensity than I'd expect, in response to whatever the thing was. Learning to read BC, actually, has been like starting over with dogs for me in some ways. I love it but it was very, very confusing and I don't just mean Molly but even in the impression it left me with about OTHER BC I knew only in a specific setting, you know? No, because that's clear as mud.

I'll try and be more clear when we're back from agility-ing.


----------



## Remaru

DogTheGreat said:


> Majority of Aussies I've known and lived with have been rather hard and all but one have been rather physical once comfortable with a person. All but one very territorial, protective, and somewhat reserved with strangers. The "all but one" dog was a failed show prospect, though, so that should almost be expected. The others were working lines or versatility.


Yeah these were all questionably bred dogs. 2 were double merle so obviously they were not from good breeders, another set were a litter of puppies that were dumped in a trash can at somewhere around 5weeks old, and then some random through the years that have mostly been "farm dogs". They have been aloof, iffy with other dogs (except both of the double merles and most of the litter of puppies), soft, randomly "spooky", and slow to warm up. The exceptions have been one of the double merle dogs and one of the "farm" dogs. One of the farm dogs was hard, physical, bouncy, mildly reactive but ok with other dogs after introductions and with training and an outlet for his drive/energy a pretty even dog. The one double merle girl was actually one of the most even tempered dogs I've ever met. She was deaf but not sharp or spooky. She was not overly soft, just hard enough to be easy to work with, highly biddable and keen. Not overly physical but she liked to be touching. I wanted to adopt her but was young at the time and my parents wouldn't go for it. She was a really cool dog.


----------



## Laurelin

I really don't think the lines are very distinct. Many of the dogs I know are sport/working lines or sport/show lines and not far back so I think that's a big thing. But there's a lot of thought that this line is too XYZ for this job or what have you. Interestingly I know people in agility that started with sport then went to working hoping to get a more sane dog and then the total opposite. So that's fun trying to break into a breed. I guess you just jump and go... 

I feel like they are maybe the most inconsistent breed out there. Huge and fluffy. Tiny and sleek. Obedient and quiet and gentle or off the walls pacing and spinning and hard eyed. I know which ones I like when I see them (kind of a middle road type). They're just hard to predict where they come from. Especially when you meet low key sport bred dogs or littermates where one is huge and chill and the other small and intense. Overall there is definitely a similarity and I'd say most are pretty drivey and intense but I just can't consistently pick which ones I like being from specific lines.

Oh also this weekend. Pumi. I kind of want one. But I don't like the coat. But I want one.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I dont care for the temperaments of the show bred aussies, to me, they are more like goldens, goofy, friendly with everyone, attention whores. I prefer the temperaments of the working line and the sport line aussies.


----------



## Laurelin

I find aussies to be almost as variable as BCs in temperament. I know very intense aussies and very soft ones. Very big, bouncy and not agile (or driven) and ones that are very agile and driven. One of my favorite aussies is a show line dog and he's a very serious, intense dog. Too much dog for me in some ways, I think!


----------



## Laurelin

Oh and kind of related but I like female dogs (BCs and others) best but part of me wonders if female next is a bad idea with Mia. Not because she's aggressive it's just.... She's my girl. My best friend. We're attached at the hip and she's so complicated I'm not sure there is room for another similar relationship with a dog until after Mia. And I worry another female would be a dog tht would be so similar to her that it would be hard. 

But then I wonder if this is silly and the factor isn't Mia being a girl but rather Mia being Mia. Because Summer and I have a relationship that is more like me and Hank. Me owner, them good happy dog. But I'd love another dog like Mia. I just don't know if Mia could live with another Mia. 

Is it even possible to have two heart dogs at once? Will any dog I get while Mia is around feel just like having a dog?

Sorry bored at work again because my boss is out.


----------



## Laurelin

Also on that note I don't think I mentioned but Summer had a seizure on Friday for the first time in 7 months and I sprained my ankle falling during jumpers on Saturday. 

Boo hiss.


----------



## notgaga

That awkward moment when a guy you know from the dog park asks you out for drinks and you don't know his name (but you know his dog's).


----------



## cookieface

Tyson was like the quick brown fox and jumped over the not-so-lazy dog coming into the house earlier. Freaks.



elrohwen said:


> Or just get a Welshie


And tell him it's a britt.  



Laurelin said:


> Oh also this weekend. Pumi. I kind of want one. But I don't like the coat. But I want one.


They're adorable. Get one so we can admire her.



Laurelin said:


> Also on that note I don't think I mentioned but Summer had a seizure on Friday for the first time in 7 months and I sprained my ankle falling during jumpers on Saturday.
> 
> Boo hiss.


Hope you're both doing ok now.


----------



## CptJack

In laws situation has been resolved and wow was I over-reading into that. There is some weirdness but it's not coming from them or anyone I care about, so whatever. Also think we might get a *private* beach while we're there for us and the dogs. That? That would be SO GREAT.


----------



## Laurelin

He has gorgeous eyes.


----------



## CptJack

Got things sorted with family. There was an issue but it was filtered through the inlaws, not coming from them - the people it was coming from matter to me not at all. Furthermore, MIL went to bat for us and the dogs about it so it matters to me even less. Going to pick up some padlocks for the crates, but that's less to do with any weirdness and more to do with a strong desire for safety in a house that multiple people will have keys to.

Furthermore? We are very likely going to have *private beach space* for us _and_ the dogs. How awesome is that?


----------



## CptJack

Wait, actual rant.

Molly is never not going to jump up on people. Molly is never going to not jump up on people because my husband finds it a convenient way to pet her, and responds to her jumping up by petting her and talking to her. Me? I want her to sit the heck down. I am TRYING to enforce that with other people she wants to greet and jump on, but frankly I'm not having a lot of success and I don't know that I'm going to with him working against me. 

Also, I am 90% more intelligent and coherent online than I am in person? Frustration of my life, I swear. I'm perfectly articulate in my head, it's just something in the thought to speech process falls apart and what comes out of my mouth is ridiculous - and not at all what I was *thinking*. It's like speech auto-correct.


----------



## Laurelin

cookieface said:


> Hope you're both doing ok now.


Sorry missed this! We are doing ok. Summer came out of the seizure pretty fast and it was mild. I was hoping going 7 months without that it was all done though. 

My ankle is much less painful and swollen today so that's good. I could not walk on it on sunday.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Is it even possible to have two heart dogs at once? Will any dog I get while Mia is around feel just like having a dog?



Molly is making a real run for it. Will she ever be a total heart-dog? Probably not. She is, however, getting pretty close, and inching a little closer every day and we've got a pretty good relationship. Definitely more than just owning a dog, which is about where I live with Bug and Jack and Thud a little bit (though less so). I have good relationships with all three of them, lovely them deeply, but- Oh hell, forget the disclaimers, you know what I mean. 

I've owned a lot of dogs, and I've never had a relationship with one like my relationship with Kylie, so Kylie or no Kylie I don't really expect there to be another one of those in my lifetime. Maybe I'll be surprised, but it feels very much like one of those things that just doesn't repeat.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola is starting Flyball and Agility lol, a friend of mine is gonna train and handle her in flyball and I posted a video of what she could do already and ny friend messaged me begging to do agility with her too lol, so Rally-O, possibly obedience with me and flyball and Agility with my friend..this dog is gonna have fun lol


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> Wait, actual rant.
> 
> Molly is never not going to jump up on people. Molly is never going to not jump up on people because my husband finds it a convenient way to pet her, and responds to her jumping up by petting her and talking to her. Me? I want her to sit the heck down. I am TRYING to enforce that with other people she wants to greet and jump on, but frankly I'm not having a lot of success and I don't know that I'm going to with him working against me.
> 
> Also, I am 90% more intelligent and coherent online than I am in person? Frustration of my life, I swear. I'm perfectly articulate in my head, it's just something in the thought to speech process falls apart and what comes out of my mouth is ridiculous - and not at all what I was *thinking*. It's like speech auto-correct.


Even with your husband reinforcing it, it is possible to teach Molly not to jump on _other_ people I think. Snowball only jumps up on two people without being invited - my FIL and my husband's best friend, who both reward it all the time. He doesn't jump on anyone else tho. And Ida basically stopped jumping up on people after one round of Pass The Puppy at puppy class, it was amazing.


----------



## elrohwen

gingerkid said:


> Even with your husband reinforcing it, it is possible to teach Molly not to jump on _other_ people I think. Snowball only jumps up on two people without being invited - my FIL and my husband's best friend, who both reward it all the time. He doesn't jump on anyone else tho. And Ida basically stopped jumping up on people after one round of Pass The Puppy at puppy class, it was amazing.


Yeah, Watson doesn't really jump on strangers at all, but he jumps all over us and people he is close to.


----------



## CptJack

The biggest issue with Molly is probably not my husband, in fairness. 

Molly isn't jumping on strangers. It isn't going to happen, because Molly's initial response to some new person trying to meet her is to growl and back off rather than get near them. She's just fearful/reactive. So, bottom line and real issue (being fair to my husband and kids, again) is that she got a pass on it for a little while, because it was her initiating friendly contact with someone. That someone(s) was (were) the trainer and assistant in agility class. In fairness to MOLLY, she is rapidly learning to sit her butt down to get food out of the trainer. Or down. I mean, violently and possibly with yipping, but she does it and is learning. 

She is also, however, not above driving both her paws straight into the assistant's balls at the end of an agility run and frankly I don't know what to do about that one.


----------



## elrohwen

I just really don't care about jumping up. We allow Watson to jump up on us as long as he's being gentle (raking claws into my leg is not ok). He hits my friend in the balls every time he comes over (friend is learning to protect himself now). He will initially try to jump on trainers in class who he particularly likes. It's just not a big deal to me as long as he is polite with strangers.


----------



## CptJack

I just feel bad for the guy! I also feel bad for my tiny instructor but the instructor's doing a good job of teaching Molly how to interact with her. That poor guy is just getting trounced. Also, it's mildly embarrassing.


----------



## Remaru

This is an issue I have with Lad because hubby's derby teammates have taught him that it is awesome to jump on them. Even more so they will pick him up and cuddle him. Even now that he is getting huge several of them will still grab him and make high pitched noises and encourage his jumping and acting foolish. So he gets mixed messages, it is not ok to jump on the kids but it is not only ok but more than encouraged to jump on the guys, except when they are wearing nice clothes. They just don't get how this makes things harder.


----------



## Willowy

Suri's previous owner---because it was impossible to teach not to jump on people ever---taught her to put her paws on your hips, gently. It's still a little annoying sometimes, like if she's muddy and you're wearing non-mud clothes, but it's a lot better than having her hit you full force in the legs or rake her paws down your chest area (ow).


----------



## cookieface

My MIL encourages Katie to jump on her. Then one day she came over, dressed to go out to dinner, was out in the yard with Katie... She went to dinner with paw prints on her shirt. Still encourages jumping. <sigh>


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Oh and kind of related but I like female dogs (BCs and others) best but part of me wonders if female next is a bad idea with Mia. Not because she's aggressive it's just.... She's my girl. My best friend. We're attached at the hip and she's so complicated I'm not sure there is room for another similar relationship with a dog until after Mia. And I worry another female would be a dog tht would be so similar to her that it would be hard.
> 
> But then I wonder if this is silly and the factor isn't Mia being a girl but rather Mia being Mia. Because Summer and I have a relationship that is more like me and Hank. Me owner, them good happy dog. But I'd love another dog like Mia. I just don't know if Mia could live with another Mia.
> 
> Is it even possible to have two heart dogs at once? Will any dog I get while Mia is around feel just like having a dog?
> 
> Sorry bored at work again because my boss is out.


I used to be an "only females" person until Lincoln, I used to HATE the male goofiness and playfulness but now, I LIKE it! I am a very uptight and serious person, so I have always had females because they were the same, all business and no fun LOL. Then, it was like the universe said "Owned, you need something to put a little humor into your life!" and poof, I got Lincoln and he was just what I needed! You know what they say, you never get the dog you want, you get the one you need!"


----------



## Remaru

I guess I have fail female dogs because all but Blue are goofy. Freyja is a spaz, Magic is...well she is Magic and Lenore is spunky. Blue is the only one of the 4 who is particularly serious and even then it is less serious and more she just doesn't like play and is an anxious dog. Lad is more serious than the girls, he is a puppy so he is goofy in a way and he looks clownish sometimes just trotting along with his awkward adolescent dog body but he just isn't much for being goofy. Duke wasn't a goofy dog either. He was goofy in the way that bully breeds tend to be goofy dogs, he made funny noises and funny faces but just in general he was a far more serious dog. Then my childhood sheltie was a more serious dog and she was female. I don't know that gender really has that much to do with it. I've always preferred males because I felt like I bonded with them better. I also always felt like after the adolescent stage they were more serious about their work but I think it is probably a particular bias on my part and has little basis in fact.


----------



## CptJack

I have one goofy girl and one goofy boy. I have 2 serious girls and 1 serious boy. I will merrily buy some generalities within breeds (girls are less goofy than boys of the same breed, for instance), but not one that encompasses ALL dogs as a rule. Ie: A girl boxer is probably going to be goofier than a boy GSD. The boy boxer might be goofier than the girl boxer, but that is *ONLY* a useful comparison when you're comparing two boxers, and even then you're going to have variance and individuals. 

By which I mean MAYBE the goofy girl would be goofi*er* if they were also a boy, but really? How are you going to prove that?


----------



## Willowy

I've decided I can't make any gender-based generalities for animals because I'm pretty sure it's all my own cultural conditioning :/. My boy dogs might be goofier but maybe I've encouraged them to be goofier because *I* think that boys are goofier. .. y'know? Too bad there isn't some way to avoid that bias and know what's real and what's in our heads.


----------



## CptJack

Even removing social conditioning and accidentally training the dog, there's conformation bias. 

Even recognizing all that, I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with girls going forward. My conformation bias tells me I get along with them better, in general.


----------



## Laurelin

I don't have a reason that I like girls better but I almost universally do. Dunno. 

Plus Hank does the red rocket gross thing all the time. I'm convinced all boys of all species are just inherently grosser.


----------



## cookieface

Laurelin said:


> I don't have a reason that I like girls better but I almost universally do. Dunno.
> 
> Plus Hank does the red rocket gross thing all the time. I'm convinced all boys of all species are just inherently grosser.


Given that both of mine have been eating dead worms in the yard, I'm inclined to disagree that boys are inherently grosser.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Given that both of mine have been eating dead worms in the yard, I'm inclined to disagree that boys are inherently grosser.


Yeah, but only one of them is going to get an erection from eating dead worms. Or being yelled at for it. Or whatever.


----------



## Sibe

Bobb used to be like this, all the time. I would lay him on his back to help him stretch him abdominal muscles at least once a day and that would help for a few hours.


----------



## CptJack

Thud just... you know how some dogs are excited humpers? Thud isn't one. He's an excited 'I have an erection'er. Jack's never been bad. Thud's awful. All joking aside though I don't really mind much. I still mock him soundly for it.


----------



## Sibe

Bobb has to be carried. A lot. When he's "out" and you have your hand under his chest... Yep. Penis on the back of your hand.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh god the other day Hank was in my friend's lap and he had like an inch and a half of it hanging out. But I didn't want to tell her because that would be awkward...

All my past male dogs have been at the least long haired. But that said Beau would get um... stuff all in the hair around his thing.



Sibe said:


> Bobb has to be carried. A lot. When he's "out" and you have your hand under his chest... Yep. Penis on the back of your hand.


Oh I totally did that with Hank a couple weeks ago. SO GROSS.


----------



## Flaming

I am so happy I mostly had/have females.

I don't think I would be able to handle dog penis


----------



## CptJack

I have recently gone back to working on rebounds and jumping up into my arms with Kylie - mostly the up into my arms thigh, since the thigh rebound is actually harder for her. Unfortunately, she now gets excited and just does this running up my body thing. Unfortunately, because I was wearing shorts and now I' m missing skin. 

Who *is* this dog?


----------



## CptJack

Totally petty thing, but having to pay for trial entry fees via check bugs me. They're the ONLY things I have to write checks for anymore - and not even all of those since I can hand over cash for the ones hosted by our club. I could do day of entry and not muck around with it, but that costs more and is ridiculous when the only problem is a mild inconvenience and the fact that since I so rarely use checks I have to dig around to find the freaking checkbook.

Rawr.


----------



## Willowy

There is someone on craigslist selling several young ball pythons of various morphs. One is a very pretty light color. Somebody stop me. 

Except his phone number is a Mitchell number and I don't want to go that far . That will probably stop me. But man.


----------



## Mint

You guys know those dogs where just interacting with them is mentally exhausting? The best part is, I get to spend a week with this dog.

My brother's friend has a goldendoodle. Friendly dog, but .. oh my god this dog is so hyper and scatterbrained. Go bother the other dog! Go piss off the cat! Run from person to person before getting the zoomies in an apartment hallway! See what you can destroy in a 2 minute span!

I honestly don't know if it's from the dog not being exercised, from being an adolescent male, or just the sheer reality of being a goldendoodle. Or any of the above.


----------



## ireth0

Con: Our heeling practice around other dogs didn't go as well as would have been ideal yesterday.

Pro: Before the practice with dogs we heeled perfectly past the property manager and what I presumed to be new potential renters, and the property manager made a comment about how good she was.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> I've decided I can't make any gender-based generalities for animals because I'm pretty sure it's all my own cultural conditioning :/. My boy dogs might be goofier but maybe I've encouraged them to be goofier because *I* think that boys are goofier. .. y'know? Too bad there isn't some way to avoid that bias and know what's real and what's in our heads.


No, boy dogs are goofier, my females have always been very serious and no nonsense, and it wasnt because of me, because I am a serious no nonsense type A person with everything, so I was the constant LOL.

Now, if a female is raised with a male (or males) then she might become more goofy, but I havent seen males get more serious from hanging around with females.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Mint said:


> You guys know those dogs where just interacting with them is mentally exhausting? The best part is, I get to spend a week with this dog.
> 
> My brother's friend has a goldendoodle. Friendly dog, but .. oh my god this dog is so hyper and scatterbrained. Go bother the other dog! Go piss off the cat! Run from person to person before getting the zoomies in an apartment hallway! See what you can destroy in a 2 minute span!
> 
> I honestly don't know if it's from the dog not being exercised, from being an adolescent male, or just the sheer reality of being a goldendoodle. Or any of the above.


Every doodle (either golden or lab) I have met has been like this, they are awesome dogs but ... no just ... no.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No, boy dogs are goofier, my females have always been very serious and no nonsense, and it wasnt because of me, because I am a serious no nonsense type A person with everything, so I was the constant LOL.
> 
> Now, if a female is raised with a male (or males) then she might become more goofy, but I havent seen males get more serious from hanging around with females.


I have never had males so cannot compare but all three of my girls right now are goofy, not one serious one here!!


----------



## elrohwen

I think girls can be silly and goofy too. Hazel is certainly silly and derpy all the time. But there is still something different about them that is hard to define. A Welshie person once told me that the boys have their own soundtrack playing in their head and I think that's a pretty good description. 

I also think even the girls who can be goofy still mature faster than the boys. So goofy + mature, instead of goofy + an idiot for years. lol


----------



## CptJack

Mint said:


> You guys know those dogs where just interacting with them is mentally exhausting? The best part is, I get to spend a week with this dog.
> .


3 years November. Do I get a medal?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> I think girls can be silly and goofy too. Hazel is certainly silly and derpy all the time. But there is still something different about them that is hard to define. A Welshie person once told me that the boys have their own soundtrack playing in their head and I think that's a pretty good description.
> 
> I also think even the girls who can be goofy still mature faster than the boys. So goofy + mature, instead of goofy + an idiot for years. lol


LOL do boys (of any species) ever mature? xD


----------



## jade5280

I like my idiots


----------



## CptJack

I will give credit where credit is due. Thud, as he has matured, has turned from a goofy idiot to a dog who has more common sense and a steadier temperament than any of my other dogs of either gender. 

He was just a particularly goofy idiot for a while.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson is still a goofy idiot. Pretty sure that will never change. lol Hazel is goofy enough, but she is also really smart and focused and serious when she needs to be. But then she's a baby.


----------



## CptJack

Well, Breed. I don't think there was much chance of a GSDXLGD staying a goofy idiot forever, you know?


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Well, Breed. I don't think there was much chance of a GSDXLGD staying a goofy idiot forever, you know?


And there's pretty much zero chance of a spaniel not being a goof on some level. lol


----------



## jade5280

Ryker is a goofy idiot. Gypsy is a serious idiot haha


----------



## elrohwen

So far I'm loving that Hazel can be silly and goofy but also totally not an idiot in any way. Please do not grow up and become a teenager. kthnx


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> And there's pretty much zero chance of a spaniel not being a goof on some level. lol


I was eyeballing Thud for a while there going "Are you hiding some spaniel/lab/retriever genes somewhere?" I'm feeling much better now. Sort of. HE's still a dork though.


----------



## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> I also think even the girls who can be goofy still mature faster than the boys. So goofy + mature, instead of goofy + an idiot for years. lol


Tell that to my Maya....who is 9 years old, still table surfs and gets into the garbage every chance she gets and still does this.....Mature??? No.....

IMG_7110a by rzyg, on Flickr


climbing 5 feet up the tree in the backyard is not mature...lol!


----------



## elrohwen

dogsule said:


> Tell that to my Maya....who is 9 years old, still table surfs and gets into the garbage every chance she gets and still does this.....Mature??? No.....


Haha, well, my standards for maturity don't have anything to do with not getting into the garbage. I expect that from dogs of any age!

I meant more like emotional maturity, and clearheadedness. Watson rarely counter surfs now and doesn't get into much around the house (though he did raid my garbage for tissues this morning), but he is like an emotional teenager. Things cause a much bigger reaction than is warranted, and he has a hard time controlling his emotions. I haven't seen many females over 2 years old who still have those issues in quite the same way as a boy dog.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL do boys (of any species) ever mature? xD


Did you read about the creator of the Minions? Why they are all male....cause he didn't think females would ever act that stupid. LOL!!


----------



## elrohwen

dogsule said:


> Did you read about the creator of the Minions? Why they are all male....cause he didn't think females would ever act that stupid. LOL!!


Hahahahaha.

It's true, I cannot imagine a female Minion, unless she was the brains behind the operation.


----------



## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> Haha, well, my standards for maturity don't have anything to do with not getting into the garbage. I expect that from dogs of any age!
> 
> I meant more like emotional maturity, and clearheadedness. Watson rarely counter surfs now and doesn't get into much around the house (though he did raid my garbage for tissues this morning), but he is like an emotional teenager. Things cause a much bigger reaction than is warranted, and he has a hard time controlling his emotions. I haven't seen many females over 2 years old who still have those issues in quite the same way as a boy dog.


It took a bit for me to get my photo to work above...dang Flickr, changed their codes...ugh. Anyway how about climbing trees like you are a teenager when you are 9? Maya though still is goofy, she had no clearheadedness at all. Has a huge prey drive that takes over any mental thoughts. LOL! She does listen better than she used to though but will also whine the entire time I am gone if she knows I went to the park without her, even though the other dogs are still there with her. I personally don't think Belle will ever grow up but she is only 2. Angel is 6 now and still a goofy ditzy girl!


----------



## dogsule

Here is another shot of my what should be a mature 9 yr old female........

20150713_110204a by rzyg, on Flickr

I was cleaning the garage and she was inspecting the dirty corners looking for mice...ugh we have mice in the garage. I turn around and she is lying behind me looking at me like help me something is on my face!!! So did what every good dog owner does.....took my phone out and took a pic. ROFL!!


----------



## CptJack

I've been trying to think how to describe what I mean and what it comes down to is the ability to accurately judge a scenario and respond to it appropriately. The dog can still trash surf, prey drive is prey drive, act silly in play, whatever. It's the dog who seems incapable of judging a situation and adjusting themselves up OR down based on those factors. Not a dog who doesn't play or act like a goof- that's a dog and likely just a happy one, but a dog who can't say 'yo, I'm in a training class. I act differently here than when we go to the park' or whatever.

It's just...the dog making sound choices, basically, based on experience and teaining and impulse control and, probably other things. 

I could show you ridiculous pictures of kylie and jack goofing off, but they're both crazy MATURE.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I've been trying to think how to describe what I mean and what it comes down to is the ability to accurately judge a scenario and respond to it appropriately. The dog can still trash surf, prey drive is prey drive, act silly in play, whatever. It's the dog who seems incapable of judging a situation and adjusting themselves up OR down based on those factors.


Yes! This is a good way of putting it. 

To me maturity doesn't mean that the dog isn't silly and doesn't get into things or do doofy stuff. A mature dog can do all of those things but there is still something different between a mature dog and an immature dog.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Yes! This is a good way of putting it.
> 
> To me maturity doesn't mean that the dog isn't silly and doesn't get into things or do doofy stuff. A mature dog can do all of those things but there is still something different between a mature dog and an immature dog.


I'm trying to type mobile again and it isn't going well. But yeah just... Accurately reading of context. When to cut loose and when It's not going to work. To not trample two year old children or the elderly, even if they like jumping up on other people. That they can chase squirrels but not on leash. When they can play with other dogs and when that isn't part of the picture.

So, um, more thinking, I guess?m it's wicked hard to define.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Hahahahaha.
> 
> It's true, I cannot imagine a female Minion, unless she was the brains behind the operation.


Yeah commented on that in response to feminists griping about how there were no female minions, if I was them, I would consider it a compliment that he didnt make female minions LOL.


----------



## Mint

Also, I've been contacting Brittany breeders. Whoops.


----------



## elrohwen

Mint said:


> Also, I've been contacting Brittany breeders. Whoops.


:rockon: :whoo:


----------



## Miss Bugs

I feel dogless... Sola is at her first real Flyball practice tonight, my friend picked her up from work so I left work minus a dog and its weird lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola's home! she only did Recall's but did very well! she doesn't trust my friend enough yet to work for toys, and she's never had food drive, so motivating her is tricky ATM, but she says she works for cuddles lol. I find that really funny, Sola is not a cuddly dog, so it's really funny that the only thing she will work for is snuggles lol


----------



## BlueRoze

Newbie jumping in on the thread and discussion 

I have a boy and a girl (fixed). The girl is the goof ball, she gives me big happy dog grins more often and gets so excited for one of her treats that she tremors slightly. The only time the boy out performs her during training is if I have that specific treat because she just can't handle herself as well (it's mostly just funny).

The boy is a big uptight, but he's a nervous nelly uptight. He is getting better, slowly. He takes longer to get things too, though he does try and isn't shy with training. He's more of a hoarder/scavenger than she is so I think he's just thinking, "food, food, food," and not, "what should I do to get the food." He wolfs meals while she actually chews.

I have never seen my boy get a dog boner, so that is nice. I've only had them for a little over a month though. Hopefully he continues to keep his boy bits to himself. He does like to hump play fairly often though. I haven't seen her ever hump, though I've read that females do occasionally do so.


----------



## cookieface

Last night, we all (Katie, Tyson, my husband, and I) picked up my car from the garage. Katie and I went to agility; Tyson and my husband went home. Apparently Tyson was distraught that I left him. According to my husband, he wandered around looking for me, sat in the bedroom whimpering, and went outside and stared at the driveway. Poor little guy. This morning I realized I forgot to leave instructions to feed him (I had only given him half his dinner), so that might explain some of his distress. Oops. He's supposed to be eating _more_ not less.

Also, driving home from agility was a little disturbing for me. Out of nowhere, a car (well the glow of headlights) appeared in my rear view mirror. I could occasionally see the tops of the actual headlights, but mostly it was light and sense of being followed much to closely. Creepy.



Miss Bugs said:


> Sola's home! she only did Recall's but did very well! she doesn't trust my friend enough yet to work for toys, and she's never had food drive, so motivating her is tricky ATM, but she says she works for cuddles lol. I find that really funny, Sola is not a cuddly dog, so it's really funny that the only thing she will work for is snuggles lol


It's great that you have a friend who is interested in having fun with Sola. I've been to a flyball match and the dogs seem to _love_ it. My prediction is that Sola and your friend will have a blast!


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## cookieface

Tyson and I were practicing drop on recall. He needs more practice, but every time I said "down" I could hear Katie hit the floor. She can be such a good girl sometimes.


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## Miss Bugs

cookieface said:


> Last night, we all (Katie, Tyson, my husband, and I) picked up my car from the garage. Katie and I went to agility; Tyson and my husband went home. Apparently Tyson was distraught that I left him. According to my husband, he wandered around looking for me, sat in the bedroom whimpering, and went outside and stared at the driveway. Poor little guy. This morning I realized I forgot to leave instructions to feed him (I had only given him half his dinner), so that might explain some of his distress. Oops. He's supposed to be eating _more_ not less.
> 
> Also, driving home from agility was a little disturbing for me. Out of nowhere, a car (well the glow of headlights) appeared in my rear view mirror. I could occasionally see the tops of the actual headlights, but mostly it was light and sense of being followed much to closely. Creepy.
> 
> 
> 
> It's great that you have a friend who is interested in having fun with Sola. I've been to a flyball match and the dogs seem to _love_ it. My prediction is that Sola and your friend will have a blast!


I actually used to compete in Flyball, Happy was a 3.9 second flyball dog in her day, but I burned some bridges(they needed to be burned) and I have no desire to be in the same facility as this person ever again. I LOVED Flyball but I just don't want to have to deal with her again ya know? It was a long time ago but I know she still holds a grudge because she emailed my current trainer when she Learned I was getting back into dogsports just to tell her to "beware" of me lol, the lady is nuts and everyone knows that so I suffered no reprucussions, but I publicly exposed a bunch of her bull so she hates me lol.


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## Laurelin

So 2 things

1) I hate know it all dog people at the dog park. I got to listen to about how Hank is DEFINITELY a miniature heeler even though I kept telling the guy he was a heeler mix from the shelter. And also the guy was apparently a sheltie expert and told me he had a miniature sheltie that was 15" tall. Why didn't I just pipe up and say that's well within the sheltie standard? He talked my ear off for a half hour nonstop about random stuff about how he bred cocker spaniels and how to obedience train dogs in 4 days and yada yada. I kept saying 'oh wow.' 'neat'. 'ok' hoping he'd get the hint? Tried wandering to talk to someone else and he kept on following me to talk to me.

2) I think Hank may be done with the dog park. It's a tough situation. He has SO much fun there and really needs to open up and sprint and he can there. Plus it's the only swimming place I know of. He is good with other dogs and doesn't start things but he is getting less and less apt to try to diffuse things. Something about Hank's energy gets other dogs going and he just keeps on getting ganged up on and then he won't back down. I'm kind of afraid it's fallout from the saint bernard attack a month or so back. That was on leash (well we were on a leash, the other dogs weren't) and I feel like since then he feels like he needs to fight or at least not back down/diffuse. It was a crappy situation because I couldn't drop his lead without him bolting into a major road. Anyways, maybe I need to just monitor and do more to avoid large groups. Or maybe switch to play time with friend's dogs. He actually did get into a fight with my friend's corgi last week where they both had to be pulled apart. I could not see which started it but it was over a dropped piece of hotdog. I know it's typical for his breed mix and he's getting more grown up acting. So I'm not disappointed or anything. It just means our exercise plans need to change and I'm not sure how to replace the park....


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> I actually used to compete in Flyball, Happy was a 3.9 second flyball dog in her day, but I burned some bridges(they needed to be burned) and I have no desire to be in the same facility as this person ever again. I LOVED Flyball but I just don't want to have to deal with her again ya know? It was a long time ago but I know she still holds a grudge because she emailed my current trainer when she Learned I was getting back into dogsports just to tell her to "beware" of me lol, the lady is nuts and everyone knows that so I suffered no reprucussions, but I publicly exposed a bunch of her bull so she hates me lol.


Yes, I am starting to see that in dog sports people now that I am starting to get into it with my boy, and its a shame some people are like that


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## CptJack

You know, Kylie's not particularly into people touching her, but we went to my mom's today. My mom has both her mother and her mother-in-law living with her. They're both ill, both in their 90s, and both should frankly be in nursing homes but that's a whole separate discussion. Kylie has never met either one of them before today. Walkers. Oxygen tanks. Senility in one case and just plain bad motor control in the other. 

Kylie... performed tricks, was tolerant and gentle and very, very sweet. Gave kisses. Snuggled gently. Stuck close and was just incredible. She's not even tolerant of kids, but today she was nothing but.

Dogs know, man. Dogs *know*. Or at least this dog knew.


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## Eenypup

CptJack said:


> Dogs know, man. Dogs *know*. Or at least this dog knew.


Bennie really loves older people. There's a nearby nursing home and she always wants to go say hi to the senior citizens as we walk past. Boggles my mind that she's iffy with kids but is unphased by canes, walkers, and wheelchairs. An older woman passing by in a wheelchair the other day sent her into a wiggling mess! She never even jumps up on them and has always been on her best behavior with the older folk. Go figure.


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## Laurelin

One of my relatives just got a rat terrier x mini aussie puppy from a neighboring farm. Omg the cute. *dies*


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## Sibe

Bobb can't get a prosthetic. Well not "can't" so much as "we don't think it would work for him, it's not a good idea." Mostly I'm bummed... but I'm honestly kinda thankful to not have to pay for a prosthetic and everything involved in that process. He'll probably still do physical therapy. I really want him swimming, not just because it'd be adorable, but because it really would be good for him.


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## Laurelin

Mia and I had a girls' afternoon today. Super cheesy but so so good. We put the other dogs in the kennel (kinda felt bad but whatever) and she and I split my lunch and ice cream (lol) then we played ball and cuddled a bit just me and her. She's just been a bit down acting lately and I know its because she's stuck inside with this weather (it really affects her trachea issues). When Hank is around Mia cannot play toys because he will bowl her over. It was nice to see her transform into her zany crazy pup again. I need to make more efforts to do me and Mia stuff sometimes.


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## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> Mia and I had a girls' afternoon today. Super cheesy but so so good. We put the other dogs in the kennel (kinda felt bad but whatever) and she and I split my lunch and ice cream (lol) then we played ball and cuddled a bit just me and her. She's just been a bit down acting lately and I know its because she's stuck inside with this weather (it really affects her trachea issues). When Hank is around Mia cannot play toys because he will bowl her over. It was nice to see her transform into her zany crazy pup again. I need to make more efforts to do me and Mia stuff sometimes.


 Do you usually not do individual things with them? (Edit, sorry I think that came off sounding judge-y, I'm not judging or criticizing just asking!) I hardly do anything with mine together, I really love the bonding one-on-one.


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## Laurelin

I do a lot of one on one with Hank and some training with all 3 but since Mia can't really DO too much outside the house I am not that great at doing 1 on 1 with her around the house. Usually when I'm home all three of them are out. Well all 5 because I've had my dad's dogs almost constantly lately. But basically doing stuff is usually just Hank or Hank + a papillon (usually Summer). Mia is just so limited on what she is able to do especially in this heat.


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## Sibe

That makes sense. Heat is a huge factor, and with Hank being the newer guy. I feel like I'm neglecting my huskies so much because Bobb is getting all my"Let's dog some grooming" and "Let's dog some training" motivation directed on him. I still try to find individual things. Nali as agility once a week and we tried lure coursing today for the first time which she LOVED so much I put it in like the top 10 most fun things of her life so far. Poor Kaytu can't do any mushing in the heat and that's her main thing so she's neglected right now. I give her food dispensers, but then last summer I did that and much less exercise + more food = fat dog.


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## Miss Bugs

its storming bad all day today and at work this morning it was just lightly raining when suddenly lightning struck our parking lot. it was terrifying! it was just a light drizzle, but then this earth shattering "CRACK" and blinding light immediately outside the door rocked the building, and all we could smell was burning asphalt while we jumped up and ran around the building getting all the dogs inside and doors secured! it was like 2 hours before it was safe to let the dogs back out and open the doors again!


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## Willowy

Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing buying the acreage. Nothing serious---just minor annoyances like the flies and the mowing and the flies and the ticks and the FLIES. . .but I just spent half an hour laying in the grass watching the barn swallows and it's all worth it . There are SO MANY barn swallows. I lost count but I'm pretty sure over a hundred were swooping around. I don't think it's migration time yet, so does that mean all those swallows were raised in my machine shed? I know there are a lot of nests in there but I didn't think they were that prolific, LOL. Makes me wonder how there are any bugs left on the property with all those birdie mouths to feed. But there are still plenty of bugs to go around. I just love barn swallows. . .


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## cookieface

Two non-dog rants.

First, in the past month or so, my husband has called me fat, old, and unskilled. Not exactly in those words, but that was the essence of his comments. Pretty sure he needs to find a way to make up for that.

Second, I need child abuse clearance for work and the application is a huge annoyance. I'm supposed to remember every place I've lived and every person I've lived with since 1975. Seriously? I really don't remember everyone I lived with in college. I really don't remember quite a bit about college...

To make this slightly dog related, I need to keep my husband around to take the dogs out at night and I need to keep my job to pay for classes and other fun stuff for them.


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## jade5280

Gypsy's biopsy results came back benign! I'm so relieved. They said they wouldn't recommended surgery at this time unless it grows or starts to bother her.


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## CptJack

I am so glad for both of you!


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## d_ray

jade5280 said:


> Gypsy's biopsy results came back benign! I'm so relieved. They said they wouldn't recommended surgery at this time unless it grows or starts to bother her.


I haven't been on DF lately so out of the loop, but this is great news. You must be so relieved!


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## BellaPup

jade5280 said:


> Gypsy's biopsy results came back benign! I'm so relieved. They said they wouldn't recommended surgery at this time unless it grows or starts to bother her.


_WHEW!_ Glad to hear it!


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## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Gypsy's biopsy results came back benign! I'm so relieved. They said they wouldn't recommended surgery at this time unless it grows or starts to bother her.


That's great news!


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## Laurelin

Summer had the worst seizure yet this morning.  2 in about 10 days?


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## elrohwen

So glad Gypsy is ok!

And so sorry to hear about Summer :-( Is she on meds already? Can she start on meds?


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## Remaru

Great news on Gypsy!

Sorry to hear about Summer.  I don't remember if this is something she is being treated for?


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## jade5280

Thanks everyone!

*@Laurelin* I'm sorry to hear about Summer, what does the vet recommend you do? Is she on medication?


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## cookieface

Laurelin said:


> Summer had the worst seizure yet this morning.  2 in about 10 days?


Poor Summer. (same questions as everyone else)


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## Laurelin

Yeah Summer is on meds. I cannot recall the name off the top of my head but it's levi....cam? something? Levitracam? We'd gone 7 months seizure free so I was hopeful but now we've had two in a few days and this last one was pretty bad. It took almost 2 hours to get her back to normal. But once she's fine, she's just fine as can be. I am not going to do an MRI or anything of that sort. It would not change anything about our treatment but could let me know if it is a tumor or not. But most dogs with brain tumors don't live as long as she has (over a year since first symptoms) so who knows? 

We've done blood workups a few times (normal), did ultrasounds (normal), she's on seizure meds.... My vet said next step is MRI but he wouldn't recommend it unless I was wanting to know for sure if it is brain cancer. He offered to refer me to a specialist but I told him not to.

Odd thing I noticed is she in the past has seemed to have clusters. a couple in a short time then none for a month or two. What is so odd is July was when she had her first two seizures last year so I almost wonder if it's an environmental trigger or something? Idk just thinking out loud.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Odd thing I noticed is she in the past has seemed to have clusters. a couple in a short time then none for a month or two. What is so odd is July was when she had her first two seizures last year so I almost wonder if it's an environmental trigger or something? Idk just thinking out loud.


IME, it's not unusual for really hot weather to trigger health issues. I've had other people tell me the same thing. It's definitely possible.


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## missc89

jade5280 said:


> Gypsy's biopsy results came back benign! I'm so relieved. They said they wouldn't recommended surgery at this time unless it grows or starts to bother her.


So happy to hear that!!!


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## missc89

Laurelin said:


> One of my relatives just got a rat terrier x mini aussie puppy from a neighboring farm. Omg the cute. *dies*


I'm going to need photographic evidence of this dog


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Yeah Summer is on meds. I cannot recall the name off the top of my head but it's levi....cam? something? Levitracam? We'd gone 7 months seizure free so I was hopeful but now we've had two in a few days and this last one was pretty bad. It took almost 2 hours to get her back to normal. But once she's fine, she's just fine as can be. I am not going to do an MRI or anything of that sort. It would not change anything about our treatment but could let me know if it is a tumor or not. But most dogs with brain tumors don't live as long as she has (over a year since first symptoms) so who knows?
> 
> We've done blood workups a few times (normal), did ultrasounds (normal), she's on seizure meds.... My vet said next step is MRI but he wouldn't recommend it unless I was wanting to know for sure if it is brain cancer. He offered to refer me to a specialist but I told him not to.
> 
> Odd thing I noticed is she in the past has seemed to have clusters. a couple in a short time then none for a month or two. What is so odd is July was when she had her first two seizures last year so I almost wonder if it's an environmental trigger or something? Idk just thinking out loud.


So sorry to hear this. It's something awful to watch your dog go through a seizure. I hope that with the fall and winter coming up that things will improve.


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## cookieface

Tyson and I were headed out to class and I was suddenly very, very dizzy. We're staying home and not making any quick head movements.  He's eating the dinner he would have gotten in class and Katie is barking and growling at him.


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## Sibe

jade5280 said:


> Gypsy's biopsy results came back benign! I'm so relieved. They said they wouldn't recommended surgery at this time unless it grows or starts to bother her.


 Hooray!!! That is fantastic news.


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## jade5280

Thank you!

Have you guys seen the "What Are This?" video by Jenna Marbles? It cracks me up, she's hilarious and her dogs are so cute. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4sXjJJjcWQ


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## Remaru

Someone tell Lad he doesn't need to whine all of the time, please. I don't know what has gotten into him lately but he sounds like a whiny teenaged boy. I don't think it is anything serious, I know he isn't sick and I don't think it is SA because he is fine in his crate when we leave the house (no howling, whining or barking then). He whines when Freyja goes outside, he whines when Freyja chews a bone instead of playing with him (he is actually laying right next to her whining at her right now, I don't think he is even so much whining _at_ her as whining in general), he whines if I step into the hall even if his nose is still touching me, he whines when I get my son ready for derby (even though I'm not leaving, one of his derby friends drives him), he's just...whiny. I don't know if he is trying to tell me he is bored or if he is just being a hormonal teen. I could do with less whining though.


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## ireth0

Gah. I have such an itch today to go out with Luna and do SOMETHING. Hike someplace, go for a jog, check out a beach, ANYTHING!

But I am stuck at work. Boo.


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## asuna

i dont understand how Thor breaks all his harnesses...... i dont get it


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## CptJack

There are breeds I like and would own that just do not fit in any way with what I typically say I want in a dog, and that really makes me question my sanity a little. And kind of amuses me.

Dogs I clearly like and make sense to me:
Shelties
Border Collies
Paps
Rat Terriers
Spaniels (ESS, ECS)
Some goldens.
Poodle.

Random Breeds I would be all over:
Chows
Greyhounds
JRT
Maltese

I just. What? Especially the chow (and yes, I've KNOWN and liked them).


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## Miss Bugs

I took a phone call after my break today and it was just someone wanting to alter a booking they just made, except i couldn't find either the dogs or owners last name in the system, confused I simply re-took the booking and looked into it afterwards. I found the booking..it was under "Steak Maggie"..the correct name was Jake N***...I about died laughing, no wonder no variation on that dogs name or last name was bringing anything up lol, at least it Rhymed! 

we also gave up on a dogs nails, our muscle dude kennel owner attempted to help us do the dogs nails stopped and said "let the vet do this one, $10 ain't worth this" lol. we couldn't even touch the dog, if you touched him he pee'd everywhere and if you picked up the nails clippers he attacked you(he was muzzled luckily). get your dogs used to having their nails done people, seriously, don't just hand your 90lbs dog who's feet have never been touched off to other people to do and expect them to be able to do it


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## PatriciafromCO

I give lol... Took Adele to a local sorta small town country vet, she had seen Adele as a pup did the 6 months rabies shot.. Way too busy to get an appointment for any emergency. Did call about getting the dogs in one at a time since Arka is the size of her waiting room lol ... Take Adele in, vet and tech happy to see how much she has grown. get a weight on her.. She is not a wiggle wiggle dog about people she is proper reserved.. easy to handle and examine, quiet and goes with the flow, All good spend a moment talking with the vet , Adele lays down at my feet, she really does look so beautiful regal .. Then she lets out a very firm growl at the vet tech in the hall way for walking up rocking and bouncing, talking baby talk to her , crouching over about what a pretty pretty girl. And the Vet tech saids "what" "aww, she doesn't like people" I know what I wanted to say... but I didn't say anything lol lol .... Tech stopped in the hallway for getting the intense growl and Adele eased back to relaxed while I finished with the vet.. geesh I just want the dogs to have a chance to feel safe at the vet clinics.... lol


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## Mint

CptJack said:


> There are breeds I like and would own that just do not fit in any way with what I typically say I want in a dog, and that really makes me question my sanity a little. And kind of amuses me.
> 
> Dogs I clearly like and make sense to me:
> Shelties
> Border Collies
> Paps
> Rat Terriers
> Spaniels (ESS, ECS)
> Some goldens.
> Poodle.
> 
> Random Breeds I would be all over:
> Chows
> Greyhounds
> JRT
> Maltese
> 
> I just. What? Especially the chow (and yes, I've owned and liked them).


There's a ton of dogs that I initially had in the "never ever going to own" list, only to meet a dog of that breed and end up really clicking with them for some reason. 

I like Great Pyrs a lot. Horrible fit for me on paper but I've meshed really well with the few I've met. Giant aloof, stubborn dog with stranger suspicion and predisposition to DA but somehow I could totally see myself living with one and enjoying it. Same with chows, though if I ever got one it would be a rescue because I'm honestly not a fan of how most show bred Chows are put together.


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## CptJack

I actually fostered several pyrs and owned one from puppy onward that I really, really loved. It wasn't exactly a relationship like most people envision a relationship with a dog, but I really enjoyed him and that relationship. I'd own another one again in a heartbeat, though I'm kind of over the giant dog thing. Might be why I like chows, actually. There's just something about them.


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## missc89

Mint said:


> There's a ton of dogs that I initially had in the "never ever going to own" list, only to meet a dog of that breed and end up really clicking with them for some reason.


My list of dogs I wanted to own had at least 200 or so dogs in it, and I've managed to cut that in half after having gotten my puppy and hearing people here talk about their experiences with all the different breeds they own or work/worked with


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## jade5280

I still don't know what I want in a dog. I don't really think there's a breed that I would absolutely say "no way" aside from my aesthetic preferences.


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## elrohwen

The list of breeds I would like to own is extremely small. Maybe 5-10 breeds total. I've met tons of dogs of different breeds that I have loved, but I still have no desire to own the breed. All of the breeds on my list are very similar too.


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## CptJack

I think for me some of it is my lifestyle changing as I get older. There was a point in my life, a lot of it actually, where all the dog really needed to be was safe, basically. Don't eat the cats, don't eat the kids, don't eat me, and we're good. I did all that fostering and I got used to just rolling with it and living with the dog and making it work. I can still do that, but the older I get and the older my kids get, the less I want to do that. 

It isn't so much that it's more restrictive - it's not, I have more money/freedom/space than I've had before. But I'm also getting MY life back, as me instead of just a mom and that gives me more room to do things. Travel. Do classes. Do sports. I feel like I finally have the resources, I guess, to do things the way I want to do things because I WANT to, instead of tailoring life around the kids/husband/pets so completely. And I really really like the pets and always have? But now it's just a little bit more about me than it has been.

Plus, of course, I know myself better, but I'm not kind of just... sitting at home taking care of other people and don't want to be. It's narrowed things down for me. 

It's just that there's still a broad range of things I legitimately enjoy. Or, at least, two fairly dissimilar things I enjoy. ie: speed, energy, biddability, handler focus, drive and - independence, aloofness, and 'cat like' personalities as a whole, with a side of gentleness and sweetness.

Maybe it's better to say I know really well what I *don't* want and don't feel like bending my life around anymore.


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## jade5280

Yesterday when I closed the deck gate it must have bounced back open and next thing I know SO is yelling and Gypsy is walking down the road. SO yelled at her and she went to the side of the road and layed down until he got to her THANK GOD. These dogs are going to give me a freakin heart attack. One thing I hate about having hounds is if they decide to run you're not going to catch them and they're not going to come back when you call.


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## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Yesterday when I closed the deck gate it must have bounced back open and next thing I know SO is yelling and Gypsy is walking down the road. SO yelled at her and she went to the side of the road and layed down until he got to her THANK GOD. These dogs are going to give me a freakin heart attack. One thing I hate about having hounds is if they decide to run you're not going to catch them and they're not going to come back when you call.


That would be terrifying. 

We went on vacation in the Adirondacks once with some friends, and one couple brought their 1 year old husky. We were so careful about not letting her out off leash, but on the last day we were packing up and she slipped out. She took off down the road, full run, without even looking back. The boys took off running, mostly in flip flops or bare feet. The only reason she stopped was to sniff a neighbor's dog about a mile down the road and they held her until we caught up, assuming she was loose. If she had run into the woods I'm not sure when we would have found her.


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## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> That would be terrifying.
> 
> We went on vacation in the Adirondacks once with some friends, and one couple brought their 1 year old husky. We were so careful about not letting her out off leash, but on the last day we were packing up and she slipped out. She took off down the road, full run, without even looking back. The boys took off running, mostly in flip flops or bare feet. The only reason she stopped was to sniff a neighbor's dog about a mile down the road and they held her until we caught up, assuming she was loose. If she had run into the woods I'm not sure when we would have found her.


Ugh it's the worst feeling. Mine have gotten loose/out more times that I like to remember. Gypsy has gotten loose/escaped 4 times since we got her. All the times we were right there and she didn't run so we got her within seconds. Ryker has run off 3 times. Once when he didn't come back for 4 hours and the other 2 times he slipped through gate and went to the neighbors. 

I really try to be super attentive and pay attention to what I'm doing and where the dogs are at all times, but it just takes 1 second while you're walking through a gate or the slip of a collar and they're off.


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## ireth0

Thankfully the couple of times Luna got our of our yard (before we fortified the spot in the fence she was using) she did always immediately come back once she was done with whatever she had needed to see.

I'm still paranoid as hell about it, though.


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## CptJack

The beagle that was my first puppy as an adult is the reason I decided I can't hack a dog who can't be off leash. That isn't to say that I NEED to let the dog off leash all the time, but more... not disappear forever? The anxiety killed me, and this dog was a 'knock out the windows to get out and run' level of escape artist. I spent more time crying on my porch HOPING she would come back, because I had tiny kids then and couldn't leave them home alone. It's really terrifying.

I'm not so paranoid with this group of dogs. Thud and Jack got out together once and tried to go on an adventure (ie: they headed for where they expected the car to be then got distracted by a squirrel), but that was a year, year and a half ago. Every once in a while someone gets out but at this point I call, they come back and it's over. And yet I STILL panic when they're somewhere I don't expect them to be/outside the fence at home. I'll unleash them in the middle of the woods and be okay but they go out front and my immediate reaction is still "OH CRAP! THEY ARE GOING TO DIE!"


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## jade5280

CptJack said:


> The beagle that was my first puppy as an adult is the reason I decided I can't hack a dog who can't be off leash. That isn't to say that I NEED to let the dog off leash all the time, but more... not disappear forever? The anxiety killed me, and this dog was a 'knock out the windows to get out and run' level of escape artist. I spent more time crying on my porch HOPING she would come back, because I had tiny kids then and couldn't leave them home alone. It's really terrifying.


Yeah one of the reason why I don't think I will have more than 1 hound at a time in the future. It's easier to keep an eye on one dog that can't be off leash than multiple dogs that have crap recall.


----------



## elrohwen

I'm glad that I have dogs I trust to not disappear. On vacation this month we "lost" Watson for a minute - he was outside off leash and I was supervising, but something happened and we all got distracted and he wandered off. I found him sniffing around the neighbor's house a minute later and while he didn't come right when I called, he hadn't gone far and did come back. The longest we lost him was 20min when he chased some deer. He's gotten out a few other times and usually just runs around the house looking for groundhogs or something. So he'll blow off a recall no question if he's into something interesting (which is why I went to the ecollar) but I don't think he has any desire to just run away and not come home. The time that we did lose him for 20min I found him in the garage panicked because he couldn't find us or get into the house.

Hazel is little and doesn't go anywhere. It's rare that she even runs around to the other side of the house when we're out off leash, and if I'm on the move she's right by my feet. We'll see what happens when she grows up.


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> Yeah one of the reason why I don't think I will have more than 1 hound at a time in the future. It's easier to keep an eye on one dog that can't be off leash than multiple dogs that have crap recall.


And it's not just recall! I mean, I've seen dogs with NO recall but they just kind of wander around or whatever. It's the 'caught a scent/the sight of prey- SEE YA' and then they're ten miles away before you turn around that makes it really scary. Bug periodically turns her back so she can't 'see' you recalling her but she just sort of meanders off. Not "shot out of a canon the WRONG way".


----------



## jade5280

That's true. I know a lot of dogs that don't have great recall, but they at least stay in the general vicinity instead of "OMG IM FREE. SEE YA IN A FEW DAYS, MAYBE! WEEEEEEE!"


----------



## Willowy

Yeah, my dogs don't have a good recall but they don't disappear. That would be hard to deal with for me, I think.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I had a Treeing Walker hound that I really like but I ended up rehoming her as she would not stay home and was a real escape artist. Every time I found where she had gotten out, she would make a hole somewhere else and would disappear. I knew it was only a matter of time that she would end up getting run over or lost. The funny thing was that I could take her with me when I went riding along with Susie, and she stayed nearby and never took off. I ended up finding someone that hunted with their hounds and he took her. She was fine hunting with the other hounds so had a good home.

We raised Greyhounds for years and never had a problem with them running off when they were off-leash but we started training them from the time they were young puppies. Even some that we got from the Racetrack did not seem to have any inclination to just take off and keep running away.


----------



## Mint

There's not a ton of breeds I would seek out, but I wouldn't be fussed about most individuals of 'x' breed coming onto my doorstep with the exceptions of big drooly dogs like Bloodhounds or something like a Fila. The only other type of dogs I am 100% determined to steer away from are severely DA dogs. Been there, still doing that, and do not want to do it again in a million years. But I'd still like to have some idea as to what I'm getting, honestly. Two of our dogs were adopted from the shelter as puppies, and while one is a super fun dog that fits me very well, the other one is a dog that has to have very careful introductions with other dogs and can't be taken out where other dogs are likely to be. It wasn't that big of a deal for a long time, but my life style has changed somewhat since and now it's a lot more of an inconvenience than it used to be. 

And that is what worries me a lot of the time, I think. I don't want to get a dog that is good at the time, with flaws / personality quirks that are then manageable, only for them to turn into a horrid fit further down the run due to a lifestyle change (main reason why I've decided against a Brittany TBH). I don't want a dog that will constantly need lots of behavior management in order to not be a public liability.

I like most dogs I meet. So, really, if I know a dog is sound and won't need a 5 mile jog to settle in the house, I wouldn't mind taking it home. But there's definitely breeds I click with more than I do others and I'll ideally be sticking with those.


----------



## DogTheGreat

My two childhood dogs regularly wandered around and always came back. Thankfully they only wandered the miles of woodland behind our house or took it upon themselves to walk up the street and visit whoever was out instead of taking up a hobby like car chasing. "Where is ___?" "Oh, they wandered off about 15min ago but should be back anytime now." Y'know, responsibly dog ownership at the hands of my parents. We also added two other dogs to the family when I was older. Both small breeds (8-14lbs) who were/are total "DOOR HAS BEEN ACCIDENTALLY LEFT OPEN. TIME TO GO" dogs. All you could do once they were out was plead with them to come back to you for a super high value treat or just hope they came back. One of those dogs was actually my sisters who tragically got killed by a car just a few weeks ago. She was at work, her roommate carelessly left the door open and unattended, then out the dog went. She lives in an urban area now so not exactly "Well, hope everything goes OK and they make their way back" if a dog gets loose. 

My dog has never really gotten loose. Has twice run over to visit the dog across the street that she has a weird thing for while playing frisbee and before I was able to grab the leash I had her dragging. She has never tried to play keep away with me when I go to fetch her and apologize. I have her trained to run after me like it's a game whenever I dart in the opposite direction. It's much more reliable for me to call her name and then run as opposed to just calling her over when whatever she's interested in a sooooo great. I've never had that fail, actually. She's a total velcro, though, and I don't think I could get her to go off on her own even if I wanted her to.


----------



## North&South

My dog is great with recall most of the time because he's a 'velcro dog', generally. We live on a farm, so when we're out at home, he's alway off leash. Once in while, he gets interested in something in the tall grass or on the edge of the bushes and will totally ignore me when I call him. Then I just say, "Bye!" and start walking away, and he comes running to me like he was shot out of a cannon.  He just can't stand the prospect of my 'leaving' him.


----------



## Kingfisher

I've lost Keeper a grand total of 2 times. 

The first was at a horse show where he got distracted by the cattle. He was frantically searching the grounds looking for me and nearly melted of happiness when he found me. I wasn't too scared this time, he's a horse shoe dog and knows the drill. He's horse/arena savvy and whatnot. 

The second was when he went on a 3 mile walk around the neighborhood off leash with a neighbor.  I was NOT pleased. Once I got past the relief of finding my (surely dead) dog.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> The list of breeds I would like to own is extremely small. Maybe 5-10 breeds total. I've met tons of dogs of different breeds that I have loved, but I still have no desire to own the breed. All of the breeds on my list are very similar too.


The list of breeds I could realistically own is fairly short. The list of breeds I'd like to own is much longer, but I know my limitations. I'll have to settle for living vicariously through Xeph, Equinox, CptJack, and others. 



jade5280 said:


> Yesterday when I closed the deck gate it must have bounced back open and next thing I know SO is yelling and Gypsy is walking down the road. SO yelled at her and she went to the side of the road and layed down until he got to her THANK GOD. These dogs are going to give me a freakin heart attack. One thing I hate about having hounds is if they decide to run you're not going to catch them and they're not going to come back when you call.


Glad she's safe. I remember when Katie was "missing" at Thanksgiving - it was horrible. Fortunately, she had gotten out through the deck door into the fenced yard (she was standing at the door looking pitiful, "why have you abandoned me??"), but there were several minutes of pure panic.


----------



## kdawnk

90% of the time I'm talking with people on this site I'm mentally trying to figure out what gender they are.
Also their age range. I remember a thread a while ago that asked us to identify/describe ourselves and it blew my mind.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> The list of breeds I could realistically own is fairly short. The list of breeds I'd like to own is much longer, but I know my limitations. I'll have to settle for living vicariously through Xeph, Equinox, CptJack, and others.


You could handle Thud. I mean, now instead of a year or so ago, but you could.

Except the fur-storm. That'd be an issue.


----------



## Sibe

kdawnk said:


> 90% of the time I'm talking with people on this site I'm mentally trying to figure out what gender they are.
> Also their age range. I remember a thread a while ago that asked us to identify/describe ourselves and it blew my mind.


 If you're guessing female, you'd probably be right 95% of the time. There is this thread? http://www.dogforums.com/off-topic/22367-no-dogs-pics-just.html


----------



## cookieface

kdawnk said:


> 90% of the time I'm talking with people on this site I'm mentally trying to figure out what gender they are.
> Also their age range. I remember a thread a while ago that asked us to identify/describe ourselves and it blew my mind.





Sibe said:


> If you're guessing female, you'd probably be right 95% of the time. There is this thread? http://www.dogforums.com/off-topic/22367-no-dogs-pics-just.html


Yeah, I think most folks here are female (even though I tend to think of people here as male). I can only think of three or four regulars who are male. I think there was another, non-picture thread about ages, etc.

ETA: this thread has ages, some male/female id



CptJack said:


> You could handle Thud. I mean, now instead of a year or so ago, but you could.
> 
> Except the fur-storm. That'd be an issue.


Well, but we'd still need to get from baby Thud to mature Thud with both us coming out alive. 

I could probably handle the fur; my husband was the one who insisted on non-shedding. I'm pretty sure I'll out live him.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Well, but we'd still need to get from baby Thud to mature Thud with both us coming out alive.
> 
> I could probably handle the fur; my husband was the one who insisted on non-shedding. I'm pretty sure I'll out live him.



Thats okay, though! I couldn't handle Baby Thud, either! 

I hate the shedding right now. I moved his crate and there was a WALL of hair behind it. I just don't even understand.


----------



## Miss Bugs

so one of our clients got this new puppy, its a rescue so she doesn't know what he is, so she did a DNA test and my co-worker had to very kindly explain how inaccurate they are after she shared the results: Beagle x Belgain Shepherd...... eeerrr and the beard came from...which one exactly? lol


----------



## SamiSaysRawr

Miss Bugs said:


> View attachment 208578
> 
> 
> 
> so one of our clients got this new puppy, its a rescue so she doesn't know what he is, so she did a DNA test and my co-worker had to very kindly explain how inaccurate they are after she shared the results: Beagle x Belgain Shepherd...... eeerrr and the beard came from...which one exactly? lol


Laekenois? JK


----------



## CptJack

I cleaned my tub/shower surround super-duper well. Now I need to clean the walls and baseboards and probably ceiling and everything else in that room because by comparison they are no longer white. Worst part of cleaning (according to me).


----------



## CptJack

Also I would seriously like to know how my brain has decided that it's okay if people rob me and steal my stuff, but I don't want them (or the house sitter) to see dirty baseboards. There is something wrong with my brain.


----------



## Miss Bugs

SamiSaysRawr said:


> Laekenois? JK


rotfl! oh yes, I forgot! we have that serious problem in Canada with all these Laekenois' running around getting random dogs pregnant, we should probably get on top of this issue . the puppy looks like 90% of the doodles we see lol, Belgian x Beagle...like really? and people take these things seriously?


----------



## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> rotfl! oh yes, I forgot! we have that serious problem in Canada with all these Laekenois' running around getting random dogs pregnant, we should probably get on top of this issue . the puppy looks like 90% of the doodles we see lol, Belgian x Beagle...like really? and people take these things seriously?


I saw a confirmed beagle shih-tzu that looked kind of like that once (with, obviously, different ears)? But yeah, I don't know. it's just sad.


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> I actually fostered several pyrs and owned one from puppy onward that I really, really loved. It wasn't exactly a relationship like most people envision a relationship with a dog, but I really enjoyed him and that relationship. I'd own another one again in a heartbeat, though I'm kind of over the giant dog thing. Might be why I like chows, actually. There's just something about them.


The few chows that I have met have really made me work for any ounce of... not affection, but... acknowledgment that I was anything but a thing that distributed treats.


----------



## CptJack

gingerkid said:


> The few chows that I have met have really made me work for any ounce of... not affection, but... acknowledgment that I was anything but a thing that distributed treats.


Yeah, that's about it. They're very cat like - and stereotypical cat like. Independent, aloof, and with an attitude that implies they own their family more than the other way around. It's nice, but it's different. There is certainly none of that unconditional love based on you having thumbs, that's for sure.


----------



## cookieface

Reason # 2,748 that I shouldn't be allowed to throw things: salmon treat down the heating vent. Oops.

Last night at agility, the instructor told me that she's worked with people less coordinated that I am and they've been successful. Perhaps there is hope.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have the same problem with throwing things. Was throwing Lucy's treat bag when she did the weaves and it ended up on the other side of the fence. In class, I ended up going down to the end of the weaves and placing the treat bag rather than trying to throw it in a straight line which usually made the dog run sideways out of the weaves to get to it.


----------



## CptJack

I can't throw for CRAP. At one point in agility I was supposed to throw with my left hand and signal the dog with my right. Yeah. No.


----------



## pawsaddict

So my big long weekend plan was to...paint the teeter (riviting, I know, but I really want to get some grip on there for Nova asap). Checked the weather yesterday and all was supposed to be good. Well, it's pouring now and my pressure-treated teeter is SOAKED all over again...looks like I may have to postpone. I know we need rain here but....sad. Next piece of equipment we build is staying in the garage until its all painted.


----------



## cookieface

#1 reason I should be banned from throwing things: lawn dart, my brother's nose. He was standing behind me at the time.

We had a great nose work class this morning. On the one hand, I'm glad it's over especially with agility Friday night. On the other, we really enjoyed it. The instructor is going to try to schedule an intro to odor class this fall. I could also, you know, pay for a regular class, but I don't know if another instructor would be as accommodating with Tyson's separation issues.


----------



## jade5280

Well Gypsy bit the neighbors pitbull. I was coming back from our walk and the dog ran right up to her and they got into a scuffle and I heard the pitbull yelp and then its owner called it back. I feel bad but I'm really irritated at the same time because I have probably told them 10+ times that she's not good with other dogs. I guess that confirms that she's DA and not just reactive.


----------



## Miss Bugs

regarding the throwing thing, reminds me of work a few weeks ago, I was out with a group in my yard and I went inside for a sec, I don't remember why, check waters inside or fill the water pail for something, but it was literally only a few seconds, I turned to go back outside, and thorough the window I see all my dogs gathered around something on the hill, curious what was so interesting I go out and I call them, they part and one of them picks up the interesting thing....a rope toy. now we only have toys for dogs that play alone, we don't allow toys around the groups to prevent resource guarding issues..now imagine my confusion, I was only gone a few seconds where the heck did they get a rope toy from?? I took the toy while talking to myself out loud..mostly along the lines of "where?? what? HUH??!!" suddenly I hear laughter from the next yard over, I go in the gated off area where I can see into the next yard(the dog area has solid fencing between yards) and the supervisor in the next yard is doubled over laughing..turns out the rope toy came from her yard, she was playing with a "single" and threw the toy...so badly it went completely sideways and over the fence to the middle of my yard, she couldn't believe she screwed up a throw that badly! the fences are 6 feet with 2 feet of topper, and the yards are about 1/4 acre, to accidentally throw a toy sideways over 8 feet of fence into the middle of a 1/4 acre yard takes talent lol


----------



## gingerkid

Moving sucks.

Moving into a house that hasn't been emptied yet sucks even more.


----------



## Willowy

So my friend is trying to use the old "But I was raised x way and I turned out fiiine!" argument. She is not fine. She has a complicated relationship with food. I won't call it an eating disorder yet but it's not happy. She has even more complicated relationships with her family members. She struggles with depression and anxiety. She's even attempted suicide in the past for pete's sake. So when she tries to force/bully/punish her little cousin (who lives with them) to eat something she doesn't like, and I'm like "way to cause an eating disorder there!", she says she was forced/bullied/punished into eating everything she was served and she turned out fine. Yikes. I really need to know what she would consider to be "not fine". Is that cognitive dissonance or just wishful thinking?


----------



## CptJack

It is actually really rare for someone who has 'issues' to be able to recognize them/acknowledge that they have those issues. It's part of the nature of the beast. Add in the fact that sometimes those issues are 'caused' by someone you love, and the fact that abuse almost always involves convincing the person that they're wrong/deserve it/the problem, and well.


----------



## Willowy

I know :/. I see it a lot in that particular family. It's sad because these things just get dumped on every new generation and nobody seems interested in changing things .


----------



## jade5280

I'm kind of sad about today. I've always had a lot of animals and now that I know Gypsy is DA I won't be getting another dog. And she is aggressive towards cats so it's not like I can get another cat either.....


----------



## Crantastic

She might just hate strange dogs running at her, though. Casper and Crystal will both fight another dog that runs at them, but they get along perfectly well together. If I properly introduce other dogs to them (usually with parallel walking) they'll happily go on walks with them, and I've even been able to dogsit a few dogs.


----------



## jade5280

Thanks Crantastic. Maybe you're right. She's a weird dog to figure out. She has never shown the least bit of aggression towards Ryker, so it's weird. I notice that she does get overstimulated very easily if Ryker is running around or something she will charge at him forcefully, but doesn't actually hurt him.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I know how that feels. My dog isn't reliable enough to freely interact with other dogs. She does do well with them 99% of the time, but it just takes a second for her to escalate to full blown fighting with another dog. She's not a dog that tries to prevent taking it there with growling, snapping, etc. When she takes issue, it's done. Just not worth the risk to have her around other dogs despite her usually enjoying their company. Not getting another dog in her lifetime-- and she's not even a year old-- was something I thought about a lot when I was deciding if re-homing her would be for the best. Not that I wanted to have a lot of dogs, but still sucks to not even have the option for another decade+. And such is life...


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

jade5280 said:


> I'm kind of sad about today. I've always had a lot of animals and now that I know Gypsy is DA I won't be getting another dog. And she is aggressive towards cats so it's not like I can get another cat either.....


Sorry about the bad interaction with Gypsy and the other dog. 

Growing up we had a dog that didn't like other dogs. We ended up rescuing another dog from the neighbors (intended to re-home) and introduced them very slowly. They did become best friends and we kept that dog. Ember HATES other dogs and absolutely will snap at strange dogs that get in her space. She hated Kairi at first. She has proven though that with the right intro, and a slow one that she will be fine with other dogs. I imagine it could still be possible with Gypsy, too. She has already proven she CAN co-exist with other dogs because of Ryker.


----------



## DogTheGreat

@ForTheLoveOfDogs This is probably going to sound really weird, but every time I've seen your posts/your sig my heart is just in awe because something about your Aussie in the sig picture completely reminds me of one of my old Aussies. Yours copper points are a lot darker, ears completely different also, but idk maybe it's in the eyes.


----------



## Eenypup

jade5280 said:


> I'm kind of sad about today. I've always had a lot of animals and now that I know Gypsy is DA I won't be getting another dog. And she is aggressive towards cats so it's not like I can get another cat either.....


I feel the same way sometimes, but remember that she lives with Ryker so you know she can live with other dogs! I don't think Bennie would take kindly to being charged by an off-leash dog either. She'll ignore strange leashed dogs for the most part but gets very agitated if she sees strange dogs off leash. This one little incident does not dictate whether or not she could be slowly introduced to another dog and gain a new housemate 

And completely unrelated - but my anxiety is manifesting in me being afraid of Bennie interacting with anyone she doesn't know already. Not that I can't handle it and she's always great with people I let her meet (I've just been saying no to kids) but there's a tinge of anxiety in the background. It sucks because talking about her and showing her off was always one of my favorite things. This is not related to anything she does obviously and it's all something I need to work out, just wanted to vent about it. Ugh. Hope it doesn't rub off on her.


----------



## Laurelin

If every dog that bit another dog was DA then well...most dogs would be DA.

Hank and my friend's corgi decided to duke it out over a dropped piece of food. Like had to pry them apart kind of deal. They had both grabbed onto each other's face. :/ Not good but things happen sometimes. Luckily both were fine. 

My anxiety is acting up really really bad lately.  I don't talk about it much but its getting really hard to deal with.


----------



## Eenypup

Laurelin said:


> My anxiety is acting up really really bad lately.  I don't talk about it much but its getting really hard to deal with.


Sorry to hear that  I talk a lot about my anxieties on here because lately they've centered about Bennie. I don't talk to many others about this stuff besides my girlfriend. I recently learned that my dad thought I hated owning Bennie & regretted getting her because of things I've said regarding me being anxious about her & kids. That broke my heart because she's my best friend & I adore her more than anything. So now I'm even less likely to open up irl about it outside of my psychiatrist's office... If it wasn't the dog it would be something else, ya know? It's not her fault.


----------



## Kingfisher

Anxiety sucks. Sucks sucks sucks. 

Feel free to message me, I've dealt with it for more than 15 years. Ride the wave, ride the wave.


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Well Gypsy bit the neighbors pitbull. I was coming back from our walk and the dog ran right up to her and they got into a scuffle and I heard the pitbull yelp and then its owner called it back. I feel bad but I'm really irritated at the same time because I have probably told them 10+ times that she's not good with other dogs. I guess that confirms that she's DA and not just reactive.





Crantastic said:


> She might just hate strange dogs running at her, though. Casper and Crystal will both fight another dog that runs at them, but they get along perfectly well together. If I properly introduce other dogs to them (usually with parallel walking) they'll happily go on walks with them, and I've even been able to dogsit a few dogs.


When I read your post last night, I had the same thought as Crantastic. Biting a dog who runs into her space doesn't really sound like DA to me; sounds like a dog who doesn't like other dogs (strange dogs?) in her space. To me, DA would be a dog who wants to harm other dogs simply for existing. But, I'm far from knowledgeable... 

If the same thing happened to Tyson, he'd a least snap not because he's aggressive, but because he's terrified. Katie could go either way. 



Eenypup said:


> And completely unrelated - but my anxiety is manifesting in me being afraid of Bennie interacting with anyone she doesn't know already. Not that I can't handle it and she's always great with people I let her meet (I've just been saying no to kids) but there's a tinge of anxiety in the background. It sucks because talking about her and showing her off was always one of my favorite things. This is not related to anything she does obviously and it's all something I need to work out, just wanted to vent about it. Ugh. Hope it doesn't rub off on her.





Laurelin said:


> My anxiety is acting up really really bad lately.  I don't talk about it much but its getting really hard to deal with.


Anxiety sucks. I try to remind myself that my worries are (almost) completely baseless and sometimes (although not in the heat of the moment) it helps. Anxiety sucks.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

DogTheGreat said:


> @ForTheLoveOfDogs This is probably going to sound really weird, but every time I've seen your posts/your sig my heart is just in awe because something about your Aussie in the sig picture completely reminds me of one of my old Aussies. Yours copper points are a lot darker, ears completely different also, but idk maybe it's in the eyes.


Nothing weird about that! Aussies are just an amazing breed and every time I see one my heart melts whether they look like my girl or not. Kairi's soulful and gentle eyes a lot of the time. <3


Laurelin - Ugh that really sucks. I have anxiety too (mostly social, but some general) and for the longest time it made it hard to do normal people things like make phone calls. I hope that it gets better for you or that you can find a solution that may help it.


----------



## Miss Bugs

omg, Sola thought snarling at Happy was a good idea, Happy told her off and she back tracked so fast it was hilarious! she jumped in front of Happy snarling when she thought Happy was going to come up on my bed, Happy snarled and nashed her teeth and Sola responded by sorta half growling and completely avoiding eye contact, like "ummm..uuhh...I...I.. said you can't come up??" now a few minutes ago when Happy stood near my bed again Sola looked at her, flipped on her back and licked Happys chin lol, it was like a 12 year old swearing at Grandma and expecting it to go her way lol


----------



## CptJack

I ordered a Julius Harness and patches last week. Patches arrived yesterday, looks like the harness is going to be here tomorrow. Also got a halti. I'm going to try the halti at the training meet up Tuesday (maybe), but mostly I'm glad the harness and 'warning' patches will be here before vacation. Not that vacation itself should be too hugely trying for her since we're staying in a house on a farm, and should have even private beach space, but there will still be things like rest area stops on the way too and from that it'll be good to have it for and we might change our plans to include more dog friendly public locations.

Also, we leave SATURDAY MORNING! I am excited.


----------



## jade5280

Thanks everyone. I was just upset about the whole situation because it caught me off guard. I've never lived with a dog that was reactive at all so it's still an adjustment. Ryker is just so friendly towards other dogs it's like night and day with them.



CptJack said:


> I ordered a Julius Harness and patches last week. Patches arrived yesterday, looks like the harness is going to be here tomorrow. Also got a halti. I'm going to try the halti at the training meet up Tuesday (maybe), but mostly I'm glad the harness and 'warning' patches will be here before vacation. Not that vacation itself should be too hugely trying for her since we're staying in a house on a farm, and should have even private beach space, but there will still be things like rest area stops on the way too and from that it'll be good to have it for and we might change our plans to include more dog friendly public locations.
> 
> Also, we leave SATURDAY MORNING! I am excited.


 I loooove our julius K9. Post pics when you get it!


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> Thanks everyone. I was just upset about the whole situation because it caught me off guard. I've never lived with a dog that was reactive at all so it's still an adjustment. Ryker is just so friendly towards other dogs it's like night and day with them.
> 
> 
> I loooove our julius K9. Post pics when you get it!


I will do!

And to combine topics, maybe 

This is the patch I got for Molly (well, I got 2). I'm willing to bet that seller, or another one doing the vests (Patience and Love?) would something with "NOT DOG FRIENDLY~!" for you. Might not help, wouldn't have prevented the off leash dog mess, but might help when you're out with her anywhere else.


----------



## Laurelin

Eenypup said:


> Sorry to hear that  I talk a lot about my anxieties on here because lately they've centered about Bennie. I don't talk to many others about this stuff besides my girlfriend. I recently learned that my dad thought I hated owning Bennie & regretted getting her because of things I've said regarding me being anxious about her & kids. That broke my heart because she's my best friend & I adore her more than anything. So now I'm even less likely to open up irl about it outside of my psychiatrist's office... If it wasn't the dog it would be something else, ya know? It's not her fault.





Kingfisher said:


> Anxiety sucks. Sucks sucks sucks.
> 
> Feel free to message me, I've dealt with it for more than 15 years. Ride the wave, ride the wave.





cookieface said:


> When I read your post last night, I had the same thought as Crantastic. Biting a dog who runs into her space doesn't really sound like DA to me; sounds like a dog who doesn't like other dogs (strange dogs?) in her space. To me, DA would be a dog who wants to harm other dogs simply for existing. But, I'm far from knowledgeable...
> 
> If the same thing happened to Tyson, he'd a least snap not because he's aggressive, but because he's terrified. Katie could go either way.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anxiety sucks. I try to remind myself that my worries are (almost) completely baseless and sometimes (although not in the heat of the moment) it helps. Anxiety sucks.





ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Nothing weird about that! Aussies are just an amazing breed and every time I see one my heart melts whether they look like my girl or not. Kairi's soulful and gentle eyes a lot of the time. <3
> 
> 
> Laurelin - Ugh that really sucks. I have anxiety too (mostly social, but some general) and for the longest time it made it hard to do normal people things like make phone calls. I hope that it gets better for you or that you can find a solution that may help it.


Thanks guys. It really does help hearing that I'm not the only one. My sister has some anxiety too so we talk about it and that helps too. 

I'm trying to decide what I want to do. It's been a long long time since it was this bad (4-5 years). Kinda at a crossroads. I'm just drained lately.


----------



## Flaming

jade5280 said:


> I'm kind of sad about today. I've always had a lot of animals and now that I know Gypsy is DA I won't be getting another dog. And she is aggressive towards cats so it's not like I can get another cat either.....





Eenypup said:


> I feel the same way sometimes, but remember that she lives with Ryker so you know she can live with other dogs! I don't think Bennie would take kindly to being charged by an off-leash dog either. She'll ignore strange leashed dogs for the most part but gets very agitated if she sees strange dogs off leash. This one little incident does not dictate whether or not she could be slowly introduced to another dog and gain a new housemate
> 
> And completely unrelated - but my anxiety is manifesting in me being afraid of Bennie interacting with anyone she doesn't know already. Not that I can't handle it and she's always great with people I let her meet (I've just been saying no to kids) but there's a tinge of anxiety in the background. It sucks because talking about her and showing her off was always one of my favorite things. This is not related to anything she does obviously and it's all something I need to work out, just wanted to vent about it. Ugh. Hope it doesn't rub off on her.


Manna and Vitae are over the top dog friendly but a strange dog charging them while they're on leash and I'm walking them? Yeah I expect them to bite. 

Rude dog+ trapped by leash+ perceived threat to owner/dog sibling = defense. 

I expect most dogs to bite in that situation, I mean shoot before I got Vitae, Manna jumped over my cousin in a wheelchair to intercept another rude dog from messing with my cousins chair. (was scarey but impressive)


----------



## Rescued

Today I went to the pet store to get service training pup a new toy since he turned one today. He just got neutered this week and has a cone, so I brought nug instead. Just for a quick fun trip instead of me going alone, because nug is good and well behaved.

Disclaimer: I was working overtime this week so all the dogs are about to go out of their minds from lack of exercise. Hike planned for later today so I figured Id do the pet store beforehand.

Nug got caught on the wall of lupine collars and screamed because when he play bowed backwards at a dog in the aisle, the collar holder thing poked him in the eye. Then three minutes later he peed on the floor (?!?) on top of my foot, despite him peeing outside before we went in. Then he clocked a lady in the jaw who bent down to baby talk him because he tried to jump up.

This is why we can't have nice things, dogs. Also let this be a testament to how much better dogs are when they're exercised. I don't know if I've ever had a more haphazard pet store trip.


----------



## Eenypup

We're going to try going for a walk with one of my girlfriend's friends and her dog! He's only about 20 lb but he's supposedly very calm and submissive towards other dogs. I have a pretty good feeling that she at least won't mind him. She lives in the city so we're hoping for a future play-date friend if all works out  

Really I have a good feeling about it and think that her "issues" with other dogs have been overblown because of her history of being reactive while stuck in a kennel for 2.5 years. She just hasn't shown a real sign of being DA or dog reactive since I've gotten her. She's even had multiple successful on-leash greetings (I try to avoid them but have let them happen if that's the less stressful option), and just avoids dogs that antagonize her by growling/lunging/barking. And she and Abilene haven't gotten into any real argument or fight, ever. I dunno man.


----------



## Miss Bugs

our basement is getting reno'd, had fun dismanting moving and rebuilding all the gerbil shelving units from the basement to the garage and moving all the Gerbils out there. the rental we had for the reno's fell through but the work is still happening(the basement is getting a pony wall and the flooring is getting replaced) and we are going to just work around it, but the gerbils cannot be in the house, the vibrations from power tools sometimes kills them and while we have like 180 of them, putting aside them being our pets, our Gerbils are flat out Valuable, we have genetics that exist nowhere else except with our friend in Singapore, we can't risk the possible losses! the gerbils from the basement is all we can fit in the garage ATM, so now we gotta rent a PUPS storage unit, move the rest of the garage stuff into there, then the rest of the gerbils to the garage, I dunno where the heck I am supposed to be sleeping during all this... my bedroom is in the basement and we are having all my bedroom furniture(bed included) hauled away..... lol


----------



## CptJack

> Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.
> Omar N. Bradley


I read this. It reminded me of Molly. In big, big ways.


----------



## jade5280

Nothing like waking up to an early morning walk and Gypsy sees a turkey fly away and starts tweaking and wailing like a dying seal at the end of the leash. Oh and the part where they both caught onto a scent and I'm trying to run and stop them at the same time to keep from being dragged behind them. Or deciding suddenly that they both want to go in opposite directions and ripping both my arms off. 

I still can't seem to get the hang of walking them both at the same time. I'll just wait for SO to walk one of them with me next time...


----------



## GrinningDog

OMG, I love your cinnamon rolls, Jade! <3


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Nothing like waking up to an early morning walk and Gypsy sees a turkey fly away and starts tweaking and wailing like a dying seal at the end of the leash. Oh and the part where they both caught onto a scent and I'm trying to run and stop them at the same time to keep from being dragged behind them. Or deciding suddenly that they both want to go in opposite directions and ripping both my arms off.
> 
> I still can't seem to get the hang of walking them both at the same time. I'll just wait for SO to walk one of them with me next time...


I don't walk mine together. They both need so much micromanagement* that it would be a disaster. Plus, they're strong. Not as big as your two, but strong enough to pull me over in certain circumstances.

Love your the new picture of them together. <3

* Or, it could be that I feel the need to micromanage them...


----------



## jade5280

GoGoGypsy said:


> OMG, I love your cinnamon rolls, Jade! <3


Thanks!



cookieface said:


> I don't walk mine together. They both need so much micromanagement* that it would be a disaster. Plus, they're strong. Not as big as your two, but strong enough to pull me over in certain circumstances.
> 
> Love your the new picture of them together. <3
> 
> * Or, it could be that I feel the need to micromanage them...


I had this fantasy of walking them both at the same time flawlessly. 

Ryker's not so bad, if I had 2 of him I think It would be much easier to walk 2 at a time. Gypsy is all over the place jumping in bushes and zig zagging everywhere that it's such a headache. She has the "lets go" command down pretty good which helps some, but whenever I say "lets go" it's like she got shot out of cannon and leaps forward and hits the end of the leash. A little too much enthusiasm. Ears flying everywhere


----------



## BellaPup

jade5280 said:


> Well Gypsy bit the neighbors pitbull. I was coming back from our walk and the dog ran right up to her and they got into a scuffle and I heard the pitbull yelp and then its owner called it back. I feel bad but I'm really irritated at the same time because I have probably told them 10+ times that she's not good with other dogs. I guess that confirms that she's DA and not just reactive.


Awww...sorry you had to go thought that! But don't feel bad! I'm pretty sure most dogs would be defensive in that situation...especially on leash. They know they're restricted and become reactive in self-defense. Can't flight w/leash on...so better fight! 

Bella is the same way - she does terrific at daycare or with most dogs when she's not on a leash, but put that thing on her that prohibits her from getting away if she needs to, and she becomes fearful and defensive. 

You know your dogs best, but maybe that instance doesn't mean you can never have another dog...?


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> I loooove our julius K9. Post pics when you get it!


So um. It's here. And for whatever reason Molly, who has worn all kinds of harnesses? Is traumatized. Like I put it on her to check fit and she rolled over on her side and, much like a cat, just refused to move. 

The heck?


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> So um. It's here. And for whatever reason Molly, who has worn all kinds of harnesses? Is traumatized. Like I put it on her to check fit and she rolled over on her side and, much like a cat, just refused to move.
> 
> The heck?


You know, I hate to say this because I feel like everybody is in love with the JuliusK9 harness, but I just don't get it. I don't get why people like them. Ok, I get that it's fun to customize patches for the side but other than that I don't get it. It seems to fit awkwardly and like it would restrict movement.

I know people who love them though, so maybe it's a case where if I had one I'd love it.


----------



## CptJack

I honestly don't see anything about this particular make that could be restricting her movement. It's just a chest strap and a stomach strap and the chest strap in particular has a lot of give/doesn't SEEM to hit the dog's legs coming forward. Though upon reflection... I'm betting that's it. 










I do think, though, that the fabric part is pretty heavy duty and doesn't bend super well right now, and it's also fairly heavy. Regardless, though, if she hates it this much I am clearly not seeing something and if I can't work it out, it's not staying because - lol.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I honestly don't see anything about this particular make that could be restricting her movement. It's just a chest strap and a stomach strap and the chest strap in particular has a lot of give/doesn't SEEM to hit the dog's legs coming forward. Though upon reflection... I'm betting that's it.


It's that chest strap that seems restrictive to me. When I had Watson in an Easy Walk the front strap clearly restricted how his shoulders moved. Granted, attaching to the front vs back is different, but I didn't like how it fit even when I had the leash on his collar and not the harness. After that experience I don't like the idea of any strap coming across his chest horizontally.


----------



## CptJack

She SEEMS to be over it. I'm going to go play ball with her for a bit and see how it does. I'm side-eying though because that was a WEIRD response.


----------



## Remaru

The Julius K9 is one of the "go to" harnesses for Service Dog handlers, partially because of the velcro on labels and partially because it is known to be well made (you can also use it for very light mobility/counter balance). I have the same concerns with it that elrohwen does. It is easy to use, the vecro patches are great and I do have a couple harnesses with a similar style but I do find they limit some motion (the hurtta padded limits less than others). It definitely is no where near as bad as the Easy Walk.


----------



## elrohwen

Remaru said:


> The Julius K9 is one of the "go to" harnesses for Service Dog handlers, partially because of the velcro on labels and partially because it is known to be well made (you can also use it for very light mobility/counter balance). I have the same concerns with it that elrohwen does. It is easy to use, the vecro patches are great and I do have a couple harnesses with a similar style but I do find they limit some motion (the hurtta padded limits less than others). It definitely is no where near as bad as the Easy Walk.


I can see using it for something like service dog work. I also know people who use it for nosework. So I can see why some people would really like it, it just seems to be overhyped compared to other harnesses.

My dogs are mostly in harness when we are hiking and they're running around on the end of a long line, so for me the most important parts of a harness are being lightweight and allowing good range of motion. The JuliusK9 doesn't really fit that niche, and they can wear their hiking harnesses to do nosework.


----------



## Remaru

I really prefer the ruffwear for range of motion, Lad finds it hot though. I don't like the idea of pulling against the dog's shoulders.


----------



## elrohwen

Remaru said:


> I really prefer the ruffwear for range of motion, Lad finds it hot though. I don't like the idea of pulling against the dog's shoulders.


I like the Ruffwear Front Range a lot. I also like my standard type harness I got from the pet store - basically a SureFit but a different brand. I do prefer a harness where I can clip to the front temporarily if needed


----------



## CptJack

I actually took her out to play in it and it's entirely possible that it's just too big on her, but it's not coming off and she's got EASILY 2" in the front of that harness for movement, probably more like 3. It's not coming off, like I said, and it's not sliding back and forth on her body thanks to the belly strap, but the chest is just not even remotely restrictive. I'll have pictures in just a second.


----------



## jade5280

BellaPup said:


> Awww...sorry you had to go thought that! But don't feel bad! I'm pretty sure most dogs would be defensive in that situation...especially on leash. They know they're restricted and become reactive in self-defense. Can't flight w/leash on...so better fight!
> 
> Bella is the same way - she does terrific at daycare or with most dogs when she's not on a leash, but put that thing on her that prohibits her from getting away if she needs to, and she becomes fearful and defensive.
> 
> You know your dogs best, but maybe that instance doesn't mean you can never have another dog...?


Thanks! I guess we will have to do a proper intro with another dog before I give up hope completely. 



elrohwen said:


> You know, I hate to say this because I feel like everybody is in love with the JuliusK9 harness, but I just don't get it. I don't get why people like them. Ok, I get that it's fun to customize patches for the side but other than that I don't get it. It seems to fit awkwardly and like it would restrict movement.
> 
> I know people who love them though, so maybe it's a case where if I had one I'd love it.


I like it because of the convenience. It's sooo easy to put on and take off. Ryker doesn't like harnesses, but he actually tolerates the Julius k9 better than a regular Y harness. I also love the handle. It's great for going to places where there will be a lot of people or other dogs so I can keep him close to me without burning my hands on a leash. It doesn't seem to restrict his movement, but the front strap is wide and it does go across the chest, this is why I wouldn't use it for running. Overall though it's a great harness for going out and about and short hikes and walks. It's my go to 'grab and go' harness because of the convenience of putting it on.

Oh and the letters glow in the dark and the front is reflective so it's good for night walking


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> I like it because of the convenience. It's sooo easy to put on and take off. Ryker doesn't like harnesses, but he actually tolerates the Julius k9 better than a regular Y harness. I also love the handle. It's great for going to places where there will be a lot of people or other dogs so I can keep him close to me without burning my hands on a leash. It doesn't seem to restrict his movement, but the front strap is wide and it does go across the chest, this is why I wouldn't use it for running. Overall though it's a great harness for going out and about and short hikes and walks. It's my go to 'grab and go' harness because of the convenience of putting it on.


Thanks! That's a really good description for what is great about it. I understand a bit better why people like it.


----------



## CptJack

It doesn't SIT like that on her, I've definitely got it pulled out AND she' was trying to go for the ball in my hand, but there's a lot of room up there. It would prevent her fully extending at the front end, so I wouldn't use it for running, but it's not going to impact her natural movement at normal speeds at all.

Also, I am admittedly here for the patches. I need them right now.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Also, I am admittedly here for the patches. I need them right now.


Now the patches I get! I think they are an awesome idea.


----------



## jade5280

Love the red on her! Might me a bit big, but it's hard to tell from the pic. Ryker's sits further down on his back and if I pulled it forward it would create a gap like that as well. I think I had ordered a size up when I got his, so his might be a bit on the loose side as well, but it works for us.


----------



## CptJack

It doesn't actually sit like that when I'm not hooking her by the front strap. 










https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF41AOP95BU - according to that, she's not bad. I think? Either way, she's not getting out of it and it's not sliding around so I'll take it.


----------



## jade5280

Looks like a good fit to me.


----------



## jade5280

BTW if anyone had plans on getting a Karma collar, August 14th will be their last Free Leash Friday and they are also going to be raising their prices. 

I think I might have to suck it up now and buy Gypsy hers.


----------



## Willowy

There was a weasel-y critter in my yard yesterday morning. I spent 5 minutes watching him/her from about 30 feet away so I got a good look. I still have no idea what this critter was. It was dark brown all over and the body shape was like a fat ferret---not super long and sinuous. I wanna say it weighed about 4-5 pounds, and its tail was ferret-like, not otter-y. Its face was shaped like a male ferret's. The best I can come up with after looking at 16 million pictures is a particularly large, short, and fat mink, or a smallish fisher (but they supposedly don't live here). It was rummaging under the evergreen trees looking for mice so I know it was a carnivore and not a skinny groundhog or something like that. I'm so confused. I have weird wildlife I guess .


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> Looks like a good fit to me.


Thank you! And for the heads up on Karma Collars. I still need to get one for Jack and Kylie. I have issues caring with Kylie, though. No one can see it. She is getting a fancy collar soon, anyway.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> You know, I hate to say this because I feel like everybody is in love with the JuliusK9 harness, but I just don't get it. I don't get why people like them. Ok, I get that it's fun to customize patches for the side but other than that I don't get it. It seems to fit awkwardly and like it would restrict movement.
> 
> I know people who love them though, so maybe it's a case where if I had one I'd love it.


I have the same confusion with the dislike of the Easy Walk, but love for the Julius K9. I get the front attach vs back attach leash point, but it's not the leash attachment, it's the chest strap. The back handle, use for service dogs, and ease of use, I suppose, could make up for the range of movement issues. Ruffwear Webmaster has two out of the three positives, though...

I started using the front ring on the the Front Range when I need more control and the Easy Walk only gets used for short potty breaks when the back yard is too wet.

Hope Molly warms up to it!


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> I have the same confusion with the dislike of the Easy Walk, but love for the Julius K9. I get the front attach vs back attach leash point, but it's not the leash attachment, it's the chest strap. The back handle, use for service dogs, and ease of use, I suppose, could make up for the range of movement issues. Ruffwear Webmaster has two out of the three positives, though...
> 
> I started using the front ring on the the Front Range when I need more control and the Easy Walk only gets used for short potty breaks when the back yard is too wet.
> 
> Hope Molly warms up to it!



I showed her a ball. Life's fine again. I mean I wouldn't let her run around like that with it all the time because of the chest strap and because without it being attached to anything it's CLEARLY moving some, but resistance to it's gone.

I don't love Easy Walks, but that's just because I don't like front attachment harnesses with my dogs. I don't NEED them with my dogs either


----------



## dogsule

I love my Easy Walk Harnesses for my girls. Saved my shoulders lots of tugging. I don't care for the looks of the K9 harness and wouldn't want to use it on long haired dogs with those wide straps. I would be afraid of it matting up Belles fur.


----------



## CptJack

I think if I were into the look and wanted to use a harness on a long haired dog, I'd go wider rather than more narrow, actually, both to minimize tangling risk and reduce the risk of breakage. Ideally, though, I'd find something round and made out of something that absolutely was not nylon. Kylie's got a lot of hair, and that's part of why I don't use a harness on her. I would if she pulled at all, ever, but I wouldn't like it because I don't want her ruff broken off or her tangled in it and narrow's more likely than wide for both. 

Id probably just use a vest style harness for her, though.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> You know, I hate to say this because I feel like everybody is in love with the JuliusK9 harness, but I just don't get it. I don't get why people like them. Ok, I get that it's fun to customize patches for the side but other than that I don't get it. It seems to fit awkwardly and like it would restrict movement.
> 
> I know people who love them though, so maybe it's a case where if I had one I'd love it.


Harnesses are weird. I know a lot of people don't like the ComfortFlex (which is what we use). Because of the chest strap.

I also know a lot of people that dislike JuliusK9 but love BrilliantK9 and they look the same to me? 

I think I am missing something.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Harnesses are weird. I know a lot of people don't like the ComfortFlex (which is what we use). Because of the chest strap.
> 
> I also know a lot of people that dislike JuliusK9 but love BrilliantK9 and they look the same to me?
> 
> I think I am missing something.


I'm missing it too. I can not find a single difference in those harnesses, including price. Except the larger sizes of the second doesn't seem to have slots for flashlights and it may or may not have a 'clip down' for the handle.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Harnesses are weird. I know a lot of people don't like the ComfortFlex (which is what we use). Because of the chest strap.
> 
> I also know a lot of people that dislike JuliusK9 but love BrilliantK9 and they look the same to me?
> 
> I think I am missing something.


Interesting! I seem to find people who like all of the above. I also can't really figure out what the difference is.

As far as harnesses on a long haired dog, I've found thinner to be better for the most part. The front chest plate on the Ruffwear Front Range does mat up Watson's chest hair and I use it a lot less now. The mats were just on the surface of his floofy and brushed right out, because they were dead loose hair, but enough of those and his chest was looking patching and short. I haven't found any breakage or matting from his standard issue y-front nylon harness.


----------



## Laurelin

I have really tried to figure it out but I can't.

All that said, Hank has outgrown his ComfortFlex and I can't decide if I want to just buy the size up or get him something different. His shoulders are just getting bulkier and I can't take the harness out any further.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I showed her a ball. Life's fine again. I mean I wouldn't let her run around like that with it all the time because of the chest strap and because without it being attached to anything it's CLEARLY moving some, but resistance to it's gone.
> 
> I don't love Easy Walks, but that's just because I don't like front attachment harnesses with my dogs. I don't NEED them with my dogs either


Balls make everything better.  (Yeah, I know how that sounds and I'm not changing it.)

I think we got the Easy Walk at the recommendation of our first manners instructor. I wouldn't do it again - I'd use Elrohwen's technique of attaching the leash to the front of a regular harness if I needed it. Tyson isn't bad, but Katie wanted to chase everything. It wasn't a miracle cure, but gave me a very slight advantage for management while we trained.



Laurelin said:


> Harnesses are weird. I know a lot of people don't like the ComfortFlex (which is what we use). Because of the chest strap.
> 
> I also know a lot of people that dislike JuliusK9 but love BrilliantK9 and they look the same to me?
> 
> I think I am missing something.


So many of the harnesses look the same to me...



You know what I hate most about the neighbor's garden?

It's not the ugly fence.

It's not the compost pile in the corner of their yard.

It's not the wildly out-of-code giant shed they built right across from our deck.

It's not that they let their dogs into the garden area and Katie and Casey "fight."

It's not even that sometimes they're outside and I need to be social.

It's that I have to wear a bra every freakin' time I take the dogs out.


----------



## Laurelin

ComfortFlex Pros:

- Easy on and easy off- NICE for sports and much better than my previous harnesses
- Can buy in town and try on. 
- Light weight

Con:
- Hank pulls and sometimes the front strap chokes him and makes him cough.

Brilliant k9/Julius K9 both have that front strap. So I'm not sure they'd fix that 'con'. I'm also worried both would be too bulky for our tastes. And any other harness I can think of is complicated to put on. I like the CF because you can just put it over the dog's head and buckle it.


----------



## elrohwen

I do miss the easy on/easy off aspect of the Easy Walk (which goes on basically the same as the others we're talking about). For sports or something, where you are just getting into the ring and taking it off, then putting it back on at the end, something easy to get on and off makes a lot of sense. I like the look of the Comfort Flex better than the others, but that might just be because it's sportier looking and not as bulky.


----------



## CptJack

I wouldn't have a problem using a Julius on Jack - and frankly looking at it on Molly kind of makes me think one would look fantastic on Jack's 25lb self. I think they look doofy as heck on smaller dogs, though, and can't imagine one on Kylie or Bug. Plus the smaller sizes don't have the handle and while I get that I like the freaking handle. That's actually one of the major pros for me, and it doesn't exist below size 0, which is Molly's size.


----------



## jade5280

cookieface said:


> Balls make everything better.  (Yeah, I know how that sounds and I'm not changing it.)


Tell that to Ryker 



cookieface said:


> It's that I have to wear a bra every freakin' time I take the dogs out


LOL It's been so awesome since we moved and no longer have neighbors on every side of us. Now I can look like crap and not worry about it when I take the dogs out.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> LOL It's been so awesome since we moved and no longer have neighbors on every side of us. Now I can look like crap and not worry about it when I take the dogs out.


Yes! When I was in an apartment last year I always felt like I had to put on some reasonable clothes to take the dog out (or at least a big bulky sweatshirt). There usually wasn't anyone out at 5:30am, but still, it was a bit complex with street lights everywhere.

Now I'm back at home where we can't even see our neighbors. So much better, especially with the puppy who needs to go out every 15min.


----------



## Laurelin

Anyone used the Hurtta padded Y harness?


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Anyone used the Hurtta padded Y harness?


Ooo, I'd like to know too! I want to get one for Watson but I think he still needs that front clip option. I would like to get one for Hazel when she's full grown. I like the design a lot, just wish they would add a little loop on the front.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Now the patches I get! I think they are an awesome idea.


Missed this.

Honestly, it's kind of vanity. I like that they look polished and finished and professional. I could have gotten a leash sleeve for less, or done a vest that isn't a harness but I didn't like the look. So, yeah, mostly right now the harness is just a walking billboard. I'm not sure I'll ever even find out how it works for an actual harness. It does seem like overkill (to me), or would if not for that handle. I might be in love with the handle.

My favorite actual harness is a flowery pink light up vest style thing that I paid like 4.00 or something for.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> Yes! When I was in an apartment last year I always felt like I had to put on some reasonable clothes to take the dog out (or at least a big bulky sweatshirt). There usually wasn't anyone out at 5:30am, but still, it was a bit complex with street lights everywhere.
> 
> Now I'm back at home where we can't even see our neighbors. So much better, especially with the puppy who needs to go out every 15min.


I definitely go out looking as though I've just rolled out of bed, but that's easier to pull off at 4:30am than 2pm (unless I'm sick and then I just don't care). Our yard was much more private before the neighbors created a garden and we took out a bunch of old pine trees growing between us and another neighbor. We need to retire and move to the country. Or, more practically, plant some screening bushes or something.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Agility class tonight was awful and I want to die. Okay, I'm being a wee bit dramatic, but seriously it was pretty bad. 

Today was already not great because it has been storming on/off so my dog was not able to be properly exercised. The result? A dog that can't walk on leash for crap despite being good at it 90% of this time and a dog that is generally completely unfocused. Had already gone into class with low expectations, but that wasn't it of course. This was our third class and a new person joined with their BC. The BC was, unsurprising, reactive and took issue with my dog pretty much off the bat. Instructor said it was likely because they were the only two high energy and drive dogs in the class. My dog doesn't back down and the BC would growl at her from 10-15ft away and immediately in return my dog would start lunging and barking. After the first 5 minutes of class or so we made sure to either only have one of the dogs in the ring at the time or we were always on opposite sides. This would've been an OK solution, but the girl training the BC was maybe 12yo max and wasn't behaving very well. She would randomly full out run parts of the course with her dog in the middle of class when that's not what we were all doing and this would set my dog off. 

The instructor this class, who was only filling in for the week as ours was away, talked to both me and the BC girl about socialization and then went onto a spiel about really working on getting my dog to focus. This was the only time she has ever seen my dog, so I guess I can't blame her but she's not been like this at all during the other weeks of class and she has NEVER been this bad anywhere. Talking about mortifying. I just don't like, probably even needlessly, feeling like people view me as a bad dog owner. I swear this dog was put here to teach me life lessons in humility. 

Okay, end rant.


----------



## Eenypup

No rant, but VERY VERY happy with Bennie and don't want to start an entire thread to gloat 

Took her at night to meet my friend's 20 lb shih tzu and they very quickly bored of each other on leash, so we tried them in the empty small dog park. They basically ignored each other aside from passing sniffs so I was very pleased! Then she also met a larger dog, a cane corso x pit mix supposedly, and she was AWESOME. We talked before they met and his dog is always submissive with other dogs and puts up with being pushed around if the dog the dominant type (Bennie is), and as soon as they met she wanted to play! They played a little bit and then just sniffed around before we all left. What a good girl!

She adored the big dog's owner and licked him all over with sooo many wiggles in her little body. She of course knocked him in the nose when she started to get hype and then ran around him in circles. Good and bad, imo. Good in that it really solidifies to me that her jumping at faces (ie with kids) is just what she does when she's overstimulated/overexcited. So I'm happy that the behavior is not malicious or aggression based at all. Bad because, well, she jumps at faces and she's not gentle about it! She doesn't really do that to me outside of play so I'm not sure how to go about curbing the behavior. She used to greet me like that but ignoring her every time worked ONLY for me and my girlfriend, so I just end up trying to warn people and then telling them they can ignore her if she's jumpy.


----------



## jade5280

Eenypup said:


> No rant, but VERY VERY happy with Bennie and don't want to start an entire thread to gloat
> 
> Took her at night to meet my friend's 20 lb shih tzu and they very quickly bored of each other on leash, so we tried them in the empty small dog park. They basically ignored each other aside from passing sniffs so I was very pleased! Then she also met a larger dog, a cane corso x pit mix supposedly, and she was AWESOME. We talked before they met and his dog is always submissive with other dogs and puts up with being pushed around if the dog the dominant type (Bennie is), and as soon as they met she wanted to play! They played a little bit and then just sniffed around before we all left. What a good girl!
> 
> She adored the big dog's owner and licked him all over with sooo many wiggles in her little body. She of course knocked him in the nose when she started to get hype and then ran around him in circles. Good and bad, imo. Good in that it really solidifies to me that her jumping at faces (ie with kids) is just what she does when she's overstimulated/overexcited. So I'm happy that the behavior is not malicious or aggression based at all. Bad because, well, she jumps at faces and she's not gentle about it! She doesn't really do that to me outside of play so I'm not sure how to go about curbing the behavior. She used to greet me like that but ignoring her every time worked ONLY for me and my girlfriend, so I just end up trying to warn people and then telling them they can ignore her if she's jumpy.


That's so awesome!


----------



## ireth0

Woohoo! Go Bennie!


----------



## elrohwen

DogTheGreat said:


> The instructor this class, who was only filling in for the week as ours was away, talked to both me and the BC girl about socialization and then went onto a spiel about really working on getting my dog to focus. This was the only time she has ever seen my dog, so I guess I can't blame her but she's not been like this at all during the other weeks of class and she has NEVER been this bad anywhere. Talking about mortifying. I just don't like, probably even needlessly, feeling like people view me as a bad dog owner. I swear this dog was put here to teach me life lessons in humility.


I totally know what you mean. I've had instructors meet my dog once, when he is acting differently from how he normally acts, and make all sorts of assumptions and jump to all sorts of conclusions and then start lecturing me on how I can fix it, when 99% of the time that's not even our problem. I don't want to be rude to them, but it's hard to stand there and nod your head and pretend like this is really helpful information.


----------



## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> I totally know what you mean. I've had instructors meet my dog once, when he is acting differently from how he normally acts, and make all sorts of assumptions and jump to all sorts of conclusions and then start lecturing me on how I can fix it, when 99% of the time that's not even our problem. I don't want to be rude to them, but it's hard to stand there and nod your head and pretend like this is really helpful information.


Yes, I hate this. Or we get advice for issues that just... wont work for Luna. Like once I was told to use expens around the areas the cats like to sit to keep her from bothering them. Um... Luna would walk through an expen like it wasn't even there on a casual basis, nevermind if she actually had motivation to do so.


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Yes, I hate this. Or we get advice for issues that just... wont work for Luna. Like once I was told to use expens around the areas the cats like to sit to keep her from bothering them. Um... Luna would walk through an expen like it wasn't even there on a casual basis, nevermind if she actually had motivation to do so.


The one that still kills me is the guy who told me over and over that Watson is a fantastic calm pet, but I trained all of the drive and crazy out of him. Dude, he is shut down because he doesn't like this facility (they always cleaned before we got there and the antiseptic smell made Watson think it was a vet's office). Every other trainer I have every worked with thinks he's insane and has no manners or self-control, so an overabundance of self-control really isn't our problem. I know he was just commenting on what he saw, but it was so frustrating and made going to him for training a waste of time. 

I blame Watson for being the dog version of your car making funny noises but then running totally fine when you get it to the mechanic.


----------



## cookieface

DogTheGreat said:


> Agility class tonight was awful and I want to die. Okay, I'm being a wee bit dramatic, but seriously it was pretty bad.
> 
> Today was already not great because it has been storming on/off so my dog was not able to be properly exercised. The result? A dog that can't walk on leash for crap despite being good at it 90% of this time and a dog that is generally completely unfocused. Had already gone into class with low expectations, but that wasn't it of course. This was our third class and a new person joined with their BC. The BC was, unsurprising, reactive and took issue with my dog pretty much off the bat. Instructor said it was likely because they were the only two high energy and drive dogs in the class. My dog doesn't back down and the BC would growl at her from 10-15ft away and immediately in return my dog would start lunging and barking. After the first 5 minutes of class or so we made sure to either only have one of the dogs in the ring at the time or we were always on opposite sides. This would've been an OK solution, but the girl training the BC was maybe 12yo max and wasn't behaving very well. She would randomly full out run parts of the course with her dog in the middle of class when that's not what we were all doing and this would set my dog off.
> 
> The instructor this class, who was only filling in for the week as ours was away, talked to both me and the BC girl about socialization and then went onto a spiel about really working on getting my dog to focus. This was the only time she has ever seen my dog, so I guess I can't blame her but she's not been like this at all during the other weeks of class and she has NEVER been this bad anywhere. Talking about mortifying. I just don't like, probably even needlessly, feeling like people view me as a bad dog owner. I swear this dog was put here to teach me life lessons in humility.
> 
> Okay, end rant.


I completely understand. At our agility class, the dogs were out of control (not literally, but more wound up than usual). They were barky, jumpy, a toy poodle escaped _twice_ to run laps around the room, it would have been a comedy routine if we weren't trying to actually work. It wasn't just the dogs, either. The skills Katie and I practiced perfectly at home, completely fell apart in class. I have no idea what I was thinking (or, more correctly, not thinking), but got everything backwards, used the wrong hands, turned in the wrong direction, etc. Still, it was fun. 

I think most people have experienced a good-intentioned, but completely misplaced, comment on their dog's behavior or temperament. I've had an instructor correct me when I was doing exactly what I needed to at a particular time. "No, I'm not standing on her leash to keep her on the platform. I'm standing on her leash to prevent her from visiting the dog in the next space until I can regain her attention. She _loves_ Chase and would happily bound over to play." I still get annoyed when I think about one particular instructor's drive-by corrections.



Eenypup said:


> No rant, but VERY VERY happy with Bennie and don't want to start an entire thread to gloat
> 
> Took her at night to meet my friend's 20 lb shih tzu and they very quickly bored of each other on leash, so we tried them in the empty small dog park. They basically ignored each other aside from passing sniffs so I was very pleased! Then she also met a larger dog, a cane corso x pit mix supposedly, and she was AWESOME. We talked before they met and his dog is always submissive with other dogs and puts up with being pushed around if the dog the dominant type (Bennie is), and as soon as they met she wanted to play! They played a little bit and then just sniffed around before we all left. What a good girl!
> 
> She adored the big dog's owner and licked him all over with sooo many wiggles in her little body. She of course knocked him in the nose when she started to get hype and then ran around him in circles. Good and bad, imo. Good in that it really solidifies to me that her jumping at faces (ie with kids) is just what she does when she's overstimulated/overexcited. So I'm happy that the behavior is not malicious or aggression based at all. Bad because, well, she jumps at faces and she's not gentle about it! She doesn't really do that to me outside of play so I'm not sure how to go about curbing the behavior. She used to greet me like that but ignoring her every time worked ONLY for me and my girlfriend, so I just end up trying to warn people and then telling them they can ignore her if she's jumpy.


Go Bennie!! Awesome!


----------



## Willowy

ireth0 said:


> Yes, I hate this. Or we get advice for issues that just... wont work for Luna. Like once I was told to use expens around the areas the cats like to sit to keep her from bothering them. Um... Luna would walk through an expen like it wasn't even there on a casual basis, nevermind if she actually had motivation to do so.


I never understand all the recommendations I see for expens. I tried one once, with a 6-week-old Lab puppy, and she flattened it in 5 seconds. I reinforced it (attached one end to the wall) so she picked up the edge and wiggled under. Now it's useful to contain the rabbit, but I don't expect it to keep the dogs from eating the rabbit. Their usefulness just seems extremely limited---maybe trained adult dogs will respect the visual boundary, and maybe tiny dogs/puppies might not be able to pick it up or bulldoze through, but I don't see them as very useful in general.


----------



## elrohwen

Willowy said:


> I never understand all the recommendations I see for expens. I tried one once, with a 6-week-old Lab puppy, and she flattened it in 5 seconds. I reinforced it (attached one end to the wall) so she picked up the edge and wiggled under. Now it's useful to contain the rabbit, but I don't expect it to keep the dogs from eating the rabbit. Their usefulness just seems extremely limited---maybe trained adult dogs will respect the visual boundary, and maybe tiny dogs/puppies might not be able to pick it up or bulldoze through, but I don't see them as very useful in general.


One of my rabbits has moved an xpen and escaped and she's only 5.5lbs. Haha.

Watson has extreme respect for all gates and pens because he's afraid they'll fall on him, but most dogs are not like that. I have no doubt Hazel would push a pen right out of the way if I wasn't supervising.


----------



## ireth0

Yea, I think I unconsciously gave the trainer a -look- when they recommended the expen like "Really? You really think an expen is going to stop this dog?" because they immediately started suggesting something else, lol.


----------



## Willowy

Haha, yeah, I was going to put a parenthetical comment about how the rabbit COULD get out if she really wanted to . She experiments with picking it up and dropping it (fun banging noise!), but hasn't figured out how to wiggle underneath. Yet. 

I suppose if one were staked to the lawn, it could be useful as a safe potty place for a little puppy. Supervised only.


----------



## elrohwen

Willowy said:


> Haha, yeah, I was going to put a parenthetical comment about how the rabbit COULD get out if she really wanted to . She experiments with picking it up and dropping it (fun banging noise!), but hasn't figured out how to wiggle underneath. Yet.


Mine can't get out if it's in a full circle, I don't think. But if one side is open she can pick it up and move it. They are in a room with folding doors, and then an xpen on the other side of the doors, and she opened the doors and then pushed open the xpen and escaped upstairs. Now the folding doors have bungie cords attaching the handles.

And don't get me started on their cage set up. They have a pet store cage with an xpen attached around it, and it took many iterations before it was escape proof, involving multiple clips and carabiners and extra pieces of metal grids. She is a houdini.

My other rabbit has never escaped from anything in his life. If he nose bops it and it doesn't move out of his way immediately, he gives up.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Some of my Shih Tzu x Maltese have climbed out of ex-pens since they were puppies, even the really tall ones. They have their uses but I would never trust them to keep a dog from going somewhere they really want to go.


----------



## CptJack

I bought a box of 100 tennis balls a year ago. We have 60 left. So apparently we go through about a tennis ball every 10 or so days. In fairness, that's really not bad - and also I'm 90% sure we have at least several more than that, between the two cars, my training bags, and lurking around the grass somewhere. 

Best investment ever.


----------



## cookieface

this may get rambly


I just don't know what to do with Tyson. He's still fearful, mostly of other dogs. I thought he was improving - in nose work class, he was fine sitting near and walking past other dogs; we had several very successful trips to the park where we played, trained, and watched other dogs; we sat in the car and ate cheese while watching other dogs at various locations... Then, we started a new class (dog sport foundations) and he started getting worse. The first week, he was good except when the dog in the space next to us wandered in our direction. The next two weeks, he was more vigilant, anxious, and prone to reacting. The class is big (8 dogs) and several dogs are barky and jumpy which doesn't help.

Last week we started advanced manners; it's a smaller class, so more space and less distraction. I spoke with the instructor after class (we were in class with her in the spring, so she knows Tyson). She suggested I keep doing what I was doing and try something like Rescue Remedy (RR). If that didn't work, see a vet behaviorist. On Saturday, I dosed him with RR before class and, surprisingly, he was noticeably calmer (e.g., I could walk away from the car for more than 2 minutes without him barking). I had intended to skip the last week of dog sports, but now I'm planning to dose him and go. We can always leave if necessary.

Yesterday, I received a message from our advanced manners instructor asking why Tyson is still intact (she wasn't that blunt). He will be neutered at some point (contractual obligation), but the research I've seen on altering and behavior (especially reactivity and fear-based behavior) appears to be inconclusive at best, and in some cases contradictory. That said, some does point to an increase in fear-based behavior following neutering, but a decrease in reactivity. Admittedly, I don't have access to most veterinary medical journals and my favorite librarian is on summer break, so I'm sure I could be missing huge portions of the literature. My inclination has been to keep things the way they are and work through his fear; I'm concerned about doing something so permanent if it could be detrimental. 

We have an appointment for his annual exam and boosters next Sunday, so I'll talk to the vet about her opinion. When I mentioned it a few months ago, the vet generally agreed that there is no consensus in the literature or in her experience. In the meantime, I'll plant the seed about seeing a VB with my husband. Of the two closest to us, one doesn't appear to be seeing patients regularly and the other I know (and like) based on her FB posts (yeah, great way to select a professional  ).


uh, yeah, rambly... :redface:


----------



## elrohwen

How old is Tyson now? Adolescent dogs go through so many changes and fear periods that it's not surprising he's a bit up and down. I do think you're doing the right thing and the fact that you're seeing progress says that you are. Maybe there are faster or better ways to do it, I don't know, but if you were doing the wrong thing he would be getting worse.

As far as neutering goes, I've had people suggest neutering Watson as well for basically opposite reasons. I talked to my vet and he said that anybody who says neutering is the answer to your problems is lying, because there isn't enough evidence to support any of it. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it makes things worse, but nobody really knows right now. He said that if I were thinking of neutering Watson anyway that we should do it now and see if it helped, but he wouldn't use behavior as a reason to neuter.

Since you're going to neuter anyway, and he's past the age where his growth plates have closed (not sure if he is) then I would go ahead and do it now. But if you want to wait for growth/health reasons, then I don't think maybe possibly sort of helping his behavior is a good reason to do it sooner.


----------



## jade5280

Have you thought about taking Tyson out of classes for a little while and giving him a break? Maybe so many interactions with other dogs barking and such are causing him to be nervous around other dogs in general.

Also, I had a discussion with our behaviorist before neutering Ryker and she said that there is no conclusive evidence regarding neutering and increase in fear. She said most people neuter dogs when they are younger, around or in between fear stages and this is most likely why some make this correlation.


----------



## CptJack

I know we talked about this some, but well. I'm doing it again. 

One of the hardest things for me to grapple with, re: reactivity, is that there's no consistent path. It's not gradual improvements building on each other. It makes it really really hard to judge what's helping and what's not, because it's a bunch of plateaus, leaps forward, and regressions. And there is no magic bullet answer. Something that works beautifully for one dog won't work for another at all, or will even make things worse. Or will appear to make things worse, because who knows, maybe it's just yet another regression before a leap forward???

For me, and Molly, breaks from other dogs is like the worst thing in the world. She has a break and she comes back and it's like she's never been in a class or seen a dog or worked on it at all. She will recover faster, but she will spend at least one week back at square one unless I continue to expose her to dogs on a regular basis. So, she's going to be doing classes, lessons, practices, and whatever else I can find until I'm prepared to give up on classes/sports/outings altogether. Once I stop, taking her back is going to be (I suspect) almost impossible. 

Jack was more confident after he got neutered, but that's just more personal experience, too. I'd probably neuter Tyson once his growth plates are closed. If it makes things better, awesome. If it changes nothing, no harm, no foul, and if it makes things worse better sooner than later since it has to be done anyway (because of contract).


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> For me, and Molly, breaks from other dogs is like the worst thing in the world. She has a break and she comes back and it's like she's never been in a class or seen a dog or worked on it at all. She will recover faster, but she will spend at least one week back at square one unless I continue to expose her to dogs on a regular basis.


I was just going to say the same about Watson. His reactivity is definitely excitement based, not fear based, so I don't know if that makes a difference, but the more novel dogs are the more reactive he becomes. If he's around dogs day in and day out, going to classes, walking in crowded areas, he becomes much less reactive.


----------



## Eenypup

Have to add on another brag because my dog's been making me super happy the last two days  One of my girlfriend's friends came over today and kept claiming she wasn't afraid of dogs, but clearly was. I wasn't home but my girlfriend told me Bennie was AWESOME. She didn't even try to LICK her face, let alone jump at it! She said she had never seen Bennie move more calmly & slowly and she mostly just let her pet her while she lay on the floor or hung out in her crate. She said her friend would ask to give Bennie a kibble and then be weird and shriek when she took it?? Bennie was so gentle and she said it was obvious that she knew not to be crazy or weird with her. Woo Bennie again!


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I was just going to say the same about Watson. His reactivity is definitely excitement based, not fear based, so I don't know if that makes a difference, but the more novel dogs are the more reactive he becomes. If he's around dogs day in and day out, going to classes, walking in crowded areas, he becomes much less reactive.


Molly, if exposed often enough and regularly enough becomes almost normal. Until the setting changes or the context changes (which sounds like what's happening to Tyson) and then she has to figure it out all over again, but just. Taking a break results in just complete meltdowns upon return because it's like she forgot everything about coping and what to expect and OH GOD THE WORLD IS UPSIDE DOWN AGAIN BECAUSE DOGS. 

And it is fear for her. Could still be an individual dog thing, but when dogs stop being part of the picture they become much, much scarier.


----------



## elrohwen

Eenypup said:


> Have to add on another brag because my dog's been making me super happy the last two days  One of my girlfriend's friends came over today and kept claiming she wasn't afraid of dogs, but clearly was. I wasn't home but my girlfriend told me Bennie was AWESOME. She didn't even try to LICK her face, let alone jump at it! She said she had never seen Bennie move more calmly & slowly and she mostly just let her pet her while she lay on the floor or hung out in her crate. She said her friend would ask to give Bennie a kibble and then be weird and shriek when she took it?? Bennie was so gentle and she said it was obvious that she knew not to be crazy or weird with her. Woo Bennie again!


Go Bennie! Watson cannot deal with people like that. As soon as they start pulling their hands away or shrieking, he gets really aroused and starts barking. I think he thinks they're playing? Or he's just uncomfortable. Not sure. But that's great that Bennie read the situation and did exactly what she should have done.


----------



## jade5280

Ryker has always been reactive in class and great outside of class. I guess if you were planning on doing classes long term that wouldn't be a solution. Have you checked to see if there are any reactive dog classes near you? I would have taken one with Gypsy if we were able to, but she was actually too reactive for the class lol


----------



## CptJack

For the record, my plan with Molly right now is this:

When we get back from vacation, we're going to start working on reactivity, specifically. (I'll update the training goals thread once I have a date).

Agility classes start 8-25

There will be club practices coming up. Since she's too young for those trials she can't do agility stuff but she can go and hang out. 

Taking her TO the trials to hang out. 

Try and find another class after this last agility one ends to get her back into for continued work (I have no idea what to do there. Might actually be flyball because of timing - but flyball foundations which isn't actually flyball and should be okay).

Continuing to use these dog training meet-ups in the park for exposure. 

If, at the start of the year/early spring she is still seriously struggling: Meds.


----------



## CptJack

I don't know if this is a brag or the opposite, but we had a UPS delivery and it was a package that needed to be signed for. So the guy pounded on the door. Not a single one of my dogs made a sound. I mean NONE OF THEM. 

LOL.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I don't know if this is a brag or the opposite, but we had a UPS delivery and it was a package that needed to be signed for. So the guy pounded on the door. Not a single one of my dogs made a sound. I mean NONE OF THEM.
> 
> LOL.


Haha. That's a crack security team you've got there!


----------



## Laurelin

Willowy said:


> I never understand all the recommendations I see for expens. I tried one once, with a 6-week-old Lab puppy, and she flattened it in 5 seconds. I reinforced it (attached one end to the wall) so she picked up the edge and wiggled under. Now it's useful to contain the rabbit, but I don't expect it to keep the dogs from eating the rabbit. Their usefulness just seems extremely limited---maybe trained adult dogs will respect the visual boundary, and maybe tiny dogs/puppies might not be able to pick it up or bulldoze through, but I don't see them as very useful in general.


I think it depends on the dog and their boundary respect. I see a lot of mal people use x pens and it boggles my mind. I also see mals and BCs and other dogs respecting soft crates when my little sweet papillon won't.

Regarding reactivity:

I think in young dogs reactivity is just very common and _usually_ (USUALLY) not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. I'm just going based on friends' dogs and mine too. Hank has both fear and excitement reactivity depending on context. Mia is fear reactive but she has gotten worse as she's been less able to come places with me (due to health). When she does go populated places it's much worse than the past. 

The best thing is imo getting them a lot of various experience and exercise and structure. That said, Hank and I are still working out his reactivity towards certain people in certain settings. It's pretty out of the blue at times. Like 95% good and 5% he's totally wigged out. But I personally would be very reluctant to medicate in a case like that (or Mia). It really depends on (for me) how the dog can handle day to day life. I think in MOST cases the reactivity is probably not going to be a huge deal in the long run. 

My big concern (not with any particular person here) is that the fear/anxiety can travel down the leash.


----------



## Sibe

So this is happening
http://www.boredpanda.com/two-legged-rescued-dog-amaze-bobb/

Also in Denmark!
http://www.mx.dk/nyheder/global/story/24694268#
Rough translate, I asked to take out the part about "gnawing his leg" if that was translated correctly as that's not true.


> INCREDIBLE PHOTOS! How was small Bobb nursed back to life
> 
> The dog Bobb had been neglected for 10 years, but we managed to save him and give him a good life. See the cute pictures here.
> 
> The little dog Bobb was owned by a homeless in California for over 10 years, and throughout that period, he never cared for properly.
> 
> As animal rights organization Synergy in San Diego saved him, it was not only the coat, which was absolutely the ropes. Bobbs teeth had rotted away, and two of his legs were so damaged that they had to be amputated.
> 
> Everything indicates that poodle dog Bobb even had gnawed his leg broken in a desperate attempt to care for themselves.
> 
> Warning: This image demonstrates how badly mauled Bobb was when authorities confiscated him. But it is a very shocking and depressing picture!
> 
> A total of two legs and four teeth survived along with Bobbs will to live, which was not so easy to find at first, but as you can see in the gallery of the article, so it came back in style.
> 
> Bobb has left San Diego because he has been adopted by an animal happy family, and according to Synergy, he has it well.
> 
> This gallery above is made with the permission of the good people of Synergy, who every day are struggling to make life better for animals.
> 
> Check them out here, where you can also donate money to a good cause, if you are the type who have a surplus in the private economy to the sort: www.animalsynergy.org.
> 
> You can also give both Bobb and Synergy a like on Facebook so you can continue to follow them.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I think it depends on the dog and their boundary respect. I see a lot of mal people use x pens and it boggles my mind. I also see mals and BCs and other dogs respecting soft crates when my little sweet papillon won't.
> 
> Regarding reactivity:
> 
> I think in young dogs reactivity is just very common and _usually_ (USUALLY) not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. I'm just going based on friends' dogs and mine too. Hank has both fear and excitement reactivity depending on context. Mia is fear reactive but she has gotten worse as she's been less able to come places with me (due to health). When she does go populated places it's much worse than the past.
> 
> The best thing is imo getting them a lot of various experience and exercise and structure. That said, Hank and I are still working out his reactivity towards certain people in certain settings. It's pretty out of the blue at times. Like 95% good and 5% he's totally wigged out. But I personally would be very reluctant to medicate in a case like that (or Mia). It really depends on (for me) how the dog can handle day to day life. I think in MOST cases the reactivity is probably not going to be a huge deal in the long run.
> 
> My big concern (not with any particular person here) is that the fear/anxiety can travel down the leash.


Objectively, I agree with you. I've done 3 puppies in 3 years and frankly every last one of them had some period where they were just weird about things. Molly is, by far, the worst, but every last one of them was weird for a while and then started to improve something like 18 months and continued to improve from there. 

Practically, I'm pretty tired because Molly was weird at 4 months old and flat out reactive by 5, complete with lunging and snarling and snapping. She's been in classes since right before she turned 7 months old and she's out A LOT, in spite of us being rural and somewhat isolated living wise. I *know* I need to chill out about it, and I'm also aware that the tighter I hold her/more I try and control her the worse it gets. Which is why the trainer and a method that frankly doesn't require me do a danged thing except not stop her and the basis of it involves her working herself out and finding other ways to cope. (We're doing CAT). 

But yeah. I'm... actually pretty thoroughly sick of it at this stage (ETA: And as someone else said and it is just embarrassment and frustration, not the behavior itself). It's not fair to her, it's not reasonable, I'm sure it's making it worse but I'm still pretty sick of it. Possibly more sick of it because of the inconsistency. I'd like to know if I am dealing with cujo or a reasonable dog at any given time, but I rarely have any idea until it's happening.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> I don't know if this is a brag or the opposite, but we had a UPS delivery and it was a package that needed to be signed for. So the guy pounded on the door. Not a single one of my dogs made a sound. I mean NONE OF THEM.
> 
> LOL.


Haha I can't even imagine! Ryker woke up from a dead sleep the other day at 4 am barking his head off because there was a cat outside like 500ft from our house just sitting there :/


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Haha. That's a crack security team you've got there!


I know, right? Plastic bags are sometimes screamed at, strange men at the door no. 



jade5280 said:


> Haha I can't even imagine! Ryker woke up from a dead sleep the other day at 4 am barking his head off because there was a cat outside like 500ft from our house just sitting there :/


They do bark at stuff but apparently something about this scenario didn't warrant even WAKING UP FOR , for 3 of the 5. Kylie and Molly woke up, wandered up to the door, huffed and left. **MOLLY**.


----------



## cookieface

Thanks for the comments; I wasn't really expecting anyone to actually read my stream of consciousness-style post. 

Tyson will be 17 months on August 19, so he should be mostly full grown. To be fair, our instructor didn't recommend neutering, only that we should discuss it with our vet or, if we see one, a vet behaviorist. I guess it's reassuring to know that there is no conclusive evidence for or against neutering for behavioral issues?? Or reassuring that I wasn't completely incompetent at searching.

He was in regular group classes from July 2014 until April 2015 with only 2-3 week breaks between each class. Last February we started nose work which met for two 6-week sessions on non-consecutive Saturdays; our last class was this past weekend. He was fine in group classes initially - a little quiet, shy, but not overtly fearful or reactive. He did have a couple reactions to dogs in the neighborhood/park after regular classes ended, but since he was doing fine in NW I didn't expect any issue with starting the sports class. 

I tend to side with CptJack - I think having such a big break in group classes was a mistake for him. I asked our instructor about private sessions with a trainer and she didn't think that would help much as he needs more positive experiences in the presence of other dogs. Our NW instructor, who has a formerly fearful dog, said the same thing. What I will do in the future is try to get spots in smaller classes.

There is a training center that has held Control Unleashed classes in the past, but I don't think they're doing them in their new facility and it's for performance dogs only. I had a very brief chat with Leslie McDevitt about private sessions but with Katie, not Tyson, in mind. Pam Dennison is holding a R.E.W.A.R.D. Zone for Aggressive and Reactive Dogs weekend in September, but it's the weekend we're leaving for vacation.  

On the other hand, I'm not sure a reactive dog class would be a good idea for him unless it was very, very well run. He can handle being in the same room with other dogs, he rarely barked at dogs walking past or near him in NW; he's only reacted to dogs staring and/or walking our direction (not necessarily approaching us, but needing to walk past).

The good news (if you can call it that) is that there is another shy dog in our manners class, so the instructor is including a number of confidence-building exercises into the regular curriculum.

Thanks for the comments and advice.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Laurelin said:


> Regarding reactivity:
> 
> I think in young dogs reactivity is just very common and _usually_ (USUALLY) not as big of a deal as people make it out to be.
> 
> My big concern (not with any particular person here) is that the fear/anxiety can travel down the leash.


Agreed with both. My dog went through a phase of reacting to everything before starting to differentiate the situations where it was appropriate and I was pretty sure it was the worst thing ever at the time, so I do understand why people think it's a huge deal. I think it more has to do with the embarrassment/guilt/frustration that come along with it instead of the behavior itself, though. I also think that the whole handler stress=dog stress can't be emphasized enough when trying to correct it, because I know whenever I was anxious or apprehensive, it made things a zillion times worse.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> I know, right? Plastic bags are sometimes screamed at, strange men at the door no.
> 
> 
> 
> They do bark at stuff but apparently something about this scenario didn't warrant even WAKING UP FOR , for 3 of the 5. Kylie and Molly woke up, wandered up to the door, huffed and left. **MOLLY**.


Do they ever all bark at the same time? Mine always get each other going.


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> Do they ever all bark at the same time? Mine always get each other going.


Um, not really, but mostly because Bug doesn't alert bark (for obvious reasons) and Jack just plain doesn't bark. Molly, Kylie and Thud will go all at once, though!


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> But yeah. I'm... actually pretty thoroughly sick of it at this stage. It's not fair to her, it's not reasonable but I'm still pretty sick of it. Possibly more sick of it because of the inconsistency. I'd like to know if I am dealing with cujo or a reasonable dog at any given time, but I rarely have any idea until it's happening.


Yeah, for me I just find it exhausting and wish it would all go away. I can manage Watson, and I even get compliments on his behavior sometimes, but the people complimenting us don't realize the amount of brain power I'm using to keep him under control, and how much time and effort I have put into it. Not sure how Hazel will ultimately turn out, but right now she is so so much easier to take into public and I'm feeling bad that I want to do things with her and leave Watson at home.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, for me I just find it exhausting and wish it would all go away. I can manage Watson, and I even get compliments on his behavior sometimes, but the people complimenting us don't realize the amount of brain power I'm using to keep him under control, and how much time and effort I have put into it. Not sure how Hazel will ultimately turn out, but right now she is so so much easier to take into public and I'm feeling bad that I want to do things with her and leave Watson at home.


Exhausting is a good word for it. I make myself continue to take her out because I know breaks from that are a mistake and she has so much fun most of the time, but it turns what could be a leisurely really good time into something that gives me a headache and I need a nap to recover from. There is no just BEING with her out and about, or even just working with her. It's a full on brain game, with all the mental energy you described - just like with Watson. 

And even during the periods where 'I don't care', I have to care to some level because I have to pay WAY more attention to the environment and her than I would another dog. It sucks the life out of me and it makes me sad because I've got this fun dog who wants to go places and do things, and needs to go places and do things, and my reaction isn't happy anticipation, it's steeling myself. I'm SURE that feeds into her a lot, but heck if I've figured out how to let that go entirely. I mean... negative associations and aversives work on people brains too.


----------



## cookieface

Eenypup said:


> Have to add on another brag because my dog's been making me super happy the last two days  One of my girlfriend's friends came over today and kept claiming she wasn't afraid of dogs, but clearly was. I wasn't home but my girlfriend told me Bennie was AWESOME. She didn't even try to LICK her face, let alone jump at it! She said she had never seen Bennie move more calmly & slowly and she mostly just let her pet her while she lay on the floor or hung out in her crate. She said her friend would ask to give Bennie a kibble and then be weird and shriek when she took it?? Bennie was so gentle and she said it was obvious that she knew not to be crazy or weird with her. Woo Bennie again!


Go Bennie!! She's really doing some amazing things lately, isn't she? 

I think sometimes dogs just know how and when to behave. Miss Crazypants was an absolute angel with my scared-of-dogs nieces last summer. I couldn't believe that they went from not even looking at her to walking her around on the leash.



CptJack said:


> I don't know if this is a brag or the opposite, but we had a UPS delivery and it was a package that needed to be signed for. So the guy pounded on the door. Not a single one of my dogs made a sound. I mean NONE OF THEM.
> 
> LOL.





elrohwen said:


> Haha. That's a crack security team you've got there!


My MIL's lab used to stay upstairs on the bed when walked into the house. Not a peep. But, make a sandwich and he was in the kitchen before you could blink. Lab priorities. 



Laurelin said:


> I think in young dogs reactivity is just very common and _usually_ (USUALLY) not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. I'm just going based on friends' dogs and mine too. Hank has both fear and excitement reactivity depending on context. Mia is fear reactive but she has gotten worse as she's been less able to come places with me (due to health). When she does go populated places it's much worse than the past.
> 
> The best thing is imo getting them a lot of various experience and exercise and structure. That said, Hank and I are still working out his reactivity towards certain people in certain settings. It's pretty out of the blue at times. Like 95% good and 5% he's totally wigged out. But I personally would be very reluctant to medicate in a case like that (or Mia). It really depends on (for me) how the dog can handle day to day life. I think in MOST cases the reactivity is probably not going to be a huge deal in the long run.
> 
> *My big concern (not with any particular person here) is that the fear/anxiety can travel down the leash.*


I hope it's true that he'll grow out of it to some extent if we continue to move forward with classes and new experiences. That last sentence - yeah, I agree (which is why I'd love to have a valium or shot of whiskey before class). On the other hand, Tyson can be almost as bad with my husband who has no concerns at all. 

One thing, I don't know if this is important or not, but Tyson is much more confident around Katie. He can still be reactive, but definitely more confident. He was at the vet in late June for an ear infection and was timid with the tech and vet. We had both dogs there a few weeks later and had the same tech. She commented on how much different he seemed.



jade5280 said:


> Do they ever all bark at the same time? Mine always get each other going.


Katie and Tyson get each other going all the time. One will bark and the other will start even though s/he has no idea why. I couldn't imagine that with five dogs.


----------



## elrohwen

The best times with Watson are surprisingly on vacation. The first day he's usually a pain, but after a full day of walking around he's tired, so the second day is better. By the third day of hiking and being on our feet multiple days in a row he's just perfect and awesome. I can walk up to any restaurant and he will fully pass out in 5 seconds. And he doesn't really care about dogs walking past, or that little sparrow hoping around looking for crumbs. If only I could make 10 miles of walking part of our daily routine. Haha. And being so overexposed to all of those places and people and dogs just wears down his reactivity until he doesn't even care anymore - dogs aren't exciting anymore when you see a new one every 2 minutes.

But if I want to go out to eat with him around here, I have to plan a 3-4 mile brisk walk first to take him down a notch, which is a pain in the butt. And I have to bring treats and constantly be on top of his behavior.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, for me I just find it exhausting and wish it would all go away. I can manage Watson, and I even get compliments on his behavior sometimes, but the people complimenting us don't realize the amount of brain power I'm using to keep him under control, and how much time and effort I have put into it. Not sure how Hazel will ultimately turn out, but right now she is so so much easier to take into public and I'm feeling bad that I want to do things with her and leave Watson at home.


Ha ha! I was beat after meeting you and Finkie_mom.  It was fun, but trying to micro-manage Katie, stay vigilant for on-coming triggers, keep up with the conversation, not sound like an idiot, not trip over my feet... Exhausting.


----------



## Laurelin

I do get the frustration especially with Mia. She wants to go but when she's there she gets spooked really easy by normal stuff. It makes store trips less fun than with the others. 

Hank is weird because he's mostly very confident but he has this quirk to him. Some things weird him right out to the point if he wasn't leashed he would bolt. It's bizarre because he's generally so fearless. But like the other day he decided this old lady was terrifying and kept spooking and barking at her. Wtf dog. 

But overall more and more gettin him to be out and about is helping. Some. Not all. All his reactivity and fear comes out of nowhere and most often catches me completely off guard. So that's the most frustrating thing. 

But just keep in keeping on. 

It also baffles me that there are dogs that don't go nuts at a doorbell or knock.


----------



## cookieface

Sibe said:


> So this is happening
> http://www.boredpanda.com/two-legged-rescued-dog-amaze-bobb/
> 
> Also in Denmark!
> http://www.mx.dk/nyheder/global/story/24694268#
> Rough translate, I asked to take out the part about "gnawing his leg" if that was translated correctly as that's not true.


Bobb is awesome!


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Hank is weird because he's mostly very confident but he has this quirk to him. Some things weird him right out to the point if he wasn't leashed he would bolt. It's bizarre because he's generally so fearless. But like the other day he decided this old lady was terrifying and kept spooking and barking at her. Wtf dog.
> 
> But overall more and more gettin him to be out and about is helping. Some. Not all. All his reactivity and fear comes out of nowhere and most often catches me completely off guard. So that's the most frustrating thing.


Watson did some of that when he was 12-18 months. Like we went into a ton of shops while on vacation and he was perfect, and in one specific store the employee dribbling a soccer ball completely freaked him out. Or on our rail trail if somebody left a bike alone to check out the lake, or sat on a bench that was normally empty, he would lose it. I can only think of one occasion where he's done that in the last 9 months though, so I think it was an age thing.

I would call him a mild-moderate anxiety dog. Most of the time he's fine, but if something sets him off he never forgets (teeter, vet's office, baby gates falling) and will always be tense with those things. But 95% of the time he comes across as very confident and even brash.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> All his reactivity and fear comes out of nowhere and most often catches me completely off guard. So that's the most frustrating thing.
> ....
> 
> It also baffles me that there are dogs that don't go nuts at a doorbell or knock.



The first part is pretty much 90% of my frustration with Molly. I mean obviously other strange dogs are a thing but even that's not consistent. I can tell you there are a handful of things that she WILL most likely react to, but not definitely (but can at least be prepared for and pleasantly surprised by the absence of reaction), but then there are things that are just random "RAWR" that I don't see coming at ALL. I can't say I wouldn't be frustrated at all if she were more consistent, but at least I'd be less on edge about it, I think?

And yeah, I'm kind of baffled too. None of these dogs have ever really alerted to the door (Thud a few times at night, but mostly no), and it's WEIRD.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank stresses high which is also something new. He usually ends up trying to do zoomies on his leash. Always fun. 

The things hank doesn't like 

Statues- he's over that now
Apparently old ladies with giant dogs
This one dude at the park (?)
Light fixtures on the ground (spotlights)
People standing outside fences. (Really bad for agility lol)
This one bush on our walking trail
This one bridge 
And there have been a few times I cannot figure out what bothered him 

Dogs. They are weird. 

Mia's actually easier because she reacts to dogs and people. She doesn't like either and there's no guesswork.


----------



## Willowy

CptJack said:


> I don't know if this is a brag or the opposite, but we had a UPS delivery and it was a package that needed to be signed for. So the guy pounded on the door. Not a single one of my dogs made a sound. I mean NONE OF THEM.
> 
> LOL.


Yesterday my dad pulled up in the driveway and knocked on the door. None of the dogs even looked at the door. Suri hates my dad and normally they all go nuts at the door. I don't know if the old dogs just didn't hear and Suri maybe thought the noise was a cat jumping down? IDK. But last week they were all going crazy because the wind was blowing and there was a suspicious-looking weed waving out from behind the shed. Or I think that's what they were barking at---it was the only thing I could see. I suppose it would serve me right if there was an ax murderer hiding back there and I ignored the dogs because I thought it was a leaf they were barking at . Dogs are weird.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Besides Kairi's dog reactivity (extremely easy to deal with now) she is also randomly reactive in some situations to people. It is not really aggressive or anything.. just fear/protective based I guess? She barks like mad, runs up to them, tries to sniff them, backs off, bark.. low butt wiggle. It's like she wants to be friends but she can't handle her fear emotions. She has yet to bite. It's the worst when people show up at my house. I've let it play out with a few friends before and she really has no intention of biting. She does warm up quickly and is then their best friend. If they offer her cookies, she takes almost no time to warm up to them. 

In public places.. no issues. She will ignore people. She will let strange people touch her somewhat. She will gladly accept treats (she even accepts treats on her freak outs too though). She flipped her crap twice while walking her in the woods and people crossed paths with us. She flipped her crap in agility class when someone out of the normal showed up. She flipped her crap at someone who isn't normally at my parents house showed up. She flips when new people show up at my house. 

So.. I've at least got it narrowed down to 
Home = react to new or not well known people
Secluded areas (such as the woods) then strange people show up = react to anyone
Places we visit on a very frequent basis (class, parents house) = react to unfamiliar people.. but not consistently (seriously.. I don't get this one.. it happens on such a very rare basis too)
Public areas = don't react, even to the "scariest" or "weirdest" looking people

Dogs are friggin' nuts. Meanwhile Ember will legitimately bite people/dogs if she doesn't like something but is not really reactive at all. 

My vote is to stay in classes as much as you can if you notice it gets better as time goes on. Sometimes things reset for a reactive dog if not kept in class. No idea why.


----------



## CptJack

You would have to push Molly really, really hard to get her to bite, I think. Ironic since Kylie is pretty non-reactive but I can see her snapping at someone or a dog pretty freaking easily - at least comparatively. Kylie's pretty chill about all the things and all the people now, and will tolerate just about anything from anyone, but I _Still_ have an easier time seeing her actually doing something about discomfort than Molly. Molly just makes a lot of noise. 

And, yeah, she'll still take treats even in the midst of cowering and growling. That one strikes me as pretty freaking odd to be honest, but that's coming off Kylie who took a good year to take treats from someone. 

I can sort of tell you that Molly reacts to people or dogs showing too much interest in her, attempting to instigate interaction with her before she's decided to instigate interaction with THEM, and things that are in different/unusual context. It's not consistent, though. Sometimes she's fine with any or all of those things, even combined. Sometimes she's not. I really don't know what changes it from okay to not okay for her.


----------



## CptJack

Noooot quite sure what I'm doing with tonights meet-up and train session. There's apparently a mining rescue thing going on in the soccer field next to the field where we usually work. We'll probably go, try and see. 

Not like it's an hour drive each way or anything.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh and I have this one friend Hank has decided is evil. I have noooo earthly idea why. She has been nice to him and eventually he will warm up to her. Then the next time we see her she's back to being something he should be afraid of. It's weird.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Kris has never been in the least bit reactive towards people or kids but I have had to work really hard on her being reactive to dogs. She just wants to play with them but when you get a Doberman leaping and barking on the leash and she air snaps when she is excited, it is hard to tell people she just wants to play. Off leash, she does not even go up to strange dogs which is great when we are doing Agility.

I think having her at the Doggy Daycare a few times in the last year has helped plus doing Obedience several times a week where she is not allowed to interact with the other dogs has helped the most. She was not doing much for the past six weeks and when I started back with her, she has been really good.  I have never had a reactive dog so it took me quite a while to anticipate when she was going to leap at another dog so I think the fact I have learned when to anticipate it has really helped as I can stop her before she does it just by saying her name and distracting her.


----------



## Crantastic

Laurelin said:


> Oh and I have this one friend Hank has decided is evil. I have noooo earthly idea why. She has been nice to him and eventually he will warm up to her. Then the next time we see her she's back to being something he should be afraid of. It's weird.


I have a friend that Casper is like that with. She is probably the nicest, most soft-spoken friend I have. I think her demeanor is actually the problem. She's never had a dog and she's not super comfortable around them, and Casper picks up on her nervousness and is weird with her. We've gone out on walks and sat on restaurant patios and he's okay with her then, but if she's at my place he only tolerates her if she's sitting still. The second she stands up, he freaks. I usually just put him in his crate when she's over.

Similarly, both of my dogs are usually just fine at the vet, but we saw a different vet for their annual this year and she was soft-spoken, not nervous, but very baby-talky and gentle with the dogs, and it made both of them uneasy. Crystal is usually never nervous of people, but even she was shying away from this woman. Both of my dogs seem to do better with vets who are matter-of-fact -- not rough, but firm. That's how I am with them, so I guess it's what they're used to.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah this friend is an agility friend so pretty good with dogs and a good trainer, etc. I have no idea what it is about her specifically. She's pretty typical? I mean there's nothing that stands out about her that would make a dog afraid. Neither of us can figure it out.

Totally random and probably only important to me but Hank and Summer were just giving each other kisses and it was cute. I've never seen mutual kiss giving between the two.


----------



## LoMD13

My dogs are both terrified of falling baby-gates too, I bet that's a really common fear! I don't actually discourage that fear because it makes them very respectful of the gates.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

LoMD13 said:


> My dogs are both terrified of falling baby-gates too, I bet that's a really common fear! I don't actually discourage that fear because it makes them very respectful of the gates.


Both of my dogs somewhat fear the baby gate I have up blocking my steps to my basement. There is no door to the basement, which sucks, and I don't want them going down there. They learned to respect the gate from puppyhood by knocking it over a few times and freaking a little bit when it fell near them. They aren't afraid of it to a point that they go nowhere near it. They just stand a few inches away from it and never try to push it. Works for me.. so I don't really try to teach them that it's alright not to fear the gate either.


----------



## CptJack

Tonight was fantastic. She took treats from an agility friend she's never met before (I know the lady - it's her and her dog we're going to be doing CAT with, as well as the instructor), she reacted precisely ONCE and that was to a GSD who was being walked outside our group, on a flexi, by an owner who was on the phone; GSD rushed, and Molly responded. Otherwise? Guys. She played. She did tiny bits of work off leash (stays, some leg weaving). She was focused on me. She was happy and relaxed. It was *beautiful*, and most of the dogs there this week were dogs she's never seen before. 

We're going to be okay. We really, really are. I mean maybe not without setbacks (of course not without setbacks) but we ARE going to be all right. And we're going to be able to do this agility thing, at least on home turf (which is where we were the past couple of weeks).


----------



## kcomstoc

I am so mad right now at my uncle from my dad's side of the family :/ there is a family reunion this sunday and I told my dad to ask them if it was ok if I bring Jake along. I don't get to see my dad's side of the family a lot so I was really excited but told my dad I can only go if Jake goes *I don't want the anxiety thing to be set off in the new house (I'm hoping it gets a lot better after we move somewhere where the noises won't set him off)*. The first message said "they said it was fine if you bring Jake just bring poop bags and keep an eye on him, food and water" then 2 hours later I get a message that said "nevermind they said no *the wife of my uncle mostly* because my dad's aunt brought a dog once and it NIPPED a child so no dogs ever" 

I was furious, YES I see it from her side but the dog only nipped the child which means it was a warning to the child. I don't know the specifics of what happened but not every dog is the same and my dog isn't the same as my aunts dog....it just bugs me because she can't even give Jake a chance? I mean yes it is her house so I have to respect her wishes and I understand that but come on I haven't seen this side of my family for awhile *my mom and dad are separated so I don't get to see family much* and I was really excited.

I just ugh needed to get this out.......I have never met a dog that loved people more than Jake does and he would've loved the reunion....


----------



## Crantastic

Eh, that's how it goes. I don't visit my relatives much because it's a long drive each way, too long to leave the dogs without anyone to take them for a bathroom break while I'm gone, so I'd have to take them. My aunt and uncle, who often host the family gatherings, don't want dogs in their house because it's an expensive fancy house with nice floors and they also have a cat. I get that and I don't blame them, but I just don't go. If they actually cared to see me, they'd come up here once in a while.


----------



## cookieface

LoMD13 said:


> My dogs are both terrified of falling baby-gates too, I bet that's a really common fear! I don't actually discourage that fear because it makes them very respectful of the gates.


Katie jumped a baby gate at the top of the steps and knocked it over once. She had always respected gates, but she's more cautious now. Tyson respects nothing.



CptJack said:


> Tonight was fantastic. She took treats from an agility friend she's never met before (I know the lady - it's her and her dog we're going to be doing CAT with, as well as the instructor), she reacted precisely ONCE and that was to a GSD who was being walked outside our group, on a flexi, by an owner who was on the phone; GSD rushed, and Molly responded. Otherwise? Guys. She played. She did tiny bits of work off leash (stays, some leg weaving). She was focused on me. She was happy and relaxed. It was *beautiful*, and most of the dogs there this week were dogs she's never seen before.
> 
> We're going to be okay. We really, really are. I mean maybe not without setbacks (of course not without setbacks) but we ARE going to be all right. And we're going to be able to do this agility thing, at least on home turf (which is where we were the past couple of weeks).


Awesome!!!!  


I dosed Tyson with Rescue Remedy before class tonight. Two people/dogs were missing, so it was a smaller class with more space. He was noticeably more relaxed during most of the class. The only issue was during a recall exercise. From his perspective, the other dogs were running _at_ him. Then an energetic, overly friendly dog decided to visit an energetic, mildly reactive dog. Much chaos ensued. Tyson was understandably freaked out.

Now we're all up because of a smoke detector battery. It's going to be a long day.

ETA: In class last night, the instructor suggested I use a longer leash for Tyson so he had more room to work. I think she knew by my look that there was no way in heck that was going to happen.


----------



## jade5280

It's so weird, neither of my dogs have ever attempted to go down the stairs. They will go up, but not down. I've never needed a gate to block the basement stairs because they just won't go down. Gypsy won't even chase the cat down there.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Awesome!!!!
> 
> 
> I dosed Tyson with Rescue Remedy before class tonight. Two people/dogs were missing, so it was a smaller class with more space. He was noticeably more relaxed during most of the class. The only issue was during a recall exercise. From his perspective, the other dogs were running _at_ him. Then an energetic, overly friendly dog decided to visit an energetic, mildly reactive dog. Much chaos ensued. Tyson was understandably freaked out.
> 
> Now we're all up because of a smoke detector battery. It's going to be a long day.
> 
> ETA: In class last night, the instructor suggested I use a longer leash for Tyson so he had more room to work. I think she knew by my look that there was no way in heck that was going to happen.


That sounds like an AWESOME class! Good job, both of you. Molly was never good with those passing/opposite direction recalls. I was going to say that was an exercise we skipped both times through, but I think we actually did do it the second go around. I just had something really high value waving in her face as I walked off, and I'm lucky to have a dog who gets obsessive about things I can control. 

---

Husband left for work telling me that while I left him with Kylie to work with Molly he tried to make her do stuff to earn her treats and she would like do one trick, bark at him, and then jump in his lap. Then said that meant Kylie didn't like him. I pointed out that she's THREE and he's never in her life made her do anything to earn treats before, just wanted her to sit on him and that it was going to take some doing to get her to understand that he changed the rules there. 

The good news is, he's showing some interest in dog stuff? The bad news is he thinks the dog hates him. ...seriously?


----------



## elrohwen

LoMD13 said:


> My dogs are both terrified of falling baby-gates too, I bet that's a really common fear! I don't actually discourage that fear because it makes them very respectful of the gates.


Hazel really doesn't care. She's knocked them over, and had them fall right on her, and it doesn't seam to bother her. She does respect them more now and has stopped jumping up on them on purpose.

Watson is so afraid that he gets nervous if a gate falls across the house. He was in the bedroom/bathroom with me while I was getting ready the other day, and my husband knocked over a gate downstairs. I couldn't even hear it over the fan in the bathroom, but Watson got super clingy and weird so I knew something was up. I confirmed later that the gate fell and that's why Watson was all freaked out. And then it was hard to get him downstairs because he has to walk through the hall where the gates are (they were leaning against the wall). He's a wuss.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> That sounds like an AWESOME class! Good job, both of you. Molly was never good with those passing/opposite direction recalls. I was going to say that was an exercise we skipped both times through, but I think we actually did do it the second go around. I just had something really high value waving in her face as I walked off, and I'm lucky to have a dog who gets obsessive about things I can control.


Thanks. It wasn't even a passing recall - it was one dog with handler behind a screen, but we happened to be close to the "finish line." I let him sit perpendicular to the recall path, few treats, and happy talked to him, but I could tell he was getting increasingly anxious. Unfortunately, there wasn't any place to go - there was a class in the puppy room and dogs and people in the lobby.



> Husband left for work telling me that while I left him with Kylie to work with Molly he tried to make her do stuff to earn her treats and she would like do one trick, bark at him, and then jump in his lap. Then said that meant Kylie didn't like him. I pointed out that she's THREE and he's never in her life made her do anything to earn treats before, just wanted her to sit on him and that it was going to take some doing to get her to understand that he changed the rules there.
> 
> The good news is, he's showing some interest in dog stuff? The bad news is he thinks the dog hates him. ...seriously?


husbands


----------



## kcomstoc

Crantastic said:


> Eh, that's how it goes. I don't visit my relatives much because it's a long drive each way, too long to leave the dogs without anyone to take them for a bathroom break while I'm gone, so I'd have to take them. My aunt and uncle, who often host the family gatherings, don't want dogs in their house because it's an expensive fancy house with nice floors and they also have a cat. I get that and I don't blame them, but I just don't go. If they actually cared to see me, they'd come up here once in a while.


Yea...that's kinda how it is with my dad's family....you go to see them not the other way around >.> the dog would be outside the entire time not inside because the reunion is outside


----------



## cookieface

Everyone has a GSD except me.  Not really, but I just saw two posts about new GSD puppies.


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> Everyone has a GSD except me.  Not really, but I just saw two posts about new GSD puppies.


Well, you know what that means.

Time for another puppy!!!


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> Well, you know what that means.
> 
> Time for another puppy!!!


Oh, heck no. Not for another 10 years at least.  Unless I can marry for money and quit my job; that would help.


----------



## CptJack

I am a bad person because while 'do you own a high drive, hard tempered dog' is actually a totally fair question, it cracks me up. In a way that's about quasi-hysterical, and probably a sign that something deep in my psyche was cracked by Thud.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Seriously wondering when my dog is going to get a brain. She's like this big, powerful, and over-emotional baby right now.


----------



## CptJack

DogTheGreat said:


> Seriously wondering when my dog is going to get a brain. She's like this big, powerful, and over-emotional baby right now.


Somewhere between 18 months and 3 years. That's my guess.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I was watching a documentary about extreme grooming of poodles and now I really want a poodle ... dang it! I am supposed to be a MAS person! !!


----------



## cookieface

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I was watching a documentary about extreme grooming of poodles and now I really want a poodle ... dang it! I am supposed to be a MAS person! !!


Nothing wrong with multiple breeds.  

Last night I was watching the pups play outside and I think Tyson was trying to hump Katie but couldn't quite figure out what to do. He'd walk up to her, sniff, prance around like an awkward teenaged boy, and then stick his nose in her ear. It was funny to watch.


----------



## Kathyy

Scobie the neighbor's Boxer that loves standing on the vegetable garden wall and quietly hoofing at us when we are in the yard finally fell over into my yard. The picket fence gate that separates the vegetable garden from the rest of the back yard was wide open on my side as well. I had Bucky, my brand new spaniel mix, in the yard on leash for the very first time. Much silent panicking, gate slammed, Bucky ushered into house and neighbors informed. So lucky one of them works at home and was there to take Scobie home. He was fine but wanted to go home, kept thinking about trying to jump back over the wall. Hoping the mild counter measures they finally took to keep him from staring at us work. He was on top of a hot tub cover so they took that off. That gate stays closed and dogs aren't allowed in the vegetable garden from now on!


----------



## CptJack

I am watching the requirements for starting agility at our place go up and I am both cracking up a little and feeling bad for the instructor. Because I KNOW where those requirement changes are coming from, and don't blame her a bit.


----------



## Kathyy

And here's Bucky! 
AKA Buckwheat, Bucbuc, Buckmeister and who knows what else.

A fear biter from the local county shelter which is now no kill! No fleas this time but mega mats hanging from legs, butt and ears. Going to take while to get the really awful ear mats off but the rest are about falling off on their own. He was there a week and a bad actor at first, when we took Ginger to meet him he was all over the kennel worker so I am sure he is just one of those dogs that doesn't like getting ordered around by people he doesn't know. My other fearful dogs barked and snarled before snapping, he only lifts his lip according to the shelter worker. That's harder to work with.

He really resembles Ginger but is built a little lower to the ground which sure makes him seem like a much larger dog. He is actually a bit smaller than her. His ears are even the same triangle shape under the fuzz.

We've been able to handle him some and he has been flipping over for tummy rubs. Ginger isn't positive he is a good idea yet as he is a bit more forceful than she is and only 2 years old.


----------



## notgaga

I'm dog sitting for my parents' sheltie. We got her when I was a kid, and she's now 13. I've had her for a day and will return her in 7 weeks.

She's old, so she's got a mess of issues anyway PLUS she has a pretty badly infected bed sore on her leg from being sick for so long. So I'm medicating her with her various pills twice a day and plan on switching her food from beneful to something without sugar and food coloring (hoping Fromm will work). She's also deaf.

Last night she didn't really want to eat, which I get is due to the stressful travel day and new surroundings. Then she hunger puked on the carpet in my room at 6:30 this morning. She also decided she no longer wants her pills in the pill pockets. And she barely ate again. 

It's gonna be a long few weeks. She is very sweet, but she's stubborn as a mule.


----------



## CptJack

I am trying to pack, and emphasis is on trying. I need somewhere to organize my brain, so y'all are getting it. 

I have:
My camera and battery charger for it
Dog stuff - poop bags, extra leashes, rabies certificates, padlocks for their crates while we're out, discs and balls packed. 
I have a toiletry bag packed and ready to go - just needs toothbrushes, picking up some of those tonight.
Printed out a list for the house/pet sitter.
The snake's friday meal is out and thawing. 

I still need to:
Pack my knitting bag.
Clean all the animal cages 
Do our floors. 
Find swim suits.
Pack actual, you know, clothes. 

We are not taking dog food with us. We're just going to buy a bag there, because transporting dog food is a nightmare I don't want.


----------



## missc89

cookieface said:


> Unless I can marry for money and quit my job; that would help.


I'd like that... or winning the lottery. Man if I won the lottery, BSL would be out from Ontario (WHICH IT MIGHT BE!) and no dogs in my home town would ever get euthanized...


----------



## pawsaddict

OMG! Did SO really just say that he doesn't care what breed our next dog is?!?!?! We went from "must be manly" to "whatever you want". I mean, he knows I want to do agility with our next dog too, so he understands the qualities I am looking for in a dog and likes those...but really, no looks hangups? That opens up a world of possibilities!


----------



## jade5280

pawsaddict said:


> OMG! Did SO really just say that he doesn't care what breed our next dog is?!?!?! We went from "must be manly" to "whatever you want". I mean, he knows I want to do agility with our next dog too, so he understands the qualities I am looking for in a dog and likes those...but really, no looks hangups? That opens up a world of possibilities!


 What breed were you thinking? SO and I are opposites....he wants a pug. I think they're cute, but I like big dogs.


----------



## cookieface

missc89 said:


> I'd like that... or winning the lottery. Man if I won the lottery, BSL would be out from Ontario (WHICH IT MIGHT BE!) and no dogs in my home town would ever get euthanized...


I think the odds are better for the marriage thing. 



pawsaddict said:


> OMG! Did SO really just say that he doesn't care what breed our next dog is?!?!?! We went from "must be manly" to "whatever you want". I mean, he knows I want to do agility with our next dog too, so he understands the qualities I am looking for in a dog and likes those...but really, no looks hangups? That opens up a world of possibilities!


Huh, my husband didn't know he could have an opinion.  What breeds are you considering?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH my SO, wants a mal, or a WLGSD or some other damn thing, which would be fine, but I dont know if he has the dedication it takes to own a dog like that.


----------



## pawsaddict

Well, SO loves Ridgebacks. And I do too...I'm just not sure they are right for us right now. He also likes the look of Corsos and Dogos. He prefers larger dogs.

I want a medium or large dog this time around. I keep coming back to Vizslas, Brittanys, Weims, and GSPs. Clearly, I have a type, haha. I have also started to recently think about BCs and Smooth Collies as well. 

We are 3-4 years away from NextDog, since school plans changed and then got pushed back a year, so lots of time to think about stuff. 

Ultimately, the qualities I want in a dog are:
-I prefer velcro
-biddable
-off-leash capable (with proper training)
-high energy but with an off-switch
-drivey and athletic
-minimal grooming requirements
-tolerates other dogs well (doesn't have to be best buddies, but isn't prone to DA) 
-aloof-ish with strangers (not overly friendly)


----------



## ireth0

Confession time...

I have a binder for all of Luna's class certificates and ribbons associated with the certificates. We didn't get a certificate for our nosework trial but I put our ribbon in with the... I dunno the technical name but the page where they broke down our score. 

I realize non-dog people would find this absurd.


----------



## Sibe

Random video of the day: Cats in zero gravity can't right themselves.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...animal-space-experiments.html#v-2679848288001


----------



## jade5280

I love most hounds, but personally wouldn't own a ridgeback. They are truly stunning, but they are just too independent minded for my liking. I would compare them to a spitz in temperament. They have that quiet sneakiness to them. I also haven't met one what was reliable off leash (not saying they don't exist)


----------



## Laurelin

I am in class with a ridgeback and some more ridgeback people. I'm pretty sure you have to be a saint to do agility with them. Lol. 

Lovely and pretty dogs. Very independent and hard to motivate. 

Other thoughts lab, golden (I love goldens). If I wanted a larger sporting type agility dog it'd be a golden. For smaller breeds field English cocker. Aussie could be a good option too. Dobe?


----------



## pawsaddict

jade5280 said:


> I love most hounds, but personally wouldn't own a ridgeback. They are truly stunning, but they are just too independent minded for my liking. I would compare them to a spitz in temperament. They have that quiet sneakiness to them. I also haven't met one what was reliable off leash (not saying they don't exist)


Yeah. I have met a few that whose owners said they were reliable off-leash. Whether that is true or not, I'm not sure. And I really don't want to risk it, since we do a lot of off-leash activities. I want to stack the deck in my favor as much as I can. And I agree. At the moment, they are too independent-thinking for me as well. Maybe later on, but not for nextdog.


----------



## pawsaddict

Laurelin said:


> I am in class with a ridgeback and some more ridgeback people. I'm pretty sure you have to be a saint to do agility with them. Lol.
> 
> Lovely and pretty dogs. Very independent and hard to motivate.
> 
> Other thoughts lab, golden (I love goldens). If I wanted a larger sporting type agility dog it'd be a golden. For smaller breeds field English cocker. Aussie could be a good option too. Dobe?


Lmao! Yeah... amd I'm no saint.

I really like Dobes...minus the health issues  I don't think I can overlook those, unfortunately.

An Aussie might be cool. There was an Aussie in my class and he was gorgeous. Very smart. I'll have to look more into them.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I am not suggesting you go out and get a Ridgeback but I had a lot to do with them when I was younger. The female I owned I got her Championship and her C.D. degree and she was easy to train, good with other dogs and no problem at all off leash. I don't know if their temperament has changed over the years but the ones I had anything to do with were great dogs but it could have been the breeding or those particular dogs. I met one a couple of years ago at an Agility trial. The dog was not in the trial, just visiting but he was a really good looking Ridgeback and very calm and friendly without being overly happy to see everyone. I never thought of them as having a "hound" temperament as they certainly were not like Beagles and some of the other hounds to train.


----------



## Remaru

I would love a Dogo, probably never going to happen for me. I've always loved them though. They are the right size but I don't think my health will manage keeping up with one and hubby isn't reliable enough (he always says he will help but.....yeah....). My next dog will either be a retired racing grey, borzoi or Beauceron. It will depend on what my health/needs look like then but I'm hoping to not really be thinking about that for at least 5 years (fingers crossed).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I have always loved the mastiffs, too but I dont think it will happen for me, either


----------



## Laurelin

Oh I love the ridgeback a lot. Just not sure if I could handle one in agility. They are all pretty ho hum about it. 

There's a smooth BC (maybe mix) at hanks shelter. She is 27 lbs and a year and a half. I have half a mind to go see her tomorrow but she sounds pretty mellow and I have a bad track record of impulse buys. Lol. But she sounds sweet and is very pretty. But I think maybe too low key for me. And I don't want a fourth really. But I keep looking at her. Surprised she hasn't been adopted yet being so small and good with kids and dogs and laid back.


----------



## Sibe

jade5280 said:


> I love most hounds, but personally wouldn't own a ridgeback. They are truly stunning, but they are just too independent minded for my liking. I would compare them to a spitz in temperament. They have that quiet sneakiness to them. I also haven't met one what was reliable off leash (not saying they don't exist)


 There are a lot of Ridgebacks in San Diego, and they have meetups at a dog beach that is unfenced. Not to say recall is stellar or they wouldn't run off if there wasn't so much awesome stuff on the dog beach though...


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

pawsaddict said:


> Well, SO loves Ridgebacks. And I do too...I'm just not sure they are right for us right now. He also likes the look of Corsos and Dogos. He prefers larger dogs.
> 
> I want a medium or large dog this time around. I keep coming back to Vizslas, Brittanys, Weims, and GSPs. Clearly, I have a type, haha. I have also started to recently think about BCs and Smooth Collies as well.
> 
> We are 3-4 years away from NextDog, since school plans changed and then got pushed back a year, so lots of time to think about stuff.
> 
> Ultimately, the qualities I want in a dog are:
> -I prefer velcro
> -biddable
> -off-leash capable (with proper training)
> -high energy but with an off-switch
> -drivey and athletic
> -minimal grooming requirements
> -tolerates other dogs well (doesn't have to be best buddies, but isn't prone to DA)
> -aloof-ish with strangers (not overly friendly)


You just described an Aussie! Of course they can be reactive and a little on the hard side. 

Vizslas are pretty neat and sound good. I don't know any that are aloof of strangers though. Maybe not as crazy friendly as a Golden. 

I really don't know many dog tolerant Border Collies.. at least not until they have been around the other dog awhile. Also depends what you mean by velcro! Always want to be near you? Sure! Want to cuddle you? Ehhh not really!


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I really don't know many dog tolerant Border Collies.. at least not until they have been around the other dog awhile. Also depends what you mean by velcro! Always want to be near you? Sure! Want to cuddle you? Ehhh not really!


Yep, agreed. You might do better with an aussie but you've been watching Molly's stuff long enough to know what's going on there  (You = Paws, though upon reflection everyone?) 

And aussies generally have a lot of hair.


----------



## Laurelin

Do you guys think mix or purebred?

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32926048/

No, I am not planning a fourth. Just curious. She's been available a while and I might go meet and greet tomorrow if she's still available. Just see if she seems sporty at all.


----------



## CptJack

I don't know. I wouldn't argue if you said purebred, and I wouldn't argue if you decided mix. Which is about as wishy washy as you can get. Looks mostly BC to me, though, I think. 

She's ADORABLE, though.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Agreed with CptJack. BCs vary soo much it is seriously difficult to tell sometimes. You'd probably be able to tell better in person and after knowing her true personality. She looks like she could have some kind of sporting breed in there... maybe. But again.. could also not.

I'm not telling you not to go.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah that's kind of what I'm thinking. There's something kind of not BC about her but also not really? I would buy either way.

I'm kind of hoping tomorrow morning she's not on petfinder anymore. That's what happened with the last BC  He was up for a few days then I said if he was still up tomorrow I'd go. And he was adopted (thankfully!)


----------



## CptJack

I actually had to play 'how do I register Molly for agility, All American or BC'. I went all American since I can't prove purebred and was told she had 1/4 of something else in there, but I wrestled with it pretty freaking hard, to be honest. I STILL see no ACD in that dog. Not that I absolutely, positively, don't believe there is any, but I dont' see it.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah I don't see ACD either. One of my friends registered her welsh sheepdog as an all American and at agility she's constantly asked why her BC is registered as a mix. 

I possibly could have ILP'd Hank as a rat terrier. I'm positive he's a mutt and not positive he has any rat terrier in him.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, I was told by a few people I could ILP Molly as a BC but. Meh. People will live with it, either way. I just had moments of going "OH MY GOD IF I DO IT WRONG I WILL BE IN TROUBLE". Nah.


----------



## pawsaddict

Laurelin said:


> Oh I love the ridgeback a lot. Just not sure if I could handle one in agility. They are all pretty ho hum about it.
> 
> There's a smooth BC (maybe mix) at hanks shelter. She is 27 lbs and a year and a half. I have half a mind to go see her tomorrow but she sounds pretty mellow and I have a bad track record of impulse buys. Lol. But she sounds sweet and is very pretty. But I think maybe too low key for me. And I don't want a fourth really. But I keep looking at her. Surprised she hasn't been adopted yet being so small and good with kids and dogs and laid back.


That's my worry. I don't want ho hum when it comes to agility, so right now, I'd rather not risk it.



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> You just described an Aussie! Of course they can be reactive and a little on the hard side.
> 
> Vizslas are pretty neat and sound good. I don't know any that are aloof of strangers though. Maybe not as crazy friendly as a Golden.
> 
> I really don't know many dog tolerant Border Collies.. at least not until they have been around the other dog awhile. Also depends what you mean by velcro! Always want to be near you? Sure! Want to cuddle you? Ehhh not really!


By velcro, I mean very cuddly. I love it! That's the one thing about BC's that really throws me off...the lack of physical affection. I don't know how I would feel about it since both my dogs LOVE it so much. They are always around me, and when we are on the couch, they are always touching me. I really like that. They aren't anxious in any way or upset when I leave, but when I am around, they soak up every minute of it.

I am cautiously curious about BCs (and maybe Aussies). I don't quite know if they would fit, but there is something that just draws me in.



CptJack said:


> Yep, agreed. You might do better with an aussie but you've been watching Molly's stuff long enough to know what's going on there  (You = Paws, though upon reflection everyone?)
> 
> And aussies generally have a lot of hair.


That's also a concern. I do like minimal grooming. If I were to ever get a BC, I would want one with a short coat. I can deal with weekly brushing. But I don't want to do any more than that. I'm lazy 


Edit: Lots to think about. And who knows what could change in the interim. I just love to daydream, especially now that "manly" (whatever that means) is out of the criteria.


----------



## Laurelin

People are always adamant about Hank either being absolutely no ACD and all terrier or absolutely part ACD. I don't even know or really care much anymore. He's a Hank.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> People are always adamant about Hank either being absolutely no ACD and all terrier or absolutely part ACD. I don't even know or really care much anymore. He's a Hank.


People get WEIIIIRDLY adamant about Kylie. I find it mildly frustrating but mostly I just don't care anymore, either. I think a lot of it's people just recognizing something in her that's familiar to them from their own breed and latching on.


----------



## jade5280

I'm so stoked the order Gypsy's karma collar tomorrow! Irrationally excited.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> People get WEIIIIRDLY adamant about Kylie. I find it mildly frustrating but mostly I just don't care anymore, either. I think a lot of it's people just recognizing something in her that's familiar to them from their own breed and latching on.


People won't accept mix as an answer. For some reason. 

Also my vet called wanting agility trainer references. How cool is that?


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

pawsaddict said:


> That's my worry. I don't want ho hum when it comes to agility, so right now, I'd rather not risk it.
> 
> 
> 
> By velcro, I mean very cuddly. I love it! That's the one thing about BC's that really throws me off...the lack of physical affection. I don't know how I would feel about it since both my dogs LOVE it so much. They are always around me, and when we are on the couch, they are always touching me. I really like that. They aren't anxious in any way or upset when I leave, but when I am around, they soak up every minute of it.
> 
> I am cautiously curious about BCs (and maybe Aussies). I don't quite know if they would fit, but there is something that just draws me in.
> 
> 
> 
> That's also a concern. I do like minimal grooming. If I were to ever get a BC, I would want one with a short coat. I can deal with weekly brushing. But I don't want to do any more than that. I'm lazy
> 
> 
> Edit: Lots to think about. And who knows what could change in the interim. I just love to daydream, especially now that "manly" (whatever that means) is out of the criteria.


Yeah. Ember goes to the other end of the couch if I sit near her. Kairi lays on me the moment I lay on the couch. Aussies are known for being physical, but they are also physical in that they like being all over you. My husband (boyfriend at the time) finally agreed to an Aussie the moment one knocked him over, wiggled, kissed and sat all over him. They are more goofy than Border Collies, but still serious about their work. I personally find Aussies an easier herding breed than Border Collies because they are more like a regular dog. Still quirky.. but not over the top weird. That may not be true for a different kind of person. 

As for grooming.. they don't need brushed all the time. I go once every two weeks at times. If you want to get the hair out, maybe, but the shedding is no worse than a short haired breed. I personally prefer long coats because they don't shed as bad as many short coated breeds. I can't get that prickly short hair out of anything! Give me tumbleweeds! Everyone has their own preferences though!


----------



## CptJack

Molly's physicality is changing. By which I mean she comes onto the couch to sit beside me, maybe rest her head on my knee while I'm watching TV. HOWEVER, she still gets up and leaves if she's sleeping, and while she likes a nice snuggle at night, if you move to touch her at all during the night, she's out of there. Usually she's out of there, anyway.**She LOVES pressing her head against your chest and snuggling up that way, but it's pretty short lived. 

Still better than she used to be, though.

And I am never owning another longish haired double coated breed again because Thud has traumatized me for life. (I'm lying. I would, and will but omfg do not like). In fairness though Jack sheds horribly too and he's got a short, single coat.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank sheds about 100x more than my papillons and way more than my Shelties. Oh my word it's horrible. 

I go back and forth about wanting short hair again. I seriously spend the most time grooming him.


----------



## elrohwen

Kathyy said:


> And here's Bucky!
> AKA Buckwheat, Bucbuc, Buckmeister and who knows what else.
> 
> A fear biter from the local county shelter which is now no kill! No fleas this time but mega mats hanging from legs, butt and ears. Going to take while to get the really awful ear mats off but the rest are about falling off on their own. He was there a week and a bad actor at first, when we took Ginger to meet him he was all over the kennel worker so I am sure he is just one of those dogs that doesn't like getting ordered around by people he doesn't know. My other fearful dogs barked and snarled before snapping, he only lifts his lip according to the shelter worker. That's harder to work with.
> 
> He really resembles Ginger but is built a little lower to the ground which sure makes him seem like a much larger dog. He is actually a bit smaller than her. His ears are even the same triangle shape under the fuzz.
> 
> We've been able to handle him some and he has been flipping over for tummy rubs. Ginger isn't positive he is a good idea yet as he is a bit more forceful than she is and only 2 years old.


Bucky is so adorable! He's like a little mini golden/spaniel mix thing. I love him.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Hank sheds about 100x more than my papillons and way more than my Shelties. Oh my word it's horrible.
> 
> I go back and forth about wanting short hair again. I seriously spend the most time grooming him.


Grey the ACDx is the worst shedder I have ever met I think. He has that short but plush double coat and it is awful. If he sits on your lap for one minute you will be covered in white hairs. The Welshies seem like a non-shedding breed next to him.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie doesn't seem to shed at all - ever. Like I've never found Kylie hair laying around. It has to be pulled out of her fur when it dies because it does the cling/stick thing. jack sheds like mad. Bug basically doesn't shed. Thud sheds tumble weeds. Molly sheds 'normally' - she sheds but not like 'pull off a trashbag and find a pile left behind every place she laid down for 10 minutes' like Thud or 'turns the black comforter white with shed hair. 

So basically I don't see any real connection but Thud still traumatizes me.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> Grey the ACDx is the worst shedder I have ever met I think. He has that short but plush double coat and it is awful. If he sits on your lap for one minute you will be covered in white hairs. The Welshies seem like a non-shedding breed next to him.


Hank has a weirdly short double coat. I furminate him daily. If he touches you you will be covers completely. And what's worse is its part black and part white. You can't hide it at all.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Hank has a weirdly short double coat. I furminate him daily. If he touches you you will be covers completely. And what's worse is its part black and part white. You can't hide it at all.


Yep, same as Grey, though his seems longer than Hank's. More of a typical ACD coat length/thickness. But yeah, there is no way you will not notice hairs all over you.

It's like my rabbits. If they sit on your lap you're going to be covered, and since Otto is black and white you will notice no matter what color clothes you have on.


----------



## Remaru

I never notice Magic shedding but I know she does. When she was still staying in a crate in my son's room I would see some fur around it (like around his base boards right behind where it sat) but now that we don't bother crating her at all I never see any. I'm sure it is there but there just isn't that much. Lenore sheds a good bit and it is that tiny short stuff that sticks in everything. It is all over the one couch she likes to sleep on (and probably more noticeable because of the darker brown blanket I have it covered with). Freyja sheds like crazy though. Even with brushing her at least once a week she has been blowing coat since spring. She is mostly in summer coat now but still shedding pretty badly. If she and Lad play at all there are puffs blowing everywhere. Lad will shed some too but it is no where near the same. With him it is more that if he leans on me he leaves some white fluff behind, just enough so you know you have a dog. Hallow leaves her own black puff balls behind wherever she has been hanging out for a while (oddly not much comes out when I brush her).


----------



## elrohwen

Remaru said:


> I never notice Magic shedding but I know she does. When she was still staying in a crate in my son's room I would see some fur around it (like around his base boards right behind where it sat) but now that we don't bother crating her at all I never see any


The Welshies are like that. You'll find it around their crates, or in some tumbleweeds around the house, but I never seem to feel them shedding and if I brush them very little comes out. Nothing really ends up on my clothes. It's a good level of shedding for me!


----------



## pawsaddict

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Yeah. Ember goes to the other end of the couch if I sit near her. Kairi lays on me the moment I lay on the couch. Aussies are known for being physical, but they are also physical in that they like being all over you. My husband (boyfriend at the time) finally agreed to an Aussie the moment one knocked him over, wiggled, kissed and sat all over him. They are more goofy than Border Collies, but still serious about their work. I personally find Aussies an easier herding breed than Border Collies because they are more like a regular dog. Still quirky.. but not over the top weird. That may not be true for a different kind of person.
> 
> As for grooming.. they don't need brushed all the time. I go once every two weeks at times. If you want to get the hair out, maybe, but the shedding is no worse than a short haired breed. I personally prefer long coats because they don't shed as bad as many short coated breeds. I can't get that prickly short hair out of anything! Give me tumbleweeds! Everyone has their own preferences though!


Thanks for info! I really appreciate it. I don't mind shedding at all. Marley and Nova shed all.the.time. I'm just a lazy groomer. And the idea of sitting for an hour brushing a dog's coat just doesn't do it for me...nor does taking a dog to an actual groomer on a regular basis. I prefer a wash and wear, minimal brushing kind of coat.


----------



## CptJack

ireth0 said:


> Confession time...
> 
> I have a binder for all of Luna's class certificates and ribbons associated with the certificates. We didn't get a certificate for our nosework trial but I put our ribbon in with the... I dunno the technical name but the page where they broke down our score.
> 
> I realize non-dog people would find this absurd.


I have a little notebook I put all of Kylie's trial results in, and I'm definitely saving all her ribbons. So, you know, I'm a dog person and don't count for this but totally not absurd. I'm kind of hoping to eventually accumulate enough to do something crafty with.


----------



## Caro

I know someone who has all the agility title certificates framed & ribbons hanging on the wall for not only her 2 current dogs but all her deceased dogs as well. So, keeping everything in a binder is not weird.


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## Laurelin

Gotcha day










Now










Gotcha Day










Now










Then (close to gotcha)










Now










Just me or has he matured quite a bit in looks?


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## CptJack

All the waffling around, being SURE I knew what her registered name would be and I finally send in Molly's registration and her registered name just ended up being 'odds are'. With, you know, Molly as the call name. 

And Molly is all anyone will see anyway.

But the why of "Odds Are"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sw9Fh6uk4Q

It was a temporary whim, but amusing and I won't really care since it's not used in a real way and meanwhile it's AMUSING.


----------



## JazzyTheSiberian

I can never seem to relax, anymore, and its taking a toll on me. I'm getting burned out so much, to the point where nothing really fun, and I can't really do much.

Whenever I try to sit down to relax, I feel lazy, and feel as if I have to be doing something.I get that feeling that I'm being useless, and thats don't rest this, and I just be doing something.If I don't something for awhile, I regret it. 

So... Basically I'm always doing something cleaning, doing something with the cats, running/biking/walking, etc. Then comes the part where I need to make a decision. Which is horrible become ause I can't seem to ever make one, without thinking "what-if?", "If I do (blank) is that ok?" "Should I do that?" Whatever decision I nake, I'll overthink it, and probably, regret the whole thing all together.

I want to relax, I love doing it, but I just can't truly relax... I can't remember the last time I have felt relaxed.


----------



## cookieface

ireth0 said:


> Confession time...
> 
> I have a binder for all of Luna's class certificates and ribbons associated with the certificates. We didn't get a certificate for our nosework trial but I put our ribbon in with the... I dunno the technical name but the page where they broke down our score.
> 
> I realize non-dog people would find this absurd.


I have all the handouts and certificates for classes we've taken. I'm currently taking advanced manners with the same instructor for the third (maybe fourth) time. I finally told her that I don't need the homework sheets as I have plenty.  I need to scan and upload everything to google drive so I can actually find what I need.



Laurelin said:


> Gotcha day
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gotcha Day
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then (close to gotcha)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just me or has he matured quite a bit in looks?


A little more mature, but definitely more tongue. 



JazzyTheSiberian said:


> I can never seem to relax, anymore, and its taking a toll on me. I'm getting burned out so much, to the point where nothing really fun, and I can't really do much.
> 
> Whenever I try to sit down to relax, I feel lazy, and feel as if I have to be doing something.I get that feeling that I'm being useless, and thats don't rest this, and I just be doing something.If I don't something for awhile, I regret it.
> 
> So... Basically I'm always doing something cleaning, doing something with the cats, running/biking/walking, etc. Then comes the part where I need to make a decision. Which is horrible become ause I can't seem to ever make one, without thinking "what-if?", "If I do (blank) is that ok?" "Should I do that?" Whatever decision I nake, I'll overthink it, and probably, regret the whole thing all together.
> 
> I want to relax, I love doing it, but I just can't truly relax... I can't remember the last time I have felt relaxed.


I can understand what you're feeling; I get the same way except I feel so overwhelmed with things I "should be" doing that I do nothing. You can't remember the last time you felt relaxed; I can't remember the last time I felt truly happy. That's not true - I do remember, but it was a long time ago. Keep in mind, that relaxing - like sleep - is important and certainly not "doing nothing." Do you meditate? I know people who do and they find it very helpful - and it's not doing nothing - it's meditating. 

There was a discussion about anxiety (I'm 99% sure a few pages back in this thread); you're not alone. ((((hugs))))


----------



## CptJack

Talisman Farm's current BC litter on FB is *killing* me. 

So, so cute.


----------



## dogsule

Caro said:


> I know someone who has all the agility title certificates framed & ribbons hanging on the wall for not only her 2 current dogs but all her deceased dogs as well. So, keeping everything in a binder is not weird.


I have thought of doing that. So far I only have two of the Novice Agility title certificates but I was thinking of doing something with those and her Q ribbons and the new title ribbons Belle got. Just wasn't sure what yet. I did do this on my computer with her AKC certificates though...

IMG_7551a52noname by rzyg, on Flickr

IMG_9621DLMnoname by rzyg, on Flickr

Haven't printed them out though....I removed my name for posting here...


----------



## dogsule

cookieface said:


> I get the same way except I feel so overwhelmed with things I "should be" doing that I do nothing. You can't remember the last time you felt relaxed; I can't remember the last time I felt truly happy.


This is me to a T!!


----------



## elrohwen

For me it really helps to have a routine. On these days and times I do XYZ, and at other days and times I relax. So then when I do relax, I don't feel like I'm being lazy because on other days I did all of this stuff and I earned the chance to veg in front of the tv or read a book. If I have too much free time, I fall into the same trap of not really wanting to do anything, but feeling lazy and lousy if I just sit around, but not knowing what I want to do, etc.


----------



## cookieface

For me, I think part of the problem is fatigue. I don't sleep well under the best circumstances; I can fall asleep, but don't stay asleep. With taking evening classes, we've been getting home late, to bed later, and Tyson often wakes up a few times and _really, really needs to pee_. I know that if I exercised more, I'd feel and sleep better, but who has the energy to exercise while existing on an average of 5 hours of sleep a night?

Completely unrelated: I bought a plant for my office and need to keep it alive until Monday. Yikes!


----------



## jade5280

I'm always tired. I was tested for anemia to rule that out and I'm not anemic so I'm not sure what my problem is. I also have severe lack of motivation and when things stress me out I'm unable to do anything. This is why I dropped out of school the first time around. I don't handle stress well at all.


----------



## ireth0

I tend to work really well under high stress. A deadline that needs to be met NOW, or a line up of 30 customers, or other general crisis situations that need to be solved yesterday (like my mom coming for a surprise visit when my house is NOT 'mother level approved' clean...); I get very 'in the zone' and become super efficient and focused and bang out what needs to happen.

Medium or low stress? Eh... it could get done -later-... I don't need to do it -now-... It's really not -that- important... I am terrible at putting things off in those situations. Yesterday I did chores in less than an hour that I've been putting off for weeks because my mom was coming to visit unexpectedly and they needed to get done NOW. 

I also tend to work best with a schedule for those types of tasks. I've been meaning to work one out for not-daily- household chores but... big surprise; I keep putting it off. 

Speaking of mom visiting yesterday, Luna was a great demo dog for me! I was explaining to my mom what clicker training was and using Luna touching a shoe as my demonstration. To be fair she knows 'touch' but I just did it with shaping without using the cue and she got it within like... 1 rep? 2 reps? Made me look good regardless.


----------



## Laurelin

Laurelin said:


> Do you guys think mix or purebred?
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32926048/
> 
> No, I am not planning a fourth. Just curious. She's been available a while and I might go meet and greet tomorrow if she's still available. Just see if she seems sporty at all.


ADOPTED by the time they'd opened this afternoon. 

Whew.


----------



## CptJack

We have our rental. Now it's down to last minute cleaning, loading up the van, and getting out of here bright and early tomorrow morning. I have no idea what's going to happen with internet while we're there but y'all are going to get SO. Many. Pictures. Almost everything I'm plotting is dog heavy outdoorsy as hell. I mean our evenings won't be, but. Yeah.


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> ADOPTED by the time they'd opened this afternoon.
> 
> Whew.


$30 adoption fee!? Thank god fees around here at usually $200+ otherwise I would have a million dogs.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> ADOPTED by the time they'd opened this afternoon.
> 
> Whew.


I think I'm relieved, but also slightly sad. I like it when DF members accquire dogs >.>

(our adoption fees are about 50.00. Or Free. Depends on the animal control, but a lot of them you get your money back after proof of spay/rabies.)


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## CptJack

Oh, hey. I finally got Kylie to lose some weight. 

I started feeding her out of a mouse food bowl. ...Seriously.


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## Laurelin

Fee is usually $60 but sometimes is dropped to $30 depending on when/how many animals you take/etc. Hank was $60. 

Yeah I'm mutually bummed and also relieved. LOL I really do want a BC and maybe soonish (next year to two). Puppy from lines I like is probably the smarter choice but I also have to admit I like the non politics of rescuing and not having to deal with breeders. And yeah the discounted price is nice too. xD


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## CptJack

There is one BC breeder I am head over heels with in love right now and one I kind of like. I am stalking them both on FB, so that if they're around years from now when I'm down a dog or two I can go there. Or decide if I want to go there. 

I may well be too impulsive and impatient for it, though, and just end up going "Okay, puppy/dog here I like, done." I do that a lot.


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## Laurelin

Oh god this one's cute. lol

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32946396/

I also want a real ACD too but more than 4 ain't happening.


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## DogTheGreat

Has anybody else ever had a dog that submissively pees? Mine has done it since she was a wee pup during greetings with people (strangers and the known) as well as with dogs. While she has gotten a lot better about it, it still shows up in new environments. Our last trainer, who was the best and sadly moved, said that she _should_ eventually mature out of it. When I went to go clean up a puddle she'd made during our last agility class after a girl had come to say hi to her, the woman instructing the class commented that she had a dog who did it and then went on to say that there isn't anything you can do for it. Just have to wait it out. Which is why I'm starting to get so frustrated with it. I just wish that I could work with her to "fix" it. Ugh, I just hope that she really does mature out of it in time. 

It's not a fearful thing for her. Might be some lack of confidence, but definitely not a fearful thing. Hard to tell people that it's best to not say hi to her even though she's clearly friendly and wants to greet them. Also hard because I'm not an assertive person in the slightest and really need to work on that when it comes to her.


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## DogTheGreat

Laurelin said:


> Oh god this one's cute. lol
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32946396/


Aw, what a cutie. I wonder what he's mixed with.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

If you don't want impulse, get your butt on a waiting list for a litter next year with a really awesome breeder!  

Though, I really think I want my next Border Collie to be an adult rescue. Border Collie puppies are so unpredictable. Plus.. finding a "good" BC breeder was the worst experience of my life with all the stupid BC politics. I gave up and let my husband just choose what he wanted since, well, his dog. 

Those of you struggling with tiredness and depression... maybe look into having your thyroid checked. I've had those issues a lot the past few years. My lady doctor suggested I get my thyroid tested this past year and.. yup. Hypothyroid.


----------



## Jen2010

> Has anybody else ever had a dog that submissively pees? Mine has done it since she was a wee pup during greetings with people (strangers and the known) as well as with dogs. While she has gotten a lot better about it, it still shows up in new environments. Our last trainer, who was the best and sadly moved, said that she should eventually mature out of it. When I went to go clean up a puddle she'd made during our last agility class after a girl had come to say hi to her, the woman instructing the class commented that she had a dog who did it and then went on to say that there isn't anything you can do for it. Just have to wait it out. Which is why I'm starting to get so frustrated with it. I just wish that I could work with her to "fix" it. Ugh, I just hope that she really does mature out of it in time.
> 
> It's not a fearful thing for her. Might be some lack of confidence, but definitely not a fearful thing. Hard to tell people that it's best to not say hi to her even though she's clearly friendly and wants to greet them. Also hard because I'm not an assertive person in the slightest and really need to work on that when it comes to her.


 Yes, Kane does it. It was worse as a puppy of course. Now that he's nearly a year old he's mostly grown out of it. Now he will still pee if his bladder is full so I try to take him out to the bathroom if I know he's going to meet a new person or a dog. It helps.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> If you don't want impulse, get your butt on a waiting list for a litter next year with a really awesome breeder!


The thing for me is, I'm not ready to get another dog until at least one and probably 2 are gone. That's not something I can predict. Well, maybe if I wait two. I don't know, I guess we'll see. Impulse has mostly worked out well for me.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> The thing for me is, I'm not ready to get another dog until at least one and probably 2 are gone. That's not something I can predict. Well, maybe if I wait two. I don't know, I guess we'll see. Impulse has mostly worked out well for me.


It was directed at Laurelin and mostly joking, so don't worry. I get why you wouldn't want to be on a waiting list. They aren't really fun anyway, and I completely understand why impulse works better for a lot of people!


----------



## CptJack

Oh, I wasn't meaning to sound defensive. It's just something I'm already tossing around in my head. Pluses and minuses.


----------



## elrohwen

Had a bad experience at the vet today with a really annoying new vet. Hazel has yeasty red ears and needed a vaccine so I made an appointment. Neither our regular vet nor his wife were in today, so they put me with some other guy (not even sure who he is, because he's not listed on their site). I love NY. I live in NY. But you know the a**hole NY stereotype? That was this guy. Loud, pushy, talked over me, etc.

He would not stop talking about allergies because of the yeasty ears. I told him I totally got it, and I was on the look out because of the ear thing and because her aunt has a chicken allergy. But then he put down my choice of food when I said it was beef based and grain free ("Grain free is just marketing. Only people are allergic to grains"). And he said if she had allergies she would only be able to eat prescription food because the stuff at the store just won't cut it, except maybe the super rare proteins like kangaroo and stuff. Huh? Yeah, she has yeasty ears. I'm pretty sure this will be fine, but I'll consider allergies. I've also met plenty of dogs with food allergies who do just fine on store brand foods with some care to pick the right proteins (no kangaroo required). He just went on and on. Oh, and I told him that I own her father and he had the exact same thing as a puppy and it has never come back.

Then he asked if I was spaying her soon because he recommends everybody spay before 6 months. I said I was not spaying until at least 2 and that I would show her, so he asks if I'm going to breed her and I said no. He dropped it for a bit, but then went back to the spay thing and recommended again that I really think about spaying before 6 months for health reasons, because it's really better and prevents cancer and is so much healthier. Huh? Again I said no, I'm showing her, and I want to wait for her first heat at minimum. And then he asked again if I was going to breed her if she won shows, as if he couldn't believe that I would keep a female intact, show her, and not want to breed her. It was just awkward. He was super condescending and pushy about everything when I just came in for a vaccine and some stuff for her ears. By the end I was starting to lose my patience.

Next time, definitely making sure I get our regular vet! It makes me love him even more for being so rational and willing to talk through all of the options and pros and cons. And for not pushing me to speuter my animals all the time (and actually telling me not to neuter Watson for behavioral reasons). And for just being a likeable person. Haha


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> If you don't want impulse, get your butt on a waiting list for a litter next year with a really awesome breeder!


Logics. lol

My BC problem is I can't find a breeder? I mean there's one I like a lot (theoretically) and another I like a lot but I've never met dogs from them. I think I am on too many FB groups about BC and sports breeders because the more dirt I hear the more I want to go to a farm and get a random pup. lol Sooooo much politics and shadiness. I've also got a couple friends with pups I'm watching to see if I like them when they grow up. That would probably push it back to 2017 or later for that breeder since they don't breed often. I honestly don't care if people don't like my breeder choice I just want to find someone consistently producing what I want. (and I've seen a lot of BCs from 'good breeders' washing out of sports lately)

That said now I noticed the BC rescue my friends foster for has a litter of suspected BC/rat terriers.... 3 months old


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Logics. lol
> 
> My BC problem is I can't find a breeder? I mean there's one I like a lot (theoretically) and another I like a lot but I've never met dogs from them. I think I am on too many FB groups about BC and sports breeders because the more dirt I hear the more I want to go to a farm and get a random pup. lol Sooooo much politics and shadiness. I've also got a couple friends with pups I'm watching to see if I like them when they grow up. That would probably push it back to 2017 or later for that breeder since they don't breed often. I honestly don't care if people don't like my breeder choice I just want to find someone consistently producing what I want. (and I've seen a lot of BCs from 'good breeders' washing out of sports lately)
> 
> That said now I noticed the BC rescue my friends foster for has a litter of suspected BC/rat terriers.... 3 months old


There's a reason my husband chose random farm bred puppy with no contract or real health testing. He was just as tired of looking as I was (he knows all the "rules" I know). That being said, they did at least do prelims and keep in contact with puppy buyers. Also, their dogs actually do work on the ranch .. and they are not breeding very often at all. If I wasn't so confused about what I believed to be a good BC breeder based off BC forums etc.. I would have went with a breeder who did show (GASP) with moderate dogs who "do it all". But OMG THEY SHOW DOGS BAD BAD BAD. 

Also.. you MIGHT want to inquire about those puppies!


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> We have our rental. Now it's down to last minute cleaning, loading up the van, and getting out of here bright and early tomorrow morning. I have no idea what's going to happen with internet while we're there but *y'all are going to get SO. Many. Pictures.* Almost everything I'm plotting is dog heavy outdoorsy as hell. I mean our evenings won't be, but. Yeah.


Awesome! Have a great trip!



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> There's a reason my husband chose random farm bred puppy with no contract or real health testing. *He was just as tired of looking as I was* (he knows all the "rules" I know). That being said, they did at least do prelims and keep in contact with puppy buyers. Also, their dogs actually do work on the ranch .. and they are not breeding very often at all. If I wasn't so confused about what I believed to be a good BC breeder based off BC forums etc.. I would have went with a breeder who did show (GASP) with moderate dogs who "do it all". But OMG THEY SHOW DOGS BAD BAD BAD.
> 
> Also.. you MIGHT want to inquire about those puppies!


Ha ha, I think that's how we bought our house. We were tired of looking and bought the next one that met our general requirements.

I (think I) was really lucky when researching breeders. There's a well-regarded breeder who live practically down the street from me whoe advised me as did a friend with connections in the poodle world. I'm sure if I dug deep enough I could find dirt on all of them, but it doesn't really matter that much to me.


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> There's a reason my husband chose random farm bred puppy with no contract or real health testing. He was just as tired of looking as I was (he knows all the "rules" I know). That being said, they did at least do prelims and keep in contact with puppy buyers. Also, their dogs actually do work on the ranch .. and they are not breeding very often at all. If I wasn't so confused about what I believed to be a good BC breeder based off BC forums etc.. I would have went with a breeder who did show (GASP) with moderate dogs who "do it all". But OMG THEY SHOW DOGS BAD BAD BAD.
> 
> Also.. you MIGHT want to inquire about those puppies!


I might still do that lol. There's a local breeder here who has a tiny show/sport type female that is lovely.

I feel like I should put more time between Hank and Nextdog. I've already said no to one 2 year old male BC and a sheltie and a 2 year old male aussie and a mini aussie though.

I need a plan so I don't impulse buy again. I'm on impulse dog #3.


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## Laurelin

Also the BC/rats:

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847448/
https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847403/
https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847373/
https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847567/

I have this weird fear of being rejected by a rescue though lol.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Also the BC/rats:
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847448/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847403/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847373/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847567/
> 
> I have this weird fear of being rejected by a rescue though lol.


Oh. My. God. 

I might crawl through fire for that.


----------



## Laurelin

I want Piglet. LOL


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I want Piglet. LOL


Adam man. I want Adam. I even said I preferred girls but I *want* Adam. Good thing they're on the other side of the country because JESUS.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Excuse me for taking such a long time to reply, I can't seem to sit down at the computer for more then 15 minutes. [Which is the reason why I haven't been here much. Don't get me wrong, I love this forum, and chatting with everyone, but I can't seem to get myself to actually sit down, and reply to people.]



cookieface said:


> I can understand what you're feeling; I get the same way except I feel so overwhelmed with things I "should be" doing that I do nothing. You can't remember the last time you felt relaxed; I can't remember the last time I felt truly happy. That's not true - I do remember, but it was a long time ago. Keep in mind, that relaxing - like sleep - is important and certainly not "doing nothing." Do you meditate? I know people who do and they find it very helpful - and it's not doing nothing - it's meditating.
> 
> There was a discussion about anxiety (I'm 99% sure a few pages back in this thread); you're not alone. ((((hugs))))


Yeah... I'll get overwhelmed with things too - "I have to do this!", "But... I should really being doing this. Not that.". "I have to do this too!". But, then I'll do something, overthink it, and usally regret it, because I didn't do the other thing. 

For example, this morning I ran for about 2 miles(I usually have to run everyday.), but I also dog walk for others. They don't have a specific time for when it should be done, it's just "Come when you want ", basically. So, I decided to that instead of dog walking, but now it's raining. Now, of course, I regret not walking him. Not sure why, but I do. It may be because I feel like I still need to do something, so... I can't really relax? I don't know. But, whatever.

No, I don't mediate, but I've been considering doing Yoga with a freind. I just have to get her motivated. I feel like it'd be weird if I went to a class by myself, usally because it's just older ladies doing it, or at least from what I've seen. So... hopefully, she'll do a class with me, or I may do it at home(but I'd need to motivated myself to that, which may be difficult.) 



dogsule said:


> I have thought of doing that. So far I only have two of the Novice Agility title certificates but I was thinking of doing something with those and her Q ribbons and the new title ribbons Belle got. Just wasn't sure what yet. I did do this on my computer with her AKC certificates though...
> 
> IMG_7551a52noname by rzyg, on Flickr
> 
> IMG_9621DLMnoname by rzyg, on Flickr
> 
> Haven't printed them out though....I removed my name for posting here...


Ahhh, this is so awesome! I love what you did with the certificate, and how you edited it. By the way, I follow you on Flickr(hope your ok with that!), and I LOVE seeing your picture. The lighting, and composition is always so great. 




cookieface said:


> For me, I think part of the problem is fatigue. I don't sleep well under the best circumstances; I can fall asleep, but don't stay asleep. With taking evening classes, we've been getting home late, to bed later, and Tyson often wakes up a few times and _really, really needs to pee_. I know that if I exercised more, I'd feel and sleep better, but who has the energy to exercise while existing on an average of 5 hours of sleep a night?
> 
> Completely unrelated: I bought a plant for my office and need to keep it alive until Monday. Yikes!


I hear you! I'm starting to have issues falling asleep. My mind is still racing, and I'm thinking of million different things. "I should have done this today!". Then there's "You shoundn't be sleeping you still need to xyz!" Yesterday, I was up to 1 am(which isn't all the late), doing things.



jade5280 said:


> I'm always tired. I was tested for anemia to rule that out and I'm not anemic so I'm not sure what my problem is. I also have severe lack of motivation and when things stress me out I'm unable to do anything. This is why I dropped out of school the first time around. I don't handle stress well at all.


Yup. Same here! I tend to either be tired, or I'll just get tired very quickly.

When I get stressed out, I just... do nothing. I'll stop what I'm doing, and go to bed. Or, I'll actually make myself doing something, when I really don't want to do anything.



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> If you don't want impulse, get your butt on a waiting list for a litter next year with a really awesome breeder!
> 
> Though, I really think I want my next Border Collie to be an adult rescue. Border Collie puppies are so unpredictable. Plus.. finding a "good" BC breeder was the worst experience of my life with all the stupid BC politics. I gave up and let my husband just choose what he wanted since, well, his dog.
> 
> Those of you struggling with tiredness and depression... maybe look into having your thyroid checked. I've had those issues a lot the past few years. My lady doctor suggested I get my thyroid tested this past year and.. yup. Hypothyroid.


I think it may actually be a good thing I don't have much money. If I did, I'm afraid I'd have so many dogs. 

I actually found a BC breeder I really like, but that breeder, unfortunately, isn't here in the states. Overall, they are wonderful breeder. Great ethics, health test, breed for work ability, they also cross-train (agility, flyball), their temperaments are great, and so much more. I'll probably get into contact with them soon,and just say I'm interested in their dogs, but not sure if getting a dog from them will happen. I think that is the best way to go, because they have a long waiting list.

Oh, on the topic of BC politics, I agree it can be crazy. I was a member of BC Boards, and dear lord some of the people their just irk me ... to say at the least. But, there's still some great people there. Some though? Are just too extreme. IMO

I should probaly get my thryoid checked. My dad has it, and I assume it genetic. I was struggling with Depression badly before (it's gotten better!), but now there's this. Honestly... I never even thought that could be a cause until now, so thanks!



CptJack said:


> The thing for me is, I'm not ready to get another dog until at least one and probably 2 are gone. That's not something I can predict. Well, maybe if I wait two. I don't know, I guess we'll see. Impulse has mostly worked out well for me.


Impulses may a issue for my later on... You know, when I have money, and my own place. I'm sure I'll be fine... but, maybe not? lol we'll just have to see.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Also the BC/rats:
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847448/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847403/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847373/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847567/
> 
> I have this weird fear of being rejected by a rescue though lol.


How are you not applying right now?! I want Evie.


----------



## cookieface

Someone on a poodle forum posted a picture of a 90lb spoo. Uh, they're really not supposed to get that big.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Awesome! Have a great trip!


Thanks! I think we are actually, finally finished. THe van's loaded except the cooler, laptop bags, and last minute bag o' toiletry stuff that will go out with us. That means the dogs don't have access to crates tonight. Most of the dogs are fine with this, but Thud Is. Not. Happy. It's a bit hysterical, but his crate, even when open, has always been where he spent nights. So now he doesn't have it and he's both unsettled and clearly looking for the thing. Whoops.

FYI: Toyota Sienna has a massive amount of cargo room. We easily got 2 medium and one huge crate in there, with the last row of seats folded into the floor. As well as the stuff for people around it, a couple of rolls of tarp (for inlaws - husband's company makes it on military contract). Now, it does mean that Jack and Bug are being crated together, and Kylie is being crated up front between the first and second row of seats, but. HUGE amount of cargo room. Like just. MASSIVE.


----------



## Miss Bugs

some people... we have had this regular client for many many years, owners are loaded and own like 3 homes in various countries. so the dog was boarding and got diarrhea..but really really badly..like couldnt stop kinda thing. we tried to contact them and could not get and answer, the emergency contact number didn't work so we took the dog to the vet, she spent all of yesterday at the vet on fluids, after the owner finally returns our calls and changes the pick up date to this morning. this morning she comes and throws a tantrum screaming at us for taking her dog to the vet and refusing to pay the bill. now our contract CLEARLY states that if you dog needs a vet and we can't reach you, we will use our discretion and you are responsible for the vet bill. she denied signing this contract..despite showing her the paragraph with her signature at the bottom. from what I hear she wants to take it court! like..how about being happy we cared about your dog? would she have preferred we just ignored her obviously very ill dog? I swear, their is just no pleasing people!


----------



## Laurelin

1. He is weird.

2. I'm glad he doesn't weigh more.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Laurelin said:


> Also the BC/rats:
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847448/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847403/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847373/
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32847567/
> 
> I have this weird fear of being rejected by a rescue though lol.


Ya know, that isn't TOO far for me...

(2 dog max at this apartment we're moving into is killing me. But probably a good thing lol)


----------



## Mint

Update: I never ever ever want a goldendoodle. Never ever. I can also appreciate my under 40 lb dogs even more now, because it is so much easier to get a 10 pound dog to stop humping another small dog than it is to get a goldendoodle to stop humping a lab mix that is snapping at said goldendoodle.

That being said, the lab mix is a super sweet dog. Very chill and will politely ask for pets. I want her.


----------



## CptJack

There's a dock diving introduction/workshop going on about an hour from me 8-23. 

Um. That may very well be a thing.

ETA: OH MY GOD THERE IS A LOCAL DOCK DIVING CLUB! THIS ISN"T JUST A ONE OFF EVENT!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> There's a dock diving introduction/workshop going on about an hour from me 8-23.
> 
> Um. That may very well be a thing.
> 
> ETA: OH MY GOD THERE IS A LOCAL DOCK DIVING CLUB! THIS ISN"T JUST A ONE OFF EVENT!


So insanely jealous! Do it!! Dock Dogs is a very casual and laid back sport with no pressure. We don't have a training place here but there is Try DockDogs events. Unfortunately I live in Ohio so its only a summer thing. I'm entering Kairi next summer. Gonna be a blast!


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> So insanely jealous! Do it!! Dock Dogs is a very casual and laid back sport with no pressure. We don't have a training place here but there is Try DockDogs events. Unfortunately I live in Ohio so its only a summer thing. I'm entering Kairi next summer. Gonna be a blast!


Yeah, the thing the 23rd is basically a try it deal and I suspect most real stuff will be summer, but I'm totally going to try it. With Thud, of course.

And hey! LOTS of practice time on vacation. Honestly, I don't know what to expect of him with it, but if any of my dogs are going to go for it, it's him.


----------



## CptJack

Thud just stopped whining. After five hours.


----------



## Kathyy

Fun. Was he staring at you the whole time? Sassy used to do that. 

Bucky barked 90% of the time my brother was here. 5 hoursx90%= no idea but a really long time. Bucky slept well last night. Good exercise barking. So glad we have double paned windows and are surrounded by little yappy dogs. 

In the grooming department all kinds of loose fuzz is coming off but no mats. Bad news, his rear dews are into his pads near as I can tell. Was hoping to put off his first vet visit for a couple weeks, guess that isn't happening.

Ginger is being her usual stellar self. So glad she is going to get to go to nosework class this week and get away from annoying new dog. She so deserves it.


----------



## CptJack

Was? I wish. We're in hour 7 with 6-7 to go. Still keening
Whee.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola is now outrunning her handler at Flyball class  she had a different day yesterday, my training club just opened a doggy daycare in the facility and my Friend who is handling Sola works at it, so Sola spent the day yesterday at a different daycare making new friends before her class, she made friends with a double merle aussie called Josie. Gem was completely lost with her though, like she literally waited at the front door peering out the window waiting for Sola to come home lol


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Ember stepped on a bee. Second sting this month. It's not like this area is flooded with bees.. come on, dog.

Poor thing is gimpy and pathetic looking.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Thud just stopped whining. After five hours.


Guess I should be glad that Katie is quiet on trips. She won't settle: stand, sit, lie down, stand, spin, spin, lie down, stand... Tyson is a good car rider; he just lies downs and snoozes.



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ember stepped on a bee. Second sting this month. It's not like this area is flooded with bees.. come on, dog.
> 
> Poor thing is gimpy and pathetic looking.


Oh no. Hope he's feeling better soon. Bee stings hurt. I haven't been stung in about a year - the same day I was in an accident on my way home from work. The bite hurt for over a week. I've just had mosquito bites this year: my arms and legs are covered with irregular, red blotches. It's an attractive look.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

cookieface said:


> Guess I should be glad that Katie is quiet on trips. She won't settle: stand, sit, lie down, stand, spin, spin, lie down, stand... Tyson is a good car rider; he just lies downs and snoozes.
> 
> 
> 
> Oh no. Hope he's feeling better soon. Bee stings hurt. I haven't been stung in about a year - the same day I was in an accident on my way home from work. The bite hurt for over a week. I've just had mosquito bites this year: my arms and legs are covered with irregular, red blotches. It's an attractive look.


Ouch! That's just what you need after an accident. Also, mosquitos are the absolute worst. They should not exist! 

I haven't been stung by a bee for 20 years (knock on wood).


----------



## Laurelin

Ugh why did I decide to go to my 10 year reunion? lol


----------



## Miss Bugs

Laurelin said:


> Ugh why did I decide to go to my 10 year reunion? lol


Bad idea? Mine is in October, ive been back and forth on it


----------



## jade5280

I've been painting the interior of the house non stop since 8 am. It looks so easy until you're actually doing it. I'm going to be hurting tomorrow.


----------



## cookieface

Laurelin said:


> Ugh why did I decide to go to my 10 year reunion? lol


I've never been to a reunion and never plan to go. But, there aren't many people from HS I'd want to see...


----------



## Crantastic

I went to mine. It was boring, and I only really hung out with the friends I'd kept in contact with since HS anyway. I'm normally not much of a drinker, but my friend's boyfriend kept buying us all new drinks every time we finished one, so the end of that night is something of a blur.


----------



## Willowy

My parents go to their reunions a lot, but theirs are unusual in that they have one big reunion for the entire school/community (Panama Canal Society) every year and the individual classes can have a smaller party in a separate room if they want. So they have lots of fun seeing everybody, not just their own classes. I'm pretty sure if they only got to see their own classes they wouldn't go, LOL.


----------



## Laurelin

It's not horrible but most people didn't go and I swear I am one of two non married people here. So that's awkward. Kind of third wheel. And most my good friends were in a free younger. So not here.


----------



## CptJack

We're here. 

Thud did eventually settle down, though he's the only one who put up any kind of fuss at all. Everyone else basically slept. I think we only had to stop for them twice in the entire 15 hour trip. Everyone is asleep again now. Thud's just... again, the only one who is bothered, and he's still kind of twitchy and nervous. I'm hoping getting them out early in the morning and giving them a good run will help them all settle down. They're going to have to spend some time here crated, and I'm pretty sure the relative up the hill won't appreciate us if Thud spends the entire time we're gone anywhere screaming. 

But anyway, basically slow, dog heavy, day tomorrow should hopefully let them get acclimated. And give me picture opportunities.

Tonight, I sleep.


----------



## Remaru

I think renovating my son's bedroom is going to take more than a weekend. We just spent Friday evening and all of today pulling everything out of his room, removing his gross carpet, and now we are sanding the concrete. Talk about a mess. There is stuff all over my house (how does a 14year old have so much stuff, we really need to deal with this, our house is too small) and so much dust. Tomorrow we need to finish sanding and clean then patch the concrete, clean again, then we can seal the floors. After that we are going to finish cleaning the walls (including the remains of an ugly wall paper boarder) and we can get the room painted "frog green". Then in goes his new furniture. Perhaps giving him a "new cool room" as a birthday gift was not my best idea. Hopefully it will look great when it is done and he will be really happy. It has driven home the fact that I am pretty much useless for physical labor at this point. Just trying to get the shopping done exhausted me. Moving the stuff out of his room was painful. Hubby has had to do a lot of the work himself. Hopefully I can do more of the painting. I hate the progression of this stupid illness.


----------



## Laurelin

It actually ended up fun. Went out with some old girlfriends downtown and I feel slightly less old now. Lol.

Downside si I think I'm gonna regret staying out so late tomorrow at nosework at 8am.


----------



## CptJack

Morning, folks.


----------



## notgaga

Last month a couple of dogs in my city contracted a dog flu. It was all over the news; we were told not to go to dog parks or daycare or anywhere dogs congregate. So I've stayed away... But now it's like 3 weeks later and there are no updates. I really like taking Laika to dog parks and sending her to daycare occasionally but I don't know if it's still unwise to do so.

Uggghhhhhh


----------



## Kathyy

Perhaps your vet would have some information on the flu?

I woke up with a dog hair in my mouth. Thank you Ginger.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

CptJack said:


> Morning, folks.


Off topic but: you use hootsuite?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> I think renovating my son's bedroom is going to take more than a weekend. We just spent Friday evening and all of today pulling everything out of his room, removing his gross carpet, and now we are sanding the concrete. Talk about a mess. There is stuff all over my house (how does a 14year old have so much stuff, we really need to deal with this, our house is too small) and so much dust. Tomorrow we need to finish sanding and clean then patch the concrete, clean again, then we can seal the floors. After that we are going to finish cleaning the walls (including the remains of an ugly wall paper boarder) and we can get the room painted "frog green". Then in goes his new furniture. Perhaps giving him a "new cool room" as a birthday gift was not my best idea. Hopefully it will look great when it is done and he will be really happy. It has driven home the fact that I am pretty much useless for physical labor at this point. Just trying to get the shopping done exhausted me. Moving the stuff out of his room was painful. Hubby has had to do a lot of the work himself. Hopefully I can do more of the painting. I hate the progression of this stupid illness.


What about your kid? If it was me I would be helping with my own room, that way could have more say in the decorations haha.


----------



## cookieface

I have a row of bug bites along my forearm; I look like a TB test gone wrong.


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> What about your kid? If it was me I would be helping with my own room, that way could have more say in the decorations haha.


He is helping, because I can't do much heavy lifting now he did a good bit of hauling. He has been handling all of the dog walking and watching them while hubby and I run around. He helped us shop for paint and supplies. He really has stepped up in the past year to take over some of the chores I can't manage anymore though there are some things I just don't entirely trust him to do (he is ASD and he tends to just sort of space out in the middle of doing things so I don't want him working with power tools and chemicals right now). I assume he will help us clean the floors, walls and paint when it is time. 

Lad has lost interest in his food. When I use kibble for training he will take it and spit it on the floor. Sometimes he eventually eats it, sometimes he leaves it on the floor until Blue or Lenore eat it. He isn't sick, poop is fine, not gassy, and he has plenty of energy. He just doesn't seem interested in his kibble. His food doesn't seem to have gone bad either, Lenore, Blue and Freyja are all excited by it. When I put his food in his bowl he will sniff it and walk away. He is eating about 2 cups a day vs 3.5 cups. Lenore is also off her food. I am thinking it might be the heat. I am going to have to use little bits of cheese and likity stiks for training time I guess. Hopefully it will cool off soon and Lad's appetite will come back. I'm thinking I may pick up a bag of Pork and Chicken vs the Large Breed Chicken Formula next time I buy his food.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> He is helping, because I can't do much heavy lifting now he did a good bit of hauling. He has been handling all of the dog walking and watching them while hubby and I run around. He helped us shop for paint and supplies. He really has stepped up in the past year to take over some of the chores I can't manage anymore though there are some things I just don't entirely trust him to do (he is ASD and he tends to just sort of space out in the middle of doing things so I don't want him working with power tools and chemicals right now). I assume he will help us clean the floors, walls and paint when it is time.
> 
> Lad has lost interest in his food. When I use kibble for training he will take it and spit it on the floor. Sometimes he eventually eats it, sometimes he leaves it on the floor until Blue or Lenore eat it. He isn't sick, poop is fine, not gassy, and he has plenty of energy. He just doesn't seem interested in his kibble. His food doesn't seem to have gone bad either, Lenore, Blue and Freyja are all excited by it. When I put his food in his bowl he will sniff it and walk away. He is eating about 2 cups a day vs 3.5 cups. Lenore is also off her food. I am thinking it might be the heat. I am going to have to use little bits of cheese and likity stiks for training time I guess. Hopefully it will cool off soon and Lad's appetite will come back. I'm thinking I may pick up a bag of Pork and Chicken vs the Large Breed Chicken Formula next time I buy his food.


That's great he is helping! !! I always loved helping with home improvement projects when I was that age 

What are you feeding now? Have you tried victor? That's what I am switching to after my Earthborn holistic runs out.


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> That's great he is helping! !! I always loved helping with home improvement projects when I was that age
> 
> What are you feeding now? Have you tried victor? That's what I am switching to after my Earthborn holistic runs out.


Lad eats Muenster Natural Large Breed. He has eaten the Chicken and Pork before as well but I like the large breed best because I like the giant kibbles, not as good for putting in food toys but they are great for training him with. He tends to gobble tiny kibble and then choke. I've never had an issue with him being "blah" on his food before which is why I'm wondering if it is something else. This week it has been 104+ pretty much every day. Lenore can be picky anyway (she and the other girls eat Sportmix Wholesomes, keeps Freyja's tummy happy and everyone but her is still eating happily) so I wasn't terribly shocked when she started ignoring her evening meal. Lad can have a bit of a sensitive stomach but I think if he doesn't pick up soon I will make a switch. It seems Victor has a couple of formulas that are safe for large breeds too.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Argh!!! We have ants in our feed!!! Don't know how they got there .. . One day they weren't there and the next day they were everywhere!!! I sprayed and spray around the can, then took the bag of feed out and sprayed inside the can (the feed bag is pastic, not paper, so I don't think it will hurt the feed) I mean shoot it's a brand new bag of feed!!!


----------



## notgaga

Kathyy said:


> Perhaps your vet would have some information on the flu?


I'll ask them tomorrow when I go to pay a bill (they don't have my new address and I'm too lazy to go to my old place to get it from my former roommate). 

My dog houseguest is a picky eater. Lord, it's annoying. She likes the food I'm planning on switching her to (Fromm Senior) but she ate pretty much only that the other night and now has mucousy poop. She does NOT love her current food and seems to just be in it at all for the green beans and wet dog food I give her with her medication. She's getting wet food because she is turning her nose up at the pill pockets, and she is not a dog into whose mouth I want to stick my fingers. This comes along with her refusal to sleep on a bed or stay still for the whole night, especially if I crate her. Her first morning here she hunger puked on carpet because she refused to eat the night before. She'd better settle down in the next week or so or it's gonna be a looooooooong seven weeks.


----------



## CptJack

CrimsonAccent said:


> Off topic but: you use hootsuite?


I Don't Know What That Is? Or why auto correct capitalized those words for that matter


----------



## CptJack

Swimming is a go. I have many, many other pictures that will get posted um, eventually.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

CptJack said:


> I Don't Know What That Is? Or why auto correct capitalized those words for that matter


It's a social media organizer/scheduler/master control thing. I set up the free version for a social media class I'm taking but there is a paid version as well. I goofed and realized that Hootlet (a chrome extension) was showing up on my end when I hovered over the picture but that's on MY end not yours 

Resume sharing awesome pictures please!


----------



## kdawnk

Random question.
Every German shepherd I have ever met has been dog aggressive or at the very least dog selective. Is this a common thing?


----------



## CptJack

kdawnk said:


> Random question.
> Every German shepherd I have ever met has been dog aggressive or at the very least dog selective. Is this a common thing?


Very common. Even the ones who ARE dog 'friendly' aren't so much friendly as reluctantly tolerant.


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> I have a row of bug bites along my forearm; I look like a TB test gone wrong.


My friend had a TB test go porrly when he was in med school and it got badly infected (right as we were driving to a wedding). Luckily his dad is a doctor and called in a prescription to the random little town in upstate NY on a Saturday morning.


----------



## Laurelin

What a BEAUTIFUL little Aussie! WOW

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32936343/


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> What a BEAUTIFUL little Aussie! WOW
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32936343/


OMG. What a perfect little agility Aussie!


----------



## Remaru

Laurelin said:


> What a BEAUTIFUL little Aussie! WOW
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32936343/


So cute! Are you thinking about going to see him?


----------



## cookieface

I was making dinner and noticed Tyson was missing. I panicked, wondered what he was destroying, and started looking for him. He was sitting on his mat in the bedroom eating his kong. My baby might be growing up. 



Laurelin said:


> What a BEAUTIFUL little Aussie! WOW
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32936343/


He's handsome.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> What a BEAUTIFUL little Aussie! WOW
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32936343/


Wow, he is beautiful!!


----------



## Laurelin

Remaru said:


> So cute! Are you thinking about going to see him?


No, just browsing! He is really pretty though. Such a sweet expression. Love that the tan goes all the way down to his feet too!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Did an interview today and this guy..he was nice and sweet and really quiet, he backed out in the walk through, couldn't handle the dogs, very unsure of himself. Now in the interview he mentioned he was in a band and they do tour about once a year. Curious I just looked him up... Dude is a singer and guitarist in a doom/death metal band. Doom\death metal. Quiet unsure of himself guy who couldn't handle a fluffy puppy jumping on him...sings doom/death metal. Like..what? 

Edit: I watched a couple of the band music video's.. Apperently they have been nominated for music awards and such... Just sounded like creepy screaming into a mic to me with creeptastic videos, followed by comments on the amazing vocals but sure, whatever lol, still doesn't match the guy I interviewed at all haha


----------



## missc89

Really random question - how hard would it be to adopt a dog from the US and get it brought up to Canada? Yes, I'm looking on rescue websites and I found a red Aussie x BC and I'm pretty much insane and I really want to know just out of curiosity (and because OMG RED AUSSIE X BC!)


----------



## ireth0

missc89 said:


> Really random question - how hard would it be to adopt a dog from the US and get it brought up to Canada? Yes, I'm looking on rescue websites and I found a red Aussie x BC and I'm pretty much insane and I really want to know just out of curiosity (and because OMG RED AUSSIE X BC!)


it depends first if the rescue will even to adopt to you, not being in the area.


----------



## missc89

Aww..thats fair. He was just so cute.


----------



## ireth0

missc89 said:


> Aww..thats fair. He was just so cute.


It just depends on the rescue. Some won't have a problem with it, but others will. One rescue I contacted in the US told me they wont adopt out their dogs so far away.


----------



## missc89

I don't really want to put that much effort in to it though because then I may actually end up with a second dog sooner than my BF wants/sooner than I can really afford it (both time and money-wise) lol


----------



## Crantastic

I wouldn't recommend adding a second dog while you have a puppy, anyway.


----------



## CptJack

I'm in heaven.

And I don't much want to go home.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Laurelin said:


> What a BEAUTIFUL little Aussie! WOW
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32936343/


Stooooooooop. You're too close to me and I'm currently at my dog limit


----------



## Remaru

https://www.facebook.com/CollinCoun...0.1439337674./874719185942327/?type=1&theater 

I am at my dog limit. I am at my dog limit. If I just keep saying it I will not go pick up this dog who looks entirely too much like Duke.


----------



## Laurelin

Mia pooped in the floor and Hank ate it. 

-_-


----------



## cookieface

Took the dogs out this morning hoping to see meteors. Nope, just trees and dizziness from looking up. We almost didn't get back inside as there was a giant cicada buzzing around the front door. 



CptJack said:


> I'm in heaven.
> 
> And I don't much want to go home.


I wouldn't want to leave, either.



Laurelin said:


> Mia pooped in the floor and Hank ate it.
> 
> -_-


Dogs are gross. Or helpful. Depends on your perspective.


----------



## notgaga

Laika just got all crazy when I took her outside to go potty and she pinched my thigh with like two of her teeth. It's a tiny mark that only bled a little but it HURTS. 

And all of my electronics are needing replacement parts, it's so annoying. I've had my laptop for 5.5 years, replaced the battery last week and just ordered a new hybrid hard drive because this one is crapping out. And I dropped my phone about two months ago, didn't crack the screen but it's about 60% unresponsive to touch so I'm gonna bite the bullet and order replacement parts this weekend after I get paid. My poor bank account. But I guess it's better than buying a new phone and laptop outright.


----------



## CptJack

Some woman yelled at me for leaving Kylie in the car. When I told her I had just gotten out of the car with the key to help load and the ac had been on with me in there she said that wasn't the point. It was an ugly scene but wtf. Pretty sure that is the point.

And to be clear? She drove up saw bags and the dog and started yelling.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> Mia pooped in the floor and Hank ate it.
> 
> -_-


Ewwwww!! Gross...


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Some woman yelled at me for leaving Kylie in the car. When I told her I had just gotten out of the car with the key to help load and the ac had been on with me in there she said that wasn't the point. It was an ugly scene but wtf. Pretty sure that is the point.
> 
> And to be clear? She drove up saw bags and the dog and started yelling.


So you were right there by the car the whole time? Unbelievable! I mean yeah you want to watch out so people don't leave their dogs in the car but don't yell before it has happened or if you don't know if it happened or not!


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> So you were right there by the car the whole time? Unbelievable! I mean yeah you want to watch out so people don't leave their dogs in the car but don't yell before it has happened or if you don't know if it happened or not!


I walked away long enough to grab a couple of bags from my husband (basically there but a.bit away ) and she drove up. Saw me on the way back and I know it looked bad but what part of me and ac being there isn't the freaking point? !? And yeah I appreciate the concern just not...that.


----------



## Willowy

There's a homeless (? presumably) guy traveling the highway toward my house and it's making me oddly nervous. I'm sure he's harmless but you never know. He may not even make it that far, poor guy---he has 3 metal wagons and a bike trailer all packed full of stuff, and his method of travel is to move one of them about 20 feet, go back for the next one, and so on. He moved maybe 50 feet during my lunch hour. There is no shoulder on this highway so just driving past him makes me nervous. I'm sure the sheriff is well aware he's there---this is a town that, if a stranger walks down Main Street, 15 people call the cops , but it's legal in this state to walk, ride, pull wagons, etc. along state highways so there's nothing he could do anyway. I hope the guy doesn't try to camp on my property. That would be awkward. But I live 6 miles from town and he's barely made it 1 mile in 2 days so maybe it'll be a moot point. I wonder where he's trying to go.

The lack of mental health care in this state (in the whole country!) makes me sad .


----------



## dogsule

Willowy said:


> There's a homeless (? presumably) guy traveling the highway toward my house and it's making me oddly nervous. I'm sure he's harmless but you never know. He may not even make it that far, poor guy---he has 3 metal wagons and a bike trailer all packed full of stuff, and his method of travel is to move one of them about 20 feet, go back for the next one, and so on. He moved maybe 50 feet during my lunch hour. There is no shoulder on this highway so just driving past him makes me nervous. I'm sure the sheriff is well aware he's there---this is a town that, if a stranger walks down Main Street, 15 people call the cops , but it's legal in this state to walk, ride, pull wagons, etc. along state highways so there's nothing he could do anyway. I hope the guy doesn't try to camp on my property. That would be awkward. But I live 6 miles from town and he's barely made it 1 mile in 2 days so maybe it'll be a moot point. I wonder where he's trying to go.
> 
> The lack of mental health care in this state (in the whole country!) makes me sad .


Well that is sad. Too bad you (or someone else) didn't have an old bike and a larger little trailer he could fit everything into. Wouldn't it be great to be able to give him something like that to make it easier for him?


----------



## Willowy

That would be nice. . .I'd actually be really surprised if nobody has offered him a ride to wherever he's going, problem is that you'd need more than a pickup truck to fit all his stuff and he probably won't leave any behind. And not a lot of bike-towed trailers could hold that much either. And he may not have the physical strength to pedal a bike towing so much.

I saw a lady stop and hand him something. I don't know if it was money or a sandwich and water or what. But I don't think he'll go hungry if anyone can help it.


----------



## ireth0

Why oh why do we -always- have to get groceries on days it rains? And I mean downpour rain. Our parking spot is some distance from our house and it just always seems to work out to be raining when we have to get groceries.

I know I know, first world problems. But the repeated coincidence is just irritating me!


----------



## Laurelin

Oh wow, he's good looking for a mutt!


Always tickles me a bit.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie got stung by a bee. 

Inside her ear. So that was a fun afternoon.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Random irritated vent.. I ordered my dogs food and the lady did not get back to me with a price till 11 last night..I was in bed so I said I would transfer her the money on my break today, delivery is not schedualed till 6:30 pm. She responds that "for furure refence all trasfers must be recived by 9am on delivery day" ....good to know, so how 'bout not emailing me at near midnight the night before with my total when I work at 6am


----------



## CptJack

All right. Vacation has been great, but yeah. I'm ready to get home now.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Haha my friend had a guy at her door trying to sell her a security system. She told him she feels pretty secure, he tried to argue so she opened her door and released her 10 GSDs and Dobermans. The guy conceded his argument lo

Should clarify that my friend doesn't have 10 GSDs and Dobies, she only has one of each but she trains them for other people and offers daycare and boarding for them in her home lol. She has other breed clients but GSDs and Dobies make up the biggest percentage


----------



## DogTheGreat

CptJack said:


> Some woman yelled at me for leaving Kylie in the car. When I told her I had just gotten out of the car with the key to help load and the ac had been on with me in there she said that wasn't the point. It was an ugly scene but wtf. Pretty sure that is the point.
> 
> And to be clear? She drove up saw bags and the dog and started yelling.


Honestly, I'm so sick and tired of vigilante justice when it comes to dogs. Seeing things like "Leave your dog in the car if you want a broken window" all over my Facebook ticks me off. A large portion of the population doesn't have common sense and I think jumping on these bandwagons makes people feel better about themselves in some way? They lose their rational thought and don't think about things like AC being on, owner literally going to be just a couple of minutes, etc. Also, what do they think is going to happen when they "rescue" that dog in the car? They might get bit, the dog may escape out of fear, and a couple of other less than ideal situations could go down. Sure, people who take their dogs with them and leave them in the car why they go shopping in the middle of summer tick me off as well. I just hate the mob mentality of it all because you end up with frequent ridiculous situations like this. I've been afraid to leave my dog in the car AC running at dusk while I run into the gas station for fear that somebody is going to take it upon themselves to "save" my dog. 

OK sorry, went on a rant of my own there but yeah I'm sure that was a really frustrating situation.


----------



## Rescued

I feel like an absolutely horrendous pet owner right now and it is tearing me up inside


----------



## JeJo

Rescued said:


> I feel like an absolutely horrendous pet owner right now and it is tearing me up inside


Oh Rescued, you are a pet owner that I look up to and who's posts I always want to read for the sensibility and insight that you share. I know things are really tough right now with your little bear; we all have you two in our thoughts and prayers. Hang in there, kiddo.


----------



## Laurelin

So long story short is my dad's elderly senile papillon vanished last night. It's long story of how but a slip up happened and he wandered off while no one was looking. He's mostly (all?) deaf and seems to have dementia and some other stuff going on. My dad lives on nearly 50 acres of woods and forest full of great horned owls, coyotes, and bobcats. So needless to say we were all worried. 

They had been looking all day- family, neighbors, and the workers they had building a barn/fence with no sign of him. 

I was pretty sure he had been eaten over night because he's a tiny senile thing. But Hank and I found him after searching a couple hours! He was trapped down in a ravine! We went through the area about 3 times and never saw him but at one point Hank pulled me to a spot where I looked down and saw the tips of Beau's ears. And then I realized he was alive! 

He is good though hungry and thirsty and needing a bath. I think he wandered away and then fell into the ravine and couldn't get out. His mobility is not the best. 

Anyways, Hank got lots of cookies. Beau got a bath and food and water and then was super excited and happy. 

WHEW. 

I am meanwhile covered in poison ivy and ticks. But worth it. I would have been fretting all night had we not found him. And finding a papillon in 50 acres is like finding a needle in a haystack. No one could believe when I yelled out that I'd found him alive!


----------



## Willowy

Laurelin said:


> So long story short is my dad's elderly senile papillon vanished last night. It's long story of how but a slip up happened and he wandered off while no one was looking. He's mostly (all?) deaf and seems to have dementia and some other stuff going on. My dad lives on nearly 50 acres of woods and forest full of great horned owls, coyotes, and bobcats. So needless to say we were all worried.
> 
> They had been looking all day- family, neighbors, and the workers they had building a barn/fence with no sign of him.
> 
> I was pretty sure he had been eaten over night because he's a tiny senile thing. But Hank and I found him after searching a couple hours! He was trapped down in a ravine! We went through the area about 3 times and never saw him but at one point Hank pulled me to a spot where I looked down and saw the tips of Beau's ears. And then I realized he was alive!
> 
> He is good though hungry and thirsty and needing a bath. I think he wandered away and then fell into the ravine and couldn't get out. His mobility is not the best.
> 
> Anyways, Hank got lots of cookies. Beau got a bath and food and water and then was super excited and happy.
> 
> WHEW.
> 
> I am meanwhile covered in poison ivy and ticks. But worth it. I would have been fretting all night had we not found him. And finding a papillon in 50 acres is like finding a needle in a haystack. No one could believe when I yelled out that I'd found him alive!


That's super amazing! Glad you found him and he's OK. That would be so scary.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Thank god y'all found him! Give Hank another treat for me.


----------



## Laurelin

I am still so shocked we found him alive and well after 22 hours missing in that area. Hank got tons of chicken and a whole sausage. I really don't know if I would have found Beau without him. Not knowing would have been horrible.


----------



## cookieface

Rescued said:


> I feel like an absolutely horrendous pet owner right now and it is tearing me up inside


You're one of the best pet owners I know. ((((hugs))))



Laurelin said:


> So long story short is my dad's elderly senile papillon vanished last night. It's long story of how but a slip up happened and he wandered off while no one was looking. He's mostly (all?) deaf and seems to have dementia and some other stuff going on. My dad lives on nearly 50 acres of woods and forest full of great horned owls, coyotes, and bobcats. So needless to say we were all worried.
> 
> They had been looking all day- family, neighbors, and the workers they had building a barn/fence with no sign of him.
> 
> I was pretty sure he had been eaten over night because he's a tiny senile thing. But Hank and I found him after searching a couple hours! He was trapped down in a ravine! We went through the area about 3 times and never saw him but at one point Hank pulled me to a spot where I looked down and saw the tips of Beau's ears. And then I realized he was alive!
> 
> He is good though hungry and thirsty and needing a bath. I think he wandered away and then fell into the ravine and couldn't get out. His mobility is not the best.
> 
> Anyways, Hank got lots of cookies. Beau got a bath and food and water and then was super excited and happy.
> 
> WHEW.
> 
> I am meanwhile covered in poison ivy and ticks. But worth it. I would have been fretting all night had we not found him. And finding a papillon in 50 acres is like finding a needle in a haystack. No one could believe when I yelled out that I'd found him alive!


So glad he's safe! Hope he's not too traumatized by the experience. Good boy, Hank!


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Moving day is here guys! We've started cramming things into the U-Haul and I'm just happy we're finally going to be in the new place  Puppies probably won't be coming until tomorrow night.


----------



## Rescued

JeJo said:


> Oh Rescued, you are a pet owner that I look up to and who's posts I always want to read for the sensibility and insight that you share. I know things are really tough right now with your little bear; we all have you two in our thoughts and prayers. Hang in there, kiddo.


Thank you... That does make me feel better. Just got diagnosed last month with a progressive condition- we now know what is causing hours-long unpredictable vertigo episodes, but I am still too nervous to take the dogs out by myself to exercise if I don't have someone else with me, unless I stay on a very busy path where someone could help me if I had one. But Greys trachea doesn't do well with on leash walking for any stretch of time, and I can't go to my usual offleash places because they're too far away from people if something happens.

So my poor dogs are just so grossly under exercised right now that they're losing it. I'm wondering if I should just enroll in more training classes, but the last class I missed 2 whole sessions because I had episodes.

If anyone has tips or suggestions for anything similar please share! I just feel so awful that I am not even coming close to giving them the exercise they need right now


----------



## cookieface

Rescued said:


> Thank you... That does make me feel better. Just got diagnosed last month with a progressive condition- we now know what is causing hours-long unpredictable vertigo episodes, but I am still too nervous to take the dogs out by myself to exercise if I don't have someone else with me, unless I stay on a very busy path where someone could help me if I had one. But Greys trachea doesn't do well with on leash walking for any stretch of time, and I can't go to my usual offleash places because they're too far away from people if something happens.
> 
> So my poor dogs are just so grossly under exercised right now that they're losing it. I'm wondering if I should just enroll in more training classes, but the last class I missed 2 whole sessions because I had episodes.
> 
> If anyone has tips or suggestions for anything similar please share! I just feel so awful that I am not even coming close to giving them the exercise they need right now


So sorry about the diagnosis and negative impact on your life. A few years ago, I was hospitalized after passing out at work and had frequent episodes of vertigo for months afterward (I still have vertigo, but not as often). It's very unsettling and limiting.

I'm not sure I have any ideas for exercising them that you haven't already thought of. Hope someone has good suggestions for you.


----------



## Remaru

Rescued said:


> Thank you... That does make me feel better. Just got diagnosed last month with a progressive condition- we now know what is causing hours-long unpredictable vertigo episodes, but I am still too nervous to take the dogs out by myself to exercise if I don't have someone else with me, unless I stay on a very busy path where someone could help me if I had one. But Greys trachea doesn't do well with on leash walking for any stretch of time, and I can't go to my usual offleash places because they're too far away from people if something happens.
> 
> So my poor dogs are just so grossly under exercised right now that they're losing it. I'm wondering if I should just enroll in more training classes, but the last class I missed 2 whole sessions because I had episodes.
> 
> If anyone has tips or suggestions for anything similar please share! I just feel so awful that I am not even coming close to giving them the exercise they need right now


I am sorry. You are a wonderful dog owner. This is something I struggle with as well (not vertigo though I have a friend with the same diagnosis) but I have health conditions that limit my ability to care for my dogs and just coming to terms with that has been difficult. This past year has been harder for me, my health has been worse and so has my stress (the two are definitely related) and I know my dogs suffer for it as far as getting exercise and even adequate training time. I have had to give over a lot of the exercising of my dogs to hubby and the boys. I don't like it, and I don't feel like they do the same quality of work as I would, but I don't have a choice. I can walk Lenore, Magic and Lad most days about a mile each. That is in my neighborhood on the bike trail where there are people. Some days walking Magic just isn't safe for me, I worry that on my worst days if I fall (and I do) she would run. Unfortunately she still has to walk so my oldest son handles it. 

I do take advantage of our large yard, it isn't huge but it is good size for a backyard in town. The girls go out for a romp together at least once a day with the kids. I take Lad out separately (I don't trust him wrestling with the girls, I'm afraid he and Magic will play too rough) and toss a frisbee or baseball for him. Magic and Lenore are actually the hardest, they have the most energy (Freyja despite being a husky is lazy and so is Lad, Blue wouldn't move from the couch if you didn't make her). I bought a backpack for Magic and have her wear it during her walks. It seems to help some. So does her time chasing the others around the yard. She is much more settled. She also really enjoys playing on the playground with the kids, if you have a park near you that you could take the dogs to play on where they can climb on the equipment that is great exercise and wears them out twice as fast (plus there are almost always people around). I am lucky to have a park right out my front door, under 100ft from my house. My son walks Lenore several times a day for me, either of my boys can handle her because she is small and walks nicely. I'm hoping hubby will jog with her when fall arrives. 

I'm sorry I know it is more commiseration than helpful suggestions. I don't know if you have any baseball fields or tennis courts near you that you could take your dogs to but that would be my best suggestions. Find a friend to go out with you a couple times a week with the dogs to your normal places, walk Nug at least with a pack so he gets more exercise in a shorter distance on walks and try exercising Bear in the house by tossing a ball for fetch or doing tricks?


----------



## pawsaddict

Can't view or send any pm's at the moment. So sad  Waiting for tech support to hopefully be able to fix whatever the issue is.


----------



## cookieface

Apparently Katie's new thing is to get up with me, go out, eat, and go back to bed with my husband. On the one hand, I feel slighted. On the other, she's not annoying me.

*CptJack*, nanoparticles and semiconductors aren't my thing, but molybdenum in the news.


----------



## cookieface

A FB friend keeps posting photos and videos of a young great dane she's fostering. He looks like the sweetest pup ever.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> *CptJack*, nanoparticles and semiconductors aren't my thing, but molybdenum in the news.


Not my thing either, but I read it and I laughed! And my husband will read it and maybe even understand it (he is so, so responsible for the name )


----------



## CptJack

Someone make me answer the 800 emails I have piled up, please. Ugh.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Okay.. now I'm getting just plain ticked off. Ember is showing early signs of allergies ALREADY. Gooby eye stuff.. licking wrists.. itchy tail region. Itchy in general with no fleas..

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY DOGS? What are the odds of BOTH having allergies?

I'm starting to wonder if there is something about my house..


----------



## Laurelin

Another want. This one I want a lot. Lot lot lot.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33024746/


----------



## DogTheGreat

Wondering when I'm going to get big muscles from all of this tug. Somewhat serious.


----------



## Flaming

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Okay.. now I'm getting just plain ticked off. Ember is showing early signs of allergies ALREADY. Gooby eye stuff.. licking wrists.. itchy tail region. Itchy in general with no fleas..
> 
> WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY DOGS? What are the odds of BOTH having allergies?
> 
> I'm starting to wonder if there is something about my house..


What are you using for cleaning products?

I remember a while back (years ago) swiffer and a few other cleaning companies had to change up their formulas because they were not nice to dogs in general, some products even bordering on poisoning.


----------



## Remaru

Laurelin said:


> Another want. This one I want a lot. Lot lot lot.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33024746/


Do you want us to enable you? We can do that.


----------



## Remaru

Almost done, the remodel is sooooo close to complete. The floor is done, the room is painted (if you are looking for paint do not buy Olympic, it is awful, I trusted you Good Housekeeping), everything is cleaned. We are just putting the new bed together and moving the furniture back in now. Tomorrow the boys and I will move all of the other stuff in but I really want my son off of his brother's floor (it isn't ideal, they keep each other up plus their dogs pester each other). There will be plenty of decorating and arranging to do over the next week but the hard part is DONE!

I am so sore. I can barely move. I really over did it this weekend. I hate that. By the time we were done with painting and ready to get our shopping done I couldn't walk and had to lean on hubby for support. I'm dealing with a stomach flair and some dizziness/heart thing too. Blech... but we all went to the Balloon Festival on Friday and the Balloons were really pretty, the kids made some friends and Lad had fun.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Okay.. now I'm getting just plain ticked off. Ember is showing early signs of allergies ALREADY. Gooby eye stuff.. licking wrists.. itchy tail region. Itchy in general with no fleas..
> 
> WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY DOGS? What are the odds of BOTH having allergies?
> 
> I'm starting to wonder if there is something about my house..


HOLY CRAP your puppy is so BIG now!!! I remember when Lincoln was growing, I couldnt hardly take pictures fast enough to capture it LOL


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> So long story short is my dad's elderly senile papillon vanished last night. It's long story of how but a slip up happened and he wandered off while no one was looking. He's mostly (all?) deaf and seems to have dementia and some other stuff going on. My dad lives on nearly 50 acres of woods and forest full of great horned owls, coyotes, and bobcats. So needless to say we were all worried.
> 
> They had been looking all day- family, neighbors, and the workers they had building a barn/fence with no sign of him.
> 
> I was pretty sure he had been eaten over night because he's a tiny senile thing. But Hank and I found him after searching a couple hours! He was trapped down in a ravine! We went through the area about 3 times and never saw him but at one point Hank pulled me to a spot where I looked down and saw the tips of Beau's ears. And then I realized he was alive!
> 
> He is good though hungry and thirsty and needing a bath. I think he wandered away and then fell into the ravine and couldn't get out. His mobility is not the best.
> 
> Anyways, Hank got lots of cookies. Beau got a bath and food and water and then was super excited and happy.
> 
> WHEW.
> 
> I am meanwhile covered in poison ivy and ticks. But worth it. I would have been fretting all night had we not found him. And finding a papillon in 50 acres is like finding a needle in a haystack. No one could believe when I yelled out that I'd found him alive!


O wow, thank God you found him!! We once had a blind deaf dog (16yrs old) wander off and thankfully some good samaritans got her to come to them as she was out on a street about 2 blocks from home. They checked her tags and called and I literally ran up the road and got her from them. I felt soooo bad, I was sure she was in the house and actually had to look before I ran up the road.


----------



## CptJack

Talking to my husband about a gorgeous doberman who is part of our training group and got 'she's beautiful, but I don't want a giant Jack'. I blinked and then I laughed and laughed. HE's not far wrong with that description. (For this particular dog and for Jack)


----------



## dogsule

Rescued said:


> Thank you... That does make me feel better. Just got diagnosed last month with a progressive condition- we now know what is causing hours-long unpredictable vertigo episodes, but I am still too nervous to take the dogs out by myself to exercise if I don't have someone else with me, unless I stay on a very busy path where someone could help me if I had one. But Greys trachea doesn't do well with on leash walking for any stretch of time, and I can't go to my usual offleash places because they're too far away from people if something happens.
> 
> So my poor dogs are just so grossly under exercised right now that they're losing it. I'm wondering if I should just enroll in more training classes, but the last class I missed 2 whole sessions because I had episodes.
> 
> If anyone has tips or suggestions for anything similar please share! I just feel so awful that I am not even coming close to giving them the exercise they need right now


So sorry you are going through this. I went through a bout of vertigo a couple years back and it scared me so bad and I was so terrified that it wouldn't go away. I think mine was due to the crystals moving as I had ear surgery a few years before this happened. Drs thought an inner ear infection but it only lasted a couple weeks and was only bad a couple days. I really worked on leaning into it and making it happen though so my brain would compensate. Every now and then when I lean back and turn to the right I can feel it but it never goes into a full blown episode. It made me throw up the first time and my I couldn't control my eyes as they were darting back and forth with the spinning room. It is an awful feeling and the first thing I thought of when it happened was when our elderly dog got Vestibular syndrome, that it must have felt like that to her. 

Sorry this is happening, wish there would be something to help!


----------



## luv mi pets

Laurelin said:


> Another want. This one I want a lot. Lot lot lot.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33024746/


I think you have spotty dog fever! Hard not to with such an amazing dog as Hank


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Another want. This one I want a lot. Lot lot lot.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33024746/


doooog DOOOOOOOOOG!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Flaming said:


> What are you using for cleaning products?
> 
> I remember a while back (years ago) swiffer and a few other cleaning companies had to change up their formulas because they were not nice to dogs in general, some products even bordering on poisoning.


I mainly use Greenworks as an all purpose cleaner. Bleach occasionally. For the hard floors, oil soap and not very often. Resolve on fabric. We do use an insect barrier spray once a year in the basement but the dogs aren't allowed down there. 



OwnedbyACDs said:


> HOLY CRAP your puppy is so BIG now!!! I remember when Lincoln was growing, I couldnt hardly take pictures fast enough to capture it LOL


She is about as big as Kairi. She is much lankier, but just about the same height. 

Have I mentioned how much I've come to love this puppy? Today she seemed a little sore for a few minutes (who knows.. she is reckless). She gave me the super pathetic face and walked up to me. She proceeded to bury her face in my chest and crawl in my lap. That trust. <3


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I mainly use Greenworks as an all purpose cleaner. Bleach occasionally. For the hard floors, oil soap and not very often. Resolve on fabric. We do use an insect barrier spray once a year in the basement but the dogs aren't allowed down there.
> 
> 
> 
> She is about as big as Kairi. She is much lankier, but just about the same height.
> 
> Have I mentioned how much I've come to love this puppy? Today she seemed a little sore for a few minutes (who knows.. she is reckless). She gave me the super pathetic face and walked up to me. She proceeded to bury her face in my chest and crawl in my lap. That trust. <3


LOL she looks like she is a lot of fun 

Boo the day before I left back for flower mound, Lincoln and one of my parent's dogs (a cattle dog, both have a similar play style ... rough LOL) well I was out there with them, working in the yard and they were playing, I heard Lincoln yelp a little and by the time I turned around, they were back to playing normally, so whatever happened had been resolved. 

Well, the next day I see that his ear is bent backward where it should be bending forward, and is pricked, so I immediately started taping it in hopes that it would heal back right, but alas, it hasnt. It's better than it was but if he lies on his side it goes back prick again. I got back here and had the vet look at it (he was out for the horses anyway and offered for free) and he said that the cartilage was indeed damaged and that I could tape it, but it was likely a lost cause ... that the ear would always be wonky because of what happened ... boo ... Lincoln had such good ears


----------



## elrohwen

I'm currently watching dog training videos on YouTube instead of doing work. This one is making me want a field bred ECS so bad. 

But then I remembered I have this same dog in a different color at home. lol Why is Hazel the same size as an ECS at 4-5 months? I just did one of those weight calculators (where it asks for breed) and it estimated 32lbs. She's gonna be a peanut. I was estimating 40lbs based on her weight at 4 months, but since then she's kind of stopped putting on any weight. Maybe she's setting up for a big growth spurt.(another calculator did say she would be 60lbs which is laughable).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> I'm currently watching dog training videos on YouTube instead of doing work. This one is making me want a field bred ECS so bad.
> 
> But then I remembered I have this same dog in a different color at home. lol Why is Hazel the same size as an ECS at 4-5 months? I just did one of those weight calculators (where it asks for breed) and it estimated 32lbs. She's gonna be a peanut. I was estimating 40lbs based on her weight at 4 months, but since then she's kind of stopped putting on any weight. Maybe she's setting up for a big growth spurt.(another calculator did say she would be 60lbs which is laughable).


IME those things are pretty accurate ... it had Lincoln maturing at 35 lbs and he is about 34 now.


----------



## CptJack

Those freaking calculators kill me. They estimated Kylie at 30 odd pounds. They were ridiculous with Thud, too. 

Sometimes they get close, when you can give them a breed and it's a decent one, but they are so often so, so, completely off. 

They did do decently with Molly, but Molly is firmly medium AND a breed. 

Who knows, but 60lb Welshie would be pretty laughable all right.


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> IME those things are pretty accurate ... it had Lincoln maturing at 35 lbs and he is about 34 now.


He's not even 1 though, right? I mean, Watson was <40lbs at that age and he's matured somewhere around 45-47lbs at 3 years. So Lincoln could have another 5-10lbs to gain.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Those freaking calculators kill me. They estimated Kylie at 30 odd pounds. They were ridiculous with Thud, too.
> 
> Sometimes they get close, when you can give them a breed and it's a decent one, but they are so often so, so, completely off.
> 
> They did do decently with Molly, but Molly is firmly medium AND a breed.
> 
> Who knows, but 60lb Welshie would be pretty laughable all right.


 The ones that didn't ask for a breed said 60lbs which is outrageous, especially for a 20 week old puppy who is like 22lbs. Their breeder had someone rehome a dog to her who was 60lb+ (he was overweight, but also just huge) and she was like "What did I breed together to create this monster?" Haha. So yeah, a 60lb female from ordinary sized parents is not happening. Even a 60lb male is probably 5-10lbs overweight. I think the formula calculates a growth rate and multiplied it by the whole year. As if puppies grow at the same rate from birth to 20 weeks as they do from 20-52 weeks. That doesn't make any sense. 

I could see her being 32lbs at a year, which is what the others said that asked for breed. But my guess is she will mature to more like 35-40lbs.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> I'm currently watching dog training videos on YouTube instead of doing work. This one is making me want a field bred ECS so bad.
> 
> But then I remembered I have this same dog in a different color at home. lol Why is Hazel the same size as an ECS at 4-5 months? I just did one of those weight calculators (where it asks for breed) and it estimated 32lbs. She's gonna be a peanut. I was estimating 40lbs based on her weight at 4 months, but since then she's kind of stopped putting on any weight. Maybe she's setting up for a big growth spurt.(another calculator did say she would be 60lbs which is laughable).


I thought for sure Tyson would be significantly bigger than Katie. He's a boy and his parents are bigger than Katie by ~13 and ~23lbs. Not so much: he's shorter and 1-2lbs heavier.



CptJack said:


> Those freaking calculators kill me. They estimated Kylie at 30 odd pounds. They were ridiculous with Thud, too.
> 
> Sometimes they get close, when you can give them a breed and it's a decent one, but they are so often so, so, completely off.
> 
> They did do decently with Molly, but Molly is firmly medium AND a breed.
> 
> Who knows, but 60lb Welshie would be pretty laughable all right.


If I remember correctly, the one I tried was fairly accurate. I didn't believe it when it said Tyson would be roughly the same weight as Katie, but seems to be true.


----------



## CptJack

I also think most people think dogs basically are done at a year old. Their shape changes and their weight increases longer, but your dog is... basically taking up the amount of space they're going to take up, if that makes sense? Like Thud is bigger at nearly 3 than he was at 2, even, but as far as how big he is in my head *noticeable* growth stopped at about 18-24 months. 

Molly's gained like 5lbs since she was about 8 months old. I don't doubt that she'll gain in another 5 lbs in the next year, but at the same time I'm not sure I'll notice those 5lbs. If that makes sense?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> He's not even 1 though, right? I mean, Watson was <40lbs at that age and he's matured somewhere around 45-47lbs at 3 years. So Lincoln could have another 5-10lbs to gain.


he will be one in less than a month, Sept 11.

Also I dont think those calculators work as well on mixed breed dogs, because there are to many variables in the genetics.


----------



## Eenypup

It's funny, I thought Bennie wouldn't have many surprises left in store after owning her for over a year. What do you know, she now decided she likes to be vocal when I initiate play with her. Silly dog! She's not much of a barker at all so it's funny to hear!


----------



## Kyllobernese

Kris at just over 2 1/2 years is 75 lbs. She was that weight at 10 months and has not varied that much, although she grew taller and filled out a lot more.


----------



## jade5280

I hate working with customers. It's really embarrassing when a grown adult throws a tantrum that would rival a 2 year olds. Who are these people?


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I also think most people think dogs basically are done at a year old. Their shape changes and their weight increases longer, but your dog is... basically taking up the amount of space they're going to take up, if that makes sense? Like Thud is bigger at nearly 3 than he was at 2, even, but as far as how big he is in my head *noticeable* growth stopped at about 18-24 months.
> 
> Molly's gained like 5lbs since she was about 8 months old. I don't doubt that she'll gain in another 5 lbs in the next year, but at the same time I'm not sure I'll notice those 5lbs. If that makes sense?


Yeah, Watson hasn't grown as far as his outline or height since he was less than a year, but he has filled out a ton. He's gained basically 10lbs between 1 year and 3 years, and he's still really lean. I think he is a late bloomer though and he was really really skinny and slab sided for a couple years. I know a 1.5 year old male now who is even on the chubby side and doesn't need to fill out at all.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Eenypup said:


> It's funny, I thought Bennie wouldn't have many surprises left in store after owning her for over a year. What do you know, she now decided she likes to be vocal when I initiate play with her. Silly dog! She's not much of a barker at all so it's funny to hear!


Oh god, when my dog plays he sounds like Cujo lmao.


----------



## Willowy

jade5280 said:


> I hate working with customers. It's really embarrassing when a grown adult throws a tantrum that would rival a 2 year olds. Who are these people?


Have you read www.notalwaysright.com? Some of those stories make you wonder how these people manage not to walk into traffic on their way to the store .


----------



## jade5280

Willowy said:


> Have you read www.notalwaysright.com? Some of those stories make you wonder how these people manage not to walk into traffic on their way to the store .


Haha those are great! Now I don't feel so bad


----------



## Miss Bugs

Notalwaysright is like my all time fav. Website for wasting time lol. The hotel ones make me laugh because of how familier they are, like people insisting the have files under a specific name and scream at you when you ask if there is another name it could be under, and you eventually find it umder a totally different name and they go "oh..ya..that's right" lol


----------



## Remaru

At some point my neighbors are going to have to figure out that letting their dogs run loose isn't ok right? They started with 3 chihuahua mix dogs, the dogs have run the neighborhood for years and at some point dwindled to just 1 (mostly over the past 6months). I would prefer not to dwell on what probably happened to the other two dogs as they were not friendly enough to be picked up by some nice person. Well, they have a new puppy and guess what, he is running loose already. I've called Animal Control so many times about these dogs. I don't know if they just ignore me or if they come out and can't find them. It is frustrating. They aren't the only small dogs running loose in our neighborhood, I've come across at least two other chihuahuas (one comes from at least half a mile away), a little white fluffy dog who just gets out sometimes but stays in her yard and a little terrier who runs with a hound. Then last night I was walking Magic and the neighbor's big bully mix came charging at us. He is usually a very well behaved dog but his owner is usually with him and it is usually day time. Luckily Magic put on her best manners and greeted him politely (I honestly didn't know she had it in her) and he went from looking uncertain and stiff to relaxed and then ran off to his yard. Now I'm a little nervous considering sending my son out to walk her. It is hard on me but I don't want him running into one of the bigger dogs in the neighborhood.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I hate working with customers. It's really embarrassing when a grown adult throws a tantrum that would rival a 2 year olds. Who are these people?


I know you can't do this our of professionalism, but the last person who proceeded to act like a 2 year old in front of me, I just ... started treating them like one, then when they looked at me like I was mental, I was like "well, since you're going act like a 2 year old, then I am just going treat you like one." Needless to say they never talked to me again LOL.


----------



## ireth0

Worst customer experience I ever had a customer called me the C word over the phone because I couldn't transfer them to a dept where the sales people were all incredibly busy with boxing day sales. (think black Friday sales if you're not familiar. it's really busy)

I tried to explain to them civilly that they were just too busy with customers in the store to be able to answer, they called me the C word, I paused for a moment just out of shock and then immediately hung up.


----------



## Eenypup

You know what kills me? Knowing I'd be emotionally better off if I had never adopted Bennie. I love her SO much and could never give her up, but this is the opposite effect I thought a dog would have on me. Not a single day goes by that I don't worry about her issue with children, and I really just wish I knew once and for all how she felt. My gut & mind STILL tell me she doesn't like them interacting with her, which in theory should be fine. I mean we pass them daily and she's not snapping or going after them, so technically there's no issue. 

But the unknown KILLS my anxiety. Yes I know it's a problem & I get help, but as many of you know from experience theres no quick fix. I figure if we could just finally set up a kid meet with a behaviorist and I could get a solid answer, maybe I could finally rest my mind for a second. If she's fine, AWESOME. If not? Well I'd be upset for a bit but I could eventually accept it and stop wondering. At least I'd know what to do. I hate the unknown. I hate it. This just sucks.

And it makes it harder because of her being a bully breed. There's sooo much pressure for bully breeds to be perfect & 1000% human friendly. Heck, the breed specific forums would likely tell me to have her PTS if she so much as looked at a kid the wrong way. If I ever get a dog again, even in a better point in my life, I don't think I'd be able to do bully breed again. Maybe I'll stick to little dogs and I'd worry less.


----------



## elrohwen

Eenypup said:


> You know what kills me? Knowing I'd be emotionally better off if I had never adopted Bennie. I love her SO much and could never give her up, but this is the opposite effect I thought a dog would have on me. Not a single day goes by that I don't worry about her issue with children, and I really just wish I knew once and for all how she felt. My gut & mind STILL tell me she doesn't like them interacting with her, which in theory should be fine. I mean we pass them daily and she's not snapping or going after them, so technically there's no issue.
> 
> But the unknown KILLS my anxiety. Yes I know it's a problem & I get help, but as many of you know from experience theres no quick fix. I figure if we could just finally set up a kid meet with a behaviorist and I could get a solid answer, maybe I could finally rest my mind for a second. If she's fine, AWESOME. If not? Well I'd be upset for a bit but I could eventually accept it and stop wondering. At least I'd know what to do. I hate the unknown. I hate it. This just sucks.


Honestly, I don't think your hypothetical kid meeting would help nearly as much as you think it would. She's met kids before, she's displayed some uncomfortable behavior but nothing out of the ordinary, and then you moved on. What more would you expect to get from any other meeting? She will probably be uncomfortable, she won't bite them, and you will move on. But you will still be anxious because "what if".

I think your anxiety about Bennie is more about you than it is about her. Completely. As long as you know that there are any humans she is uncomfortable around you are going to be anxious. That's just how dogs are. The vast majority are uncomfortable around someone, but most just back away and go about their lives. Nothing you have ever describes makes her sound like a bite risk, and by thinking about this over and over you are making yourself more and more anxious about something that is the smallest thing. If you keep telling yourself "If only Bennie could do X it would make me feel better" then I don't think you'll ever get past your anxiety. It has to come from you.


----------



## Eenypup

I guess you're right. I know what she'd do because we've done it before. I know it is about me and I'd be freaked out by owning any dog that wouldn't pass becoming a certified therapy dog straight out of the womb. I know she isn't a bite risk, she's proven that time and time again that although she is uncomfortable or weirded out by kids a lot can happen without her biting or snapping at all. I know. I guess I keep telling myself that some magical meet would be the answer because it makes it sound easy. :/ There's always a "what if", even if she did adore kids I'd probably still wonder that.


----------



## CptJack

Eenypup said:


> You know what kills me? Knowing I'd be emotionally better off if I had never adopted Bennie. I love her SO much and could never give her up, but this is the opposite effect I thought a dog would have on me. Not a single day goes by that I don't worry about her issue with children, and I really just wish I knew once and for all how she felt. My gut & mind STILL tell me she doesn't like them interacting with her, which in theory should be fine. I mean we pass them daily and she's not snapping or going after them, so technically there's no issue.
> 
> But the unknown KILLS my anxiety. Yes I know it's a problem & I get help, but as many of you know from experience theres no quick fix. I figure if we could just finally set up a kid meet with a behaviorist and I could get a solid answer, maybe I could finally rest my mind for a second. If she's fine, AWESOME. If not? Well I'd be upset for a bit but I could eventually accept it and stop wondering. At least I'd know what to do. I hate the unknown. I hate it. This just sucks.
> 
> And it makes it harder because of her being a bully breed. There's sooo much pressure for bully breeds to be perfect & 1000% human friendly. Heck, the breed specific forums would likely tell me to have her PTS if she so much as looked at a kid the wrong way. If I ever get a dog again, even in a better point in my life, I don't think I'd be able to do bully breed again. Maybe I'll stick to little dogs and I'd worry less.


Believe it or not, I get it. 

Not from a bully breed perspective but an anxiety one. I get wrapped up in something and then I obsess about it and can't let it go and fret and worry and catastrophize it and it becomes a mental mess. Therapy helped me a ton. Meds helped me a ton. Meds with therapy gave me my life and most of my brain back, though I still have to reality check myself and some people here have seen bits and pieces of me sliding back into it re: Molly's reactivity. 

Here's the thing: 
A-) Knowing wouldn't make you feel as much better as you think it would. You'd just fixate on some other part of it. 
B-) If you didn't have her, you'd be doing it with something else in your life. 

In fact, the thing that will probably ultimately make this go away, based on my own experience, is when you start obsessing and worrying about something else OR you get far enough in CBT to be able to recognize the thought patterns as irrational, unhealthy, not based on reality and (this is the important part) stop them. That does take time. 

So I get it and all the sympathy, but try and hold onto the fact that it's not her, you wouldn't be better with another dog or without her, and it is all about you and your brain and not her. Your brain is going to do this to you until you can grabble it under some control. Look over this frequently:
http://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions/

Knowing my brain was being a jerk in known ways helped me a LOT. Like I wasn't alone and I needed to know that the stuff wasn't actually true (I was and some degree still am so, so prone to 1-4). Recognizing that it just wasn't me, that this was a common thing, and that what I *felt* and what reality was weren't the same was just... huge. Not an instant fix but an important realization. 

And remind yourself that, ultimately, your brain is a jerk and stop (I know this is trying to hard) looking for an out to make the anxiety go away about a specific thing and start looking toward making the anxiety go away PERIOD.


----------



## Eenypup

You're right, too. I know it's me. I just want to deflect the problem onto her because then I don't have to deal with it and somehow the fix would be easier if it was all her fault. It's not her fault. I actually am not currently doing CBT but finally asked my psychiatrist about starting, she was going to find out what my school offers and let me know at our next appointment. I'm really hopeful that I can work things out through that avenue. 

It would be something else if it wasn't her, no doubt about it. My brain needs something to latch on and obsess over. It's been various different things throughout my life, all made into huge catastrophes that never came to fruition because, duh, they weren't really catastrophes.


----------



## CptJack

Eenypup said:


> You're right, too. I know it's me. I just want to deflect the problem onto her because then I don't have to deal with it and somehow the fix would be easier if it was all her fault. It's not her fault. I actually am not currently doing CBT but finally asked my psychiatrist about starting, she was going to find out what my school offers and let me know at our next appointment. I'm really hopeful that I can work things out through that avenue.
> 
> It would be something else if it wasn't her, no doubt about it. My brain needs something to latch on and obsess over. It's been various different things throughout my life, all made into huge catastrophes that never came to fruition because, duh, they weren't really catastrophes.


Yeah, I've been there and done that. The hell of it is, at least with anxiety, is that it all becomes about avoiding feeling anxious about the thing and looking for that escape (like you said in your other post about an easy fix) and you just want an OUT from feeling scared and paranoid. ...Unfortunately the solution is usually past the fear, not away from it, so you avoid the solution as much as the problem. 

I have shot myself in the foot so, so many times because that thing I wanted to do or problem that had a simple solution? The simple solution made me anxious and I turned it into this huge big deal in my head. Or I'd just not do the thing that scared me and lose the opportunity/joy/whatever. Then I'd be ticked off at myself but hey! AT LEAST I AVOIDED THE FEAR. Sort of. Then I'd obsess over whatever and it'd just keep getting bigger and bigger in my head. I reached a point where I'd HIDE if someone knocked on the door, and could just barely leave the house at all. It got bad. 

When I managed to get help and CBT and meds came together in my head and I started getting better it was just... the biggest relief. This song came on somewhere and I just BAWLED with pure relief:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNQrMuL54aQ (tells you how long it's been).


You'll get there, you really, really will. CBT *will* help you break the patterns. It'll be uncomfortable but it will.


----------



## jade5280

Hypothetically if she actually wasn't great with kids, what about it bothers you so much? Do you feel like she's a risk when you walk her? A LOT of dogs could be considered a bite risk if they had small children running up to them, no matter the breed. Why do you feel like you need to address this issue, do you come into contact with small children a lot? If I remember correctly, you said she would most likely be gone by the time you had children of your own. Bennie sounds like a genuinely GOOD dog with very few...if any issues. That's not that easy to find.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Eenypup said:


> You know what kills me? Knowing I'd be emotionally better off if I had never adopted Bennie. I love her SO much and could never give her up, but this is the opposite effect I thought a dog would have on me. Not a single day goes by that I don't worry about her issue with children, and I really just wish I knew once and for all how she felt. My gut & mind STILL tell me she doesn't like them interacting with her, which in theory should be fine. I mean we pass them daily and she's not snapping or going after them, so technically there's no issue.
> 
> But the unknown KILLS my anxiety. Yes I know it's a problem & I get help, but as many of you know from experience theres no quick fix. I figure if we could just finally set up a kid meet with a behaviorist and I could get a solid answer, maybe I could finally rest my mind for a second. If she's fine, AWESOME. If not? Well I'd be upset for a bit but I could eventually accept it and stop wondering. At least I'd know what to do. I hate the unknown. I hate it. This just sucks.
> 
> And it makes it harder because of her being a bully breed. There's sooo much pressure for bully breeds to be perfect & 1000% human friendly. Heck, the breed specific forums would likely tell me to have her PTS if she so much as looked at a kid the wrong way. If I ever get a dog again, even in a better point in my life, I don't think I'd be able to do bully breed again. Maybe I'll stick to little dogs and I'd worry less.


I have found that it helps to not think of a dog as their breed but see them as an individual, as THEM. I too have been caught up in the "well other [insert breed name here]'s act this way so our / my dog should too!" I know its hard, I struggled with it for a long time ... but when I finally let go, my dog and I were much happier!


----------



## Eenypup

Yeah no, there's literally absolutely NO reason she needs to be good with interacting with small children. No reason at all. I have no family or friends with kids, kids never are going to come over, we won't have kids during her lifetime. She walks past them within centimeters and doesn't react in the slightest. If I was being rational and not an anxiety-ridden mess she's a fabulous dog and there's no reason she needs to be a saint with toddlers. A lot of the issue (in my head) is that bully breeds are supposed to be great with kids, perfectly human friendly, etc. That's just the expectation I had and wish that held up with her. 

But yeah, it's all me. If not this problem, it would be another. She's what I care about most and this is an easy thing to obsess over. My thought processes are a lot like you're describing, CptJack. My dad's the same way and swears by CBT helping immensely. I'm really going to push for it but of course it won't be easy and I'm not that great at talking about my issues IRL. Hopefully my mind can get some relief down the line. 

Thank you all for actually taking the time to respond and not judge, by the way.


----------



## elrohwen

Eenypup said:


> A lot of the issue (in my head) is that bully breeds are supposed to be great with kids, perfectly human friendly, etc. That's just the expectation I had and wish that held up with her.


I think a lot of it is expectations too. Out of the dogs I have own and known well, I would say approximately 2 are actually good with toddlers, and one of those is Hazel so it's really too early to tell. And out of all of those dogs, I have never known one to bite a kid. Bark at them or growl maybe in the case of a couple, but never snap or come close to biting. If you don't have a little kid or hang around people who do, it's not something you would really see or think about, but trust me that the vast majority of dogs are uncomfortable about toddlers and kids and would rather they just go away.

I also think the other bully people are probably not helping. IME that whole group can be a bit ... militant? cultish? Not sure what word I'm looking for, but sometimes they come across very heavy handed with their message. I get it, it sucks to have a perfectly lovely dog and have people point and shriek and call it a killer. It's really not fair and people are idiots. But saying that every pittie must be 100% human friendly to the point of never getting uncomfortable is just doing a disservice to the world. Pitties are dogs too, and if a lab or golden can be uncomfortable about kids, so can a pittie. It doesn't mean she's not an awesome dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Eenypup said:


> Yeah no, there's literally absolutely NO reason she needs to be good with interacting with small children. No reason at all. I have no family or friends with kids, kids never are going to come over, we won't have kids during her lifetime. She walks past them within centimeters and doesn't react in the slightest. If I was being rational and not an anxiety-ridden mess she's a fabulous dog and there's no reason she needs to be a saint with toddlers. A lot of the issue (in my head) is that bully breeds are supposed to be great with kids, perfectly human friendly, etc. That's just the expectation I had and wish that held up with her.
> 
> But yeah, it's all me. If not this problem, it would be another. She's what I care about most and this is an easy thing to obsess over. My thought processes are a lot like you're describing, CptJack. My dad's the same way and swears by CBT helping immensely. I'm really going to push for it but of course it won't be easy and I'm not that great at talking about my issues IRL. Hopefully my mind can get some relief down the line.
> 
> Thank you all for actually taking the time to respond and not judge, by the way.


See? she is a good dog and you are a good owner! come on, look at that smile in her siggy, how could she NOT be good


----------



## CrimsonAccent

I missed the discussion, but just wanted to say you can do it Eenypup 

Anxiety is an awful thing to wrestle with, but looks like you are getting the right tools to deal with it


----------



## Laurelin

Anxiety is really really horrible. I totally get it. For me my dogs are really the one aspect that I'm NOT anxious about but I get the obsessing. But I get it... other things will not leave my mind for weeks or months. It will mess you up. But you can't just 'drop it'. It can kinda help to have people reaffirm that the anxiety is what is talking but it's not as easy as it sounds to break out of that train of thought. And yes, what causes it to go away is for me either something else is wrong and I start obsessing over that or I just randomly stop obsessing. And then it looks stupid to me looking back at it. Like why the heck was I worried about THAT!? But that's anxiety for ya. 

Anyways, just wanted commiserate. It IS your anxiety doing the thinking here. But it's not an easy thing to go through.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I get it too. My current anxiety is my dog's allergies. I spent and entire weekend doing nothing but moping and worrying about her and her future with allergies. There is no real solution, but I still have to find it obsessively. I know better.. but my brain won't let the anxiety go. I make myself miserable and do it on purpose without really doing it on purpose if that makes sense? 

I can really relate with the CBT stuff. I struggled with the guilt thing for a long time. If I did something I considered "wrong" I wouldn't let myself do anything rewarding until the next day when everything "reset". I wouldn't let myself have any fun.. go anywhere.. etc. I punished myself. If I accidentally stubbed my toe or something.. even better, I clearly deserved it! The worst part was I was a very, very well behaved child/teen.. and very rarely did anything that deserved punishment. 

Anxiety is all too real and all too awful. Bennie is not the problem, for sure. It does stink that she doesn't meet your expectations but no dog ever will. Still.. it really is a great opportunity to work through these anxieties, because it will really help you overcome obstacles later in life especially if you are having children.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> Hypothetically if she actually wasn't great with kids, what about it bothers you so much? Do you feel like she's a risk when you walk her? A LOT of dogs could be considered a bite risk if they had small children running up to them, no matter the breed. Why do you feel like you need to address this issue, do you come into contact with small children a lot? If I remember correctly, you said she would most likely be gone by the time you had children of your own. Bennie sounds like a genuinely GOOD dog with very few...if any issues. That's not that easy to find.


This.

My old female was HORRIBLE about kids and strangers and I still managed her, I would still have her if a horrible accident hadnt taken her from me. I will admit it IS easier emotionally to have a dog, say like Josefina who is friendly, or Lincoln who is shy but also friendly.

If your dog is manageable in the general public and not reactive upon seeing other dogs or kids, or not reactive to being close to them, then I wouldnt worry too much about it.

I ask you, if she any breed other than a bully breed, would her issues bother you as much? Like I said before, when you stop seeing them as [insert breed here] and start seeing them as THEM, it gets a lot easier.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is finally feeling like he's my dog. It's only taken almost a year but he finally feels like part of the family and not just thiscool dog that has been staying with me. There's been a very slight change in the way he looks at me if that makes sense. A look here or there. A sigh here and there. A few more cuddles. I think we're figuring each other out.


----------



## Remaru

Eenypup, I'm sorry you are struggling with this right now. Anxiety is hard and it doesn't have to make sense. I do agree with CptJack that if you did not have Bennie you would most likely find that you were fixating on something else. I find that I cycle through a few things, how I am parenting my kids, if my oldest is getting enough/the right kind of help, if I am making the right schooling choices for them, if we should travel more, if I made the wrong decision having so many dogs (so we can't travel more), then there is the dog stuff, I've been really fixated on Lad lately, I worry he will wash out as a SD and I will have to start over, will his hips/knees/elbows pass, will he get big enough (he has stalled out way smaller than he should be), is his temperament what it should be, is this or that a sign that he can't handle the stress of PA work, is he as far along in his training as he should be, yeah.... I don't know if it is that he is at the right age/stage for me to start worrying or if that is just where my mind has landed right now. You are doing a great job with Bennie, working with a professional, putting in a lot of time and she is thriving. Do make sure you take time for yourself too.


----------



## Laurelin

So this is kinda depressing but Summer is aging and one thing I am noticing a lot is her voice is changed. Probably because she's so vocal and barking all the time. But she has a wound on her side right now from chewing a bug bite. She's had to be in a cone () I have to medicate it. But she hates it and yelps. Her little yelps just sound so so old. So old.


----------



## Eenypup

Yeah, it might not be as bad if she wasn't a bully breed but I'm sure I'd still fixate on that or maybe find something else. I should remember that first & foremost she's a dog, and a great one at that. Just because she looks like a bully breed of some kind doesn't mean she can't have preferences. She strongly prefers manly working class male types for some reason (I don't get it... reminds her of a previous owner perhaps?), and just doesn't prefer to interact with kids. No biggie! But the breed enthusiasts are quite militant about 10000% no human dislike ever by a "pit bull" EVER. Doesn't help, that's for sure.

It does help to an extent to be reminded that this is all my anxiety, which in the back of my head I always know. Hopefully in time I can work through it and can just sit back and enjoy having one of the easiest dogs I've ever met


----------



## gingerkid

Ida has the best derp-face. She sometimes walks around with most of her tongue hanging out the side... and her mouth closed. Or just the very tip sticking out the front. Its adorable. And I cannot for the life of me ever catch her doing it when I have any kind of camera near by.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank was growling like crazy IN HIS SLEEP.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Kris has become quite "talkative" lately. Earlier tonight she came and sat and looked at me. I asked he what she wanted and she did her "woof woof". Finally figured out what it was. Monty was eating her food and she wanted me to make him go away so she could eat. He is 10 lbs and she is 75 lbs but she would never growl at him or make him leave her food. If she has a bone and Susie even looks at her she drops the bone and lets her have it. I have a very troublesome squirrel that is living in my attic and she gets all excited when she hears it and cannot figure out why I don't do something about it. (wish I could!!)


----------



## Eenypup

Laurelin said:


> Hank was growling like crazy IN HIS SLEEP.


Do all dogs not do this regularly?? Bennie almost never growls when she's awake, but apparently her dreams (nightmares?) are often worthy of growling!


----------



## Kathyy

Ginger has growled in her sleep, the others barked and occasionally woke themselves up though. Sassy usually was chasing gophers in her dreams too, digging and running on her side.

Ginger doesn't much like taking her turn in the pen. She doesn't bark or howl, she does a great smoke alarm low battery chirp. It is just as loud and horrible a sound as that.


----------



## cookieface

Katie has a treat stuck in her ear fur. She can smell it, but can't find it. I shouldn't torture her for my own amusement.

Last night I hit Tyson in the back of the head with a ball while we were playing fetch. Good thing it wasn't one of the lacrosse balls he likes so much.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Add me to the list of people here who deal with anxiety. Speaking of which, you know what gives me anxiety? The politics around what to and to not feed your dog. Dear god, I can only research into it so much on the internet and hear "Raw is the ONLY suitable diet for all dogs as dogs are obligate carnivores!!" a few times before I get overwhelmed and wish to promptly crawl back under my rock of ignorance. I'd really like to add some raw a few times a week (won't be switching to a completely raw diet as in all honesty I don't think I can be consistent enough for it right now), so need to do some research but it's hard to find pure information minus everybody's two cents. Not sure why it makes me feel so bad to supposedly not be feeding the ideal dog diet. My dog is doing great, her coat looks great, etc. Okay end vent.


----------



## cookieface

How sad is it that I'm too anxious to participate in the anxiety discussion... But, the list CptJack posted - that's what it's like inside my head. It's a dark, scary place sometimes.


----------



## Laurelin

Eenypup said:


> Do all dogs not do this regularly?? Bennie almost never growls when she's awake, but apparently her dreams (nightmares?) are often worthy of growling!


My other two rarely do. They will sometimes whine or bark. Mia does the foot twitch a lot. Hank is loud though. He almost seems to have recurring nightmares.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln twitches and jerks in his sleep, Josefina will also usually move and twitch in her sleep, both will even sometimes yip and growl, its cute.

I cant help but wonder what they dream about.


----------



## ireth0

This morning we were crossing the street and a woman literally yelled from her car to me that I "have a pretty dog!" 

Um... thanks! I'm pretty sure?


----------



## Laurelin

Another seizure for Summer.


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> Another seizure for Summer.


 F&@k I'm sorry


----------



## Laurelin

I think tomorrow we will call the vet to talk about changing her meds up. It's been 3 in a month which is an awful lot. She is in no pain from them at least. Even during an episode she is a bit 'out of it' but still seems happy. So that is at the least comforting to me.


----------



## Sibe

Bobb's sharp nub bone may be trying to push out of his leg. Or ya know, it could just be from rolling, playing, and wrestling on the carpet. He has a grooming appt tomorrow to get his legs shaved up and overall trim anyway, and first physical therapy appt is on Wednesday so I'll ask them- going in asap if it gets worse or he seems in pain. Darker and dryer than it looks in the pic.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Saw that on the FB Conditioning group... poor little buddy.


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> Another seizure for Summer.


I'm so sorry! I hope you can find a solution


----------



## DogTheGreat

I'm trying to get a job at a local pet store that I really love (only quality kibble/canned/dehydrated/etc, sells frozen meaty raw bones, and generally just a great company) as I really need to have a part-time job this semester since most of my classes are gen-ed and won't be too useful to my specific major. Was chatting up the manager at the checkout and I couldn't stop the word vomit. It was awful. Pretty much every response I had to him didn't even match up to what he was asking. "Do you have cats, too?" he asked as he was scanning a collar I'm going to use temporarily until my custom rolled collar comes in the mail. Not thinking for some reason I think I must have accidentally picked up a cat collar or something because why would he ask. Also, cat collars totally go up to 18". "Oh no, I'm just using that as a temporary collar as the d-ring broke on her old one." I knew I was spewing nonsense, but couldn't stop myself. That was all before I inquired about the position opening. He didn't just hand me an application and tell me to bring it back, though. He chatted me up a bit and told me they need somebody soon so to bring it back as soon as I can, so hopefully I'm not beyond redemption. 

My hopes are not high at this point even though I know I could do great especially with a little more familiarity, but I'll go drop the application off tomorrow. Seriously, though, a cure for my chronic verbal diarrhea would be great. Forever waiting.


----------



## jade5280

Ryker has an ear infection. I'm not sure how he got it, his ears are always clean and we haven't been swimming recently. Going to be so fun muzzling and holding him down 2x a day for 2 weeks for the ear drops uuughh


----------



## Laurelin

Found a dead mouse in the floor. Greaaaat. I HATe these things. Hadn't seen one since moving. Not sure if a dog got it outside and brought it in or what. Not sure which dog got it either.


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> Found a dead mouse in the floor. Greaaaat. I HATe these things. Hadn't seen one since moving. Not sure if a dog got it outside and brought it in or what. Not sure which dog got it either.


 Denali found one at the dog beach. It had been dead a long time. It was completely dry and hollow... and full of maggots.


----------



## cookieface

Sending good thoughts to Summer, Ryker, and Bobb.

When I got home from work, I had the dogs out separately, Katie first. Took Tyson out and he was racing around the yard. Suddenly, he skidded into a stop, turned around, and ran straight for the spot where Katie had peed earlier. He sniffed a bit, peed, and then took off running. Weirdo.


----------



## Laurelin

This one was freshly dead. I am so paranoid about them. My crap rental house ended up with an infestation and now I have a serious phobia. I haven't seen ANY sign of them in the near year I've lived at this house. *knock on wood*. I left a window partially open a few days ago since it was cool and it is right next to this bush that Hank has been very very interested in. So I'm hoping that's how it got in and it was only one. My dad did point out between Mia and Hank I will know if there are mice in the house. And the mice don't stand a good chance. Fair enough point. Wish I just knew how this one got in here. If Hank killed it outside and brought it in or if it was inside and Hank or Mia got it. What's weird is I never heard anything in the house. I had been cleaning and I would have expected if it was live in the house to have had some sort of commotion since I'd bet Hank and Mia would both go for it. And maybe even scuffle over it.

I honestly think Hank must've gotten it in the bushes. He's been going after something in those bushes for a few weeks now. And considering he tried to bring the bird he got inside.... I'm just really really surprised it was in once piece and not torn apart. Mia leaves things in one piece but Hank definitely doesn't. When I found it neither dog was remotely interested in it. (Summer doesn't count because she's 100% oblivious all the time)

So yeah I have no idea.

But seriously mice are the absolute WORST creatures on the planet. I hate them.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh and I can deal with pretty much ANYTHING in my house except for mice. Mice skeeve the crap out of me. I had a black widow recently. No big deal at all. Snake? Meh. Mouse? I scream like a baby. Even the dead one makes me scream and my heart goes racing and even with my pooper scooper I could barely pick it up. But I am much happier with a dead one than a live one.


----------



## Remaru

Ever have one of those days where you wonder where all the dog fur is coming from? I vacuum 2-3 times a day and still, so much dog fur. I was vacuuming under the TV stand today and there were clouds of white fluff (I do this at least 3 times a week). Where is it coming from? Freyja is down to summer coat now and Lad has a smooth coat. Dog mysteries...


----------



## Kyllobernese

Squirrels are what drive me crazy. I have one in my attic that starts to chew at night. The dogs go nuts and no way I can get at it. Finally today I found where it had chewed a hole but it is in a spot that is almost impossible to get at as the ground there drops way down so no place to put a ladder to get up to it to block it off. Also, have to make sure he is not in there if I do manage to block it off. Was looking at it and saw his little nose poke out so know he is up there right now. Looks like I will have to try and bait my live trap and see if I can catch him when he is out. (assume it is a he because have not seen any young squirrels around).


----------



## Laurelin

Vent: dog clothing sizes. Hank is going to a pool party tomorrow. So I wanted a life jacket for him last minute. Petsmart the medium labelled for 15-30 lbs was wayyy too small. Hank is nowhere near 30 lbs. and the 30-50 lb one is too big by a lot.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Unsure of how I'm ever going to get my dog to stop jumping on people when _everybody_ allows it. Why would she listen to me when the person will still come over and say hi to her when she's acting awful? Even family members will complain that she's still jumping on them during greeting, but uh hello? You've basically trained her to! I will leash her up, tell them to ignore her until I say she's ready, then if they notice she's getting too wiggly during the greeting to turn and walk away again. They will usually disregard me and walk over to her way too soon (no, just because she's finally sitting doesn't mean she's calm enough). Then, when she's getting too excited yet they still don't walk away again, I'll tell them they'll want to disengage her now. Do they? Nope and within moments they are, unsurprisingly, popped in the face by her. I mean, I understand not everybody is able to read dog body language easily, but when the handler is telling you to do something because they're trying to work on something with the dog (for your benefit!), you should listen. I know a lot of them are just anxious to say hi to her as well, but then don't complain when her manners don't improve for you. 

Also, don't even get me started on people that will come say hi and pet her in public without asking me first. She's the kind of dog that is just BEGGING to be pet by all while out and about, but it's so frustrating. Even more frustrating when you add on the fact that she's potentially going to pee when they say hi to her and I'll be stuck cleaning it up while possibly receiving a not-so-nice look from the person who said hi to her. She's just fine on-leash around people who don't fuss over her at all. If somebody were to ask me if they can say hi, my standard response would be "Yes, but only if I can get her to sit". Usually I can't because she's too excited about the person and I say "Sorry, maybe next time." Easy enough. Yet most people just walk by and "OH HI DOGGY!". I know I need to be more assertive in these situations, but it's so hard... 

When she greets me when I've been gone, she might jump up once out of just-can't-help-myself excitement, but that's not rewarded and she immediately knows the drill. She's not pet until she can hold a sit-stay or if she can manage to lay down. /End rant


----------



## DogTheGreat

Laurelin said:


> Vent: dog clothing sizes. Hank is going to a pool party tomorrow. So I wanted a life jacket for him last minute. Petsmart the medium labelled for 15-30 lbs was wayyy too small. Hank is nowhere near 30 lbs. and the 30-50 lb one is too big by a lot.


Yeah, I bought socks for my dog that create traction since our house is mostly hardwood and she slips around everywhere while I'm cringing. I got her the large and the chart said it should fit dogs up to 80 pounds. My dog is maybe just pushing 40lb and she's fine boned with small paws for a medium sized dog. They fit her, but I'd seriously doubt that they would if her paws were any larger. 80lbs my ass.


----------



## cookieface

Katie thinks the peanut is a vault. I suppose if she added some back flips to her antics it could be a cool trick, but right now, it's just frustrating.

On a more positive note, Tyson is starting to rotate his back end with his front end on a perch.


----------



## CptJack

So rather than agility I'm stuck on the side of the road waiting for roadside assistance.


----------



## mudypony

Don't really want to start a new thread but have a quick question!

I'm interested in getting a flirt pole for Duke and am wondering where the best place to buy one is?


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> So rather than agility I'm stuck on the side of the road waiting for roadside assistance.


That sucks. Were you headed to class or a trial? In any case, hope you didn't have to wait too long and were able to salvage part of it.



mudypony said:


> Don't really want to start a new thread but have a quick question!
> 
> I'm interested in getting a flirt pole for Duke and am wondering where the best place to buy one is?


Not sure about buying, but many people make them. I know there have been a few posts here with general instructions.


----------



## Laurelin

The only place I know to buy them is cleanrun but I'm not sure I'd use the one I bought on anything much bigger or stronger than Hank or a BC sized dog. A lot of people use horse lunge whips and tie a toy to the end.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> That sucks. Were you headed to class or a trial? In any case, hope you didn't have to wait too long and were able to salvage part of it.


Private lesson. We missed the entire thing, but at least it was JUST a lesson. And, hey, the whole disaster only took 4 hours


----------



## mudypony

Thanks cookieface and Laurelin! I might try this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/176583...y&ga_search_query=flirt pole&ref=sr_gallery_6

It has a 1 year guarantee which is nice. Plus, I know if I place an order for a lunge whip, I'll end up spending gobs of money on other horse stuff I need... errr want :redface:


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Private lesson. We missed the entire thing, but at least it was JUST a lesson. And, hey, the whole disaster only took 4 hours


That somehow seems worse than missing class or a trial. Oh, and it would have been polite to ask about your car. How is it?


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> That somehow seems worse than missing class or a trial. Oh, and it would have been polite to ask about your car. How is it?


I feel really bad for having missed it - because it was too late for her to get a replacement student :/ I was at least able to tell her fairly early, but I hope like blazes it doesn't mean I'm not going to get lessons for a while. 

Car's okay. It was just a tire, but the sidewall blew out.


----------



## Sibe

DogTheGreat said:


> Unsure of how I'm ever going to get my dog to stop jumping on people when _everybody_ allows it. Why would she listen to me when the person will still come over and say hi to her when she's acting awful? Even family members will complain that she's still jumping on them during greeting, but uh hello? You've basically trained her to! I will leash her up, tell them to ignore her until I say she's ready, then if they notice she's getting too wiggly during the greeting to turn and walk away again. They will usually disregard me and walk over to her way too soon (no, just because she's finally sitting doesn't mean she's calm enough). Then, when she's getting too excited yet they still don't walk away again, I'll tell them they'll want to disengage her now. Do they? Nope and within moments they are, unsurprisingly, popped in the face by her. I mean, I understand not everybody is able to read dog body language easily, but when the handler is telling you to do something because they're trying to work on something with the dog (for your benefit!), you should listen. I know a lot of them are just anxious to say hi to her as well, but then don't complain when her manners don't improve for you.
> 
> Also, don't even get me started on people that will come say hi and pet her in public without asking me first. She's the kind of dog that is just BEGGING to be pet by all while out and about, but it's so frustrating. Even more frustrating when you add on the fact that she's potentially going to pee when they say hi to her and I'll be stuck cleaning it up while possibly receiving a not-so-nice look from the person who said hi to her. She's just fine on-leash around people who don't fuss over her at all. If somebody were to ask me if they can say hi, my standard response would be "Yes, but only if I can get her to sit". Usually I can't because she's too excited about the person and I say "Sorry, maybe next time." Easy enough. Yet most people just walk by and "OH HI DOGGY!". I know I need to be more assertive in these situations, but it's so hard...
> 
> When she greets me when I've been gone, she might jump up once out of just-can't-help-myself excitement, but that's not rewarded and she immediately knows the drill. She's not pet until she can hold a sit-stay or if she can manage to lay down. /End rant


 1. You don't allow people to greet your dog. You keep her on leash _with you_ when you have people over, or if you can't then crate or confinement- and if anyone gives you a hard time about it tell them too bad, you can't have her jumping on people because she'll be jumping on kids and seniors and that's not for her to jump EVER so when people allow it she's set back in her training.

2. In public, _always_ have treats with you. If anyone wants to pet her, either decline and say "Sorry we're in training, thank you so much for asking!" or say "We're in training teaching her not to jump, would you like to give her a treat instead? Please don't pet her, just a treat for sitting." Whether you let someone give her a treat or not will depend on a lot of factors. Consider first her arousal level. If she's already higher alert/hyped up, then no. If you don't know that she is able to sit in that moment, then no greeting. And instead, as you tell the person "sorry we're in training" be giving her treats for standing/sitting/doing anything but jumping/lunging/barking/things you don't want. If the person is a high energy, excited, type person, then no (including kids- don't feel bad telling kids no, you are protecting them from a nose bop in the face, just tell them sorry but sometimes she jumps up).

3. If people rush up in "HI DOGGIE!" fashion, you step in front of her/pull her behind you, you put your hand out in a 'stop' gesture, and say "NO THANK YOU. How old are you? Then you're old enough to know you need to ask first." But seriously, you can say something like "No thank you! We're in training," as you get her behind you and block the person.

4. Sit =/= relaxed. A sitting dog can still be extremely tense, stressed, anxious, alert, etc. Ability to listen to a cue, or perform it automatically, is a good thing but does not in itself mean she's ready to greet. Wait for her arousal and energy level to have actually come down to a good place before greeting. I really, really cannot recommend this exercise enough called "relax on a mat" that will teach her how to calm herself down with no guidance from you except calm rewards. You don't say a thing to her, you don't ever add a cue, you just reward her when she shows she's relaxed more. This would be *awesome* to make your routine when you come home.
Written instructions: http://media.wix.com/ugd/d098c3_560368c4784c4dc2abef3094eae87ec6.pdf
After you read through it, here are a couple video examples to give you an idea of how it works.
Vid1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIICzPdYh4o
Vid2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvSm62fmqSM


----------



## Remaru

mudypony said:


> Thanks cookieface and Laurelin! I might try this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/176583...y&ga_search_query=flirt pole&ref=sr_gallery_6
> 
> It has a 1 year guarantee which is nice. Plus, I know if I place an order for a lunge whip, I'll end up spending gobs of money on other horse stuff I need... errr want :redface:


I just bought a length of PVC pipe from Lowes to make one. It cost under $1. I actually bought a bunch, I'm supposed to be making a travois for Magic to start training her to pull, I spent under $5. I just need to run some rope and wrap the base in duct tape (because duct tape is good for everything) to make the flirt pole. I need to do some measuring with Magic in her harness and have hubby punch some holes in the other pipes before I can work up the travois


----------



## Sibe

I do PVC too. Super easy and cheap. Drilled a hole, tied a rope on, tied a toy, and good to go.


----------



## mudypony

Sibe said:


> I do PVC too. Super easy and cheap. Drilled a hole, tied a rope on, tied a toy, and good to go.


Oooo... the PVC is brilliant. I'll have to add a trip to home depot to the weekend todo list. 

Thanks Remaru and Sibe!


----------



## DogTheGreat

Sibe said:


> 1. You don't allow people to greet your dog. You keep her on leash _with you_ when you have people over, or if you can't then crate or confinement- and if anyone gives you a hard time about it tell them too bad, you can't have her jumping on people because she'll be jumping on kids and seniors and that's not for her to jump EVER so when people allow it she's set back in her training.


Thank you for all of the pointers!! Not sure if #1 is going to be something I'll be able to do just because I still live with family and me saying "No sorry, you can't interact with her" will undoubtedly create animosity. So trying to do training with them was a middle-ground sort of thing, but they just don't listen so maybe I'll try to come up with another option. I crate her always when guests are over. Definitely aware that I need to be more assertive, but I'm a pretty shy person that is easily overwhelmed so it'll take (a lot of) work to get there. You'd really think more people would have better manners around strange dogs, though! To be fair, it's usually kids but often the parents are right there and don't stop the kid or call them away when she's clearly too hyped. This kind of stuff even happens at our training club and it can be a bit ridiculous. I think I might just start crating her while waiting for classes if there is an available crate so she can learn to settle around new people without me having to rely on other people at all. Really, though, thanks.


----------



## DogTheGreat

BTW, can anybody think of anything I could put on her that would make people less likely to come up to greet her? Honestly, I really don't think I'm going to get to a point where I'll reliably tell somebody to back off especially if they have an overbearing sort of personality. Some people really just don't take no for an answer. I have found my voice before and have asked somebody to not come up to her as she will pee (somewhat full bladder and overstimulated so guaranteed pretty much), they just "Oh, I don't mind" and got down to say hi to her anyways. I once had a trainer recommend an "In training" tag for a harness and when I tried that people wanted to chat me up over it thus rendering it counterproductive. I know muzzles and head-halters can sometimes be successful visual deterrents for a dog that's react. Not that I'd muzzle her because there is absolutely no need to.


----------



## CptJack

DogTheGreat said:


> BTW, can anybody think of anything I could put on her that would make people less likely to come up to greet her? Honestly, I really don't think I'm going to get to a point where I'll reliably tell somebody to back off especially if they have an overbearing sort of personality. Some people really just don't take no for an answer. I have found my voice before and have asked somebody to not come up to her as she will pee (somewhat full bladder and overstimulated so guaranteed pretty much), they just "Oh, I don't mind" and got down to say hi to her anyways. I once had a trainer recommend an "In training" tag for a harness and when I tried that people wanted to chat me up over it thus rendering it counterproductive. I know muzzles and head-halters can sometimes be successful visual deterrents for a dog that's react. Not that I'd muzzle her because there is absolutely no need to.











Julius K9 Harness with (sold separately) velcro patches.

That said, you're going to still have to learn to speak up, probably, or body block or abruptly leave or something. Those people who think what you say doesn't matter will STILL ignore that vest. You don't have to speak up to the nice people who want to follow the rules, but the ones who don't care? Yeah. They're jerks, but they're still a problem (though maybe less so with an overenthusiastic greeter than a fearful dog - ie: you may still accomplish training).

Part of dog ownership, unfortunately. Good news is, after years of having dog I've gotten a lot more proactive in protecting my dogs.


----------



## DogTheGreat

What a pretty dog. Will be ordering something similar ASAP to try that out when in public. Thanks.


----------



## jade5280

I love fall, but it makes me so sad that summer is coming to an end...booo


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> I love fall, but it makes me so sad that summer is coming to an end...booo


Fall always makes me want to go back to school.


----------



## jade5280

It's weird, I've never had someone come up to me and pet my dogs without asking, even kids. Maybe people are more likely to approach smaller dogs without consent first?



cookieface said:


> Fall always makes me want to go back to school.


What's wrong with you?!


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> It's weird, I've never had someone come up to me and pet my dogs without asking, even kids. Maybe people are more likely to approach smaller dogs without consent first?


Some of it's just variable by location - probably even neighborhood. I can honestly say that in Michigan not a single person failed to ask before petting my dogs. Not one. They took no for an answer, too, when no was the answer. More people wanted to pet them there, though. Here people are way more willing to just 'drive by pet', but way less willing to ask. So they might look more, or pet and keep walking, than ask if it's all right to pet. 

No one ever wants to pet Thud though, so there's something there, too.



cookieface said:


> Fall always makes me want to go back to school.


I don't want to go back to school but it always feels like the start of a new year. And I always want to start SOMETHING new.


----------



## cookieface

I've had people approach us, although Katie usually initiates greetings so there's not really an opportunity to tell them not to pet her. Tyson would be different and I would have no problem telling people to stay back. The other night, I told our advanced manners instructor that she couldn't pet Tyson (we were practicing polite greetings). I was worried about his stress level and didn't want her approach to have a negative consequence for him. Maybe I worry too much.

It does help to practice saying "No, you cannot pet my dog" with friends and family. I took a reactive dog class with Katie and that was one of the exercises. It helped. 



jade5280 said:


> What's wrong with you?!


I loved learning, reading textbooks, researching, writing papers, etc. Hated tests and grades, though. And, my first two years of undergrad were truly the happiest times of my life. I think that's a huge factor.



> No one ever wants to pet Thud though, so there's something there, too.


Poor Thud. Or not, depending on the perspective. I'd pet Thud, but only after asking.


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## DogTheGreat

jade5280 said:


> It's weird, I've never had someone come up to me and pet my dogs without asking, even kids. Maybe people are more likely to approach smaller dogs without consent first?


Yeah, I think it's partially just location for the most part. Though, in my case, it's probably due to the fact that if somebody even unintentionally makes eye contact my dog gets all wiggly and is just _begging_ to be paid attention to by them. Doesn't take much to tempt people over to a cute dog who is excited to see them.

Honestly, the impolite greeting isn't even what's the most frustrating part about it. She's got awhile to go before it'd be something I actually feel the need to actively work on in public. I'm still trying to train her to easily settle and relax on her own while out and about. So not only does every greeting reinforce her bad behavior, it completely screws with that.


----------



## Flaming

Bought a new car...Apparently the chevy dealer in town is dog friendly. Manna had a tour of the showroom and offices. Hubby had to go with Vitae afterwards because the people there wanted to see a sheepdog too!


edit: yes if a business wants me to go in with one or both dogs I am more than happy to go out of my way for the extra training and socialization opportunities.


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## Eenypup

The great thing about Philadelphia, and what makes management of Bennie truthfully a non-issue, is kids around here do NOT come up to dogs without asking. They just don't. The one time a child didn't ask was during a fourth of july parade, so likely someone from out of town. Kids around here ignore her, comment on how much they like her/she's pretty/etc, or ask to pet her and are really fine to take no for an answer. I had a woman a week or two ago just kneel down in front of Bennie as we were passing by. She just started saying hi as though she knew my dog without asking at all. Super weird.


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## cookieface

We were playing in the yard. I bent down to pick up the ball, Tyson jumped up and hit my nose with his head. Probably would have hurt more if I hadn't had 2 bottles of hard cider.


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## North&South

My pup is little and cute, but he just doesn't like people he doesn't know. We found that when going for walks, he was ok if people totally ignored him. He growled at women and children and I think it was because they usually look at him with interest. Men don't care and aren't interested, so he ignores them right back. One little girl asked to pet him and we had to say no, he isn't friendly, but thank you for asking. I do try to keep him away from small children because I don't want their early childhood experiences with dogs to be negative or frightening for them. He absolutely cannot stand small children, and since we don't have any in our lives at the moment, that isn't a problem. For now. 

I suspect our dog wasn't socialized well growing up, unfortunately. (We got him as an adult from a rescue organization--one owner and surrendered by that owner for reasons unknown.) Well trained to a 'T', incredibly so, but his social skills are utterly atrocious. It's really a shame that his previous owner didn't put as much work into socializing him as he did into teaching him commands and house manners because this really is an incredibly smart dog with so much potential. We ourselves don't socialize much, so providing opportunity for our dog to meet new people is going to take a concerted effort on our part.


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## CptJack

North&South said:


> I suspect our dog wasn't socialized well growing up, unfortunately. (We got him as an adult from a rescue organization--one owner and surrendered by that owner for reasons unknown.) Well trained to a 'T', incredibly so, but his social skills are utterly atrocious. It's really a shame that his previous owner didn't put as much work into socializing him as he did into teaching him commands and house manners because this really is an incredibly smart dog with so much potential. We ourselves don't socialize much, so providing opportunity for our dog to meet new people is going to take a concerted effort on our part.


Um. I'm just going to say that this is a heck of an assumption. Socialization won't overwrite genetics. I took Molly EVERYWHERE with me. She was exposed to everything I could get near. She is still a dog who barks and growls and is fearful with some people, most dogs, and random stuff. Dogs come off chains they spent lifetimes off with solid temperaments and loving everyone and everything. I have see a TON of this through rescue, my own dogs, and dogs here. Socialization really does not change temperament. It'll influence it, but only within a range laid down by genetics. 

I'm not saying that he was well socialized, but I AM going to say that regardless you can blame his genetics at least as much as his former owner. You may be able to blame his genetics entirely, since but you can't rewind time you'll never know that. Odds are high, though, that if the dog is that well trained he's been exposed enough that if genetics weren't contributing he wouldn't be 'unfriendly'.


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## Laurelin

Haha I took Hank through the drive thru my sister is working at and it blew his little mind. He was so confused as to why his friend was in a drive thru. lol Lots of over the top screaming happened. 

'BUT MOM, THAT'S MY FRIEND! THAT'S MY FRIEND! THAT'S MY FRIEND!!!!!'


----------



## North&South

CptJack said:


> Um. I'm just going to say that this is a heck of an assumption. Socialization won't overwrite genetics. I took Molly EVERYWHERE with me. She was exposed to everything I could get near. She is still a dog who barks and growls and is fearful with some people, most dogs, and random stuff. Dogs come off chains they spent lifetimes off with solid temperaments and loving everyone and everything. I have see a TON of this through rescue, my own dogs, and dogs here. Socialization really does not change temperament. It'll influence it, but only within a range laid down by genetics.
> 
> I'm not saying that he was well socialized, but I AM going to say that regardless you can blame his genetics at least as much as his former owner. You may be able to blame his genetics entirely, since but you can't rewind time you'll never know that. Odds are high, though, that if the dog is that well trained he's been exposed enough that if genetics weren't contributing he wouldn't be 'unfriendly'.


Oh, heck, I'm sorry! I just realized how that assumption on my part would be perceived. I am aware of the struggles you've gone through with Molly. What a stupid thing for me to say, my apologies! (Kicking myself with foot just freshly removed from mouth...) We can only speculate on what may have gone on in our dog's life before he came to us...maybe he was surrendered _because_ of his poor social skills, who knows, and we really don't know why he is the way he is. 

We are hoping he is young enough to and has the ability to learn a different way of interacting with the world, whatever his background may have been. He is making progress in some areas, so we are hopeful.


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## CptJack

It's fine. I'm admittedly pretty sensitive about it. I'm seriously thinking about someday replacing those patches on Molly's vest with ones that say "I DID TOO SOCIALIZE HER". 

I'm sure you'll be able to help him. You've done a lot of good with your guy already, just from what I've followed here.


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## North&South

Eenypup said:


> ...I had a woman a week or two ago just kneel down in front of Bennie as we were passing by. She just started saying hi as though she knew my dog without asking at all. Super weird.


Wow...I would never get my face close to a dog I didn't know. In fact, I've always been cautious that way even with my own dogs. Your dog does look friendly and she's got kind eyes, but still...


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## Eenypup

North&South said:


> Wow...I would never get my face close to a dog I didn't know. In fact, I've always been cautious that way even with my own dogs. Your dog does look friendly and she's got kind eyes, but still...


Right?! I was completely blown away by how dangerous that was!! My girlfriend was with us and said she thought it must have been someone Bennie and I knew somehow. Nope. Luckily for her she's super stranger friendly but I feel like that would rightfully freak out SO many dogs, she gave her no out!


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## North&South

CptJack said:


> It's fine. I'm admittedly pretty sensitive about it. I'm seriously thinking about someday replacing those patches on Molly's vest with ones that say "I DID TOO SOCIALIZE HER".
> 
> I'm sure you'll be able to help him. You've done a lot of good with your guy already, just from what I've followed here.


I know you're sensitive about it and I honestly sympathize. I remember when you said you wished other people could know Molly as you do or something to that effect. You see her wonderful qualities and others see her reacting and they can't know her as you do. Nor can they understand that you are doing the very best you know how with her. 

And now we have this dog who can turn into an apparent snarling little beast toward other people and other dogs. On our last camping trip, he was doing so much better until a couple of teens rode by on bikes, and each kid had a large dog on a leash running beside. My poor dog just totally lost his freaking mind even though no one in that party paid him the slightest bit of notice as they rode by. In retrospect, I can see that this was a buildup, too many people, too hot, he was on a leash and this was just the last straw. Ah well, he's a work in progress. I don't expect him to ever be a wriggly little 'love me, pet me' cuddle bug with complete strangers. I would settle for aloofness.


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## CptJack

North&South said:


> I know you're sensitive about it and I honestly sympathize. I remember when you said you wished other people could know Molly as you do or something to that effect. You see her wonderful qualities and others see her reacting and they can't know her as you do. Nor can they understand that you are doing the very best you know how with her.
> 
> And now we have this dog who can turn into an apparent snarling little beast toward other people and other dogs. On our last camping trip, he was doing so much better until a couple of teens rode by on bikes, and each kid had a large dog on a leash running beside. My poor dog just totally lost his freaking mind even though no one in that party paid him the slightest bit of notice as they rode by. In retrospect, I can see that this was a buildup, too many people, too hot, he was on a leash and this was just the last straw. Ah well, he's a work in progress. I don't expect him to ever be a wriggly little 'love me, pet me' cuddle bug with complete strangers. I would settle for aloofness.


You know, I get wrapped up in it and worried about it and stressed about it and anxious about it. 

Then I go outside and play with my dog and well. I pay attention to her and fall in love all over again. 










If she never gets any better than she is now, we'll be okay. She's a great dog. She really, really is.


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## jade5280

I know how you feel. Its so stressful to go anywhere with Gypsy. Even just a walk down the street I'm constantly on edge looking out for other dogs. Luckily its been much easier since we moved, but she'll never be a dog that I can just take anywhere or go somewhere without assessing the area. A lot of times we'll drive places and just end up going back home because there's people there and I can't take the chance that there won't be a dog there. Its sad because she really likes exploring new places, but even smelling new things will make her react out of overstimulation and then I'll be standing there with a screaming banshee at the end of the leash and it's just really not fun :/

Sent from my SCH-S968C using Tapatalk


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## CptJack

I think the biggest irony of my life is Kylie used to be the biggest 'problem' temperamentally with my dogs and now she's the biggest non-issue. That dog can go anywhere and do anything. She was with us during the flat tire disaster today and ended up at Walmart, after dealing with an hour stuck on the side of the road with semis roaring by, an air compressor going off 2 feet from her, and then at Walmart well - people, everywhere. She climbed on a wall (outside) that was stair stepped, but mostly she slept under our bench. She does not CARE about ANYTHING anymore. 

Bug is a little overly friendly. Jack doesn't actually enjoy outings but he doesn't not enjoy them, either - they're just lower on his list of desirable things than sleeping on the couch. Thud is inconvenient to transport because of size but he's not a big deal. 

Molly? Molly stresses me RIGHT THE HECK OUT. I want to leave her at home, a LOT. Taking her out to 'new' places (ie: places I know aren't remote/deserted/isolated/otherwise safe) is work. 

And I lied because irony 2? She's the dog who desperately wants to go, the one who has the most fun when she isn't insane and IS the most fun when she isn't insane. It's just... Still stressful enough that I sort of brace myself every time I leave the house with her.


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## North&South

I love that picture of Molly, she looks so soulful.


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## CptJack

She looks at me like that a LOT. I'm about 98% sure she's trying to telepathically communicate and I'm just too stupid to know what she's trying to tell me.


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## Laurelin

Honestly it is so much easier with Mia just having her be the stay at home dog. If she was healthy we'd do more for sure but it's also nice to not have any kind of pressure or expectations in our relationship. She is just my best friend.


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## Remaru

jade5280 said:


> It's weird, I've never had someone come up to me and pet my dogs without asking, even kids. Maybe people are more likely to approach smaller dogs without consent first?
> 
> 
> 
> What's wrong with you?!


I don't know if it is dog type or location but people will approach (and sometimes grab) Lad or Freyja where they never ever did it to Duke. It is never children, it is adults who think it is acceptable to pat a dog in passing or lean in to pet before/while asking. I had Lad out with my at Lowes last weekend wearing both his Service Dog in Training tag on his collar and vest with "Working Do Not Pet" patches and some on reached over my body to grab him while he was in a down stay as we waited for paint to be mixed. Lad is super friendly and loves everyone but I am working on his focus while out. I also just find it creepy that people get into my space to grab my dog (he didn't even just pet Lad but grabbed the ruff on the back of his neck and rubbed all over his ears).


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## CptJack

I swear to god, I ONLY see Jack if DH isn't home. I have literally not laid eyes on that dog since about 3:30 Friday afternoon. Bug I see more of but not by a ton. It's kind of hysterical how FIRMLY the dogs have divided themselves.


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## CptJack

Going through vacation photos. I just realized there are PEOPLE in this picture, halfway down. Kind of changes the perspective of the photo and makes me like it more. Also, whaaaa. I wanna go back to Michigan.


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## cookieface

"Keep your mouth to yourself." Words I never thought I'd say.


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## CptJack

And then I found out that my area has a Disc Dog club. 

To go with the Dock Diving, Flyball, Agility, Occasional Treibball stuff. Can I just do everything?


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## Eenypup

Bennie is becoming such a walk snob! During my school year (starts up again in a week) she goes out for short walks daily and might have a nice long walk or trip to the park or woods 1-2x a week. This summer she's been spoiled rotten with sometimes daily excursions and visiting new parks and trails. So whenever I take her on a decent 20 minute walk... Nope! Not fun enough for Bennie! As soon as she realizes we're heading toward the apartment she tries to turn down a different street and then meanders back as slowly as possible, sniffing everything and trying to say hi to everyone. Someone's getting too spoiled!


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## DogTheGreat

Eenypup said:


> Bennie is becoming such a walk snob! During my school year (starts up again in a week) she goes out for short walks daily and might have a nice long walk or trip to the park or woods 1-2x a week. This summer she's been spoiled rotten with sometimes daily excursions and visiting new parks and trails. So whenever I take her on a decent 20 minute walk... Nope! Not fun enough for Bennie! As soon as she realizes we're heading toward the apartment she tries to turn down a different street and then meanders back as slowly as possible, sniffing everything and trying to say hi to everyone. Someone's getting too spoiled!


but who can say no to such a sweet face!?


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## CptJack

We have a trial or show 'n go 3 out of the next 4 weekends - as well as lessons and classes. Well, no lesson the 12-13th since we'll be at trial, but we'll still have classes. I LOVE THIS. 

And y'all? I'm putting Molly in the show and goes/fun matches. That's like a milestone  (It's also exposure to the venue where the January trial will be, and that trial is the one where she'll be old enough to trial as well as Kylie's first indoor trial - so extra good).


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## cookieface

CptJack said:


> We have a trial or show 'n go 3 out of the next 4 weekends - as well as lessons and classes. Well, no lesson the 12-13th since we'll be at trial, but we'll still have classes. I LOVE THIS.
> 
> And y'all? I'm putting Molly in the show and goes/fun matches. That's like a milestone  (It's also exposure to the venue where the January trial will be, and that trial is the one where she'll be old enough to trial as well as Kylie's first indoor trial - so extra good).


Awesome!!! Good luck!


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## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Awesome!!! Good luck!


Thanks! My expectations with Molly are crazy, crazy low. Get in the ring. Stay in the ring. Work or play with me in any capacity at all. It'll still be a big danged deal if she does that, though!


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## OwnedbyACDs

Eenypup said:


> Right?! I was completely blown away by how dangerous that was!! My girlfriend was with us and said she thought it must have been someone Bennie and I knew somehow. Nope. Luckily for her she's super stranger friendly but I feel like that would rightfully freak out SO many dogs, she gave her no out!


Yeah ... no ... if people ask, sure I am happy to oblige, because my dog needs the socialization and he isnt going to bite someone. But no, people of ANY age, if they come up to my dog and treat them like this is a petting zoo and just because he is in public they have a right, no, they get told off.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Some of it's just variable by location - probably even neighborhood.


I agree with this. Where I live, nobody pets my dogs without asking. Heck, lots of people look like they want to pet them, but don't even ask. I think the New York area tends to breed people who stick to themselves and aren't super outgoing (which is totally fine by me). More often than not I say "Do you want to pet him?" because the person so obviously wants to.

We vacations in Bar Harbor, ME, which is super touristy and dog friendly. Someone petted Watson without asking probably once every 5 minutes. Usually it was drive-by petting as we walked down a crowded street. Granted, I probably wouldn't take a shy dog to a place like that, but I don't see why people can't keep their hands to themselves. He likes people, and I'm not confrontational, so I just let it go.


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## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> I agree with this. Where I live, nobody pets my dogs without asking. Heck, lots of people look like they want to pet them, but don't even ask. I think the New York area tends to breed people who stick to themselves and aren't super outgoing (which is totally fine by me). More often than not I say "Do you want to pet him?" because the person so obviously wants to.
> 
> We vacations in Bar Harbor, ME, which is super touristy and dog friendly. Someone petted Watson without asking probably once every 5 minutes. Usually it was drive-by petting as we walked down a crowded street. Granted, I probably wouldn't take a shy dog to a place like that, but I don't see why people can't keep their hands to themselves. He likes people, and I'm not confrontational, so I just let it go.


I guess has to do with "southern etiquette", you just dont not ask before you do, take, eat, or touch something, so someone from this area would find it VERY offensive if someone touch something that belonged to me without asking. 

I have a shy dog and if I lived in a place like that if I had to carry a long stick to block people, I would, then I would promptly educate them as to why that is not ok. It should NEVER, no matter how friendly the dog is for some stranger to touch them.


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## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I guess has to do with "southern etiquette", you just dont not ask before you do, take, eat, or touch something, so someone from this area would find it VERY offensive if someone touch something that belonged to me without asking.


I find New York to be that way, so I don't think it has to do with being in the south. In my case I think it has a lot to do with normal people out for their daily walk, vs people on vacation. People on vacation (who are from all over the country, not just the north east) seem to think the rules are relaxed or something. People out on their daily walk here keep to themselves.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I find New York to be that way, so I don't think it has to do with being in the south. In my case I think it has a lot to do with normal people out for their daily walk, vs people on vacation. People on vacation (who are from all over the country, not just the north east) seem to think the rules are relaxed or something. People out on their daily walk here keep to themselves.


And I live in Virginia. Where people do the drive-by pet thing ALL THE TIME. That's a heck of a lot further south than Northern Michigan where people asked. I don't think it's broadly regional like that - at all.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> And I live in Virginia. Where people do the drive-by pet thing ALL THE TIME. That's a heck of a lot further south than Northern Michigan where people asked. I don't think it's broadly regional like that - at all.


Yeah, it's funny that you found the exact opposite of me, and people on vacation were more polite. I'd rather deal with people petting without asking on vacation vs dealing with it at home! At least on vacation I would only bring a dog I knew could handle crowded places and lots of people, so it's not as bad if people touch without asking. At home I'm glad people leave us alone. 

Where did you go in Northern MI? My dad's family is from the Upper Peninsula so I spent a lot of time there as a kid


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## LoMD13

New England for the most part is like that. I rarely if ever have to tell people out and about that they can't touch Lucy. Lola's more of a people-magnet but she's also very obviously friendly and small and her ears make people want to tell me she looks like an Ewok/Gremlin/Yoda etc.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, it's funny that you found the exact opposite of me, and people on vacation were more polite. I'd rather deal with it on vacation vs dealing with it at home! At least on vacation I would only bring a dog I knew could handle crowded places and lots of people, so it's not as bad if people touch without asking.
> 
> Where did you go in Northern MI? My dad's family is from the Upper Peninsula so I spent a lot of time there as a kid


It was pretty ironic, but we live in a REALLY relaxed place to start with so there's probably something to that, but mostly I think places just have individual cultures. 

We were more or less around Grand Traverse Bay. Lower Peninsula, but all of a couple of hours south of the bridge.


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## elrohwen

People seem to think New Yorkers are rude, but IME they just don't go out of their way to be friendly and like to keep to themselves. I'm totally fine with people keeping to themselves and letting everyone else get on with their day. If you come right out and ask them for help they tend to be as friendly as any other part of the country.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> It was pretty ironic, but we live in a REALLY relaxed place to start with so there's probably something to that, but mostly I think places just have individual cultures.
> 
> We were more or less around Grand Traverse Bay. Lower Peninsula, but all of a couple of hours south of the bridge.


I've been to Traverse City before. All I remember is some sort of cherry festival and a park that had black squirrels (not sure if they're common other places, but I'd never seen a solid black squirrel before and thought they were really cool).


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I've been to Traverse City before. All I remember is some sort of cherry festival and a park that had black squirrels (not sure if they're common other places, but I'd never seen a solid black squirrel before and thought they were really cool).


When I first got married we lived in that area for years. I got married and moved up in December, and it wasn't the snow, the storms, the sanding the roads, the cold, that shocked me. It was the freaking black squirrels. They are EVERYWHERE and it is so freaking strange.


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## elrohwen

LoMD13 said:


> New England for the most part is like that. I rarely if ever have to tell people out and about that they can't touch Lucy. Lola's more of a people-magnet but she's also very obviously friendly and small and her ears make people want to tell me she looks like an Ewok/Gremlin/Yoda etc.


Yeah, even with Hazel, who is obviously a puppy and obviously super friendly, most people just look at her and coo and then keep walking without petting her. Petting other people's dogs just isn't that common here and people never do it without asking.


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## ireth0

I've never had people do a drive-by pet, but there have been occasions when Luna will stop if someone makes eve contact and obviously -really- wants to be pet and the person will stop and pet without asking me first. 

Generally when I bring her to dog things people are very good about asking if they can say hi, etc. Again, unless Luna is already leaning on them like "LOVE MEH. WHY AREN'T YOU LOVING MEH YET I'M RIGHT HERE LOOK AT ME."

Out on walks in our neighbourhood people usually veer off to the side to avoid contact.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> When I first got married we lived in that area for years. I got married and moved up in December, and it wasn't the snow, the storms, the sanding the roads, the cold, that shocked me. It was the freaking black squirrels. They are EVERYWHERE and it is so freaking strange.


I feel better that it's not just me! Haha. I don't remember seeing one in the UP so they must not have figured out the bridge.

It's funny, a friend of mine just went up there for vacation a couple weeks ago. She was on Klinger Lake. She sent me a picture of them crossing over to Mackinac Island without even realizing that I went there every summer and it's my favorite place on earth (what horse crazy girl wouldn't love it there?)


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I feel better that it's not just me! Haha. I don't remember seeing one in the UP so they must not have figured out the bridge.
> 
> It's funny, a friend of mine just went up there for vacation a couple weeks ago. She was on Klinger Lake. She sent me a picture of them crossing over to Mackinac Island without even realizing that I went there every summer and it's my favorite place on earth (what horse crazy girl wouldn't love it there?)


We planned on going to Mackinac, but didn't get to because there was some kind of road problem on the bridge keeping traffic backed up forever. We're going back next year and so help me.... Yeah. It's got to be one of my favorite places in the world. It's so, so beautiful and then you add horses and it's just heaven.


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I guess has to do with "southern etiquette", you just dont not ask before you do, take, eat, or touch something, so someone from this area would find it VERY offensive if someone touch something that belonged to me without asking.
> 
> I have a shy dog and if I lived in a place like that if I had to carry a long stick to block people, I would, then I would promptly educate them as to why that is not ok. It should NEVER, no matter how friendly the dog is for some stranger to touch them.


I don't live far from you and have that problem all of the time. I am also (as dh tells me constantly) far from approachable. People don't just walk up to me and start talking to me, unless I have spaced or have gone full over stimulation mode and my mind is completely somewhere else so I am staring without seeing anything I apparently look angry most of the time (It is the anxiety I think, being out with people makes me anxious and the tension shows as anger). If I am walking with one of my dogs people will still come up and touch them or just walk by and pat them without asking. I have had a lot of luck that most children above the age of about 3 seem to know that they aren't supposed to rush at dogs and just start petting but something happens right around that teenaged mark that causes people to think they can start doing whatever they want, like the rule of "ask before you pet" doesn't apply anymore. I don't know if people think that the rule is only to keep kids safe and because they aren't kids anymore a dog would never bite them or if they just don't think at all. I've also had issue with people in my space to pet my dogs and people following me to interact with my dogs.


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## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> I feel better that it's not just me! Haha. I don't remember seeing one in the UP so they must not have figured out the bridge.


We have plenty of Black Squirrels in WI, they don't need to cross over the bridge.


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## Willowy

They have black squirrels in Omaha. It's weird to see them. The squirrels where my grandma lived in Rhode Island were big and light gray. The squirrels here are reddish-brown and medium-size. I also saw little red squirrels with ear tufts somewhere when I was on vacation but now I don't remember where . The Black Hills? Florida? California? Minneapolis? I don't go to very many places, LOL.


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## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> When I first got married we lived in that area for years. I got married and moved up in December, and it wasn't the snow, the storms, the sanding the roads, the cold, that shocked me. It was the freaking black squirrels. They are EVERYWHERE and it is so freaking strange.


Haha, people who are shocked to see black squirrels make me chuckle, because to me they're so commonplace. But I've heard this reaction a lot from people who visit MI and see them for the first time.

I meet a mix of people around here, when it comes to approaching dogs. I've actually had some people switch sides of the road or turn and jog quickly in the opposite direction when I walk my dogs. I've run into people who won't get out of their car at the gas station until I pull away, and I've gone through drive throughs where they won't hand me my food through the window.

On the opposite end, I've had quite a few kids just run up and plant their faces smack in my dog's faces with their parents watching on. My late dog was a 130 lb. Shep/Dane mix and the other three I frequently walk are a 140 lb. Shep/Mal, a 120 lb. Shep/Lab and a 90 lb. Rot/Lab. They aren't exactly regular sized, friendly looking dogs. Yet these people just let their kids run straight over. I usually don't reprimand the children, because I don't want the kids to be scared or think my dogs are vicious, because they're actually all really friendly. But I do usually say to the parents "you know, my dogs are under control and good with kids, but if they weren't, your child could have been severely injured by approaching without asking". Maybe it helps. Maybe it doesn't.

I also run into a lot of people who politely asked to take photos with my "direwolves", which I find endlessly amusing. The 140 lb. Shep/Mal is tan/white, so he gets called "Ghost" a lot.


----------



## elrohwen

Willowy said:


> They have black squirrels in Omaha. It's weird to see them. The squirrels where my grandma lived in Rhode Island were big and light gray. The squirrels here are reddish-brown and medium-size. I also saw little red squirrels with ear tufts somewhere when I was on vacation but now I don't remember where . The Black Hills? Florida? California? Minneapolis? I don't go to very many places, LOL.


The squirrels out west are different. I think they are red, smallish, with ear tufts.

I've only ever lived near large normal looking grey squirrels in PA and NY.


----------



## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> I also run into a lot of people who politely asked to take photos with my "direwolves", which I find endlessly amusing. The 140 lb. Shep/Mal is tan/white, so he gets called "Ghost" a lot.




We visited a friend in Boston over the weekend and he described the neighbor's dog as a GSD mixed with a direwolf. LOL. I never did get to meet him, but their door mat said "I like big mutts and I cannot lie". I can't imagine living with a dog that size in a 2nd floor walkup 1,000sqft apartment.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> We visited a friend in Boston over the weekend and he described the neighbor's dog as a GSD mixed with a direwolf. LOL. I never did get to meet him, but their door mat said "I like big mutts and I cannot lie". I can't imagine living with a dog that size in a 2nd floor walkup 1,000sqft apartment.


We have two dogs in an apartment that is less than that ... 1,000SF is big!


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> We have two dogs in an apartment that is less than that ... 1,000SF is big!


I assume the unit was the same as what my friends' had, and it probably was just fine. Their living/dining/kitchen area was nice and big an open. I still couldn't imagine having a huge dog in a city apartment though (though Boston is a bit better than some as far as space)


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> We visited a friend in Boston over the weekend and he described the neighbor's dog as a GSD mixed with a direwolf. LOL. I never did get to meet him, but their door mat said "I like big mutts and I cannot lie". I can't imagine living with a dog that size in a 2nd floor walkup 1,000sqft apartment.


The 130/140 lb. dogs are mine, and the 120/90 lb. dogs are my dad's. When my dad got very sick for a few months, I had to take care of his dogs. Which means I had 480 lbs of dog in an 850 square foot apartment while I was in grad school. Fortunately my furnishing style is very sparse and I was able to get them out for a few hours of running every day, but it was... Interesting.


----------



## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> The 130/140 lb. dogs are mine, and the 120/90 lb. dogs are my dad's. When my dad got very sick for a few months, I had to take care of his dogs. Which means I had 480 lbs of dog in an 850 square foot apartment while I was in grad school. Fortunately my furnishing style is very sparse and I was able to get them out for a few hours of running every day, but it was... Interesting.


Oh my! That's a lot of dog! Some other friends have a 90lb GSD in a big house (2-3ksqft) and he seems overwhelming to me. I think any dog I can't lift just seems huge.


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> Oh my! That's a lot of dog! Some other friends have a 90lb GSD in a big house (2-3ksqft) and he seems overwhelming to me. I think any dog I can't lift just seems huge.


Yeah, a lot of people find it overwhelming. Personally, I don't think they're that large... I call the 90 lb. Rott/Lab "Little Dog". I also find that large, well-exercised dogs take up less "space" (the way I perceive space) than a 40 lb. overactive dog.

I plan on having in the range of 3-5 Great Danes in the future, so I'm just comfortable with my rooms being full of canine and not being able to walk anywhere without stepping over at least one dog. I *prefer* to have room to sleep in my own bed, but I did sleep on the couch several times during Loki's cancer treatments because he was taking up my whole bed and I didn't want to move him. 

I actually DO worry about not being able to lift my dogs. I can technically physically lift and carry Atlas (140 lbs.), but I don't think I could make it more than half a mile with him on my shoulders. I worry even more about it with the new Great Dane pup, and will have to reconsider what kind of environment and how far from my car I walk him.


----------



## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> I actually DO worry about not being able to lift my dogs. I can technically physically lift and carry Atlas (140 lbs.), but I don't think I could make it more than half a mile with him on my shoulders. I worry even more about it with the new Great Dane pup, and will have to reconsider what kind of environment and how far from my car I walk him.


You're strong! One day Watson got a fish hook in his paw ~1/2 mile from home, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to carry him back and he's not quite 50lbs. Luckily the hook fell out after I carried him a short way (I guess it was between his pads, not in a pad) and he was fine.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> I've only ever lived near large normal looking grey squirrels in PA and NY.


I've seen a few black squirrels around, but not many. I haven't seen a chipmunk for ages. They're such cute little rodents.



Hiraeth said:


> The 130/140 lb. dogs are mine, and the 120/90 lb. dogs are my dad's. When my dad got very sick for a few months, I had to take care of his dogs. Which means I had 480 lbs of dog in an 850 square foot apartment while I was in grad school. Fortunately my furnishing style is very sparse and I was able to get them out for a few hours of running every day, but it was... Interesting.


I'll echo Elrohwen - that's a lot of dog! My two are under 90lbs combined and they seem to take up a ton of space. I couldn't imagine living with four dogs - three who outweigh me.


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> You're strong! One day Watson got a fish hook in his paw ~1/2 mile from home, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to carry him back and he's not quite 50lbs. Luckily the hook fell out after I carried him a short way (I guess it was between his pads, not in a pad) and he was fine.


Oooh, that would be scary. I'm glad it fell out without too much trouble! My biggest scare was when I was walking the dogs through the woods and looked up to see Atlas tossing what looked like a rope around in the air. Then I saw it hit the ground and move. It was a huge snake, and I was SO worried it was poisonous and would bite him. Fortunately, upon closer inspection, it was a garter snake (a very dead one). 

I grew up riding horses (started when I was 5) and worked on farms for my whole life, which often required tossing and stacking 80 lb. hay bales by the hundreds. It's a good workout. I still do some light weight training, but only to keep in shape to walk my dogs - I think it would be irresponsible of me to walk 480 lbs. (or more) of dog if I was incapable of stopping them if they decided to run 

ETA:



cookieface said:


> I'll echo Elrohwen - that's a lot of dog! My two are under 90lbs combined and they seem to take up a ton of space. I couldn't imagine living with four dogs - three who outweigh me.


Yeah, it's definitely not a lifestyle choice that most people would make. I'm single (with no plans to change that status any time soon) and don't have kids (with no plans on EVER changing that), so my dogs are all I have.

My family thinks I'm insane. Especially because I get ink prints of their paws and get each one tattooed on my side after they pass away. Actually.... Even most dog people I know think I'm insane, come to think of it


----------



## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> Oooh, that would be scary. I'm glad it fell out without too much trouble! My biggest scare was when I was walking the dogs through the woods and looked up to see Atlas tossing what looked like a rope around in the air. Then I saw it hit the ground and move. It was a huge snake, and I was SO worried it was poisonous and would bite him. Fortunately, upon closer inspection, it was a garter snake (a very dead one).


There was at least 20ft of fishing line still connected, and I had no way to cut it, so I couldn't let him hobble on 3 legs either and drag it all behind. I carried him up from the lake to the walking trail (which was short but really steep, thought I was going to tip backwards) and when I set him down to take a closer look it fell out. At least we were super close to home and not a couple miles away.

I don't know what I'd do if one of mine grabbed a snake! So far they don't seem to notice them at all, even when we're very close and the snake is moving. I'm mostly afraid Watson will trample one accidentally and get bitten (not that venomous snakes are really a concern here, but I don't want him to get bitten by a POed rat or garter snake either)



> I grew up riding horses (started when I was 5) and worked on farms for my whole life, which often required tossing and stacking 80 lb. hay bales by the hundreds. It's a good workout. I still do some light weight training, but only to keep in shape to walk my dogs - I think it would be irresponsible of me to walk 480 lbs. (or more) of dog if I was incapable of stopping them if they decided to run [/SIZE][/FONT]


I grew up riding horses too, but nobody ever asked me to stack bales, thank goodness. Haha


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> There was at least 20ft of fishing line still connected, and I had no way to cut it, so I couldn't let him hobble on 3 legs either and drag it all behind. I carried him up from the lake to the walking trail (which was short but really steep, thought I was going to tip backwards) and when I set him down to take a closer look it fell out. At least we were super close to home and not a couple miles away.
> 
> I don't know what I'd do if one of mine grabbed a snake! So far they don't seem to notice them at all, even when we're very close and the snake is moving. I'm mostly afraid Watson will trample one accidentally and get bitten (not that venomous snakes are really a concern here, but I don't want him to get bitten by a POed rat or garter snake either).


I usually walk my dogs with a small backpack full of first aid stuffs and a pocket knife because they're just so darn accident prone. It's crazy how much trouble they managed to get into when they were younger. Now, not so much, thank goodness


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## DogTheGreat

You know what's annoying? Writing a really long reply to a thread and then hitting submit only to find out you weren't logged. A lot of forums I use still have the response there when that happens if you hit back or they'll submit the post if you login when it tells you to after you try to submit the first time. But nope not this one. I swear I hit "remember me"!


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## Hiraeth

DogTheGreat said:


> You know what's annoying? Writing a really long reply to a thread and then hitting submit only to find out you weren't logged. A lot of forums I use still have the response there when that happens if you hit back or they'll submit the post if you login when it tells you to after you try to submit the first time. But nope not this one. I swear I hit "remember me"!


 I've done that a few times recently. It is pretty irritating. I try to get in the habit of copying and pasting, but sometimes I just forget.

I hope you can remember most of what you typed!


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## ireth0

Did some training this afternoon with Luna for the first time in too long. Did some shaping picking up a toy, some fun hand targeting (even got her to kind of jump for it!), and just a couple downs. Most of the time I tossed her treats to make it more fun which added the element of occasionally trying to find the treat in the grass.

It was just so... fun. And easy. And just lovely. I need to do it more often.


----------



## FallDeere

I need a vest for Abbey that says "Don't Touch." =/ I wish bringing a dog out with me didn't make everyone decide to stop and talk to me or my dog. XD Stupid social anxiety...


----------



## Eenypup

Bennie's doing so well & I haven't been worried about her lately! I'm very happy with where we're at with selectively socializing with dogs, LLW, even manners with guests. We had my friend visiting who she being fast BFFs with (even slept with her on the couch lol), and realized that "leave it" works fairly well for excessive face licking. Woohoo!

She still occasionally tries to jump up when she's being loved on & she's on-leash. She won't do it to us and doesn't do it in the apartment. It's happened almost exclusively to bigger men (her favorite) and the lady at Petco she really likes. No one ever cares because she's not that big and she's not doing it very forcefully (she's not very jumpy, she tries once to see if she can lick their chin), so I usually just pull her down and it's no big deal. We could use my gf's friend to practice this, he's a big guy and she loves him, but I feel like she'll just learn not to jump on him. The guys who want to stop and pet a pit-looking dog tend not to mind or even encourage the exuberance... She hasn't even tried this with someone who was older or apprehensive about petting her, she's pretty good at reading their energies like that.

I'm wondering if I'm the worst most irresponsible dog owner if I just say whatever to this one. I don't know if I mind enough to make every interaction with a stranger into a training session. I like seeing how happy she is to meet new people and since it hasn't caused a big problem yet I almost just feel like leaving it alone. Eh. I dunno.


----------



## cookieface

Tried doing some NW to tire Tyson (I _really_ can't keep getting up at 2 with him). He's exhausting. I think if we had gotten him first, we wouldn't be a two-dog family.



DogTheGreat said:


> You know what's annoying? Writing a really long reply to a thread and then hitting submit only to find out you weren't logged. A lot of forums I use still have the response there when that happens if you hit back or they'll submit the post if you login when it tells you to after you try to submit the first time. But nope not this one. I swear I hit "remember me"!





Hiraeth said:


> I've done that a few times recently. It is pretty irritating. I try to get in the habit of copying and pasting, but sometimes I just forget.
> 
> I hope you can remember most of what you typed!


I hate that! I have a habit of closing tabs when I switch tabs and lose what I've typed. _Sometimes_ I remember to copy, but not enough.



Eenypup said:


> Bennie's doing so well & I haven't been worried about her lately! I'm very happy with where we're at with selectively socializing with dogs, LLW, even manners with guests. We had my friend visiting who she being fast BFFs with (even slept with her on the couch lol), and realized that "leave it" works fairly well for excessive face licking. Woohoo!
> 
> She still occasionally tries to jump up when she's being loved on & she's on-leash. She won't do it to us and doesn't do it in the apartment. It's happened almost exclusively to bigger men (her favorite) and the lady at Petco she really likes. No one ever cares because she's not that big and she's not doing it very forcefully (she's not very jumpy, she tries once to see if she can lick their chin), so I usually just pull her down and it's no big deal. We could use my gf's friend to practice this, he's a big guy and she loves him, but I feel like she'll just learn not to jump on him. The guys who want to stop and pet a pit-looking dog tend not to mind or even encourage the exuberance... She hasn't even tried this with someone who was older or apprehensive about petting her, she's pretty good at reading their energies like that.
> 
> I'm wondering if I'm the worst most irresponsible dog owner if I just say whatever to this one. I don't know if I mind enough to make every interaction with a stranger into a training session. I like seeing how happy she is to meet new people and since it hasn't caused a big problem yet I almost just feel like leaving it alone. Eh. I dunno.


That's awesome!!! It sounds like Bennie knows when to be exuberant and when to be polite - I wouldn't worry about it at all.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Noticed a some hesitation to do certain things and some slight limping during agility class tonight, so nothing but rest for the next few days. Pretty sure I'm going to have a dog pestering the crap out of me to do something with her in <24 hours. I can't imagine having to crate rest a dog for weeks or months as required with some injuries.


----------



## Eenypup

cookieface said:


> That's awesome!!! It sounds like Bennie knows when to be exuberant and when to be polite - I wouldn't worry about it at all.


Yeah this is mostly why I'm thinking that, meh, who cares  She's not scaring anyone by jumping up excitedly on random passerbys, and many family & friends have visited who don't love dogs and she just leaves them alone. She just can't help herself when they actually _share_ her excitement!


----------



## CrimsonAccent

UGH DOGS!

Donut gets a solo potty break.

Fifteen-twenty minutes later, Cupcake needs to go. Cool, that's fine. Let me just leash her up.

Donut freakin' door dashes for the first time in his life. Goes down the stairs perfectly (even though he balks if someone is near the stairs or even on them). 

Me and Cupcake finally get him (he kept staying just out of reach). Cool. I'm awkwardly hunched over holding him by the collar and Cupcake by the leash. The plan is to go to the gated community grassy area as I'm closer to that than my apartment. I'll call FI and tell him to bring Donut's leash.

A frog appears. Dogs go after frog. 

I fall down.

All at 10:30ish at night. Luckily a friendly neighbor is out walking around and helps me get them to said grassy area.

UGH DOGS.

I discovered my big toe is bleeding (and then of course it starts hurting because I've looked at it/noticed it). I call FI and successfully hobble back and clean it. Just a really big scrape but really hurts 

But Cupcake DID get to pee so there's that.


----------



## Willowy

Super weird. I was went outside to get something from the car, and some coyotes were kicking up a fuss somewhere (sounded fairly close but on a still night it's hard to tell direction and distance). The dogs were outside in the (fenced) backyard and they didn't react to the coyotes AT ALL. Just nothing. Didn't howl along, didn't even give a warning bark or even a "what was that?" bark. Now, the older dogs are sorta deaf and maybe couldn't hear it but Suri is usually all over strange noises. I wonder if she can understand coyote and decided that what they were saying wasn't worth responding to . But it's odd they didn't react at all. I guess none of them are going to be pursuing a career as an LGD .


----------



## cookieface

Tyson slept past 2am today. I was wide awake.  



Hiraeth said:


> Yeah, it's definitely not a lifestyle choice that most people would make. I'm single (with no plans to change that status any time soon) and don't have kids (with no plans on EVER changing that), so my dogs are all I have.
> 
> My family thinks I'm insane. Especially because I get ink prints of their paws and get each one tattooed on my side after they pass away. Actually.... Even most dog people I know think I'm insane, come to think of it


Originally, I wanted a giant dog - GD, St. Bernard, Newfie... I'd still like one some day, but that will probably never happen. I do think all the people with dogs I like should move to my neighborhood so I can visit. 

Dogs, tattoos - nothing insane about that.



DogTheGreat said:


> Noticed a some hesitation to do certain things and some slight limping during agility class tonight, so nothing but rest for the next few days. Pretty sure I'm going to have a dog pestering the crap out of me to do something with her in <24 hours. I can't imagine having to crate rest a dog for weeks or months as required with some injuries.


Katie had to be on six weeks of restricted activity a few years ago. She was fine. My husband was a PITA.



CrimsonAccent said:


> UGH DOGS!
> 
> Donut gets a solo potty break.
> 
> Fifteen-twenty minutes later, Cupcake needs to go. Cool, that's fine. Let me just leash her up.
> 
> Donut freakin' door dashes for the first time in his life. Goes down the stairs perfectly (even though he balks if someone is near the stairs or even on them).
> 
> Me and Cupcake finally get him (he kept staying just out of reach). Cool. I'm awkwardly hunched over holding him by the collar and Cupcake by the leash. The plan is to go to the gated community grassy area as I'm closer to that than my apartment. I'll call FI and tell him to bring Donut's leash.
> 
> A frog appears. Dogs go after frog.
> 
> I fall down.
> 
> All at 10:30ish at night. Luckily a friendly neighbor is out walking around and helps me get them to said grassy area.
> 
> UGH DOGS.
> 
> I discovered my big toe is bleeding (and then of course it starts hurting because I've looked at it/noticed it). I call FI and successfully hobble back and clean it. Just a really big scrape but really hurts
> 
> But Cupcake DID get to pee so there's that.


Ouch! Hope you're feeling ok today.


----------



## Hiraeth

cookieface said:


> Originally, I wanted a giant dog - GD, St. Bernard, Newfie... I'd still like one some day, but that will probably never happen. I do think all the people with dogs I like should move to my neighborhood so I can visit.
> 
> Dogs, tattoos - nothing insane about that.


My concern is that I'm going to run out of tattoo real estate on my sides, actually! The paw prints are in a line down my left ribs, and I'm certain I'll extend it down my leg on the left side. But they're true-to-life-size and I plan on owning Danes (or other giant breeds) for the rest of my life, so I'm not sure what happens when my left and right sides are full... Guess I'll deal with it when I get there


----------



## elrohwen

Eenypup said:


> I'm wondering if I'm the worst most irresponsible dog owner if I just say whatever to this one. I don't know if I mind enough to make every interaction with a stranger into a training session. I like seeing how happy she is to meet new people and since it hasn't caused a big problem yet I almost just feel like leaving it alone. Eh. I dunno.


My dogs are hooligans and I'm totally ok with it. I worry about their interactions with me, and train out things I don't like, but I don't care that much about other people. I don't train my dogs to please the masses.


----------



## Hiraeth

Eenypup said:


> Bennie's doing so well & I haven't been worried about her lately! I'm very happy with where we're at with selectively socializing with dogs, LLW, even manners with guests. We had my friend visiting who she being fast BFFs with (even slept with her on the couch lol), and realized that "leave it" works fairly well for excessive face licking. Woohoo!
> 
> She still occasionally tries to jump up when she's being loved on & she's on-leash. She won't do it to us and doesn't do it in the apartment. It's happened almost exclusively to bigger men (her favorite) and the lady at Petco she really likes. No one ever cares because she's not that big and she's not doing it very forcefully (she's not very jumpy, she tries once to see if she can lick their chin), so I usually just pull her down and it's no big deal. We could use my gf's friend to practice this, he's a big guy and she loves him, but I feel like she'll just learn not to jump on him. The guys who want to stop and pet a pit-looking dog tend not to mind or even encourage the exuberance... She hasn't even tried this with someone who was older or apprehensive about petting her, she's pretty good at reading their energies like that.
> 
> I'm wondering if I'm the worst most irresponsible dog owner if I just say whatever to this one. I don't know if I mind enough to make every interaction with a stranger into a training session. I like seeing how happy she is to meet new people and since it hasn't caused a big problem yet I almost just feel like leaving it alone. Eh. I dunno.


I echo what elrohwen said - don't worry about training your dog to please the masses. As long as Benny is reading energy in a proper way and not knocking over kids or old ladies, I think she's just fine  

In fact, considering her breed and the stigma associated with it, I think it goes a long way towards reducing that stigma for people to see a dog like her greeting strangers so enthusiastically and lovingly.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

cookieface said:


> Ouch! Hope you're feeling ok today.


Thanks!  Doing better, but it put me off the idea of working on LLW with Donut today (I probably will anyway lol).


----------



## kdawnk

So I started talking to this guy just yesterday. He seemed normal and had a couple pictures of his dog, and in his bio was super excited about his dog being the best dog in the world.

We started talking and one of the first questions he asked was about the breed of my dog. I asked him what his was.
He says, "Coyote/husky mix" so I was super doubtful, but asked, "Ooh, wow, are you sure? Is he skittish at all?" to humour him and he said, "No. Most loyal, dependable dog I've ever owned. Confident, and smart, and good with all sizes of animals. Best dog in the world, everyone should find coyote husky mixes!"

And that kind of tipped the bucket for me.
What's your guys' opinion on the dog's breed?


----------



## elrohwen

kdawnk said:


> So I started talking to this guy just yesterday. He seemed normal and had a couple pictures of his dog, and in his bio was super excited about his dog being the best dog in the world.
> 
> We started talking and one of the first questions he asked was about the breed of my dog. I asked him what his was.
> He says, "Coyote/husky mix" so I was super doubtful, but asked, "Ooh, wow, are you sure? Is he skittish at all?" to humour him and he said, "No. Most loyal, dependable dog I've ever owned. Confident, and smart, and good with all sizes of animals. Best dog in the world, everyone should find coyote husky mixes!"


Hahaha. Oh man. Yeah, definitely no coyote in there. ETA: I do see husky. Not sure what else. Like a mix of a mix.


----------



## DogTheGreat

kdawnk said:


> And that kind of tipped the bucket for me.
> What's your guys' opinion on the dog's breed?


:laugh: :laugh: Not sure, but not a coydog that's for damn sure.


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> So I started talking to this guy just yesterday. He seemed normal and had a couple pictures of his dog, and in his bio was super excited about his dog being the best dog in the world.
> 
> We started talking and one of the first questions he asked was about the breed of my dog. I asked him what his was.
> He says, "Coyote/husky mix" so I was super doubtful, but asked, "Ooh, wow, are you sure? Is he skittish at all?" to humour him and he said, "No. Most loyal, dependable dog I've ever owned. Confident, and smart, and good with all sizes of animals. Best dog in the world, everyone should find coyote husky mixes!"
> 
> And that kind of tipped the bucket for me.
> What's your guys' opinion on the dog's breed?


Clearly an African Wild Dog/Moon Dog mix. And the dog in my sig is a Falcor/Timberwolf mix. Can't you tell? 

In all seriousness, I see so many breeds in there I don't know if I could narrow it down to two. Coyote is not one of them, however


----------



## DogTheGreat

BTW, love the "good with all sizes of animals" comment as if the instincts a coyote would bring to the table would magically disappear in an F1 hybrid.


----------



## Willowy

Real coydogs are skittish. And most "coyote mixes" are actually "the daddy dog snuck in at night and we never saw him so we want to say he was a coyote" mixes .


----------



## elrohwen

I always get a good laugh when people say they have/had a wolf or coyote hybrid, then proceed to describe a dog with a labrador temperament and say how awesome it was and that they want another. First, it's highly unlikely that your dog was a hybrid. And second, even if it was, the chances of getting a labrador personality in another hybrid is non-existant. Just get over yourself and get a dog.


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> I always get a good laugh when people say they have/had a wolf or coyote hybrid, then proceed to describe a dog with a labrador temperament and say how awesome it was and that they want another. First, it's highly unlikely that your dog was a hybrid. And second, even if it was, the chances of getting a labrador personality in another hybrid is non-existant. Just get over yourself and get a dog.


I've met wolf hybrids. They're just... Different, I guess, than normal dogs? The ones I've dealt with had odd body language and were unwilling to meet a person's gaze. They interacted with each other in ways that I've never seen domestic dogs interact, vocalized strangely, and had almost no desire to be near people other than when there was food around. 

People ask me if the guy in my signature is a wolf hybrid all of the time. Because apparently pointy ears and lots of fur = wolf? They usually ask me right after they walk up and start petting his face without asking me permission. *head desk*


----------



## North&South

Saw a little bug crawling on my Papillon. Went to retrieve it, it jumped/crawled. I finally got it, dropped it into a bowl of water. It appears to be a flea.  We've been dog free here for 4 years before we adopted this dog, and the former dogs were outdoor farm dogs. After a family of foxes took up residence in one of our outbuildings way back when, fleas were here on the farm and we treated our dogs and cats ever since. I'm trying to resist the urge to dowse the house in RAID, but I probably will at least wash the bed linens, since our dog does like to "help" with bed making. He jumps on the bed and chases the linens and pillows like a cat would, it's all play time. 

We've had the dog on Bravecto for ticks, and since tick season is pretty much over and our 12 weeks coverage is almost up, I was going to hold off on another dose, but this just changed my mind. Fleas are quite active in fall, if I remember correctly. I hadn't even been thinking about fleas when I put him on Bravecto, though. Ticks were a major concern. 

It's likely a one time thing...I'm hoping. The first time our pets had fleas, we did find a few in the house and I ended up spraying baseboards and corners and vacuuming absolutely everything. Indoor only cat wore a collar for one summer. Indoor/outdoor cat wore a collar every summer thereafter. Dogs wore collars plus were treated with a monthly oral med that resulted in fleas laying sterile eggs. 

I take our pup out for walks several times a day, there are foxes, coyotes, and possibly even a wolf in the area and they do leave their calling cards, which my dog has to sniff out all the time. Pup is also sniffing a lot in tall grass and chasing and eating grasshoppers, probably picked up the stray bug out there in our travels. We don't have cats anymore. Just one little dog. 

Ick....

I would think since the dog has been on Bravecto, I wouldn't have to worry about flea eggs in the house...?


----------



## kdawnk

Hahahaha thank you all for your equally _*head-to-desk* _reactions to the conversation. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt by asking the, "Is he skittish?" question to maybe give ONE quality towards coyote. But apparently he has a bomb proof F1 coy-dog. 
I was tempted to link him to a picture of a coyote like, "Are you aware of what a coyote looks like?"

After he told me what his was I was mentally kicking myself, I could have sold him on any bad a** breed. Should have been more imaginative! *darn*


----------



## elrohwen

kdawnk said:


> After he told me what his was I was mentally kicking myself, I could have sold him on any bad a** breed. Should have been more imaginative! *darn*


Now that he knows your dog is "just a dog", he probably won't be interested in you anyway


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> Hahahaha thank you all for your equally _*head-to-desk* _reactions to the conversation. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt by asking the, "Is he skittish?" question to maybe give ONE quality towards coyote. But apparently he has a bomb proof F1 coy-dog.
> I was tempted to link him to a picture of a coyote like, "Are you aware of what a coyote looks like?"
> 
> After he told me what his was I was mentally kicking myself, I could have sold him on any bad a** breed. Should have been more imaginative! *darn*


Ooooh, but we can come up with sweet dog breeds for future conversations with uninformed owners!

Sansa can be a Scandinavian Wolfhunter/Northern Lightly Furred Mountain Dog mix!


----------



## jade5280

I keep checking on Panzer to see if he wants to come out of his crate, but he's just laying there sleeping or chewing on something contently. He's been in there for almost 2 hours without a peep! I'm so relieved that I don't have to worry about SA with him. I'm going to hate it going back to work next week though


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> I keep checking on Panzer to see if he wants to come out of his crate, but he's just laying there sleeping or chewing on something contently. He's been in there for almost 2 hours without a peep! I'm so relieved that I don't have to worry about SA with him. I'm going to hate it going back to work next week though


 Wait what?! Who is Panzer?


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Wait what?! Who is Panzer?


http://www.dogforums.com/dog-pictures-forum/395673-i-guess-i-should.html


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> Wait what?! Who is Panzer?


Pretty much the cutest thing alive at this moment in time


----------



## cookieface

Pretty sure the neighbors think I'm nuts. Tyson and I were practicing heeling, but to them, I'm sure, it looked like we were walking up and down the drive for no apparent reason.


----------



## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> Now that he knows your dog is "just a dog", he probably won't be interested in you anyway


I know, I suddenly felt out of his league. I mean he must really be a manly man to be able to be alpha of a F1 COYOTE Mix! I don't know if little ol' Sans and I could blossom in that shadow. xD

As an aside, he DID mention that the only requirement to owning a coyote mix is being able to show that you are dominant. I didn't realize I was talking to a relative of Cesar Milan on a dating app. 



Hiraeth said:


> Ooooh, but we can come up with sweet dog breeds for future conversations with uninformed owners!
> 
> Sansa can be a Scandinavian Wolfhunter/Northern Lightly Furred Mountain Dog mix!


I like the way you think Hiraeth! I just need to take some pictures of her looking really mean. Title her _The Wolfhunter _and look down upon everyone elses' mundane mixes.


----------



## kdawnk

cookieface said:


> Pretty sure the neighbors think I'm nuts. Tyson and I were practicing heeling, but to them, I'm sure, it looked like we were walking up and down the drive for no apparent reason.


I ALWAYS think that when I work on Sans' over-eager leash walking. She gets too far I stop she turns around and stands beside me as we walk back a few steps. Sometimes I take five steps forward, ten back, five steps forward, ten back. And suddenly I end up reversing my way down the block.

Or whether they judge me about my unusually large collection of fanny packs to carry treats and poop bags...


----------



## DogTheGreat

cookieface said:


> Pretty sure the neighbors think I'm nuts. Tyson and I were practicing heeling, but to them, I'm sure, it looked like we were walking up and down the drive for no apparent reason.


When my dog is particularly distracted in public and I don't have a half an hour to wait her out to get consistent attention, there is a lot of walking in circles and running back and forth to redirect her to me (Aussie, so the movement is reinforcing). Yeah, I can't say I've never felt like an idiot doing that with people watching.


----------



## Remaru

cookieface said:


> Pretty sure the neighbors think I'm nuts. Tyson and I were practicing heeling, but to them, I'm sure, it looked like we were walking up and down the drive for no apparent reason.


Pretty sure my neighbors think the same for similar reasons. I walk back and forth up and down my driveway, stopping at the sidewalk, turning, walking to the mailbox, walking to the neighbor's driveway, turning, walking back to the house, ect. I also often open and close my front door to work on training "door dashing" (I need to work on this with Lenore and Magic, though actually Lenore just dances at your legs in greeting). Or I open the door, ring the doorbell and then close the door again. I've held the door open while my son walks up and down the driveway or walks Blue around the sidewalk. Yep, pretty sure the whole neighborhood thinks I'm nuts. LOL


----------



## mudypony

cookieface said:


> Pretty sure the neighbors think I'm nuts. Tyson and I were practicing heeling, but to them, I'm sure, it looked like we were walking up and down the drive for no apparent reason.


This is me everyday haha! And, I live in an apartment, so we practice LLW in the parking area and ALL the windows to the surrounding apartments look down right where we practice. Even though I now it's not true, I feel like I'm putting on a show for the entire apartment building!

Also, if I see someone come out with their dog while I'm taking Duke potty, I literally run back inside to grab treats and a clicker, so I can work on his reactivity and LAT training. My neighbors must think I've completely lost it.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Im mostly dogless tonight and I don't like it  wet concrete poured in the house and its toxic to the dogs if they accidently step it it and get in on their paws or anything. All 4 young ones are with various coworkers for the night, I only have Happy home with me, not really worried about her accidentally stepping in it lol, she may be pretty spry for her age but after 9 hours of daycare she barley moves lol. My coworkers were so excited to get to take my dogs, it was funny!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

""" fate """" the vet that upset Arka hurting him that he wanted a piece of her.. was pushing for Arka to get surgery to have a spot removed from his gum line.. but I didn't want him man handled to get him sedated so I went to find another vet that would handle Arka correctly ... New vet did just fine with Arka, he never had a problem being handled at the vet clinic ... Arka doesn't need surgery,, it's not a tumor in his mouth at all... scary that a vet would push to have a dog put under and cut on just to do it...


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola is missing....


----------



## Hiraeth

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is missing....


Yikes! Missing, as in, your co-worker who was watching her has lost her?!

Please update and I hope she's okay!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is missing....


Wait ... what???? I hope you find her soon!


----------



## BellaPup

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is missing....


Oh no!!! Please keep us informed! Hope she makes a safe return home VERY soon!


----------



## kcomstoc

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is missing....


I hope that you guys find her


----------



## DogTheGreat

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is missing....


Hope everything turns out okay! I had a dog go missing for nearly three weeks when I was younger and it was very hard. Thankfully she did end up making her way back to us.


----------



## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is missing....


Oh no! Please keep us updated. I hope you find her soon


----------



## BellaPup

Okay - I'm ready for a good frost or freeze.

If the horrid heat and humidity lately and the gross mustiness aren't enough, poor Bella's seasonal allergies are through the roof. And I let her out for less than 2 minutes this morning to go potty, and she was totally munched on by mosquitos! 
Urg. Enough! Bring on winter (or at least a nice, cool Fall!)


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Miss Bugs said:


> Sola is missing....


is there an update.. sending all our thoughts and prayers for Sola.... <3


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BellaPup said:


> Okay - I'm ready for a good frost or freeze.
> 
> If the horrid heat and humidity lately and the gross mustiness aren't enough, poor Bella's seasonal allergies are through the roof. And I let her out for less than 2 minutes this morning to go potty, and she was totally munched on by mosquitos!
> Urg. Enough! Bring on winter (or at least a nice, cool Fall!)


NO! No winter ... BOO! :frusty:


----------



## ireth0

OwnedbyACDs said:


> NO! No winter ... BOO! :frusty:


Lol, you don't even really have winter. You have... less hot?

I gotta say I am also more than done with this heat and humidity we've had lately and am looking forward to fall at this point.


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> NO! No winter ... BOO! :frusty:


YAY WINTER!!!! sorry I had to  I love fall/winter/early spring when it's still cold anything but summer really....it's WAY too hot for me and I wish it would go away as soon as it starts getting about 80 out ugh


----------



## kdawnk

kcomstoc said:


> YAY WINTER!!!! sorry I had to  I love fall/winter/early spring when it's still cold anything but summer really....it's WAY too hot for me and I wish it would go away as soon as it starts getting about 80 out ugh


That's me too, all the way and I have pretty intense winters. I'm 8000% fed up with the mosquitos, I have so many bites on my body that any time I'm itching anything I have to consciously stop and think before I itch... _Is that a bite, or just an itch?_
Here you can't go outside without donating blood. My garden has suffered greatly because of this, in the heat of the day is the least mosquitoey time but the worst time to water.


----------



## Willowy

It's oddly fallish weather around here the past week (highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s). I'm kind scared of what it will be like next month because I think the only options are: winter is coming early and it will be even colder, or this is just a weird weather episode and the horrible heat will come back with a vengeance. The prospects of either one make it a little hard to enjoy the nice cool days!


----------



## BellaPup

kdawnk said:


> That's me too, all the way and I have pretty intense winters. I'm 8000% fed up with the mosquitos, I have so many bites on my body that any time I'm itching anything I have to consciously stop and think before I itch... _Is that a bite, or just an itch?_
> Here you can't go outside without donating blood. My garden has suffered greatly because of this, in the heat of the day is the least mosquitoey time but the worst time to water.


I don't remember the mosquitos being this bad in past years?! And like you said, I don't dare go out in the early morning to water the garden because I'd lose too much blood (mosquitos and deer flies) 
Watering after work isn't *as* bad skeeter-wise, but not good for the plants. And a sunny mid-day watering is just about useless and burns the leaves  

Please remind me of this in January when I'm complaining about the cold and snow, will ya?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ireth0 said:


> Lol, you don't even really have winter. You have... less hot?
> 
> I gotta say I am also more than done with this heat and humidity we've had lately and am looking forward to fall at this point.


LOL yes we can have a winter, esp in north texas, where I am now, snow can happen here.



kcomstoc said:


> YAY WINTER!!!! sorry I had to  I love fall/winter/early spring when it's still cold anything but summer really....it's WAY too hot for me and I wish it would go away as soon as it starts getting about 80 out ugh


LOL Just how hot does it get in NY?


----------



## Hiraeth

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL Just how hot does it get in NY?


I'd imagine NY is fairly similar to MI, and we routinely get up into the mid-to-high-90s. 

Northern heat and southern heat are two different beasts, in my experience. I find dry 100 degree weather in the south much more tolerable than humid 90 degree weather here. Anything over 105 is hard for me to deal with, humidity or no.

I think I'm a rarer type of person who enjoys mid 40s to low 60s, weather-wise, and I prefer overcast to sunny. Which makes Michigan autumn/early winter absolutely perfect weather, in my book


----------



## elrohwen

NY doesn't get that hot. This summer we had a lot of temps in the low-mid 90s and that was unusually hot (hottest summer on record basically). Plenty of years don't get into the 90s at all and stay mid-80s. I'm in the south eastern end of the state, so of course the northern parts are even cooler by 5-10 degrees.

My ideal temp is 45-75 degrees. I definitely prefer winter to summer if I had to pick, except when we end up for 3ft of snow that never melts. Also not a big fan of the darkness. But the cold weather I can deal with.


----------



## jade5280

I don't like the winter. Mostly because I hate driving in snow/snow storms and it gives me terrible anxiety.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> I don't like the winter. Mostly because I hate driving in snow/snow storms and it gives me terrible anxiety.


I just don't go into work if it snows. It's nice to be able to work from home!


----------



## Miss Bugs

Someone opened my friends gate, she was av
Ble to stop Gem and her dog before they went outside but Sola is small and slipped around her legs and bolted. Hasn't been a single sighting since 11:30 last night


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> I just don't go into work if it snows. It's nice to be able to work from home!


Darn, lucky!


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Darn, lucky!


Yeah, the other site is not as accommodating. It's the same job, I *could* work from home, but they are jerks and expect people to come in. That site is also further north and gets more snow. Not looking forward to our inevitable move up there.



Miss Bugs said:


> Someone opened my friends gate, she was av
> Ble to stop Gem and her dog before they went outside but Sola is small and slipped around her legs and bolted. Hasn't been a single sighting since 11:30 last night


I hope she turns up soon :-(


----------



## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> Someone opened my friends gate, she was av
> Ble to stop Gem and her dog before they went outside but Sola is small and slipped around her legs and bolted. Hasn't been a single sighting since 11:30 last night


 Oh man, have hope. You will find her.


----------



## Remaru

I love the fall, when we get it. Often it is pretty warm all the way till winter. Some years my kids sweat through Trick or Treating and have to wear really light costumes (it is hard to plan costumes, you never know what to plan). Fall is still my favorite, I just like the idea of it, pumpkins, leaves, Halloween, scary movies, hay rides, ect. Some years we have a colder winter, some years it is just wet. I used to like winter when I was a kid but I am always sicker in the winter now and am not as fond of it. Summer has been odd this year, first it was cooler and wet, now it is hotter but really humid because of all of the wet. We had a couple of nice days, hoping for a few more of those.



Miss Bugs said:


> Someone opened my friends gate, she was av
> Ble to stop Gem and her dog before they went outside but Sola is small and slipped around her legs and bolted. Hasn't been a single sighting since 11:30 last night


Oh no, I hope she is found safe and sound soon.


----------



## KodiBarracuda

Remaru said:


> Some years my kids sweat through Trick or Treating and have to wear really light costumes (it is hard to plan costumes, you never know what to plan).


I can't remember a year in the last 10 that kids here didn't have to plan their costumes around their coats and gloves and boots or they were driven house to house because it was just too cold.
Its common to have trick or treating happening through the whole week because parents want to wait for a not below 0 evening to send their little goblins and princesses out to trick or treat.

It's crazy, even if it's warm the week up to Halloween, it's always freezing and miserable the week of. It's like clockwork.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Went away for a couple of hours last night and had crated my dog before leaving. Came home, opened my bedroom door only to see her wiggling her way towards me. I could've sworn I had actually locked the crate before leaving, but figured I must have just not been thinking straight. Went away for a few hours again today and just got back. Crated her before heading out. Guess who was sleeping on my bed waiting for my return? I mean, either she has figured out how to get out of her crate or my head is seriously not on right since this has never happened before and it's now happened twice in two days. Lol...


----------



## BellaPup

KodiBarracuda said:


> I can't remember a year in the last 10 that kids here didn't have to plan their costumes around their coats and gloves and boots or they were driven house to house because it was just too cold.
> Its common to have trick or treating happening through the whole week because parents want to wait for a not below 0 evening to send their little goblins and princesses out to trick or treat.
> 
> It's crazy, even if it's warm the week up to Halloween, it's always freezing and miserable the week of. It's like clockwork.


It's all over the place here that time of year. I remember one year it was in the 80's nearly the whole week...and my jack-o-lantern rotted.  
And (3 years ago?) we had a snow storm with 4"+ of snow. Lost power for a while since there were still leaves on the trees and snow was very heavy. 
One year there were Northern Lights (that was really cool!)
But usually it just rains and there are soaked bunnies and super heroes walking around looking miserable...lol


----------



## elrohwen

BellaPup said:


> It's all over the place here that time of year. I remember one year it was in the 80's nearly the whole week...and my jack-o-lantern rotted.
> And (3 years ago?) we had a snow storm with 4"+ of snow. Lost power for a while since there were still leaves on the trees and snow was very heavy.
> One year there were Northern Lights (that was really cool!)
> But usually it just rains and there are soaked bunnies and super heroes walking around looking miserable...lol



Same here! I remember that crazy snow storm a few years ago. We had just moved into our house that August, so it was the first Halloween on that street. At least we had power!


----------



## kcomstoc

KodiBarracuda said:


> I can't remember a year in the last 10 that kids here didn't have to plan their costumes around their coats and gloves and boots or they were driven house to house because it was just too cold.
> Its common to have trick or treating happening through the whole week because parents want to wait for a not below 0 evening to send their little goblins and princesses out to trick or treat.
> 
> It's crazy, even if it's warm the week up to Halloween, it's always freezing and miserable the week of. It's like clockwork.


Where I was living it was like that...not below freezing or anything like that but cold enough to wear coats, gloves and the like always on Halloween night. Sometimes it will be warm earlier in the day but then really cools off at night, I can't remember the last time I could wear a light costume.


----------



## Hiraeth

jade5280 said:


> I don't like the winter. Mostly because I hate driving in snow/snow storms and it gives me terrible anxiety.


Just takes practice, in my experience. My dad is a professional driver and made me learn winter weather driving by going into a large, icy parking lot and having me repeatedly lose control of the car on purpose. Eventually steering into the slide and tapping the gas instead of slamming on the brakes becomes second nature 

That was many years ago, but I still find an icy area in which I can practice losing control safely during the first big snow every year. I have a rear wheel drive, powerful car that is absolutely terrible in winter, so there's no room for error once I'm on the road with other drivers. Better to be prepared and practiced ahead of time!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ireth0 said:


> Lol, you don't even really have winter. You have... less hot?
> 
> I gotta say I am also more than done with this heat and humidity we've had lately and am looking forward to fall at this point.





kcomstoc said:


> YAY WINTER!!!! sorry I had to  I love fall/winter/early spring when it's still cold anything but summer really....it's WAY too hot for me and I wish it would go away as soon as it starts getting about 80 out ugh


LOL we start our days at about 80 degrees LOL.



Miss Bugs said:


> Someone opened my friends gate, she was av
> Ble to stop Gem and her dog before they went outside but Sola is small and slipped around her legs and bolted. Hasn't been a single sighting since 11:30 last night


I saw this on FB, I shared her picture, I know how this feels, believe me and it sucks, when Josefina got out of our yard a couple of years back,s he was gone for almost 2 weeks, we had given up hope but someone found her. I would call all the shelters and ACs in your area and email them a pic so they know her if someone brings her in.



Remaru said:


> I love the fall, when we get it. Often it is pretty warm all the way till winter. Some years my kids sweat through Trick or Treating and have to wear really light costumes (it is hard to plan costumes, you never know what to plan). Fall is still my favorite, I just like the idea of it, pumpkins, leaves, Halloween, scary movies, hay rides, ect. Some years we have a colder winter, some years it is just wet. I used to like winter when I was a kid but I am always sicker in the winter now and am not as fond of it. Summer has been odd this year, first it was cooler and wet, now it is hotter but really humid because of all of the wet. We had a couple of nice days, hoping for a few more of those.
> 
> 
> 
> Oh no, I hope she is found safe and sound soon.


We kind of had a fall here last year ( at least in north texas we did LOL), for texas, "fall" means the air changes and smells ... different ... I cant explain it, but it does. That is the signal for "fall" here lmao.



KodiBarracuda said:


> I can't remember a year in the last 10 that kids here didn't have to plan their costumes around their coats and gloves and boots or they were driven house to house because it was just too cold.
> Its common to have trick or treating happening through the whole week because parents want to wait for a not below 0 evening to send their little goblins and princesses out to trick or treat.
> 
> It's crazy, even if it's warm the week up to Halloween, it's always freezing and miserable the week of. It's like clockwork.


It's the same here for the rodeo (Feb), it can be gorgeous that very same week, 70's warm, clear etc ... and the DAY the rodeo arrives, it never fails, cold front comes in, drops the temp 30 degrees and its suddenly raining and yucky!!!!

I always hated when it was cold because what kid likes to cover up the costume they worked so hard to create (I always made my own up).


----------



## Miss Bugs

no luck on Sola, but there have finally been some sightings, there are search parties out still out, but I have gone home for a bit, I need a break before I break. my phone has a pedometer on it..I have walked 21087 steps today... just while I had my phone with me, not including when I didn't, and I am running on 2 hours sleep. I am exhausted. the amount of help has been unreal, I can hardly keep up with the amount of people helping with the search, its crazy!


----------



## mudypony

Hiraeth said:


> I'd imagine NY is fairly similar to MI, and we routinely get up into the mid-to-high-90s.
> 
> Northern heat and southern heat are two different beasts, in my experience. I find dry 100 degree weather in the south much more tolerable than humid 90 degree weather here. Anything over 105 is hard for me to deal with, humidity or no.
> 
> I think I'm a rarer type of person who enjoys mid 40s to low 60s, weather-wise, and I prefer overcast to sunny. Which makes Michigan autumn/early winter absolutely perfect weather, in my book


I completely agree!

I hate the humid Michigan summers! I've been loving the past few days of below 70 weather and am dreading next week where it's gonna get back up to the mid to upper 80s. Fall needs to hurry up! Plus, besides the perfect weather, fall in Michigan is absolutely gorgeous! (can you tell what my favorite season is?? haha)


----------



## mudypony

Miss Bugs said:


> no luck on Sola, but there have finally been some sightings, there are search parties out still out, but I have gone home for a bit, I need a break before I break. my phone has a pedometer on it..I have walked 21087 steps today... just while I had my phone with me, not including when I didn't, and I am running on 2 hours sleep. I am exhausted. the amount of help has been unreal, I can hardly keep up with the amount of people helping with the search, its crazy!


Oh no! I know you and everyone else helping are going to find her! I'll be thinking about you today and praying for Sola's safe return!


----------



## cookieface

Miss Bugs said:


> no luck on Sola, but there have finally been some sightings, there are search parties out still out, but I have gone home for a bit, I need a break before I break. my phone has a pedometer on it..I have walked 21087 steps today... just while I had my phone with me, not including when I didn't, and I am running on 2 hours sleep. I am exhausted. the amount of help has been unreal, I can hardly keep up with the amount of people helping with the search, its crazy!


Sending good thoughts your way. Glad you have help with the search.


I love spring and fall weather - moderate temps, low humidity, sometimes stormy, often sunny, generally pleasant. The only good thing about winter weather is the possibility of snow days. Love getting that 5am call (especially if I haven't showered yet).



> I *could* work from home, but they are jerks and expect people to come in.


Same here. I could work from home (not every day, but in bad weather), but the president apparently doesn't approve of it so no one can. I suspect my current boss would let me slide now and then, though.

NDR: I got ~4" of hair cut off last week; my husband hasn't said a word. It's starting to become amusing.


----------



## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> no luck on Sola, but there have finally been some sightings, there are search parties out still out, but I have gone home for a bit, I need a break before I break. my phone has a pedometer on it..I have walked 21087 steps today... just while I had my phone with me, not including when I didn't, and I am running on 2 hours sleep. I am exhausted. the amount of help has been unreal, I can hardly keep up with the amount of people helping with the search, its crazy!


Was she seen in the general area or has she ventured out?


----------



## Miss Bugs

Nope almost other end of town. After talking to more people who saw her, I am absolutly positive its her. The area is pretty much beside a highway so its concerning, but from what everyone has said, she hasnt made any attempt to cross and she was seen there at noon, 4 and 5


----------



## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> Nope almost other end of town. After talking to more people who saw her, I am absolutly positive its her. The area is pretty much beside a highway so its concerning, but from what everyone has said, she hasnt made any attempt to cross and she was seen there at noon, 4 and 5


Poor baby  I hope you get her soon


----------



## Laurelin

Gosh I hope you find her soon!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

FINALLY (for now, knock on wood) the WIFI is fixed! I was fixing to go into catatonia if I had to go much longer without my you tube fix!



> no luck on Sola, but there have finally been some sightings, there are search parties out still out, but I have gone home for a bit, I need a break before I break. my phone has a pedometer on it..I have walked 21087 steps today... just while I had my phone with me, not including when I didn't, and I am running on 2 hours sleep. I am exhausted. the amount of help has been unreal, I can hardly keep up with the amount of people helping with the search, its crazy!


I wish I was closer, me and Lincoln would help, too! I will keep sharing her pic as much as I can, dont give up! you will find her! I know how this feels, and I am sick for you


----------



## missc89

So, you know how you're generally supposed to make sure your dog doesn't jump too high when they're puppies?

Yesterday, I threw a bully stick over the baby gate in to the puppy room so that I could bend down and pick up Sterling to move him from the hallway to the puppy room. Well he decided I was too slow and jumped over the baby gate and almost cleared it too! Just his back paws tapped the top of the gate. I LOVE how natural he seems to be at agility-type things and dock-diving type things! (he likes to launch himself into anything, really)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> So, you know how you're generally supposed to make sure your dog doesn't jump too high when they're puppies?
> 
> Yesterday, I threw a bully stick over the baby gate in to the puppy room so that I could bend down and pick up Sterling to move him from the hallway to the puppy room. Well he decided I was too slow and jumped over the baby gate and almost cleared it too! Just his back paws tapped the top of the gate. I LOVE how natural he seems to be at agility-type things and dock-diving type things! (he likes to launch himself into anything, really)


Ah yes ... boing boing bouncy bouncy like a ping pong ball off everthing ... get used to it lmao because it will get worse.

when Lincoln was about Sterling's age, he got up on the grassy hill beside the barn, which has a brick retaining wall, which is a sheer 5 + foot drop to the pavement, well before I could stop him, Lincoln decides he doesnt want to be up there anymore and vaults off it, right onto the pavement, I almost had a heart attack, I was sure he had broken something, but nope.

Then just last week, he jumped over the guard rail into the neighbor's yard, then again ... before I could stop him, tried to hurtle it back over, didnt make it, and did a face plant followed by a forward flip onto the pavement ... ugh ... LOL luckily he was fine.


----------



## missc89

Miss Bugs said:


> no luck on Sola, but there have finally been some sightings, there are search parties out still out, but I have gone home for a bit, I need a break before I break. my phone has a pedometer on it..I have walked 21087 steps today... just while I had my phone with me, not including when I didn't, and I am running on 2 hours sleep. I am exhausted. the amount of help has been unreal, I can hardly keep up with the amount of people helping with the search, its crazy!


Any news on Sola yet??


----------



## Remaru

missc89 said:


> So, you know how you're generally supposed to make sure your dog doesn't jump too high when they're puppies?
> 
> Yesterday, I threw a bully stick over the baby gate in to the puppy room so that I could bend down and pick up Sterling to move him from the hallway to the puppy room. Well he decided I was too slow and jumped over the baby gate and almost cleared it too! Just his back paws tapped the top of the gate. I LOVE how natural he seems to be at agility-type things and dock-diving type things! (he likes to launch himself into anything, really)


I let Lad do some jumping and running in the yard, nothing too strenuous but not like I could stop him really (I could keep him leashed at all times but it would make taking him to potty far more difficult). He is slightly older now though I would like to keep any big athletics to a minimum until he is at least 2. He will jump the toy trucks in the yard or just bound around because "I'm a puppy and I like to bounce". He likes to play frisbee, I just don't throw it too high so he would need to leap into the air to catch it and I limit the time we play for. He also likes to run with Lenore and Freyja. At first he couldn't keep up, his turns weren't sharp enough and he wasn't fast enough but in the last month or so he can catch Freyja, no one can catch Lenore. 

Now Lenore, luckily she is an adult and I don't have to worry about her jumping because the other day she decided she didn't want to be behind the baby gate and vaulted the 3ft tall gate from a stand still. It is pretty much double her height, she is crazy. She likes to jump the length of the couch too. I'm hoping to build a small agility course (just some jumps and weaves) this fall for her, Magic and Freyja to work on.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

missc89 said:


> So, you know how you're generally supposed to make sure your dog doesn't jump too high when they're puppies?
> 
> Yesterday, I threw a bully stick over the baby gate in to the puppy room so that I could bend down and pick up Sterling to move him from the hallway to the puppy room. Well he decided I was too slow and jumped over the baby gate and almost cleared it too! Just his back paws tapped the top of the gate. I LOVE how natural he seems to be at agility-type things and dock-diving type things! (he likes to launch himself into anything, really)


Bouncing is a typical Aussie! You can't stop the bounce. 

Really hope that Sola is found.


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## elrohwen

Before she had full mastery of the stairs, Hazel would fling herself down the slippery dangerous basement stairs and give me a heart attack. Puppies have no sense of self-preservation!


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## missc89

Lol Elrohwen they really don't! He'll jump off the 2nd last stair every.single.time!


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## kdawnk

Every time I see this picture I get frustrated because, to me, it definitely looks like it's a puppy. Which is the point of the picture I'm sure, but I_ swear_ it's a puppy. Everyone in the comments are trying to guess its breed and they've all decided upon "Pomski"


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## Miss Bugs

*sola is home!!!!!*


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## elrohwen

Miss Bugs said:


> *sola is home!!!!!*


That's awesome! How did you find her?


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## Willowy

kdawnk said:


> Every time I see this picture I get frustrated because, to me, it definitely looks like it's a puppy. Which is the point of the picture I'm sure, but I_ swear_ it's a puppy. Everyone in the comments are trying to guess its breed and they've all decided upon "Pomski"


I've noticed that Toby and Moose, as they've gotten old, are starting to look a lot more puppyish in the face. I don't know what the difference is but they do. And that's what that dog looks like to me. So I believe he's 12. I DON'T believe he's a Pom/Husky because he looks a lot bigger than that! Chow-ish mutt, I'd say.


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## elrohwen

It also looks like his coat has been shaved down and grown back funny, so it has that fuzzy puppy look instead of a flatter harsher adult coat. I think that's part of the reason he looks so puppyish.


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## Remaru

Wooooo!!!!! Good news. I'm so glad you found her.


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## jade5280

Miss Bugs said:


> *sola is home!!!!!*


Yaaaaaay!!!!!!


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## missc89

Miss Bugs said:


> *sola is home!!!!!*


YAY!! Where was she!? How did you find her!?


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## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> It also looks like his coat has been shaved down and grown back funny, so it has that fuzzy puppy look instead of a flatter harsher adult coat. I think that's part of the reason he looks so puppyish.


Yeah that's what I was thinking. Which is a reason I doubted he was a senior.
I figured his muzzle isn't greying really at all, he has a fuzzy puppy coat, his ears are teethy looking (which I know happens outside of teething), his proportions look like he's a large breed puppy. The eyes looks too clear and alert to me too.

I mean, I'm very well super wrong, but I can't see a 12 year old dog at all.


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## OwnedbyACDs

missc89 said:


> YAY!! Where was she!? How did you find her!?


I KNOW I heard on FB YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!


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## Miss Bugs

Went to check the shelter again and when I walked in they said they had her, she had just arrived, wasn't even booked in yet. They took me back to confirm and there she was! I didnt ask questions, I was just so relieved she was found and safe!


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## Willowy

I'm going to try to post a pic of Moose. He looks very puppyish right now. I'm not sure what it is about old dogs but yeah. He's not gray either. . .but Penny is very gray . Or I should say, he is gray but it's all in his tan parts so they just look lighter tan instead of gray. That dog also has some graying around his nose and chin, it's just that his coloring is kind of ambiguous but I bet he was a lot darker when he was young. His ears are why I said Chow-ish mix .

Yay, Sola's home! It's so scary to lose them.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Went to check the shelter again and when I walked in they said they had her, she had just arrived, wasn't even booked in yet. They took me back to confirm and there she was! I didnt ask questions, I was just so relieved she was found and safe!


Poor girl, how is she? Happy to be home I am sure!


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## Willowy

Ugh. There was an article in the paper the other day that I can't stop thinking about. I thought maybe if I rant about it it might get out of my head. 

Basically, in a small town not too far from where I live, someone's dog went for a jaunt (I won't say he escaped or anything because he was allowed to free-roam). A cop found him and let him ride around in the cop car all day. At the end of his shift, not having found the dog's home, he took the dog into a stand of trees and shot him, left the body there. This is apparently SOP for the cops in that town because there's no shelter or even a kennel for the police to put strays in. AND, when the family asked about the dog, the cop said "oh yeah, I let him ride around with me but I dropped him at the boat ramp when I couldn't find who he belonged to". And when they were unable to find the dog and pressed the issue, he looked them square in the eye and told them he would never shoot a dog. This went on for nearly a year---the family kept calling in to ask if anyone had found the dog or his body, and the cop kept telling them to keep looking. Finally, somebody said they heard something, blah blah small town gossip, so they confronted the cop and he admitted he killed the dog, and they were able to find the body and take the remains home for a decent burial. 

Just ugh. I wish there were some way I could help to change the way things are around here. Bleh.


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## North&South

Willowy said:


> Ugh. There was an article in the paper the other day that I can't stop thinking about. I thought maybe if I rant about it it might get out of my head.
> 
> Basically, in a small town not too far from where I live, someone's dog went for a jaunt (I won't say he escaped or anything because he was allowed to free-roam). A cop found him and let him ride around in the cop car all day. At the end of his shift, not having found the dog's home, he took the dog into a stand of trees and shot him, left the body there. This is apparently SOP for the cops in that town because there's no shelter or even a kennel for the police to put strays in. AND, when the family asked about the dog, the cop said "oh yeah, I let him ride around with me but I dropped him at the boat ramp when I couldn't find who he belonged to". And when they were unable to find the dog and pressed the issue, he looked them square in the eye and told them he would never shoot a dog. This went on for nearly a year---the family kept calling in to ask if anyone had found the dog or his body, and the cop kept telling them to keep looking. Finally, somebody said they heard something, blah blah small town gossip, so they confronted the cop and he admitted he killed the dog, and they were able to find the body and take the remains home for a decent burial.
> 
> Just ugh. I wish there were some way I could help to change the way things are around here. Bleh.


That is simply disgusting. Any police officer who would do that doesn't deserve to have a job. That guy is sick...scary that he carries a badge and a firearm.


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## JeJo

Miss Bugs said:


> *sola is home!!!!!*


Wahooleluia! 
So glad that you have your little girl home safe and sound. Now get some much needed rest, Shayna; you both have a lot of catching up to do, I'm sure.


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## Kyllobernese

Our mosquitos have been gone for over a month. Think it got too hot for them and very little water around for them to hatch out in. Anyway, usually love this time of year but this year it is still going up to 30C during the day which is unusually hot for around here. At least it goes down to 5-10C at night (almost frosty) so you can sleep at night. Our Agility trial is this weekend and they are forecasting the first rain we have had in quite a while. Don't mind one bit if it is cooler but really would prefer not to do an outdoor trial in the pouring rain. Their weather forecast are not very accurate so will just have to wait and see.

Glad to hear Sola is home.


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## Laurelin

Whoo Sola! So glad she is home safe!

I need to get a video of my dogs doing leave it from my perspective. The looks on their faces are hilarious.


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## PatriciafromCO

Miss Bugs said:


> *sola is home!!!!!*


yay !!!!! so happy <3


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## Laurelin

This is going to sound weird but I'm really getting to like my trio as a trio. Just the way they mesh together and how they all are genuinely good, pleasant dogs to live with. They're a good crew.


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## cookieface

Miss Bugs said:


> *sola is home!!!!!*


Great news!! So happy she's home and safe.



elrohwen said:


> Before she had full mastery of the stairs, Hazel would fling herself down the slippery dangerous basement stairs and give me a heart attack. Puppies have no sense of self-preservation!


When Tyson was a puppy, he slid face first down the hill in the backyard - more than once. Some day they're going to break a leg on the stairs. I don't know what they do, but their running up and down sounds painful.

Last night my husband had them out in the yard and they started barking at a passing herd of deer. He was calling them, trying to get them up on the deck and they pretty much just laughed at him, ran faster, and barked louder. I went out, stood on the deck, and called them once. They came racing to me.  Cookies work, people.

Also, I don't get paid enough to deal with creepy old men at work. No, I won't be in a picture with you, no I won't run away with you, no there are no NSFW photos of me on facebook. Geez.


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## jade5280

I was forced by society and the bills I have to pay to go back to work today. Poor Pancakes has to be alone until lunch time. This is always the hardest part. At least he doesn't bark and he can see Gypsy and Ryker through the gate. I also left music on for him. He's sleeping soundly, but I hate that they have to be alone for so long :'(

So far Panzer has fell off the bed, got his toe stuck on the crate (thankfully not a dew!), smashed his head into walls, collided into cabinets, etc, etc. It's definitely an extra worry with a large/giant breed. I didn't worry so much with Ryker. At 10.5 weeks Panzer is 23.2lbs!




cookieface said:


> Also, I don't get paid enough to deal with creepy old men at work. No, I won't be in a picture with you, no I won't run away with you, no there are no NSFW photos of me on facebook. Geez.


Yeah why is always the creepy old ones? Never the young hot guys....


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## missc89

Haha Cookieface that sounds like SO much fun  where do you work to get such numerous proposals??


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## missc89

jade5280 said:


> I was forced by society and the bills I have to pay to go back to work today. Poor Pancakes has to be alone until lunch time. This is always the hardest part. At least he doesn't bark and he can see Gypsy and Ryker through the gate. I also left music on for him. He's sleeping soundly, but I hate that they have to be alone for so long :'(
> 
> So far Panzer has fell off the bed, got his toe stuck on the crate (thankfully not a dew!), smashed his head into walls, collided into cabinets, etc, etc. It's definitely an extra worry with a large/giant breed. I didn't worry so much with Ryker. At 10.5 weeks Panzer is 23.2lbs!


Wow! That's one big pup! Sterling at 10 weeks ten pounds lighter! I asked my vet about him being all rambunctious and running around and hurting himself and she said that Aussies are fairly hardy breeds and that he'd be fine for the most part, but that doesn't mean I don't worry every time he launches himself off of the stairs.

It was really hard for me to leave Sterling too I know how you feel. Virtual hugs!


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## jade5280

missc89 said:


> Wow! That's one big pup! Sterling at 10 weeks ten pounds lighter! I asked my vet about him being all rambunctious and running around and hurting himself and she said that Aussies are fairly hardy breeds and that he'd be fine for the most part, but that doesn't mean I don't worry every time he launches himself off of the stairs.
> 
> It was really hard for me to leave Sterling too I know how you feel. Virtual hugs!


Thanks! How is Sterling doing?


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## jade5280

Yesterday Ryker and Panzer both had the zoomies and they were chasing each other around the house. All of a sudden I didn't hear anything so I look around the corner and there Ryker is with his poop face on dropping turds on the carpet! He's never pooped in the house when we were home before. I guess he really had to go lol


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## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> Thanks! How is Sterling doing?


Wait ... You got a puppy and you are only NOW just telling us???



> Wow! That's one big pup! Sterling at 10 weeks ten pounds lighter! I asked my vet about him being all rambunctious and running around and hurting himself and she said that Aussies are fairly hardy breeds and that he'd be fine for the most part, but that doesn't mean I don't worry every time he launches himself off of the stairs.
> 
> It was really hard for me to leave Sterling too I know how you feel. Virtual hugs!


Ditto, sometimes I think I am the one with she SA, not Lincoln haha, he is always happy snoozing away in his crate when I get back like he couldnt care less haha


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## jade5280

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wait ... You got a beauceron and you are only NOW just telling us???


Haha I waited a little bit before saying anything because I wasn't sure how introductions were going to go with Gypsy and if Ryker was going to like him or not. I'm happy that things are going smoothly though! Even though Panzer tried to latch onto one of Gypsy's nipples and she yelled at him and then ran away. Poor Gypsy.


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## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Yeah why is always the creepy old ones? Never the young hot guys....





missc89 said:


> Haha Cookieface that sounds like SO much fun  where do you work to get such numerous proposals??


I work at a college. We have a saying in the office, "It's never George Clooney (or Jon Hamm, depending on who is speaking)."


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## missc89

jade5280 said:


> Thanks! How is Sterling doing?


He was really bratty yesterday apparently, running in to the road and trying to go see other people when my SO took him out but this morning he was right next to me the whole time. Apparently Sterling spent a LOT of time in his crate in time-outs last night while I was out lol


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## Kyllobernese

I am really beginning to think I must be crazy to enter so many Agility classes with three dogs. This afternoon, we have to load up all the Agility equipment and take it into town to the Ball Diamond where our club is putting on the trial. We have to set up the ring and get everything organized for tomorrow and Sunday. Last year I did all the timing with our electronic timers as I had no dogs in the trial but this year it will be harder so probably will just do some ring crew in the classes I am not in.

I know I won't get much sleep tonight as I am already sure I am going to sleep in. Never had these worries when I was just competing with Remmy but I think starting two new dogs at the same time was a mistake. Well, I guess I will survive and keep telling myself it is all going to be fun no matter what the outcome. Not too worried about Lucy but Kris has never competed outside on grass. All her training has been in an indoor arena although she has done lots of training in Obedience outside so that should help.

We did get rain last night and the sky is overcast to could get more this weekend.


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## Willowy

4-6 inches of rain in the area last night! Nothing much happened at my house (soggy and the ditches are filled but no damage) but one of my co-workers was in Sioux Falls when everything started and the roads were running like rivers. He had to find a back way out of town because all the main roads were flooded. It's kind of the wrong time of year for this (crops should be drying out to prepare for harvest) but hey, at least we're out of drought . The pictures of the Falls are amazing! And the 2 feet of water in the Target parking lot. . .


----------



## Miss Bugs

so..Sola went to flyball today and apparently her little escapade broke her shell. as most of you know, Sola has always been this ultra confidant puppy, but in the last 2 months that changed, she became weird and fearful, slinking around new places and refusing to go anywhere near people, refusing to play outside of home etc.. when her handler dropped her off tonight she said that Sola was the dog she used to know, suddenly she was that ultra confidant friendly puppy again, not once did she slink around anywhere or try to hide, she walked into every place like she owned it, walked right up to everyone, skipped over treat rewards in favor in tugging, just suddenly she was every bit the Sola that she used to be. so whatever fear period/funk thing she was in, spending 2 nights on her own apparently broke it. explains how she would have been caught in the first place and why the shelter people were all "she is such a sweetheart!!" because honestly every time people suggested she could have been stolen, I scoffed and said "ya, that would involve them getting near her, and I wish them good luck in that endeavor".


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Ummm..... So, Early today I got a snapchat from one of the humane society's near me. The showcase adoptable dogs, which I thought was a pretty genius idea, because it could will help animals get adopted. One of the adoptable dogs was a Border Collie. He already was a gorgeous dog, and he had a wonderful temperament, but what I found awesome was that he was able to a handstand. So, I went to check on the adoptable page, he was already gone, which was wonderful, but... I am definitely jealous of whoever has that dog right now.


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## hexiserenitigiovanni

Blueduck1105 said:


> I'm going to get a new lens for my camera. Just looking at the 35mm 1.8 since I am new to photography is there a good time of year when camera stuff goes on sale? Does Black Friday have deals or anything or most usually the same year round?
> 
> On B&H they are out of domestic and only have imported (short warranty) is there a wAy on amazon to tell which one you are buying?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


sorry for realizing this is so old but i wanted to let you know ebay has good lenses and good deals and extra warranties can be purchased


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## jade5280

One of Panzer's litter mates died in a car accident yesterday :'( It's so heartbreaking, I couldn't image.


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## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> One of Panzer's litter mates died in a car accident yesterday :'( It's so heartbreaking, I couldn't image.


Wow, that is awful!


Hazel is all limpy this morning. I'm pretty sure it's from her vaccine yesterday. It sucks because we were supposed to meet up with a friend for lunch and a walk on the grounds of the Vanderbilt mansion. Poor pup. Hopefully it's gone tomorrow.


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## CptJack

Decisions, decisions.

I realized the person who is running the disc dog group is the person who assists in agility class and has been fairly afraid of Molly and doesn't particularly seem to like either me or the dog. On one hand, it would still be great exposure for the dog. On the other hand - woman's historically been afraid of Molly and seems to dislike me (maybe). Also seems to be a smallish group composed almost entirely of people about 15 years younger than me - and dog stuff *is* people social.

Maybe I'll just go once or twice a month, give them my five buck 'donation' for sharing the field and try and stay out of their way?


----------



## gingerkid

jade5280 said:


> Haha I waited a little bit before saying anything because I wasn't sure how introductions were going to go with Gypsy and if Ryker was going to like him or not. I'm happy that things are going smoothly though! Even though Panzer tried to latch onto one of Gypsy's nipples and she yelled at him and then ran away. Poor Gypsy.


Pix or it didn't happen! 

We moved a month ago, and most of our stuff is out of boxes now.

I KNOW I had at least a half a dozen clickers before we moved. I KNOW that at least 3 of them survived the move because I was using them up until last week. And now that I have the time/motivation to work on Ida's fear of traffic, do you think I can actually find a clicker? Nooope. (I have tried using a verbal mark reward, but the sharp sound of the clicker just seems to get through to her better).


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> One of Panzer's litter mates died in a car accident yesterday :'( It's so heartbreaking, I couldn't image.


How horrible. 



gingerkid said:


> Pix or it didn't happen!
> 
> We moved a month ago, and most of our stuff is out of boxes now.
> 
> I KNOW I had at least a half a dozen clickers before we moved. I KNOW that at least 3 of them survived the move because I was using them up until last week. And now that I have the time/motivation to work on Ida's fear of traffic, do you think I can actually find a clicker? Nooope. (I have tried using a verbal mark reward, but the sharp sound of the clicker just seems to get through to her better).


:redface: I'm pretty sure we still have stuff in boxes from when we moved 10+ years ago. I'm also pretty sure there's a hidden stash of clickers somewhere in the house. I have no idea how I lose them.

Pro tip: fill food toys before starting to drink, unless your goal is to scatter food all over the floor.


----------



## luv mi pets

cookieface said:


> Pro tip: fill food toys before starting to drink, unless your goal is to scatter food all over the floor.


LMAO! too funny the image in my head.

Well I have a visitor for at least two weeks. Maybe permanently. Lady was in the clinic on Monday. Doctor came back and told me to go talk to the owner in a room. She had a Chihuahua she was going to euth. Upon entering the room, I see a very elderly lady and a half grown Chihuahua puppy in a crate. The lady had been talking on the phone to someone when I entered the room. I offered her some tips on how to control the biting of the puppy. I even offered to have the pup come home with me (free of charge) for a couple of weeks for training. She said that after talking to her husband she was going to get the dog her vaccines and get her spayed. She was thinking that having her spayed might help. I told her that I highly doubt that would help. She seemed to think that was the answer and not the solutions I had mentioned to help curb the biting puppy. This puppy was a land shark. She showed me her arms and legs. They were covered in sores of various healing stages. Fellow employees were taking bets that by Friday I would be getting a call. Nope, it was Saturday. Now here is the rant. I met this lady in the clinic parking lot. I am this pup's 5th home including the breeder. It came from a mill, sold in a pet store, to the original purchaser, to this lady and now me. Her son who lives in another state had come home for a visit and surprised her one day with this puppy. This lady did not want a dog, her plate is full. Her husband is disabled and takes up a lot of her time. She herself has health issues. If her son wanted to do something nice, he should of purchased maid service to come in a couple of times a month to help his mom out. 

So far the pup is doing fine but gosh people do not give your elderly parents a puppy as a surprise gift.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank and I had a busy day! We did nosework and barn hunt this morning at a fun run day then had an agility demo thing tonight where he ran twice. We came home and he was zoomies. Hank did great today. I'm really happy with him.

Also right now I have 5 dogs at my house so what happens? The back door decides to break. So now I have to go out the front door to get to my back yard.

My sister is over too and she said that Mia just sat looking at the door waiting for me to come home the whole time I was gone. It makes me <3333 and also feel bad I have to leave her home so much. My girly. <3


----------



## jade5280

luv mi pets said:


> LMAO! too funny the image in my head.
> 
> Well I have a visitor for at least two weeks. Maybe permanently. Lady was in the clinic on Monday. Doctor came back and told me to go talk to the owner in a room. She had a Chihuahua she was going to euth. Upon entering the room, I see a very elderly lady and a half grown Chihuahua puppy in a crate. The lady had been talking on the phone to someone when I entered the room. I offered her some tips on how to control the biting of the puppy. I even offered to have the pup come home with me (free of charge) for a couple of weeks for training. She said that after talking to her husband she was going to get the dog her vaccines and get her spayed. She was thinking that having her spayed might help. I told her that I highly doubt that would help. She seemed to think that was the answer and not the solutions I had mentioned to help curb the biting puppy. This puppy was a land shark. She showed me her arms and legs. They were covered in sores of various healing stages. Fellow employees were taking bets that by Friday I would be getting a call. Nope, it was Saturday. Now here is the rant. I met this lady in the clinic parking lot. I am this pup's 5th home including the breeder. It came from a mill, sold in a pet store, to the original purchaser, to this lady and now me. Her son who lives in another state had come home for a visit and surprised her one day with this puppy. This lady did not want a dog, her plate is full. Her husband is disabled and takes up a lot of her time. She herself has health issues. If her son wanted to do something nice, he should of purchased maid service to come in a couple of times a month to help his mom out.
> 
> So far the pup is doing fine but gosh people do not give your elderly parents a puppy as a surprise gift.


Aw I hope it works out. Needs pics if you decide to keep it!


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## kcomstoc

luv mi pets said:


> So far the pup is doing fine but gosh people do not give your elderly parents a puppy as a surprise gift.


How does that even make any sense? God forbid the parents die and then what happens to the puppy especially if the son KNOWS the dad already has bad medical issues....let me show you this link if I can find it about people that don't have common sense.

ETA: I couldn't find the right link on my FB *I looked for like an hour* but this one is close http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Love-Jokes-And-Riddles/55201


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## cookieface

luv mi pets said:


> LMAO! too funny the image in my head.
> 
> Well I have a visitor for at least two weeks. Maybe permanently. Lady was in the clinic on Monday. Doctor came back and told me to go talk to the owner in a room. She had a Chihuahua she was going to euth. Upon entering the room, I see a very elderly lady and a half grown Chihuahua puppy in a crate. The lady had been talking on the phone to someone when I entered the room. I offered her some tips on how to control the biting of the puppy. I even offered to have the pup come home with me (free of charge) for a couple of weeks for training. She said that after talking to her husband she was going to get the dog her vaccines and get her spayed. She was thinking that having her spayed might help. I told her that I highly doubt that would help. She seemed to think that was the answer and not the solutions I had mentioned to help curb the biting puppy. This puppy was a land shark. She showed me her arms and legs. They were covered in sores of various healing stages. Fellow employees were taking bets that by Friday I would be getting a call. Nope, it was Saturday. Now here is the rant. I met this lady in the clinic parking lot. I am this pup's 5th home including the breeder. It came from a mill, sold in a pet store, to the original purchaser, to this lady and now me. Her son who lives in another state had come home for a visit and surprised her one day with this puppy. This lady did not want a dog, her plate is full. Her husband is disabled and takes up a lot of her time. She herself has health issues. If her son wanted to do something nice, he should of purchased maid service to come in a couple of times a month to help his mom out.
> 
> So far the pup is doing fine but gosh people do not give your elderly parents a puppy as a surprise gift.


Poor pup. She must be so confused. Gotta wonder what the kid was thinking. 



jade5280 said:


> Aw I hope it works out. Needs pics if you decide to keep it!


Definitely ^^^^


NDR: Feeling kinda down today. Lots of small reasons (lingering discord among a group of friends, Oliver Sack's death, work nonsense, some other things going on), but in combination it's overwhelming. OTOH, Tyson wags his tail when he sees me looking at him, so there's that.


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## jade5280

cookieface said:


> NDR: Feeling kinda down today. Lots of small reasons (lingering discord among a group of friends, Oliver Sack's death, work nonsense, some other things going on), but in combination it's overwhelming. OTOH, Tyson wags his tail when he sees me looking at him, so there's that.


 Awe, hope you feel better!


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## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Awe, hope you feel better!


Thanks, I appreciate the good thoughts.


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## DogTheGreat

Somewhat funny and completely unintentional side-effect for working a lot on rear end awareness? Being randomly barked at when something is desired and turning only to see her back up 5-10 feet looking at me like "See, aren't you happy? Can I have that now?" No you can't, but nice try.

BTW, how do I get my signature picture to not be tiny?


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## Miss Bugs

So..yup, Sola is a different dog now. I had her at the dog park and i always bring treats to distract her, otherwise she would chase people and bark at them. Didn't bark at a single person today and ran up to a crowd of strangers and solicited attention. THAT is the dog she used to be, and I am so happy to have her back!


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## jade5280

DogTheGreat said:


> Somewhat funny and completely unintentional side-effect for working a lot on rear end awareness? Being randomly barked at when something is desired and turning only to see her back up 5-10 feet looking at me like "See, aren't you happy? Can I have that now?" No you can't, but nice try.
> 
> BTW, how do I get my signature picture to not be tiny?


What are you using to upload pics? I upload to photo bucket, resize the picture, and then paste the image code into the signature box.


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## DogTheGreat

Yay okay fixed it. Thanks!


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## CptJack

I find it ironic that there are people in this world who decide they want to do agility and then start looking for a border collie to do it with (note: this is different than having a BC and deciding to do agility, or people who are going to be super competitive at agility getting a BC). 

Teaching Molly agility is 200% harder than teaching Kylie agility, and I don't even have to learn as much with Molly as I did Kylie. (Also yes, I know, individuals dogs and individual ME). 

I'm stupid proud of both of them though.


----------



## DogTheGreat

CptJack said:


> I find it ironic that there are people in this world who decide they want to do agility and then start looking for a border collie to do it with (note: this is different than having a BC and deciding to do agility, or people who are going to be super competitive at agility getting a BC).


I wonder how many people that start out this way actually stick to it?


----------



## Kathyy

I watched border collie handlers be able to practice skills many times over with envy. With a dog that can only do a few reps *I* wasn't getting the skills I needed. Sad that people think only high powered dogs can do agility at a high level. With good training any sound dog can have fun and success in agility. My dogs were limited by my skills, not their ability.

I always wanted a ball crazy dog too. This evening I played fetch/tug/flirt pole with the dogs for 15-20 minutes. I think I am more pooped out than they are. Well, they took turns, I was going the whole time. Love that exercise pen, kept bratty Bucky from jumping Ginger so she could play too.


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## CptJack

DogTheGreat said:


> I wonder how many people that start out this way actually stick to it?


IME not many people 'stick with' agility long term, anyway. Of all the people I was in classes with, with Kylie, there are TWO other people competing with us now. And both of those people were already running other dogs. Not one single new person stuck with it (besides me). Out of 20 people. 



Kathyy said:


> I watched border collie handlers be able to practice skills many times over with envy. With a dog that can only do a few reps *I* wasn't getting the skills I needed. Sad that people think only high powered dogs can do agility at a high level. With good training any sound dog can have fun and success in agility. My dogs were limited by my skills, not their ability.
> 
> I always wanted a ball crazy dog too. This evening I played fetch/tug/flirt pole with the dogs for 15-20 minutes. I think I am more pooped out than they are. Well, they took turns, I was going the whole time. Love that exercise pen, kept bratty Bucky from jumping Ginger so she could play too.


I'm just biased right now and know it. Molly will go forever, but I am so over-dogged with her when it comes to agility. I know she's really young, and a lot of it's that she stresses higher than a freaking kite and then there's the reactivity mess adding to the stress. I'm confident that eventually we'll get it together as a team (and I'll admit that when we do she'll be better than Kylie by a lot - in some ways she's better than Kylie NOW). It's not really the *agility* that's the issue for her, it's everything else that's hard.

But I try and imagine her as my FIRST agility dog and- I'd have quit already.


----------



## Laurelin

DogTheGreat said:


> I wonder how many people that start out this way actually stick to it?


It is not uncommon in my experience for people who start agility and then get a BC within the first year or so to quit. It's not always (often?) because the dog is too good but the flip side happens where they realize it's still just a dog and not a magic bullet to win. I've known a good number of people do that over the years. But on the flip side a lot of experienced agility will eventually get a BC 2 or 3 dogs in. Not all, but a good number will. And usually it ends up well from what I've seen because to be frank many agility people are looking for a dog that is like a BC so it's a case of the dog really fitting the already heavy training type lifestyle. Though even in those cases not all BCs end up enjoying agility or able to really compete for various reasons. 



> I watched border collie handlers be able to practice skills many times over with envy. With a dog that can only do a few reps *I* wasn't getting the skills I needed. Sad that people think only high powered dogs can do agility at a high level. With good training any sound dog can have fun and success in agility. My dogs were limited by my skills, not their ability.


Hank is a dog that can practice for a very long time and rep repeatedly. It is mildly hampered by the heat but nothing like the papillons. It makes things so much easier. I do feel like it is limiting to have a dog that can't practice over and over. With Hank I can be a lot more precise and it's not going to make things worse for us


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## CptJack

Oh, and irony: As much as I am not loving Molly in agility right now, because I am having to work so much harder to get things established, I don't think I can imagine a breed that fits my lifestyle better AWAY from agility. She's been a dream and a doll, over all. She's just kind of a pain and leaving me to think that maybe I'll just look into finding 2+ year old BCs going forward (or just have small/toy breeds for agility and keep the BC as pets - that'd be a departure from the usual )

Because to be frank, I was around quite a few young BCs last night and _every last one of them_ was a reactive, flakey, hair-brained, NUT. At least some of them much, much worse than Molly. It just seemed like I was the only handler who wasn't just shrugging and saying 'Eh' about it.


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## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> Awe, hope you feel better!


I love your new siggy, BTW, so cute!


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## Laurelin

Really? We had a big group of dogs at the racetrack and I'd say our dogs all did very well the BCs included. There were dog races, horse races, demos an hundreds of spectator dogs and I don't think any of the agility dogs were 'reactive'. One of the schnauzers is barky and Hank got a bit excited when he caught glimpses of the horses. We had at least three adolescent BCs in the group and a couple older ones. And a young Aussie (2 older Aussies). Rat terrier, hank, schnauzer, lab, ACD, BC mix(maybe BC x ACD), some BCs, vallhund, mutt, BC x Aussie, and a Brittany that was a doll! I was surprised how much I loved the Brittany. She's fun

My friend's BC pup was a champ. He's doing so great and I want one. She keeps trying to talk me into her breeder. We'll see. He's incredible so far. 7 months? Gonna be stunning as an adult.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Really? We had a big group of dogs at the racetrack and I'd say our dogs all did very well the BCs included. There were dog races, horse races, demos an hundreds of spectator dogs and I don't think any of the agility dogs were 'reactive'. One of the schnauzers is barky and Hank got a bit excited when he caught glimpses of the horses. We had at least three adolescent BCs in the group and a couple older ones. And a young Aussie (2 older Aussies). Rat terrier, hank, schnauzer, lab, vallhund, mutt, BC x Aussie, and a Brittany that was a doll!
> 
> My friend's BC pup was a champ. He's doing so great and I want one. She keeps trying to talk me into her breeder. We'll see. He's incredible so far. 7 months? Gonna be stunning as an adult.


Yep. Now, don't get me wrong: there weren't dozens and dozens there or anything. I don't think there were more than 30 dogs there, period, but I have YET to meet a BC under 2 (in real life) who is not reactive to some degree. Doesn't matter if they were rescues, working dogs, or show bred, they've ALL been dogs who will lunge/growl/bark at other dogs or people under some circumstance. The reason varies some - some seem frustrated/excited, some seem fearful, but yeah. Really. Even the 2+ year old I'm in love with and is sweet and happy as can be now is the dog that rushed and attacked a GSD in Molly's first Foundation's class in January. 

EVERY LAST ONE has been reactive. 

And to be frank I don't know a single BC of any age that I'd call totally dog friendly. Many (Most) of them are very well controlled/trained and don't cause problems at all, but not a single one that I know who is *friendly* or welcomes interaction from dogs they do not live with. Many will snap pretty solidly at a dog that's too close/interested in them. I know... one really solidly non-reactive dog that looks like it might be a BC mix? And it's like 8. And might not be a BC. And doesn't do well with strange *people* handling her.


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## CptJack

^Also that? Is what put me off BC for so long. 

None of the dogs are bad, to be clear. Most are super, duper well trained and have great handler focus that compensates for a lot (as adults). Most of them are well managed by their handlers (most - a lot of people do seem to just shrug and go 'eh' - like the ones last night). Very, very few are dogs I would expect to run from their handlers and start something. 

But yeah. Lunging, barking, growling, losing it crap is pretty universal amongst the BC I know, and it's made worse I think by each other. Ie: One dog lunges and starts barking and then they're ALL OFF. 

Total aside? Our venue was a livestock barn and there were horses pastured outside. Molly loved the horses. Not in an over excited way, she just went to the fence and wiggled a lot. Dogs? Terrifying. Hundreds of pounds of animal she's never seen before? Best thing in the world.


----------



## sassafras

My instructor has some really nice BCs. But I was at a seminar a few weeks ago and most of the BCs were that over the top, reactive type. Amazing in the ring but even then a sort of barely controlled chaos. 

I mean, running Squash is physically tiring because he's tall and fast but I would find that constant frenetic energy just completely exhausting.


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## Laurelin

> I don't think there were more than 30 dogs there, period, but I have YET to meet a BC under 2 (in real life) who is not reactive to some degree. Doesn't matter if they were rescues, working dogs, or show bred, they've ALL been dogs who will lunge/growl/bark at other dogs or people under some circumstance.


By this definition every dog would be reactive though? Unless the dog is elderly or something? 

Some of the BCs I know are selective. Some have issues with fast movement and are space bubble dogs. I guess for me space bubble dogs are normal and it's never really given me much thought. Every dog I've owned has been a dog that is not into a free for all with all dogs. Hank is the closest I have had to that and even he has quite a bit of an edge to him at times and is not universally friendly and oblivious to all dogs.

There's never any dog free for alls going on in agility but they handle the agility stress and close proximity to other dogs fairly well, which I think takes a lot. I see a lot of the BCs do well in small play/hike groups and a couple have played very readily and easily with Hank (Hank can overwhelm some of them). 

I don't see many dogs lose it in agility and start lunging and barking. A couple young dogs do and Hank is one of them. But there's usually a lot of work going into the dogs and most dogs adjust to it, I think.


----------



## Laurelin

sassafras said:


> My instructor has some really nice BCs. But I was at a seminar a few weeks ago and most of the BCs were that over the top, reactive type. Amazing in the ring but even then a sort of barely controlled chaos.
> 
> I mean, running Squash is physically tiring because he's tall and fast but I would find that constant frenetic energy just completely exhausting.


Haha I find Belgians way more frenetic than BCs in general (I do know a couple BCs that are even more frenetic than Belgians). The BCs here seem to settle easier and be less reactive and weird/spooky than the Belgians. The Belgians pace a lot whereas the BCs often will just chill between exercises.

There's a few BCs I definitely do. not. want. but I meet a lot more that I do want than those I don't. 

My trainer is getting a new pup in a few weeks from another breeder I like in theory so that'll be fun to see grow up. Her other BC is a rescue and very solid all around. I really like him.


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## jade5280

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I love your new siggy, BTW, so cute!


Thank you


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> By this definition every dog would be reactive though? Unless the dog is elderly or something?
> 
> Some of the BCs I know are selective. Some have issues with fast movement and are space bubble dogs. I guess for me space bubble dogs are normal and it's never really given me much thought. Every dog I've owned has been a dog that is not into a free for all with all dogs. Hank is the closest I have had to that and even he has quite a bit of an edge to him at times and is not universally friendly and oblivious to all dogs.
> 
> There's never any dog free for alls going on in agility but they handle the agility stress and close proximity to other dogs fairly well, which I think takes a lot. I see a lot of the BCs do well in small play/hike groups and a couple have played very readily and easily with Hank (Hank can overwhelm some of them).
> 
> I don't see many dogs lose it in agility and start lunging and barking. A couple young dogs do and Hank is one of them. But there's usually a lot of work going into the dogs and most dogs adjust to it, I think.


No, I mean when one dog lunges and barks all the dogs are at the end of their leashes lunging and barking and losing their minds. I don't really consider barking back reactive and I don't consider barking reactive. KYLIE barks, but she isn't lunging and barking and losing her mind, she's being loud. Now, one dog lunging toward another barking and reacting and a dog 20 feet or more away going off and lunging and barking and losing it, I *do*. 

When I say all the young BC are reactive I mean they will all respond with growling, lunging, barking, sometimes snarling and immediately being hard to impossible to get back under control without creating distance from the stimulus. That IS reactivity in my mind, because it's a radical over-reaction to ... normal stuff. Like another dog LOOKING at them. Or walking past. Or playing with a toy _way_ over there. 

Dog friendly wise, space bubble is usually about it. Well, that and just general selectivity and intolerance. Much faster, sharper, reactions and a bigger space bubble (Kylie has a space bubble, but it's signficantly smaller than Molly's, even proportionally - dog jumps in Kylie's face it's going to get snapped at. Dog jumps toward Molly from 20 feet away and she's going to bark/snarl/growl/lunge - and that's typical of, again, every last BC I know in real life.)



sassafras said:


> My instructor has some really nice BCs. But I was at a seminar a few weeks ago and most of the BCs were that over the top, reactive type. Amazing in the ring but even then a sort of barely controlled chaos.
> 
> I mean, running Squash is physically tiring because he's tall and fast but I would find that constant frenetic energy just completely exhausting.


My instructor runs mutts. I am almost sure one if a BC mix, one MIGHT be (but if so it's some kind of terrier cross, too - very tiny), and the puppy's a rough collie or rough collie mix. The over the top type really seems to be all I see. To be fair, though, it's not just the BCs, I just see more of them. 2 ACDs I've had class with, one is kind of reactive and the other was aggressive enough to be removed from class after putting serious effort into attacking another dog. The chi in our class has some issues with dogs bigger than him, which is like... all the dogs. 

Basically, a TON of the dogs in our agility group and even the extended one to include a few neighboring clubs and people coming in, have Issues of some sort or degree or another. Dogs that are completely bombproof are rarer than hens teeth. Many of them are decent to good, but a LONG FREAKING WAY from dogs that would pass a therapy dog test.

As far as I'm concerned BREED wise, the best dogs I've seen for having a really stable temperament and speed combined have been: the small herders, and the sporting breeds.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Haha I find Belgians way more frenetic than BCs in general (I do know a couple BCs that are even more frenetic than Belgians). The BCs here seem to settle easier and be less reactive and weird/spooky than the Belgians. The Belgians pace a lot whereas the BCs often will just chill between exercises.
> 
> There's a few BCs I definitely do. not. want. but I meet a lot more that I do want than those I don't.
> 
> My trainer is getting a new pup in a few weeks from another breeder I like in theory so that'll be fun to see grow up. Her other BC is a rescue and very solid all around. I really like him.


I freely admit that the BC here, including Molly, will chill out between exercises, provided they have a crate and ROOM (physical or just psychological - ie: don't stare at the BC and don't let your dog stare at them). They aren't the pace and whine sort, at all. It's just that, you know, they respond to everything loudly and immediately and often with aggressive looking displays, and when they're on and running they're going in a way that's really fast and looks and feels barely controlled. It just... different kind of energy, I think.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> Yep. Now, don't get me wrong: there weren't dozens and dozens there or anything. I don't think there were more than 30 dogs there, period, but I have YET to meet a BC under 2 (in real life) who is not reactive to some degree. Doesn't matter if they were rescues, working dogs, or show bred, they've ALL been dogs who will lunge/growl/bark at other dogs or people under some circumstance. The reason varies some - some seem frustrated/excited, some seem fearful, but yeah. Really. Even the 2+ year old I'm in love with and is sweet and happy as can be now is the dog that rushed and attacked a GSD in Molly's first Foundation's class in January.
> 
> EVERY LAST ONE has been reactive.
> 
> And to be frank I don't know a single BC of any age that I'd call totally dog friendly. Many (Most) of them are very well controlled/trained and don't cause problems at all, but not a single one that I know who is *friendly* or welcomes interaction from dogs they do not live with. Many will snap pretty solidly at a dog that's too close/interested in them. I know... one really solidly non-reactive dog that looks like it might be a BC mix? And it's like 8. And might not be a BC. And doesn't do well with strange *people* handling her.


I have known a few who were legitimately dog friendly. At my last agility place (honestly a better place but just too far away for me) there was a lovely BC girl who was Kairi's best bud. She WAS reactive though when dogs were running on the course. She is what made me want a BC. I met a show breeder at a dog fest who had very friendly dogs. I had Ember and she was lip curling at this very gentle non pushy greeting show BC boy. Now.. MOST other BCs I know? Exactly as you described. They are flakey, reactive, snappy to any dog that gets in their space etc. Ember WILL snap at dogs that get in her face.. but she is fine with family dogs. Every time I tell another BC person that she is snappy with other dogs.. every single one of them has said "that's a border collie!". So it's definitely a thing.

Thankfully Ember isn't all that reactive in general. She is starting to react to puppies in her class who get the zoomies, but that is just the movement she is after. Funny how all 3 Border Collies in my class need restrained at that moment.. because all 3 will react. All 3 are dog selective at certain times. Border Collies is crazy! Except easy as pie at home.

Also.. it's so weird how I don't really know anything about a breed until I actually own one. I never even noticed these issues until owning one..


----------



## jade5280

So I bought a gentle leader to use on Gypsy to see how it worked out and I really don't like it at all. I would 100% rather use a prong collar over a gentle leader. I had no idea that when the dog pulls it actually pulls their mouth closed like a slip lead. It seems really unsafe.


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## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> So I bought a gentle leader to use on Gypsy to see how it worked out and I really don't like it at all. I would 100% rather use a prong collar over a gentle leader. I had no idea that when the dog pulls it actually pulls their mouth closed like a slip lead. It seems really unsafe.


Is it adjusted correctly? Mine doesn't tighten around the nose. You can make it tighter or looser and then it locks in place. When I use it, I attach Watson's limited slip collar to the leash as well and it seems to stabilize the whole thing a bit by putting some pressure on his collar.

I've just started using the GL, and don't use it all the time, but I personally find it way way better for reactivity. If he starts reacting on the prong it just amps him up more. So the prong is good for control, but counter productive for reactivity (at least for him). The GL tones him down a lot in situations that would make him over the top.

I'm not sold on it, mostly because he doesn't really like it. But we went to a park on Sunday where I knew he would be crazy, and I brought the GL. He was more interested in walking and sniffing than in rubbing his face in the grass, and it took him down a notch where the prong just made him spin higher, so it worked really well. At home or on our usual walk, the reward of getting to walk somewhere isn't as high and he'll often stop to rub his face or just stop and look at me miserably. But then he doesn't really need it in those situations either.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I have known a few who were legitimately dog friendly. At my last agility place (honestly a better place but just too far away for me) there was a lovely BC girl who was Kairi's best bud. She WAS reactive though when dogs were running on the course. She is what made me want a BC. I met a show breeder at a dog fest who had very friendly dogs. I had Ember and she was lip curling at this very gentle non pushy greeting show BC boy. Now.. MOST other BCs I know? Exactly as you described. They are flakey, reactive, snappy to any dog that gets in their space etc. Ember WILL snap at dogs that get in her face.. but she is fine with family dogs. Every time I tell another BC person that she is snappy with other dogs.. every single one of them has said "that's a border collie!". So it's definitely a thing.
> 
> Thankfully Ember isn't all that reactive in general. She is starting to react to puppies in her class who get the zoomies, but that is just the movement she is after. Funny how all 3 Border Collies in my class need restrained at that moment.. because all 3 will react. All 3 are dog selective at certain times. Border Collies is crazy! Except easy as pie at home.


Oh yeah. For some of these dogs, even including Molly, they are reacting to movement and fast speeds rather than the dogs themselves. (Though Molly also reacts to the dogs themselves) Now, all of them are 'get out of my face' at other dogs, and many of them have some dog or subset of dogs they just seem to hate, but they're not all aggressive idiots. And, like I said, it's the under 2 thing with overt reactivity. Get 'em over 2, and I see quite a few who are at least outwardly calm, well behaved, and sweet with people though still at least dog selective. 

I just mostly feel less alone right now


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Is it adjusted correctly? Mine doesn't tighten around the nose. You can make it tighter or looser and then it locks in place. When I use it, I attach Watson's limited slip collar to the leash as well and it seems to stabilize the whole thing a bit by putting some pressure on his collar.
> 
> I've just started using the GL, and don't use it all the time, but I personally find it way way better for reactivity. If he starts reacting on the prong it just amps him up more. So the prong is good for control, but counter productive for reactivity. The GL tones him down a lot in situations that would make him over the top.
> 
> I'm not sold on it, mostly because he doesn't really like it. But we went to a park on Sunday where I knew he would be crazy, and I brought the GL. He was more interested in walking and sniffing than in rubbing his face in the grass, and it took him down a notch where the prong just made him spin higher, so it worked really well.


 Oh, there was a stop thing to keep it from sliding down too far, but nothing to keep it from closing on the mouth. The box even said that there is a risk of them biting their tongue if they pull on it. I wouldn't use a prong on Gypsy, but was not impressed at all with the head halter.

I just looked it up, it's made by coastal so its not the gentle leader petsafe brand. Maybe they are different.


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## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Oh, there was a stop thing to keep it from sliding down too far, but nothing to keep it from closing on the mouth. The box even said that there is a risk of them biting their tongue if they pull on it. I wouldn't use a prong on Gypsy, but was not impressed at all with the GL.


It does put pressure on the top of the nose, but there's nothing putting pressure on the bottom jaw to make the mouth close. I didn't see that effect in Watson.

I go back and forth on it. A behaviorist recommended it, and Susan Garrett uses it a lot, so I figure we'll keep trying. I would really like to have him comfortable enough with it to use in certain situations where I need more control. Especially where prongs are not allowed (certain training facilities, AKC shows). Just to get him in and get him settled, not to actually use during training/showing of course.


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## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> No, I mean when one dog lunges and barks all the dogs are at the end of their leashes lunging and barking and losing their minds. I don't really consider barking back reactive and I don't consider barking reactive. KYLIE barks, but she isn't lunging and barking and losing her mind, she's being loud. Now, one dog lunging toward another barking and reacting and a dog 20 feet or more away going off and lunging and barking and losing it, I *do*.
> 
> When I say all the young BC are reactive I mean they will all respond with growling, lunging, barking, sometimes snarling and immediately being hard to impossible to get back under control without creating distance from the stimulus. That IS reactivity in my mind, because it's a radical over-reaction to ... normal stuff. Like another dog LOOKING at them. Or walking past. Or playing with a toy _way_ over there.


I don't see that at all here. And there's some really really high strung BCs here but maybe the handlers just have a really good control on them. Movement will set a lot off (as well as other high drive dogs), and definitely a space bubble. 

My friend with Belgians tells me she doesn't like BCs because they focus too much on things vs she feels like Belgians focus more on you. Her youngster though is really a handful and reactive though. 

My trainer has had both and tells me the Belgians have been the weirdest dogs she's owned. 

I can't remember which Belgian it was that stepped on a twig and then spooked the crap out and stopped working. Stuff like that I associate more with that breed. And one Belgian that accidentally ran into the trainer's legs next to the table and then decided the table was evil.

It's always interesting hearing other peoples' take on things.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

If Ember was older.. I would be going to meet this dog today.
She is soo stinkin' cute and has a Kairi sad face. <3


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> It does put pressure on the top of the nose, but there's nothing putting pressure on the bottom jaw to make the mouth close. I didn't see that effect in Watson.
> 
> I go back and forth on it. A behaviorist recommended it, and Susan Garrett uses it a lot, so I figure we'll keep trying. I would really like to have him comfortable enough with it to use in certain situations where I need more control. Especially where prongs are not allowed (certain training facilities, AKC shows). Just to get him in and get him settled, not to actually use during training/showing of course.


 I know they work well for a lot of people, but I just did not like it at all. I've also been recommend to use it as well from trainers, but for Gypsy I don't think I'm going to since it's not really necessary. I don't bring her anywhere that we will see other dogs. I just figured I would give it a try anyways since a lot of people have had good results.



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> If Ember was older.. I would be going to meet this dog today.
> She is soo stinkin' cute and has a Kairi sad face. <3


 Ember is old enough. K thanks.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I don't see that at all here. And there's some really really high strung BCs here but maybe the handlers just have a really good control on them. Movement will set a lot off (as well as other high drive dogs), and definitely a space bubble.
> 
> My friend with Belgians tells me she doesn't like BCs because they focus too much on things vs she feels like Belgians focus more on you. Her youngster though is really a handful and reactive though.
> 
> My trainer has had both and tells me the Belgians have been the weirdest dogs she's owned.
> 
> I can't remember which Belgian it was that stepped on a twig and then spooked the crap out and stopped working. Stuff like that I associate more with that breed. And one Belgian that accidentally ran into the trainer's legs next to the table and then decided the table was evil.
> 
> It's always interesting hearing other peoples' take on things.


I don't find the BC to be particularly fearful/spooky? Well, no more so than your average dog. Kylie's actually more likely to do things like psyche herself out of a behavior after one negative experience (Ie: I stepped on her tail while setting her up, just barely, and it pulled the fur. She then refused to come near my feet to be set up again for like... 2 weeks and some change). They're just freaking reactive as heck. 

It might be the handlers having really good control. Certainly with the older dogs around you wouldn't know there was ever an issue without talking to the handlers. By the time they're 2 they've been consistently good. But even people I KNOW are good dog trainers and who's young dogs are beautifully well trained overall, chill in their crates and are the picture of perfection 90% of the time will LOSE THEIR CRAP at something or other. 

Maybe it's level of training ability, maybe it's level of experience in who owns the dogs, maybe it's some difference in the gene pool based on location since BC are so inconsistent breeding wise because of their history, I really don't know. It IS interesting, though.

But I am convinced I will someday meet a BC under 2 that doesn't have some period of lunging, barking, growling, and losing it over the course of an hour or two and I will be amazed and awed and oddly kind of relieved.


----------



## Laurelin

My friend's 7 month old was amazing last night. I don't think he reacted at all even with things going on. 

Hank went over the top like 3 times which I thought was good for him. Once at this BC that was running, once at the horses running, and once at some dogs playing right next to our fence.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

The thing about BCs is.. you never know when they are going to react and when it is going to show up. The calmest sweetest BC I know started reacting as a teenager. I'm sure there are BCs that never have and never will but I would never expect a young BC to never change. Dear lord the constant changing was the absolute worst part of Embers entire puppyhood and she is currently a back and forth surprise inside sometimes.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> My friend's 7 month old was amazing last night. I don't think he reacted at all even with things going on.
> 
> Hank went over the top like 3 times which I thought was good for him. Once at this BC that was running, once at the horses running, and once at some dogs playing right next to our fence.


Someday, I will meet one of those and I will be delighted  He sounds like a great boy, and Hank sounds pretty great, too. 

I think every time Molly lost it last night was because some other dog lunged and barked at her first and she spooked and lost it. No, wait. There was one other one. A dog looked at her while she was being cautiously friendly with a new person, and she exploded. She did a little bit of barking when someone walked up the bleachers behind us to video a run, but nothing major. For her first time in a trial like environment it was freaking awesome.



ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> The thing about BCs is.. you never know when they are going to react and when it is going to show up. The calmest sweetest BC I know started reacting as a teenager. I'm sure there are BCs that never have and never will but I would never expect a young BC to never change. Dear lord the constant changing was the absolute worst part of Embers entire puppyhood and she is a back and forth surprise inside sometimes.


Also this. I mean, I'm not saying that it WILL happen with any individual dog. Clearly there are dogs who don't. For me, though, this is kind of like expecting to get a dog friendly pit. You MIGHT get one, they absolutely and entirely exist, but don't rely on it. Don't get that 8 week old APBT and think training or socialization is going to entirely prevent the issue and you'll be fine. If you must have it look for it in an adult (truly adult, as in 2+) dog. I mean granted my experiences are radically different than Laurelin's, but that's what my experiences tell me.

ETA: (Also changing - I think Molly had a bunch of weird as heck fear periods, toward different things including dogs, but they were on again, off again things. Like daily, weekly, weird stuff that came and went. The reactivity toward dogs has stayed - or grown out of the fear period and a negative experience, more like - but she's picked up other kinds of reactivity separate than fear. Other dogs running, certain kinds of toy play, motion, whatever, that weren't there before the past few months. And not like gradually. Like one day, fine, next day BOOM, screaming because another dog is playing with a toy or running.)


----------



## cookieface

Completely unrelated to anything, it's an Elvis Costello kinda morning. My mood hasn't improved much since yesterday.


----------



## elrohwen

Reading through the discussions of reactivity made me think. I think there is a difference between dogs who are reactive by nature, and those who are reactive to specific things. Like Watson is reactive to certain dogs in certain situations, because he's very doggie and interested in dogs and pays so much attention to them. But on the whole he's really not a reactive dog. He pretty much never barks at people, weird things happening, anything moving fast, even fast moving dogs (if the dog is moving fast and not paying attention to him, then whatever). I think a lot of dogs can develop reactivity to something specific based on their experiences or personality, but some dogs are just reactive in general. BCs are one of those breeds who just tend towards being reactive in general I think, just by the nature of the breed. It may not show up as dog reactivity but it may show up as something else.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Also.. it's so weird how I don't really know anything about a breed until I actually own one. I never even noticed these issues until owning one..


I'm chatty today, and I just noticed this sentence and want to discuss.

I had noticed reactivity in BC before I owned them, but not... as reactivity, exactly? I didn't pay all that much attention to how they responded to other dogs, or what was setting them off. I knew that I liked some BC a lot and I really, really disliked others. The ones I liked a lot were the ones who went fast on the course, but were calm and soft and sweet off the course, and had great handler focus. The ones I hated were the screaming lunatics who lunged and barked at everything, seemingly all the time. What I didn't quite grock onto at the time was that the dogs I hated were somewhere between 9-10 months old and 2/2.5 years old. 

Basically, the puppies impressed me, and the finished, trained, controlled dogs blew my socks off, and the teenagers/very young adults (in a very stimulating environment) absolutely horrified me. 

All the stuff out there about BC? It's about them needing lots of exercise and a job. Sometimes about a tendency to be OCD. That they love ball and excel at dog sports. The information about the reactivity, the dog selectiveness, the fear periods, it IS out there, but it's out there in places where people who already own BC are. I swear to god, my default advice (and that I will follow myself going forward) is to find people who actually OWN the dog and talk to them. Find breed specific forums and read up on common issues. 

Because man. I was prepared for her to be busy, active, and need lots of training and work, but I was not prepared at all for the mental stuff.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Reading through the discussions of reactivity made me think. I think there is a difference between dogs who are reactive by nature, and those who are reactive to specific things. Like Watson is reactive to certain dogs in certain situations, because he's very doggie and interested in dogs and pays so much attention to them. But on the whole he's really not a reactive dog. He pretty much never barks at people, weird things happening, anything moving fast, even fast moving dogs (if the dog is moving fast and not paying attention to him, then whatever). I think a lot of dogs can develop reactivity to something specific based on their experiences or personality, but some dogs are just reactive in general. BCs are one of those breeds who just tend towards being reactive in general I think, just by the nature of the breed. It may not show up as dog reactivity but it may show up as something else.


Agreed. I also think there's a difference in a dog who reacts, and reactivity. I mean, let's be real, most dogs react to SOMETHING occasionally, if all you mean is getting worked up, lunging and barking. Kylie is absolutely not a reactive dog, but once in a blue moon she gets overexcited or startled by something, spins around in circles, lunges to the end of her leash and barks at it. 

I don't think there is a chance in HECK Molly was ever going to be non-reactive to something, and intensely so whatever it was. She's got fear issues on top, and she might not be anything but mostly dog friendly without the negative experience and fear stuff, but she's altogether too sharp a dog not to have some level of reactivity to some stimulus or another. Some dog breeds are hardwired to sniff. BC are hardwired to notice their environment and things moving in it and respond to it very, very quickly. I mean, obviously generally speaking, and there's a lot of individual variance among breeds, but. It's a thing, IMO.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> Reading through the discussions of reactivity made me think. I think there is a difference between dogs who are reactive by nature, and those who are reactive to specific things. Like Watson is reactive to certain dogs in certain situations, because he's very doggie and interested in dogs and pays so much attention to them. But on the whole he's really not a reactive dog. He pretty much never barks at people, weird things happening, anything moving fast, even fast moving dogs (if the dog is moving fast and not paying attention to him, then whatever). I think a lot of dogs can develop reactivity to something specific based on their experiences or personality, but some dogs are just reactive in general. BCs are one of those breeds who just tend towards being reactive in general I think, just by the nature of the breed. It may not show up as dog reactivity but it may show up as something else.


Well I grew up with papillons and shelties.  You can't get much barkier!

God I was annoyed last night with the paps (and Hank but mostly the paps). My sister is staying over and she got up and went to the bathroom and they both bolted up and were screaming and barking. It was like 4 am. Even her turning over in her bed in another room and they were up yelling. They are so freaking alert to things. Even in a house where we lived with other people my two could never learn to be quiet when they heard someone else in the house moving around.

Mia is the worst for sure. She just can't think at times. I don't even remember what I said but yesterday she thought I had said something to her and she went screaming across the house yelling at the top of her lungs. 

It's a good thing I love you two, y'all are weird. 

I honestly don't even notice anymore beyond 'MIA KNOCK IT OFF!' I swear she's worse than the shelties. But I honestly didn't really realize there are dogs that DON'T react like that until relatively recently. 

I honestly miss the weirdness with Hank some. He is very doggy and even though somewhat high strung quite normal in comparison to Mia and Summer. 

Hank though can be spooky about things and decide things are really really sketchy and weird. So I guess he's not totally normal. I just hope my next dog is as bizarre as Mia. Maybe not as mean... but still weird.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Well I grew up with papillons and shelties.  You can't get much barkier!
> 
> God I was annoyed last night with the paps (and Hank but mostly the paps). My sister is staying over and she got up and went to the bathroom and they both bolted up and were screaming and barking. It was like 4 am. Even her turning over in her bed in another room and they were up yelling. They are so freaking alert to things. Even in a house where we lived with other people my two could never learn to be quiet when they heard someone else in the house moving around.


The only time Watson is ever like that is when he's stressed out. So like the first night of a camping trip or at a hotel, he's probably going to be on high alert and bark at stuff like that. But once he settles down for a day he's fine. I don't think I could handle a dog who acted like hyper-alert-Watson all the time! It would drive me a bit nuts.

Like, even when he reacts to other dogs, it's only right as we are passing them. The rail trail is about 20ft wide, and he might stare and be interested earlier, but he doesn't bark or carry on until they are right across from us (unless they were being super reactive first, but that doesn't really count). So yeah, not really hyper alert. 99% of the time I see or hear other dogs and wildlife long before he does. Scent is the only sense that he uses quicker than me. I'm ok with that! As much as I would love a BC or Aussie or something, I'm still not sure I want to deal with the generalized reactivity thing. I would have to meet dogs in person from the lines I'm interested in before I could make that jump, and I know basically no BCs, and only a couple Aussies (though one from a local breeder is super cool)


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I honestly don't even notice anymore beyond 'MIA KNOCK IT OFF!' I swear she's worse than the shelties. But I honestly didn't really realize there are dogs that DON'T react like that until relatively recently.
> .


Kylie likes the sound of her own voice and barks a lot, but mostly it's happy yapping. Thud will roar if something *truly* potentially threatening is happening - like someone approaching us or the house in a weird way or in the dark - or a large, strange dog loose on OUR property. Otherwise, aside from Molly none of my dogs are reactive at all, honestly. Kylie might bark at the door, but again - happy yapping. 

Otherwise, the other four are completely non-reactive. People walk in carrying heavy appliances? Whatever. Noises in the house or just outside it (crash, bang, hammering, neighbors mowing, other dogs in the neighborhood barking, sirens, trains, explosions, fireworks) they don't care. Barking at people, dogs, strange objects, etc. out and about? NOPE. I can count on one hand the number of times any of them has moved toward another dog and barked, much less strained a leash. Lunging is just not a thing. 

Then there is Molly.

Though to her credit, Molly doesn't bark at anything around the house (and the 'house' can include a new place like the vacation house we were just at), or things like football games. The only thing she's ever reacted to at home base was once when she saw a mouse in the bathroom and it terrified her. She can be LOUD, and she might react to the other dogs playing hard, but there's minimal reactivity at home/on any property were at for more than a couple of days. 

Except the same stuff she'll react to out and about. Like if I walked in with a strange dog she'd react. If I set up a new statue in our agility field, she'd spook at it. Some strange person paying way too much attention to her would make her react, but at home in general/to normal stuff/common noises? No.

Thank god. I could not live with a hyperalert dog 24/7. I just couldn't. It'd just feed the heck out of my anxiety.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson has started barking every time we get home, usually if Hazel is out. So he will be quiet when I come in because she's crated, but once I release her he barks. And then my husband comes home later and both are out, and Watson will not shut up. I don't know what his deal is. I think having to compete with her to get attention from whoever is coming in makes him really loud. It's getting on my nerves. This is why I shouldn't get barky dogs. lol I can name pretty much every time my dogs have barked during the day and how annoyed I was about it.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Watson has started barking every time we get home, usually if Hazel is out. So he will be quiet when I come in because she's crated, but once I release her he barks. And then my husband comes home later and both are out, and Watson will not shut up. I don't know what his deal is. I think having to compete with her to get attention from whoever is coming in makes him really loud. It's getting on my nerves. This is why I shouldn't get barky dogs. lol I can name pretty much every time my dogs have barked during the day and how annoyed I was about it.


For me, it's an anxiety thing. If I know the dog is just barky, fine. Kylie's just barky. She barks for water, she barks for attention, she barks to go out, she barks to come in, she barks because she wants you food, she barks because she lost her toy, she barks because she's happy and excited, she just barks. My husband coming home is loud because all the dogs go off. Sometimes Bug sort of warbles because she wants out of her crate. But if they went off at everything happening in the house, at erratic intervals, I would never get my heart out of my throat. If my dogs go off my first response is "OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WHO IS BREAKING INTO THE HOUSE?" So yeah, no.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> For me, it's an anxiety thing. If I know the dog is just barky, fine. Kylie's just barky. She barks for water, she barks for attention, she barks to go out, she barks to come in, she barks because she wants you food, she barks because she lost her toy, she barks because she's happy and excited, she just barks. My husband coming home is loud because all the dogs go off. Sometimes Bug sort of warbles because she wants out of her crate. But if they went off at everything happening in the house, at erratic intervals, I would never get my heart out of my throat. If my dogs go off my first response is "OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WHO IS BREAKING INTO THE HOUSE?" So yeah, no.


That is Grey. He will just go off about nothing. At least when Watson barks, I know what he's barking at. Even if it's stupid, there was probably some noise outside and he thought someone was coming to the door, so he barked. Or we accidentally made some knocking sound and he thought somebody was at the door (basically he barks if he thinks people are coming to the house). But I swear Grey just makes things up and goes from sleeping to BARKBARKBARK in a second and it gives me a heart attack. And then it sets Watson off and you have two idiots barking at nothing.


----------



## Laurelin

All three of mine bark at the door. Hank will go on alert if someone is even in the driveway. His big annoying trait is fence fighting. Right now we are porting on a leash all the time because the neighbors have a new elkhound (or maybe dog sitting?) and hank can't handle it. 

Summer barks a lot. A LOT. And for weird reasons. One thing that makes her bark incessantly is when I turn the blinker on in the car. Summer is mostly happy though but loud and weird. 

Mia is plain reactive. Fearful mostly. She is very sharp and intolerant. Very strange dog and hard to put into words. Just a weirdo in every way. She is the best though. There's just so much to her. 

Hank is funny cause he's much driver and much more trainable but much more normal. Which I've been told is the perfect dog and ideal. But he doesn't have nearly as many Hankisms as Mia and Summer have their respective 'isms'. He actually for scream at things which I guess makes him reactive but he's just really 'dog'. And part if that may be because he's a boy. I'm not sure.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin, I was reading through some old Sylvia Trkman blogs the other day and thought about you when she talked about her Pyr Sheps. I think you need one. They would certainly fulfill your need for quirky! They are like squirrels on crack. Super adorable, though I don't think I would want to live with one.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> That is Grey. He will just go off about nothing. At least when Watson barks, I know what he's barking at. Even if it's stupid, there was probably some noise outside and he thought someone was coming to the door, so he barked. Or we accidentally made some knocking sound and he thought somebody was at the door (basically he barks if he thinks people are coming to the house). But I swear Grey just makes things up and goes from sleeping to BARKBARKBARK in a second and it gives me a heart attack. And then it sets Watson off and you have two idiots barking at nothing.


I would have fantasies about strangling that dog. Or be in a padded room somewhere, because I had a nervous breakdown.

I'm starting to realize though that my tolerance for that kind of thing is possibly less than the tolerance other people have for that sort of thing, particularly in a sports setting. I just don't like it. Kylie doesn't bug me because she's not frantic. Frantic barking and screaming just makes me nuts - even when I know the reason, but about a billion times more so when I don't.

Also agreed re: Pyr Sheps for Laurelin.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I would have fantasies about strangling that dog. Or be in a padded room somewhere, because I had a nervous breakdown.
> 
> I'm starting to realize though that my tolerance for that kind of thing is possibly less than the tolerance other people have for that sort of thing, particularly in a sports setting. I just don't like it. Kylie doesn't bug me because she's not frantic. Frantic barking and screaming just makes me nuts - even when I know the reason, but about a billion times more so when I don't.
> 
> Also agreed re: Pyr Sheps for Laurelin.


I swear they only did it when my friends were trying to get their baby to take a nap. I think he can sleep through Grey's barking by now, but when both of them started it was way too loud. I did have fantasies of strangling Grey. Haha. Also annoying is that Grey would settle down quickly when he realized he wasn't barking at anything real. But Watson would trust his reaction and be so sure something was actually out there, and it took him longer to stop trying to figure out what it was. Grey would be back to sleep and Watson would still be pacing from window to window and letting out random "woofs".


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> Laurelin, I was reading through some old Sylvia Trkman blogs the other day and thought about you when she talked about her Pyr Sheps. I think you need one. They would certainly fulfill your need for quirky! They are like squirrels on crack. Super adorable, though I don't think I would want to live with one.


I do need one. I can't decide if I want it next or if it will be the dog after Mia goes. I have a feeling it may be too Mia like to have at the same time! I think I'd love one. 

My dogs always bark for reasons. It's jut the reasons are usually weird. 

Trey: you are running in front of me
Nikki: the song has a weird flute noise in it
Both Shelties: fire trucks, clarinet, vacuum etc
Summer: you have turned the blinker on on the car. (For her that means we must be at our destination. Commence barking)
Mia: the person I don't know looked at me. There is a child and they move weird. You said one of a long list of words which is exciting therefore I must scream. Etc
Hank: old lady is wearing sunglasses. That woman has pigtails (seriously). That statue looks suspect

I don't think I've ever wondered what they were barking/howling/screaming at.


----------



## Laurelin

Similar note:

The Shelties and Bernard seem to be the only dogs weve had that can howl. Bernard is a papillon but his mother and her fathers line all howl. (Imports). The others don't seem to. Hank also doesn't howl. 

I never have heard a Sheltie scream either but Mia and hank both scream. 

Summer never screams. Just yap yap yap yap


----------



## CptJack

Molly, Kylie, and Thud can howl. None of them do it often, but they do it. Molly and Kylie also make weird 'talky' noises - huffs, warbles, whatever, that kind of remind me of some husky videos. Kylie CAN scream but rarely does. 

Mostly, though, Kylie just yaps (constantly - she really is a barky dog) and Molly just sounds perpetually like she's going to take someone's face off, because she has no real tonal difference when she barks. Scared? Excited? Happy? All sounds like 'I am going to take your face off' low pitched angry barking.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln barks at EVERYTHING when hes outside on the porch (I put him there in the morning when its cool so he can get some sun, and fresh air before it gets too hot to he out there), even geese and cow birds that come into our yard area to eat bugs, the workers when they go by in their utility vehicles, trucks hauling trailers, people walking by, EVERYTHING gets barked at. He barks when he is playing, sleeping etc. But its weird because it doesnt bother me as much as you would think.

Though that being said, in the car, he knows he is to sit down and shut up, if he doesnt listen to me telling him to (he rides in the back seat loose) he knows now that if I have to brake, he is taking a nose dive, so as soon as we get moving, he lies down and actually wedges his legs into the crease of the seat as an anchor LOL. All of my dogs do this, I only harness them in if they are being jerks and bouncing around (Izze and bear were the only two who did that) all the others know, car starts moving, your butt better be planted on the seat. Once we get moving that lie down and fall asleep. if I hit traffic, they sit up and see where we are "are we there? Nope? okay!" then they lie back down and commence sleeping.

I dont put up with loud or noisy behavior in the car, that to me is dangerous.


----------



## elrohwen

I think the difference is that Watson at least only barks as an alert. Basically if he thinks someone is coming to the house, and I need to know about it. Once I acknowledge it he's done barking. He does scream out of pure excitement/arousal too, but that's usually just when we arrive somewhere super awesome. I can count the time he's barked at something quirky like a weird sound on one hand (like a bike hanging out on the rail trail without a rider and that scared him). I'm fine with the alert barking but I could do without the excitement screaming.

Hazel mostly barks when she wants something from Watson, and it's pretty yappy. I can't stand it.

Hazel's mother howls. When we had her over for breeding she howled every single time the Jeopardy song came on during final Jeopardy. It was hilarious. Apparently it's pretty unusual for Welshies to howl because most people only know one or two dogs who have ever done it.

The only time Watson howled we were outside with coyotes singing nearby, and I was howling back at them. He raised his head for one short "woooo!" and looked surprised at himself. lol


----------



## Laurelin

The Shelties had a lot of chewbacca type noises. Honking. Howling. Nikki would almost mimic noises like you see huskies do. 

The papillons chatter and chirp. They sound like tiny birds or monkeys sometimes. 

It's kind of weird the dialects. I do why Nard's line howls and bays. He does not yap at all. We owned his uncle and he also howled instead of yapped.


----------



## Kyllobernese

All my Shih Tzu x Maltese have not been barky dogs until I got Lucy. She barks at everything or nothing. I would have rehomed her long ago but she is going to be a great little Agility dog. We were at a trial last weekend, her first except for one two years ago, and she barked at every dog and person. The only good thing is that while she is actually in the ring performing, there is not a peep out of her and she completely ignores everything. If she barked when she was running like a lot of dogs, I would quit right now as it would drive me nuts. 

At home, I have a bark collar for her and as long as it is on, whether the battery is dead or not, she is fine but hate that I have to put it on her most of the time. I crate her in the Van or she looks out the window and barks. At the trial I crated her with Remmy and had a cover over it so she could not see anything and that worked to keep her quiet until I took her out.


----------



## Laurelin

I don't notice barking at all. Though I realize it bugs other people. Mia also teeth chatters a lot. 

One weird thing I can't figure out is why Summer always rides in the car facing backwards. Crated or not she sits facing the rear of the car.


----------



## CptJack

I honestly don't mind 'regular' barking at all. It's alert or frantic type barking that makes me nuts. I just don't mind 'talkative' or yappy dogs, which is good or I'd have to throw Kylie off a bridge (not really). It's the alert, urgent, alarmed, frantic type barking when there's nothing to be alarmed at that makes me want to strangle things. If you are making that kind of noise, you had BETTER be warning of our approaching demise. 

And. Reactivity barking is that kind of barking, at least for Molly. Not just in tone and pitch but in speed and general sense of urgency conveyed by the dog. At least when that's going on I don't think we're about to die, but still. It just gets this visceral reaction from me.


----------



## Laurelin

Everyone would hate Mia.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> Molly, Kylie, and Thud can howl. None of them do it often, but they do it. Molly and Kylie also make weird 'talky' noises - huffs, warbles, whatever, that kind of remind me of some husky videos. Kylie CAN scream but rarely does.
> 
> Mostly, though, Kylie just yaps (constantly - she really is a barky dog) and Molly just sounds perpetually like she's going to take someone's face off, because she has no real tonal difference when she barks. Scared? Excited? Happy? All sounds like 'I am going to take your face off' low pitched angry barking.


Freyja howls, particularly when she is crated and knows we are up. When she was a puppy I didn't think she was going to learn to howl, I was wrong. She howls a good bit. She also barks when the doorbell rings or when hubby gets home from work but she isn't a particularly bad barker. She is not reactive and she loves other dogs so she doesn't bark when out walking or anything, just tries to bound over and greet unless told not to. She also likes to chat, sit next to me and huff and grumble and "aroo woo woo". Blue yaps if some one is coming in but she quits as soon as you make it in the door and she is quiet the rest of the time. She isn't much of an excitement or talking barker. Just a quick alarm. Lenore finally found her bark after about a month of living here and for a while she would bark at any sound. Not ideal with two kids in the house, any time they moved or opened and closed a door she would bark. She settled down again and only barks if some one is coming in the door, mostly hubby coming home after work. She doesn't bark when we all come in from somewhere so I think it is more of a "hey guys he is here" bark than an alarm. Or she may be barking because Freyja is, Freyja is still crated when we go out because she eats drywall and shoes (and I have a section of drywall that still needs repaired). Magic barks occasionally when the doorbell rings and not much else. She doesn't even bark at other dogs on walks, she just wants to rush at them. It is just her body language with other dogs that isn't great. Lad doesn't bark. Every once in a while he will bark in frustration at the other dogs because he wants to play but they are ignoring him or I haven't released him but he just doesn't do it. He doesn't bark when all of the others are barking at the door, he doesn't bark when he plays, he just isn't a barker. It is odd for his breed mix and he may still grow into it. I'm hoping he doesn't and I do discourage it with rewards for calm quiet behavior.


----------



## Wet Beards

Laurelin said:


> Everyone would hate Mia.


Not possible.


----------



## elrohwen

Not sure if I shared this already, but Watson was bred a second time and that litter is about a month old. I shared some head shots of him on FB the other day, and the breeder shared one on her page and said "This is the sire of my puppies". She's mentioned his name before, but not on this post. So I'm looking at the comments, just the standard stuff until I get to one that says,



> He is very popular, and his mum is a funny lady. Good luck with your ltter!


Uh, huh? First, he's not a popular sire, and second I've never met this woman so she doesn't know if I'm a funny lady. I'm sure she's thinking he's a different dog, but I wonder who she thinks he is (and who she thinks I am). Just made me do a double take. Haha.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Ommmg. I can't stop looking at houses I can't get yet. I found a house for sale that will be in my price range that used to also be a grooming/boarding kennel. CAN YOU SAY LIFE DREAM?! I wouldn't use it to groom anything but my own dogs.. but heck YES would I be fostering some dogs. Plus the land is big enough to build my agility barn as well (which is actually happening in my next house if all happens as hoped). Just a few more years..

That's really strange about Watson!


----------



## Kathyy

Sassy and Max howled, Bucky howls. Ginger chirps just like the dying battery on a smoke alarm. Really loud, random and cute. Sassy and I would have howlfests in the afternoon but Max's howling was serious blues time reserved for supreme unhappiness at being away from mommy and he never would howl just for the sake of howling. I suspect Bucky is the same as Max. 

Ginger's chirps are because she is annoyed at being penned for no good reason and she also makes a variety of chortles and grumbles that she uses to alert backyard dogs that she is approaching so she can be a good dog that doesn't bark and lunge at the barking backyard dogs so she gets a cookie. Regular scam she's got going! If we had waited to name her she definitely would have been named Birdie.

We hate yappy dogs. Ginger is clearly a yappy dog but over the 2 years she's been here she has reduced the decibel output and level by about 80% and hoping she can teach Bucky to do the same.

Big news on the Bucky front. I actually touched a running dremel to a couple of his nails yesterday. Also got a good look at the rear dew pads, there is still a serious hole in one of them but it is healed and I am allowed to handle both pads and file the nails. His brattiness continues to impress, he can rebound as high as my waist and grab my shirt close to my chest at only 12-13" tall. Got to get a disc for this little monster.


----------



## Willowy

elrohwen said:


> Not sure if I shared this already, but Watson was bred a second time and that litter is about a month old. I shared some head shots of him on FB the other day, and the breeder shared one on her page and said "This is the sire of my puppies". She's mentioned his name before, but not on this post. So I'm looking at the comments, just the standard stuff until I get to one that says,
> 
> 
> 
> Uh, huh? First, he's not a popular sire, and second I've never met this woman so she doesn't know if I'm a funny lady. I'm sure she's thinking he's a different dog, but I wonder who she thinks he is (and who she thinks I am). Just made me do a double take. Haha.


Engrish, probably. There are always comments fro people who are just practicing their English and say awkward things. Unless you recognize the commentor, I'd assume that's what it is.


----------



## elrohwen

Willowy said:


> Engrish, probably. There are always comments fro people who are just practicing their English and say awkward things. Unless you recognize the commentor, I'd assume that's what it is.


I don't think so. She's a Welshie person from Ohio (not sure if she's a breeder or just an owner, but she's friends with a lot of other Welshie people). I think she actually thinks he's a different dog.


----------



## Willowy

Haha, that is weird then! The wording is awkward and sounds ESL-ish. Also Americans rarely say "mum". I wouldn't have guessed that. But yeah, she must have someone else in mind, that's funny.


----------



## elrohwen

Willowy said:


> Haha, that is weird then! The wording is awkward and sounds ESL-ish. Also Americans rarely say "mum". I wouldn't have guessed that. But yeah, she must have someone else in mind, that's funny.


I agree, that wording was really weird. I FB stalked her and her other posts are all very normal with normal sounding English. 

If she thinks he's a popular stud then that's a compliment!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kathyy said:


> Sassy and Max howled, Bucky howls. Ginger chirps just like the dying battery on a smoke alarm. Really loud, random and cute. Sassy and I would have howlfests in the afternoon but Max's howling was serious blues time reserved for supreme unhappiness at being away from mommy and he never would howl just for the sake of howling. I suspect Bucky is the same as Max.
> 
> Ginger's chirps are because she is annoyed at being penned for no good reason and she also makes a variety of chortles and grumbles that she uses to alert backyard dogs that she is approaching so she can be a good dog that doesn't bark and lunge at the barking backyard dogs so she gets a cookie. Regular scam she's got going! If we had waited to name her she definitely would have been named Birdie.
> 
> We hate yappy dogs. Ginger is clearly a yappy dog but over the 2 years she's been here she has reduced the decibel output and level by about 80% and hoping she can teach Bucky to do the same.
> 
> Big news on the Bucky front. I actually touched a running dremel to a couple of his nails yesterday. Also got a good look at the rear dew pads, there is still a serious hole in one of them but it is healed and I am allowed to handle both pads and file the nails. His brattiness continues to impress, he can rebound as high as my waist and grab my shirt close to my chest at only 12-13" tall. Got to get a disc for this little monster.


I dont allow biting, or mouthing when I am grooming, if they try, I push their head back down, or if I am grooming them standing, reset their head facing the front and give the leave it command. I give mine a lot of leeway with their behavior, but grooming and doctoring are just some of the few things they must "sit back and take" whether they like it or not. But they are smart enough to learn quickly that the sooner they cooperate, the sooner it will be over and the sooner they get a cookie lmao


----------



## Kathyy

Agree, this is getting done whether he is a fan or not. When a dog has been biting and has 2 years of resisting grooming no point in going head to head. I'm getting there a bit sideways. I never got snapped at but did get hard mouthed a couple times the first week but he is only jerking away now. Amazing how he deescalates when I won't give in but I do move to something else after I finish or pretend to finish whatever he objected to getting done. He is getting a going over daily and it is now a matter of putting duration on the sessions. Wonderful Ginger was completely groomed in a week's time of coming to live with me, dagger like claws and all. She is getting the same short grooming sessions daily and her feet never looked so nice!

He is a hoot. Was sitting outside this morning organizing things and he was dragging stuff out and doing zoomies round and round, going back in the house and dragging more stuff out for more zoomies. Does a little sound track as he zooms too. Fierce little guy!

During a play session after breakfast I put his brand new verbal down into fetch and.... he did it. Did it twice! I don't know if he already knew this and was shining me on or [less likely] I am a good trainer or what but putting a verbal in action in less than 24 hours is astounding to me. He called off chasing Ginger too. Hope for him yet.


----------



## CptJack

I've actually gotten around to teaching Molly and Kylie to jump over each other. This is the most fun I've had with dog training, EVER. Kylie's too short for Molly jumping over her to really look like much, but the reverse is freaking AWESOME.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I probably should have added that I don't mind at all dogs that bark for a reason. Susie barks a lot and now I think her hearing is not as good (she was 11 years old in July) she seems to bark more. My other little dogs will bark when there is a reason which is fine with me, they don't go on and on, just bark to let me know something is up whether it is the bear next door or deer wandering by my fence. They all rush at the door barking if someone knocks but stop right away when I go to the door. Lucy just keeps barking and won't stop. She walks out the door and barks before she has even looked around to see if there is something to bark at. She is a lovable little dog though and I know I will never get rid of her no matter how much I complain about her barking.


----------



## FallDeere

My dog only barks for a reason and not even at everything she could bark at. I love it since I'm used to my parents poodles who bark at everything lol. Abbey is a Chihuahua/Dachshund mix so I was expecting a yappy dog, but she is perfect. Especially since I am VERY sensitive to sounds.


----------



## cookieface

My dogs bark for reasons - they just have many reasons.


----------



## elrohwen

Are there dogs who bark without a reason? I swear Grey is barking at made up things, but in his mind they are very real and need to be barked at. He doesn't just bark to bark even though it seems random to us (maybe he just has bat-like hearing)


----------



## CptJack

Kylie barks a lot for what I wouldn't call a reason so much as an emotional state, which I suspect is what some people mean by no reason. Like she's not barking AT anything or FOR anything. She's barking because she's happy, frustrated, angry, excited, AND because someone knocked at the door, she wants water, fed, or on my lap.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Kylie barks a lot for what I wouldn't call a reason so much as an emotional state, which I suspect is what some people mean by no reason. Like she's not barking AT anything or FOR anything. She's barking because she's happy, frustrated, angry, excited, AND because someone knocked at the door, she wants water, fed, or on my lap.


Ah, yeah, that makes sense.

We often take classes with a pair of keeshonds (husband and wife each take a dog). The male just barks for the joy of barking. The whole way around a rally course "bark bark sit bark heel bark bark bark pivot bark bark" LOL Though I'm sure to him he has very important reasons for barking. But like you said, it's more of an emotional state than barking at some stimulus. 

I grew up with mini schnauzers who were pretty yappy, but they barked at actual stuff. It's just that any time they started they could go on for 5 minutes without taking a breath.


----------



## elrohwen

Over the past week or two, somebody posted a ton of signs in my town advertising a dog training company called World Canine. They have a local phone number and a website listed, but the website gives me "404 Not Found". Is World Canine a chain? I'm super curious, but not enough to call the number. I just keep checking the website to see if they got it working (seems silly to put up signs before your website works)


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> Are there dogs who bark without a reason? I swear Grey is barking at made up things, but in his mind they are very real and need to be barked at. He doesn't just bark to bark even though it seems random to us (maybe he just has bat-like hearing)


Yes. I have one. The guy in my signature. He will lay with his head flat on the ground and bark. He also happens to be the dumbest dog in the history of dogs (and I say that with affection). He was trampled by horses a few years ago. I think his brain was damaged.

He howls, too, along with barking for no reason. Howls so loudly that I can hear him a block away from my house. He howls when I touch his feet, legs and ears. He howls when my other dogs bark. He howls when he's asleep, when I give him toys, when I take toys away. On car rides. When he can't see me. When he can see me. 

It is, I kid you not, the most obnoxious noise on the face of this earth. And he simply doesn't understand me telling him to stop, in any of the various ways I have tried.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> Are there dogs who bark without a reason? I swear Grey is barking at made up things, but in his mind they are very real and need to be barked at. He doesn't just bark to bark even though it seems random to us (maybe he just has bat-like hearing)


I think people say "no reason" when there isn't a reason they can determine or think it's not something worthy of barking. 

Katie barks when she's frustrated during training. Some people would say that's no reason or she's being stubborn / talking back. She barks and woos when she's excited. Some people say my getting home and letting them loose isn't a reason to bark - but it is _to her_.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> Over the past week or two, somebody posted a ton of signs in my town advertising a dog training company called World Canine. They have a local phone number and a website listed, but the website gives me "404 Not Found". Is World Canine a chain? I'm super curious, but not enough to call the number. I just keep checking the website to see if they got it working (seems silly to put up signs before your website works)


Is this it: http://www.worldcanine.com/?


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> I think people say "no reason" when there isn't a reason they can determine or think it's not something worthy of barking.
> 
> Katie barks when she's frustrated during training. Some people would say that's no reason or she's being stubborn / talking back. She barks and woos when she's excited. Some people say my getting home and letting them loose isn't a reason to bark - but it is _to her_.


Right, that's kind of what I was thinking. From the dog's perspective, there are very important reasons 

Though I'm sure some do bark just to hear themselves.



cookieface said:


> Is this it: http://www.worldcanine.com/?


Oh weird! If I just type in worldcanine.com it comes up 404 Not Found. Not sure why my browser isn't adding in the http://www. part on its own. Strange.

ETA: Hmm, really can't tell much from the site, other than some "pack leader" stuff. And I've never heard of the trainer.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I live with a Schnauzer that will bark out of boredom AKA for no reason. She'll be laying down relaxed and will start to slowly bark under her breath, then sometimes she'll work her way up into a barking frenzy. My dog only appears to bark for no reason and it's when she's on high alert and cannot settle in a specific area. She'll think she hears something and she's off to go fend whoever/whatever it is off. Pretty sure it's the wind.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> Right, that's kind of what I was thinking. From the dog's perspective, there are very important reasons
> 
> Though I'm sure some do bark just to hear themselves.


Yeah, I was pretty much agreeing with you, but also having another conversation and trying to compose a semi-professional email message, so...



> Oh weird! If I just type in worldcanine.com it comes up 404 Not Found. Not sure why my browser isn't adding in the http://www. part on its own. Strange.
> 
> ETA: Hmm, really can't tell much from the site, other than some "pack leader" stuff. And I've never heard of the trainer.


Pack leader, master of the walk, 100% reliable recall...nothing that inspires confidence in his knowledge.

My computer is being freaky about some script on FB, but since I'm not doing anything work related, I can't complain.


----------



## kdawnk

Does it bother anyone when a person child/teen/adult shouts across the street when you walk by, _*"PUPPPY!!!!!!!!"*_
Because nothing makes my blood boil more lately, than hearing someone shout that and or come running towards me while shouting it. 
Feel like decking a person with a _"How to Approach Dogs" _book.


----------



## Crantastic

That's annoying, but the people who actually bark at my dogs are worse!


----------



## DogTheGreat

Crantastic said:


> That's annoying, but the people who actually bark at my dogs are worse!


LOL yes I've had this happen to me. I once had somebody indiscreetly take a picture of my dog without asking or making any sort of contact with me. I'd say that it was just a coincidence they were pointing in my direction, but we were at a park bench and nobody else was within 20ft of us. Literally right at us.


----------



## jade5280

I just found out that the owner of the first Beauceron to earn a MACH2 is a trainer at the club I'm going to be taking Panzer to for training! She lives only 20 minutes from me. What are the chances! I'm super stoked to meet her.


----------



## ireth0

This morning at the park Ranger and another dog started having a verbal disagreement and were getting all amped up yelling at each other. Then comes Luna running right smack dab through the middle of them mid-argument like "Shut up! Both of you just SHUT. UP."


----------



## Laurelin

Kind of having crazypants ideas about contacting a couple papillon breeders. But I am not in the market yet and probably won't get a papillon for another couple dogs. But my issue is I only know 3, maybe 4 breeders in the world that have what I'd want in another papillon. But with litter sizes being small and like 90% of their pups going to their agility students or friends or super srs agility people (nationals and world types) I'm not sure how long the wait could be or if it's even possible for someone like me to get one? But it'd be nice to know if it's a possibility. But then maybe if I do really want a dog from them I should just organize other dog plans around that dog since it would be something that you couldn't find often?

Right now I'm mostly debating whether to contact or not in the first place... 

I just really like papillons but am too picky these days about breeder.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> I just found out that the owner of the first Beauceron to earn a MACH2 is a trainer at the club I'm going to be taking Panzer to for training! She lives only 20 minutes from me. What are the chances! I'm super stoked to meet her.


That's awesome!

I got to do a seminar with a woman who has put the most obedience and agility titles on Welshies (or is at least the most well known for it). It was really cool.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Right, that's kind of what I was thinking. From the dog's perspective, there are very important reasons
> 
> Though I'm sure some do bark just to hear themselves.


Haha ... I think my dog barks just to hear himself ... or ... when he is outside on the balcony, I think he barks so everyone else will hear him, too lmao. The reasons for his barking are also VERY IMPORTANT (to him haha).


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> Kylie barks a lot for what I wouldn't call a reason so much as an emotional state, which I suspect is what some people mean by no reason. Like she's not barking AT anything or FOR anything. She's barking because she's happy, frustrated, angry, excited, AND because someone knocked at the door, she wants water, fed, or on my lap.


We often say that Ida barks because it's the only way she can get out her feels. And she has a LOT of feels. Like when she sees a dog at the park, or the cat is ignoring her, or I'm ignoring her, or she can't get a toy out of her crate because the door is closed, or because she's behind the gates at the back of the house when I come home... Okay, well, I'm just realizing it's mostly almost all frustration barking, so... cool. She still doesn't bark nearly as much as Snowball.


----------



## Caro

There is a family in my neighborhood that just got 2 new puppies that makes me very worried for the puppies.

The family has at least 3 children - ages maybe 10 months, 5 years, & 6 years. It is a condo complex where people own their units but a few owners rent them out. They are renting a unit on the 2nd floor (no elevator). The family's car is a rusty early 90s full sized van - driving this particular van is more than frugal...they didn't even renew the registration until they were told they would be towed if the car did not have current registration & it is literally held together with duct tape & rope...you can't open some of the doors. 

So, now they have these 2 mixed breed puppies. I have seen the mom outside with the puppies & holding the baby once. And the kids outside with the puppies once (with no adults). Neither puppy has a collar/harness/tag/leash & they are not in a fenced area. It is a recipe for disaster.....the mom could not chase 2 puppies & hold a baby at the same time! And letting 2 young kids outside with the young puppies is just as bad right next to the road.

I hope they can at least get them basic vet care - core vaccines, etc. It just looks like a train wreck about to happen but no way to really stop it...


----------



## Laurelin

Laurelin said:


> So um. I somehow found myself at the shelter. :/





Laurelin said:


> Ummmmmmmm. We will see. He's a wonderful dog.
> 
> Trying to decide how impulsive I want to be. Snuggly though. 16 lbs. toy drive. Good with small dogs. 30 day trial period. May try it out. He seems confident in this crazy environment. Submissive wih other dogs. He was getting beat up by a tiny spaniel when I got there.
> 
> Cattle dog x rat terrier mix.





Laurelin said:


> Mia hates me.
> 
> We are doing a test run to see how it works. I not there is another agility home already lined up.
> 
> This dog's energy level is unreal. He is super sweet and neat and gonna be a fun sport dog. If he and Mia could tolerate each other that would be great.... Right now not so much. We'll see. Mia is really shrieky and fast and he is herdy. If they're chilling then theyre fine. If Mia is worked up then no. We are taking things slowly.





Laurelin said:


> Yeah Mia is about at the same level as she was with Ada the Yorkie/JRT/thing. We have some of the same issues- Mia hates change, Mia shrieks and runs when scared and new dog is pushy and drivey. It took about a month with those two so I expect the same.
> 
> This morning we had some really good moments. They sat near each other with no growling. Both fell asleep. He played with me. Then I put him up and Mia played with me. We only had one grumble from Mia all morning. We are rewarding lots of calm around each other and trying to define clear 'time to be wild' and 'time to be calm'.
> 
> I really like this dog. He's a mess and a half but he's SMART like I cannot believe. Biddable but it's in a different way. He wants to learn so bad and it's amazing. Summer and Mia are very biddable dogs and they like learning but I think for them I am their main motivation and for him it is actually just action and doing. He does kind of move before he thinks. And his legs are springs- he just flies everywhere.
> 
> He seems to have a nice off switch but it's going to need enforced. Anything going on is worth getting excited for but after some run around time and fetch he will choose to settle in and sleep. So that is promising.


 
Haha I just had to revisit! Can hardly believe it's almost a year.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Haha I just had to revisit! Can hardly believe it's almost a year.


You inspired me. 



CptJack said:


> I have massive puppy fever right now. I am at *least* 2, probably 3 years out from another dog. I won't even start looking until summer after next, and it'll take as long as it takes for me to find the right dog. This plan may change slightly depending upon variables (STILL not sure what we're doing o Re: Frost) but it won't be soon.
> 
> BUT I WANNA PUPPY.





CptJack said:


> I posted something in the rant thread about Frost going back to his breeder early next month. BubbaMoose responded and said 'Hey, you can get a puppy earlier!'. I didn't reply because - No.
> 
> Then one of the breeders I'd be in contact with asked permission to pass my name along to a BC breeder in a neighboring state who is trying to find homes for her only Oops litter in 2 decades. They're 3/4 BC, 1/4 ACD. ...I'm skipping agility tomorrow to go visit puppies. :/ I may be sick. ( I may also not turn up with a puppy - I ain't compromising on what I want.)





CptJack said:


> Here. Look at puppy pictures. That'll make everyone's puppy fever better. (I'm still not promising to come home with a puppy, though, and I'd still rather wait until at least early next year.)





CptJack said:


> Yeah, that's exactly the thing. If this is exactly, completely, what I want then okay. If it's not, then it's not happening. I don't just want a puppy, at this point. I want the right puppy. I don't have the resources to take on a puppy because it's cute. If Frost weren't going 'home' (and I STILL feel guilty about that) then I would be looking at 5 years down the road. Since he is, I *CAN* do it sooner, if it's exactly the right puppy. If it's not exactly the right puppy and I take it anyway, I can't get the right puppy for years and years. I don't want that to happen. I know it's still going to be a gamble, because that's just what puppies are. But I want to stack the deck in my favor, and while known parentage, meeting the parents, some health testing, all help stack the deck - I absolutely need to meet and evaluate the puppies myself.
> 
> So, I am meeting, I am handling, I will play with, and get a puppy fix either way. IF one comes home or not is up to the puppies.
> 
> They're STINKING cute, though.





CptJack said:


> Yeah. With a real potential to end up with this pup I am rapidly developing a case of cold feet. I got a lot of dogs really fast. It was kind of nice NOT having someone new and in need to training and acclimation around. It's also been REALLY nice not having all the puppy-associated labor for the 18 months.
> 
> Ah well. I haven't committed yet.





CptJack said:


> That's two puppies ;-) I don't know yet, really. We're going tonight to check things out and see what they're like. I'm really rigid in what criteria I do have, but there aren't a lot of things I need (not fearful, sociable, with food and toy drive). So... we'll see in about 8 hours.
> 
> (I second the 'what breeds' thing again)





CptJack said:


>





CptJack said:


> Yup! And she's all the kinds of awesome. I almost freaked out and didn't bring her home, anyway. My husband kicked me.


Also been a year - bit over. 

She's still all kinds of awesome.


----------



## jade5280

Omg baby Molly! Gypsy's one year anniversary with us is next week!


----------



## elrohwen

I feel like Molly looks exactly the same now as she did then. I mean obviously grown up, but looking at the puppy picture you can totally see the dog she's grown into.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I feel like Molly looks exactly the same now as she did then. I mean obviously grown up, but looking at the puppy picture you can totally see the dog she's grown into.


I was just sitting here staring at that picture thinking the same thing. She's bigger and a little less round, but overall she *really* looked like her adult self. Way, way more so than my other two, in particular. Playing 'match the adult and puppy picture with each other' with Kylie would be hard if you didn't know her, and Thud's doable but also pretty different in build and coloring. Molly just was very strongly what she grew into from tiny.


----------



## Laurelin

I wish I could see baby hank. I bet he was cute. 

It's always fun looking back. Best news- Mia no longer hates me.  

I do forget often how rough their relationship started.


----------



## kdawnk

I was reading a thread about the price of a Collie and 1,800 being on the quite high end (most people seemed to think it was unreasonably high).

So my random question is inspired by this. How much should a good quality, pet home, Golden Retriever be? By good quality I just mean the standard definition that we loosely agree on that makes a reputable breeder.

I understand that areas vary, but what's the reasonable range where you live, or what do YOU think is reasonable.


----------



## elrohwen

kdawnk said:


> I was reading a thread about the price of a Collie and 1,800 being on the quite high end (most people seemed to think it was unreasonably high).
> 
> So my random question is inspired by this. How much should a good quality, pet home, Golden Retriever be? By good quality I just mean the standard definition that we loosely agree on that makes a reputable breeder.
> 
> I understand that areas vary, but what's the reasonable range where you live, or what do YOU think is reasonable.


Depends a lot on the lines I would guess. Show and performance line dogs are often around $1500 for similar breeds (not sure about goldens, but that would be my guess). Field line dogs of all breeds are typically cheaper, so I would guess more like $800-1000.


----------



## CptJack

I'm skipping agility tonight, y'all. The world is ending. 

But seriously, my head is killing me and I've got Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, probably Thursday, and then weekend trial. My migraine and I can skip this one and huddle in the dark instead.


----------



## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> Depends a lot on the lines I would guess. Show and performance line dogs are often around $1500 for similar breeds (not sure about goldens, but that would be my guess). Field line dogs of all breeds are typically cheaper, so I would guess more like $800-1000.


Yeah here lab breeders are really inexpensive, but goldens are usually significantly more expensive. The only breeder near me that sells goldens that are health tested to pet homes are $1200. You can get a lab anywhere from $300-$800 from breeders that health test and compete with their dogs.

Also people hand out purebred, health tested, herding border collies here haha


----------



## Kathyy

I've progressed from neighborhood walks to hiking with new dog Bucky. For hike #1 I took the dogs up a quiet hill, Bucky was super excited seeing tiny cars far below and was standing on hind legs walking along. Hike #2 was on the same trail, tiny cars were okay by him this time but he saw tiny dogs. Much walking on hind legs. Best were the horses, much barking. He was a lot more comfortable today, was able to pee and grab horse poop. 

This is so much better than Max was. Bucky is pretty much out of his mind excited but isn't fearful. Max was so bad I never bought/made him his own backpack and he never hiked with me to the top of my favorite mountain. I had to carry him past the spot a king snake slithered across the trail for nearly a year after the event! It will be something of a miracle if *I* make it to the top of that mountain ever again but at least I have dogs that are up to it.


----------



## North&South

A couple of things...I mentioned in my other thread that I had pup to a professional groomer and I am so pleased with the results. The groomer was awesome. She had a young dog and she suggested we let our dogs get to know each other. I was really concerned for her dog's safety and I said my dog might bite. The other dog is a female puppy but about the same size as mine, just taller. She said it was ok, let's try it, and they had a sniffy, mine on a loose leash and hers off leash. Her dog was submissive and mine is...well, not so much. He thinks he owns the world. Well, much to my surprise, my dog got friendly, did the curved body, presenting his butt to her. He wasn't submissive, but he did want to play. I had despaired of my dog ever getting along with another dog, so this made me feel so good. The groomer said me being relaxed was a big part of things going so well. 

And tonight, we had yams for supper, and my dog just loves yams! First time I've tried him with yams. I'm not sure how much he should be eating, so I did limit his consumption. But I think he would just keep eating whatever amount I put in front of him. Much better than the grasshoppers he has been eating! 

Cpt Jack, I sure enjoyed the puppy pictures of Molly!


----------



## Ilovedogs56

Ugh, I still can't believe people think alpha rolling your dog is the right thing to do. Your dog is not "submissive" he's scared!


----------



## KodiBarracuda

CptJack said:


> I'm skipping agility tonight, y'all. The world is ending.
> 
> But seriously, my head is killing me and I've got Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, probably Thursday, and then weekend trial. My migraine and I can skip this one and huddle in the dark instead.


Sucks to have migraines. I had one last night, literally the worst headache of my life pain wise add that to the fact that I spent 3.5 hours in and out of the bathroom alternating trying to sleep it off and throwing up. Prescription pain killer (tramadol) did nothing. Puked up the ibuprofen before it could take effect. Miserable miserable night.
Headache all day today, alternating tramadol and ibuprofen to keep it at a manageable level. 
Doctor trip tomorrow 7am. 

I feel your pain.


----------



## Miss Bugs

My morning = prepare to be yelled at over impending price increases at work. Yay! The new price increase is just matching the rest of the daycares in the city, but to discourage people from buying one day at a time, the owners are jacking the individual rate from 18 to 22! The pkg rates are just going up a smaller amount to match the othe other daycares. But still, its the staff not the owners thst are going to get yelled at over it


----------



## CptJack

I napped for about an hour - and dreamed the entire time that all the DF agility dogs were playing in a giant room, while all the owners were flopped down on cushions with them. Hank featured heavily.


----------



## Ilovedogs56

Sounds like an awesome dream to me!


----------



## Laurelin

Hank (15.75 " tall) just about made it over my 6' fence just now.



CptJack said:


> I napped for about an hour - and dreamed the entire time that all the DF agility dogs were playing in a giant room, while all the owners were flopped down on cushions with them. Hank featured heavily.


I had an agility dream but no DF dogs! 

Hank always has to be an attention hog.


----------



## taquitos

One of my neighbors got a Dobe puppy. She got his ears cropped but she isn't taping them so they're just kind of floopy and weird. I think that's kind of an odd choice but whatever. I think the thing that pisses me off the most, though, is that she walks her puppy off leash.. we live just off of a busy highway. There's always a ton of cars going at 60 km/hr on that street. I really can't understand what she could possibly be thinking??? The dog is also soooo young. I'm worried that the dog is going to be out of control once it hits like the 6-month mark and that he's going to run up to Meeko and something bad will happen.

Makes. Me. So. Nervous...


----------



## elrohwen

Ugh, one of the bunnies isn't feeling well this morning. She wasn't interested in breakfast, though she did eat eventually when we gave her some time. She's lying around a bit weird and seems off. When she was younger I would keep an eye on it and not worry, but she's 8 now and my mind is going to bad places. Not eating is basically the only symptom bunnies show no matter what's wrong, so it could be minor tummy issues (which she's had a few times before) or it could be something more serious. 

Vibes for Hannah! I wanted to wait until tomorrow to see the vet in case it's nothing, but they were booked, so we're going at 4:00 today.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I napped for about an hour - and dreamed the entire time that all the DF agility dogs were playing in a giant room, while all the owners were flopped down on cushions with them. Hank featured heavily.


How are you feeling today? Nice dream! I dreamt there were horses in my yard and I was too scared of them to take the dogs out.



elrohwen said:


> Ugh, one of the bunnies isn't feeling well this morning. She wasn't interested in breakfast, though she did eat eventually when we gave her some time. She's lying around a bit weird and seems off. When she was younger I would keep an eye on it and not worry, but she's 8 now and my mind is going to bad places. Not eating is basically the only symptom bunnies show no matter what's wrong, so it could be minor tummy issues (which she's had a few times before) or it could be something more serious.
> 
> Vibes for Hannah! I wanted to wait until tomorrow to see the vet in case it's nothing, but they were booked, so we're going at 4:00 today.


Poor Hannah! Lots of vibes for her. Hope it's nothing serious.


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> Poor Hannah! Lots of vibes for her. Hope it's nothing serious.


Thanks! I'm usually not a big worrier or one to jump to the worst case scenarios, but I feel like 8 is so old (most places say they live 8-12 years) so now I'm like "what if it's cancer?" I just have to remember that she does have a history of minor tummy troubles once every year or two, we force feed her for a day (just to make sure her gut keeps moving) and then she's fine, so it's probably just that.


----------



## CptJack

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009945347132 - Some people found me on FB, but frankly speaking I don't post much at all about the animals there. It's just not how I use facebook, and that's not what my audience has been historically. That link up there is JUST for the animal stuff, so if anyone wants to join it, go forth.

Also be aware I'll be finding a bunch of you. Accept or ignore at will.


----------



## Ilovedogs56

elrohwen said:


> Thanks! I'm usually not a big worrier or one to jump to the worst case scenarios, but I feel like 8 is so old (most places say they live 8-12 years) so now I'm like "what if it's cancer?" I just have to remember that she does have a history of minor tummy troubles once every year or two, we force feed her for a day (just to make sure her gut keeps moving) and then she's fine, so it's probably just that.


Hope she feels better soon!


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Thanks! I'm usually not a big worrier or one to jump to the worst case scenarios, but I feel like 8 is so old (most places say they live 8-12 years) so now I'm like "what if it's cancer?" I just have to remember that she does have a history of minor tummy troubles once every year or two, we force feed her for a day (just to make sure her gut keeps moving) and then she's fine, so it's probably just that.


I understnad that worry. Everything crossed and both good vibes for her and calm ones for you.


----------



## jade5280

taquitos said:


> One of my neighbors got a Dobe puppy. She got his ears cropped but she isn't taping them so they're just kind of floopy and weird. I think that's kind of an odd choice but whatever. I think the thing that pisses me off the most, though, is that she walks her puppy off leash.. we live just off of a busy highway. There's always a ton of cars going at 60 km/hr on that street. I really can't understand what she could possibly be thinking??? The dog is also soooo young. I'm worried that the dog is going to be out of control once it hits like the 6-month mark and that he's going to run up to Meeko and something bad will happen.
> 
> Makes. Me. So. Nervous...


 She paid to have them cropped and she's not going to post them...ever!? Uuuuh there's nothing worse looking than a bad crop. I would take natural ears over a floppy weird crop any day. What the heck???


elrohwen said:


> Ugh, one of the bunnies isn't feeling well this morning. She wasn't interested in breakfast, though she did eat eventually when we gave her some time. She's lying around a bit weird and seems off. When she was younger I would keep an eye on it and not worry, but she's 8 now and my mind is going to bad places. Not eating is basically the only symptom bunnies show no matter what's wrong, so it could be minor tummy issues (which she's had a few times before) or it could be something more serious.
> 
> Vibes for Hannah! I wanted to wait until tomorrow to see the vet in case it's nothing, but they were booked, so we're going at 4:00 today.


Oh no. I hope she's okay.


----------



## Sighty

Ugh... Me and Jenni walked by a house today. No fence, big aggressive pit mix on a chain in the yard. We make it almost past the yard before the pit comes charging at Jenni with full force, breaking the chain. I tell Jenni to stay, kick the dog away and get my leash around its neck to keep it from Jenni, who is just sitting there and waiting for me, all hackles raised but not moving(hurray for obedient dog). Finally the owner comes out, and, lo and behold, she yells at me that I'm abusing her dog and that she is going to call the police... uuh what lady? Your dog was inches from eating mine alive... I end up getting called every swear word in the book while her dog is still going crazy trying to get to Jenni. 10 minutes later she comes riding on her bike after me, yelling that I shouldn't keep my dog off leash because that is irresponsible apparently. Some people......


----------



## Wet Beards

Sighty said:


> Ugh... Me and Jenni walked by a house today. No fence, big aggressive pit mix on a chain in the yard. We make it almost past the yard before the pit comes charging at Jenni with full force, breaking the chain. I tell Jenni to stay, kick the dog away and get my leash around its neck to keep it from Jenni, who is just sitting there and waiting for me, all hackles raised but not moving(hurray for obedient dog). Finally the owner comes out, and, lo and behold, she yells at me that I'm abusing her dog and that she is going to call the police... uuh what lady? Your dog was inches from eating mine alive... I end up getting called every swear word in the book while her dog is still going crazy trying to get to Jenni. 10 minutes later she comes riding on her bike after me, yelling that I shouldn't keep my dog off leash because that is irresponsible apparently. Some people......


Sometimes, there is no understanding Stupid People.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack I'll follow you on FB. I just made mine their own page. I have nothing on it yet. https://www.facebook.com/2houndsandabeauce

Oh I guess I can't follow people since I just made a page and not a new account. You'll have to like my page to follow me. I'll add you on my human account.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Sighty said:


> 10 minutes later she comes riding on her bike after me, yelling that I shouldn't keep my dog off leash because that is irresponsible apparently. Some people......



LOL envisioning this part is funnier than it should be probably. I'd be fuming in that situation. Thankfully the other dog never got to yours.


----------



## Hiraeth

Sighty said:


> 10 minutes later she comes riding on her bike after me, yelling that I shouldn't keep my dog off leash because that is irresponsible apparently. Some people......


When I read this, the Wicked Witch song from when she's chasing Dorothy on her bike started playing in my head...


----------



## Willowy

It's super fun, in a largely anti-union state, to tell people that Labor Day is celebrating unions. . .ya know, Labor, not just labor. Makes 'em twitch .

Also having people who don't know anything about unions badmouthing them. Heh. You'd be working 14-hour days with no breaks and your manager beating you whenever you messed up if it weren't for unions, buddy. Even if someone thinks modern unions have overstepped their intended purpose, they should at least educate themselves as to how Labor shaped the employment laws in this country, and appreciate the sacrifices they made. Happy Labor Day!


----------



## Miss Bugs

started a scenting class last nigh with Gyspy, and have the stuff to train everyone lol. Gypsy is surprisinglly not that great at it so far, but she does get the basic gist and LOVES it. took the other girls one by one and did breif sessions with them as well...well Paisley and Gem. Sola is at Flyball, and Happy doesn't care lol

Gem..Loves it and is super attracted to the scent we are starting with(wintergreen) got the idea of the first game pretty fast. but Paisley? holy scent dog lol, she never at any point even investigated the cookie hand, she was so attracted to the scent that she barley noticed that I was trying to treat her..like by putting the treat ON the scent tin, I had to point it out to her because she was like "OMG scent!!" lol I could swap hands many times and every time she instantly went to the scent..so i started placing the tin on the floor..straight to the tin. placed it up on the toilet lid, nose straight to the scent. put it up on a shelf, looked confused a minute, then sniffed the air stood up, and attached herself to the scent tin. I am not surprised TBH, I was bouncing between Gypsy and Paisley for who to take to the class because they both love the scent search games we play in the yard. what I am surprised about is that she is SO attracted to the scent that she didn't even notice the food, and Paisley is a MAJOR food hound. 

Happy...is driving me crazy lol, she can't help it! she doesn't mean too, its just frustrating! she has Kidney Disease and is on a special raw diet, however she is being a picky creature and is soooo choosy about what she will and won't eat and it changes every day! if she wont touch raw, then she will eat kibble..sometimes. certain kibbles. and not the same thing twice. I feel like I have to offer her this giant buffet and just see what she eats. seriously her supper today was a bowl of Llama, a bowl of first mate kibble and a bowl of random kibble from a bin at work. she ate 1.5 bowls of the random kibble, but wouldn't touch anything else. yesterday she would eat Gem, Gyp and Paisley's raw but not her own. the day before she ate Sola's raw food, but would not touch her's. the day before she would only eat the first mate kibble. I asked about this on my kidney dog list and they said that is is "unfortunately" normal and every day becomes a game of "what will she eat today" and they often won't eat the same thing twice in a row. yay lol. I don't like her eating kibble but some days its all she will eat so that's what she gets :/ I grabbed a bag of Duck and whitefish kibble, a bag of SOJO's and a baggie of first mate kibble from work on my way out to prepare fir the long weekend since I do not keep kibble at my house, I need to have other options available to try.


----------



## kcomstoc

So I really should stop underestimating Jake's ability to get what he wants....came home from work *my SO went to his parent's house today* and we came home to see the container that held my SO's unprocessed honey *got it from my local fair while it was in town* was on the couch. Luckily most of the honey comb was still in one piece but there was honey on the couch and pillows >.> needless to say I HAVE NO IDEA HOW HE GOT IT. It was in the MIDDLE of our kitchen table which he can barely get to the edges of got to the middle of the table without any chairs around or anything to stand on....I feel so stupid


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I'd love to do all the FB stuff if it didn't show all my real life friends what I was doing/posting and/or part of. Maybe someday I'll up and decide I don't care.


----------



## Crantastic

kcomstoc said:


> So I really should stop underestimating Jake's ability to get what he wants....came home from work *my SO went to his parent's house today* and we came home to see the container that held my SO's unprocessed honey *got it from my local fair while it was in town* was on the couch. Luckily most of the honey comb was still in one piece but there was honey on the couch and pillows >.> needless to say I HAVE NO IDEA HOW HE GOT IT. It was in the MIDDLE of our kitchen table which he can barely get to the edges of got to the middle of the table without any chairs around or anything to stand on....I feel so stupid


He could have jumped straight up there. He's around the same size as Casper, right? Cas is about 17 inches at the shoulder and about 20lbs. Cas doesn't usually jump onto anything higher than the couch or bed, but once we were visiting a friend and he decided to jump onto her dining room table. He did it from a standstill, no running start or anything, like it was the easiest thing in the world. Landed right on top of a fancy tablecloth from France, the little jerk.


----------



## kcomstoc

Crantastic said:


> He could have jumped straight up there. He's around the same size as Casper, right? Cas is about 17 inches at the shoulder and about 20lbs. Cas doesn't usually jump onto anything higher than the couch or bed, but once we were visiting a friend and he decided to jump onto her dining room table. He did it from a standstill, no running start or anything, like it was the easiest thing in the world. Landed right on top of a fancy tablecloth from France, the little jerk.


I don't exactly know how tall he is but I would guess around that height, needless to say we aren't going to leave anything on the table again since now he knows that he can get up there if he wants. I really need to start videoing when we aren't home to see what he does because I am very curious now.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I'd love to do all the FB stuff if it didn't show all my real life friends what I was doing/posting and/or part of. Maybe someday I'll up and decide I don't care.


And that is why I have a dog fb, now. Also because much as I like y'all, I don't want all my real life information out there that broadly (minor kids, etc. makes me want to be more careful with who sees that kind of thing)


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I'd love to do all the FB stuff if it didn't show all my real life friends what I was doing/posting and/or part of. Maybe someday I'll up and decide I don't care.


If you join the FB DF group none of your friends can see what you post unless they are part of the group. Other members of the group can see your profile though unless it's set to private.


----------



## Willowy

On my mom's favorite Facebook group (mostly her classmates and other people who grew up where she did), one guy posted a meme that said "when we were kids, they didn't have to put "don't try this at home" on TV shows BECAUSE WE WEREN'T IDIOTS". I realize memes are usually just funny and not everyone who posts them necessarily agrees with them, but does he really think that's true? My great-uncle once jumped off the barn with bedsprings on his feet because he thought he'd bounce (yes, he broke both legs). I have no idea if he saw that in a comic book/cartoon or if he just came up with it himself, but kids are pretty impressionable and I'm pretty sure at least one kid in the 50s/60s blew up the garage because of something he saw on Mr Wizard. 

I think they just didn't hear about it much, because some poor kid breaking his legs because he "tried something at home" didn't get plastered all over the newspapers back then. It just always annoys me when people pretend things were so much better, people were so much smarter, etc. at some previous point in time. Just no. Cultures change but basic human nature doesn't change much.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> CptJack I'll follow you on FB. I just made mine their own page. I have nothing on it yet. https://www.facebook.com/2houndsandabeauce
> 
> Oh I guess I can't follow people since I just made a page and not a new account. You'll have to like my page to follow me. I'll add you on my human account.





Willowy said:


> On my mom's favorite Facebook group (mostly her classmates and other people who grew up where she did), one guy posted a meme that said "when we were kids, they didn't have to put "don't try this at home" on TV shows BECAUSE WE WEREN'T IDIOTS". I realize memes are usually just funny and not everyone who posts them necessarily agrees with them, but does he really think that's true? My great-uncle once jumped off the barn with bedsprings on his feet because he thought he'd bounce (yes, he broke both legs). I have no idea if he saw that in a comic book/cartoon or if he just came up with it himself, but kids are pretty impressionable and I'm pretty sure at least one kid in the 50s/60s blew up the garage because of something he saw on Mr Wizard.
> 
> I think they just didn't hear about it much, because some poor kid breaking his legs because he "tried something at home" didn't get plastered all over the newspapers back then. It just always annoys me when people pretend things were so much better, people were so much smarter, etc. at some previous point in time. Just no. Cultures change but basic human nature doesn't change much.


No, I watched a lot of stuff like the old WB cartoons and never had an inkling to try ANYTHING, momma didnt raise no fool. Shoot there are some adults that do that! I am in favor of removing all the warnings and just let natural selection take its course LOL


----------



## Willowy

When I was a kid, all the boys were kicking each other in the face because of Power Rangers. I'm pretty sure we would have dynamited each other like the coyote and roadrunner if we had access to dynamite .

Kids learn from imitating adults and so kids will always and have always imitated what they see on TV or in books/movies/whatever the entertainment of the time was. Pity the poor Roman mothers whose boys went to see the gladiators . Now, of course the warnings are just due to legal issues; warnings never stopped anybody from doing anything, but, well, I just don't think kids imitating what they see role models do is a new phenomenon. Child accident mortality rates are actually a lot lower now than when my mom was a kid. I should have her post that little statistic, LOL.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

jade5280 said:


> If you join the FB DF group none of your friends can see what you post unless they are part of the group. Other members of the group can see your profile though unless it's set to private.


I get paranoid adding myself to groups because it likes to publicly announce what groups I've joined to my feed. That drives me insane. Lolz.


----------



## CptJack

Has anyone else noticed that if you have one dog who acts like a nut case, people start getting wary of the other one, even when the nut ball isn't there?

This is brought to you by people being more cautious with Kylie after they've met Molly, even if Molly isn't there (ie: crated, or just not present/at home).

I'm not really sure what to make of it


----------



## kcomstoc

So I've just realized that since we are switching breeders I'm probably not going to get a puppy this coming spring like I wanted because they probably have people on their reservation list already. So it's probably going to be spring of 2017 which makes me really sad with all these puppy pictures around  I actually feel like crying a little is that weird?


----------



## Ilovedogs56

kcomstoc said:


> So I've just realized that since we are switching breeders I'm probably not going to get a puppy this coming spring like I wanted because they probably have people on their reservation list already. So it's probably going to be spring of 2017 which makes me really sad with all these puppy pictures around  I actually feel like crying a little is that weird?


 No, not weird at all. Im sorry about the breeder, but hey! At least you have more time to prepare for future puppy!




My rant: My "friend" just got a teacup yorkie, that can barely even move with how small she is. I can't imagine all of the health problems. Poor dog.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Earlier this week one of my newer employees says to me "I don't think Gem likes me, everytime she see's me sge bites my nose" myself and everyone who knows Gem started laughing and said..that means Gem REALLY REALLY loves you! It's her idea if affection. She rubbed her nose and muttered that she didn't want Gem to like hwr anymore lol. 

Today..Gem gave me a fat lip. She was frustrated because she wanted to get the ball but I told her to leave it and follow me..she won't ignore the command, and will do any stationary command along the way in hopes of release to the ball, but just follow me? Nope, too much, and on her pent up excitment she jumped up and bit my face. 

I love Gem but she is 4 now..a chill pill would be great lol


----------



## elrohwen

kcomstoc said:


> So I've just realized that since we are switching breeders I'm probably not going to get a puppy this coming spring like I wanted because they probably have people on their reservation list already. So it's probably going to be spring of 2017 which makes me really sad with all these puppy pictures around  I actually feel like crying a little is that weird?


Why would you assume that? Collies are a fairly common breed. You shouldn't have a problem finding one with 6 months to look.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Miss Bugs said:


> Earlier this week one of my newer employees says to me "I don't think Gem likes me, everytime she see's me sge bites my nose" myself and everyone who knows Gem started laughing and said..that means Gem REALLY REALLY loves you! It's her idea if affection. She rubbed her nose and muttered that she didn't want Gem to like hwr anymore lol.
> 
> Today..Gem gave me a fat lip. She was frustrated because she wanted to get the ball but I told her to leave it and follow me..she won't ignore the command, and will do any stationary command along the way in hopes of release to the ball, but just follow me? Nope, too much, and on her pent up excitment she jumped up and bit my face.
> 
> I love Gem but she is 4 now..a chill pill would be great lol


Ha, she is a heeler mix ... you might be in for a long wait lmao.


----------



## kcomstoc

elrohwen said:


> Why would you assume that? Collies are a fairly common breed. You shouldn't have a problem finding one with 6 months to look.


Yea but I want to go with this breeder and to do that I would have to wait, I know it'll be worth the wait I just don't like set backs that's all. Plus like Ilovedogs says it'll give me more time to prepare, got to look at the positives


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> Yea but I want to go with this breeder and to do that I would have to wait, I know it'll be worth the wait I just don't like set backs that's all. Plus like Ilovedogs says it'll give me more time to prepare, got to look at the positives


Well, likde tom petty says "waiting is the hardest part" LOL.


----------



## CptJack

Molly spends more time sitting on Thud....


----------



## Laurelin




----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


>


Haaa. Just got done yelling at Kairi to stop biting my vaccuum... 

Dog vs. Vacuum


----------



## Laurelin

I feel like we need to do a survey of which dogs attack the vacuum. My papillons never have. My shelties all did and Hank does.


----------



## Eenypup

Laurelin said:


> I feel like we need to do a survey of which dogs attack the vacuum. My papillons never have. My shelties all did and Hank does.


Bennie does! The only object in the house she's ever reacted to, she just wants to attack it as soon as it turns on.


----------



## CptJack

My dogs have never seen a vacuum - we have no carpet or upholstery. I kind of wish I knew, now.


----------



## Laurelin

I wish I had no carpet! One day!


----------



## Sighty

Jenni attacks the vaccuum as well! And so does my cat... oh well.


----------



## jade5280

I like hardwood with area rugs, but not wall to wall carpet.


----------



## CptJack

Our floors are actually crap - just not carpeted crap. We're slowly working our way through replacing them all with hardwood, but it's going to take some time. Meanwhile, well, there's not much the dogs can do to hurt it!


----------



## Laurelin

I'd like to tile I think eventually.... not sure. But that's a long ways down the road.

I don't know which one makes me laugh more.








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----------



## DogTheGreat

Today sucks.

Noticed Shae was licking at her leg for the second time today, so I went to go inspect it only to see a not-so-great looking wound. You can see bone. The vet was called and he said he'd meet us in the morning to put her under and suture it, so thankfully we won't be getting any huge emergency vet bills. She's fine otherwise and I would have never known had she not been picking at it. I'm still freaking out a bit over it-- I'm really bad with things like this especially when you add on the nauseating appearance. Also, I'm feeling guilty because I honestly don't have a clue to when/how she did it.


----------



## kcomstoc

Jake doesn't attack the vacuum cleaner, he thinks it's a toy to play with actually he gets all excited and grabs one of his toys and tries to give it to the vacuum. Next time I vacuum I'll video it  it's really funny


----------



## jade5280

DogTheGreat said:


> Today sucks.
> 
> Noticed Shae was licking at her leg for the second time today, so I went to go inspect it only to see a not-so-great looking wound. You can see bone. The vet was called and he said he'd meet us in the morning to put her under and suture it, so thankfully we won't be getting any huge emergency vet bills. She's fine otherwise and I would have never known had she not been picking at it. I'm still freaking out a bit over it-- I'm really bad with things like this especially when you add on the nauseating appearance. Also, I'm feeling guilty because I honestly don't have a clue to when/how she did it.


Wow that's weird. Did it look fresh? Hoping for a speedy recovery


----------



## Willowy

DogTheGreat said:


> Today sucks.
> 
> Noticed Shae was licking at her leg for the second time today, so I went to go inspect it only to see a not-so-great looking wound. You can see bone. The vet was called and he said he'd meet us in the morning to put her under and suture it, so thankfully we won't be getting any huge emergency vet bills. She's fine otherwise and I would have never known had she not been picking at it. I'm still freaking out a bit over it-- I'm really bad with things like this especially when you add on the nauseating appearance. Also, I'm feeling guilty because I honestly don't have a clue to when/how she did it.


Are you sure it's bone? Usually when someone thinks they see bone, it's subcutaneous fat. Which would be far better than if you really can see bone! Yikes! Hope she gets fixed up without too much drama and everything ends up fine!


----------



## DogTheGreat

Willowy said:


> Are you sure it's bone? Usually when someone thinks they see bone, it's subcutaneous fat. Which would be far better than if you really can see bone! Yikes! Hope she gets fixed up without too much drama and everything ends up fine!


Yeah, it was just subcutaneous fat thankfully. I'm _really_ squeamish so I didn't spend a lot of time examining it. She'll be fine with antibiotics and some rest to heal. The bad area wasn't too big, but at closer look there was another large more superficial cut that was scabbing over. Based on that I'm assuming it probably happened on Saturday sometime when we were hiking.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I am a dog person.... How do I know this? Because I am reading a book and its a good book, but I had to stop reading and put it down a while because the auther just stopped any mention of the dog without any explaination for it. Its this big deal that the dog is always with this character and that is a big clue in when the bad guy impersonated him...but now the dog has served that purpose and just gone "poof" :/ like..where did the dog go? Its driving me to distraction and I cant focas on the book!


----------



## North&South

Laurelin said:


> I'd like to tile I think eventually.... not sure. But that's a long ways down the road.
> 
> I don't know which one makes me laugh more.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]


LOL! Papillons look so pathetic when they're wet, don't they?


----------



## North&South

Miss Bugs said:


> I am a dog person.... How do I know this? Because I am reading a book and its a good book, but I had to stop reading and put it down a while because the auther just stopped any mention of the dog without any explaination for it. Its this big deal that the dog is always with this character and that is a big clue in when the bad guy impersonated him...but now the dog has served that purpose and just gone "poof" :/ like..where did the dog go? Its driving me to distraction and I cant focas on the book!


I can't stand watching shows or reading books where something happens to the animals. I never could.


----------



## Miss Bugs

North&South said:


> I can't stand watching shows or reading books where something happens to the animals. I never could.


but see that's the thing...as far as the book explains..nothing happened to the dog. last we saw the dog he was in the house growling at an intruder, the intruder at no point touched the dog, as soon as he entered the house..because of the dogs growling, the heroin had a gun to the intruders head, then knocked him out with the butt of the gun, while the bad guy never entered the house, the bad guy shot the heroins husband way down the driveway outside the house, but the dog wasn't with him..then the heroin, the dogs owner and the daughter all fled to France where they have been for like a month now and there had not been any mention of the dog since he growled at the intruder..absolutely nothing..like did he just abandon the dog? I mean the owner sent trusted friends to clean up the mess after they fled, but there is no mention of the dog being there..or mention of the dog with them in France, or any mention of anything having happened to the dog. absolutely nothing at all..so..where is the dog? lol


----------



## dogsule

So we are on day six now of runny poos with my girl Maya (black cocker). Started Thursday morning and by Thursday evening had bright red blood in addition to the runny poop. She was totally acting fine so I just took a stool sample in on Friday morning to which the vet responded OMG that is nasty! They did a giardia test and fecal, both negative. Put her on Metronidazole and started a bland diet (boiled chicken and rice) Friday morning. Saturday morning she threw up some undigested food from the night before so as soon as the vet opened had her in and they ran blood work (all good) and an xray which showed an inflammed colon but no obstruction or anything else. In addition to the Metronidazole she put her on Cerenia for the nausea, a probiatic and Pepcid AC. She has been acting fine this whole weekend but kept having runny bloody stools. At least sun night/mon morning and again last night and this morning there was no running outside at all hours to poo tiny bits. This morning her still runny poop is tinged a bit red but no more bright red blood coming out like before so it must be getting better. Last day of meds so hopefully this is just running its course. Thinking Colitis. Just praying it is going away.....


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

North&South said:


> I can't stand watching shows or reading books where something happens to the animals. I never could.


Yeah like in season 1 of TWD and what happens to the horse that Rick rode into Atlanta ... yeah ... almost 6 years later and I still cant watch that haha.


----------



## ireth0

I'm fundraising for the first time since I was in grade school I'm pretty sure.

Feels bizarre, hahaha.

Edit: First donation received! Booya!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

YAY !!!! ireth0.....   


I was off to a wonderful start this morning... love Fall crisp cool mornings out walking and interacting with the animals... Then a human made contact with me and drained the life out of it all... "sigh"


----------



## CptJack

So. The neighbor finally took our offer to find the dog he's left chained for five years a home.


----------



## Laurelin

I bought this stupid little stuffed flamingo dog toy at a pet expo a few weeks ago while I had Hank with me. I just wanted to work toy drive and wanted something small that would fit in my pocket. Anyways both he and Mia think this thing is the best toy ever. Which is weird because Mia doesn't play with non tennis balls. But she wants to tug and shake this thing. And hank wants to tug and fetch. But now they both want it at the same time and pink flamingo has to go away. 

They played tug with it for a minute but I have never seen a more one sided tug match in my life. Poor Mia!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> So. The neighbor finally took our offer to find the dog he's left chained for five years a home.


Are you going to take him in for now?


----------



## Laurelin

My dogs are obnoxious.

We're having a weird problem and it's Mia and Hank's fault. 

So basically every now and then Hank has pounced on Mia as she goes out to the back yard to potty. Mia has decided to boycott going potty now. She hides for the first potty of the day and the last potty of the day. The other ones she still goes and Hank never tries to pounce her. But first and last she will go hide in the back bedroom and will flip on her back when you try to get her to go outside. She will not walk on her own, I have to carry her.

So I've tried keeping Hank away from her. I've tried carrying her outside and putting her down out in the yard. I've tried letting Mia out then Hank out. This keeps him from trying to chase her but she still gets upset about going outside. I've tried to shoo Hank away. All of which works at keeping him from jumping on her. He's just trying to play but I get why she gets nervous. But bottom line is whatever I do I can't seem to get her ok with going out to potty at the beginning and end of the day unless I take her out the front door.

Would you do 100% separate potty times right now? Take Mia out back by herself. Leash Hank? Idk.

Oh and side note he has never ONCE jumped on Summer.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Are you going to take him in for now?


I can't actually take him in - we are just barely inside the town line and there is a dog limit and I'm at it. I am, however, going to be busting my butt to improve his life and get him out of there. Not ideal, I know, but it's *something*.


----------



## TSTrainer

"You have too many dogs" is all I've been hearing all day. I work in a fairly public retail job during the night in my town and we get a lot of regulars. They all know that I'm a dog person and my life revolves around them, and that my roommate has two dogs that I treat like my own. Well today was the day I decided to get a Bouvier des Flandres instead of a giant schnauzer and I was excited and telling people about this great breeder I talked to and all I got was "you're getting ANOTHER dog??" As if I have ten. Three dogs is not too many dogs. I don't even think 5 dogs is too many. More dogs please!


----------



## luv mi pets

So, I called the owner of the 5 month old Chihuahua owner to let her know I have had no problem with her dog. I can not correct a dog for biting if it is not showing any aggression issues towards me. I have taken toys away and food out of her mouth. No biting or growling. The owner does not want her back. She claims she is scared of the dog. I saw this lady's arms and legs. Yes, they were covered in various stages of healing from this dog biting her. I just can not understand how one could be so scared of a 5 month old puppy. Upon talking to this lady further this is the 6th place this dog has been to. 1st place- breeder (puppy mill) 2nd place pet store, 3rd place first owner, 4th place craigslist ad 5th place the lady whom was a client, 6 th place my house. 

I am having a hard time knowing that this dog has been too so many living places at such a young age. I just do not understand it. This dog gets along with my dogs just fine, no aggression issues at all even with food or toys involved. She got along just fine with the dogs I was dog sitting for over the weekend too. I have witnessed that with young active kids this dog gets worked up. The lady client was in her 70's so I am not sure about other households but this dog did not do well with active young kids. 

To top off the story, the lady ask if the dog is now potty trained. She was having a hard time potty training the dog. Oh this would have been nice to know on day 1 of this project. Luckily she has gone outside or used the potty pad when I am not home. 

Just wanted to vent about why people get dogs and then just get rid of them. How can someone be scared of a 4 pound 5 month old puppy?


----------



## DogTheGreat

luv mi pets said:


> So, I called the owner of the 5 month old Chihuahua owner to let her know I have had no problem with her dog. I can not correct a dog for biting if it is not showing any aggression issues towards me. I have taken toys away and food out of her mouth. No biting or growling. The owner does not want her back. She claims she is scared of the dog. I saw this lady's arms and legs. Yes, they were covered in various stages of healing from this dog biting her. I just can not understand how one could be so scared of a 5 month old puppy. Upon talking to this lady further this is the 6th place this dog has been to. 1st place- breeder (puppy mill) 2nd place pet store, 3rd place first owner, 4th place craigslist ad 5th place the lady whom was a client, 6 th place my house.
> 
> I am having a hard time knowing that this dog has been too so many living places at such a young age. I just do not understand it. This dog gets along with my dogs just fine, no aggression issues at all even with food or toys involved. She got along just fine with the dogs I was dog sitting for over the weekend too. I have witnessed that with young active kids this dog gets worked up. The lady client was in her 70's so I am not sure about other households but this dog did not do well with active young kids.
> 
> To top off the story, the lady ask if the dog is now potty trained. She was having a hard time potty training the dog. Oh this would have been nice to know on day 1 of this project. Luckily she has gone outside or used the potty pad when I am not home.
> 
> Just wanted to vent about why people get dogs and then just get rid of them. How can someone be scared of a 4 pound 5 month old puppy?


Was this the woman who was given a puppy as a present from her son or am I mixing that up with something else I read on here?

Also, not only a 4-5mo old puppy, but a puny 4-5mo old puppy.


----------



## kcomstoc

DogTheGreat said:


> Was this the woman who was given a puppy as a present from her son or am I mixing that up with something else I read on here?
> 
> Also, not only a 4-5mo old puppy, but a puny 4-5mo old puppy.


Yes it's the same puppy that was given as a "present", my theory is she never wanted the puppy to begin with so I don't think she's going to want the puppy back


----------



## jade5280

TSTrainer said:


> "You have too many dogs" is all I've been hearing all day. I work in a fairly public retail job during the night in my town and we get a lot of regulars. They all know that I'm a dog person and my life revolves around them, and that my roommate has two dogs that I treat like my own. Well today was the day I decided to get a Bouvier des Flandres instead of a giant schnauzer and I was excited and telling people about this great breeder I talked to and all I got was "you're getting ANOTHER dog??" As if I have ten. Three dogs is not too many dogs. I don't even think 5 dogs is too many. More dogs please!


 I didn't even tell anyone I was getting another dog because I knew what their reactions would be. Most of my family acted horrified that I would get ANOTHER dog! Like it affected them in any way, shape, or form. 2 dogs is okay, but I guess 3 dogs is just ridiculous.


----------



## TSTrainer

jade5280 said:


> I didn't even tell anyone I was getting another dog because I knew what their reactions would be. Most of my family acted horrified that I would get ANOTHER dog! Like it affected them in any way, shape, or form. 2 dogs is okay, but I guess 3 dogs is just ridiculous.


I thought it would at LEAST be better than say, deciding to have a baby (my SO and I don't even live together!) but then his mother asked us to please stop getting four-legged babies and start working on some two-legged ones. I was horrified to say the least lol.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

TSTrainer said:


> I thought it would at LEAST be better than say, deciding to have a baby (my SO and I don't even live together!) but then his mother asked us to please stop getting four-legged babies and start working on some two-legged ones. I was horrified to say the least lol.


UGH! I told my parents a LONG time ago that they had better get used to 4 legged grand kids because two legged ones ain't never going to happen. I made that decision a LONG time ago. Heck even as a KID I never liked other kids haha.


----------



## jade5280

TSTrainer said:


> I thought it would at LEAST be better than say, deciding to have a baby (my SO and I don't even live together!) but then his mother asked us to please stop getting four-legged babies and start working on some two-legged ones. I was horrified to say the least lol.


 I told my mom that I will keep getting dogs until she gives up and accepts that I'm never going to have children.


----------



## kcomstoc

TSTrainer said:


> I thought it would at LEAST be better than say, deciding to have a baby (my SO and I don't even live together!) but then his mother asked us to please stop getting four-legged babies and start working on some two-legged ones. I was horrified to say the least lol.


Tell her 4 legged babies are easier than 2 legged ones >.> and less expensive lol



jade5280 said:


> I told my mom that I will keep getting dogs until she gives up and accepts that I'm never going to have children.


 where is the LIKE button?!?!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> Tell her 4 legged babies are easier than 2 legged ones >.> and less expensive lol
> 
> 
> 
> where is the LIKE button?!?!


4 legged babies > 2 legged ones on their worst day haha.


----------



## TSTrainer

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH! I told my parents a LONG time ago that they had better get used to 4 legged grand kids because two legged ones ain't never going to happen. I made that decision a LONG time ago. Heck even as a KID I never liked other kids haha.





jade5280 said:


> I told my mom that I will keep getting dogs until she gives up and accepts that I'm never going to have children.


It's not even that I never want kids, its that it would be INCREDIBLY and UNDENIABLY irresponsible to have any right now. I am in my early 20s, barely started my career, and SO is still in school. I was expecting fur babies to be desirable over human ones lol plus since I'm becoming a trainer I need a dog. I can't title my roommate's dogs. They're poorly socialized, she gives them NO structure, and until last month when I basically forced her to start crating her younger dog she was content to let him poop on the floor every day. Thus, in order to meet my goals, I need my own dog.


----------



## Laurelin

I think my family has given up thankfully. I just didn't tell them about Hank until he'd been here for a couple weeks. But they love him for some reason and have since day 1. 

Also Im an aunt again today which takes some pressure off. Now they have two granddaughters and a grandson. I'll stick to being the aunt.


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> Also Im an aunt again today which takes some pressure off. Now they have two granddaughters and a grandson. I'll stick to being the aunt.


I'm happy with having nieces and nephews too. I don't feel the need to have my own.


----------



## kcomstoc

Laurelin said:


> Also Im an aunt again today which takes some pressure off. Now they have two granddaughters and a grandson. I'll stick to being the aunt.


I wish I could get away with that my mom has 4 grandchildren *3 boys, 1 girl* and she STILL wants me to have a kid someday >.> because I'm her only girl and she wants one from me for some reason (lucky me *sarcasm*)


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I think my family has given up thankfully. I just didn't tell them about Hank until he'd been here for a couple weeks. But they love him for some reason and have since day 1.
> 
> Also Im an aunt again today which takes some pressure off. Now they have two granddaughters and a grandson. I'll stick to being the aunt.


My family has definitely given up. Just... completely.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I'm happy with having nieces and nephews too. I don't feel the need to have my own.


UGH my parents are thankfully very supportive of my wishes to just have 4 legged kids, its my extended family that is pressuring my PARENTS LOL, mainly my one aunt, who's daughter had a kid about 6 years ago and she has been on my mom to "get some grandkids out of me". Luckily, mom was a horrified at this attitude as I was, and told her in no uncertain terms that my life was MINE to live she was happy and proud of me. GO MOM :grin:.


----------



## Laurelin

kcomstoc said:


> I wish I could get away with that my mom has 4 grandchildren *3 boys, 1 girl* and she STILL wants me to have a kid someday >.> because I'm her only girl and she wants one from me for some reason (lucky me *sarcasm*)


It probably doesn't hurt that I have health problems that make it highly unlikely I will ever be able to get pregnant naturally or maybe at all. I still haven't wanted kids but that makes that easier to deflect.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> It probably doesn't hurt that I have health problems that make it highly unlikely I will ever be able to get pregnant naturally or maybe at all. I still haven't wanted kids but that makes that easier to deflect.


thats terrible that you (general) have to tell someone you have health problems (mental or physical) to make them "accept" your decision not to have kids.


----------



## jade5280

kcomstoc said:


> I wish I could get away with that my mom has 4 grandchildren *3 boys, 1 girl* and she STILL wants me to have a kid someday >.> because I'm her only girl and she wants one from me for some reason (lucky me *sarcasm*)


I'm an only girl too. I think my mom has accepted the fact that I don't want children though.


----------



## kdawnk

So I had a lovely sleep last night *sarcasm*
While I was laying in bed I heard a weird sound that I can only describe as a soup can rolling up my porch roof. It sounded like something rolling towards my window for sure. I was getting a little freaked out because my window was open as wide as it could be (there's a screen, but it could be easily kicked in). My cat was sitting on the ledge of the window and then he started loudly doing a low rumbling growl/yowl and he spat and slapped the screen of the window (when he sees another cat he doesn't react this way, he's very interested in other cats). So I sat super still, scared of whatever was happening, reverting to my childhood logic of hiding under the covers. 

Then I hear a sound as the creature uses my window as a foot holder to climb his way up to my roof. My cat loses his confidence and bolts.
About a half an hour later I heard a very loud thump as something hit the floor of the attic above my bed.
Now both the cat and the dog are sitting and staring at the roof, the CAT is VERY worked up growling and pacing and climbing onto all sorts of surfaces to put his paws on the ceiling. The dog is just staring at the ceiling dumbly.

After the thump comes the very audible foot steps as a creature pitter patters around in the attic. Heavy enough to creak floor boards. Mischievous enough to knock a bunch of stuff over up there.


----------



## CptJack

kdawnk said:


> So I had a lovely sleep last night *sarcasm*
> While I was laying in bed I heard a weird sound that I can only describe as a soup can rolling up my porch roof. It sounded like something rolling towards my window for sure. I was getting a little freaked out because my window was open as wide as it could be (there's a screen, but it could be easily kicked in). My cat was sitting on the ledge of the window and then he started loudly doing a low rumbling growl/yowl and he spat and slapped the screen of the window (when he sees another cat he doesn't react this way, he's very interested in other cats). So I sat super still, scared of whatever was happening, reverting to my childhood logic of hiding under the covers.
> 
> Then I hear a sound as the creature uses my window as a foot holder to climb his way up to my roof. My cat loses his confidence and bolts.
> About a half an hour later I heard a very loud thump as something hit the floor of the attic above my bed.
> Now both the cat and the dog are sitting and staring at the roof, the CAT is VERY worked up growling and pacing and climbing onto all sorts of surfaces to put his paws on the ceiling. The dog is just staring at the ceiling dumbly.
> 
> After the thump comes the very audible foot steps as a creature pitter patters around in the attic. Heavy enough to creak floor boards. Mischievous enough to knock a bunch of stuff over up there.


You have raccoons.... And I am so sorry.


----------



## kdawnk

CptJack said:


> You have raccoons.... And I am so sorry.


I was very afraid of that. 
That was my first thought. I called my dad this morning and he's extremely confident that there's no way a raccoon would/could get in there.
So I told him to take that level of confidence and climb up there and find out for us. 

I was 100% convinced it was a raccoon, I mean why not? We've had raccoons that used to get into our outdoor garbage all the time. We still have traps at our house.


----------



## kcomstoc

jade5280 said:


> I'm an only girl too. I think my mom has accepted the fact that I don't want children though.


I wish....but I'm only 22 *turn 23 next month* and apparently that means that I still have time to change my mind even though I've made it clear for the past idk 10 years


----------



## kdawnk

kcomstoc said:


> I wish....but I'm only 22 *turn 23 next month* and apparently that means that I still have time to change my mind even though I've made it clear for the past idk 10 years


21. Parents don't even humour the idea of me not having children. They're so sure that it's almost convinced me that some day I'll change my mind. 
I tell them to bother my brother, he actually gets to carry on the last name. Pick on him.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> I wish....but I'm only 22 *turn 23 next month* and apparently that means that I still have time to change my mind even though I've made it clear for the past idk 10 years


I just turned 33 and they have accepted LOL.


----------



## ireth0

My mom has never directly mentioned it, but she treats Luna like a grandkid, lol. She has pictures of her at their house and at easter my mom made a mini easter egg hunt for her. 

My bf's mom has asked if we have discussed children but was satisfied with a 'yes' and didn't inquire further into what we had decided/what we wanted. I think she more wanted an indication of how serious we were vs wanted to know about babies.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH why is everyone so intent on couples having kids? for us the pressure comes from friends mostly "Oh you will change your mind!" or "its different if its yours!"

Really? I have generalized anxiety, I get stressed out easily and have meltdowns due to my ADHD. the sound of a crying baby or a screaming kid, or even some kid voices in general makes me irritated and want to choke the life out of them. Do people really want someone like that being a parent? I know these things about myself, which is why I made the responsible decision to not breed. 

Some people just dont have it in them, and I am one of those people. I wish more people who clearly dont have what it takes to raise human beings also realized that, but sadly, they dont.


----------



## TSTrainer

My mom still has kids in elementary school so I think she is satisfied without mentioning grandkids YET. BF's mom's youngest is a senior in high school and it's becoming very real for her that she doesn't have any more babies, so I think she's a little impatient for grandkids because of that.


----------



## ireth0

Totally random but I got a donation from a person that had no social obligation to donate! (not a coworker, friend, family member, etc)
This has made me disproportionately happy.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I just turned 33 and they have accepted LOL.


LOL I was 33 when I had my daughter. Didn't think I wanted kids before that either but I wouldn't change a thing!! My daughter is like my best friend!


----------



## Crantastic

My extended family members used to tell me at every family gathering that I'd change my mind about wanting kids when my biological clock started ticking in a year or two. They gave up after about 10 years of that! I don't hate kids or anything; I'm good with them and kids tend to love me, but I've _never_, not even for a second, wanted any of my own. I'm 34 now and I know that won't change. My parents have never pressured me to have kids. My younger brother has a seven-year-old girl, so I get to be the fun aunt. The kid's always so excited when I spend time with her.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Crantastic said:


> My extended family members used to tell me at every family gathering that I'd change my mind about wanting kids when my biological clock started ticking in a year or two. They gave up after about 10 years of that! I don't hate kids or anything; I'm good with them and kids tend to love me, but I've _never_, not even for a second, wanted any of my own. I'm 34 now and I know that won't change. My parents have never pressured me to have kids. My younger brother has a seven-year-old girl, so I get to be the fun aunt. The kid's always so excited when I spend time with her.


Yeah I love the part when you can give them back to their parents when you are tired lmao.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I keep trying to set up Shae so I can record her getting out of her crate. I KNOW that she knows how to open it and I want to see how she does it before I reinforce it!! There is just no way I've improperly latched it nearly eight times now. Of course, though, she isn't going to do it when a camera is set up lol.


----------



## elrohwen

DogTheGreat said:


> I keep trying to set up Shae so I can record her getting out of her crate. I KNOW that she knows how to open it and I want to see how she does it before I reinforce it!! There is just no way I've improperly latched it nearly eight times now. Of course, though, she isn't going to do it when a camera is set up lol.


I set up my laptop webcam and call in with Skype to see what my dogs are up to live. Though I don't recommend it if you can't get home right away - I had to watch Watson take a book off of the shelf and rip it up while we were 15 miles away at pub trivia. Haha


----------



## DogTheGreat

I've been trying to do it while I'm still at home just in the other portion of the house and have my phone positioned to see her crate. She's come out before while I was home (had guests over, crated her, and then ~10 minutes in next thing I know she comes running full speed into the room lmao). I'm determined. Thankfully, as far as I know, she's been pretty well behaved when she's gotten out even when it has been while I was gone for lengthy times.


----------



## Remaru

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33135888/ at our local shelter. She looks like Freyja. There are a bunch of GSD mixes at our local shelter right now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> I set up my laptop webcam and call in with Skype to see what my dogs are up to live. Though I don't recommend it if you can't get home right away - I had to watch Watson take a book off of the shelf and rip it up while we were 15 miles away at pub trivia. Haha


Hahaha oh no!!!


----------



## FallDeere

OwnedbyACDs said:


> thats terrible that you (general) have to tell someone you have health problems (mental or physical) to make them "accept" your decision not to have kids.


I was so relieved when I found out that I shouldn't have kids for health reasons. I've never wanted kids and even decided that if I changed my mind and did want kids, I'd adopt because there is NO WAY I want to be pregnant. No. Never.

I have a lot of genetic issues I inherited from both sides of my family that I don't want to pass on, but I recently found out I have a hormonal imbalance that causes me to become either extremely depressed (suicidal depressed) or extremely angry or both. Beyond the normal issues females have with hormones, I suppose. We (my mom and I) discussed it and decided pregnancy likely wouldn't be the best thing for me, with my wacky hormone issues. Not to mention, I have an anxiety disorder and I just know having kids would drive me bananas. So until I get that under control, I can't even adopt because I know I would go nuts.

So I finally have an excuse for not wanting to birth my own kids... Now if only I had an excuse for why I don't want a partner. =/ My mom has accepted that I'll be single forever, but my dad still makes the odd comment here and there...

At least it seems everyone (meaning my parents) has accepted my animals as my children. My mom even calls herself "Grandma" to my pets.  That makes me so happy! Especially since when I first got rats, she was a bit iffy about them, but I recently got an amazing video of her talking to them, petting them, and feeding them treats! Best. Day. Ever. She really loves all of my animals now and enjoys spoiling them as much as she would a human child... plus, though I know she's love a human grandchild, she agrees animals are easier to care for so she's on board with animal grandchildren! 

I'm in my early 20's, by the way. I've hated human children with a passion every since I was a child... Animals all the way.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

FallDeere said:


> I was so relieved when I found out that I shouldn't have kids for health reasons. I've never wanted kids and even decided that if I changed my mind and did want kids, I'd adopt because there is NO WAY I want to be pregnant. No. Never.
> 
> I have a lot of genetic issues I inherited from both sides of my family that I don't want to pass on, but I recently found out I have a hormonal imbalance that causes me to become either extremely depressed (suicidal depressed) or extremely angry or both. Beyond the normal issues females have with hormones, I suppose. We (my mom and I) discussed it and decided pregnancy likely wouldn't be the best thing for me, with my wacky hormone issues. Not to mention, I have an anxiety disorder and I just know having kids would drive me bananas. So until I get that under control, I can't even adopt because I know I would go nuts.
> 
> So I finally have an excuse for not wanting to birth my own kids... Now if only I had an excuse for why I don't want a partner. =/ My mom has accepted that I'll be single forever, but my dad still makes the odd comment here and there...
> 
> At least it seems everyone (meaning my parents) has accepted my animals as my children. My mom even calls herself "Grandma" to my pets.  That makes me so happy! Especially since when I first got rats, she was a bit iffy about them, but I recently got an amazing video of her talking to them, petting them, and feeding them treats! Best. Day. Ever. She really loves all of my animals now and enjoys spoiling them as much as she would a human child... plus, though I know she's love a human grandchild, she agrees animals are easier to care for so she's on board with animal grandchildren!
> 
> I'm in my early 20's, by the way. I've hated human children with a passion every since I was a child... Animals all the way.


Yay for animals!  my mother calls herself "grandma" do my dog, too.

Yeah I see most parents out and about, and they seem so ... unhappy? I guess? and stressed, yeah ... no thanks LOL.


----------



## Hiraeth

FallDeere said:


> I was so relieved when I found out that I shouldn't have kids for health reasons. I've never wanted kids and even decided that if I changed my mind and did want kids, I'd adopt because there is NO WAY I want to be pregnant. No. Never.
> 
> I have a lot of genetic issues I inherited from both sides of my family that I don't want to pass on, but I recently found out I have a hormonal imbalance that causes me to become either extremely depressed (suicidal depressed) or extremely angry or both. Beyond the normal issues females have with hormones, I suppose. We (my mom and I) discussed it and decided pregnancy likely wouldn't be the best thing for me, with my wacky hormone issues. Not to mention, I have an anxiety disorder and I just know having kids would drive me bananas. So until I get that under control, I can't even adopt because I know I would go nuts.
> 
> So I finally have an excuse for not wanting to birth my own kids... Now if only I had an excuse for why I don't want a partner. =/ My mom has accepted that I'll be single forever, but my dad still makes the odd comment here and there...
> 
> At least it seems everyone (meaning my parents) has accepted my animals as my children. My mom even calls herself "Grandma" to my pets.  That makes me so happy! Especially since when I first got rats, she was a bit iffy about them, but I recently got an amazing video of her talking to them, petting them, and feeding them treats! Best. Day. Ever. She really loves all of my animals now and enjoys spoiling them as much as she would a human child... plus, though I know she's love a human grandchild, she agrees animals are easier to care for so she's on board with animal grandchildren!
> 
> I'm in my early 20's, by the way. I've hated human children with a passion every since I was a child... Animals all the way.


I am very similar to you. I have inherited a long list of issues from both sides of my family, including depression, anxiety and melanoma. High blood pressure, aneurysms, congenital heart failure and diabetes run in my family, as well. On the very basic level, I don't feel like those genes need to be reproduced in future generations. I think, when a person has a seriously unhealthy family with a history of mental and physical diseases, not reproducing is the responsible thing to do. It doesn't mean the people with those genes wouldn't make great parents, and adoption is a legitimate option.

Outside of that, I'm an only child and an only grandchild on one side with three distant cousins on the other, so basically an only grandchild there, as well. I do not like children. I do not like the idea that I'm responsible for the actions and well-being of a completely independent living thing that doesn't have to listen to me for the rest of its life. A few of my friends have spawned and while their kids are pretty decent, as far as kids go, I just don't want to be around them that much.

I'm also single with no plans of changing that status any time soon. I was in and out of horrible relationships through most of my college years, and my life seemed so dramatic and overwhelming. These days I am in control of my life, my decisions and my future because I don't have to factor in anyone else's opinions or desires. I get to wake up when I want, go to bed when I want, clean the house when I want, go out when I want... It's pretty awesome.

My parents have gradually accepted these things about me, but they're products of their generation and therefore still uncomfortable with my perpetual single-ness and my lack of desire to have children. (Are you sure you're not a lesbian? It's okay if you are, we just wish you'd tell us". "No mom and dad, I like men, I just like my freedom more".)

That being said, my dogs aren't my kids. They're my best friends who just have to listen to what I say occasionally


----------



## Laurelin

OwnedbyACDs said:


> thats terrible that you (general) have to tell someone you have health problems (mental or physical) to make them "accept" your decision not to have kids.


Well I'm not like... Running around shouting that I'm infertile but it does help to just point that out sometimes. 

I actually really like kids but I've just never wanted my own. Which is good because Of my situation. I see many people in similar circumstances unable to have kids who really want them and its sad. 

I would like to get rid f the other stuff that comes with my health problems.


----------



## Laurelin

Hiraeth said:


> My parents have gradually accepted these things about me, but they're products of their generation and therefore still uncomfortable with my perpetual single-ness and my lack of desire to have children. (Are you sure you're not a lesbian? It's okay if you are, we just wish you'd tell us". "No mom and dad, I like men, I just like my freedom more".)


Haha I have so many relatives that think I'm a closet lesbian because I'm peepwtually single. I can assure everyone I am absolutely not attracted to women at all. But because I don't date like at all I must be lesbian. 

I have been considering that I may be Ace though. Which is going to be even harder to explain... I just have zero drive for any of that stuff.


----------



## jade5280

Panzer did so well at puppy class....except for pooping on the floor. He got a little barky when other dogs started up, but would redirect immediately. He pretty much just sat there and stared at me the whole time. He's the biggest puppy in the class, unsurprisingly. There was a Belgian terv puppy which was neat since I've never seen one in person.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Well I'm not like... Running around shouting that I'm infertile but it does help to just point that out sometimes.
> 
> I actually really like kids but I've just never wanted my own. Which is good because Of my situation. I see many people in similar circumstances unable to have kids who really want them and its sad.
> 
> I would like to get rid f the other stuff that comes with my health problems.


If the doctor told me I was infertile, I would hug them LOL. Of course I would still be careful and protect myself, it would just be nice to have that added security that the likelihood of pregnancy would be more reduced.

I have always believed that if someone couldnt conceive naturally then maybe it was their body trying to tell them something and they should just listen. I dont know about anyone else, but fertility treatment, though it has come a long way, still has its risks, and its expensive! I can think of a multitude of things I would rather spend 10k on.


----------



## Laurelin

You do realize there's a lot of 'other stuff' that comes along with those kinds of health issues? I would much much rather have the choice about reproducing instead of not really having a choice. And I'd definitely prefer not to have all the side effects and increased health risks that comes with everything. 

I don't even know what to say about the fertility treatments thing beyond that I strongly, strongly disagree. 

But I'm probably going off topic just a bit. Maybe a little bit.


----------



## FallDeere

^ Truth. I mean, I'm presumably not infertile but I would rather not want to commit suicide and kill everyone se as well once a month (more if I don't stay on schedule with my pills...) just for an excuse to not have kids. I mean, yes I am glad I can use it as an excuse since I do have it, but I would be equally glad to be issue free.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Oh, I am not saying that health issues were good or a good thing, I was just trying to make a bit of a joke about myself. I did not mean to poke fun of anyone with real medical issues, forgive me if that is how it sounded.


----------



## Hiraeth

Laurelin said:


> You do realize there's a lot of 'other stuff' that comes along with those kinds of health issues? I would much much rather have the choice about reproducing instead of not really having a choice. And I'd definitely prefer not to have all the side effects and increased health risks that comes with everything.
> 
> I don't even know what to say about the fertility treatments thing beyond that I strongly, strongly disagree.
> 
> But I'm probably going off topic just a bit. Maybe a little bit.


I think where OwnedbyACDs was coming from is that since she and I have both decided we don't want children, it would be nice to be infertile and not have to worry about an "accident". From our standpoint, we have had the choice to make, we've made it, and therefore it's easy to brush off the fact that the choice was there. 

On the other hand, if you've never gotten the chance to choose whether or not you want children, no matter which way you'd choose, it would probably just be nice to have the option. And people who take having that choice lightly (like myself) probably rub the people without that choice the wrong way sometimes.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

People are horrible. 

A lady got a Pom puppy and brought it in for grooming. It was a sweet little girl, very friendly and smart. 2 months later she calls us asking if anyone wants to buy her Pom because she is allergic to it. We suggest a Pom rescue, or I could have taken it.. but.. of COURSE she wants to get some of her money back because it was $600 or something. So.. fast forward she makes an appointment for her 2 new Shih Tzu puppies she just bought. She got a discount by giving the "breeder" her Pom. The breeder told her that they could use her in their "breeding program" (they have a large breeding facility..) to create designer Pom mixes. So.. this lady knowingly hands over this puppy to become a breeding machine for a freaking PUPPY MILL. Just to get some money off two new puppies.. subjecting this puppy to live in a cage until she is all used up.. and supporting it by buying some more puppies. Horrible.. horrible people.


----------



## DogTheGreat

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> People are horrible.
> 
> A lady got a Pom puppy and brought it in for grooming. It was a sweet little girl, very friendly and smart. 2 months later she calls us asking if anyone wants to buy her Pom because she is allergic to it. We suggest a Pom rescue, or I could have taken it.. but.. of COURSE she wants to get some of her money back because it was $600 or something. So.. fast forward she makes an appointment for her 2 new Shih Tzu puppies she just bought. She got a discount by giving the "breeder" her Pom. The breeder told her that they could use her in their "breeding program" (they have a large breeding facility..) to create designer Pom mixes. So.. this lady knowingly hands over this puppy to become a breeding machine for a freaking PUPPY MILL. Just to get some money off two new puppies.. subjecting this puppy to live in a cage until she is all used up.. and supporting it by buying some more puppies. Horrible.. horrible people.


That makes me really sad. Poor puppy.


----------



## Remaru

Hiraeth said:


> I think where OwnedbyACDs was coming from is that since she and I have both decided we don't want children, it would be nice to be infertile and not have to worry about an "accident". From our standpoint, we have had the choice to make, we've made it, and therefore it's easy to brush off the fact that the choice was there.
> 
> On the other hand, if you've never gotten the chance to choose whether or not you want children, no matter which way you'd choose, it would probably just be nice to have the option. And people who take having that choice lightly (like myself) probably rub the people without that choice the wrong way sometimes.


 
I think it is great when people know what they want. Though I would love to have more children, I cannot. I could physically get pregnant but it is not advisable with my health issues (I've also nearly died twice giving birth) and several of my conditions are genetic so it doesn't seem fair (if I had known what all was going on I might have made a different decision but I don't regret having my boys). It doesn't bother me that other people don't want kids. OwnedbyACDs has a history of being rude when talking about children, it isn't just that she doesn't want them it is the way she speaks about them in general. Such as her comment about infertility that it was your body trying to tell you something and there were better things to spend $10,000 on. We are all welcome to our opinions but I am sure more than a few people think paying thousands of dollars for a dog or hundreds for training classes is excessive and there are far better things to spend the money on.


----------



## FallDeere

Remaru said:


> I am sure more than a few people think paying thousands of dollars for a dog or hundreds for training classes is excessive and there are far better things to spend the money on.


lol, people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them how much my rat cages cost and how much I spent trying to save my favorite rat's life. We all have our priorities in life and we should spend our money on what makes us happy (after the essentials, of course). If kids make people happy, I don't give two hoots how much money people might spend to get them/care for them. 

I personally have a strong dislike for children. From what I can tell, my dislike of them is probably equal to OwnedbyACD's. But hey. Everyone likes their own things and I hope/pray everyone who wants children can have them one way or another. Whether it's natural, with expensive treatments, or adoption.

I got so mad at a guy a while back who was very dismissive of some people's desire to have children. I had been reading about a lot of couples who couldn't agree on whether or not to have kids (one strongly wanted kids and the other didn't). To me, I thought that sounded awful, but he (a guy I met on a dating website, so this was an important conversation) basically thought the ones who wanted kids should get over it. I was like... :O If something is important to you, no matter what it is, it's important. Yes, couples have to compromise sometimes, but when someone really wants kids with all their heart... That shouldn't be compromised, in my opinion. If I wanted kids, doggonit, I'd have kids. Ain't nothing would stand in my way. Certainly not a jerk telling me to get over it.
/rant

Maybe I'm playing with fire here, but I'd like to know y'all thoughts on this article. It's related to both dogs and kids! So it's relevant, lol. http://www.popsugar.com/moms/Comparing-Pets-Children-37693220


----------



## luv mi pets

DogTheGreat said:


> Was this the woman who was given a puppy as a present from her son or am I mixing that up with something else I read on here?
> 
> Also, not only a 4-5mo old puppy, but a puny 4-5mo old puppy.


Same one! Her son should have gotten her a cleaning service or a caretaker to help with the disabled husband/father, not something else to take care. Yes, this dog only weighs 4.5 pounds.

On a good note. I had watched a co-workers Lab over the weekend. The lab is like a year old. Owner sent me a picture of the dog after she had picked the dog up from my house. She attached a note stating the dog had crashed in the bed and had not moved at all for at 4 hours since getting home. She said it took the dog a good day before she got back to moving around much. The dog had a blast running around in the fields and chasing/playing with the other dogs.


----------



## Remaru

FallDeere said:


> Maybe I'm playing with fire here, but I'd like to know y'all thoughts on this article. It's related to both dogs and kids! So it's relevant, lol. http://www.popsugar.com/moms/Comparing-Pets-Children-37693220


I don't really care if people want to call their dog their baby. It doesn't offend or insult me in anyway. The only time it bugs me is when people start saying things like "my dog is better behaved than other people's kids" or "my dog is cleaner than a kid" as an excuse for why they should be allowed to bring their dog into stores ect, or just to complain about children. 

Honestly it isn't the same. In great ways and not so great ways. You can draw comparisons between the two but dogs aren't people so it just won't ever really be the same. I love dogs, they have been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember and even when my kids are grown and gone I assume I will still have dogs (unless something huge changes) but they can't take the place of my kids. The relationship is completely different.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> I think where OwnedbyACDs was coming from is that since she and I have both decided we don't want children, it would be nice to be infertile and not have to worry about an "accident". From our standpoint, we have had the choice to make, we've made it, and therefore it's easy to brush off the fact that the choice was there.
> 
> On the other hand, if you've never gotten the chance to choose whether or not you want children, no matter which way you'd choose, it would probably just be nice to have the option. And people who take having that choice lightly (like myself) probably rub the people without that choice the wrong way sometimes.


Yeah, if god came to me and gave me the opportunity to give my fertility to someone who wants kids but cant have them, I would in a second, I mean, I am never going to use it, someone else might as well get some use out of it haha.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> I don't really care if people want to call their dog their baby. It doesn't offend or insult me in anyway. The only time it bugs me is when people start saying things like *"my dog is better behaved than other people's kids" or "my dog is cleaner than a kid"* as an excuse for why they should be allowed to bring their dog into stores ect, or just to complain about children.


But ... my dogs ARE better behaved than most people's kids! I see it all the time! Why is that bad? that doesnt say anything bad about me, it says something bad about the offending parents and the fact that I put more work into my dogs than they do their kids! And for the record, my house, with two dogs (heck, my parents house with 3 - 4 dogs even!) is cleaner then most people's houses who have a comparable number of kids.


----------



## Eenypup

OwnedbyACDs said:


> But ... my dogs ARE better behaved than most people's kids! I see it all the time! Why is that bad? that doesnt say anything bad about me, it says something bad about the offending parents and the fact that I put more work into my dogs than they do their kids! And for the record, my house, with two dogs (heck, my parents house with 3 - 4 dogs even!) is cleaner then most people's houses who have a comparable number of kids.


Because the amount of work a parent puts into a "poorly behaving" (for whatever reason that might be) is still disproportionately greater than the amount of work you could feasibly put into a dog. Raising a kid to be a confident, capable, independent individual is a heck of a lot more difficult and complex than training a dog. I mean there is really no comparison whatsoever. And I don't even have kids, but this is incredibly clear and obvious to me.


----------



## CptJack

Eenypup said:


> Because the amount of work a parent puts into a "poorly behaving" (for whatever reason that might be) is still disproportionately greater than the amount of work you could feasibly put into a dog. Raising a kid to be a confident, capable, independent individual is a heck of a lot more difficult and complex than training a dog. I mean there is really no comparison whatsoever. And I don't even have kids, but this is incredibly clear and obvious to me.


Yep. 

And only someone incredibly self-centered and self-absorbed would be incapable of seeing that, regardless of their feelings about children. The bare minimum requirements for caring for a child, the very bare minimums, are greater than the care you put into a dog. The care you put into the most well cared for, well trained, well behaved dogs, would get you sent to jail for neglect if they were what you gave a child. 

I mean honestly, now.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> Yep.
> 
> And only someone incredibly self-centered and self-absorbed would be incapable of seeing that, regardless of their feelings about children. The bare minimum requirements for caring for a child, the very bare minimums, are greater than the care you put into a dog. The care you put into the most well cared for, well trained, well behaved dogs, would get you sent to jail for neglect if they were what you gave a child.
> 
> I mean honestly, now.


All of this. A dog's entire lifespan is not even long enough to raise a child from birth to adulthood, depending on breed you may barely get a child out of childhood and into teen years. Raising a dog, training a dog, is a drop in the bucket compared to parenting. Not to mention what many call "bad behavior" in a child they see in passing is just normal childhood behavior or developmental stage, a momentary tantrum, making noise, running around, ect. As far as cleaner, I have 5 dogs and 2 kids and I promise you my house would be cleaner without the dogs but my house is far cleaner than many people I know without any kids or dogs, I fail to see how this anecdote proves that "dogs are cleaner than kids".


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> All of this. A dog's entire lifespan is not even long enough to raise a child from birth to adulthood, depending on breed you may barely get a child out of childhood and into teen years. Raising a dog, training a dog, is a drop in the bucket compared to parenting. Not to mention what many call "bad behavior" in a child they see in passing is just normal childhood behavior or developmental stage, a momentary tantrum, making noise, running around, ect. As far as cleaner, I have 5 dogs and 2 kids and I promise you my house would be cleaner without the dogs but my house is far cleaner than many people I know without any kids or dogs, I fail to see how this anecdote proves that "dogs are cleaner than kids".


Oh I promise you that my house with two dogs is cleaner than most people's houses with two kids.

And it doesn't make me self centered ... dogs > kids  because you DON'T have to spend a lifetime raising them, 6 Mos tops (if you do it right) and you are done.


----------



## Crantastic

...you just said you put more work into your dogs than most people put into their kids. Then you said that you only have to train a dog for six months tops and you're done. Which is it?


----------



## Eenypup

Crantastic said:


> ...you just said you put more work into your dogs than most people put into their kids. Then you said that you only have to train a dog for six months tops and you're done. Which is it?


Yeah when the baby turns 6 months old and you've gone through a few repetitions of "sit" and "stay" I'd say they're set for life!! Good to go!!


----------



## CptJack

I'm just over here wondering what level of training you get on an 8 month old puppy that means you never have to revisit it. Like forget the kid stuff. "Train a puppy for 6 months and set for life." 

LOL.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Crantastic said:


> ...you just said you put more work into your dogs than most people put into their kids. Then you said that you only have to train a dog for six months tops and you're done. Which is it?


Sure, they can stay home alone for longer periods, etc ... of course I don't mean literally done, but for the most part, sans some tweaking during the teen years, by the time the dog is half grown owner and the dog have hit a kind of niche and things become easier.

Forgive the vagueness of my earlier post, I was on the run when I made it and posted it in a hurry.


----------



## DogTheGreat

CptJack said:


> The care you put into the most well cared for, well trained, well behaved dogs, would get you sent to jail for neglect if they were what you gave a child.


Wait, so I can't just exercise any future children I have until they stop acting like a maniac and will more or less leave me in peace for the rest of the day?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Yep.
> 
> And only someone incredibly self-centered and self-absorbed would be incapable of seeing that, regardless of their feelings about children. The bare minimum requirements for caring for a child, the very bare minimums, are greater than the care you put into a dog. The care you put into the most well cared for, well trained, well behaved dogs, would get you sent to jail for neglect if they were what you gave a child.
> 
> I mean honestly, now.


Uh no, I don't think I would be put in jail for giving a kid the same care I give my dogs, I mean I treat my dogs GOOD.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

BUT the fact is, the developmental needs of a human child a different and greater than a dog's in both depth and scope.

You might prefer dogs to children but it does not mean you should judge parents for assuming they aren't putting in as much effort as you do for your dogs.

Also why are kids judged for acting out appropriately for their developmental stage when we give dogs a pass for their teenage phase?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CrimsonAccent said:


> BUT the fact is, the developmental needs of a human child a different and greater than a dog's in both depth and scope.
> 
> You might prefer dogs to children but it does not mean you should judge parents for assuming they aren't putting in as much effort as you do for your dogs.
> 
> Also why are kids judged for acting out appropriately for their developmental stage when we give dogs a pass for their teenage phase?


Because, dogs don't grow up to make societal decisions, and all that.


----------



## Eenypup

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Because, dogs don't grow up to make societal decisions, and all that.


You're just proving yourself wrong with everything you say. Children grow up to be adult human beings, and getting them to the point of being able to function independently takes SO MUCH more work than training a dog that I can't even fathom being confused about this. Treating a dog "GOOD" is not even the bare minimum for successfully raising a child. And children (including yourself, me, anyone adult ever) go so through many different stages in which acting out, throwing tantrums, etc is NORMAL. It's how we learn to become independent, make our own choices, and eventually regulate our emotions.


----------



## CptJack

DogTheGreat said:


> Wait, so I can't just exercise any future children I have until they stop acting like a maniac and will more or less leave me in peace for the rest of the day?


I know, right? You're not supposed to leave them alone while you go to work, can't lock them up (or out) when they're annoying and you have to feed them more than once a day, and you absolutely can't sterilize them when they get hormonal or ANYTHING.


----------



## mudypony

I seriously want this dog. She looks like she would be a super fun to own... basically a tiny Malinois with a bunch of training already under her belt!
http://bcrofmn.org/dog-details.php?DogID=55f2f40b86cad


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Eenypup said:


> You're just proving yourself wrong with everything you say. Children grow up to be adult human beings, and getting them to the point of being able to function independently takes SO MUCH more work than training a dog that I can't even fathom being confused about this. Treating a dog "GOOD" is not even the bare minimum for successfully raising a child. And children (including yourself, me, anyone adult ever) go so through many different stages in which acting out, throwing tantrums, etc is NORMAL. It's how we learn to become independent, make our own choices, and eventually regulate our emotions.


Uh ok ... though I don't know why you are trying to make me understand this because I am never going to be a parent anyways.

And I really don't care what everyone else does with their life ... if they want to have kids, fine, I just wish they would PARENT and realize those kids will one day be in society, in the end there is nothing I can do about it if they don't be good parents ... but I can still sigh and shake my head.


----------



## Eenypup

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Uh ok ... though I don't know why you are trying to make me understand this because I am never going to be a parent anyways.


The ability to have empathy for others eludes you, doesn't it? I suppose I should have known you don't care about how condescending and flat out ignorant it is to state that parents are parenting poorly because your dog is "better behaved" than their child. Whatever.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Eenypup said:


> The ability to have empathy for others eludes you, doesn't it? I suppose I should have known you don't care about how condescending and flat out ignorant it is to state that parents are parenting poorly because your dog is "better behaved" than their child. Whatever.


You don't have to out better behaved in quotations, he is really very well behaved. Did you even read all of my post? I don't know what I y personal inner feelings have to do with lack of empathy ... it's not like I go up to every person who has a misbehaving kid and tell them they are a sucky parent, but there is no law or bad thing for me to be all like "UGH!" to myself.

You can't say you don't groan inwardly when you see someone with a I'll behaved dog don't you? So why is the same reaction when I see an ill behaved kid a bad thing, especially if I keep it to myself?


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## FallDeere

I don't think anyone questions how well behaved your dog is. Clearly you did put a lot of effort towards training.

However, you can't compare how well behaved a dog is to how well behaved a child is... That's like comparing the behavior of a lion to the behavior of a zebra. Not the best comparison I've made, but still... You can't compare how one species acts to how another species acts and say "My specimen of a species behaves better than your specimen of a different species."

And you don't know how much work parents have put into their children. Some children, no matter how much the parents try, cannot be well behaved. It could be a developmental issue, or something like what runs in my family, Asperger's/Autism which can make some children just... not act right in public. Kids with Asperger's and Autism can get very upset for seemingly no reason (though there is always a reason) which can make them appear poorly behaved, even if in general they are extremely well behaved. My cousins did everything they could to teach their son, but he would act out for no apparent reason (and he was later diagnosed as Asperger's). It doesn't mean their bad parents or that their son is a bad kid. Just that they had more challenges to overcome than some parents.

We all do it, but we really shouldn't judge people/situations based on what we see. We don't know what goes on behind the scenes or what issues the parents and kids may be facing.

EDIT: No one is trying to take away your right to groan when you see a poorly behaved dog or child. Or trying to make you like kids. Just not judge people so harshly when you don't know what goes into raising a child.


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## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Uh no, I don't think I would be put in jail for giving a kid the same care I give my dogs, I mean I treat my dogs GOOD.


I'm thinking you leave your dog home alone at least sometimes. Try that with a kid that age .

Someone who has meltdowns herself can hardly complain about children who do the same .


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You don't have to out better behaved in quotations, he is really very well behaved. Did you even read all of my post? I don't know what I y personal inner feelings have to do with lack of empathy ... it's not like I go up to every person who has a misbehaving kid and tell them they are a sucky parent, but there is no law or bad thing for me to be all like "UGH!" to myself.
> 
> You can't say you don't groan inwardly when you see someone with a I'll behaved dog don't you? So why is the same reaction when I see an ill behaved kid a bad thing, especially if I keep it to myself?


It is because your personal feelings seem to be that children behaving appropriately for their developmental age and stage should be locked away. You chastise parents for their lack of parenting ability because of your inability to understand that dogs =/= kids. You admit raising dogs is easier but pat yourself on the back for your dog being well behaved (meanwhile posting about how he body slams and bites you, I wouldn't call that a well behaved dog).


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## OwnedbyACDs

If he were allowed more places I would take him more places, I don't leave him at home because I want to, i do because I have to.


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> If he were allowed more places I would take him more places, I don't leave him at home because I want to, i do because I have to.


Yes but the difference is, when my kids can't go somewhere (and there are places they can't go) I have to find a babysitter. You just leave your dog at home. If you just don't feel like taking him somewhere you can leave him at home. That is a luxury parents do not have until their children are in their teens.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> It is because your personal feelings seem to be that children behaving appropriately for their developmental age and stage should be locked away. You chastise parents for their lack of parenting ability because of your inability to understand that dogs =/= kids. You admit raising dogs is easier but pat yourself on the back for your dog being well behaved (meanwhile posting about how he body slams and bites you, I wouldn't call that a well behaved dog).


That is being an AUSSIE, go to any aussie or MAS forum or group and you will hear stories of the same things I talk about, sure he does that when we are playing and he NEVER bites down on me, sure me mouths me, but he never acts out like that say, if we are our somewhere.

I don't apologize for my personal private feelings and opinions, because I have every right to have them, as well as vent them over the Internet in a rant thread.


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> That is being an AUSSIE, go to any aussie or MAS forum or group and you will hear stories of the same things I talk about, sure he does that when we are playing and he NEVER bites down on me, sure me mouths me, but he never acts out like that say, if we are our somewhere.
> 
> I don't apologize for my personal private feelings and opinions, because I have every right to have them, as well as vent them over the Internet in a rant thread.


This would be why you were called out for lacking empathy.


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## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> That is being an AUSSIE, go to any aussie or MAS forum or group and you will hear stories of the same things I talk about, sure he does that when we are playing and he NEVER bites down on me, sure me mouths me, but he never acts out like that say, if we are our somewhere.
> 
> I don't apologize for my personal private feelings and opinions, because I have every right to have them, as well as vent them over the Internet in a rant thread.


And the stuff you complain about kids doing is because they're KIDS, go to any mothers' forum and you'll hear stories of the same thing. 

Sure, you have a right to rant on the internet but everyone else has the right to disagree with your opinions too!


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## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> And the stuff you complain about kids doing is because they're KIDS, go to any mothers' forum and you'll hear stories of the same thing.
> 
> Sure, you have a right to rant on the internet but everyone else has the right to disagree with your opinions too!


Disagree all they want, just don't imply that I go around being a jerk and am a horrible person who has no feelings toward others, because that is NOT true.


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## FallDeere

*gasp* Are we judging someone based on only what we see? :O


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## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Disagree all they want, just don't imply that I go around being a jerk and am a horrible person who has no feelings toward others, because that is NOT true.


OK, might want to watch how you word things then.


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Disagree all they want, just don't imply that I go around being a jerk and am a horrible person who has no feelings toward others, because that is NOT true.


You want a pat on the back for doing a job you freely admit is easy, it only takes 6months to train a dog. That is why dogs are better than kids right? But you want us to support your right to judge parents, people doing a far more difficult job, because their children might have been acting in a developmentally appropriate way and it bothered you? Sorry but that is the definition of lack of feelings towards others.


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## FallDeere

Just want to add, I don't think nor did I ever try to imply you were an insensitive jerk. It's easy to come off as such to some people on the internet, without actually meaning to or being one. Just that I find it funny you are asking someone to not judge you based on only what we can see here while you judge parents and children based only on what you see.


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## Crantastic

We judge you based on what you say here. If you don't want us thinking that you're deluded and lack empathy, don't say that children aren't important to society or that "most" people are horrible parents or that you put more work into your dog than most people put into their kids. You control what we think of you, because we don't know you in real life -- we go by what you say here.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Crantastic said:


> We judge you based on what you say here. If you don't want us thinking that you're deluded and lack empathy, don't say that children aren't important to society or that "most" people are horrible parents or that you put more work into your dog than most people put into their kids. You control what we think of you, because we don't know you in real life -- we go by what you say here.


Well we are dog people ... you can't tell me you don't judge owners who have an ill behaved dog, albeit silently, but you do, we all do. We all judge, even though we don't know the whole story.


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## OwnedbyACDs

FallDeere said:


> *gasp* Are we judging someone based on only what we see? :O


I know, right? People are doing the same thing they are chastising me for doing. I mean I am not saying it's wrong, just saying.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

CptJack said:


> So. The neighbor finally took our offer to find the dog he's left chained for five years a home.


 Yayyyy, thats so great to hear! So happy he'll have a better life. It's so great that you're willing to help this dog out. Good luck, and I hope things go well, and as planned.




OwnedbyACDs said:


> Well we are dog people ... you can't tell me you don't judge owners who have an ill behaved dog, albeit silently, but you do, we all do. We all judge, even though we don't know the whole story.


Yes-it true we all judge. Unfortunately. But, just because you think something, doesn't mean you need to say something.


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## Crantastic

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Well we are dog people ... you can't tell me you don't judge owners who have an ill behaved dog, albeit silently, but you do, we all do. We all judge, even though we don't know the whole story.


Actually, I don't, _because_ I don't have the whole story. I might be annoyed by a lunging and growling dog, but I don't assume the owner is bad. I don't know if the dog has problems as a result of being abused, if it's new to the owner and they're working to rehabilitate it, if it even belongs to the person walking it. Similarly, a screaming child annoys the crap out of me, but I don't automatically assume that the kid's parents are bad, because I don't know why the kid is screaming (autism? Exhaustion? Fear?) and whether or not this is an extremely rare occurrence or happens all the time. Basically, it's possible to be irritated without making snap judgments.

Also, I try not to make statements about how "most" people do _anything_, because I have no way of knowing that.


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## JazzyTheSiberian

Crantastic said:


> Actually, I don't, _because_ I don't have the whole story. I might be annoyed by a lunging and growling dog, but I don't assume the owner is bad. I don't know if the dog has problems as a result of being abused, if it's new to the owner and they're working to rehabilitate it, if it even belongs to the person walking it. Similarly, a screaming child annoys the crap out of me, but I don't automatically assume that the kid's parents are bad, because I don't know why the kid is screaming (autism? Exhaustion? Fear?) and whether or not this is an extremely rare occasion or happens all the time.
> 
> Also, I try not to make statements about how "most" people do _anything_, because I have no way of knowing that.


This. All of this.


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## Sibe

I'm awful about judging people on certain things. In general I'm not too judgmental because I don't have the whole story but yeah I'm going to judge you if you leave your dog chained up in your backyard all the time or if your dog is dirty with long nails and clumps of fur falling out/matted fur.

Some things I'm a total hypocrite and I know it. For example, even having a senior 2 legged dog that has to be carried a lot because he physically can't hop very far on his own yet I still can't help but judge people on sight when I see them carrying around a tiny dog like an accessory. Because that's exactly what is _looks_ like and with no further info that's the gut reaction of "oh geez, poor dog being treated like a doll, stupid owner can't just let it be a dog, probably is totally clueless and just wanted a cute tiny dog to carry around to get attention." And then I roll my eyes when I get disapproving looks from people while I'm carrying Bobb. They see a blond chick with her accessory poodle and I'm judged exactly as I judge others. I get the sad/disgusted "Poor dog, just put him down and let him walk!" looks, I get smirks of "oh she must think she's so trendy and cool to have a tiny accessory dog" and the like. I enjoy putting him down on the ground then watching their faces change when they realize.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> You want a pat on the back for doing a job you freely admit is easy, it only takes 6months to train a dog. That is why dogs are better than kids right? But you want us to support your right to judge parents, people doing a far more difficult job, because their children might have been acting in a developmentally appropriate way and it bothered you? Sorry but that is the definition of lack of feelings towards others.


Parenting is a CHOICE, people choose to do that, so no, I dont see anything special about it, no more than someone owning a difficult breed of dog, they choose to own that breed, no one made them. Nor am I looking for a pat on the back, I am just very proud of the dogs I produce, so I brag on them sometimes. 

I am still curious to hear how you think my dog's way of playing with me reflects his training (or supposed lack thereof), he is a HERDING breed, ALL herding breeds will use their mouths and / or bodies when playing, he isnt being mean, he is being a MAS.



Sibe said:


> I'm awful about judging people on certain things. In general I'm not too judgmental because I don't have the whole story but yeah I'm going to judge you if you leave your dog chained up in your backyard all the time or if your dog is dirty with long nails and clumps of fur falling out/matted fur.
> 
> Some things I'm a total hypocrite and I know it. For example, even having a senior 2 legged dog that has to be carried a lot because he physically can't hop very far on his own yet I still can't help but judge people on sight when I see them carrying around a tiny dog like an accessory. Because that's exactly what is _looks_ like and with no further info that's the gut reaction of "oh geez, poor dog being treated like a doll, stupid owner can't just let it be a dog, probably is totally clueless and just wanted a cute tiny dog to carry around to get attention." And then I roll my eyes when I get disapproving looks from people while I'm carrying Bobb. They see a blond chick with her accessory poodle and I'm judged exactly as I judge others. I get the sad/disgusted "Poor dog, just put him down and let him walk!" looks, I get smirks of "oh she must think she's so trendy and cool to have a tiny accessory dog" and the like. I enjoy putting him down on the ground then watching their faces change when they realize.


This, I know I judge, I dont hide that, if I did, I myself would be a hypocrite. We ALL judge, and while its not morally ok, I DO keep it to myself, or maybe mention it to OH (who is usually thinking the same thing LOL) later, like when we are getting into the car to leave (if we were at a restaurant or something).


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## Willowy

I don't know why you can't feel empathy for parents even if they chose the job. . .I can still feel sorry for the mail carrier out in a blizzard or the electric lineman up a pole in the pouring rain even if they chose those jobs.

And, yeah, everybody judges but not to the same criteria you do. If I see a kid having a meltdown, I feel empathy for the kid because I know what that's like (tired, hungry, overwhelmed: brain melts). I have empathy for the parent because I can imagine how embarrassing it is to know people are judging you for something you can't control. I DON'T have any empathy for, and definitely judge, parents who are impatient or angry with their kids, because they need to be the adult and are supposed to have developed some self-control by the time they're old enough to procreate, and I know how much damage an angry parent can do to a child. So, yeah, different criteria there, I think. 

And even if someone doesn't say something IRL, coming to a forum where a lot of people are parents and saying that is basically like saying it to a parent's face (with less risk of being punched though ). 

It's funny you get all bent out of shape when someone suggests they wouldn't consider your dog well-behaved but you get to say all kinds of things about other people's kids. If raising dogs is so much easier then it's no big deal if a dog is well-behaved. I would also say that anyone who has a human kid who's always (or even mostly!) well-behaved is either abusive in some way so the kid has shut down, or the kid is remarkably placid by nature. Raising well-behaved humans should not be a priority. Raising emotionally healthy, kind, empathetic, and confident humans should be the priority.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> I don't know why you can't feel empathy for parents even if they chose the job. . .I can still feel sorry for the mail carrier out in a blizzard or the electric lineman up a pole in the pouring rain even if they chose those jobs.
> 
> And, yeah, everybody judges but not to the same criteria you do. If I see a kid having a meltdown, I feel empathy for the kid because I know what that's like (tired, hungry, overwhelmed: brain melts). I have empathy for the parent because I can imagine how embarrassing it is to know people are judging you for something you can't control. I DON'T have any empathy for, and definitely judge, parents who are impatient or angry with their kids, because they need to be the adult and are supposed to have developed some self-control by the time they're old enough to procreate, and I know how much damage an angry parent can do to a child. So, yeah, different criteria there, I think.
> 
> And even if someone doesn't say something IRL, coming to a forum where a lot of people are parents and saying that is basically like saying it to a parent's face (with less risk of being punched though ).
> 
> It's funny you get all bent out of shape when someone suggests they wouldn't consider your dog well-behaved but you get to say all kinds of things about other people's kids. If raising dogs is so much easier then it's no big deal if a dog is well-behaved. I would also say that anyone who has a human kid who's always (or even mostly!) well-behaved is either abusive in some way so the kid has shut down, or the kid is remarkably placid by nature. Raising well-behaved humans should not be a priority. Raising emotionally healthy, kind, empathetic, and confident humans should be the priority.


I was always one of those "remarkably placid" kids, I have struggled with social anxiety and never wanted people to notice me, so I tried hard to be invisible LOL.

I dont know, kids acting out has always annoyed me, even as a kid, I had very few friends my age, their behavior made me anxious and annoyed, and TBH gave me migraines, so I preferred to be with my animals.


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## Willowy

Ok, but I hope you recognize that's not normal behavior. Neurotypical children should not act like that. Those with ASD and ADHD-type neuro-oddities may not understand but it's important to recognize what more typical behavior looks like. 

I also find it difficult to believe that an adult who says she has anxiety disorder and meltdowns due to ADHD did not have anxiety and meltdowns as a child. Those aren't the sorts of things that usually pop up in adulthood.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Ok, but I hope you recognize that's not normal behavior. Neurotypical children should not act like that. Those with ASD and ADHD-type neuro-oddities may not understand but it's important to recognize what more typical behavior looks like.
> 
> I also find it difficult to believe that an adult who says she has anxiety disorder and meltdowns due to ADHD did not have anxiety and meltdowns as a child. Those aren't the sorts of things that usually pop up in adulthood.


I did when I was younger, and my mother always promptly removed me, when I was younger, like younger than 7, my mother left me with my grandmother when she went shopping, and since she was a teacher, she could have all the same holidays off that I had.


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## FallDeere

OwnedbyACDs won't be convinced to have empathy for parents/kids. Some people literally can't feel empathy for certain things. I have Asperger's which makes it extremely hard for me to feel empathy for certain things. Even then, I try to put myself in people's shoes and then picture how I would feel in such a situation. I know being a parent isn't easy. Especially when you're a parent of special needs children. My mom and dad had to raise not only me who had extremely anxiety and Asperger's, but my sister born with physical maladies plus mental ones as well. All the while dealing with their own issues, which I and my sister inherited. Because of my upbringing, despite the fact that I would not be able to naturally empathize with parents of hard to control kids, I know from experience that misbehavior in public is NOT a sign of poor parenting.

Do I get irritated when a child is yelling and screaming? Of course. I have Asperger's which makes me extremely sensitive to sounds so I probably get more irritated than most. It happened just the other day... and you know what I thought? Poor kid... probably is dealing with something like Asperger's or some other problem and can't stop himself from being upset... And his poor parents, in the middle of checking out at a store, unable to leave quickly, and trying desperately to calm and comfort their son while dealing with store employees. 

Despite my Asperger's, I rarely had breakdowns in public as a child. I was a super well behaved kid, in fact. My mom likes to brag about a time she brought me into a glass figurine store as a young child (so young, I don't remember this) and as we left, the store owner said "You can bring her back anytime" because I was so well behaved and didn't mess with the breakable figures. My behavior there didn't have as much to do with my upbringing as it did my own personality. If my parents had had a third child, he or she, while just as well raised, may not have been so well behaved simply because their Asperger's may have manifested itself differently in them than it did in me.

Have I had break downs? _Oh yeah_. But at home... Well, until last month when I got so mad (triggered, I think people call it) at someone at the vet's office I suddenly started screaming for no reason. >.< Literally, could not stop myself... And that's the problem people with Autism and Asperger's face. No matter how well behaved they are, things can suddenly trigger them to be completely out of control of their own bodies. So here I am... an adult woman... yelling and screaming (at myself more than anything) for no real reason. How can I fault children, who have even less control of themselves anyways, for doing the same?

Do I dislike children... _Oh yeah_. You have no idea. But then again... I dislike everyone. Like OwnedbyACDs, animals are my preference. But I can appreciate the hard work and tears that goes into raising a child.


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## OwnedbyACDs

FallDeere said:


> OwnedbyACDs won't be convinced to have empathy for parents/kids. Some people literally can't feel empathy for certain things. I have Asperger's which makes it extremely hard for me to feel empathy for certain things. Even then, I try to put myself in people's shoes and then picture how I would feel in such a situation. I know being a parent isn't easy. Especially when you're a parent of special needs children. My mom and dad had to raise not only me who had extremely anxiety and Asperger's, but my sister born with physical maladies plus mental ones as well. All the while dealing with their own issues, which I and my sister inherited. Because of my upbringing, despite the fact that I would not be able to naturally empathize with parents of hard to control kids, I know from experience that misbehavior in public is NOT a sign of poor parenting.
> 
> Do I get irritated when a child is yelling and screaming? Of course. I have Asperger's which makes me extremely sensitive to sounds so I probably get more irritated than most. It happened just the other day... and you know what I thought? Poor kid... probably is dealing with something like Asperger's or some other problem and can't stop himself from being upset... And his poor parents, in the middle of checking out at a store, unable to leave quickly, and trying desperately to calm and comfort their son while dealing with store employees.
> 
> Despite my Asperger's, I rarely had breakdowns in public as a child. I was a super well behaved kid, in fact. My mom likes to brag about a time she brought me into a glass figurine store as a young child (so young, I don't remember this) and as we left, the store owner said "You can bring her back anytime" because I was so well behaved and didn't mess with the breakable figures. My behavior there didn't have as much to do with my upbringing as it did my own personality. If my parents had had a third child, he or she, while just as well raised, may not have been so well behaved simply because their Asperger's may have manifested itself differently in them than it did in me.
> 
> Have I had break downs? _Oh yeah_. But at home... Well, until last month when I got so mad (triggered, I think people call it) at someone at the vet's office I suddenly started screaming for no reason. >.< Literally, could not stop myself... And that's the problem people with Autism and Asperger's face. No matter how well behaved they are, things can suddenly trigger them to be completely out of control of their own bodies. So here I am... an adult woman... yelling and screaming (at myself more than anything) for no real reason. How can I fault children, who have even less control of themselves anyways, for doing the same?
> 
> Do I dislike children... _Oh yeah_. You have no idea. But then again... I dislike everyone. Like OwnedbyACDs, animals are my preference. But I can appreciate the hard work and tears that goes into raising a child.


Yeah, as a kid, I never had meltdowns in public, mostly because I was too anxious to think about anything else LOL, I wanted to stay as quiet as possible, lest people notice me, I still dont like to be noticed, which since I am almost 5ft 10 so its hard to hide LOL.

My mom seemed to know when I was having a bad or off day, and she didnt take me anywhere that day, I dont know how she knew, even I didnt know, but she did. It wasnt that she was embarrassed of me or anything, she just knew when to pick her battles. 

ADHD also effects a person's ability to feel empathy towards others, so I do struggle with "putting myself in other's shoes" especially when its about something I cant relate to at all. Like I feel empathy to people who have animals, because I have animals myself and I can draw a parallel to them, especially when they are having behavioral problems. I dont have any experience being a parent (obviously) so its hard for me to empathize because I cant relate.


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## Willowy

I believe I and many others in my family have Asperger's or something similar (on my dad's side especially, there's a long line of people who have been charitably described as "eccentric"). We accept it as fact in the family and frequently refer to difficult moments as "Aspie brain" . But I've found that some internet people get rabidly angry about non-diagnosed people self-identifying as Aspie, and nobody in the family is willing to pursue a diagnosis, so I just try not to say it on the internet . 

And heck yeah it's hard to have empathy if your brain isn't wired that way! But you can teach yourself. For me, I guess I've always had empathy for kids because I literally remember EVERYTHING since the age of about 3 1/2 (consistently from that age, some spotty memories before that), and let me tell ya, adults are _jerks_ . Especially to odd little girls. And I hated that. So I try not to be a jerk to kids. But yeah, I always did identify more with animals.

And, sure, it's best if a parent can leave their kid home with someone if the kid is having a difficult day. But, in my family's case, my dad was in the Navy so he was gone half the time, and we were overseas with no family around, so what else could my mom do? She had to take us to the commissary no matter what kind of day we were having, or go without food. Sometimes life ain't perfect.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> I believe I and many others in my family have Asperger's or something similar (on my dad's side especially, there's a long line of people who have been charitably described as "eccentric"). We accept it as fact in the family and frequently refer to difficult moments as "Aspie brain" . But I've found that some internet people get rabidly angry about non-diagnosed people self-identifying as Aspie, and nobody in the family is willing to pursue a diagnosis, so I just try not to say it on the internet .
> 
> And heck yeah it's hard to have empathy if your brain isn't wired that way! But you can teach yourself. For me, I guess I've always had empathy for kids because I literally remember EVERYTHING since the age of about 3 1/2 (consistently from that age, some spotty memories before that), and let me tell ya, adults are _jerks_ . Especially to odd little girls. And I hated that. So I try not to be a jerk to kids. But yeah, I always did identify more with animals.


UGH ... for some people with clinically diagnosed mental disabilities and afflictions, and not just "well I think my parents had it, so I must have it, too!" its not always as simple as "oh, you can just teach yourself because I did!" Did I "get trained" (so to speak) to be socially polite, yes, but dealing with triggers and all that isnt as simple.


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## FallDeere

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Yeah, as a kid, I never had meltdowns in public, mostly because I was too anxious to think about anything else LOL, I wanted to stay as quiet as possible, lest people notice me, I still dont like to be noticed, which since I am almost 5ft 10 so its hard to hide LOL.
> 
> My mom seemed to know when I was having a bad or off day, and she didnt take me anywhere that day, I dont know how she knew, even I didnt know, but she did. It wasnt that she was embarrassed of me or anything, she just knew when to pick her battles.
> 
> ADHD also effects a person's ability to feel empathy towards others, so I do struggle with "putting myself in other's shoes" especially when its about something I cant relate to at all. Like I feel empathy to people who have animals, because I have animals myself and I can draw a parallel to them, especially when they are having behavioral problems. I dont have any experience being a parent (obviously) so its hard for me to empathize because I cant relate.


Wow, this pretty much describes me as well. I'm very quite and reserved in public (and have been since I was young) because of mu anxiety. I was diagnosed with Social Phobia, Asperger's, and ADHD last year, though I do question the ADHD diagnosis because it doesn't really fit me. I think I was only diagnosed with that because of my meltdowns but I now know my meltdowns are caused by both my Asperger's and my hormonal imbalance, lol.

My mom has said for years that I am so good with empathizing with people (to a degree) because of everything I went through with my sister's medical issues. I'm sure if I hadn't grown up the way I did with the experiences I did, I'd be a lot worse than I am. XD

~

It's funny, Asperger's runs on BOTH sides of my family. My dad's mom definitely had it. My mom's dad definitely has it. My mom's cousin apparently has known Asperger's was in our family for years, but never told anyone because she thought no one would believe her... Her sisters vehemently deny Asperger's is in our family. XD I wish my mom's cousin had said something... I would have LOVED to know why I was so "strange." Though, I did find Asperger's on my own and kinda diagnosed myself at age 16 before I was officially diagnosed. As it was, I went over 20 years searching for answers of why I didn't act like other people or feel like other people...

Only a few members of my family are officially diagnosed, including me of course, but since we're all alike... I feel pretty safe to say we all have varying degrees of it. Some worse than others. Mine is pretty moderate compared to one of my cousin's and another cousin's son, but I have an anxiety disorder on top of it... Plus a stinkin' hormonal imbalance that literally makes me want to kill myself if I don't manage it carefully. >.< Which is made worse by my Asperger's.


----------



## DogTheGreat

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH ... for some people with clinically diagnosed mental disabilities and afflictions, and not just "well I think my parents had it, so I must have it, too!"


Getting diagnosed as being on the spectrum is incredibly hard for an adult and there wasn't a lot of attention to "higher functioning" autistics until the last decade or so and, even then, it was geared towards boys so a lot of girls were/are overlooked as they don't typically present in the stereotypical way. They usually get misdiagnosed as ADHD or an anxiety disorder if they get diagnosed at all.


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH ... for some people with clinically diagnosed mental disabilities and afflictions, and not just "well I think my parents had it, so I must have it, too!" its not always as simple as "oh, you can just teach yourself because I did!" Did I "get trained" (so to speak) to be socially polite, yes, but dealing with triggers and all that isnt as simple.


Um. Yeah. I guess that's what I meant by people getting rabid about self-diagnosis. Look, I have ZERO doubt my dad and youngest brother (and maternal grandmother, if she were still living) would get a diagnosis. I'm about 98% sure I would, only because they say women have a harder time getting diagnosed because we're better at "passing", plus doctors like to not take women seriously. I grew up thinking stimming was normal (what do you mean, not all people pace and wring/shake their hands and hit themselves in the head when upset?). I understand about triggers. No, you can't control them. But you CAN learn not to be a jerk about it. Really.


And, yeah, getting a diagnosis as an adult is difficult, kind of pointless, and sort of risky. You do not want an employer finding out "something is wrong with you". There are no meds/treatments for ASD (for particular symptoms maybe, not in general). And my dad's parents dragged him to every psychologist that existed in the '60s and they did some really weird stuff to him (The state of psychiatry in the '60s was weird. Freudian. He won't even talk about most of it. And the final diagnosis: we dunno). So he's no fan of psychologists and I think the attitude rubbed off . It's just not a thing I see any benefit in pursuing.


----------



## FallDeere

Willowy said:


> I grew up thinking stimming was normal (what do you mean, not all people pace and wring/shake their hands and hit themselves in the head when upset?).


Oh my goodness, yes... I always hit myself on the head. I shake my head violently. Even talk out-loud without realizing it. Didn't know it was called stimming... I just googled it. Good to know.

EDIT: On the subject of self diagnosing Asperger's (don't know about other issues), I feel like anyone who thinks they have Asperger's _probably _does. Once you start reading about it, the symptoms are pretty clear, even if they may be very subtle in some people. It is a spectrum, so not everyone has every symptom of it. It is hard to mistake some of the signs, though. Not saying everyone who self diagnosed as Asperger's is right, just that it is easier to self diagnose as that correctly than other things. Especially since some people with Asperger's tend to over analyzed things like that, lol. My mom and I actually over analyzed Asperger's so much that at first, we decided we didn't have it. XD Mainly because typically Asperger's people don't get sarcasm and we use sarcasm in excess. However, my dad's family doesn't at all. Spectrum, for sure.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

FallDeere said:


> Wow, this pretty much describes me as well. I'm very quite and reserved in public (and have been since I was young) because of mu anxiety. I was diagnosed with Social Phobia, Asperger's, and ADHD last year, though I do question the ADHD diagnosis because it doesn't really fit me. I think I was only diagnosed with that because of my meltdowns but I now know my meltdowns are caused by both my Asperger's and my hormonal imbalance, lol.
> 
> My mom has said for years that I am so good with empathizing with people (to a degree) because of everything I went through with my sister's medical issues. I'm sure if I hadn't grown up the way I did with the experiences I did, I'd be a lot worse than I am. XD
> 
> ~
> 
> It's funny, Asperger's runs on BOTH sides of my family. My dad's mom definitely had it. My mom's dad definitely has it. My mom's cousin apparently has known Asperger's was in our family for years, but never told anyone because she thought no one would believe her... Her sisters vehemently deny Asperger's is in our family. XD I wish my mom's cousin had said something... I would have LOVED to know why I was so "strange." Though, I did find Asperger's on my own and kinda diagnosed myself at age 16 before I was officially diagnosed. As it was, I went over 20 years searching for answers of why I didn't act like other people or feel like other people...
> 
> Only a few members of my family are officially diagnosed, including me of course, but since we're all alike... I feel pretty safe to say we all have varying degrees of it. Some worse than others. Mine is pretty moderate compared to one of my cousin's and another cousin's son, but I have an anxiety disorder on top of it... Plus a stinkin' hormonal imbalance that literally makes me want to kill myself if I don't manage it carefully. >.< Which is made worse by my Asperger's.


Oh man, that sucks, and I am sorry  I do know how it feels to have this ... I dont know how to explain it, these ... triggers that everyone else doesnt care about but just drive me batty. Not to mention that those with ADHD can be uh ... "intense" personalities, I guess is the best way to describe it, and hard to deal with for many people, so as a result I dont have many friends, and that used to bother me when I was a kid and a young adult, but not so much anymore. If someone really likes me for me they will overlook all that stuff, and that is why I have a few but very good friends who are awesome.



DogTheGreat said:


> Getting diagnosed as being on the spectrum is incredibly hard for an adult and there wasn't a lot of attention to "higher functioning" autistics until the last decade or so and, even then, it was geared towards boys so a lot of girls were/are overlooked as they don't typically present in the stereotypical way. They usually get misdiagnosed as ADHD or an anxiety disorder if they get diagnosed at all.


When I was diagnosed, my mom had to fight like hell and persevere until she found a doctor that would listen to her, I also know a good number of people who were diagnosed, men and women as adults so if you stay on it and be your own advocate, it can be done.



Willowy said:


> Um. Yeah. I guess that's what I meant by people getting rabid about self-diagnosis. Look, I have ZERO doubt my dad and youngest brother (and maternal grandmother, if she were still living) would get a diagnosis. I'm about 98% sure I would, only because they say women have a harder time getting diagnosed because we're better at "passing", plus doctors like to not take women seriously. I grew up thinking stimming was normal (what do you mean, not all people pace and wring/shake their hands and hit themselves in the head when upset?). I understand about triggers. No, you can't control them. But you CAN learn not to be a jerk about it. Really.
> 
> 
> And, yeah, getting a diagnosis as an adult is difficult, kind of pointless, and sort of risky. You do not want an employer finding out "something is wrong with you". There are no meds/treatments for ASD (for particular symptoms maybe, not in general). And my dad's parents dragged him to every psychologist that existed in the '60s and they did some really weird stuff to him (final diagnosis: we dunno). So he's no fan of psychologists and I think the attitude rubbed off .


I never said I was a jerk about it, but I do like to vent about it on the internet, or to friends or my OH, when it gets to be too much, because if I DONT then he WILL come out AT the person, the cause of the trigger. But if I feel one of my triggers getting pushed I will move away from whatever is causing it, if I can, if at a restaurant, I will ask to be seated somewhere else if there is a loud family, or even adults, or a screaming kid.




FallDeere said:


> Oh my goodness, yes... I always hit myself on the head. I shake my head violently. Even talk out-loud without realizing it. Didn't know it was called stimming... I just googled it. Good to know.
> 
> EDIT: On the subject of self diagnosing Asperger's (don't know about other issues), I feel like anyone who thinks they have Asperger's _probably _does. Once you start reading about it, the symptoms are pretty clear, even if they may be very subtle in some people. It is a spectrum, so not everyone has every symptom of it. It is hard to mistake some of the signs, though. Not saying everyone who self diagnosed as Asperger's is right, just that it is easier to self diagnose as that correctly than other things. Especially since some people with Asperger's tend to over analyzed things like that, lol. My mom and I actually over analyzed Asperger's so much that at first, we decided we didn't have it. XD Mainly because typically Asperger's people don't get sarcasm and we use sarcasm in excess. However, my dad's family doesn't at all. Spectrum, for sure.



Yep, I used to hit myself too when I was younger and even still do now if I get aggravated enough. 

And i want to generally say that I can normally tell the difference between a kid with a mental affliction or disorder having a meltdown (and THOSE kids I empathize with ... because I can relate), VS a kid who is just simply being a jerk, and it is the kids who are just being spoiled jerks that really get me.


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Parenting is a CHOICE, people choose to do that, so no, I dont see anything special about it, no more than someone owning a difficult breed of dog, they choose to own that breed, no one made them. Nor am I looking for a pat on the back, I am just very proud of the dogs I produce, so I brag on them sometimes.
> 
> I am still curious to hear how you think my dog's way of playing with me reflects his training (or supposed lack thereof), he is a HERDING breed, ALL herding breeds will use their mouths and / or bodies when playing, he isnt being mean, he is being a MAS.
> 
> 
> This is the issue, you seem to fail to understand how all of those children you hate are behaving completely normal for *children*. They aren't being ill behaved, they aren't being terrible and their behaving like normal children does not reflect "bad parenting" as you seem to believe that it does. Locking them at home does nothing but prevent them from learning to function in the society that they will eventually inherit. Your dog, as has been pointed out on many many posts, will never need to function in society, he will always be a dog. That was the point, if I see your dog jumping on you and biting you or shying away from other people I might assume he is ill trained and socialized (you have more than once said you prefer your dog to hate other people), even if that assumption might be incorrect. You are making those same incorrect assumptions based solely on your bias against children.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OwnedbyACDs said:
> 
> 
> 
> UGH ... for some people with clinically diagnosed mental disabilities and afflictions, and not just "well I think my parents had it, so I must have it, too!" its not always as simple as "oh, you can just teach yourself because I did!" Did I "get trained" (so to speak) to be socially polite, yes, but dealing with triggers and all that isnt as simple.
> 
> 
> 
> You just keep digging that hole deeper don't you? There are plenty of people on this forum with "clinically diagnosed mental disabilities" who don't feel the need to insult children and talk about how much better/more important their dog is every chance they get. This really isn't your first post about it. Every time some one posts about children you make a point of posting about how much you dislike them. Some of us also don't feel the need to tell others that our mental illnesses are more legitimate than theirs.
Click to expand...


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## DogTheGreat

OwnedbyACDs said:


> When I was diagnosed, my mom had to fight like hell and persevere until she found a doctor that would listen to her, I also know a good number of people who were diagnosed, men and women as adults so if you stay on it and be your own advocate, it can be done.


Sure it can, but the cost can be hefty (literally and figuratively). My mother took me to many professionals when I was a child as well and I got a lot of misdiagnoses. It had a negative impact on me long-term, because I was constantly having it implied that something about me was wrong and a lot of the professionals did more harm than good because none of them truly listened to me or spent time to get to know my struggles. As a result, I will definitely not be seeking anything of the sort in my adult life. I don't really agree with self-diagnosing in the sense of deciding you have something and then acting/talking like you've been professionally diagnosed, but I think identifying with something and acknowledging that it's a definite possibility has its place.

On another note that is OT to the discussions going on: My neighbors have this one bully breed who has a fairly lengthy history of unprovoked attacks on other dogs or just plain hostile encounters like rushing a dog and growling at them. The only thing they have to keep her in is an electric fence, but it doesn't do its job. She used to roam the streets and other people's backyard. She used to hangout my mailbox and I was too scared to get the mail when she would, because she'd stare right at me and start alert barking. Sometimes I'd have Shae outside and then look up to see her at the treeline to see her intently staring at us and then I'd freak out while rushing Shae inside because of the dog's history. It got to the point where I was seriously considering calling animal control on the dog because I was seeing her ALL THE TIME, but eventually I just stopped seeing her besides times when her owner would take her out to use the restroom in their front yard. Well, today she was back. Walked outside with Shae on-leash, saw the dog in my yard, quickly noped and turned back around. I _really_ hope the trend of seeing her around doesn't start again.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> OwnedbyACDs said:
> 
> 
> 
> Parenting is a CHOICE, people choose to do that, so no, I dont see anything special about it, no more than someone owning a difficult breed of dog, they choose to own that breed, no one made them. Nor am I looking for a pat on the back, I am just very proud of the dogs I produce, so I brag on them sometimes.
> 
> I am still curious to hear how you think my dog's way of playing with me reflects his training (or supposed lack thereof), he is a HERDING breed, ALL herding breeds will use their mouths and / or bodies when playing, he isnt being mean, he is being a MAS.
> 
> 
> This is the issue, you seem to fail to understand how all of those children you hate are behaving completely normal for *children*. They aren't being ill behaved, they aren't being terrible and their behaving like normal children does not reflect "bad parenting" as you seem to believe that it does. Locking them at home does nothing but prevent them from learning to function in the society that they will eventually inherit. Your dog, as has been pointed out on many many posts, will never need to function in society, he will always be a dog. That was the point, if I see your dog jumping on you and biting you or shying away from other people I might assume he is ill trained and socialized (you have more than once said you prefer your dog to hate other people), even if that assumption might be incorrect. You are making those same incorrect assumptions based solely on your bias against children.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You just keep digging that hole deeper don't you? There are plenty of people on this forum with "clinically diagnosed mental disabilities" who don't feel the need to insult children and talk about how much better/more important their dog is every chance they get. This really isn't your first post about it. Every time some one posts about children you make a point of posting about how much you dislike them. Some of us also don't feel the need to tell others that our mental illnesses are more legitimate than theirs.
> 
> 
> 
> No, I think you are the one who doesn't get it. It is a TRIGGER there is NOTHING I can do about how I react to it! And if venting on the internet (or to my friends/OH) keeps me from going off at the next person who pushes one of my triggers, then I will continue to do it, I am sorry if you don't like that, but there is nothing can change about it.
> 
> And never did I say my mental issues were worse or more important than anyone else's ... but I don't like when people self diagnose, getting diagnosed with a mental disorder or disease is a LONG process and it's not just go ogling a list of symptoms on Web MD and being all like "that sounds like me! I guess I have that!" People who do that make it harder for us who have real problems.
Click to expand...


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## Flaming

When it comes to kids my judgements are tricky.

If the kids brain is melting and they are just DONE with it all. I don't lay blame, it happens even to me as an adult.

If the kids freaks out cause it can't have a chocolate bar and it starts smashing things until the parent gives in and give the kids a chocolate bar...then yes I judge away. Seriously I see this scenario way too often. 

Everything should be taken in context.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Flaming said:


> When it comes to kids my judgements are tricky.
> 
> If the kids brain is melting and they are just DONE with it all. I don't lay blame, it happens even to me as an adult.
> 
> If the kids freaks out cause it can't have a chocolate bar and it starts smashing things until the parent gives in and give the kids a chocolate bar...then yes I judge away. Seriously I see this scenario way too often.
> 
> Everything should be taken in context.


Exactly. (Too short)


----------



## CptJack

Y'all go ahead and carry on, but:

I think Kylie and I's agility instructor was more excited about our first Q than we were. Made my day.


----------



## FallDeere

OwnedbyACDs said:


> And i want to generally say that I can normally tell the difference between a kid with a mental affliction or disorder having a meltdown (and THOSE kids I empathize with ... because I can relate), VS a kid who is just simply being a jerk, and it is the kids who are just being spoiled jerks that really get me.


I guess my problem with this is... How can you know for sure? And even if they don't have an affliction, you can't know what their home life is like.

lol, see a lot of Asperger's people are very _very _judgmental of certain things. I am too, but mine manifests itself in being judgmental of judgmental people. Not really any better, but oh well lol.




OwnedbyACDs said:


> No, I think you are the one who doesn't get it. It is a TRIGGER there is NOTHING I can do about how I react to it! And if venting on the internet (or to my friends/OH) keeps me from going off at the next person who pushes one of my triggers, then I will continue to do it, I am sorry if you don't like that, but there is nothing can change about it.


I can relate to that. Though venting about your triggers isn't what triggered this whole thing. It was the comparison between dogs and children, if I remember correctly. I think that's the root of the issue people have with your vent. Though, of course, you're free to vent whatever or however you want, but people also can respond in kind.

~

I just got back from looking at a house for sale, the owners where there and when we mentioned I had rats, the lady recoiled. Later on, I mentioned I dislike kids and she said "You can not want them, but don't dislike the little precious angels!" Ugh. I'm allowed to dislike what I want. =/ Good thing I didn't say how much I really dislike kids or she would have gotten angry, lol. But really... I'm not allowed to dislike kids, but you're allowed to dislike my favorite pet in the whole wide world. Logic!

Besides, it's not like I wish every kid ill. I just don't want them in my face, which is what the comment was referring to. She was saying how there aren't young kids around the neighborhood. I'm fine with kids existing... waaaaaaaaaaaay over there.

You can imagine how I felt when my cousin wanted me to be babysit her son... Firstly, I have anxiety which would make having a little human life reliant on me the worst thing EVER. Secondly, I don't want anything do to with kids anyways. Thirdly, no way would they have paid me enough to make it worth going through all that pain and suffering.


----------



## Willowy

> . but I don't like when people self diagnose, getting diagnosed with a mental disorder or disease is a LONG process and it's not just go ogling a list of symptoms on Web MD and being all like "that sounds like me! I guess I have that!" People who do that make it harder for us who have real problems.


LOL. Because only people who have a doctor's say-so have real problems . Ever think that some people don't want to go through the LONG stressful process of getting diagnosed, when there would be absolutely no benefit to having an "official" diagnosis and there could even be some serious negative consequences? And maybe doctors are a trigger for them and they'd rather avoid that kind of panic? 

Hmm, are ADHD and ASDs mental disorders? I thought they were neurological. Maybe both? I need to go look that up. . .

The thing is, even neurotypical kids have undeveloped brains. I guess you can say all kids have a mental disorder, in a way. Some things are just kid things. My niece (who has a bit of the family oddness though not as strong as some. Her teacher hasn't insisted on a screening at least), if she's doing something you don't want her to do, and you just say, ever so very gently, "sweetie, don't do that please" will FALL APART. You can imagine what happens if anyone says anything stronger than that. I bet some people think she's a spoiled brat or needs to "toughen up" but I really don't think that's something that could be changed. It's just HER.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Willowy said:


> LOL. Because only people who have a doctor's say-so have real problems . Ever think that some people don't want to go through the LONG stressful process of getting diagnosed, when there would be absolutely no benefit to having an "official" diagnosis and there could even be some serious negative consequences? And maybe doctors are a trigger for them and they'd rather avoid that kind of panic?
> 
> Hmm, are ADHD and ASDs mental disorders? I thought they were neurological. Maybe both? I need to go look that up. . .


Disorders, but not illnesses, I believe?


----------



## FallDeere

Getting officially diagnosed was helpful to me because then I knew I wasn't crazy for thinking I had Asperger's, lol. It wasn't a long process, though... Made appointment. Talked for an hour. At the end she said "You are correct, you have Asperger's and Social Phobia like you thought and also ADHD." And that was it. Went back a few times because she put me on stupid meds for my anxiety that made my hormonal imbalance (that I didn't know I had at the time) worse. Last time I saw her, I stormed out of her office and screamed at myself in the car for thirty minutes because she triggered me. Ugh. I still get angry thinking about what she said.

Not going back to a doctor for seven years, which is when I need to be re-diagnosed as having debilitating Social Phobia. No more meds. Now I'm just taking something to keep my anxiety from causing my stomach to kill me and hormones to keep my "happy hormones" up so I don't want to kill myself. Yay? lol.

Anyways, point of all this. I don't think people need an official diagnosis. Not with this. It can't be really treated or fixed anyways. Just managed. And you don't need a doctor to tell you how to manage it if you're smart enough to really think through what triggers you and try to avoid it. Some people probably do need a doctor/expert's help, but for those who don't... Eh. Doctors don't do much 99% of the time, in my experience.

Just my two cents, lol.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

1. You don't have to be a jerk over something that triggers you.

2. You blame everything on your ADHD. Sure you don't have empathy because of it, how would I know different? You can control your actions if not your feelings though.

3. I don't really value your opinions on children because you bullied kids off a tennis court so you could train your dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CrimsonAccent said:


> 1. You don't have to be a jerk over something that triggers you.
> 
> 2. You blame everything on your ADHD. Sure you don't have empathy because of it, how would I know different? You can control your actions if not your feelings though.
> 
> 3. I don't really value your opinions on children because you bullied kids off a tennis court so you could train your dog.


Uh ... that wasn't me, that was another member and her trainer, who mentioned they weren't using the tennis court for its intended purpose either and I didn't see a problem with it because they weren't using it for tennis either.

And ADHD, and the higher functioning ASD disorders are neurological and behavioral.


----------



## Eenypup

Admitting to disliking or being triggered by kids is ENTIRELY different from claiming most parents suck because your dog is more well behaved than their typically acting children. Completely different ball games and this is not what started this whole ordeal. We all know you dislike children, and you can dislike whatever the heck you want. But children =/= dogs and they never will.


----------



## Remaru

Eenypup said:


> Admitting to disliking or being triggered by kids is ENTIRELY different from claiming most parents suck because your dog is more well behaved than their typically acting children. Completely different ball games and this is not what started this whole ordeal. We all know you dislike children, and you can dislike whatever the heck you want. But children =/= dogs and they never will.


This, all of this. Being triggered by children and wanting to vent from time to time is not the same as coming into every single thread where a child is ever mentioned and posting about how horrible children are, how you "put more work into your dog than most parents put into their children" (you don't, the work you put into your dog would get you arrested as a parent), and how much better/cleaner/more awesome your dog is than children. You don't have to want kids, you don't have to like kids, but you are the one who is not getting it.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Uh ... that wasn't me, that was another member and her trainer, who mentioned they weren't using the tennis court for its intended purpose either and I didn't see a problem with it because they weren't using it for tennis either.
> 
> And ADHD, and the higher functioning ASD disorders are neurological and behavioral.


Who was it then? I honestly don't remember the OP and thought it was you. Didn't you agree with them in either case?

Disorders can explain part of your issues (your feelings, your thoughts) but not necessarily your behavior was my point.


----------



## FallDeere

CrimsonAccent said:


> Disorders can explain part of your issues (your feelings, your thoughts) but not necessarily your behavior was my point.


I disagree. Here is an article about adult ADHD.

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/adult-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm


> You may have trouble inhibiting your behaviors, comments, and responses.
> 
> You may struggle with controlling impulses if you:
> frequently interrupt others or talk over them
> have poor self-control
> blurt out thoughts that are rude or inappropriate without thinking
> have addictive tendencies
> act recklessly or spontaneously without regard for consequences
> have trouble behaving in socially appropriate ways (such as sitting still during a long meeting)


I'm not saying Owned specifically exhibits this (I don't know her in real life, so I can't speak for how she is in person), but disorders DO affect behavior. I know it affects mine, yes even when posting is forums. I make a quick decision to post something, without really thinking about how it will come across to people. That's why I try to make a rule for myself. Before posting or replying to someone, I take five or ten minutes to do something else. If I still feel the need to reply, I do, but most of the time I think better of it and either don't post at all or post with a more thoughtful and rational mind. It's hard, sometimes, though. I've gotten myself into plenty of trouble before... even after taking up to a whole _day _thinking about what I should post.

That said, I do agree with Remaru and Eenypup that comparing a dog to a child really isn't a good comparison. However, I doubt we can ever get Owned to see that as she has admitted she can't empathize with parents as she doesn't have that experience. Therefore, she can't really grasp how different raising a dog is versus raising a child. I'm the same way with some things.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> LOL. Because only people who have a doctor's say-so have real problems . Ever think that some people don't want to go through the LONG stressful process of getting diagnosed, when there would be absolutely no benefit to having an "official" diagnosis and there could even be some serious negative consequences? And maybe doctors are a trigger for them and they'd rather avoid that kind of panic?
> 
> Hmm, are ADHD and ASDs mental disorders? I thought they were neurological. Maybe both? I need to go look that up. . .
> 
> The thing is, even neurotypical kids have undeveloped brains. I guess you can say all kids have a mental disorder, in a way. Some things are just kid things. My niece (who has a bit of the family oddness though not as strong as some. Her teacher hasn't insisted on a screening at least), if she's doing something you don't want her to do, and you just say, ever so very gently, "sweetie, don't do that please" will FALL APART. You can imagine what happens if anyone says anything stronger than that. I bet some people think she's a spoiled brat or needs to "toughen up" but I really don't think that's something that could be changed. It's just HER.


Then she is not a neurotypical child, I have seen kids like that at the store, and its TOTALLY different than a kid throwing themselves on the floor and making a scene because they wanted something, but in all cases I commended the mother for NOT giving in, parenting WIN!



Eenypup said:


> Admitting to disliking or being triggered by kids is ENTIRELY different from claiming most parents suck because your dog is more well behaved than their typically acting children. Completely different ball games and this is not what started this whole ordeal. We all know you dislike children, and you can dislike whatever the heck you want. But children =/= dogs and they never will.


It was just part of me venting, some parents in my area DO suck, luckily where we live its not as numerous because there are a lot of upper class people here, and country people here who instill southern values into their kids, where you must be polite and well behaved. It is definately a regional thing.



CrimsonAccent said:


> Who was it then? I honestly don't remember the OP and thought it was you. Didn't you agree with them in either case?
> 
> Disorders can explain part of your issues (your feelings, your thoughts) but not necessarily your behavior was my point.


I did rather agree with them because they werent using the court for its original purpose and if I remember rightly, the manner in which they were using it was rather dangerous anyway. Besides, someone who wanted to use it for tennis could have kicked them off, or if someone had come while I was using it for my dog and wanted to use it, I would have left right away.



FallDeere said:


> I disagree. Here is an article about adult ADHD.
> 
> http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/adult-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm
> 
> 
> I'm not saying Owned specifically exhibits this (I don't know her in real life, so I can't speak for how she is in person), but disorders DO affect behavior. I know it affects mine, yes even when posting is forums. I make a quick decision to post something, without really thinking about how it will come across to people. That's why I try to make a rule for myself. Before posting or replying to someone, I take five or ten minutes to do something else. If I still feel the need to reply, I do, but most of the time I think better of it and either don't post at all or post with a more thoughtful and rational mind. It's hard, sometimes, though. I've gotten myself into plenty of trouble before... even after taking up to a whole _day _thinking about what I should post.
> 
> That said, I do agree with Remaru and Eenypup that comparing a dog to a child really isn't a good comparison. However, I doubt we can ever get Owned to see that as she has admitted she can't empathize with parents as she doesn't have that experience. Therefore, she can't really grasp how different raising a dog is versus raising a child. I'm the same way with some things.


This, I will never understand because in my mind, my dogs > kids, not saying death to all kids, or all parents are horrible parents, but I cant empathize because I just .... CANT and no amount of shaming and calling me a terrible person (which I am NOT, I assure you). When a child is annoying me, I just move away, or if I am at a restaurant, I ask to be seated else where. I get annoyed, but I also dont expect society to change because I have problems, I wish it would, but it wont, so I have to manage myself.

So sometimes I vent on the internet and go RAWR, but it doesnt mean I SAY any of those things I type on here, I do have manners.


----------



## cookieface

We're on vacation in a rental house without a fenced yard. I think Katie has a little excess energy. We were out on the gated deck and she started doing zoomies, roaring at Tyson, and doing drive-by nips trying to get him to play. He was just like, "Chill, we're on vacation. No need for that wild stuff here."

I may have shaped them to put their front paws up on the picnic table seat. I may regret that at some point. But they got it!!! Tyson is easy to shape - he'll keep trying until he gets a click. Katie usually just stares at me and if I don't give her direction, she'll lie down and bark.


----------



## CptJack

I met a silken windhound today. Owned by the same couple who has the three brittanys. Well, the wife of the man who - That's important because let me tell you those dogs are different as night and day. Sweet, sweet, happy, beautiful dog with a really nice demeanor. I thought of some of you guys here, when hanging out with him.


----------



## GrinningDog

CptJack said:


> I met a silken windhound today. Owned by the same couple who has the three brittanys. Well, the wife of the man who - That's important because let me tell you those dogs are different as night and day. Sweet, sweet, happy, beautiful dog with a really nice demeanor. I thought of some of you guys here, when hanging out with him.


Consistent with every silken I've met. That makes me so happy to hear.  Can't wait to add one to my life!


----------



## CptJack

GoGoGypsy said:


> Consistent with every silken I've met. That makes me so happy to hear.  Can't wait to add one to my life!


You're definitely one of the main people I thought of. He really was a beautiful, super sweet dog. She said she had two and the male (that I met) was really biddable and wanted to make her happy, but the female was a little more 'EH", BUT they were both really good at turning on to have fun and then going off to nap for days on end. I really enjoyed hanging with him, and hearing all about him and his 'sister'. Also, I fed him and was briefly his best friend, so lOL. Food motivation IS THERE. I can't wait for you to get one so I can live vicariously. You and SIbe both.


----------



## CptJack

...I'm going to be coming out with agility stories for days after this trial, but one thing I did want to share is that on the first day of the trial we had a group of spectator children camped out near one of the gates (not ring gate, but gate to ring*side*), and every time she had to pass them Kylie sidled away - she's just not good with little kids. But we had a special needs kid there today, spectating, and Kylie was just beautiful. Took treats gently, let herself be grabbed at, even, though the parents were awesome and intervened. It was just one of those moments, you know? (And lest anyone think she's getting easy, a man ruffled her fur up and she took it, but every time she saw him the rest of the day she growled at him). 

I... really love this dog.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I think Shae has seriously skewed my view of what the average dog and puppy's energy level is lol. I was talking with a relative of mine and she was asking some questions about Shae. Basically I told her that I'd say she's got a fair bit of energy, but nothing over the top and she's not crazy or anything. I introduced her to Shae and yeah, I don't think she was in agreement with me on the not crazy energy level. I even remember when she was like four months old and I was filling out a form for the vet and put her energy level as moderate only for the vet to come in and be like "Moderate? Really?". She's a dog that is really very sweet and friendly, but most people can't tolerate her beyond some short periods of time even if she's not practicing rude behaviors. I love it, so I don't fully understand, but yeah she has definitely skewed my views.


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, I don't even guess at my dogs' energy levels anymore. I don't know how to define them and I don't know what the criteria ARE. Is it stamina (can go forever)? Speed (ie: going really fast when they do go)? Inability to sit still and settle? Some X amount of time before the dog loses it's mind without exercise? Because for me none of those paint an accurate picture. 

I just sort of shrug and smile and go on with my life. Bottom line? Jack can go faster than any of my dogs, including Molly. Bug can go for as long as any of them except Thud. All of them will lie down and take a nap when nothing is happening. None of them are going to destroy my house if they're not exercised for a day (or a month, honestly). 

I could tell you that according to me, energy level goes
Thud
Molly
Kylie
Bug
Jack

But there's no measuring stick by which I could tell you I reached that conclusion. Except maybe how often the dogs would rate going out and doing as more rewarding than taking a nap.


----------



## luv mi pets

CptJack said:


> Honestly, I don't even guess at my dogs' energy levels anymore. I don't know how to define them and I don't know what the criteria ARE. Is it stamina (can go forever)? Speed (ie: going really fast when they do go)? Inability to sit still and settle? Some X amount of time before the dog loses it's mind without exercise? Because for me none of those paint an accurate picture.
> 
> I just sort of shrug and smile and go on with my life. Bottom line? Jack can go faster than any of my dogs, including Molly. Bug can go for as long as any of them except Thud. All of them will lie down and take a nap when nothing is happening. None of them are going to destroy my house if they're not exercised for a day (or a month, honestly).
> 
> I could tell you that according to me, energy level goes
> Thud
> Molly
> Kylie
> Bug
> Jack
> 
> But there's no measuring stick by which I could tell you I reached that conclusion. Except maybe how often the dogs would rate going out and doing as more rewarding than taking a nap.


Hahahaha I am reading this thread and the other ones related to it. It takes me a moment to realize that my dogs are zonked out and snoring. Loudly, I may add. Also, kind of in rhythm. I have literally spent the last two days outside trying to replace a fence line and the dogs have spent the time outside with me. It was a constant back and forth walking and going back to the barn for supplies. Luckily I had a quad (4 wheeler) to ride but the dogs had to walk back and forth. The only ones of my dogs that might still be going Everready strong is the MAS, Fynn. But even him is passed out under the bed. I also remember asking a coworker who just had a litter of GSD about her pups a few years back. She told me that she would not sell a pup to me because her dogs came from working lines and needed to go to working homes. Ummm, I am constantly outside doing something. The thing is I was not asking about her pups for me but for someone else. But, yay, my dogs are zonked out for the night and it was because we spent an awesome day outside together. Kind of hard to think about them having any energy when goodness they are snoring away.


----------



## CptJack

luv mi pets said:


> Hahahaha I am reading this thread and the other ones related to it. It takes me a moment to realize that my dogs are zonked out and snoring. Loudly, I may add. Also, kind of in rhythm. I have literally spent the last two days outside trying to replace a fence line and the dogs have spent the time outside with me. It was a constant back and forth walking and going back to the barn for supplies. Luckily I had a quad (4 wheeler) to ride but the dogs had to walk back and forth. The only ones of my dogs that might still be going Everready strong is the MAS, Fynn. But even him is passed out under the bed. I also remember asking a coworker who just had a litter of GSD about her pups a few years back. She told me that she would not sell a pup to me because her dogs came from working lines and needed to go to working homes. Ummm, I am constantly outside doing something. The thing is I was not asking about her pups for me but for someone else. But, yay, my dogs are zonked out for the night and it was because we spent an awesome day outside together. Kind of hard to think about them having any energy when goodness they are snoring away.


Honestly? My dogs are all zonked, too. 

The only dog I have who has done crap for the past 2 days is Kylie. The rest just... got stuck home with an almost 17 year old. The real difference, I guess, is that Thud and Molly would have done just fine and LOVED having 12-14 hours of activity a day for two days running, Kylie would have been happier with 6-8, thanks much, and Jack and Bug really would have liked some play and run time, but would have rather slept for 22 hours a day than been on the go for 12. 

But yeah about what you said. I kind of go 'high energy according to WHO/WHAT?' My dogs all go when it's go time and sleep when it's not -or at least chill when it's not. 

I... had no idea there were threads related to that. Oops?


----------



## luv mi pets

CptJack said:


> Honestly? My dogs are all zonked, too.
> 
> I... had no idea there were threads related to that. Oops?



Oops I am the bad one (too much outside time) meant posts not threads Sorry.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Ember would be a fun ride for people who don't tolerate zoomies on their lazy days. My husband plays with her/trains her, but he doesn't go on walks or to our big field for mega super awesome frisbee without me. I've been sick for 2 days. Ember is completely nuts.. whining, pacing, digging at things obsessively, staring at her ball/rolling it across the room, throwing herself into the backs of the couch etc. It doesn't bother me one bit as long as she isn't eating my house but she would drive some crazy. Kairi was similar energy wise (got bored zoomies often) when she was the same age, but I think Ember is gonna have her beat due to the restlessness. Despite that.. I feel they both settle really nice for "high energy herding breeds".


----------



## CptJack

I actually would murder a dog who had zoomies in my house. Any dog. Molly will leap five feet in the air to catch a frisbee and go for hours, she's almost incapable of being tired, but zoomies in the house is bad and pacing/whinging is worse. I tolerated Thud's 'eat the stair railings because he's bored' better. I am an anxious person. That kind of thing feeds my anxiety like wild. 

God bless Molly's off switch (and everyone else's).

(Not that Ember/dogs who do those things are bad. I'm just... glad I don't live with them, you know?)


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> I actually would murder a dog who had zoomies in my house. Any dog. Molly will leap five feet in the air to catch a frisbee and go for hours, she's almost incapable of being tired, but zoomies in the house is bad and pacing/whinging is worse. I tolerated Thud's 'eat the stair railings because he's bored' better. I am an anxious person. That kind of thing feeds my anxiety like wild.
> 
> God bless Molly's off switch (and everyone else's)


this gets to me really badly. I can't handle dogs wrestling or pacing in the house. Lenore is bad about riling up the other dogs to play, Freyja is the same way. Lad is lazy, he will just flop wherever but the girls will go pester him. Everyone does pretty well usually unless we have bad weather days and can't get them outside but Freyja has been antsy for the past month, since our new neighbors moved in. They have 2 dogs that they keep in their yard 24/7 and they bark almost 24/7. I don't know if the dogs are making her antsy or if it is just a coincidence and it is the time of year getting to her. She is spending more time running in the yard with Magic and Lenore (and I've been playing frisbee with her) but less time jogging with my oldest son since we started his new school year and he has a heavier work load. I'm hoping to get him jogging again when he gets used to his new school work. That or hubby will jog with her when the weather changes in a month or so.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Oh trust me, I tell her to settle her butt down when she paces or starts being weird. She gets a chew or something to keep her from going mental. Zoomies and playing in the house though are not anything I've ever had an issue with. My house/yard is set up weird and a lot of play is done in the house. Both dogs know "game over/relax" to know it is time to stop playing.

I actually get less depressed when my dogs are up and active in the house. I get lonely.


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## DogTheGreat

Shae gets zoomies in the house and if you don't pay attention to her/have her hanging out in the house for too long she will find something to do. Not in an "I'm going to go eat the wooden table" kind of way, but you will be telling her to do a lot of dropping. She does pretty well in my bedroom even though I have to remind her to settle a lot or send her to her crate for a few minutes if she's too amped, but she's not good about settling anywhere else. If I am watching TV in the family room, she's pretty much guaranteed to swipe a dish rag off the counter to bring to me or pick up a rug laying at the door to drag around. Her being "relaxed" outside of my bedroom or car is pretty much her laying down but ready to get right back up in a seconds notice. She paces some and will lay around and bark if too bored, but thankfully she doesn't whine or anything. 

Shae just a few hours ago after we had just come in after spending an hour and a half outside doing a mixture of playing/training (and the major reason while I always regret giving her squeaky things especially Kong Squeaker balls)...


----------



## CptJack

I think honestly a lot of it with me is my dogs have learned that pacing/whinging/being obnoxious or pesty in the house, or even playing with each other much in the house is getting them thrown out. They get a lot of exercise and training, but if they turn aggravating (and that means pacing, whinging, zoomies, rough play) they're not getting my attention, they are getting removed from my sight. Is that fair? I... don't know, but since it's behavior I can't hack, I"m not going to feel too guilty about it Squeaky toys, balls, anything throwable? Aren't even allowed indoors. They live in the car or on the porch.

Things Molly is 'allowed' to do in the house: 
Snuggle with me
Wrestle briefly and reasonably mildly with another dog
Play tug with another dog
Chew a toy.
Watch TV
Cuddle
Train, if I instigate it. 
Follow me around while I do general housework.
Sleep.

Actually, I lied. That's what ALL my dogs are allowed to do indoors. It's a rare day that they don't go out and play hard amongst themselves, and the average, hard, off leash, full tilt exercise available to my dogs most days is somewhere between 2 and 3 hours, but at the end of the day if something's going on? TOUGH LUCK. 

The only weird I get from that is Molly being more clingy and wanting more attention, Thud being more up my butt than usual and maybe getting a little grabby with his mouth (now, that he's almost 3) and a really lightening fast run for the front door. And, well, more willingness to go outside to tear around, even if I'm not coming. 

I'm not a nice person, but I like the end result, I guess.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Shae and Kairi would create so much chaos together, being super awesome twin Aussies. <3

I don't think I'd be nearly as tolerant of it if I had a different house set up and didn't live in the suburbs. I let my dogs outside to pee through a window because I have no door that goes to my fenced in yard and I don't let them stay out any longer since I can't watch them from there. I leash them up and have to go into the yard to let them play or play frisbee (which is an outside only game). So.. on days like today where I don't feel well? House zoomies it is! Haa. We each have our own things we do and don't tolerate. Nothing wrong with that.


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## CptJack

Also, I don't mean this to sound snarky, but I'm still not sure that 'paces, whines, and finds something to amuse themselves with' is really much of a judge of energy level. Leaving my own dogs out of it, I'm pretty sure Hank is reasonably well behaved indoors, too. I think it's just a personality/temperament thing. And, yeah, to some degree an opportunity/training one, based on the household they're in. I've seen dogs who can't make it around the block who engage in that type of behavior. Some dogs just aren't good at being bored. Some figure it out and cope okay with it.


----------



## DogTheGreat

CptJack said:


> Also, I don't mean this to sound snarky, but I'm still not sure that 'paces, whines, and finds something to amuse themselves with' is really much of a judge of energy level.


No, I don't necessarily think so either and it wasn't the basis of my original post haha. I think you probably are more likely to encounter that sort of behavior in a dog that tends to be deemed higher energy, though.


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## Eenypup

Bennie is not "high energy" but hates being bored. I think a lot of it is her becoming accustomed to having a lot to do because I have a lot of free time. But when I don't it's pretty obvious! She'll zoomie in the apartment if after a long day I can't get her out to explore somewhere or have a good play session with her. I don't really mind because she settles well after she gets her zoomies out, and I find it entertaining! She doesn't really have anywhere else to zoomie in the city anyways. Otherwise she'll entertain herself with an antler or try a few times to get my attention by licking my knee and taking toys out of her toy box. Not high energy, but likes to do things!


----------



## CptJack

Eenypup said:


> Bennie is not "high energy" but hates being bored. I think a lot of it is her becoming accustomed to having a lot to do because I have a lot of free time. But when I don't it's pretty obvious! She'll zoomie in the apartment if after a long day I can't get her out to explore somewhere or have a good play session with her. I don't really mind because she settles well after she gets her zoomies out, and I find it entertaining! She doesn't really have anywhere else to zoomie in the city anyways. Otherwise she'll entertain herself with an antler or try a few times to get my attention by licking my knee and taking toys out of her toy box. Not high energy, but likes to do things!


Yeah, this is kind of what I was thinking with that. 

I know a few people with dogs who could maybe use a little more exercise than they get, but mostly what they're used to is someone home and doing things with them. They'll do a lap or two, dump the toy box, pick up and put down a bunch of toys, and ultimately just pace around and whine. They don't want to go play an hour of fetch or go for a jog or even be trained. They seem to want attention and interaction, and they're very used to having it. They'll take the training. They'll also take a rambling walk. It's just they'll... equally well take being picked up and carried around, talked to, or whatever. 

As long as it's active engagement with a person.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Yeah no. Ember is gonna OCD whether she is exercised well or not (though it is significantly less so). I do think there are some dogs that have restless behavior due to being pent up, but definitely not a tried and true measure of energy level. I don't think there really is a good one now that I think of it. Like I said, Kairi and Ember are what I'd consider similar energy levels (the other stuff I feel makes her a bit more "difficult" to deal with) but.. someone else owning them might disagree with me. I mean.. Kairi has more stamina. Ember has more "wild" energy. I don't even know.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> Also, I don't mean this to sound snarky, but I'm still not sure that 'paces, whines, and finds something to amuse themselves with' is really much of a judge of energy level. Leaving my own dogs out of it, I'm pretty sure Hank is reasonably well behaved indoors, too. I think it's just a personality/temperament thing. And, yeah, to some degree an opportunity/training one, based on the household they're in. I've seen dogs who can't make it around the block who engage in that type of behavior. Some dogs just aren't good at being bored. Some figure it out and cope okay with it.


Hank is a lazy bum indoors haha. I think he's been asleep since noon yesterday almost straight. 

He does get zoomies a couple times a day and if he does nothing for a few days he'll start flinging toys around for himself but overall he's pretty lazy. He spends a majority of time in his bed in a little ball or chewing a bully stick, etc. 

It's one of the things that honestly weirds me out about him. He's much much quieter in a lot of ways than I'm used to. Mia and Summer are definitely lower energy than him especially now at their ages but when young had a ton more restless energy. Especially Mia. I promise she did not turn off at all until about 3 years old. She learned not to wake me up super early but any time I'd wake up after about 5 am she'd be sitting up and staring at me about two inches from my face. She wasn't BAD all the time but she spent all day long doing things. 

Here's a video of Mia at one year old kind of showing how she just perpetually was. This was after a 2 hour park trip which we took religiously.


----------



## cookieface

I don't consider my dogs high energy. I'm sure people who see Katie at the park or in class think she's horrible to live with; she can be a handful. At home, though, she's fairly mellow and is generally content to sleep and soak up attention most of the day. 



Eenypup said:


> Not high energy, but likes to do things!


This is Tyson. He's a pretty chill little boy, but he's usually looking for something to do (and it's usually not something good).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DogTheGreat said:


> I think Shae has seriously skewed my view of what the average dog and puppy's energy level is lol. I was talking with a relative of mine and she was asking some questions about Shae. Basically I told her that I'd say she's got a fair bit of energy, but nothing over the top and she's not crazy or anything. I introduced her to Shae and yeah, I don't think she was in agreement with me on the not crazy energy level. I even remember when she was like four months old and I was filling out a form for the vet and put her energy level as moderate only for the vet to come in and be like "Moderate? Really?". She's a dog that is really very sweet and friendly, but most people can't tolerate her beyond some short periods of time even if she's not practicing rude behaviors. I love it, so I don't fully understand, but yeah she has definitely skewed my views.


LOL same here, for me we fit together like peas and carrots, because I am very serious and he is NOT and I guess I needed that in my life and didnt even know it! But OH admitted to me that Lincoln in large doses for him would be exhausting ... I guess "boing boing bouncy bouncy YAY YAY lets do something together!!!" doesnt fit well with everyone haha.


----------



## kdawnk

I wish Sans was more confident and toy-motivated. 
She's very easily spooked of things and it takes me quite a bit to warm her up to things and a great deal of thinking when training her. If I correct her (Uh-uh, or No) she gets crushed very easily, but if I don't mark the wrong behavior she'll relentlessly offer it until she gets frustrated and loses interest in training. So I have to try like 4-5 different angles on one trick to train her. We're working on "Wave" right now, she can high-five and shake a paw so I figured it'd be a pretty easy next-step trick to train. I say "Bye" and wave my hand and she's supposed to lift her paw up. She CAN do it and does it about 5/10. It's strange that as a puppy she was INFINITELY easier to train tricks. She was okay with making mistakes. As she's gotten older she's grown out of a lot of her fear of random stimuli, but in turn has become very sensitive to my tone. 

Also she won't play fetch to a degree that will tire her (gets it and brings it back like 5-10 times depending on the day), or Frisbee, or swim, or tug. She doesn't enjoy any of them. She'll grab toys and engage in tug with me when I tell her to, but she's not particularly interested in the activity itself. If I treat her she loses any minimal amount of interest in tugging that she may have had. I just cheerlead her through everything and - sometimes - it's exhausting.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I agree with Captjack on the dogs not settling getting put outside. From the time she was a puppy, if Kris would not settle down, outside she went. She soon learned that inside was "lie down and be quiet time". She still played inside when she was young but it was quiet play, no racing around inside. My little dogs get away with it more when they are puppies but even they are either put in their pen or outside they go till they settle down. So, even in the winter when the weather is too bad to get out much, they all know to just lay around till I can go outside with them.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> I wish Sans was more confident and toy-motivated.
> She's very easily spooked of things and it takes me quite a bit to warm her up to things and a great deal of thinking when training her. If I correct her (Uh-uh, or No) she gets crushed very easily, but if I don't mark the wrong behavior she'll relentlessly offer it until she gets frustrated and loses interest in training. So I have to try like 4-5 different angles on one trick to train her. We're working on "Wave" right now, she can high-five and shake a paw so I figured it'd be a pretty easy next-step trick to train. I say "Bye" and wave my hand and she's supposed to lift her paw up. She CAN do it and does it about 5/10. It's strange that as a puppy she was INFINITELY easier to train tricks. She was okay with making mistakes. As she's gotten older she's grown out of a lot of her fear of random stimuli, but in turn has become very sensitive to my tone.
> 
> Also she won't play fetch to a degree that will tire her (gets it and brings it back like 5-10 times depending on the day), or Frisbee, or swim, or tug. She doesn't enjoy any of them. She'll grab toys and engage in tug with me when I tell her to, but she's not particularly interested in the activity itself. If I treat her she loses any minimal amount of interest in tugging that she may have had. I just cheerlead her through everything and - sometimes - it's exhausting.


Josefina is like that (sans the lack of toy drive she has a LOT of toy drive) but performing behaviors, if I even THINK about correcting her, even if its to use a no reward marker word, then poof, she folds like a cheap lawn chair and that's it, no more training. One good thing is she will bring back a toy relentlessly until she is tired, which since she is almost 6 1/2, isnt long anymore . I mostly just take her out there and use her to fetch the ball if Lincoln doesnt bring it back LOL.


----------



## Laurelin

I think Hank may be going through a fear period? He's been WEIRD lately. 

Flipped out about my ceiling fan that has been there since I've had him.

I put a trash bag on a table and OMG. Hank thinks it's weird and needs to be barked at. Won't go near it.

He spooked at this guy standing next to his bike on the trail yesterday. Because the guy wasn't moving like everyone else.

Random pipe sticking out of the ground = weird. Tucked tail and wide eyes and refusing to go near it.

Bridge = won't even take food.

Has decided to not leave his contacts in agility. Like he just hits his contact then acts nervous and won't pull off them????

What the heck, Dog?

He just seems old for a fear period.


----------



## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Josefina is like that (sans the lack of toy drive she has a LOT of toy drive) but performing behaviors, if I even THINK about correcting her, even if its to use a no reward marker word, then poof, she folds like a cheap lawn chair and that's it, no more training.


I wanted to train her to jump because she's a bouncy dog already and I know she'd be good at it. 
We started with two poles that she was wary of that we just walked through repeatedly until she was cool. We brought them closer and walked through. We placed a bar between them that was still laying flat on the ground. We walked her over the bar repeatedly. All is good. We raised the pole so she had to step over it. Good. Next we raised the pole to encourage her to hop over it (could still step if she wanted). Good, hopped it and cleared it every time. Raised it so she had to hop it. Good, good. All is going well. One day, her back foot clips the bar and it makes a clank sound behind her as it falls off the stand and hits the wooden base. She yelps and bolts. Hiding behind a fence panel across the yard. I leash her and try to walk by it and she flips out. I try and treat her near it and she's just backing up and avoiding the treat. Now if she so much as sees the jump stand sitting out somewhere she doesn't enter the yard. 
(Just as an FYI, this process wasn't a rushed adventure at all, it was over two months of working with her and getting her comfortable and showing her it was fun. She had gotten to the point of hopping the bar in her excitement when I'd come home after work, and we'd celebrate every time.)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> I wanted to train her to jump because she's a bouncy dog already and I know she'd be good at it.
> We started with two poles that she was wary of that we just walked through repeatedly until she was cool. We brought them closer and walked through. We placed a bar between them that was still laying flat on the ground. We walked her over the bar repeatedly. All is good. We raised the pole so she had to step over it. Good. Next we raised the pole to encourage her to hop over it (could still step if she wanted). Good, hopped it and cleared it every time. Raised it so she had to hop it. Good, good. All is going well. One day, her back foot clips the bar and it makes a clank sound behind her as it falls off the stand and hits the wooden base. She yelps and bolts. Hiding behind a fence panel across the yard. I leash her and try to walk by it and she flips out. I try and treat her near it and she's just backing up and avoiding the treat. Now if she so much as sees the jump stand sitting out somewhere she doesn't enter the yard.
> (Just as an FYI, this process wasn't a rushed adventure at all, it was over two months of working with her and getting her comfortable and showing her it was fun. She had gotten to the point of hopping the bar in her excitement when I'd come home after work, and we'd celebrate every time.)


Wow, soft dog! No way could I own a dog like that. I make Lincoln do things that scare him to challenge him, of course I make sure it is not dangerous, like there is this area where one of the drains is that handles the run off from the road, it has a small ledge running next to it that is about the width of an agility dog walk, maybe a little wider. He has always been terrified of that drain, ever since he first got here. we started by walking by it, then when he was fine with that, I would sit on the little ledge and make him come down next to me for a treat, then I challenged him to walk across the ledge. 

He gets better every time because every time he does something he thinks is scary, nothing bad happens and he gains confidence, not saying you arent doing a great job with your girl, because you are! I was just sharing a story do you know you arent alone . Josefina HATED the teeter in agility class, Lincoln doesnt care about the teeter, he doesnt care for the tunnels, chute, heck yeah, but tunnels he is very "meh" about it haha.

I kind of feel his pain because I was (and still am to some degree!) terrified of pool drains LOL.

My vent: UGH I just had to call direct tv to help me with hooking up the new TV we bought to our satellite receiver because it had so many hook ups back there I couldnt figure it out lmao, so I was telling them my problem and which colors I had back there and where I had everything hooked up and the lady is all like "you do have them all plugged into the right color, right?" And i was like "Yes, lady, I am not color blind, you know." LOL


----------



## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wow, soft dog! No way could I own a dog like that. I make Lincoln do things that scare him to challenge him, of course I make sure it is not dangerous, like there is this area where one of the drains is that handles the run off from the road, it has a small ledge running next to it that is about the width of an agility dog walk, maybe a little wider. He has always been terrified of that drain, ever since he first got here. we started by walking by it, then when he was fine with that, I would sit on the little ledge and make him come down next to me for a treat, then I challenged him to walk across the ledge.
> 
> He gets better every time because every time he does something he thinks is scary, nothing bad happens and he gains confidence, not saying you arent doing a great job with your girl, because you are! I was just sharing a story do you know you arent alone . Josefina HATED the teeter in agility class, Lincoln doesnt care about the teeter, he doesnt care for the tunnels, chute, heck yeah, but tunnels he is very "meh" about it haha.
> 
> I kind of feel his pain because I was (and still am to some degree!) terrified of pool drains LOL.


Oh don't worry I wouldn't feel like you were undermining my attempts with Sans. She's a very particular case and I often have to take a few hour break and attempt to come at things a different way. I don't think I'd mind having a normal-level soft dog, but she's hard to work with. I appreciate that you can relate! I've just been so shocked that she'll quit on me or act like a dog in a Sarah MacLachlin commercial when I try to tell her that the behavior she offered is incorrect. It's really hard NOT to tell them that they've done something wrong too when trying to for a specific behaviour. Even if I resist saying it out loud, I'll shake my head and her ears go from excited I'm going to get a treat, to Dobby in his final stages.


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## elrohwen

I put Watson at a medium-high level I guess. He can settle in the house for days without exercise really, but I would not want to take him out in public (like to a restaurant) without at least an hour walk first. He kind of flails a lot and needs that exercise to take the edge off. I've been asked by multiple professional trainers "does he ever sleep?" He's just so highly aroused in places a trainer is likely to see him and comes across as a super high energy dog. And he was annoying in the house until maybe 1.5 years. He *needs* exercise to clear his mind and keep his arousal levels down. His stamina is not that high though. He'll do a 6 mile hike, but then he's pretty spent and obviously wants a break. He's not a dog who could go and go for hours and hours. It's nice because an hour long walk really does take the edge off for him and I know for other dogs it might not make a dent.

Hazel I'm not sure. She has pretty good stamina, and loves to run and do active things, and she is an annoying busy bee in the house. But then I can take her out shopping on zero exercise and she's calm and in control in the store (especially for a 5.5 month old puppy). She just doesn't have that need for exercise that Watson does in order to remain clear headed. She's certainly less annoying in the house with more exercise, but that's a puppy thing. I think she will also end up chill in the house with a bit more maturity

ETA: I think most "normal" dog owners would label my dogs high energy. I disagree, because I've met dogs I consider much higher energy.


----------



## Flaming

CptJack said:


> I think honestly a lot of it with me is my dogs have learned that pacing/whinging/being obnoxious or pesty in the house, or even playing with each other much in the house is getting them thrown out. They get a lot of exercise and training, but if they turn aggravating (and that means pacing, whinging, zoomies, rough play) they're not getting my attention, they are getting removed from my sight. Is that fair? I... don't know, but since it's behavior I can't hack, I"m not going to feel too guilty about it Squeaky toys, balls, anything throwable? Aren't even allowed indoors. They live in the car or on the porch.
> 
> Things Molly is 'allowed' to do in the house:
> Snuggle with me
> Wrestle briefly and reasonably mildly with another dog
> Play tug with another dog
> Chew a toy.
> Watch TV
> Cuddle
> Train, if I instigate it.
> Follow me around while I do general housework.
> Sleep.
> 
> Actually, I lied. That's what ALL my dogs are allowed to do indoors. It's a rare day that they don't go out and play hard amongst themselves, and the average, hard, off leash, full tilt exercise available to my dogs most days is somewhere between 2 and 3 hours, but at the end of the day if something's going on? TOUGH LUCK.
> 
> The only weird I get from that is Molly being more clingy and wanting more attention, Thud being more up my butt than usual and maybe getting a little grabby with his mouth (now, that he's almost 3) and a really lightening fast run for the front door. And, well, more willingness to go outside to tear around, even if I'm not coming.
> 
> I'm not a nice person, but I like the end result, I guess.


Those are my house rules as well, they get tossed outside often though Manna being older has a better off switch than Vitae.

Energy wise,
Vitae is as high energy as I'd ever want, and I put her in the middle to low end of medium energy.
Manna is my prefered, she's higher energy than most Newfies but still very solidly in the low energy category.


----------



## Laurelin

I want my next dog to be higher energy than Hank for sure. And higher drive. And preferably a little more restless/hyper. But still well balanced and level headed and biddable? Less prey drive would be nice.

Daydreaming


----------



## Laurelin

As far as comments go I get some interesting ones with Hank. Personally I think he often comes across lower energy than he is but I've had a few people tell me flat out they couldn't live with his energy level. I've had a couple agility people tell me he's far too terrier. One person told me he's far too ACD for her. I've had quite a few tell me how he would be a terrible first dog for someone or how he really needed to be in a sport home. I think he's a super, super easy dog though. I think he'd be a pretty easy just pet dog for most situations? Idk.

I really feel like it's just how well you mesh with the dog. 

I feel like I do less exercising of the dogs than a lot of people on here (we only walk a couple times a week really) but I feel like I could handle quite a bit more energy/drive than Hank has. In fact sometimes he conks out and I still want to GO! lol


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## CptJack

Molly's worked out well for me. She's never out of go before me, but she'll conk out when I decide I'm done. That's pretty much my ideal. Ability to go forever, doesn't have to. I do need to get her happy butt out today, though, because she got no exercise all weekend and then yesterday I was out cold from apparently having caught death (I seriously slept 16 hours). So for the past 3 days she's gotten no attention, love, training, or exercise. She's mostly just slept with me and she's fine, but guilt is starting to get to me.


----------



## mudypony

Duke was definitely high energy when he was younger but as soon as he turned two he's dropped down into more middle range energy. 

As a youngin' he got a combination of walks, running around like a mad man on his long line (for at least an hour), tons of training, and tons of playing with toys, and he would still get zoomies multiple times a day. Now he basically only gets walks and training. He's very rarely ready to play with toys and, the last couple times I've taken him to run on his long line, he just wants to stay by me or smell everything (maybe I should get him into scent work?). He's always had an excellent off switch in the house, not quite so good when he was younger but still better than I expected. He'll start getting restless if it has been a few days without anything. I actually wish he had stayed at the higher energy level, but his energy level right now is kinda nice while I'm going to school full-time and working 25 hrs a week. He's always up for whatever, whether that's sleeping on the couch while I study or going hiking all day. Next dog will be higher energy for sure (Beauceron?!? GSD??)!

As for comments, at training classes Duke is always the craziest one, mainly because he turns into cujo due to his reactivity. He always comes across as much higher energy than he actually is. Only serious dog people (like the trainer) seem to be able to see past his reactive, crazy moments to see that, once I have his attention on me, he is absolutely amazing and very little can break his focus. Most everyone else just thinks he's insane hahaha


----------



## CptJack

mudypony said:


> As for comments, at training classes Duke is always the craziest one, mainly because he turns into cujo due to his reactivity. He always comes across as much higher energy than he actually is. Only serious dog people (like the trainer) seem to be able to see past his reactive, crazy moments to see that, once I have his attention on me, he is absolutely amazing and very little can break his focus. Most everyone else just thinks he's insane hahaha


This is very much the case with Molly. She's gotten less reactive in class/settings with other dogs by a lot, but she still gets stressed and stresses high and that leads to the impression that she's completely wild. Not out of control, just... wild. People give her a wide berth, but frankly I encourage that so. 

Kylie... really seems to surprise people. She comes across as very, very well trained. Like what some people would look at and call 'over-trained' or robotic. Something about her eyes also makes her look really nervous to a lot of people, even when she isn't (wide eyes, I think). She sleeps on my lap at trials (a lot), she spends a lot of time staring me in the face waiting to be told what to do to get a treat, especially in classes and even at the gate. She just doesn't do a whole lot, except look adorable and sometimes do a few tricks (see also getting treats) or putter quietly around. Then they see her playing, either at agility or fetch or just playing, and are taken aback.

Basically, Kylie ramps up and down really easily, and if there's not a reason to be excited and she's not going to get food she'll just take a nap. If there IS she'll be balls to the walls.

We got a LOT of compliments at the trial this past weekend. A LOT.


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## Laurelin

I think the issue with Hank crapping out before me is just me being over the top. I ge tin moods where I want to do all the things at once. A large reason why I want another dog to train eventually. I think it'll help with that.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I think the issue with Hank crapping out before me is just me being over the top. I ge tin moods where I want to do all the things at once. A large reason why I want another dog to train eventually. I think it'll help with that.


Yeah. Molly lives with me almost precisely because Kylie was going to fry. I think if I tried to throw it all at even Molly she'd fry. It's not even energy level (for me) though, so much as my belief that dogs need breaks and I don't always feel like taking one. Except sometimes I do, and I want both dogs to be able to chill. Or I get kind of fixated on working on one thing or another and the dog/s that aren't involved in that need to be able to chill. It's weird math but I think I've gotten it now and I get you.


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## elrohwen

Hazel appears much lower energy than Watson because she's able to regulate herself and only use the amount of energy that is appropriate at that time. We're sitting not doing anything? She will sit and not do anything even some place very exciting. But when it's time to work or play, she's ready. I did a 1 hour private lesson with her once (with breaks) and she was in it the whole time still able to focus and work.

Watson just spins way way up in any environment he finds stimulating or exciting. People keep saying that their dogs are crazy, but perfectly behaved in classes and I was like "What are you talking about? That's a thing?" Lol. My dog is far worse in classes than in many other environments.

Last night I took Watson for an hour walk so he could chill, and then took Hazel to class where she rocked it despite not having any exercise that day. I could never have taken Watson to a class like that at 5.5 months without wearing him out first.


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## OwnedbyACDs

I was surprised at how Lincoln was able to focus in training class, too, and I didnt tire him out before I went, either LOL. Even with other dogs there and people ... the only thing he got really excited about was the obstacles and he ended up gassing himself out, he always gasses himself during any physical activity, whether it's playing ball with Josefina, or working stock LOL, we are working on that.


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## kdawnk

So I've been thinking that maybe in a couple months for Sans' birthday... Or maybe now and we'll get the results in a while... I should DNA test Sans.
I've been thinking of it for a bit, but I know they're mostly a joke so I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money.
I lost the thread that was bumping around about it and searching DNA doesn't really work out.

Does anyone know how much they are? Are there quite a few different tests? Are any better than the others?


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## Laurelin

So I came home and there was poop in the playpen (so either papillon could have done this). But the question is why was poop all over Mia's back???


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## Laurelin

Ahhh man video made me cry. In a good way.






Dogs are so cool.

/mush/


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> So I came home and there was poop in the playpen (so either papillon could have done this). But the question is why was poop all over Mia's back???


 Did she roll in it??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqClWdOcWog


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## ireth0

Eeee I'm getting really pumped for our fundraiser hike on Sat. 

My dad is going to come with us, and afterward they're doing a BBQ with music and doing prize draws and stuff like that. 

Plus we're really close to the goal I set myself which is super cool!

I'm hoping to be able to get some great pics as well!


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## CptJack

I realized today that I would totally own another dog like Thud. Those first two, two and a half years? They were with it. I can not overstate how awesome he is, now that he has a brain in his head.

Not that I'd, you know, know where to get another one, anyway, but, man. Yeah.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I realized today that I would totally own another dog like Thud. Those first two, two and a half years? They were with it. I can not overstate how awesome he is, now that he has a brain in his head.


That is a bold statement!


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> That is a bold statement!


I know, right? I'm stunned at myself, but honestly? He's truly turned into this amazingly level headed dog. I'd like a little more biddability, still, and could do without the love of biting, but these past four months he's just been an incredibly good dog. Ramps up and down appropriately, adjusts himself for situations, LISTENS most of the time. Not a sports dog or anything, for sure, but he's just the best dog.

(watch. He's going to eat my house tomorrow.)


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I know, right? I'm stunned at myself, but honestly? He's truly turned into this amazingly level headed dog. I'd like a little more biddability, still, and could do without the love of biting, but these past four months he's just been an incredibly good dog. Ramps up and down appropriately, adjusts himself for situations, LISTENS most of the time. Not a sports dog or anything, for sure, but he's just the best dog.
> 
> (watch. He's going to eat my house tomorrow.)


My parents say that about Watson a lot. They thought he was just too much for a couple years, but now every time they are with him they just gush about what a good dog he is. At least if you don't leave the house or his typical walking areas, he really is a good dog.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> My parents say that about Watson a lot. They thought he was just too much for a couple years, but now every time they are with him they just gush about what a good dog he is. At least if you don't leave the house or his typical walking areas, he really is a good dog.


It's a little bit weird, because for all his issues? Thud has got to be the least reactive dog I own, or possibly have ever owned - well, okay, Jack probably wins that, but still. Oh, there was a period when he got weird and cowered at people, which was right on the heels of a period where he wanted to lick everyone, but mostly he just. He's so, so, solid everywhere. He sometimes decides someone's sketchy or worrying but it's awfully rare and almost always appropriate. Dog wise, he'd probably eat another intact male before he'd live with it, but he doesn't... react at them, either. As in: He'll ignore them forever if they give him room and don't try and hump him or something but otherwise 'whatever'. 


Honestly, he's still energetic and wants to play and likes to bite for fun, but he's just so freaking STEADY and SENSIBLE it's bizarre land. I almost can't even reconcile him now with him 6 months ago - and I really can't with him a year ago.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> It's a little bit weird, because for all his issues? Thud has got to be the least reactive dog I own, or possibly have ever owned - well, okay, Jack probably wins that, but still. Oh, there was a period when he got weird and cowered at people, which was right on the heels of a period where he wanted to lick everyone, but mostly he just. He's so, so, solid everywhere. He sometimes decides someone's sketchy or worrying but it's awfully rare and almost always appropriate.
> 
> Honestly, he's still energetic and wants to play and likes to bite for fun, but he's just so freaking STEADY and SENSIBLE it's bizarre land. I almost can't even reconcile him now with him 6 months ago - and I really can't with him a year ago.


Sounds like he's come farther than Watson then. Haha. He can still be kind of an emotional teenager, but he's so much better than he was.

At agility last night, we were talking about how Hazel is such a thinker, and I said Watson doesn't think, he just does. And the trainer said he just does what the voices in his head tell him to do. lol I told her Welshie people say that the boys live by their own soundtrack running through their heads until they're 5 years old, and she was like "5?!?!"


----------



## CptJack

I think ultimately, Thud was just never going to take my word for anything - and still isn't, honestly - but he's learned enough and experienced enough that the decisions he makes on his own are appropriate. He's still not biddable, his prey-drive is still asinine, and he still likes to use his teeth, but it's like he's figured out (FINALLY) when, where, who, and what, enough that it's just not whatever he emotionally feels like at any moment. It's still got nothing to do with what I say, but he's more synched up with reality, at least. 

Which is basically how I defined maturity somewhere else, anyway, so I guess it's apt enough. He just seems to have done most of his between 2 and 3. Then again, really, so did kylie and she was never 'immature' in an obvious way. She still did a ton of growing into herself and confidence in that year. Starting to think that's the important year for real maturation. ...Or five will be. Five's kind of the prime of life for most dogs, IMO, so that'll be interesting to see, too.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I'm annoyed because I think I'm going to have to ditch the crate except for when I'm home/in the room and can make sure she's going to be staying put. Tried a few different kinds of ties to secure the door and she either snapped them or shredded them. Tried to go the carabiner route, but I can't find one that fits just well enough and if there is any movement, she just keeps trying and trying and whining and crying out of frustration/upset. I could go ahead and just continue to keep with it and say "Oh well, she'll eventually learn it's not going to work." except when she was a young puppy there were a couple of times she bloodied her snout in her crate trying to get out. Don't really want to potentially come home to a bloodied snout especially since now she *knows* she can get out (it wasn't bad, but still...). I guess I'll probably just hold her up in the bathroom.


----------



## cookieface

Katie and Tyson are _very_ interested in the free range chickens. Hope their range doesn't include the cabin's yard - otherwise they may become free range dinner.


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## taquitos

DogTheGreat said:


> I'm annoyed because I think I'm going to have to ditch the crate except for when I'm home/in the room and can make sure she's going to be staying put. Tried a few different kinds of ties to secure the door and she either snapped them or shredded them. Tried to go the carabiner route, but I can't find one that fits just well enough and if there is any movement, she just keeps trying and trying and whining and crying out of frustration/upset. I could go ahead and just continue to keep with it and say "Oh well, she'll eventually learn it's not going to work." except when she was a young puppy there were a couple of times she bloodied her snout in her crate trying to get out. Don't really want to potentially come home to a bloodied snout especially since now she *knows* she can get out (it wasn't bad, but still...). I guess I'll probably just hold her up in the bathroom.


Crate training and loose leash walking are honestly some of the hardest things to teach to a dog... Puppies are hard!

I don't know why I am planning on getting one lol!


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## jade5280

Panzer is so awesome. He just lays down in front of me and stares at me during puppy class. A tiny yorkie jumped on his face and he completely ignored it, he didn't even break eye contact.


----------



## kcomstoc

jade5280 said:


> Panzer is so awesome. He just lays down in front of me and stares at me during puppy class. A tiny yorkie jumped on his face and he completely ignored it, he didn't even break eye contact.


OMG that's awesome


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Panzer is so awesome. He just lays down in front of me and stares at me during puppy class. A tiny yorkie jumped on his face and he completely ignored it, he didn't even break eye contact.


Go Panzer!


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## jade5280

Thanks! It feels so good to not have to be super stressed out about going to training classes.


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## Laurelin

Ok

a) Border collie?

b) how the heck do they have a dog listed as a male on one profile and a female on another?

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33215743
https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33251486

I almost see some GSD? Maybe?


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## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> Thanks! It feels so good to not have to be super stressed out about going to training classes.


I definitely know that feeling!


----------



## DogTheGreat

taquitos said:


> Crate training and loose leash walking are honestly some of the hardest things to teach to a dog... Puppies are hard!
> 
> I don't know why I am planning on getting one lol!


Thankfully she's not really a puppy (yay adolescence!) anymore, so the crate at least served it purpose when it comes to house-training. Would be a million times more frustrating if I had to worry about coming home to accidents!


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Ok
> 
> a) Border collie?
> 
> b) how the heck do they have a dog listed as a male on one profile and a female on another?
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33215743
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33251486
> 
> I almost see some GSD? Maybe?


Looks mostly BC to me, actually. Might have a touch of something else, but I think mostly it just has huge ears. Also I suspect it's female and I have NO IDEA how they got the gender wrong in one.


----------



## kdawnk

I was doing SO GOOD. I was exercising outside every day. Jogging with Sans, going for hikes, exploring places on bike, and walking. Every day. I was getting confident that I could maintain this again and I was enjoying myself. I'd stopped eating out for 2 weeks.
Then, cue 5 consecutive days of +4ºC, pouring rain, and intense wind.
I fall back into my hermit tendencies and order take out and don't leave the couch.

In order for me to stay with a schedule I need to do it every day or I fall way off track. I have an exercise bike, but day one of pouring rain and gloom I was so tired I didn't exercise. Day 2 I'm even more tired and I ate take out already so screw it, and the pattern continues.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> I was doing SO GOOD. I was exercising outside every day. Jogging with Sans, going for hikes, exploring places on bike, and walking. Every day. I was getting confident that I could maintain this again and I was enjoying myself. I'd stopped eating out for 2 weeks.
> Then, cue 5 consecutive days of +4ºC, pouring rain, and intense wind.
> I fall back into my hermit tendencies and order take out and don't leave the couch.
> 
> In order for me to stay with a schedule I need to do it every day or I fall way off track. I have an exercise bike, but day one of pouring rain and gloom I was so tired I didn't exercise. Day 2 I'm even more tired and I ate take out already so screw it, and the pattern continues.


I need to get a treadmil or some kind of exercise bike, I already have an upper body machine that I will bring in when the weather gets too cold and rainy/snowy/icy to have it outside. But I have really bad exercised induced asthma in winter thanks to the cold dry air and I just cant run outside in winter and I DO NOT want to fall into the terrible shape I was in at the start of summer.


----------



## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I need to get a treadmil or some kind of exercise bike, I already have an upper body machine that I will bring in when the weather gets too cold and rainy/snowy/icy to have it outside. But I have really bad exercised induced asthma in winter thanks to the cold dry air and I just cant run outside in winter and I DO NOT want to fall into the terrible shape I was in at the start of summer.


I am the most terrible shape I've ever been. Which I mean, I'm not awful. I just really got lazy and started some Birth Control pills that reaaally screwed everything up for me in the weight department. Gained 30 pounds, and I was hungry ALL THE TIME for 6 months. I finally convinced everyone I needed to stop taking them. So now I'm kind of in weight-gain limbo. Even with summer increased exercise it was steadily increasing, now we're all just waiting to see what will happen.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> I am the most terrible shape I've ever been. Which I mean, I'm not awful. I just really got lazy and started some Birth Control pills that reaaally screwed everything up for me in the weight department. Gained 30 pounds, and I was hungry ALL THE TIME for 6 months. I finally convinced everyone I needed to stop taking them. So now I'm kind of in weight-gain limbo. Even with summer increased exercise it was steadily increasing, now we're all just waiting to see what will happen.


This is why I could never take chemical BC, either, every last one of them messed with me and either made me bloated, hungry and fat, or made me feel like I was on a mood roller coaster ... not fun


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## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> This is why I could never take chemical BC, either, every last one of them messed with me and either made me bloated, hungry and fat, or made me feel like I was on a mood roller coaster ... not fun


Wow you're the only person that has ever had problems with them similar to me that I know of. All of my friends have zero reactions to it besides positive ones!
*BC attempt one:* Suicidal. Didn't realize it was from the pills until I broke down in the car one day and told my mom that I didn't "See anything for me beyond highschool" I literally could not foresee a future for myself. Everything just ended after highschool in my mind.
*BC attempt two:* Purple stretch marks all over my body, they've faded to white now, but still inconvenient.
*BC attempt three:* Acne, minor weight gain, cellulite developing along with it. (when I ended it acne stayed, still now, into my adulthood)
*BC attempt four (recent): *Large weight gain, mood swings, cellulite increased every where, new period symptoms (achy chest-region, sporadic periodical dates)

All because I have incredibly bad cramps that make me pass out or have to be so drugged up I can't be a functioning member of society. Just for one day... but it's not an enjoyable experience.


----------



## taquitos

kdawnk said:


> I am the most terrible shape I've ever been. Which I mean, I'm not awful. I just really got lazy and started some Birth Control pills that reaaally screwed everything up for me in the weight department. Gained 30 pounds, and I was hungry ALL THE TIME for 6 months. I finally convinced everyone I needed to stop taking them. So now I'm kind of in weight-gain limbo. Even with summer increased exercise it was steadily increasing, now we're all just waiting to see what will happen.


Yeah I had horrible reactions to hormonal BC as well 

Have you tried tricycline lo? It seems to work for a lot of people who are sensitive.

The two brands I tried made me crazy emotional, nauseous, gave me acne, made me lose weight, and I had like 0.. .ahem. drive... for adult things lol.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I've never taken birth control. The weight gain possibility terrifies me.


----------



## kdawnk

DogTheGreat said:


> I've never taken birth control. The weight gain possibility terrifies me.


I think the suicidal and purple stretch mark possibility should terrify you more hahaha 
Weight gain you can change things and work it off. Stretch marks are pretty much permanent and the suicidal part doesn't just _POOF_ away. 
Though I'm definitely like 90% happier.

And because none of you people know me in person, I feel comfortable saying my weight was a - fairly toned - 140 initially (at 5ft 7) and now I'm 170, give or take, and I definitely haven't grown taller 
That being said not many people - that I know of - at all have problems on BC pills.


----------



## DogTheGreat

kdawnk said:


> I think the suicidal and purple stretch mark possibility should terrify you more hahaha


Probably... priorities clearly in check haha. I'm just really small, so any weight gain at all looks like a lot on me and I've heard so many horror stories of women going on the pill only to gain 20-40 pounds (even though I know a lot of doctors that _insist_ weight gain is not a true side effect of BC pills). 

I've had multiple doctors push me to take it because my period can bring some terrible pain that sometimes results in me crying on the bathroom floor wishing I were dead so that the pain would stop for hours. I just have never felt comfortable taking that step. My OB/GYN recommended a set of supplements to take daily if the pill wasn't going to be on my options list and I've noticed some improvements with it.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> Looks mostly BC to me, actually. Might have a touch of something else, but I think mostly it just has huge ears. Also I suspect it's female and I have NO IDEA how they got the gender wrong in one.


Well Yogi is definitely a she. She's also bigger than I anticipated. Sadly she was out in the yards so I didn't get a good evaluation but she looks pretty BC/GSD to me. Idk. Didn't want to have to talk to a worker cause I didn't have time. 

Holy cute kittens everywhere though. Wish I could have one but I'm sure hank would eat it.


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> Wow you're the only person that has ever had problems with them similar to me that I know of. All of my friends have zero reactions to it besides positive ones!
> *BC attempt one:* Suicidal. Didn't realize it was from the pills until I broke down in the car one day and told my mom that I didn't "See anything for me beyond highschool" I literally could not foresee a future for myself. Everything just ended after highschool in my mind.
> *BC attempt two:* Purple stretch marks all over my body, they've faded to white now, but still inconvenient.
> *BC attempt three:* Acne, minor weight gain, cellulite developing along with it. (when I ended it acne stayed, still now, into my adulthood)
> *BC attempt four (recent): *Large weight gain, mood swings, cellulite increased every where, new period symptoms (achy chest-region, sporadic periodical dates)
> 
> All because I have incredibly bad cramps that make me pass out or have to be so drugged up I can't be a functioning member of society. Just for one day... but it's not an enjoyable experience.


Ahhh, just typed out a whole response and lost it  Ah well, will recreate:

Were all of these pill form birth control? Have you ever considered the Mirena IUD (or something similar) or the arm implant?

I have a 5 year IUD and have had no side effects. Minus one amazing one, which is that I don't have periods any more. At all. I still feel hormonal and crazy once a month, but it's not accompanied by cramps or the use of feminine products.

A few of my friends with heavy, painful periods just got the arm implant and they really like it. It has lightened their period (though they do still have one) and they have no side effects like weight gain or weird cravings.


----------



## Remaru

kdawnk said:


> I am the most terrible shape I've ever been. Which I mean, I'm not awful. I just really got lazy and started some Birth Control pills that reaaally screwed everything up for me in the weight department. Gained 30 pounds, and I was hungry ALL THE TIME for 6 months. I finally convinced everyone I needed to stop taking them. So now I'm kind of in weight-gain limbo. Even with summer increased exercise it was steadily increasing, now we're all just waiting to see what will happen.


I'm sorry, I'm there too. I can't take hormonal BC, it causes the crazies. I'm bipolar and apparently hormonal BC triggers a hypo-manic stage for me that is...well it isn't pretty. My OB convinced me that mirena would be safe after my youngest was born, no hormones enter your blood stream, um yep not so much. My best friend finally pulled me aside and said "I'm worried, this is like when we were in high school" he scared me enough to get me in gear. Stupid thing had made me put on a ton of weight though (never had that problem with regular pills). 

I was doing really well for a couple of years. On meds, had my health mostly under control and we were doing martial arts as a family 5days a week for several hours. I was in pretty good shape. My moods were well controlled, and I felt good. In the last two years my health has been worse and I've been struggling to find a way to still work out and stay in shape while not hurting myself. I've only gained about 10lbs but I'm not fit anymore and it bothers me, plus I think I would just feel better in general if I worked out more. I've been looking at getting a Trike (because my balance sucks) and I've considered a treadmill but I don't know how much use it would get. Lenore could use the treadmill but most of our other dogs couldn't.


----------



## kdawnk

DogTheGreat said:


> Probably... priorities clearly in check haha. I'm just really small, so any weight gain at all looks like a lot on me and I've heard so many horror stories of women going on the pill only to gain 20-40 pounds (even though I know a lot of doctors that _insist_ weight gain is not a true side effect of BC pills).
> 
> I've had multiple doctors push me to take it because my period can bring some terrible pain that sometimes results in me crying on the bathroom floor wishing I were dead so that the pain would stop for hours. I just have never felt comfortable taking that step. My OB/GYN recommended a set of supplements to take daily if the pill wasn't going to be on my options list and I've noticed some improvements with it.


Yes, I know that pain very well! I've found nothing but strong painkillers helps mine.
My roommate says Evening Primrose really helps her, it's natural (I'm pretty sure) but the pills are really large and I have a hard problem swallowing pills as it is. *cringes*


----------



## kdawnk

Hiraeth said:


> Ahhh, just typed out a whole response and lost it  Ah well, will recreate:
> 
> Were all of these pill form birth control? Have you ever considered the Mirena IUD (or something similar) or the arm implant?
> 
> I have a 5 year IUD and have had no side effects. Minus one amazing one, which is that I don't have periods any more. At all. I still feel hormonal and crazy once a month, but it's not accompanied by cramps or the use of feminine products.
> 
> A few of my friends with heavy, painful periods just got the arm implant and they really like it. It has lightened their period (though they do still have one) and they have no side effects like weight gain or weird cravings.


They're all oral pill attempts.
The doctor I have has serious concerns that if I try something more permanent that I could get some really crazy reactions. There's a shot you can get that gets rid of it for... eeh... I think there's separate terms, (3 months, and then 6 months, and then 3 years) but he's very hesitant to put me on something until we "find something that slightly works" so that he knows what effects me and how. He seems to have a very tired reaction of all my periodical struggles now for how frequently I used to come in. His last recommendation was to have a baby and it might reset itself for the better. Great advice, for the young adult that doesn't want children ever.



Remaru said:


> I'm sorry, I'm there too. I can't take hormonal BC, it causes the crazies. I'm bipolar and apparently hormonal BC triggers a hypo-manic stage for me that is...well it isn't pretty. My OB convinced me that mirena would be safe after my youngest was born, no hormones enter your blood stream, um yep not so much. My best friend finally pulled me aside and said "I'm worried, this is like when we were in high school" he scared me enough to get me in gear. Stupid thing had made me put on a ton of weight though (never had that problem with regular pills).
> 
> I was doing really well for a couple of years. On meds, had my health mostly under control and we were doing martial arts as a family 5days a week for several hours. I was in pretty good shape. My moods were well controlled, and I felt good. In the last two years my health has been worse and I've been struggling to find a way to still work out and stay in shape while not hurting myself. I've only gained about 10lbs but I'm not fit anymore and it bothers me, plus I think I would just feel better in general if I worked out more. I've been looking at getting a Trike (because my balance sucks) and I've considered a treadmill but I don't know how much use it would get. Lenore could use the treadmill but most of our other dogs couldn't.


My mom keeps making me try them all. I'm so tired of screwing with things. Last time I was in I asked the doctor if I could just get stronger pain killers (I've been using ones not prescribed for me for a bit now) because he won't give me anything stronger than Naproxen and it's JUST ONE DAY._ Have some tea or something, have you tried eating a banana?
_ He said he'd consider giving me something stronger if the last pill didn't work for me. Which it didn't, but I hate going to the doctor.
Screw your bananas doctor, I feel like I'm dying here!


----------



## ireth0

Let's all look forward to the day when men are responsible for taking birth control.


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> They're all oral pill attempts.
> The doctor I have has serious concerns that if I try something more permanent that I could get some really crazy reactions. There's a shot you can get that gets rid of it for... eeh... I think there's separate terms, (3 months, and then 6 months, and then 3 years) but he's very hesitant to put me on something until we "find something that slightly works" so that he knows what effects me and how. He seems to have a very tired reaction of all my periodical struggles now for how frequently I used to come in. His last recommendation was to have a baby and it might reset itself for the better. Great advice, for the young adult that doesn't want children ever.


Hmmm.... If a doctor recommended that to me, I'd probably go find a new doctor. Like, one who actually cares about my mental and physical well-being and won't stop until a solution is found.


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Let's all look forward to the day when men are responsible for taking birth control.


Haha. Cheers to that! I actually have a couple co-workers who got vasectomies. I give them lots of credit for that (and yes, we talk about stuff that is really inappropriate for work sometimes)



Hiraeth said:


> Hmmm.... If a doctor recommended that to me, I'd probably go find a new doctor. Like, one who actually cares about my mental and physical well-being and won't stop until a solution is found.


Agreed! If I'm at the doctor all the time because I'm not getting better, I would hope they would be more concerned about me and want to work harder to find a solution. Not act tired of me.


----------



## Remaru

kdawnk said:


> They're all oral pill attempts.
> The doctor I have has serious concerns that if I try something more permanent that I could get some really crazy reactions. There's a shot you can get that gets rid of it for... eeh... I think there's separate terms, (3 months, and then 6 months, and then 3 years) but he's very hesitant to put me on something until we "find something that slightly works" so that he knows what effects me and how. He seems to have a very tired reaction of all my periodical struggles now for how frequently I used to come in. His last recommendation was to have a baby and it might reset itself for the better. Great advice, for the young adult that doesn't want children ever.
> 
> 
> 
> My mom keeps making me try them all. I'm so tired of screwing with things. Last time I was in I asked the doctor if I could just get stronger pain killers (I've been using ones not prescribed for me for a bit now) because he won't give me anything stronger than Naproxen and it's JUST ONE DAY._ Have some tea or something, have you tried eating a banana?
> _ He said he'd consider giving me something stronger if the last pill didn't work for me. Which it didn't, but I hate going to the doctor.
> Screw your bananas doctor, I feel like I'm dying here!


There are procedures that can be done, many doctors don't like to do them on younger people because it means never conceiving and I do believe that you have to be sterilized first. Hubby has had a vasectomy so I don't worry about it anymore. I would find a new doctor first, I wouldn't keep messing with hormones that are messing you up. Figure out if it is something like PCOS, I have quite a few friends struggling with that. Though there are non-hormonal options many cause heavier and more painful periods. I think I'm going to pursue hysterectomy, every woman in my family has needed one by 40 anyway.


----------



## CptJack

I napped for an hour outside. With Kylie. The fact that she never left me, and in fact just curled up and slept with me, is more impressive to me and all the agility and tricks in the world.


----------



## elrohwen

I was prepared to enter Hazel in her first show mid-November. I think I just agreed to enter her early October. Ah! Probably should have taught some stacking before now. (ETA: Fortunately I signed her up for handling class starting next week)


----------



## kdawnk

Yeah I don't know if it's different where you guys are, but no one really takes period pain serious here.
I had two female doctors before him that believed that because they experienced no, or little pain, that I must have a ridiculously low pain tolerance and I'll be fine with motrin or midol and refused to prescribe anything for me.
I also had another male doctor before my current one that told me I was suicidal because I was a teenager not because of BC pills.

Then I have my most recent one who listens when I tell him things aren't right, but doesn't really seem to know how to fix my problems and is probably just as tired as me of trying different pills. I called quits on the BC pills, my mom and my doctor, both want me to try Yaz (sp?) that's the one I always heard on TV that had like the longest list of side effects. I just finished trying Tricyclen low (someone mentioned it earlier) it has no estrogen in it because some girls are sensitive to it. But in a forum recently I read that it - very successfully - convinces your body that it's pregnant so you get hunger cravings and bloat super intensely... like a pregnant woman. When I read that I knew that was happening to me so I stopped.

I kind of ran out of local doctors to go to besides the one I'm at currently. They all seem to have a fairly out dated, or biased, concept of cramps. 
When my mom got a hysterectomy she had to meet one of THESE criteria
1) Has had three children
2) Is over 40
3) Has husbands signature on document saying he agrees with the decision

My mom was 38, only has two children, so my dad had to sign off on her hysterectomy.


----------



## ireth0

kdawnk said:


> My mom was 38, only has two children, so my dad had to sign off on her hysterectomy.


Woooooooooow.

As an aside, when I was younger it was also really bad for me. More than once I had to leave school early because the pain was just too bad and I couldn't hope to focus on anything school related. I felt like I was going to pass out.


----------



## elrohwen

My co-worker tried to get her tubes tied when she was 24 and already had two kids. The doctor refused and said she had to be over 25 or have 3 kids. The next year she got pregnant again by accident (she's terrible at keeping up with the pill) and was so pissed. Once she had the third she went through with getting her tubes tied. I think her husband also had to sign off that he was aware she was doing it


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> Yeah I don't know if it's different where you guys are, but no one really takes period pain serious here.
> I had two female doctors before him that believed that because they experienced no, or little pain, that I must have a ridiculously low pain tolerance and I'll be fine with motrin or midol and refused to prescribe anything for me.
> I also had another male doctor before my current one that told me I was suicidal because I was a teenager not because of BC pills.
> 
> Then I have my most recent one who listens when I tell him things aren't right, but doesn't really seem to know how to fix my problems and is probably just as tired as me of trying different pills. I called quits on the BC pills, my mom and my doctor, both want me to try Yaz (sp?) that's the one I always heard on TV that had like the longest list of side effects. I just finished trying Tricyclen low (someone mentioned it earlier) it has no estrogen in it because some girls are sensitive to it. But in a forum recently I read that it - very successfully - convinces your body that it's pregnant so you get hunger cravings and bloat super intensely... like a pregnant woman. When I read that I knew that was happening to me so I stopped.
> 
> I kind of ran out of local doctors to go to besides the one I'm at currently. They all seem to have a fairly out dated, or biased, concept of cramps.
> When my mom got a hysterectomy she had to meet one of THESE criteria
> 1) Has had three children
> 2) Is over 40
> 3) Has husbands signature on document saying he agrees with the decision
> 
> My mom was 38, only has two children, so my dad had to sign off on her hysterectomy.


Wow, that's crazy. I used to have really bad period cramps and there's no way in the world anyone would accuse me of having a low pain tolerance. 

I've ridden horses while I've had multiple broken ribs, sat for a 6 hour tattoo session, had a root canal performed with minimal anesthetic and tripped a fell on a 3 mile hike only to finish the last 2 miles with a leg wound that later required 5 staples. 

Outside of my every-so-often migraines, none of that came even close to laying me low like period cramps did. The fact that medical professionals can't respect your pain and look for solutions for it really bothers me.


----------



## Jen2010

> Yeah I don't know if it's different where you guys are, but no one really takes period pain serious here.
> I had two female doctors before him that believed that because they experienced no, or little pain, that I must have a ridiculously low pain tolerance and I'll be fine with motrin or midol and refused to prescribe anything for me.
> I also had another male doctor before my current one that told me I was suicidal because I was a teenager not because of BC pills.
> 
> Then I have my most recent one who listens when I tell him things aren't right, but doesn't really seem to know how to fix my problems and is probably just as tired as me of trying different pills. I called quits on the BC pills, my mom and my doctor, both want me to try Yaz (sp?) that's the one I always heard on TV that had like the longest list of side effects. I just finished trying Tricyclen low (someone mentioned it earlier) it has no estrogen in it because some girls are sensitive to it. But in a forum recently I read that it - very successfully - convinces your body that it's pregnant so you get hunger cravings and bloat super intensely... like a pregnant woman. When I read that I knew that was happening to me so I stopped.


 Man I totally feel your pain. I used to get such bad cramps I literally couldn't even stand up. I was taking so many Midol/Ibuprofen my mom was concerned they were doing damage to my body. None of my friends had any pain at all. My sister neither. But I sure did and my mom said she was the same as a teenager. When I was about 16 or 17 I finally went to my doctor about it and he prescribed pain killers. They didn't work so I went back again. And again. The 3rd prescription did the trick and I was able to function again. When I was 20 I went on the injection (every 3 months) and I've never looked back. It's amazing! No period; no cramps. I've been on it over 12 years and can't think of anything better. I can understand your doctor being hesitant to try it though with the side effects you've already experienced. But I understand your pain and I'm sorry you have to go through it :-( I grew up in Sask too btw


----------



## Willowy

I used to get SUPER sick for a day or two every month when I first started. Age 11 through about 15-16 probably. Lying on the bathroom floor in horrible pain, needing the toilet close by in case I needed to barf. Didn't give me a real good introduction to adult woman-ing . And of course the military doctors just said "yep, cramps are normal!". Fortunately I outgrew that, and things have been pretty much OK ever since, but lately something has been not-right in the ladies department. I'm thinking ovarian cysts. Yay. I guess I'll have to suck it up and go to the doctor :/. Lady parts are trouble. 

I just realized the small-town gossip train has not been working in my office. We just had a guy retire, and he was our main source of local news, apparently. Because last night the Medevac helicopter was in town and nobody has been able to say who they came for. I'm not sure if this is some kind of profound commentary on how society is these days or what.


----------



## kdawnk

Too much to quote haha
@ireth0 - Yeah my pain is super bad, I HAVE passed out because of it. Whether that's because I have a low pain tolerance and react weirdly or not, but I ended up hyperventilating myself through it. I get too hot too, so winter is usually lovely. I can just go sit outside and my body can fight the pain whatever way it wants without me hyperventilating and overheating myself. I miss about a work day a month and everyone at work is like, "You're a super sickly person aren't you?" ... No one has put two and two together that it's ONE day ONCE every... 28 days? Hahaha

@elrohwen - Yeah except our doctors won't remove them before 40 because you can still have healthy babies without problems before 40, but after 40 it gets dicey. You also must contribute three children hahaha for some reason. If you're not married and don't want kids? You're f***** man.

@Hiraeth - Yes, it makes me very grumpy as well. Like, I almost wish I could show up at their house on a day I'm experiencing particularly bad pain and would normally knock myself out with a strong pain killer. Just so they can SEE it, you can't deny it when you _see it_. I had an ex that was like, "None of my other ex-gfs had problems like this, are you sure you're not exaggerating? I can't imagine needing to take a sick day for something like that, don't you think it's a waste?" I invited him over when I was dying one time and it was both hilarious and frustrating.
He was like, "What can I do? _(Nothing, just stay away. Bring me food.)_ Do you need water? I used google they said bananas? _(F*** THE BANANAS)_ Uh... Okay... What about a hot pad _(I literally already feel like I'm on fire)... _Do you like Green Tea? Massages? What can I do?!"


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> @Hiraeth - Yes, it makes me very grumpy as well. Like, I almost wish I could show up at their house on a day I'm experiencing particularly bad pain and would normally knock myself out with a strong pain killer. Just so they can SEE it, you can't deny it when you _see it_. I had an ex that was like, "None of my other ex-gfs had problems like this, are you sure you're not exaggerating? I can't imagine needing to take a sick day for something like that, don't you think it's a waste?" I invited him over when I was dying one time and it was both hilarious and frustrating.
> He was like, "What can I do? _(Nothing, just stay away. Bring me food.)_ Do you need water? *I used google they said bananas? (F*** THE BANANAS)* Uh... Okay... What about a hot pad _(I literally already feel like I'm on fire)... _Do you like Green Tea? Massages? What can I do?!"


Ahhaha. The bold part made me laugh out loud. I can just imagine someone laying on the floor in horrible period cramp pain screaming "F*** THE BANANAS" at her clueless boyfriend...


----------



## kdawnk

Jen2010 said:


> Man I totally feel your pain. I used to get such bad cramps I literally couldn't even stand up. I was taking so many Midol/Ibuprofen my mom was concerned they were doing damage to my body. None of my friends had any pain at all. My sister neither. But I sure did and my mom said she was the same as a teenager. When I was about 16 or 17 I finally went to my doctor about it and he prescribed pain killers. They didn't work so I went back again. And again. The 3rd prescription did the trick and I was able to function again. When I was 20 I went on the injection (every 3 months) and I've never looked back. It's amazing! No period; no cramps. I've been on it over 12 years and can't think of anything better. I can understand your doctor being hesitant to try it though with the side effects you've already experienced. But I understand your pain and I'm sorry you have to go through it :-( I grew up in Sask too btw


Super cool! And great for you!
I mean it wouldn't be that bad if they'd give me a stronger pain killer. I'm only going to run out of the stuff my dad has been giving me eventually. I've asked for stronger stuff lately and my doctor doesn't want to give me anything stronger. I started on 150mg Naproxen, he moved me up to 250mg, and now I'm on 500mg. I also take anything else I can take without conflict and occasionally I'll double the Naproxen so it's _1000mg_. Though I really don't like doing that. It's just one day. It bothers me so much, because Day 2, I have probably average-girl pain and I can get through it without taking anything. I even have magnesium tablets that athletes use for muscle cramps. It's supposed to give instant and brief relief. It does! Usually just enough time to get me home instead of my parents picking me up.


----------



## kdawnk

Hiraeth said:


> Ahhaha. The bold part made me laugh out loud. I can just imagine someone laying on the floor in horrible period cramp pain screaming "F*** THE BANANAS" at her clueless boyfriend...


Bahahaha It was *EXACTLY* like that. Almost every period someone tells me to eat a banana. If it were as simple as eating a banana do you not think I'd have like 40 bananas around me at all times and my own private banana dealer?! One time when I was younger I did all the things that he suggested. I was eating a banana, drinking green tea with a hot pad on my lower stomach. I ate so many bananas. I am very vehemently against bananas hahaha, PTSD of bananas.


----------



## Willowy

I sort of wish there were spay clinics for women . I mean, if I don't want my lady bits (for any reason, but especially if they're troublesome!), why is that the doctor's business? Why be so patronizing to assume I don't know what I really want? I understand it's major surgery, but don't try to mansplain to me that I might want babies someday. I think I can figure that out myself, thanks.

Although my dad had to have my mom sign a release when he got a vasectomy so I guess it's not just women. I don't think they tried to talk him out of it at all though. Age 37 and 3 kids.


----------



## TSTrainer

My boyfriend LOOVEESSS to recommend bananas for cramps, as if he's clued in lol. The kicker is I HATE bananas, their entire existence makes me gag.


----------



## Willowy

Well, and RDA for potassium is 4700 mg a day, and a banana has only 422 mg. You'd have to eat 10 bananas just to get close to the RDA, much less the amount that would be needed to decrease cramping :/.


----------



## kdawnk

Willowy said:


> Well, and RDA for potassium is 4700 mg a day, and a banana has only 422 mg. You'd have to eat 10 bananas just to get close to the RDA, much less the amount that would be needed to decrease cramping :/.


Seriously?
Why is this so popularly recommended then. I've been conditioned to tell people bananas are supposed to help. I've been conditioned to tell lies.
That's awful, no one wants to eat ten bananas. No one wants to eat _any_ bananas when their uterus is trying to kill them.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

kdawnk said:


> Seriously?
> Why is this so popularly recommended then. I've been conditioned to tell people bananas are supposed to help. I've been conditioned to tell lies.
> That's awful, no one wants to eat ten bananas. No one wants to eat _any_ bananas when their uterus is trying to kill them.


I don't know if it's just a placebo effect, but peanut butter banana smoothies+ibuprofen/pain meds generally help me when it comes to battling cramps. I guess any potassium helps in some circumstances?

I'm personally not on birth control for myself because I'm leery about messing with hormones and am just bad about taking pills.

My friend recently got an IUD and she is YOUNG (early twenties) but I think the doctor's gave her slightly less hassle due to medical reasons (hormones could kill her due to clotting issues and a pregnancy would most likely end in miscarriage). It works out in a twisted way because she never wants kids, but it's sad that otherwise she probably wouldn't have access to such a long term, effective form of birth control.

And apparently IUD's (or at least the one she has) have a higher "success" rate if you've already had at least one kid. That may also add to the difficulty facing young women who want long term birth control (besides society and patriarchy etc).


----------



## Willowy

Argh. I just read the laboratory Beagle story in Readers Digest and now I'm crying. Too many feels .


----------



## cookieface

I have a Mirena and _love_ it. I thought I wanted a tubal ligation, but the IUD is so much better - no periods! I thought my gyn would give me a hard time because I had never had children, but she suggested it. There is a higher risk of expulsion if you've never been pregnant, but my doctor said that was a remote possibility. The insertion can be difficult (two of the three I've had were brutal), but it's over quickly.


----------



## mandasannie

Joined a four week dog sports sampler class: Rally, Agility, Treibball, and Nosework. I am excited because Ellie loves to train. So far we did rally and it was fun. We had to teach Ellie to sit again, this time at our left side instead of in front of us. I've always heard that dogs don't generalize well. I knew that. However, I never really experienced it so clearly. With some luring she got it. Still need to work on heeling on our left side. Not knowing anything about the dog world we started walking her on our right side. Looking forward to the agility intro next week!


----------



## Eenypup

Anyone else's dogs weird like this with chews? Bennie loves to chew her antlers... If I'm sitting near her. If I get up, no thanks on the chewing anymore! And she really likes me to hold the antler WHILE she chews on it... Weirdo.


----------



## Remaru

CrimsonAccent said:


> I don't know if it's just a placebo effect, but peanut butter banana smoothies+ibuprofen/pain meds generally help me when it comes to battling cramps. I guess any potassium helps in some circumstances?
> 
> I'm personally not on birth control for myself because I'm leery about messing with hormones and am just bad about taking pills.
> 
> My friend recently got an IUD and she is YOUNG (early twenties) but I think the doctor's gave her slightly less hassle due to medical reasons (hormones could kill her due to clotting issues and a pregnancy would most likely end in miscarriage). It works out in a twisted way because she never wants kids, but it's sad that otherwise she probably wouldn't have access to such a long term, effective form of birth control.
> 
> And apparently IUD's (or at least the one she has) have a higher "success" rate if you've already had at least one kid. That may also add to the difficulty facing young when who want long term birth control (besides society and patriarchy etc).


I have never heard of anyone having a hard time getting an IUD unless their insurance won't cover it or they are medically contraindicated for some reason. An IUD is not at all permanent, it is super easy to remove, and you can get pregnant right away as soon as it comes out. Most women don't get IUDs because they don't understand how they work or they can't afford them (they can cost as much as $500 if your insurance doesn't cover them). 

I personally hated the Mirena, I had all of the bad effects of hormonal BC plus I bled non-stop from the time it went in until I had it removed (one long period, not ok). It works great for some women though. There are other IUDs as well including non-hormonal IUDs. 

My husband did have to have me sign off before he had his vasectomy so it isn't just women. I doubt he would have had to if he weren't married though. The down side to the tubal is that it wouldn't help with painful periods. I considered ablation (because my periods are also very heavy and it causes anemia) but I have a friend who had it and she still has some bleeding and it did not help with the pain. So I am going to talk to my doctor about a hysterectomy instead. Doctors do seem to prefer ablation but fibroids run in my family and I would rather not have multiple surgeries to treat the same thing.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

*shrugs* Just my limited personal experience. I also might be mixing some of this up with the talks of sterilization that comes up. There was a guy in one of my classes in his twenties that got a vasectomy and I know that was an uphill battle for him.


----------



## kcomstoc

So I just wanted to put this on this thread too because it probably gets viewed a lot more than my other thread for the bunnies but if you didn't already know a friend of my friend rescued 3 stray mini-rex bunnies that need to be spayed/neutered before they find their homes and everyone knows they can be pricey. None of the rescues around them can take the bunnies in because they are at their max and they can't find any low-cost spay/neuters so we set up a gofundme for the rabbits. All of the money will be used for the rex's spay/neuters if they have any left over money it is going to go to their transportation to finding new homes or food/hay. If there's any left over from that the money will go to a bunny rescue to help them. https://www.gofundme.com/RescueRexBuns

ETA: thank you to whoever donates


----------



## ireth0

This morning on our walk I saw some movement in the woods. I looked over and thought I saw a blonde lady walking through the woods which seemed weird... and then I realized I was looking at deer butt.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Gotta love early morning MOM"S UP excitment.. Arka grabbed my brand new bag of quilt clips and took off running out side for me to chase him, in my PJs barefoot and cold outside. barely had the chance to do more then open my eyes and see him take them... he's too cute when he does the klepto thing you can't get mad at him lol ....

on the BC stuff.. The military tried to get me to take them when I joined I tried to take them but they were awful for my body and never tried them again.. so been all my adult life without anything, no kids. at 50... I watched my mom have a scary terrible change of life started in her late 40's and still affecting her into her late 60's... I've listen to the hard experience of many woman hitting the change trying all kinds of meds that altered their own bodies.. I went with nothing and it's over just like that gradual 3 years body took care of it and it's done for ever... taking body functioning altering medications scares me to not mess with them no matter what... It wasn't a piece of cake, Thyroid went haywire a few times, but my body kept re adjusting on it's own until the next step down happen but my body always balanced it'self back out on it's own.. I think the doctor was being HONEST smart being hesitant. This one gal was having some mild discomfort and her doctor gave her some hormonal creme to (try) her body went into a tail spin for the worst,, and even though she stopped using the cream, her body is so screwed up in a bad way. she wished she never put the stuff in her system...... Do be careful..

and it is funny that the doc said to have a baby , that it may reset your system... That is what my breeder said about Adele having false pregnancy's every time she went into heat.. breed her ????? NO, don't need a bunch of puppies....


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> Seriously?
> Why is this so popularly recommended then. I've been conditioned to tell people bananas are supposed to help. I've been conditioned to tell lies.
> That's awful, no one wants to eat ten bananas. No one wants to eat _any_ bananas when their uterus is trying to kill them.


UGH right? I get cramps, nausea, diarrhea etc (forgive the TMI) ... with mine if its a bad month, last month wasnt bad, I had none of those other symptoms and I was able to take OTC meds, but on bad months, the only thiing that will qwell the pain is the good stuff (codeine, hydrocodone, etc ...)but I only take those as an absolute last resort because I cant drive with them and they make me kind of loopy LOL.

The biggest problem is the week or so BEFORE the onset of Aunt Flow, when I was younger my PMS symptoms would start like, 5-7 days out and my cycle itself was like clockwork, ovulate at the 14 day mark, and the "monthly thing" was EXACTLY 28 days give or take a day and the duration was like 5-7 days. Now since I have hit almost mid 30s, my PMS symptoms start like, 10, sometimes more days out and stick around until the onset of Aunt Flow and it might last like ... 4 days now? I dont know if this is my body preparing for menopause (my mother was in her mid 40s when she went through it).

Also, that moment when you realize that the lion king is 20 years old, and kids alive today dont remember the original pokemon episodes.


----------



## Willowy

Gah, my mom only recently went through menopause (she just turned 60). I think 57 when she had her last period? My grandma was 55. I guess I have a while yet :/. I'm jealous of those who will be done with it sooner. Although the good news is that both my mom and grandma had an easy time of it and my grandma stopped having migraines. 

LOL, kids who were born the year The Lion King came out can legally drink now. I feel old. Also, my parents live in a college town and I was noticing how young the college kids look. And then I realized I could have an 18-year-old kid. Yikes!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I dont remember my mom having a hard time with hers, but it was a LONG time ago so I would have to ask her. I wish mine would happen sooner, too. It's not like I am going to "use" my monthly visitor and i would like to have it gone LOL.


----------



## Eenypup

Willowy said:


> LOL, kids who were born the year The Lion King came out can legally drink now. I feel old. Also, my parents live in a college town and I was noticing how young the college kids look. And then I realized I could have an 18-year-old kid. Yikes!


I was born the year The Lion King came out


----------



## cookieface

Willowy said:


> LOL, kids who were born the year The Lion King came out can legally drink now. I feel old. Also, my parents live in a college town and I was noticing how young the college kids look. And then I realized I could have an 18-year-old kid. Yikes!


Scary, isn't it? I work at a college and feel old every single day.

ETA: Have you seen this: Beloit Mindset List


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> Scary, isn't it? I work at a college and feel old every single day.


I mostly work with guys in their late 50s. So I often feel young


----------



## kdawnk

Yeah I'm not a fan of screwing with my body. The first 3 pills were me just following what the doctor and my mom recommended and who doesn't want to just take a pill and be cured? The latest one I was super hesitant. I was off BC for over a year. I researched a whole bunch, I asked my doctor about it and he said it was worth a try. So I tried it and it didn't go the way I wanted at all. The only thing that was better was, I had a 50/50 shot of having incredibly painful cramps, when normally I had a 100% chance. It would hurt one month and then maybe skip two months of pain, then the next one would be the worst pain I'd ever had... etc.

*@Willowy & @OwnedbyACDs* -- I hate to date you but... I was born the year The Lion King came out... I mean, I came out slightly before (1 month)... BUT I _did_ watch the original Pokémon episodes if that's any consolation. I really liked the original Pokémon.


----------



## elrohwen

Last night I went into our local pizza place to pick up take out. I told the 15 year old kid my name and he went off to get them. Right then this older Italian guy comes out, probably the owner, and is joking around with employees and customers. The kid comes back with the pizza and the older guys says "Look at him! He's such a good boy. You got any daughters for him?"

I said "I'm only 31. I don't have any daughters yet." LOL

He gave me an extra stamp on my earn-a-free-pizza card for insulting me. Not sure if I should be insulted that he thought I had teenage children, or happy that I got a free stamp. I guess the timing works if I got pregnant at 16.


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> And then I realized I could have an 18-year-old kid. Yikes!


I actually have a kid who is turning 17 in a few months. Un. Real.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

yay !!! free stamp !!!!!!!


----------



## elrohwen

PatriciafromCO said:


> yay !!! free stamp !!!!!!!


Haha. My only worry is that the card says "one large plain pizza". I have no interest in getting a plain pizza from them though. I hope they'll be nice and just subtract the amount of a plain pizza off of the bill and let us get whatever we want. Next time we order we'll have enough stamps so we'll see!


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> I mostly work with guys in their late 50s. So I often feel young


lol We have quite a few late 50s and older guys, too. They make me feel...like I need a shower. 



elrohwen said:


> Haha. My only worry is that the card says "one large plain pizza". I have no interest in getting a plain pizza from them though. I hope they'll be nice and just subtract the amount of a plain pizza off of the bill and let us get whatever we want. Next time we order we'll have enough stamps so we'll see!


Usually places will make those types of adjustments. No one ever wants plain pizza.



CptJack said:


> I actually have a kid who is turning 17 in a few months. Un. Real.


No way! I thought your kids were younger - more like elementary school age.


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> lol We have quite a few late 50s and older guys, too. They make me feel...like I need a shower.


Hahaha. Most of ours are very nice.

We do have a lot of younger people, but younger is like late 30s early 40s. They don't do a lot of hiring here. The last crop of new college hires has mostly quit by now (they are around 26 years old). So yeah, I'm quite often the youngest in meetings.

The other site up north has tons of young people though, because they are always hiring massive amounts of new college grads to replace all of the ones who have quit because they hated it. lol


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> No way! I thought your kids were younger - more like elementary school age.


I'm going to take that as a compliment, but nope. The eldest graduates high school next year and the youngest starts as a freshman - and he's a year behind grade/age wise. I am OLD. ...and they are awesome kids, and awesomely helpful


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I could, too if I had gotten pregnant at 15 ... feasible but ... NO!!! I still get freaking CARDED for smokes and alcohol -_-


----------



## kdawnk

Lately I've been increasingly convinced that I'm actually a Disney Princess of Unwanted Creatures.
I had a fiasco with a bat in my house two days ago
Just before that we had a raccoon
This morning I was sitting on my railing at the back porch, breathing in the fall air, and I look over and see a little possum sitting next to me on the railing. 
A week ago I was pulled over under a tree and a squirrel climbed onto the hood of my car and put his little squirrel-hand on the glass of my windshield 
This morning at work there was a mouse sitting/sleeping on my guest-chair in my office
Later in the morning a "shrew" - apparently - was on my desk and I noticed him when I went to reach for my phone.
Deer are fairly brave here so I've been going for walks and they've approached me (when Sans is elsewhere) I almost touched one the other day before Sans noticed.

OH and last night while I was taking fall pictures a Crane landed on the bench me and Sans were sitting on, and looked at us for a minute before taking off.
I've also never went for a walk without an off leash dog appearing and approaching me.

Definitely a Disney Princess.


----------



## CptJack

...I just accidentally made Molly work on her weaves with like four deer staring at us. Couldn't figure out what about the woods was distracting her, wasn't overly worried just moved on. I'm kind of impressed. Her offsides weren't pretty but... she managed to do it. 

I have GOT to remember that dawn and dusk are not the time to do this stuff.


----------



## jade5280

Just bought a SUV today. I'm so sad to see my Subaru go I almost feel like crying lol. It got ridiculously good gas mileage....but just not big enough for 3 large dogs.


----------



## CptJack

and then Molly and Kylie were on the love-seat and Molly started whining. Molly never whines. Got worried, got up, checked on her, she got up and wiggled at me but gave me a sad little yip. Got MORE worried. Kylie jumped down, Molly stole the bone Kylie had been chewing and I hadn't noticed and stopped fussing. 

...Dogs, man.


----------



## Kyllobernese

The deer are so tame around here. I was walking down my driveway, luckily with no dogs and saw these two deer. The young one kept walking towards me because I just stopped and got quite close before the camera flash spooked it. Now if the bears would finally go and hibernate which won't be for another couple of months, my dogs could settle down in the evening instead of raising cain because they smell them passing by.


----------



## cookieface

Deer in our neighborhood walk on our porch and give me the evil eye when I pull into my driveway and disturb their naps. They should be happy we have greens for them to eat.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, the standard response from most of the deer here is to walk toward you. Sometimes somewhat menacingly, to be honest. I'm more worried about Molly getting kicked in the face than almost anything else. They are NOT timid creatures. ...They will, however, get that way in a hurry because hunting is a big thing here.


----------



## Kyllobernese

When the does have their new fawns, they will stomp their feet on the ground and come forward aggressively and would go after a dog or person if they thought they were a threat. Saw more twin fawns this year than ever before. The ones that hang around outside my fences have threatened the big dogs from the other side of the fence many times when they are barking at them. I always call them away because they could so easily jump over the fence. (the deer that is) At the rate of twin fawns, the deer population is going to double by next year as there is no hunting in this area.


----------



## CptJack

We're honestly, actively, problematically overrun this year. Lots of twins like you, but also just... everywhere. More than I've ever seen before, and not just in my backyard but around the entire area. We don't hunt ourselves, and our property will remain deer-filled, but they're all in for a really nasty winter if the population doesn't get thinned out some before then. The forage/food for them just isn't there to support them over winter. . Not sure what happened this year, but there has definitely been a huge boom.

I always find the threatening/menacing behavior somewhat amusing. They've such a reputation for being gentle, timid creatures but those suckers can be scary.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Sola is like..obsessed with hanging as far out the car window as she can, like I am literally straining to hold her back. so how did this occure? well Perky jumped in her crate and would not get out, so I let Sola ride behind the barrier, to which Sola went "ha! Sucker!" and immediately jumped OVER the barrier and into my lap(I was not driving) and after trying to shove her head out the closed window, she found herself the window button and opened the window herself.


----------



## CptJack

Miss Bugs said:


> she found herself the window button and opened the window herself.


Kylie does this ALL THE FREAKING TIME. It makes me insane. (Easy solution, I know - make her ride in a crate. I know, I know, safety. I also know that I'm probably not ever going to do it all the time, and will continue to gripe about the window opening).


----------



## DogTheGreat

I can't take Shae through drive-thrus anymore unless I have her absolutely secured somehow. She's discovered that the easiest way to get a treat is to make herself REALLY known. What does this come out to? She rides in the back and will come up through the side of the car and the driver's side headrest to stick practically the entire upper half of her body out the window. She's also gotten a few workers to pet her this way (because I'm sure that doesn't break some sort of health code? lmao).


----------



## Remaru

I just found a female Thud.  listed on a local sale page. She is listed as a 7month old GP x GSD. Is it wrong I kind of want to go pick her up?


----------



## cookieface

Remaru said:


> I just found a female Thud.  listed on a local sale page. She is listed as a 7month old GP x GSD. Is it wrong I kind of want to go pick her up?


Want!!!

(too short)


----------



## CptJack

Remaru said:


> I just found a female Thud.  listed on a local sale page. She is listed as a 7month old GP x GSD. Is it wrong I kind of want to go pick her up?


Well hey, I guess that makes me feel better about my breed mix guess! Hoy crap.

But no, not wrong. I mean maybe insane, but looks enough like Thud that she kind of tugs at me, too.


----------



## kcomstoc

DogTheGreat said:


> I can't take Shae through drive-thrus anymore unless I have her absolutely secured somehow. She's discovered that the easiest way to get a treat is to make herself REALLY known. What does this come out to? She rides in the back and will come up through the side of the car and the driver's side headrest to stick practically the entire upper half of her body out the window. She's also gotten a few workers to pet her this way (because I'm sure that doesn't break some sort of health code? lmao).


We wash our hands after  sorry I couldn't resist because I'm guilty of petting dogs while working drive thru


----------



## Willowy

It's super foggy this morning. Whenever it's foggy, I feel like *something* (velociraptors? ) is stalking me and is going to eat me. I don't know if this is some kind of buried instinct or if I watched/read too much Jurassic Park at a vulnerable age .


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I like foggy mornings! i just dont like driving in it LOL


----------



## Willowy

I REALLY hate driving in fog. Once I was on the interstate on a foggy morning, and there was a semi truck lying across the highway, wheels facing traffic so no reflectors were visible. . .if someone wasn't standing in the road flagging people over (and I nearly hit him because I didn't see him until I was right up close) I would have run right into the truck and there probably would have been a pileup behind me too. I've been extra nervous about driving in fog ever since, not that I liked it before that.


----------



## Willowy

So, somebody just told me (defending another person's actions), "well, it's real cold-hearted but that doesn't mean he's a bad person". Um. I guess if I were going to define A Bad Person, "cold-hearted" would certainly be high on the list. I guess I don't know how else to determine badness or goodness. How someone treats other living beings needs to be one of the bigger factors, I think.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Willowy said:


> So, somebody just told me (defending another person's actions), "well, it's real cold-hearted but that doesn't mean he's a bad person". Um. I guess if I were going to define A Bad Person, "cold-hearted" would certainly be high on the list. I guess I don't know how else to determine badness or goodness. How someone treats other living beings needs to be one of the bigger factors, I think.


To be fair, I've done some things that might have been "cold hearted" (especially in my dislike of children) in my lifetime and I know other good people to have also done bad things. I also know people who hate animals and made them stay outside, but are actually very kind and do great things for people. So.. I have a hard time making it a black and white thing. Not saying this person is a good person, though. I have no idea what they did. 

Thud girl is adorable!


----------



## Kathyy

Bucky stole the butter off my french toast and now he is indignantly moaning and grumbling in the crate. My morning song.

Updated to show his imprisonment, see the fuzzy ears pushed through the crate wires? Half an hour later and he is still whining and moaning. He'll be fine, it was a pat of butter. 42 pound Sassy regularly scored a pound of margarine and a big loaf of bread from us idiots.

Ginger is going to get to lick out my plate, she's been a good dog.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Kathyy said:


> Bucky stole the butter off my french toast and now he is indignantly moaning and grumbling in the crate. My morning song.


hope Bucky will make it through.,, I left two 18 egg cartons on the floor when I brought in the groceries and Abhik ate them both, while I was outside doing chores.. guess that would solve the question people ask how many eggs are ok to feed a dog... She didn't even burp.... """ MORE PLEASE" little glutton.....


----------



## Willowy

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> To be fair, I've done some things that might have been "cold hearted" (especially in my dislike of children) in my lifetime and I know other good people to have also done bad things. I also know people who hate animals and made them stay outside, but are actually very kind and do great things for people. So.. I have a hard time making it a black and white thing. Not saying this person is a good person, though. I have no idea what they did.
> 
> Thud girl is adorable!


I know people aren't cartoonishly one-dimensional. I don't have a problem saying my grandfather was A Bad Person. He was also funny, charming (how else do abusers get away with stuff?) and intelligent. And he volunteered with some good organizations and did some good things in his life. He had loyal friends who would have viciously defended him against any abuse allegations because "he's such a nice guy!" It did not negate his abuse. I guess it comes down to the existential question of what makes a person good/bad.


----------



## CrimsonAccent

Rain rain go away. Taking two dogs out to potty was NOT fun this morning  Mainly because Donut sulks, refuses to go, and then pees on the carpet after we spent 15 minutes outside in the rain. Dogs.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> Well hey, I guess that makes me feel better about my breed mix guess! Hoy crap.
> 
> But no, not wrong. I mean maybe insane, but looks enough like Thud that she kind of tugs at me, too.


She is really pretty. I mean with the dogs I have now considering any dog let alone an adolescent would make me a little insane. I can imagine her and Lad together. Still, I'm tempted. 



CrimsonAccent said:


> Rain rain go away. Taking two dogs out to potty was NOT fun this morning  Mainly because Donut sulks, refuses to go, and then pees on the carpet after we spent 15 minutes outside in the rain. Dogs.


I am glad it is raining but I am not thrilled dealing with my dogs in the rain. Lad for some reason has decided he can't do his business in the proper place when it rains. He will however run around the yard (in the mud because most of our grass has died leaving just dirt behind) while getting soaking wet. Every time it rains I have to ask myself why I have so many dogs.


----------



## Laurelin

We did nosework today with all three and they all did great. Summer and Mia were so happy and excited. 

Hank coursed today just great and he was catchable at the end too! Gives me hope we can get his CA in November.


----------



## Wet Beards

Geese......thousands of geese flying overhead on their way south...
(we are on a flight path)
That means winter is not far behind them. sigh...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Wet Beards said:


> Geese......thousands of geese flying overhead on their way south...
> (we are on a flight path)
> That means winter is not far behind them. sigh...


Some are already here ... UGH! We can usually tell how bad or long the winter is going to be by how early the migratory birds arrive, and some are already here so I am afraid that might mean an early/bad winter.


----------



## Laurelin

Ugh man. So I've switched the dogs' food up. Summer has kept weight the same. Hank's tummy troubles have gone away, great muscle tone, etc. Mia has ballooned up into near obesity. WTF.

Operation: Mia on a diet.


----------



## Laurelin

Also at coursing yesterday I had a LOL moment. I take Hank a lot of places without either papillon. Just because it's stuff the papillons can't do or don't want to do and Hank is interested in it- like swimming, flyball, barn hunt, coursing, etc. So there's a group of 'dog people' I've met this year that apparently had no idea I had papillons. All the people at my 'home club' obviously know about Mia and Summer since they've been there for 3 years. But these people didn't. 

And so I was at coursing after nosework and I had the paps with me. I took the two out to go for a walk while we waited for Hank's turn and I hear 'WHAT ARE THOSE!?' Turn around and it's an ACD person I know.

'Oh these are my other two dogs.'

'I would have NEVER expected you to be a_ papillon_ person!'

I just found it amusing as heck. Probably because I've been a 'papillon person' so long.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I was telling my husband today that I'm working on stuff in the house because I've finally decided to live with the fact that we can't move for at least another 4 years. 

I told him I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait more than 4 years for another dog (for agility, since Ember is his). He laughed and said.. "Never expected you to, dear". Soo.. husband on board for dog number three sometime within the next few years. Heck yessss. It sure is extra motivation to get things done and work with my current dogs real good.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I was telling my husband today that I'm working on stuff in the house because I've finally decided to live with the fact that we can't move for at least another 4 years.
> 
> I told him I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait more than 4 years for another dog (for agility, since Ember is his). He laughed and said.. "Never expected you to, dear". Soo.. husband on board for dog number three sometime within the next few years. Heck yessss. It sure is extra motivation to get things done and work with my current dogs real good.


Another Aussie?


----------



## Remaru

Training class with Lad this evening. Meeting up with other service dog handlers for a class at a local dog park. He and I need this, but my anxiety is in high gear. Wish us luck, he is in full on adolescent mode and a bit of a fear period.


----------



## CptJack

Remaru said:


> Training class with Lad this evening. Meeting up with other service dog handlers for a class at a local dog park. He and I need this, but my anxiety is in high gear. Wish us luck, he is in full on adolescent mode and a bit of a fear period.


Let us know how it went!

--

We had a Show 'n Go tonight. My husband just... doesn't get it, sometimes, with Molly. I can be a perfectionist and all but I was OVER THE MOON with how Molly did and my husband is kind of comparing her unfavorably to Kylie. You know the dog who doesn't have environmental struggles, is 2 years older than Molly, and who has had a solid year's more training than Molly. Not just more training but 6 months of that in trials and with near weekly private lessons. 

Giver her her due, man. She did WELL.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

jade5280 said:


> Another Aussie?


I'm leaning MAS due to size of my house, affordability, and most importantly I need a dog that will fit out my window! So.. pretty much Aussie.. just smaller. We'll see. I'm not making any guarantees yet and I won't be contacting any breeders until next year at the very soonest.

Glad Molly did well! 

Good luck Remaru and Lad!


----------



## CptJack

Thanks.

It's going to sound awful given that I've had her since she was tiny, and more than a year now, but. She's finally starting to feel like MY dog, instead of a really cool dog that I happen to live with. I *trust* her, and she's trusting me. Kind of scared to say it out loud for fear it's all going to fall apart still, but. The feeling is there, anyway, and I don't see it going anywhere.


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> Let us know how it went!
> 
> --
> 
> We had a Show 'n Go tonight. My husband just... doesn't get it, sometimes, with Molly. I can be a perfectionist and all but I was OVER THE MOON with how Molly did and my husband is kind of comparing her unfavorably to Kylie. You know the dog who doesn't have environmental struggles, is 2 years older than Molly, and who has had a solid year's more training than Molly. Not just more training but 6 months of that in trials and with near weekly private lessons.
> 
> Giver her her due, man. She did WELL.


It went really well. Lad was excellent for the ride over (almost an hour in the car, quite the feat for a dog who used to get car-sick on cross town trips). It was a small "class" I guess the threat of rain kept most people away but that was fine. I got a chance to have a second opinion/evaluation on Lad. There was a mother and daughter with a newley adopted puppy, the trainer with her three dogs and Lad. Lad is having difficulty focusing and working around other dogs right now. He isn't reactive he just really wants to play and goes a bit deaf or sits and whines when he can see other dogs. We were able to work on that some. He was pretty hyper but I was able to rein him in and work him, he focused on me and followed directions except when the trainer's female dog was out. He was really obsessed with her. I could walk him away and he would heel nicely, follow commands, pay attention, but if we turned and looked at her he went back to whining and forgot his manners. We are going to move forward working them near each other, then side by side. I got some great compliments on his behavior and training though so I'm feeling good.  That is two trainers who think he has what it takes and we are doing well. Unfortunately also two trainers who agree that he looks small and may not get as large as I need. Trying to put that in the back of my mind for now. 

Glad to hear Molly did well. It sounds like things are really falling into place with all of your dogs.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> It's going to sound awful given that I've had her since she was tiny, and more than a year now, but. She's finally starting to feel like MY dog, instead of a really cool dog that I happen to live with. I *trust* her, and she's trusting me. Kind of scared to say it out loud for fear it's all going to fall apart still, but. The feeling is there, anyway, and I don't see it going anywhere.


This is how I feel about Hazel. She's super cool, and basically the perfect dog, but I don't feel like she's "my dog" yet. She is still lacking personality too. Watson has so many emotions and is so expressive, and Hazel is basically "OMG I'm so happy! Are you happy? Isn't everything just the best!" all the freaking time. Not that I'm complaining about her being happy, but she has basically zero emotional complexity right now. Haha.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Well, dang it to bloody blazes .... I wrecked my truck yesterday, pretty bad, someone clipped me from behind sent me over the center median, across oncoming lanes, into the grass on the opposite side of the road and straight into one of those power boxes that work the traffic lights. I clipped the back of a car in the oncoming lanes but their car was drivable, just slight rear end damage. My truck on the other hand, is totaled I think. So now I will have to start my search for ANOTHER vehicle ... yay me :frusty: :frusty: :frusty:


----------



## Hiraeth

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Well, dang it to bloody blazes .... I wrecked my truck yesterday, pretty bad, someone clipped me from behind sent me over the center median, across oncoming lanes, into the grass on the opposite side of the road and straight into one of those power boxes that work the traffic lights. I clipped the back of a car in the oncoming lanes but their car was drivable, just slight rear end damage. My truck on the other hand, is totaled I think. So now I will have to start my search for ANOTHER vehicle ... yay me :frusty: :frusty: :frusty:


Oh no! Are you okay? That stinks about your truck, but it sounds like it could have been much worse!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> Oh no! Are you okay? That stinks about your truck, but it sounds like it could have been much worse!


Yes both husband and I (he was the passenger) are okay, both airbags deployed, I am just really really body sore and I have a burn from the seat belt. I might have to wait a couple of days to hear back from the insurance company. hubby told me he felt an impact from behind but I dont remember it, though I have ADHD, so I dont always notice small details like that, but whatever happened, when I bumped the median, my left front tire blew and I pretty much had no control after that.

EMS was called to the scene by people who witnessed the crash, they were over by the person I clipped the back of when I left, I sure hope they dont do a frivolous lawsuit thing   so mucch sad.

I might be posting a new thread about vehicles suggestions, I am probably going to be looking for a small SUV or crossover.


----------



## jade5280

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Well, dang it to bloody blazes .... I wrecked my truck yesterday, pretty bad, someone clipped me from behind sent me over the center median, across oncoming lanes, into the grass on the opposite side of the road and straight into one of those power boxes that work the traffic lights. I clipped the back of a car in the oncoming lanes but their car was drivable, just slight rear end damage. My truck on the other hand, is totaled I think. So now I will have to start my search for ANOTHER vehicle ... yay me :frusty: :frusty: :frusty:


Yikes! Glad everyone is okay.


----------



## notgaga

My best friend's 3yo bc mix (we think) flat out attacked my parents' 13 year old deaf and pretty blind sheltie yesterday because the sheltie got too close to my friend's new-ish puppy.

Like, puppy was in crate, sheltie walked by crate to greet me/my friend's sister because we just got home, bc mix went after her face and pinned her down growling and shaking her head violently. I grabbed the mix by the hips/knees and dragged her back and she was summarily thrown into the crate (that she had broken out of while we were gone and should have technically still been in). she didn't try to go after me as that happened. the sheltie got up and was bloodied in one ear and clearly dazed. so I cleaned her up. she has like a big skin tag there to begin with, it was seen by her vet a while ago and isn't dangerous or anything. I think it got torn a little bit and there's a small nick in her ear.

I then took her home. I had dropped Laika and her off to go to lunch with my friend and her sister and all of the dogs were separated - puppy and bc mix in their own crates in a room, my dogs free in another room, and two more dogs (yes, six dogs total) were free in my friend's sister's room. but the bc mix escaped while we were gone and she and laika must have conspired and opened the door between the two rooms and galavanted around. They're like dog best friends. I'm just glad the attack happened while we were there (since it happened at all). 

but that bc mix has been pretty guardy and snippy about things, like her owner's bed, or the couch if she's on it, or toys, or whatever. it was pretty terrifying. the puppy was scared out of his mind too when it happened.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is getting less tolerant lately. We stopped the dog park trips about 3-4 months ago for that reason. Nothing serious but just keeping an eye on it.

We had two 'incidences' so to speak this weekend.

1. Friend's young BC whom Hank knows and plays well with. He and Hank were playing nicely this weekend when Hank got hot and dug a hole to lie in. Then any time the BC went towards the hole Hank would get snappy. We had to move away from the hole and then Hank was happy and playing again.

2. Hank snapped at a collie for going too close to Hank's vallhund boyfriend. Hank and vallhund were playing and the collie (who is WAY chill btw) stepped towards them and Hank lunged and snapped. 

The other issues in the past have been a Boston terrier (they just hated each other for no visible reason), a cardi (these two actually got into a fight (all noise) over a dropped piece of food), and another BC (BC went after Hank about a Frisbee). All male. (All friends' dogs by the way so not at dog parks) The Boston, vallhund, and young BC are intact. Cardi, collie, and older BC not intact.

Not unexpected but kinda annoying the same.


----------



## Hiraeth

Laurelin said:


> Hank is getting less tolerant lately. We stopped the dog park trips about 3-4 months ago for that reason. Nothing serious but just keeping an eye on it.
> 
> We had two 'incidences' so to speak this weekend.
> 
> 1. Friend's young BC whom Hank knows and plays well with. He and Hank were playing nicely this weekend when Hank got hot and dug a hole to lie in. Then any time the BC went towards the hole Hank would get snappy. We had to move away from the hole and then Hank was happy and playing again.
> 
> 2. Hank snapped at a collie for going too close to Hank's vallhund boyfriend. Hank and vallhund were playing and the collie (who is WAY chill btw) stepped towards them and Hank lunged and snapped.
> 
> The other issues in the past have been a Boston terrier (they just hated each other for no visible reason), a cardi (these two actually got into a fight (all noise) over a dropped piece of food), and another BC (BC went after Hank about a Frisbee). All male. (All friends' dogs by the way so not at dog parks) The Boston, vallhund, and young BC are intact. Cardi, collie, and older BC not intact.
> 
> Not unexpected but kinda annoying the same.


Why is it not unexpected? I don't know much about his breed, but is this behavior pretty common for males of his age?

I remember when my Great Dane/GSD first displayed signs of resource guarding and being non-tolerant of other male dogs, it began developing right after he turned a year old. One day at the dog park I decided that enough was enough and he was no longer dog park material - I remember being really sad when I walked out of the park that day, but it was for everyone's safety. 

At least you're an educated and aware owner who is handling the situation responsibly - a lot of people would probably still be taking their dogs to the park even after seeing those warning signs. Still stinks all the same, though


----------



## elrohwen

The bossiness does seem to be an ACD thing. ACDx Grey has always been super bossy and he and Watson get along well because Watson lets it roll off and moves on. But it would definitely not fly with some other dogs. I also know him enough to know that he has never made contact or started a fight, but he sure looks and sounds *mean*. It took a couple years before we all started to trust that he wasn't actually going to start anything, and that Watson could de-esclate the situation. 

That sucks though :-( It was very hard for me when Watson started hating certain dogs around 1.5 years old, because previously he had been so so dog friendly. I at least wish he were predictable. I know lots of females who are kind of bitchy and don't like dogs in their face, but they also ignore other dogs. Watson is obsessed with everyone, wants to greet, often wants to play, but sometimes changes his mind and wants them to die. lol It's a very unpredictable weird kind of thing. I'm confident he would not initiate a fight, but I'm sure other dogs would if he got in their face.


----------



## Laurelin

Hiraeth said:


> Why is it not unexpected? I don't know much about his breed, but is this behavior pretty common for males of his age?


Hank's a mix so there was no guarantees but basically any breed guesses tended to involve terriers or cattle dogs or both. And both terriers and ACDs are known for not being the best with other dogs, particularly same sex aggression is a concern. I knew that before I got him but he was so friendly I hoped it wouldn't be an issue.

It does suck some but I'd rather not end up with him injured or hurt. He's just too small to be that brash.



elrohwen said:


> The bossiness does seem to be an ACD thing. ACDx Grey has always been super bossy and he and Watson get along well because Watson lets it roll off and moves on. But it would definitely not fly with some other dogs. I also know him enough to know that he has never made contact or started a fight, but he sure looks and sounds *mean*. It took a couple years before we all started to trust that he wasn't actually going to start anything, and that Watson could de-esclate the situation.
> 
> That sucks though :-( It was very hard for me when Watson started hating certain dogs around 1.5 years old, because previously he had been so so dog friendly. I at least wish he were predictable. I know lots of females who are kind of bitchy and don't like dogs in their face, but they also ignore other dogs. Watson is obsessed with everyone, wants to greet, often wants to play, but sometimes changes his mind and wants them to die. lol It's a very unpredictable weird kind of thing. I'm confident he would not initiate a fight, but I'm sure other dogs would if he got in their face.


Yeah Hank is real controlling. But he also really likes and respects rules. So he would guard the doors and bed from the papillons but has learned he is not allowed at home to do so. And he's learned that papillons go out doors before him, etc. 

He is not real predictable either, which is annoying. So far no issues with females but I was shocked he snapped at the collie. 

I don't think Hank would seriously attack another dog with no warning but he could snap and then the other dog could snap back and THEN I'm 90% sure Hank would escalate the situation. He has no diffuse button and a bit of a easy trigger.

He's still better with other dogs than the papillons.


----------



## Laurelin

I was pretty surprised Hank snapped at the collie though. He is older and has 0 confrontational bones in his body. Just a fluffy, calm, chill dog.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I was pretty surprised Hank snapped at the collie though. He is older and has 0 confrontational bones in his body. Just a fluffy, calm, chill dog.


Yeah, that's weird. At least if the other dog is intact or intense/reactive then there's a clear trigger and it makes sense at least.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> Yeah, that's weird. At least if the other dog is intact or intense/reactive then there's a clear trigger and it makes sense at least.


The trigger seemed to be that the collie went to sniff the vallhund and the vallhund is absolutely Hank's best friend on the planet (dog-wise). I really think Hank was just like 'STAY AWAY FROM MY BOYFRIEND! MY BOYFRIEND! NOT YOURS!'

lol 

What a jerk.

But then my friend's gritchy old BC girl can correct the snot out of Hank and he doesn't care at all. Seems to definitely be a male dog issue. But only some of them and only sometimes.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> The trigger seemed to be that the collie went to sniff the vallhund and the vallhund is absolutely Hank's best friend on the planet (dog-wise). I really think Hank was just like 'STAY AWAY FROM MY BOYFRIEND! MY BOYFRIEND! NOT YOURS!'
> 
> lol
> 
> What a jerk.


Haha. So not the collie specifically at all, just a poor dog in the wrong place at the wrong time. Trying to check out the wrong dog's boyfriend.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> Haha. So not the collie specifically at all, just a poor dog in the wrong place at the wrong time. Trying to check out the wrong dog's boyfriend.


Seems like it. Apparently Rolston is for Hank only. But Hank was also fine with the girl rough collie and the girl border collie being around Rolston. In fact he was also ok with the male puppy border collie being around Roltson too. But the older male collie? Nope. Not allowed to play with Hank's friend.

I can't really figure him out.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Dogs are just unpredictable sometimes. Ember is a completely jerk to even the nicest, calmest dogs she got along with last week. I will never understand her. 

I am really, really frustrated with dog allergies right now. Ember is itching like crazy.. and I can't figure out if it is just her coat coming in or what but it seems awfully excessive. Fall is upon us, which is a bad time for allergies. They have no fleas.. because Kairi would be bright red from just one bite. Kairi is doing a lot better this year with all the concoctions I give her.. but still chewing her ankles a bit. I still can't friggin believe I possibly ended up with TWO dogs with allergies. I can't for the life of me figure out what the heck happened. It's not like I have a musty old house or anything.


----------



## missc89

That really sucks :/ I'm thanking my lucky stars that Sterling's itching seems to have subsided as soon as I stopped feeding him puppy food with chicken in it.

Did I read somewhere that you're possibly looking for another dog ForTheLoveOfDogs!?


----------



## elrohwen

I'm still waiting to see on Hazel's allergies. Watson has seasonal allergies which usually means chewing his feet a couple weeks a year. His sister has chicken allergies though, so I hope Hazel didn't get those. The only indication I've seen is the yeasty ear, and it cleared up and then came back once. It goes away with 1 or 2 doses of the meds so not a big deal, but I hope it's just random and not related to chicken. I give a lot of treats and it would be a pain to start cutting out the ones with chicken (most of the stuff I'm feeding now is chicken liver based or some other variety of poultry like turkey).


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Dogs are just unpredictable sometimes. Ember is a completely jerk to even the nicest, calmest dogs she got along with last week. I will never understand her.


That is true. Summer greets dogs by licking them while also growling at them and then snapping sometimes. Yeah THAT'S not confusing at all.

At least Mia is consistently a jerk.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

missc89 said:


> That really sucks :/ I'm thanking my lucky stars that Sterling's itching seems to have subsided as soon as I stopped feeding him puppy food with chicken in it.
> 
> Did I read somewhere that you're possibly looking for another dog ForTheLoveOfDogs!?


Well puppies can just be itchy anyways, so I don't think you have a lot to worry about. I demand some pictures of that pup by the way! 

I could just be overly paranoid with Ember.. but she is 7mo now and also gets gooby eyes. Anyways, I am not looking for another dog right now. When Ember is about 2, I might be adding a new addition depending on what is going on with my life.. but originally I was going to have to wait until I moved into a new house (4+ years).

Licking feet for a couple weeks a year would be HEAVEN. Kairi was constantly digging at herself, ripping hair out and giving herself welts. Ember is just.. itchy. A lot. She matted up her butt hair digging at herself.


----------



## missc89

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I could just be overly paranoid with Ember.. but she is 7mo now and also gets gooby eyes.


What are gooby eyes? 

I knooow I just have to transfer them from my phone to the computer and then shrink them so that I can spam you all with pictures! I'm out of town on Wednesday - Friday and the BF is gone from Friday - Monday so maybe I'll do it then lol


----------



## Crantastic

Casper's weird, too. He really seems to want to play with other dogs, like he'll try to drag me toward them while yipping excitedly, but once he's near enough for them to touch him he suddenly reconsiders and wants to take their faces off. My friend and I did parallel walking with him and her Portuguese water dog and he ended up going from wanting to kill that dog to playing nicely with him in the space of a few hours, but then he got overstimulated and tried to attack again (that dog is super laid back and didn't want to fight). He's played with other AKK; he was doing okay until he and his half-sister got into a scuffle because he grabbed a stick, waved it around in her face trying to get her to grab it, and then got offended when she DID grab it. He can't take corrections from other dogs at all, either, even deserved ones; he gets offended and escalates the situation. He's amazing with Crystal, so I know he's not completely socially stupid, but he's not trustworthy with any other dog.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Dogs are just unpredictable sometimes. Ember is a completely jerk to even the nicest, calmest dogs she got along with last week. I will never understand her.
> 
> I am really, really frustrated with dog allergies right now. Ember is itching like crazy.. and I can't figure out if it is just her coat coming in or what but it seems awfully excessive. Fall is upon us, which is a bad time for allergies. They have no fleas.. because Kairi would be bright red from just one bite. Kairi is doing a lot better this year with all the concoctions I give her.. but still chewing her ankles a bit. I still can't friggin believe I possibly ended up with TWO dogs with allergies. I can't for the life of me figure out what the heck happened. It's not like I have a musty old house or anything.





missc89 said:


> That really sucks :/ I'm thanking my lucky stars that Sterling's itching seems to have subsided as soon as I stopped feeding him puppy food with chicken in it.
> 
> Did I read somewhere that you're possibly looking for another dog ForTheLoveOfDogs!?


Panzer is really itchy too! Switching to Fromm Large breed grain free didn't seem to help much, but he may be itching less. It's hard to tell. Maybe it's the chicken? I don't have a lot of options for large breed puppy food.


----------



## elrohwen

Both of my dogs were super itchy as puppies, but it was unrelated to any future allergies in Watson, or possible allergies in Hazel.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

missc89 said:


> What are gooby eyes?


She just gets eye discharge boogers a bit more often than normal. It's usually clear with a hint of yellow. The vet saw it and said "probably allergies". It's kind of off and on. 

LOL just realized "gooby" probably sounds really weird. It's just what I call them.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> She just gets eye discharge boogers a bit more often than normal. It's usually clear with a hint of yellow. The vet saw it and said "probably allergies". It's kind of off and on.
> 
> LOL just realized "gooby" probably sounds really weird. It's just what I call them.


Hazel gets those too. Some discharge is normal for sure, and Watson gets some too, but for the past couple weeks she consistently has a decent amount of gunk in her eyes when she wakes up in the morning, and when I get home from work. But it doesn't seem to be a problem the rest of the day at least.


----------



## missc89

I call them eye boogers - it's not like that's any better lol. Sterling gets them too but I honestly thought it was fairly normal. I mean he doesn't have HUGE globs but he's got stuff when he wakes up just like humans do and they snails-pace-slow-leak while he's playing and what-not.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> I call them eye boogers - it's not like that's any better lol. Sterling gets them too but I honestly thought it was fairly normal. I mean he doesn't have HUGE globs but he's got stuff when he wakes up just like humans do and they snails-pace-slow-leak while he's playing and what-not.


It's one of those tough things where some amount is normal, but too much is too much. And it's hard to draw the line of where it's too much.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

They are normal but Embers appear to be a bit excessive and aren't just when she is waking up from nap. Kairi gets them excessively too, related to her allergies. She occasionally needs eye drops when they get ridiculous.


----------



## missc89

See, and this is why dogs need to learn to speak like humans do, so that we can stop guessing and they can just tell us! Lol


----------



## jade5280

I did notice that Panzer's skin was a little dry after I tried scratching it and really looking. Very teeny tiny dandruff flakes. Not noticeable on his fur so maybe it's normal for puppies to have slightly dry skin. I had to reschedule last weeks vet apt so haven't been able to talk to the vet about, but I'm sure there's not much that they will recommend that I haven't already thought of.

Gypsy's eyes are more gunky than usual as well. I think it's the time of year.


----------



## Hiraeth

jade5280 said:


> Panzer is really itchy too! Switching to Fromm Large breed grain free didn't seem to help much, but he may be itching less. It's hard to tell. Maybe it's the chicken? I don't have a lot of options for large breed puppy food.


Ugh, right? I was looking at my options yesterday morning and felt really underwhelmed. Titan's on 4Health puppy right now, which is decent food and vaguely affordable, but at 8-10 cups a day (which I will be feeding in about 4 months), anything "quality" is going to be expensive. 

I'm also not sure when I should transition him from puppy to adult food. I've read that people do it earlier with giant breeds than with small-medium-large puppies, but I can't remember where. The article said something about giant breeds actually requiring less calcium than other puppy breeds because too much calcium can cause skeletal development issues, maybe? Need to do some reading about that, or talk to my breeder about when she switches hers...

Do you know when you plan on switching Panzer over?



jade5280 said:


> I did notice that Panzer's skin was a little dry after I tried scratching it and really looking. Very teeny tiny dandruff flakes. Not noticeable on his fur so maybe it's normal for puppies to have slightly dry skin. I had to reschedule last weeks vet apt so haven't been able to talk to the vet about, but I'm sure there's not much that they will recommend that I haven't already thought of.
> 
> Gypsy's eyes are more gunky than usual as well. I think it's the time of year.


Also, Titan has the same thing - teeny tiny dandruff flakes after his bath yesterday. He doesn't seem to itch too often, and when he does, it's around his collar, which he isn't used to wearing 24/7.


----------



## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> Ugh, right? I was looking at my options yesterday morning and felt really underwhelmed. Titan's on 4Health puppy right now, which is decent food and vaguely affordable, but at 8-10 cups a day (which I will be feeding in about 4 months), anything "quality" is going to be expensive.
> 
> I'm also not sure when I should transition him from puppy to adult food. I've read that people do it earlier with giant breeds than with small-medium-large puppies, but I can't remember where. The article said something about giant breeds actually requiring less calcium than other puppy breeds because too much calcium can cause skeletal development issues, maybe? Need to do some reading about that, or talk to my breeder about when she switches hers...
> 
> Do you know when you plan on switching Panzer over?


Can you just feed an All Life Stages food? That's what I've used for both of my dogs. I know things are different with giant breeds though so I'm not sure what's recommended.


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> Can you just feed an All Life Stages food? That's what I've used for both of my dogs. I know things are different with giant breeds though so I'm not sure what's recommended.


What's recommended pretty much depends on who you ask - some people say don't even do puppy food with Danes, go straight to adult and supplement with pills that don't contain calcium. I'm probably going to stick with puppy food for a while due to the higher caloric/fat content, because Titan looks a bit on the skinny side and I want him to at least put on enough weight so that his ribs are slightly less prominent. But when I want to transition, instead of going to an 'adult' food, I'll check out an All Life Stages food 

So many people have so many different opinions about giant breed health and general living, it's frustrating. Like, some people say minimal going up and down stairs is fine, others say don't allow it until they're at least 6 months. Some people say light walking on concrete is okay, others say don't let them walk on concrete until their joints have mostly finished sealing. The one thing everyone agrees on is to not let them jump off of things or out of cars. 

I haven't been able to find too many good internet resources, so I think contacting my breeder and the few local breeders I know is going to be my next step.


----------



## elrohwen

Pretty much all of the brands I feed are ALS anyway, so I didn't have to look hard to find them. I started both of mine on those foods right away as puppies. 

I worked in the food industry for a while (human foods) and the whole puppy food thing just screams marketing ploy to me. I could be wrong, and it could be valuable, but it makes my spidey sense tingle. Haha


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> I worked in the food industry for a while (human foods) and the whole puppy food thing just screams marketing ploy to me. I could be wrong, and it could be valuable, but it makes my spidey sense tingle. Haha


I kinda thought this too but apparently there IS something to puppy food regarding growth that they add extra to as opposed to with adults... but I feed mine balanced raw and I have a feeling that it's ALS and as soon as I get back from NFL for work I'm hoping to start him on homemade cooked food.


----------



## jade5280

Hiraeth said:


> Ugh, right? I was looking at my options yesterday morning and felt really underwhelmed. Titan's on 4Health puppy right now, which is decent food and vaguely affordable, but at 8-10 cups a day (which I will be feeding in about 4 months), anything "quality" is going to be expensive.
> 
> I'm also not sure when I should transition him from puppy to adult food. I've read that people do it earlier with giant breeds than with small-medium-large puppies, but I can't remember where. The article said something about giant breeds actually requiring less calcium than other puppy breeds because too much calcium can cause skeletal development issues, maybe? Need to do some reading about that, or talk to my breeder about when she switches hers...
> 
> Do you know when you plan on switching Panzer over?


Yes it has been recommended to feed kibble that has no more than 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. with at least 30% protein. Here's a list put together by someone who owned bloodhounds https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc/edit?pli=1

I think most large breed puppies foods are comparable to ALS foods. I'm probably going to feed 'puppy' food or something from the above list until he's a year or maybe 2 then transition him to TOTW because it's easier to feed all 3 dogs the same food.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> I kinda thought this too but apparently there IS something to puppy food regarding growth that they add extra to as opposed to with adults... but I feed mine balanced raw and I have a feeling that it's ALS and as soon as I get back from NFL for work I'm hoping to start him on homemade cooked food.


But then I've heard that the stuff they add for growth is actually too much? So you shouldn't feed puppy food because it makes them grow too fast which is bad. So I dunno. I admittedly haven't done that much research into, and I have medium sized dogs so it's probably not a big deal either way vs a giant breed dog.

ETA: There have been some recent studies on HD that show some very interesting things about growth in puppyhood and incidence of HD. So encouraging faster growth doesn't seem like a good idea.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

It is about calcium to phosphorus ratio for Large Breed Puppies. Fromm Large Breed Puppy has appropriate levels and I would feed that if I had a giant breed. There are several threads in the dog food forum and someone out there on dog food advisor has a list of foods that have correct ratios. There is also a calculator.


----------



## Kathyy

Mostly keep pups lean especially if they are large or giant breed. Unless Titan's hipbones and chest bone are really poky he is might already be a good weight. Not having a fluffy coat makes GD look skinny in the first place. The conclusion from the study was that too much calcium and phosphorus make bones grow fast and the slower developing muscles cannot support them correctly. That suggestion seems really high to me. Max needed 600 calories a day, 1000mg of calcium and 800mg of phosphorus and basically one feeds the puppy the same as the adult you expect to get adjusting so pup isn't fluffy or too ribby. I don't have access to NRC for puppies though, maybe puppies do need lots more calcium and phosphorus than adult dogs per calorie fed.

Bucky has gone past the usual goopy eye thing. He apparently caught Ginger on her eye as she was winking for a couple hours a couple days ago but he is the one with a swollen red gooey eye. The swelling goes up and down during the day which is odd and kept me from taking him to the EV yesterday but the sclera is always red so to the vet he goes. 

When I was grooming Ginger this morning he stole the wrapped string cheese from the table and I successfully traded him for a chew. He didn't want it so it is now buried in the backyard somewhere. I have tiny pits all over the place now, never had a dog that buried goodies before. We love watching him bury stuff in the house, he does it in mime without actually scratching up the slipcover or floor. So far all the buried apples have been sound, haven't found a rotten one in the sofa yet.


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## Laurelin

Spotted Dog free to good home. Or maybe bad home. 

Just been one of those days. Hank is being difficult lately and today was overstimulated like crazy. Just in every way. Got home and he was so over the top he bit the crap out of my stomach. Then got to agility and he was a loon in all the bad ways (and some good ways). He was an overly reactive jerk towards his classmate. Totally lost his mind with his ball.

UGH HANK. 

What is this jerk phase you are going through lately?


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## Kyllobernese

Why do people think their dog should meet everybody else's dog? I stopped in at the SPCA fundraiser on Saturday with Kris. The Mobile Vet was there and cutting toenails for a donation so thought I may as well get Kris' nails done. A woman was standing there with a Husky. She admired Kris and said she had just lost her Dobe. Before I could say a word she let the Husky come right up to Kris, then all of a sudden it snapped at her. I had a good hold on her leash so turned away but she reacted and barked at him, then was all upset and shivered the whole time they did her nails. She has never done that before either when I was doing her nails or someone else was. Probably should have not stayed and done them. She has been so good for a long time now with not bothering with other dogs but I do make sure they are not right in her face and certainly not being aggressive towards her.


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## Sibe

I can't stop watching this video. Bully breed doing bite work, runs up, starts barking, then can't contain the true inner bully and just starts licking the guy. SO HAPPY.
https://www.facebook.com/workingdog.eu/videos/859655560742412/?pnref=story


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## Sibe

Kyllobernese said:


> Why do people think their dog should meet everybody else's dog? I stopped in at the SPCA fundraiser on Saturday with Kris. The Mobile Vet was there and cutting toenails for a donation so thought I may as well get Kris' nails done. A woman was standing there with a Husky. She admired Kris and said she had just lost her Dobe. Before I could say a word she let the Husky come right up to Kris, then all of a sudden it snapped at her. I had a good hold on her leash so turned away but she reacted and barked at him, then was all upset and shivered the whole time they did her nails. She has never done that before either when I was doing her nails or someone else was. Probably should have not stayed and done them. She has been so good for a long time now with not bothering with other dogs but I do make sure they are not right in her face and certainly not being aggressive towards her.


 This bothers me too. I don't really let my huskies meet other dogs on leash, and when they're offleash like at the dog park they say a quick hello then move along usually, sometimes will invite/accept play but usually just move along. Bobb doesn't get to meet any dog, ever. I've held him down to a couple dogs for them to sniff his butt for a couple seconds when they show gentle curiosity, but he's so tiny and breakable- and rightfully snappy toward other dogs- that it doesn't benefit _anyone_ to let him meet other dogs.


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## ireth0

Laurelin said:


> Spotted Dog free to good home. Or maybe bad home.
> 
> Just been one of those days. Hank is being difficult lately and today was overstimulated like crazy. Just in every way. Got home and he was so over the top he bit the crap out of my stomach. Then got to agility and he was a loon in all the bad ways (and some good ways). He was an overly reactive jerk towards his classmate. Totally lost his mind with his ball.
> 
> UGH HANK.
> 
> What is this jerk phase you are going through lately?


Ugh that sucks. We all have off days though, just try not to dwell on it!


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## Hiraeth

jade5280 said:


> Yes it has been recommended to feed kibble that has no more than 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. with at least 30% protein. Here's a list put together by someone who owned bloodhounds https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc/edit?pli=1
> 
> I think most large breed puppies foods are comparable to ALS foods. I'm probably going to feed 'puppy' food or something from the above list until he's a year or maybe 2 then transition him to TOTW because it's easier to feed all 3 dogs the same food.


Here is 4Health's analysis:

Crude Protein 27.0% (min.), Crude Fat 15.0% (min.), Crude Fiber 3.0% (max.), Moisture 10.0% (max.), Calcium 1.2% (min.), Phosphorus 1.2% (max.), Phosphorus 1.0% (min.), Zinc 150 mg/kg (min.), Selenium 0.4 mg/kg (min.), Vitamin E 150 IU/kg (min.), L-Carnitine* 30 mg/kg (min.), Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 2.2% (min.), Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% (min.), DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid)* 0.05% (min.),
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profile.

The protein looks slightly low, and the calcium is really low - lower than almost anything on the list you linked. While I don't want to pump him full of calcium, I do want to make sure he's getting enough.

I might look into Fromm. I need to buy another bag of 4Health anyways (breeder supply is almost out) to use to transition to another food, so I have a little bit of time (like, until this weekend) and can look into my options.


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## jade5280

Fromm Prairie Gold LB puppy has 26% protein and 1.08% calcium


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## Hiraeth

jade5280 said:


> Fromm Prairie Gold LB puppy has 26% protein and 1.08% calcium


Hmmmm. There are so many contradicting information sources out there! Some say no more protein than 27%, others say it should be 30%... 

I think the Fromm you mention has around the levels I'm looking for. Wonder what my local prices will look like.

I keep seeing warnings "don't supplement your puppy's diet with protein/calcium supplements so you can have the 'biggest' puppy on the block"! .... Do people actually do that? Wth? That's just asking for health problems.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Kyllobernese said:


> Why do people think their dog should meet everybody else's dog? I stopped in at the SPCA fundraiser on Saturday with Kris. The Mobile Vet was there and cutting toenails for a donation so thought I may as well get Kris' nails done. A woman was standing there with a Husky. She admired Kris and said she had just lost her Dobe. Before I could say a word she let the Husky come right up to Kris, then all of a sudden it snapped at her. I had a good hold on her leash so turned away but she reacted and barked at him, then was all upset and shivered the whole time they did her nails. She has never done that before either when I was doing her nails or someone else was. Probably should have not stayed and done them. She has been so good for a long time now with not bothering with other dogs but I do make sure they are not right in her face and certainly not being aggressive towards her.


I am "one of those" people, though I always ask if my dog can meet their dog before I let him, unless we both turn a corner or something,and I dont see them in time, because I want Lincoln to gain more confidence and not develop issues with other dogs (he is currently very good with all dogs, old and young, large and small, intact and fixed, and I want to keep it that way lmao).

So far he has only growled at one dog, a bouvier who, in Lincoln's defense was being VERY rude and pushy, and his growl was more of a "I am uncomfortable with this" growl than a aggressive growl. What is killer is the owner of the bouvier was a trainer and told me I "should correct" his growl, and I was like "No, he is just unsure, and I never want him to not let me know when he is unsure about something." The trainer just rolled her eyes and walked off lmao ... glad I dont take classes with her.


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## kdawnk

So recently we reported my grandpa to SGI (car insurance people) "anonymously" to get his license taken away. He's crazy reckless, I've driven behind him while he's driven through stop signs and red lights and 60 in a school zone. 
Where the cops are when this is happening I have no idea.

So we reported him and he gets a letter saying he'll have to go get a medical evaluation to continue having his driver's license. He goes to his doctor to get "evaluated" he walks in with my mom (because he can't retain new information anymore) and she asks him, "How are you feeling?" questions and he's like, "Amazing! I feel 100%. Fit to dive!" and she's like, "Seems legit." so she passes him.
He continues to drive like a maniac, we report him again. They agree to force him to take a driver's test. 
Of course, because he knows he's being tested, he passes.

After his test he drives out to the farm and drives into our yard light and gets out in a panic. My dad comes out to talk to him and my grandpa says, "I don't know how I got here. I don't feel safe driving out here anymore, and I'm not sure I should be driving at all."

Next day... Drives out to the farm to have coffee like nothing happened.


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## elrohwen

kdawnk, that is terrifying!


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## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> kdawnk, that is terrifying!


He's only in his 60s, but has stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his, colon, and lungs. Either his chemo treatments, or the cancer itself, or maybe just older age is effecting his brains as well. He's unable to retain any new information, and will talk in a broken record about something repeatedly. He has black outs, and faints. His doctor knows all of this and assumes we're the evil people trying to get his license taken away.


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## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> He's only in his 60s, but has stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his, colon, and lungs. Either his chemo treatments, or the cancer itself, or maybe just older age is effecting his brains as well. He's unable to retain any new information, and will talk in a broken record about something repeatedly. He has black outs, and faints. His doctor knows all of this and assumes we're the evil people trying to get his license taken away.


Wow, that's awful. Sorry to hear you're going through that  I'm amazed that the doctors aren't being more proactive - they're not only risking the lives of others by allowing your grandfather to drive, they're risking his life as well. I hope you guys can find a way to improve the situation.

My mom and I recently took my grandmother's car away. She has dementia and lives in a neighborhood full of children - we simply couldn't trust her to have the reflexes to stop in time if someone ran in front of her. We took it away under the guise that my mom wrecked her car and couldn't afford a new one, so she needed to borrow my grandmother's. My mom DID wreck her car, but got a lease about a week later. Sadly, my grandmother has a horrible temper and has paranoid tendencies, so we couldn't be honest with her about the situation. Overall, it's best for her and for the safety of her neighborhood, but the loss of that independence weighs on her. 

That's a super hard situation for everyone in the family  Dealing with memory loss really sucks.


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## Willowy

Yeah, it's hard to get an elderly person's DL taken away. My grandma was starting to scare everyone, but fortunately her battery died so her car won't start, and if she asks why it's not working, someone will say "sorry, Grandma, it's broken. But I'll drive you there!". That's worked for about a year so far, hopefully she doesn't push the issue. My uncle lives with her now so he can drive her, although he had a stroke so he's not much better :/. It's too bad most of this country is so dependent on individual transportation. There's just no way to get anywhere if you don't drive! 

My grandpa was an aggressive driver, and always was (he was an aggressive person in general), but of course the cops never catch the right people. They'll give tickets to a good driver going 7 miles over the limit on the highway but the aggressive jerks never seem to get caught. Several older relatives have died in car accidents. . .single-car rollovers are the most common in this area. You hit the soft shoulder, even 6 inches off the road, and you just flip. I hope you can figure out something to keep everyone safe soon!

On the other hand, there was a local old guy who DID get his license taken, and he didn't care, he just kept driving to coffee every morning. At first the sheriff would pull him over and give him a stern talking-to, but he kept doing it. So they started giving him tickets, and he didn't pay them. And what are they gonna do, put a 95-year-old guy in jail? So the sheriff sent a deputy out every morning to follow him to coffee to make he he didn't kill anyone, and one of his coffee buddies would follow him home.


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## PatriciafromCO

Drove all the way into town and forgot to bring my wallet with the money sources in it lol lol lol lol All the dogs were safe snug in their places fresh bowls of water each , obvious puppy proofing done for Abhik, check of all the barn animals that they were ok and made it through the night. Adele had all her stuff with water and a bowl to take with us in the truck. Doors all locked, gates all secure.... Sitting in the grocery store parking lot and nope forgot to bring the money lol .... it was a nice trip for Adele she loves the rides into town..... Had enough change in the truck that I could get a gallon of milk and have a cup of coffee when I got home.. Not a total loss for the trip... will try again tomorrow ..


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## Remaru

kdawnk said:


> He's only in his 60s, but has stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his, colon, and lungs. Either his chemo treatments, or the cancer itself, or maybe just older age is effecting his brains as well. He's unable to retain any new information, and will talk in a broken record about something repeatedly. He has black outs, and faints. His doctor knows all of this and assumes we're the evil people trying to get his license taken away.


That is sad. It is strange my first neurologist threatened to call the state and take my license early on in diagnosing my epilepsy. I stopped driving when I started having seizures but she felt the need to threaten me anyway (one of many reasons she isn't my neurologist anymore).


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## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> He's only in his 60s, but has stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his, colon, and lungs. Either his chemo treatments, or the cancer itself, or maybe just older age is effecting his brains as well. He's unable to retain any new information, and will talk in a broken record about something repeatedly. He has black outs, and faints. His doctor knows all of this and assumes we're the evil people trying to get his license taken away.


That sucks, I am sorry


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## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> That sucks, I am sorry


His situation is something we've all come to terms with, the more important issue right now is that he is still driving and could potentially kill a random innocent person following the rules. We've actually talked to the doctor about this and all his problems and she just says something like, "Cancer can really take an older person for a loop, it's to be expected"
Given my grandpa is a grown adult we can't really make him switch his doctor, and why would he want to? His doctor is allowing him to keep his license. He's going to start chemo again soon, FULL sessions too. He hasn't been on Chemo in 6 months because we all decided, and he came to the conclusion, it was too hard on him. He was doing half sessions before, but now that the cancer is officially in five locations (bone, lymph nodes, lungs, colon, and prostate) they're going to go at it more vigorously. But last time he did chemo he was sick ALL THE TIME. He spent every day in the hospital. He just can't understand what we're trying to tell him anymore.
He actually has another driver's test today apparently. If he remembers to go.


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## Willowy

Remaru said:


> That is sad. It is strange my first neurologist threatened to call the state and take my license early on in diagnosing my epilepsy. I stopped driving when I started having seizures but she felt the need to threaten me anyway (one of many reasons she isn't my neurologist anymore).


I fainted once. Just fainted. The doctor referred me to a neurologist, who randomly decided it was a seizure (?) and said I couldn't drive for 3 months (??) and wanted to put me on seizure meds (???). He said this all in the first 5 minutes without even doing any tests. He said he couldn't call my employer or have the state take my license but if I got in a fatal accident during those 3 months they'd pull my medical records and see the doctor advised no driving so I'd be charged with negligent homicide. And he got mad whenever I asked a question about WHY he thought it was a seizure or WHY he wanted me on meds. Yeah, he was a real charmer. They did an EEG and he called and said they didn't find anything but he wanted to MAKE SURE I started to take those seizure meds ASAP. I didn't go back. I have a poor opinion of neurologists now. And I haven't fainted (or had a seizure ) since. For pete's sake.


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## Remaru

Many of you may remember that I had to place Hobgoblin with a program early this year. I got an email today that he has been matched with his handler, an autistic child. The two of them will have about 2months of training together and then they will graduate as a team. This is really great news, I am thrilled for him. He always loved children and my autistic son in particular (it takes a special dog to really like my oldest son, he tends to be off putting for most). I still miss him, I know that will probably never go away. Having Lad to focus on helps and knowing that he is going to help some one and do what he was meant to do feels good.


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## Remaru

Willowy said:


> I fainted once. Just fainted. The doctor referred me to a neurologist, who randomly decided it was a seizure (?) and said I couldn't drive for 3 months (??) and wanted to put me on seizure meds (???). He said this all in the first 5 minutes without even doing any tests. He said he couldn't call my employer or have the state take my license but if I got in a fatal accident during those 3 months they'd pull my medical records and see the doctor advised no driving so I'd be charged with negligent homicide. And he got mad whenever I asked a question about WHY he thought it was a seizure or WHY he wanted me on meds. Yeah, he was a real charmer. They did an EEG and he called and said they didn't find anything but he wanted to MAKE SURE I started to take those seizure meds ASAP. I didn't go back. I have a poor opinion of neurologists now. And I haven't fainted (or had a seizure ) since. For pete's sake.


This was my issue with her. She didn't want me to ask any questions. She refused to diagnose me, wouldn't put me on meds, but threatened to call the state to take my license and wanted me to spend a week in a hospital with machines hooked to me. When I asked why we couldn't do more basic testing first she flipped out. My kids were 2 and 7 at the time, I couldn't just abandon them for a week while I lived at the hospital. I fired her, found another neurologist who was able to answer my questions and diagnose me with normal tests like an EEG and MRI. 6months seizure free and he said I could drive again if I wanted to. I don't drive a lot but I did go back to work for a while and he signed off on me operating heavy equipment again and I drove the work truck some.


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## kdawnk

Hiraeth said:


> Wow, that's awful. Sorry to hear you're going through that  I'm amazed that the doctors aren't being more proactive - they're not only risking the lives of others by allowing your grandfather to drive, they're risking his life as well. I hope you guys can find a way to improve the situation.
> 
> My mom and I recently took my grandmother's car away. She has dementia and lives in a neighborhood full of children - we simply couldn't trust her to have the reflexes to stop in time if someone ran in front of her. We took it away under the guise that my mom wrecked her car and couldn't afford a new one, so she needed to borrow my grandmother's. My mom DID wreck her car, but got a lease about a week later. Sadly, my grandmother has a horrible temper and has paranoid tendencies, so we couldn't be honest with her about the situation. Overall, it's best for her and for the safety of her neighborhood, but the loss of that independence weighs on her.
> 
> That's a super hard situation for everyone in the family  Dealing with memory loss really sucks.


He seems too paranoid for us to be able to lie... also my dad is a mechanic so any faking of the car being broken would just result in my grandpa getting him to fix it. 
My grandpa has 2 vehicles, as well as like I said, my dad's a mechanic so we have a menagerie of vehicles at our disposal at the farm too. We kept talking to him on the days where he'd come to the conclusion he shouldn't be driving, to further cement that in his mind. Then the next day he'd drive out and completely forget it. Or, when he bumped into the yard light and dented the front bumper of his car he accused me a week later of borrowing his car and getting in an accident in it. Not vehemently, just told me to be honest with him. 
He also is paranoid that we're potentially stealing from him, and he's getting more and more angry and grumpy at all times. Before when I was little, he was the person that never got angry over anything. Never talked bad about anyone. Any problem, there was a way to fix it. Never swore ever.
Now he's swearing every other word, constantly has a negative outlook on people, accuses us of stealing the randomest stuff ("Did you take my air freshener from my car?" ... No?... "Let's not do this. Tell me honestly, I won't be mad." One time he thought we took Sandpaper from him, and because he's an ex-carpenter he has a lot of "valuable" wood that he's now LOCKED in a shed at our farm)


----------



## ireth0

Willowy said:


> I fainted once. Just fainted. The doctor referred me to a neurologist, who randomly decided it was a seizure (?) and said I couldn't drive for 3 months (??) and wanted to put me on seizure meds (???). He said this all in the first 5 minutes without even doing any tests. He said he couldn't call my employer or have the state take my license but if I got in a fatal accident during those 3 months they'd pull my medical records and see the doctor advised no driving so I'd be charged with negligent homicide. And he got mad whenever I asked a question about WHY he thought it was a seizure or WHY he wanted me on meds. Yeah, he was a real charmer. They did an EEG and he called and said they didn't find anything but he wanted to MAKE SURE I started to take those seizure meds ASAP. I didn't go back. I have a poor opinion of neurologists now. And I haven't fainted (or had a seizure ) since. For pete's sake.


Wow that's intense. I've fainted multiple times in my life, I've just been told I have low blood pressure and to eat more salt.

As I've gotten older I've developed habits to prevent it and learned the signs more so I can act before it happens, but yea...


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> He seems too paranoid for us to be able to lie... also my dad is a mechanic so any faking of the car being broken would just result in my grandpa getting him to fix it.
> My grandpa has 2 vehicles, as well as like I said, my dad's a mechanic so we have a menagerie of vehicles at our disposal at the farm too. We kept talking to him on the days where he'd come to the conclusion he shouldn't be driving, to further cement that in his mind. Then the next day he'd drive out and completely forget it. Or, when he bumped into the yard light and dented the front bumper of his car he accused me a week later of borrowing his car and getting in an accident in it. Not vehemently, just told me to be honest with him.
> He also is paranoid that we're potentially stealing from him, and he's getting more and more angry and grumpy at all times. Before when I was little, he was the person that never got angry over anything. Never talked bad about anyone. Any problem, there was a way to fix it. Never swore ever.
> Now he's swearing every other word, constantly has a negative outlook on people, accuses us of stealing the randomest stuff ("Did you take my air freshener from my car?" ... No?... "Let's not do this. Tell me honestly, I won't be mad." One time he thought we took Sandpaper from him, and because he's an ex-carpenter he has a lot of "valuable" wood that he's now LOCKED in a shed at our farm)


Wow. Sounds like a lot of symptoms my grandmother has. She has always had a temper, but it's gotten SO much worse the last few years. The first signs were 10 years ago when she and I took a trip to Kentucky. On the way back, she freaked out at me while I was driving, called me all sorts of horrible names, told me that I purposely caused my parent's divorce when I was 13, and it was no wonder that my recent boyfriend had dumped me because I'm a horrible *b-word* and that I'd never be able to make a man happy. With a lot of swearing thrown in there, too. 

I realize now that her disease caused her to say those things. My grandmother was a wonderful woman who worked scrubbing floors on her hands and knees so that she could afford to take me out on the weekends and help pay for my horseback riding. Dementia makes her not my grandma any more. But at the time, the fight caused a total rupture of our relationship - I didn't talk to her for two and a half years after it happened. It's really hard to reconcile the grandmother I had with the grandmother she is now, though.

She definitely has paranoid episodes where she thinks we're trying to sell her house, or she takes the garbage onto the back porch, forgets that she did it and accuses us of driving our garbage over to her house and leaving it laying around. Another great incident was when we bought her a new television, installed it and left the remote on the kitchen table, only to have her call us 30 minutes later that we had left our "bomb" in her kitchen... I just laughed so hard. Sometimes it's either laugh or cry, you know?


----------



## Willowy

Yeah, my grandma always said someone (usually my youngest cousin, because hey, she is the youngest) was taking her car at night and running it into things. The dents suspiciously matched the dents in the garage doorframe. . .OK Grandma. But she's never been nice, and has been accusing people of stealing things from her for years, even when perfectly sharp-minded. If she couldn't find something, of course one of those rotten grandkids must have taken it! Until she found it again, but never any apologies, just "they must have brought it back because I said something so they knew they were caught!" But it's definitely gotten worse since the dementia set in. My mom hates to go over there. Maybe her mother was never nice but at least she was SMART. So it's hard to see her like that. My dad goes over every day. . .not as hard for him because it's not his mom.


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## kdawnk

Hiraeth said:


> Wow. Sounds like a lot of symptoms my grandmother has. She has always had a temper, but it's gotten SO much worse the last few years. The first signs were 10 years ago when she and I took a trip to Kentucky. On the way back, she freaked out at me while I was driving, called me all sorts of horrible names, told me that I purposely caused my parent's divorce when I was 13, and it was no wonder that my recent boyfriend had dumped me because I'm a horrible *b-word* and that I'd never be able to make a man happy. With a lot of swearing thrown in there, too.
> 
> I realize now that her disease caused her to say those things. My grandmother was a wonderful woman who worked scrubbing floors on her hands and knees so that she could afford to take me out on the weekends and help pay for my horseback riding. Dementia makes her not my grandma any more. But at the time, the fight caused a total rupture of our relationship - I didn't talk to her for two and a half years after it happened. It's really hard to reconcile the grandmother I had with the grandmother she is now, though.
> 
> She definitely has paranoid episodes where she thinks we're trying to sell her house, or she takes the garbage onto the back porch, forgets that she did it and accuses us of driving our garbage over to her house and leaving it laying around. Another great incident was when we bought her a new television, installed it and left the remote on the kitchen table, only to have her call us 30 minutes later that we had left our "bomb" in her kitchen... I just laughed so hard. Sometimes it's either laugh or cry, you know?


Yeah very true.
A couple years ago I realized he was having slip ups and it scared the living sh** out of me. He was snowed in at the farm (he used to live in a trailer home at the farm) so I went to use the Bobcat to dig him out, but the blizzard go so bad that I ended up snowed in with him. The events of the evening ended up like a horror movie.
I was sleeping in the room across the hallway from him and he'd get up at random times in the night and stand in the doorway of my bedroom, no way he could actually see me in the dark, but he'd just stand there (in his underwear) and grumble something about me being too loud and go back to sleep. Multiple times. When he walked away he'd start loudly whistling and he never turned on any lights.
In the morning I talked to him about it and he said that the cats in my room kept waking him up so he wanted to make sure they weren't bothering me, "but the one there was super cuddly. Yeah that's a good cat!"
We... didn't have any cats or animals at the time...
Then later in the day he was shuffling bills on the counter at my parent's house and he was angrily saying, "BILL, BILL, BILL, BILL. All of these are bills Carla (my mom's name)."
I reminded him that we were at my parent's house and that the bills weren't for him, or for me, "Don't you try to get out of your responsibilities and think you just can NOT pay these bills. Carla DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME. You need to grow up and face the real world. Going on vacations when you have all these bills behind, what the absolute h*** are you thinking? I'll have to see if I can budget this."

At no point was I walking away during the conversation. I was just standing there while he yelled at me. It was like he was both talking to me and my mom who was gone on vacation at the same time. At first I just thought he got our names confused, but then not so much later in the conversation. That was after a chemo treatment, AND him being up multiple times during the night because of the "cats" so I imagine there was a lot of stress going on in his brain.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Remaru said:


> Many of you may remember that I had to place Hobgoblin with a program early this year. I got an email today that he has been matched with his handler, an autistic child. The two of them will have about 2months of training together and then they will graduate as a team. This is really great news, I am thrilled for him. He always loved children and my autistic son in particular (it takes a special dog to really like my oldest son, he tends to be off putting for most). I still miss him, I know that will probably never go away. Having Lad to focus on helps and knowing that he is going to help some one and do what he was meant to do feels good.


That's really great. Just think.. if you never would have given him a shot then he just wouldn't have found himself to be destined for more than just a pet.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Trying to decide if I want to go ahead and sign up for the same foundations class I took last with Shae. There is a "1+" level that a lot of people take after taking just Level 1- Foundations, but it's on a Wednesday night and I'm taking a night class Wed. this semester. From the schedule, looks like the next 2-3 classes offered for 1+ are going to be in the same slot, so I don't think I really want to wait until December/January to get her in another agility class. Our instructor wasn't that great for the first class, though, so it might be a good thing to go from the very basics again. 

Ugh, honestly I hate signing up and going on the first night to a new class lol. It's kind of a "So, what's the problem that's going to pop up for this class? Which dog will you have an issue with this time, Shae?"


----------



## ireth0

My bf took Luna to the park yesterday morning since he had the day off. 

Apparently she hit her head on a picnic bench hard enough that she almost knocked the lady off who was sitting on the other side. Luna is no worse for wear.

Ooooooh fish...


----------



## elrohwen

DogTheGreat said:


> Ugh, honestly I hate signing up and going on the first night to a new class lol. It's kind of a "So, what's the problem that's going to pop up for this class? Which dog will you have an issue with this time, Shae?"


I have that feeling every time I go to a new class with Watson. He's gotten much better in the last 6 months or so, but I always have that feeling in the pit of my stomach like "What dog is going to set you off, or which one are you going to be obsessed with wanting to meet?"


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I have that feeling every time I go to a new class with Watson. He's gotten much better in the last 6 months or so, but I always have that feeling in the pit of my stomach like "What dog is going to set you off, or which one are you going to be obsessed with wanting to meet?"


Every. Time. I go anywhere with Molly.

Though lately, it's consistently just been this ONE DOG. The other BC female in our class is 6 months older than her and they just set each other off. It makes me feel horrible, because I like the people and I'm pretty sure they're convinced Molly is demon spawn.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson's actual reactivity in class is now pretty much zero, but he will still get this idea in his head that he wants to meet and certain dog and then will be a pain about it. In the last class it was a female BC, and he was always trying to sneak up to her if I wasn't paying attention, and once broke a down stay (in a line up) to go visit with her. So on one hand he can be reactive and on the other hand he's a giant flirt. LOL


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I guess I lucked out LOL, because even with intact IN HEAT (I said something to the instructor, and he pulled the lady aside after class) female in the small pen next to him, Lincoln was surprisingly able to focus quite well. There were a couple of times he tried to go over there, I told him to "leave it" and he did! He did mark a few times when she was near, but I cleaned it up and redirected him a few times when he started smelling in "that way" and he stopped right away. 

He was really trying so hard to be good, but, hormones! LOL.

I also lucked out because he was never reactive, just really really shy and avoidant of strangers, though he has mostly gotten over that. I dont worry where I take him, I see every place we go as a training opportunity and if he ever is a bit reactive (because he can be sometimes) then great! we have something to work on! But if he is being a jerk and knows better, then he gets told.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson is typically fine with females in heat. It's more of an appearance thing and the girls he's attracted to are typically spayed. There are just certain types that he really likes and wants to go flirt with.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Watson is typically fine with females in heat. It's more of an appearance thing and the girls he's attracted to are typically spayed. There are just certain types that he really likes and wants to go flirt with.


Yeah. Molly is a spayed female and she's flirty as flirty can be with some dogs. One's the instructor's puppy (teenaged puppy), and the other is a little pit/acd mix female who is also spayed. Fortunately, (fortunately?) I think at this point most people are so scared of her that they run really great interference to prevent her getting anywhere near her, as well as me running interference.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Yeah. Molly is a spayed female and she's flirty as flirty can be with some dogs. One's the instructor's puppy (teenaged puppy), and the other is a little pit/acd mix female who is also spayed. Fortunately, (fortunately?) I think at this point most people are so scared of her that they run really great interference to prevent her getting anywhere near her, as well as me running interference.


Watson also likes to flirt with dogs who dislike him. There was a poodle in one class who snarked at him a couple times for getting too close, and he decided he was in *love* with her. Like squeaking and flailing on his leash any time she was near (not in a reactive way, more of an "OMG! I want to be near her!"). He's such an idiot. I guess he likes dogs who are hard to get?

Young female goldens are his kryptonite. Even male goldens if that's all he's got. LOL


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Watson also likes to flirt with dogs who dislike him. There was a poodle in one class who snarked at him a couple times for getting too close, and he decided he was in *love* with her. Like squeaking and flailing on his leash any time she was near (not in a reactive way, more of an "OMG! I want to be near her!"). He's such an idiot. I guess he likes dogs who are hard to get?
> 
> Young female goldens are his kryptonite. Even male goldens if that's all he's got. LOL



OH MY GOD. 

There is this chi in our class and it... hates Molly. Basically, it hates dogs that are bigger than it is, and it's a chi in a class with a pit mix, a jrt mix, and some herders so you know, they're all bigger than he is. He made a run for Molly once, and I picked her up and she just sat in my arms and wagged. 

But anyway, she ADORES this dog. I think Kylie hating her guts broke her, or something. 

Well, that or she thinks he's just an amusing toy, but either way it KILLS ME. she thinks this dog is the greatest thing since sliced bread and he just wants to eat her eyeballs.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> OH MY GOD.
> 
> There is this chi in our class and it... hates Molly. Basically, it hates dogs that are bigger than it is, and it's a chi in a class with a pit mix, a jrt mix, and some herders so you know, they're all bigger than he is. He made a run for Molly once, and I picked her up and she just sat in my arms and wagged.
> 
> But anyway, she ADORES this dog. I think Kylie hating her guts broke her, or something.
> 
> Well, that or she thinks he's just an amusing toy, but either way it KILLS ME. she thinks this dog is the greatest thing since sliced bread and he just wants to eat her eyeballs.


Hahaha. 

You know how people see a reactive and growling little dog and think "Oh, how cute. He thinks he's a big dog." I swear dogs think the same thing. Watson will react back to larger dogs who are freaking out at him, but when we pass little dogs who are reactive he just looks at them like "Look at the little yappy dogs. They are silly"


----------



## DogTheGreat

Shae has a crush of some sort on the boxer across the street. He tries to come see her every time he sees her, too, but he's very quickly reminded that in reality he doesn't like her very much because she's obnoxiously puppy-like (and she was never really socialized to interact with other dogs beyond being in close proximity on-leash and short greetings because of other issues we've had). She'll drop everything the moment she sees him and I have to be careful if I'm working with her outside because if I don't grab her leash quick enough she'll try to dart as soon as he comes outside. She's actually pretty good about ignoring other dogs she wouldn't mind playing with despite some random flinging to the end of the leash every once in awhile. 



CptJack said:


> It makes me feel horrible, because I like the people and I'm pretty sure they're convinced Molly is demon spawn.


Lol, everybody in my last class thought the BC Shae had an issue with "had issues" and I could tell they judged the owner some. Although their rivalry was frustrating to say the least, I honestly never really judged the dog/situation even including the couple of times the BC got loose and was snarling like crazy 5ft away. Not sure why they didn't think Shae was a nightmare since she was no innocent victim in the whole situation, but I probably did do a significantly better job of redirecting.


----------



## CptJack

Man, Molly has been rushed but she's never, ever, been out of control. I'd judge the pants off anyone who lost control of their dog in a class like that, too. Come to that, I HAVE and DO judge those people.

Not the reactivity so much as the, well, lack of control.

The weirdness for me is people are terrified of Molly, but...she's doing exactly what the other BC is doing at this point. And she usually goes off WAY after the other dog - ie: in response to her. It's just strange and kind of frustrating.


----------



## elrohwen

DogTheGreat said:


> Lol, everybody in my last class thought the BC Shae had an issue with "had issues" and I could tell they judged the owner some. Although their rivalry was frustrating to say the least, I honestly never really judged the dog/situation even including the couple of times the BC got loose and was snarling like crazy 5ft away. Not sure why they didn't think Shae was a nightmare since she was no innocent victim in the whole situation, but I probably did do a significantly better job of redirecting.


Some people have a really hard time seeing what is going on when dogs are being reactive. We were in a Rally class where Watson was totally fine with all of the other dogs, even all of the intact males. I never let them meet, but he had no animosity towards them and everybody was relaxed. Then this woman came in with a young intact male clumber spaniel who was just nuts - staring hard at other dogs, flailing, generally being annoying. Watson *hates* dogs like that (he was that dog a couple years ago). The woman who owned the clumber is a breeder and trainer at the club, she should have some sense, but she was totally oblivious that her dog was the problem and was causing Watson to freak out. The waiting area outside the ring was small and we were already backed into a corner, and she would just stand there talking to her friends while her dog stared Watson down. She never thought to move her dog away. Her dog was quiet about it and mine was barking, so it felt like Watson was the problem, but really it was her dog. Thank goodness she only showed up halfway through classes and only once in a while.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Man, Molly has been rushed but she's never, ever, been out of control. I'd judge the pants off anyone who lost control of their dog in a class like that, too. Come to that, I HAVE and DO judge those people.
> 
> Not the reactivity so much as the, well, lack of control.


I don't have control of Watson in classes like that. I blamed it more on the structure of the class and the fact that nobody ever *taught* us that kind of control. Just throwing green dogs into a room with other dogs is not a recipe for success. He wasn't even reactive, he just wanted to sniff butts and maybe get someone to play with him, but it sucked for everyone.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I don't have control of Watson in classes like that. I blamed it more on the structure of the class and the fact that nobody ever *taught* us that kind of control. Just throwing green dogs into a room with other dogs is not a recipe for success. He wasn't even reactive, he just wanted to sniff butts and maybe get someone to play with him, but it sucked for everyone.


I judged a whole lot of people in that class, including the class structure, but I honestly think if you're going to be super reactive and in a class that demands off leash stuff that... there's sort of a line you don't cross. In this case 'dogs who actually want to attack other dogs' as opposed to dogs who are loud, you know? In my 8 person agility class right now, there are FOUR reactive dogs, and that's fine. We're all pretty good at managing.

The woman who watched her reactive dog slowly saunter up to another dog while growling and snarling, not so much.


----------



## DogTheGreat

CptJack said:


> Man, Molly has been rushed but she's never, ever, been out of control. I'd judge the pants off anyone who lost control of their dog in a class like that, too. Come to that, I HAVE and DO judge those people.
> 
> Not the reactivity so much as the, well, lack of control.


Well, the way it happened was more understandable. I was out of the ring with Shae and she knew it, so she was going through the tunnel with the dog. I hadn't noticed she wasn't on-leash (and leash in owner's hand) and when we re-entered the ring, she shot out of the tunnel for us before the handler got the leash. Also, the main handler was like 12 so I cut her a lot of slack because I could tell she was trying.

Really, I only empathize with owners that have out-of-control dogs or dogs they're having trouble with as long as I can tell they're making an effort. It's the owners that stand around and act like everything is dandy and not bothersome at all when their dog is being a neurotic mess.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DogTheGreat said:


> Shae has a crush of some sort on the boxer across the street. He tries to come see her every time he sees her, too, but he's very quickly reminded that in reality he doesn't like her very much because she's obnoxiously puppy-like (and she was never really socialized to interact with other dogs beyond being in close proximity on-leash and short greetings because of other issues we've had). She'll drop everything the moment she sees him and I have to be careful if I'm working with her outside because if I don't grab her leash quick enough she'll try to dart as soon as he comes outside. She's actually pretty good about ignoring other dogs she wouldn't mind playing with despite some random flinging to the end of the leash every once in awhile.
> 
> 
> 
> Lol, everybody in my last class thought the BC Shae had an issue with "had issues" and I could tell they judged the owner some. Although their rivalry was frustrating to say the least, I honestly never really judged the dog/situation even including the couple of times the BC got loose and was snarling like crazy 5ft away. Not sure why they didn't think Shae was a nightmare since she was no innocent victim in the whole situation, but I probably did do a significantly better job of redirecting.


I try not to judge people (I know I sometimes do and I hate myself for it later), I know they are there to learn just like i am. I know people sometimes judge me because I dont have an "attention whore" dog who is fawning all over everyone. So they usually think A) he was abused or from a bad breeder (not true on either count) or B) I was a piece of crap owner who didnt socialize their dog (also not true).

On the crush thing, Josefina had a huge crush on the large male intact rottie in our agility class, she just loved him LOL. Not that I could blame her, he was gorgeous! 

All the females like Lincoln, and he likes them! LOL



CptJack said:


> Man, Molly has been rushed but she's never, ever, been out of control. I'd judge the pants off anyone who lost control of their dog in a class like that, too. Come to that, I HAVE and DO judge those people.
> 
> Not the reactivity so much as the, well, lack of control.
> 
> The weirdness for me is people are terrified of Molly, but...she's doing exactly what the other BC is doing at this point. And she usually goes off WAY after the other dog - ie: in response to her. It's just strange and kind of frustrating.


Like I said, I try not to judge anyone, at least they are there trying to get help and better themselves. I believe I made a post a while back about two malinois in my agility class that I was kind of annoyed by because of their owner's lack of control and everyone chastised me for it? I believe even some people said "well its not like your dog is perfect either!" The female didnt bother me as much as the male, he was dog reactive and aggressive and even crashed through the fence at one point to fence fight with the trainer's dog who was contained in an ex pen and the fact that the owner had NO control over him and couldnt make him listen for anything made me a little uneasy.


----------



## DogTheGreat

OwnedbyACDs said:


> B) I was a piece of crap owner who didnt socialize their dog (also not true).


Socialization fixes _everything_ didn't you hear?


----------



## CptJack

...Keep reading what I actually judged, please and thank you. 

Things happen. To everyone. Lack of reaction on part of the owner or effort to deal with the issue is frustrating. Not the thing that happened - they do. People also have bad days and it isn't as though I treat them badly or judge them aloud. I certainly don't judge dogs for being reactive. 

A situation where something happens and the owner does NOTHING? Yeah. That bothers me. ALong with the course structure that allowed it to happen, even when it's not something that can be fixed. 

Call it frustration and 'what the heck?!" if you'd rather, but judged != judged someone as a lousy person and dog owner. More like 'judged as having made a bad decision in the moment'. 

So?


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## ireth0

DogTheGreat said:


> Socialization fixes _everything_ didn't you hear?


That and puppy classes.


----------



## DogTheGreat

ireth0 said:


> That and puppy classes.


"Puppy class saved my dogs life." is something I'm surprised isn't said more often.


----------



## Willowy

Per the previous conversation about ASDs. . .

http://www.slate.com/articles/healt..._is_a_minority_group_neurotribes_excerpt.html 

I particularly like the part about different "human operating systems" and how just because a computer doesn't run Windows, that doesn't mean it's broken .


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## DogTheGreat

I forgot to take in a treat bag I had sitting in my car and it sat in there for practically the entire weekend. Cheese, meats, and other fresh dog treats baking in a car for two days. The result? My car smells awful and it won't go away. OOPS


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Per the previous conversation about ASDs. . .
> 
> http://www.slate.com/articles/healt..._is_a_minority_group_neurotribes_excerpt.html
> 
> I particularly like the part about different "human operating systems" and how just because a computer doesn't run Windows, that doesn't mean it's broken .


Yep, some run MAC OS, and just because they aren't compatible with windows doesn't make them bad.



DogTheGreat said:


> I forgot to take in a treat bag I had sitting in my car and it sat in there for practically the entire weekend. Cheese, meats, and other fresh dog treats baking in a car for two days. The result? My car smells awful and it won't go away. OOPS


EWWWWW!! Maybe have it detailed? Lol.


----------



## Hiraeth

DogTheGreat said:


> I forgot to take in a treat bag I had sitting in my car and it sat in there for practically the entire weekend. Cheese, meats, and other fresh dog treats baking in a car for two days. The result? My car smells awful and it won't go away. OOPS


Wow, that must be pungent!

This just reminded me of a vaguely amusing story - a college friend of mine had a habit of leaving plastic water bottles and thermoses in his truck for weeks at a time and still drinking them (even in summer). One day, he was driving with me in the passenger seat and he opened a bottle and took a swig. Less than two seconds later, he swerved to the side of the road, threw the truck in park, leaped out of the door and started throwing up on the side of the road. I was SO confused and worried, thinking "holy crap, is he choking or dying or what is wrong?!". After about a minute of me wondering if I should call 9-11, he stands up and walks back over to the car and says "that was milk that has been sitting in there for two weeks. It curdled." 

Thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach to this day.


----------



## BellaPup

DogTheGreat said:


> I forgot to take in a treat bag I had sitting in my car and it sat in there for practically the entire weekend. Cheese, meats, and other fresh dog treats baking in a car for two days. The result? My car smells awful and it won't go away. OOPS


Awwww! Bet your dog loves it though! lol

Like a few weeks ago when I picked up one of those cooked rotisserie chickens at the store. Chicken tipped over in the back of the car... juice everywhere. I use the reusable shopping bags and didn't ask for it to be wrapped up in a plastic bag - ONCE. So...leaked all over the car, other bags and everything else in the back.

Took me a week to wash & scrub everything to get the stench out (of course this happens in the middle of Summer)

Bella? In HEAVEN!


----------



## BrierRabbit

It is officially taking everything in me not to run to the shelter and grab this guy. If I actually use my brain, it's at least 3 years until I can reasonably get another dog. -sigh-

He's also a great example of why I can't wait for my new photo backdrop to come in the mail so I can take some nice pictures of the shelter animals. Hurry up UPS!


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## CptJack

MOLLY IS NOT A SNUGGLY AFFECTIONATE DOG! Said me, forever. Will say me, tomorrow.

Tonight?










WTH?

And to be clear, she's not... snuggling exactly? She's just sitting there leaning hard on me.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> MOLLY IS NOT A SNUGGLY AFFECTIONATE DOG! Said me, forever. Will say me, tomorrow.
> 
> Tonight?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WTH?
> 
> And to be clear, she's not... snuggling exactly? She's just sitting there leaning hard on me.


Ohmygawd. That is Embers snuggly face when she decides to lean on me. Molly so pretty <3


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ohmygawd. That is Embers snuggly face when she decides to lean on me. Molly so pretty <3


It kills me because she looks almost scared? Or something? Somehow? LOL.

Thanks. She's pretty ridiculous, but I'm a wee bit nuts over her neurotic self.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I call it Ember's "Sad Border Collie" face. She's not really sad or scared.. but it looks.. something.


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## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I call it Ember's "Sad Border Collie" face. She's not really sad or scared.. but it looks.. something.


Beaten. When Molly wants love, she looks like she's been beaten. Head down, ears back, sad eyes, often with a tucked tail and submissive grin as she approaches. It's ridiculous, but it's also SWEET, somehow, so I'll take it. 

Sad Border Collie is probably more accurate given I don't beat Molly but. Well.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

That's why I love aussies /mas because they are NEVER sad


----------



## elrohwen

Hazel has always been too busy to snuggle, but tonight I have this: 









Something in the air?


----------



## elrohwen

And you don't know sad-but-not-actually-sad until you've seen a spaniel.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> Beaten. When Molly wants love, she looks like she's been beaten. Head down, ears back, sad eyes, often with a tucked tail and submissive grin as she approaches. It's ridiculous, but it's also SWEET, somehow, so I'll take it.
> 
> Sad Border Collie is probably more accurate given I don't beat Molly but. Well.


Definitely Beaten. Ember doesn't submissive grin, but she gets squinty eyes, ears back, low wagging tail kinda deal. 

My Aussie does get a sad face sometimes.. accompanied by a wiggle butt. I call her "Sad Wiggle".


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> And you don't know sad-but-not-actually-sad until you've seen a spaniel.


That wins.

Everything.

Forever.


Molly's just a grinny dog. First one I think I've ever had who grins THIS much. She grins and sneezes when you come home, when she wants cuddled, when she wants her belly rubbed, when she is hoping for a bit of cookie, whatever. Doesn't come out outside the house much but in it, it's just a general 'pleeeeease' thing from her. Looks awful as heck, though.


----------



## elrohwen

That picture of him slays me every time. In one picture that is why I love him more than anything. And funny enough he's a super happy dog. Pretty sure that was just his tired face. Lol. He is so expressive.


----------



## Laurelin

Have we discussed the faces that my dog makes recently?


----------



## Laurelin

Mia's bedroom eyes.


----------



## gingerkid

CptJack said:


> Beaten. When Molly wants love, she looks like she's been beaten. Head down, ears back, sad eyes, often with a tucked tail and submissive grin as she approaches. It's ridiculous, but it's also SWEET, somehow, so I'll take it.
> 
> Sad Border Collie is probably more accurate given I don't beat Molly but. Well.


Ida too! Unless we're wrestling, she's all ears back, tail down, front lip licks, slinky on the floor... but if I stop petting her she complains and crawls closer.

We are also more and more sure with every passing day that she is part collie. I mean, other than the fact that she looks pretty much like a tiny white collie, she acts like a collie (herds stuff, is nothing but trouble), and husband had a lady tell him she looks exactly like her old dog who was BC X Eskie.


----------



## jade5280

LOVE him!!! 


elrohwen said:


> And you don't know sad-but-not-actually-sad until you've seen a spaniel.


Crying


----------



## BellaPup

Awwww....you can almost see the tears  Poor baby


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## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> And you don't know sad-but-not-actually-sad until you've seen a spaniel.


*music starts playing* IN THE ARRRRMMMS OF AN ANGEL*
"Hi, I'm Sarah McLachlan..."


----------



## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> And you don't know sad-but-not-actually-sad until you've seen a spaniel.


Oh I know that look all too well. Belle, even being only part spaniel has that look down pat...
IMG_5752a by rzyg, on Flickr


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## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> Have we discussed the faces that my dog makes recently?


OMG that smile!!


----------



## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> That picture of him slays me every time. In one picture that is why I love him more than anything. And funny enough he's a super happy dog. Pretty sure that was just his tired face. Lol. He is so expressive.


Belle has very expressive eyes too....she is either smiling or this, like you could look into her soul....
IMG_5510a5 by rzyg, on Flickr

or this when she is bored with me.....
IMG_5321nb1v by rzyg, on Flickr

I just get the best expressions out of her, I love to take pics of her.


----------



## GrinningDog

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. The cat is peeing outside the box again. Within a couple feet of the box, on the floor. Sometimes she pees in the box, and she always poops in the box. Last time this happened, I took the lid off the box, and that fixed the problem for months. But she's doing it again. Same litter, XL box, kept very clean, kept private from the dog. I can't figure it out, and it's driving me crazy.


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## Laurelin

Ummmm this dog looks scary like my dog.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33355669


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## mudypony

GoGoGypsy said:


> Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. The cat is peeing outside the box again. Within a couple feet of the box, on the floor. Sometimes she pees in the box, and she always poops in the box. Last time this happened, I took the lid off the box, and that fixed the problem for months. But she's doing it again. Same litter, XL box, kept very clean, kept private from the dog. I can't figure it out, and it's driving me crazy.


That sucks! When my old cat started doing this, I ended up putting a second litter box where she was peeing. That solved the problem for us, and she used the old one to poop and the new one to pee haha. Maybe that would help your kitty?


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## Eenypup

I'm gonna be honest, when everyone said they had so much difficulty keeping kids from rushing their dogs I was really confused. A year and a half in the city and kids either ignore her, smile at her, or ask if they could pet her and go on their way when I say they can't.

This is my second day staying with my dad in the suburbs (to avoid pope craziness) and just... wow. Walking the two dogs and a mob of 6-8 year old girls come SHRIEKING AND RUNNING at us!! We tell them no no no one of the dogs is afraid of kids she might bite. Well what do you know they keep running and ask if they can pet the other one. My gf walks away with Bennie who is luckily completely ignoring them and I let them pet Abilene (she's met them before) and they are TERRIBLE and awkwardly patting her and recoiling so I'm like okay bye she's done.

Wtf?! I love the city I never want to leave again!


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> Ummmm this dog looks scary like my dog.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33355669


Why is he not home with you right now?


----------



## Laurelin

Because she's in a different state (thankfully!)

How cool would a matching set be?


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## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> Because she's in a different state (thankfully!)
> 
> How cool would a matching set be?


Oh haha! My heart breaks every time I see a raggedy hound on petfinder. A 3rd coonhound would be the last dog I would want right now, but my heart!


----------



## CptJack

There was a BC in a shelter a state away that looked *so much* like Molly. Except so, so scared. Broke my heart into pieces.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Laurelin said:


> Ummmm this dog looks scary like my dog.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33355669


Is Hank that small?? I guess seeing him mostly next to Papillons can distort his size haha.


----------



## ireth0

GoGoGypsy said:


> Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. The cat is peeing outside the box again. Within a couple feet of the box, on the floor. Sometimes she pees in the box, and she always poops in the box. Last time this happened, I took the lid off the box, and that fixed the problem for months. But she's doing it again. Same litter, XL box, kept very clean, kept private from the dog. I can't figure it out, and it's driving me crazy.


Ugh I'm sorry. We've gone through litter box issues too recently and it definitely sucks. (be happy she isn't peeing on a bed)

One of ours just decided one day that she wasn't going to the place where the box was anymore. I still don't know why, but moving the box to an area more in her 'home base' area has so far fixed the issue. 

Has she been for a checkup? Maybe peeing is hurting her and she associated it with the box?


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> There was a BC in a shelter a state away that looked *so much* like Molly. Except so, so scared. Broke my heart into pieces.


That picture looks a LOT like Hank's intake picture. I SO wish I had saved that one but I waited till they had put a less traumatized picture of him on petfinder before I went to meet him. So sad.



DogTheGreat said:


> Is Hank that small?? I guess seeing him mostly next to Papillons can distort his size haha.


Hank is around 16" tall and 25 lbs. He is really small! The papillons are 9 1/2" and 10 1/2" and 7-8 lbs. 

I know when I posted the first videos of him people were commenting on how tiny he is. 

Here's a good video showing his size compared to me! 






I get asked if he's a mini heeler all the time.


----------



## FallDeere

That Hank look-alike isn't too far from me... That's tempting, lol. I've always wanted a Hank!


----------



## Laurelin

This guy is precious.

https://www.facebook.com/ABC7/videos/10153107650702452/

http://abc7.com/pets/texas-man-builds-doggie-train-for-rescued-dogs/1000858/


----------



## GrinningDog

mudypony said:


> That sucks! When my old cat started doing this, I ended up putting a second litter box where she was peeing. That solved the problem for us, and she used the old one to poop and the new one to pee haha. Maybe that would help your kitty?





ireth0 said:


> Ugh I'm sorry. We've gone through litter box issues too recently and it definitely sucks. (be happy she isn't peeing on a bed)
> 
> One of ours just decided one day that she wasn't going to the place where the box was anymore. I still don't know why, but moving the box to an area more in her 'home base' area has so far fixed the issue.
> 
> Has she been for a checkup? Maybe peeing is hurting her and she associated it with the box?


Actually, she hurt her paw on Sun night (caught a claw under the oven, and tried ripping herself free), and I brought her to the vet over that. My best guess for why this is happening is that the litter bothers the little healing area on her paw. But she's been pooping in the box and peeing in there some of the time?! And the scabbed area is really small. I don't get it. Is that enough to put the cat off the box?

I'm so glad it's only been in the bathroom! I'm stressing about it enough as it is. I've never had a cat with recurrent box issues, until this cat apparently. I REALLY want to nip this in the bud so this doesn't become a habit. Hopefully it's just the paw thing!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

mudypony said:


> That sucks! When my old cat started doing this, I ended up putting a second litter box where she was peeing. That solved the problem for us, and she used the old one to poop and the new one to pee haha. Maybe that would help your kitty?


I bad a barn cat that was pooping in our agacet feed room (connected by a false ceiling ) even though she had a always clean litter box in the tack room . Turns out she didn't want the box where she ate , like in the same room so I moved it to where she had been pooping and viola! No more pooping outside the box!


----------



## Willowy

Yesterday some friends and I went to the park (in Sioux Falls; not a tiny town park). There was a guy there with a Sioux Falls Herpetological Society t-shirt and 4 large snakes. 2 were red-tailed boas and 2 were carpet pythons. He was letting people touch the snakes and ask questions, etc. I got to hold the baby carpet python. It was cool. 

He did warn me against using the local exotics vet. He says that vet is terrible with reptiles. He takes his snakes to a vet in Omaha :/. Well, I hope the snake doesn't get sick. That's a long way.


----------



## CptJack

Good news is, when reptiles get sick they *rarely* require the kind of speed for treatment that mammals or, even worse, birds do. It's typically a pretty slow decline with lots of time to go where you need to go. And lots of things are so basic that almost anyone can handle and provide, if you know what to ask for.


----------



## ireth0

GoGoGypsy said:


> Actually, she hurt her paw on Sun night (caught a claw under the oven, and tried ripping herself free), and I brought her to the vet over that. My best guess for why this is happening is that the litter bothers the little healing area on her paw. But she's been pooping in the box and peeing in there some of the time?! And the scabbed area is really small. I don't get it. Is that enough to put the cat off the box?
> 
> I'm so glad it's only been in the bathroom! I'm stressing about it enough as it is. I've never had a cat with recurrent box issues, until this cat apparently. I REALLY want to nip this in the bud so this doesn't become a habit. Hopefully it's just the paw thing!


Yea that definitely makes sense as being the issue. If it heals and she's still having issues I might suggest moving the box or getting a new box so she doesn't have the association of the pain anymore.


----------



## Laurelin

Ugh the Pyrshep breeder I absolutely LOVE is having a spring 2016 litter. First announced litter in 3 years. She is hands down the best breeder I've talked to. I talked to her on the phone for 2 hours, she's answered so many emails, is very honest about health testing, honest about the breed and their quirks. I have never talked to a breeder and gotten such a good feeling before! 

It is SO tempting. Especially because it may be another 3 years before she breeds again.

But while I definitely 100% do want a pyrshep one day (like I must have one someday), I feel like a border collie at this point fits my wants better. The unofficial plan has been BC or koolie next then pyrshep or mayyyyybe MAS or sheltie after that. 

I also want to wait till late 2016/early 2017 for puppy so that would be too soon. But holy hell it's tempting. If she had announced fall 2016 I might would just postpone the BC/koolie. But spring is too soon...


----------



## taquitos

My shower head broke a few weeks ago. We bought a new one from Costco. It seemed like it was working great... well it just broke again. ARGH. In the middle of washing my hair BOTH times too. LIKE SERIOUSLY!?!?! omfg.. ugh.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Grrrrr facebook is down! :frusty:


----------



## jade5280

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Grrrrr facebook is down! :frusty:


oh good, I thought it was just my computer.


----------



## cookieface

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Grrrrr facebook is down! :frusty:


Glad I'm not at work. That would be tragic.


----------



## cookieface

I'm regretting my decision not to wear gloves while chopping habaneros; I'll be smarter with the dried ghost chiles later.


----------



## Kathyy

Ouch. How long does it take for the oils to wear off your hands?

I must love my dogs. Just made a second batch of sardine bread for them. House smells like a fishing pier now.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank had a random tail chasing episode tonight. I have never ever seen him do that before. Seemed to be in fun/play though.


----------



## cookieface

Kathyy said:


> Ouch. How long does it take for the oils to wear off your hands?
> 
> I must love my dogs. Just made a second batch of sardine bread for them. House smells like a fishing pier now.


A few hours. I was happy I had the forethought to remove my contacts before chopping them.

What's in sardine bread? I have a package of sardines that need to be used.


----------



## Laurelin

Omg I think I slept 2 hours last night. Works not gonna be fun today.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

cookieface said:


> I'm regretting my decision not to wear gloves while chopping habaneros; I'll be smarter with the dried ghost chiles later.


LOL I cant even chop jalapenos without coughing and my eyes watering and my nose running. My OH is of mexican decent, so of course he loves spicy food, but I told him if he wants to sautee any spicy peppers he will have to do it haha

My vent: shopping for a new car sucks   and the insurance company is taking FOREVER to get my forms to me that I need to sign so I can release the title of the truck to them so they can mail my check to ME.

The good news? My new glasses came in and I have 20/15 vision again!!!!


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> Omg I think I slept 2 hours last night. Works not gonna be fun today.


Oh noooo! Why so little sleep???


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> Omg I think I slept 2 hours last night. Works not gonna be fun today.


That was me Saturday night, it is so stinking hard to sleep when all you smell is skunk and you have cleaned for hours!!


----------



## Laurelin

missc89 said:


> Oh noooo! Why so little sleep???


Mia had diarrhea all over my bedroom then pitched a fit because I wouldn't let her sleep in the bed.


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> Mia had diarrhea all over my bedroom then pitched a fit because I wouldn't let her sleep in the bed.


Aww I'm sorry to hear that


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> Mia had diarrhea all over my bedroom then pitched a fit because I wouldn't let her sleep in the bed.


Ok, I am sorry but I just had to laugh. After a stinky skunk smelling house starting Saturday night (all my dh's fault!) I woke to Belle having had diarrhea on the living room carpet. Oh and our water heater died too that morning. Hope your day goes better!!


----------



## Willowy

I was at the pet store that sells puppies, and they had several designer mixes. . .the usual little 'poos and a Labradoodle, a Beagle/Bassett ("Bagel" ). . .and a Shar Pei/Beagle ("Sharpeagle"). I do not know who could possible think that's a good mix. Of course a little wrinkly puppy is always cute but I don't even know what that dog is going to look like as an adult.


----------



## missc89

I'm disgusted that there are still pet stores that sell puppies :/ like sell-sell, not 'these puppies are from a rescue and are here for adoption' sell


----------



## jade5280

missc89 said:


> I'm disgusted that there are still pet stores that sell puppies :/ like sell-sell, not 'these puppies are from a rescue and are here for adoption' sell


 I know, right? There's so much information out there warning people against pet store puppies and puppy mills.


----------



## FallDeere

How many stores are there that still sell dogs? There used to be a Petland around here but I think it shut down. There is still a Petland somewhere in the Dallas area I think, but that is the only place I know of.

Honestly, I don't think puppies is pet stores will fully go away unless humanity is cured of its impulsiveness and impatience. "Oh, cute puppy! I want it and I want it now!" They don't bother to research. They see something cute and they take it home. That is what stores that sell live animals of any type are banking on. That is also why craigslist is clogged with impulse buys that need to be rehomed. 

Dogs, cats, rodents, and even fish, birds, and reptiles are bought daily at pet stores because people walk in and see their cute faces and have to have them right then and right there. And the pet store is more than happy to oblige.

I don't see puppy mills (or any other type) going away unless we somehow get people to think before they buy. Easier said than done.


----------



## ireth0

No stores around here sell puppies or kittens, but I remember when they did. Not they only advertise animals available for adoption through rescues or shelters.


----------



## Laurelin

The store here in finally shut down. There is still one in the town I lived in in Texas in the mall. Despite being convicted of animal cruelty at least twice. We (shelter) even ended up with some of their dogs. All the cropped breeds had horrible infected hack jobs on their ears. They even had 'wolf hybrids' once. In the freaking mall. 

The one in town here had 'papillon puppies' that I honest to god thought were Shelties.


----------



## Kathyy

cookieface said:


> A few hours. I was happy I had the forethought to remove my contacts before chopping them.
> 
> What's in sardine bread? I have a package of sardines that need to be used.


Basically sardine brownies but I develop the gluten in the flour and underbake this so the result isn't crumbly and works better for fumble fingered me as training treats. 

I've been taking a 4.33 ounce can of sardines or small can of tuna or small amount of liver and dumping canning liquid and all into a food processor along with a tiny bit of garlic and an egg. Whirl that then add flour. 1/2 cup is enough for a dough but 3/4 or so makes it into a bread dough if your processor can handle it. I spread the dough on a cooking spray covered microwave safe plate and zapped 30 seconds at a time until dough was firm throughout. Microwaving on wax or parchment paper would work fine and baking works fine. I probably microwaved 3-5 minutes total and this sort of thing usually takes 15 minutes at 350*F. I cut into training sized strips and freeze most of it. I am aiming for a firm playdough texture when done, egg cooked but it is easy to pinch off bits.

So far I've done this with sardine, tuna, liver and mackerel. Peanut butter would be terrific but I am allergic. Just keep the wet flavor part to less than 8 ounces or you will need more than one baking sheet, add flour until it is a firm dough. A pound of liver or the large can of mackerel makes a huge amount of dog cookies!

Long ago I was industrious and kneaded the dough like real bread and rolled and cut into actual treats. Even without leavening they popped up when baked and general appearance was like oyster crackers. Dogs don't care about presentation and I use this stuff for training anyway but they did make for super cute dog cookies.

Sardines are really stinky, just a warning. Less stinky to just serve over a regular meal. Garlic doesn't help make it smell better either. I've got another can and I will make another batch though.


----------



## missc89

I'm boycotting the mall across the street from where I work because, despite a fine from the City, they STILL allow a pet store that sells puppies to continue to rent a space there.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kathyy said:


> Basically sardine brownies but I develop the gluten in the flour and underbake this so the result isn't crumbly and works better for fumble fingered me as training treats.
> 
> I've been taking a 4.33 ounce can of sardines or small can of tuna or small amount of liver and dumping canning liquid and all into a food processor along with a tiny bit of garlic and an egg. Whirl that then add flour. 1/2 cup is enough for a dough but 3/4 or so makes it into a bread dough if your processor can handle it. I spread the dough on a cooking spray covered microwave safe plate and zapped 30 seconds at a time until dough was firm throughout. Microwaving on wax or parchment paper would work fine and baking works fine. I probably microwaved 3-5 minutes total and this sort of thing usually takes 15 minutes at 350*F. I cut into training sized strips and freeze most of it. I am aiming for a firm playdough texture when done, egg cooked but it is easy to pinch off bits.
> 
> So far I've done this with sardine, tuna, liver and mackerel. Peanut butter would be terrific but I am allergic. Just keep the wet flavor part to less than 8 ounces or you will need more than one baking sheet, add flour until it is a firm dough. A pound of liver or the large can of mackerel makes a huge amount of dog cookies!
> 
> Long ago I was industrious and kneaded the dough like real bread and rolled and cut into actual treats. Even without leavening they popped up when baked and general appearance was like oyster crackers. Dogs don't care about presentation and I use this stuff for training anyway but they did make for super cute dog cookies.
> 
> Sardines are really stinky, just a warning. Less stinky to just serve over a regular meal. Garlic doesn't help make it smell better either. I've got another can and I will make another batch though.


I love oyster crackers!


----------



## Willowy

missc89 said:


> I'm disgusted that there are still pet stores that sell puppies :/ like sell-sell, not 'these puppies are from a rescue and are here for adoption' sell


I know :/. The owner of the store, if someone complains, will go on at length about how she visits the breeding farm all the time, and the barns are so clean you could eat off the floor! and how their whole operation is so efficient and humane. Definitely not a puppymill! she says. USDA inspected and certified and everything! she raves. Yeah, well, I'm sure it is clean and efficient but that's not why I have a problem with mass breeders. 

I don't usually shop there but it's the only local place to get decent frozen rodents (I order from rodentpro normally, but in an emergency), and there's a guy who works there who actually knows something about snakes. Plus they have a lot of weird animals and a store bird I like to visit . Darn the lack of variety/selection around here.


----------



## FallDeere

A pet store in a mall? Sounds like my childhood dream come true, lol. None of the malls I've ever gone to have had pet stores (good or bad). The mall I frequent always has hermit crabs for sale and at least used to sell tiny frogs in glass boxes. A mall I went to in Waco had people selling Sugar Gliders the day I was there, but they were just there for the week. They tried to pressure me into getting one because they were leaving soon so I wouldn't be able to later.  Thanks but no thanks. Excuse me for wanting to think about getting a new pet that lives three times as long as rats and needs just as much space (despite the fact that the cages they had were barely suitable for a hamster).

I have been known for impulse buys of animals. 90% of the rats I've gotten, I decided that day or week to get a new rat. My dog Abbey was an impulse buy (from the shelter). However, despite me getting the animal on impulse, that doesn't mean I wasn't prepared. When I got gerbils, I wasn't planning on getting them at that point but I had already researched them thoroughly and haven't ever regretted getting them. Each new rat, while I may not have physically prepared (cage ready and such), I knew what I was getting myself into. My mice are really my only non-impulse buy animals, lol. My first two mice were found on Craig's List after being abandoned at a pet store and rescued by an employee. My newest mice, I had been planning on getting at least one more mouse so if one of my older ones died, the other wouldn't be alone. So that was planned and I was pretty well prepared.

So while I am an impulse buyer of animals, I am a prepared impulse buyer, lol. I would NEVER bring home an animal I hadn't fully researched the care of. No matter how cute those itty sugar gliders were...

After getting home and researching, I decided sugar gliders were not for me.  I'll stick with my rodents, thank you. As cute as they are, goodness sugar gliders sound like the complete opposite of what I need in a small pet. I'm gonna stick with rats and mice. <3


----------



## missc89

Willowy said:


> I know :/. The owner of the store, if someone complains, will go on at length about how she visits the breeding farm all the time, and the barns are so clean you could eat off the floor! and how their whole operation is so efficient and humane. Definitely not a puppymill! she says. USDA inspected and certified and everything! she raves. Yeah, well, I'm sure it is clean and efficient but that's not why I have a problem with mass breeders.


Sounds like my original breeder. Yeesh!! Am I ever glad I sought out a second opinion here!!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

so it's not offensive to go into a petco or the other one "mart" and see wall to wall animals there for sale?


----------



## missc89

PatriciafromCO said:


> so it's not offensive to go into a petco or the other one "mart" and see wall to wall animals there for sale?


This would actually be an interesting discussion. Why is it that we've been conditioned that it's okay for reptiles and rodents and fish to be sold in a manner we wouldn't buy puppies or kittens? They're just as mistreated, if not more than pups and kitties.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> This would actually be an interesting discussion. Why is it that we've been conditioned that it's okay for reptiles and rodents and fish to be sold in a manner we wouldn't buy puppies or kittens? They're just as mistreated, if not more than pups and kitties.


I think most people see them as "less than" dogs and cats.

My husband had guinea pigs as a kid and they were kept in a tiny aquarium (probably a little bigger than the one I used to use for gerbils). Now that we have rabbits and give them such a spoiled life, he thinks back to those guinea pigs and feels really bad. They were just "lesser" pets and people didn't treat them as well as their dogs or cats and that's how it was. I know the rabbit people have tried to fix this over the last 20 or so years, but most people continue to get small furries and keep them in terrible conditions, so the conditions at the pet store don't seem like a big deal.


----------



## missc89

elrohwen said:


> I think most people see them as "less than" dogs and cats.
> 
> My husband had guinea pigs as a kid and they were kept in a tiny aquarium (probably a little bigger than the one I used to use for gerbils). Now that we have rabbits and give them such a spoiled life, he thinks back to those guinea pigs and feels really bad. They were just "lesser" pets and people didn't treat them as well as their dogs or cats and that's how it was. I know the rabbit people have tried to fix this over the last 20 or so years, but most people continue to get small furries and keep them in terrible conditions, so the conditions at the pet store don't seem like a big deal.


Agreed... (too short)


----------



## FallDeere

Guinea pigs in an aquarium. O.O Oh wow.

As a small pet enthusiast, I am always pondering why it is acceptable for small pets to be "milled" and sold in pet stores but when dogs are involved, it's not okay. For rats and mice, I understand part of the reason "mills" are acceptable to a degree is that they are food for other animals. I think another part is that small pets are viewed more as toys... curiosities... rather than companions. Small pets, specifically hamsters, are "starter pets" for children because they're small, cheap, and don't live long. A throwaway pet, if you will. Disposable.

Add the idea of rats as "dirty" creatures into the already poor image small pets have, and goodness... the things I've seen. So many people think they can feed rats junk, literally trash, and it's okay because "they're rats!" They don't feel rats need a proper diet because "they eat trash in the wild!"

I do have to say, though, as far as pet stores go... Small pet breeders are super hard to find around here. I'm currently searching for a hamster breeder and coming up with nothing. And until I joined a local rat facebook group, I had no clue how many rat breeders there were around me. Plus, hamsters, mice, and gerbils are hard to find in the shelter and small pet rescues. I know of a guinea pig rescue here that takes in every type of small pet and rabbits and then there is the rat rescue I know. But pet stores are nearly the only option for some people. And some of the breeders for small pets are honestly no better than getting them from a pet store.

Because of that, I never fault someone for going with a pet store small pet as long as they're aware of where it's coming from and what that money is supporting (and as long as they've done the proper research on the animal). Unlike with dogs and cats, your options of where to get a small pet is severely limited.

As for reptiles, I'm not a reptile keeper so I don't know about that, but I have heard pet store reptiles can have serious issues. My little research into bearded dragons taught me that Petsmart sells them way too young. Though I always love looking at the bearded dragons when I go. ^_^ They're so cute! There are LOTS of options of places to get reptiles though. Most people will ship them and if I decided I wanted a bearded dragon, I know of several breeders I could drive to. There are also countless ball pythons available on Craig's List from breeders. Pet stores are certainly not your only option for reptiles around here.

For fish... is there even another place to get fish from? lol. I'm not into fish, so I don't know where I would begin to look to buy a good, healthy pet fish. I suppose that could be part of the reason selling fish is acceptable? Your average non-fishy person doesn't know of anywhere else to find them?


----------



## missc89

There are DEFINITELY a TON of reptile breeders available and it really does seem silly to get one from a petstore - mostly because most of the time I end up knowing more than the people who work there. And to be fair, what teen really gives to wags about reptiles like someone wanting to buy one would???


----------



## Willowy

Ehh. . .reptiles and fish don't have an emotional need for human contact. As long as they have the proper conditions they're A-OK. I don't think pet stores should sell ferrets, sugar gliders, chinchillas, or rabbits, maybe not guinea pigs. Definitely not larger parrots. The smaller rodents and birds can be OK in pet store conditions, IMO, if properly cared for. I'm sure the breeding facilities aren't great though :/. The Petco and Petsmart here seem to do reasonably well in caring for the animals.

One problem in that regard is that, except for very occasional "oops, our hamster had a litter!" ads and 4H rabbit breeders, I've never seen any information about local small pet breeders. If pet stores didn't sell the animals, they should at least have information about where to get them. I haven't seen a lot of info on local reptile breeders either.


----------



## FallDeere

It's not the pet store's care that's the problem. It's the breeding. I see Petsmarts and Petcos where the animals are well taken care of and even played with. Several employees I know work VERY hard at socializing the rats. There are many awful ones, but that is not the issue I am addressing.

Same with reptiles. The issue isn't the pet store. It's the mill where they're bred. I thought that was the issue with dogs and cats being sold as well? Pet stores vary in how well they care for the animal, but aren't we agreed commercial breeding of pets is bad as they generally are not selected for health nor cared for health wise at the mill itself? Or am I misunderstanding why you think puppy mills are bad?

I don't understand why you're saying it's okay to sell one type of animal and not another...


----------



## Willowy

Reptiles and fish don't have an emotional need for human contact, and they won't breed if conditions aren't correct. So even a mass breeder has to be sort of OK or they wouldn't have anything to sell. The small-scale breeders have similar set-ups as the mass breeders, just smaller. I guess I don't have a problem with mass breeding of fish and reptiles, although there may be particular practices I don't agree with.

I don't like mass breeding of any bird or mammal but of the small-scale small animal breeders I've seen, they aren't any better, maybe worse than the mass breeders. A lot of mass bird breeders are actually better because they keep their birds communally, and birds are intensely social. The alternatives are limited. I'd like to see better options, yes.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

commercial breeding does bother me.. J came from a high ranking active successful competitive breeding program no health test left un turned.. at the time 9 years ago easily breeding 500 puppies in a year.. J is an excellent structure and health, x ray'd but she got lost in the crowd, didn't get sold as a puppy and was just there with no first start learning... Even when I contacted the breeder to let her know that J had been re homed to me by the original owner , she was clueless as to who J was, who the previous owner was, didn't remember anything about J or selling a dog that had been with her for 2 years on her property, or remember the breeding even when I had all the AKC paperwork for information.. High end or low end, I will never feel Commercial size breeding programs are acceptable... When I am in petco, petsmart it's what I think when I see all the birds, rodents, and reptiles that they are expendable.. The petco cattery is run by the local ASPC , if you inquire about one for adoption you fill out a form and an ASPC will contact you to set an appointment to meet them at the store for an interview. but they come and tend to the cats, rotate them... Petco does not have that relationship, you just fill out a form and they ring it up at the register?????? so whats the difference for them.....


----------



## DogTheGreat

I've had three guinea pigs in the past. My first one spent most of his life in a fairly small cage simply because I just didn't know any better. Eventually it was upgraded to an appropriate sized cage and the other two had only lived in appropriate sized cages. I felt guilty for a very long time about it once I become well-informed. Still feel bad. 

The Petland here has large/giant dogs in those tiny cages all of the time. German Shepherds, Newfoundlands, and many more. It's so sad. Somewhat thankfully, it's the only pet store that still sells them around here as the others that once did stopped.


----------



## cookieface

Laurelin said:


> Mia had diarrhea all over my bedroom then pitched a fit because I wouldn't let her sleep in the bed.


Poor girl. How is she feeling today?



Kathyy said:


> Basically sardine brownies but I develop the gluten in the flour and underbake this so the result isn't crumbly and works better for fumble fingered me as training treats.
> 
> I've been taking a 4.33 ounce can of sardines or small can of tuna or small amount of liver and dumping canning liquid and all into a food processor along with a tiny bit of garlic and an egg. Whirl that then add flour. 1/2 cup is enough for a dough but 3/4 or so makes it into a bread dough if your processor can handle it. I spread the dough on a cooking spray covered microwave safe plate and zapped 30 seconds at a time until dough was firm throughout. Microwaving on wax or parchment paper would work fine and baking works fine. I probably microwaved 3-5 minutes total and this sort of thing usually takes 15 minutes at 350*F. I cut into training sized strips and freeze most of it. I am aiming for a firm playdough texture when done, egg cooked but it is easy to pinch off bits.
> 
> So far I've done this with sardine, tuna, liver and mackerel. Peanut butter would be terrific but I am allergic. Just keep the wet flavor part to less than 8 ounces or you will need more than one baking sheet, add flour until it is a firm dough. A pound of liver or the large can of mackerel makes a huge amount of dog cookies!
> 
> Long ago I was industrious and kneaded the dough like real bread and rolled and cut into actual treats. Even without leavening they popped up when baked and general appearance was like oyster crackers. Dogs don't care about presentation and I use this stuff for training anyway but they did make for super cute dog cookies.
> 
> Sardines are really stinky, just a warning. Less stinky to just serve over a regular meal. Garlic doesn't help make it smell better either. I've got another can and I will make another batch though.


Thank you! I do something similar with tuna and salmon, but without the egg and actual kneading. I'll have to try this with the sardines (and then buy a new food processor).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I had hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils (which I hated because I dont know if it was a coincidence or not but every gerbil I had was meaner than all get out). My rodents lived THE LIFE, they had two ten gallon aquariums connected by a catacomb of tubes they could use to go back and forth. I also would put those treats that they had to gnaw on (to keep their teeth short) in both the aquariums, and how I would feed them, I would put their food in various areas of the maze so they had to search for it, they loved it! I was a good hamster/rat/mouse owner lmao.


----------



## elrohwen

Commercial breeders of small animals really bother me. I had gerbils for 15 years and while my childhood ones were all from pet stores, the 5 I got as an adult were from private breeders that I found online. I did have to drive for them (I think 1.5 each way, for both of the breeders). They were so much friendlier and healthier than the pet store gerbils on the whole. When I was kid we had a male and a female and let them breed, and found good homes for all the babies (which was really hard, pre-internet). 

One of my rabbits is from a show breeder who takes good care of her rabbits. The other was a craigslist adoption and she did come from a pet store originally. Any future rabbits would be either craigslist or from rescues - getting them as a baby isn't worth it to me to have to pay $500 for spay/neuter when I can get an adult who is already done. And getting Otto as a baby from a decent breeder didn't make him friendly or outgoing. He's a grouch by nature.


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> Thank you! I do something similar with tuna and salmon, but without the egg and actual kneading. I'll have to try this with the sardines (and then buy a new food processor).


I do basically the same thing as Kathyy but I've started adding tapioca flour after some recommendations (maybe yours?). That seems to reduce some of the crumbling.

I like the idea of doing it in the microwave. The problem with the oven is that the edges tend to dry out before the center is done, and the dry parts crumble later.


----------



## cookieface

elrohwen said:


> I do basically the same thing as Kathyy but I've started adding tapioca flour after some recommendations (maybe yours?). That seems to reduce some of the crumbling.
> 
> I like the idea of doing it in the microwave. The problem with the oven is that the edges tend to dry out before the center is done, and the dry parts crumble later.


Eileen and dogs is responsible for the tapioca flour recommendation. Katie can't have eggs, so I omit them from recipes.

I wonder if cooking in the microwave would reduce the odor.


----------



## Kathyy

Microwaving doesn't reduce the smell of the treats but at least it is heated for a shorter period of time. The outside will cook faster than the inside but it doesn't get as hard.


----------



## Remaru

Well it happened, I knew it was coming when my neighbors got a puppy and sure enough...he now appears to be an outdoor only dog. For a while I thought they were going to do better this time, he seemed to be spending time inside, they hired a trainer (not a good trainer but at least it showed some effort), and after a rocky start with the puppy being allowed to run loose in the front yard I hadn't seen anything too concerning. However in the last few days he has been sitting alone in the yard, now he is rushing my fence every time my dogs are out, barking and slamming against it. Today he managed to knock down several slats and let himself into the yard. He is very sweet, my best guess is some sort of spaniel and maybe BC mix though his paws are huge he is smaller than Lad (and I think he is older but I can't remember for sure). He is covered in fleas and his collar is too small. Ugh...I feel sick for him. I let him play with Lad for a while then had to force him back through the fence and fix the hole. If I see him out again I will be calling AC. Part of me wants to just keep him but we A) don't have room and B)it would be super obvious. I gave Lad a bath. We are out of flea treatment, I think I'm just going to order Seresto collars for the big dogs too (now that Lad and Halloween are best friends I didn't want to order more K9 Advantix).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Well it happened, I knew it was coming when my neighbors got a puppy and sure enough...he now appears to be an outdoor only dog. For a while I thought they were going to do better this time, he seemed to be spending time inside, they hired a trainer (not a good trainer but at least it showed some effort), and after a rocky start with the puppy being allowed to run loose in the front yard I hadn't seen anything too concerning. However in the last few days he has been sitting alone in the yard, now he is rushing my fence every time my dogs are out, barking and slamming against it. Today he managed to knock down several slats and let himself into the yard. He is very sweet, my best guess is some sort of spaniel and maybe BC mix though his paws are huge he is smaller than Lad (and I think he is older but I can't remember for sure). He is covered in fleas and his collar is too small. Ugh...I feel sick for him. I let him play with Lad for a while then had to force him back through the fence and fix the hole. If I see him out again I will be calling AC. Part of me wants to just keep him but we A) don't have room and B)it would be super obvious. I gave Lad a bath. We are out of flea treatment, I think I'm just going to order Seresto collars for the big dogs too (now that Lad and Halloween are best friends I didn't want to order more K9 Advantix).


I think that if you keep them away for 24 hours it will be ok, but make sure first, but I think I remember reading on my box that it said to wait at least 24 hours before letting them socialize with other animals ... I know even though I have two dogs, I kept them apart for a couple of days just to be safe.


----------



## FallDeere

This is my rats' cage. It's a Quad Critter Nation and they had access to all of it (the bottom right corner wasn't done yet). https://instagram.com/p/2xN2lkt_X8/

This is my mice habitat. It's a 40 gallon tank. https://instagram.com/p/3f56tct_ar/

It looks different now, but I don't have recent pictures. My rodents are pretty spoiled, lol. My mom's gerbil has a 40 gallon as well, though the gerbil is close to dying sadly. She's very sweet, though, and climbs into my mom's hand to eat.

If anyone is interested, this is my rat room tour for my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKyWRhB0css

It's very outdated now, but it shows the mouse tank and the rats' cage. Apparently in the video I said I'd never get more mice... I just got two new mice a few weeks ago, lol. Need to do a new video... Also, I had JUST gotten Abbey in that video. Hard to believe I've had her for so long now...


----------



## Laurelin

This is cool! 

http://www.kelpiegallery.com/gallery/


----------



## Remaru

Look at this little cutie. He is staying with me for about a month. My friend runs a small service dog program and she evaluated him 2 weeks ago and pulled him from a shelter. He was lined up to go to a puppy raiser but something came up and he can't go for about a month so I am filling in. Going to get him up to a health weight and do some socializing and basic training. The hope is for him to go to an autistic child so he will be spending some time with my boys. He is a sweet little guy, really well behaved so far.


----------



## kdawnk

So at noon today when I was driving home for my lunch hour at work. I noticed a cat falling all over the place and unable to use his back legs as he walked up a driveway and into a backyard. I didn't know what to do, it looked like he'd been hit by a car and was having difficulties walking.

I got home (a block away from where I saw the cat) and came back on foot with a sweater/wrap and treats to potentially pick him up with if I found him. On my way to the house I made a Facebook post on the whole_ 'Lost and Found Pets of ____" _page saying that I saw a black cat shaved into a lion cut who looked like he'd been hit by a car and that I was on my way to check it out. Hoping someone would offer some sort of assistance/information because I didn't know what I was supposed to do in this situation.

Immediately I got like 17 comments on the post saying stuff like, 
"Typical teenager makes a post on Facebook before trying to help the cat" or,
"Why didn't you pull over immediately and pick him up, anyone who likes animals or had a heart would have."
"I hope you don't own a cat if you think it's okay to just drive away after seeing that."

I lived a block away and he walked into someone's backyard. Even if I stopped I can't just walk into someone's backyard, I also didn't have anything in my vehicle to help transport him. I went to the house and knocked on the door and the people told me to get lost and leave their animals alone. "_It's not your problem, get off my property!"_ were the exact words. Damned if I do and damned if I don't apparently.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I got honked at 10+ times by a lady behind me at a red light while coming home today. I stopped behind the white line, y'know like you're supposed to, and evidently she wanted to turn right and she wanted to do so right _NOW_. At first I was like "Who the heck is honking and why?". When I realized it was the person behind me, I moved up a couple of feet. Received 5 or so more honks right after another so I moved up another few feet to get her to shut up. I really couldn't move out any further or I would be in the way of people turning left. She finally was able to squeeze through my car and the curb and I could see she was giving me dirty looks. Self-important much?



kdawnk said:


> Immediately I got like 17 comments on the post saying stuff like,
> "Typical teenager makes a post on Facebook before trying to help the cat" or,
> "Why didn't you pull over immediately and pick him up, anyone who likes animals or had a heart would have."
> "I hope you don't own a cat if you think it's okay to just drive away after seeing that."
> .


There have been quite a few times where I've seen dogs loose or w/e and it doesn't take long at all for it to be too late to really do anything. Always makes me feel bad when I realized I should've pulled over sooner. I have extra leashes and some treats in my car specifically for things like that.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank weighs 26 lbs now!


----------



## jade5280

Remaru said:


> Look at this little cutie. He is staying with me for about a month. My friend runs a small service dog program and she evaluated him 2 weeks ago and pulled him from a shelter. He was lined up to go to a puppy raiser but something came up and he can't go for about a month so I am filling in. Going to get him up to a health weight and do some socializing and basic training. The hope is for him to go to an autistic child so he will be spending some time with my boys. He is a sweet little guy, really well behaved so far.


What a pretty dog! love his coloring


kdawnk said:


> So at noon today when I was driving home for my lunch hour at work. I noticed a cat falling all over the place and unable to use his back legs as he walked up a driveway and into a backyard. I didn't know what to do, it looked like he'd been hit by a car and was having difficulties walking.
> 
> I got home (a block away from where I saw the cat) and came back on foot with a sweater/wrap and treats to potentially pick him up with if I found him. On my way to the house I made a Facebook post on the whole_ 'Lost and Found Pets of ____" _page saying that I saw a black cat shaved into a lion cut who looked like he'd been hit by a car and that I was on my way to check it out. Hoping someone would offer some sort of assistance/information because I didn't know what I was supposed to do in this situation.
> 
> Immediately I got like 17 comments on the post saying stuff like,
> "Typical teenager makes a post on Facebook before trying to help the cat" or,
> "Why didn't you pull over immediately and pick him up, anyone who likes animals or had a heart would have."
> "I hope you don't own a cat if you think it's okay to just drive away after seeing that."
> 
> I lived a block away and he walked into someone's backyard. Even if I stopped I can't just walk into someone's backyard, I also didn't have anything in my vehicle to help transport him. I went to the house and knocked on the door and the people told me to get lost and leave their animals alone. "_It's not your problem, get off my property!"_ were the exact words. Damned if I do and damned if I don't apparently.


 Wow...rude.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> So at noon today when I was driving home for my lunch hour at work. I noticed a cat falling all over the place and unable to use his back legs as he walked up a driveway and into a backyard. I didn't know what to do, it looked like he'd been hit by a car and was having difficulties walking.
> 
> I got home (a block away from where I saw the cat) and came back on foot with a sweater/wrap and treats to potentially pick him up with if I found him. On my way to the house I made a Facebook post on the whole_ 'Lost and Found Pets of ____" _page saying that I saw a black cat shaved into a lion cut who looked like he'd been hit by a car and that I was on my way to check it out. Hoping someone would offer some sort of assistance/information because I didn't know what I was supposed to do in this situation.
> 
> Immediately I got like 17 comments on the post saying stuff like,
> "Typical teenager makes a post on Facebook before trying to help the cat" or,
> "Why didn't you pull over immediately and pick him up, anyone who likes animals or had a heart would have."
> "I hope you don't own a cat if you think it's okay to just drive away after seeing that."
> 
> I lived a block away and he walked into someone's backyard. Even if I stopped I can't just walk into someone's backyard, I also didn't have anything in my vehicle to help transport him. I went to the house and knocked on the door and the people told me to get lost and leave their animals alone. "_It's not your problem, get off my property!"_ were the exact words. Damned if I do and damned if I don't apparently.


I have learned to take what people say on the internet and FB with a grain of salt, sure I will disagree and debate with them, but I dont get mortally offended by it anymore, they are just some coward behind a screen anyway.

There was a graphic I had that explained how people think when judging people's decisions SO PERFECTLY let me find it:

Here it is, I hope it doesnt get moderated ... ugh I hate that.


----------



## Miss Bugs

A rough collie at work booked it for a bath..the dog was very matted so she was asked if she wanted her dog brushed as well. "Oh no, she doesn't need it" was the answer. Ummm she had sticks matted into her coat. I brushed her anyway for no charge because I felt just awful about giving that poor dog a bath when she was so matted. I mean seriously? Not "no I will brush her" just "no she DOESN'T NEED IT" ?? Maybe don't own a rough collie if you dont think they need brushed!


----------



## CptJack

This dog is in a local shelter. Molly, much? Molly ears, anyway.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> This dog is in a local shelter. Molly, much?


Yikes so cute!!!!!!!!


----------



## Laurelin

PCA finally has come up with a genetic test for neuroaxonal dystrophy in papillons. I actually cried when I saw it. 7 year since our Hiro lost his life to an (at the time) unknown disease. It is a horrible, horrible disease to watch a dog go through. Hopefully no one else will have to go through it. I hope breeders utilize the genetic test to the fullest! 

RIP Hiro. Hope his videos and pedigrees helped just a little.










http://www.pcagenetics.com/NAD/NAD-Announcement.pdf


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Am so sorry Laurelin, do they know if the gene is (fatal) for running it's course, or is there also carriers who don't succumb ? It's great that they have identified it !!!!


My news is Abhik went to the vet today to get her booster Rabies,,, she is 1 year old now (time fly's) she is 55Kg and 71 cm... Love getting to know a new breed so I took a different route with her as a puppy then I did for Arka.. I didn't socialize her. She had her first vehicle ride and vet appointment at 4 months old... and she hasn't left the farm since. Just time with me , and people coming to the front gate where Arka , blocks Abhik from the gate, and will scare people to not want to stick their hands through the fence lol... she is a very strong active pup rambunctious like a line backer, been in and out of sound sensitivities that she has worked through on her own... (microwave popcorn was fun lol ) so with nothing ,,,, in a breed that is born confident.. 

She did awesome happy to jump right in the truck, rode well looking out the windows, happy to explore a new place, see and meet people and lots of cars in and out, (it was a little town open shopping mall where the vet clinic is) .. Did her full body check up meet the vet get her shot.. Not a care in the world ... It's good to see it.... I personally don't like taking a pup out of it;s environment when they are in a hyper sensitive stage.. don't think it's the right time for new exposures to have a good experience for the effort your trying to get... and for Abhik it was right... so that's my news... Oh and she is quickly honing her skills for being an aerial guardian,, alerting , barking and chasing on Hawks and Ravens scaring them off from the property.. That is pretty cool,, she started off with moths "my first thought was great she's a crazy puppy" lol ..., graduated to dragon fly's and then the ravens and hawks...


----------



## Laurelin

Your dogs are gorgeous!!!

Wish I lived out on land, I'd have all the dogs. 



PatriciafromCO said:


> Am so sorry Laurelin, do they know if the gene is (fatal) for running it's course, or is there also carriers who don't succumb ? It's great that they have identified it !!!!


You can breed carrier x normal dogs but the problem in the past is you didn't have a way to test carriers unless you happened to cross two and produced affected puppies. For affected dogs it's 100% fatal. Sadly some breeders were opposed to the research. Didn't want their reputations tarnished even though the disease is found in many lines of papillons. Hopefully people get on board now. With testing they can completely avoid producing affected dogs.

It also affects human infants so there was a big hope that studying the gene in papillons could potentially help human kids in the future.

I know rottweilers also have a different form of it (but sounds much rarer). It affects older dogs whereas in papillons it's always puppies.


----------



## elrohwen

People always say that if they had land they would have more dogs. I have 10 acres and two dogs is about as much as I can handle! Haha


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

elrohwen said:


> People always say that if they had land they would have more dogs. I have 10 acres and two dogs is about as much as I can handle! Haha


The things I could do with 10 acres of land! I would have an entire agility barn, indoor/outdoor kennels for rescue fosters or something and a grooming room! Gaaahhh I hate the suburbs! (I can dream, can't I?) 

I am trying to currently clean up and repaint my basement so that I can make a bathing/grooming area in there. It might take until Spring, but I can't keep lugging two dogs to work and washing them when I'm exhausted already. I'm definitely gonna need it when I get a third.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> The things I could do with 10 acres of land! I would have an entire agility barn, indoor/outdoor kennels for rescue fosters or something and a grooming room! Gaaahhh I hate the suburbs! (I can dream, can't I?)
> 
> I am trying to currently clean up and repaint my basement so that I can make a bathing/grooming area in there. It might take until Spring, but I can't keep lugging two dogs to work and washing them when I'm exhausted already. I'm definitely gonna need it when I get a third.


 I have started a file folder devoted to pictures of dog spaces...  enjoy the journey even if its only little by little to get there...

Thanks Laurelin ... <3 I've have always wondered if I had chosen a smaller breed would I make up for the space my big guys take up by having more of the little ones... lol ...


----------



## Willowy

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> The things I could do with 10 acres of land! I would have an entire agility barn, indoor/outdoor kennels for rescue fosters or something and a grooming room! Gaaahhh I hate the suburbs! (I can dream, can't I?).


I have 6 1/2 acres. Money! Just pouring the concrete base for a pole barn will cost several thousand. I want a garage and a pole barn (with indoor/outdoor kennels) but saving up is going to take awhile. So unless your land comes with a gold mine, just having land isn't quite enough .


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Willowy said:


> I have 6 1/2 acres. Money! Just pouring the concrete base for a pole barn will cost several thousand. I want a garage and a pole barn (with indoor/outdoor kennels) but saving up is going to take awhile. So unless your land comes with a gold mine, just having land isn't quite enough .


You mean I shouldn't go into debt to make these things happen? ;P


----------



## CptJack

If only land came with time and money.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank and I went to the park today. It's close to my old house so we only end up there on occasional weekends. I love it because it has tons of trails.

Anyways, I parked in one of the parking lots. Kind of crowded. Ok, it's a nice cool fall day and I see a lot of people on the frisbee golf course. Didn't think anything of it. 

We walked for a while- probably 1/2-3/4ths a mile. Got to this corner where there was a couple with three XL spitz kind of dogs (dunno breed) that were very NOT friendly towards Hank. So I decided to follow a group of runners down another trail. Seeing them I realized there might be a 5k going on. Sometimes on Saturdays there is a race but usually in the morning and it was around 3 pm.

Well we follow them a bit then get to another corner and suddenly there's dozens of people dressed up like zombies screaming and trying to catch the runners. I'm all 'WTF' and Hank is all 'WTF OMG SCARY!' Apparently we ended up in the middle of a zombie 5k with like... nowhere to go and no easy way out of it. A couple of the zombies apologized to us. Hank was super duper confused and spooked because people chasing each other and screaming and wearing hard core zombie makeup. This one zombie girl tried to talk to Hank like 'Awww it's ok buddy' but she had makeup that made it look like the lower half of her face was missing and was wearing a giant dress. Hank flipped. 

He seemed to eventually realize a bit that they were playing but there was this one zombie that was screaming every time a runner came nearby and he was not ok with that. So we finally got to a place where I could get off the zombie race trail. I turned off there and was face to face with a group of mounted police on horseback and a giant festival area complete with dancing skeleton. Then a guy parasailing? Or hang gliding? IDK came flying over us.

So yeah. That was interesting.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh I did look up their rules

"Children under 8 and pets are not allowed on the course with you."

Lol whoops. But there were no signs!?


----------



## PatriciafromCO

sorry couldn't help but laugh at that moment of WTF lol... glad Hank figured it out.. those are the moments you truly wonder what the dogs are thinking of the things humans do.....


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> You mean I shouldn't go into debt to make these things happen? ;P


My family's ranch is 70 acres, and I still can't do what I want becsuse money haha ... but if money were no object, I would have something like (though I don't like the guy) CMs new place though with more focus on sports and herding. 

But I can't, becsuse monies! Though husband says if I become a famous dog trainer and get picked up by a network (haha yeah right ) then I could hahaha.


----------



## Remaru

elrohwen said:


> People always say that if they had land they would have more dogs. I have 10 acres and two dogs is about as much as I can handle! Haha


My son wants us to have a farm so he can live feral with a pack of farm dogs. Pretty sure he is serious about it. He would just run all day with his dog pack.


----------



## Wet Beards

CptJack said:


> If only land came with time and money.


and a strong back.  
It's a lot of work.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> My son wants us to have a farm so he can live feral with a pack of farm dogs. Pretty sure he is serious about it. He would just run all day with his dog pack.


I was that kid ... In some ways I still am, sometimes I don't feel human haha


----------



## Sandakat

Totally random thought and question... Why do the kennel names come first in some breeds and last in others? 

For example, the kennel name is first with collies. Toby is Mudville's Edendale Slugger (don't shoot the messenger. I didn't name him) and Cameron was Keepsake's Take a Chance. Mudville and Keepsake are the kennel names. But the Beauceron has the kennel name last. The English Springer the kennel name comes first. The poodle, at least in the US, has the kennel name first. Anyone know why?


----------



## DogTheGreat

I've been kind of seeing this guy for a month or so and when I mentioned my dog tonight for the millionth time, I was asked when he'd be able to actually meet her. All I could think was "Wow, I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. Not just anybody can meet my precious dog." Starting to think I have weird problems when it comes to my dog lmao.


----------



## Crantastic

Ha! I always introduce people to my dogs as soon as possible, because if they can't stand the little jerks, it's not gonna work out.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I know in CKC you register dogs you breed with your kennel name first but if you bought a dog off another kennel, you usually can add your kennel name at the end. This was quite a few years ago so maybe it has changed now.


----------



## jade5280

Sandakat said:


> Totally random thought and question... Why do the kennel names come first in some breeds and last in others?
> 
> For example, the kennel name is first with collies. Toby is Mudville's Edendale Slugger (don't shoot the messenger. I didn't name him) and Cameron was Keepsake's Take a Chance. Mudville and Keepsake are the kennel names. But the Beauceron has the kennel name last. The English Springer the kennel name comes first. The poodle, at least in the US, has the kennel name first. Anyone know why?


I think it's a French thing to have the kennel name last. Beauceron puppies born in a certain year have registered names beginning with a certain letter. Panzer was born in the "L" year and his registered name is Legends of War De la Valle Katahdin. Next year will be "M".

Quoted: "For almost a century, the French registry for dogs has followed a system for naming that makes it easy to determine the age of a dog by its registered name. Over the years, the letters K, Q, W, X, Y and Z were eliminated because it was difficult to find names beginning with them. Every 20 years the alphabet starts over."


----------



## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> People always say that if they had land they would have more dogs. I have 10 acres and two dogs is about as much as I can handle! Haha


Would love to have 10 acres, we have 5, about 3 of it is wooded. I think acres doesn't matter as much as the size of your house on how many dogs you could have, although the more dogs the bigger the yard you need. I think four would be our limit in our 3 bedroom ranch, we have three now so we could fit another in. Dh would not agree with that though, lol.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> Hank and I went to the park today. It's close to my old house so we only end up there on occasional weekends. I love it because it has tons of trails.
> 
> Anyways, I parked in one of the parking lots. Kind of crowded. Ok, it's a nice cool fall day and I see a lot of people on the frisbee golf course. Didn't think anything of it.
> 
> We walked for a while- probably 1/2-3/4ths a mile. Got to this corner where there was a couple with three XL spitz kind of dogs (dunno breed) that were very NOT friendly towards Hank. So I decided to follow a group of runners down another trail. Seeing them I realized there might be a 5k going on. Sometimes on Saturdays there is a race but usually in the morning and it was around 3 pm.
> 
> Well we follow them a bit then get to another corner and suddenly there's dozens of people dressed up like zombies screaming and trying to catch the runners. I'm all 'WTF' and Hank is all 'WTF OMG SCARY!' Apparently we ended up in the middle of a zombie 5k with like... nowhere to go and no easy way out of it. A couple of the zombies apologized to us. Hank was super duper confused and spooked because people chasing each other and screaming and wearing hard core zombie makeup. This one zombie girl tried to talk to Hank like 'Awww it's ok buddy' but she had makeup that made it look like the lower half of her face was missing and was wearing a giant dress. Hank flipped.
> 
> He seemed to eventually realize a bit that they were playing but there was this one zombie that was screaming every time a runner came nearby and he was not ok with that. So we finally got to a place where I could get off the zombie race trail. I turned off there and was face to face with a group of mounted police on horseback and a giant festival area complete with dancing skeleton. Then a guy parasailing? Or hang gliding? IDK came flying over us.
> 
> So yeah. That was interesting.


Wow, Belle would have freaked at the zombies too!! Interesting walk you had!


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My family's ranch is 70 acres, and I still can't do what I want becsuse money haha ... but if money were no object, I would have something like (though I don't like the guy) CMs new place though with more focus on sports and herding.
> 
> But I can't, becsuse monies! Though husband says if I become a famous dog trainer and get picked up by a network (haha yeah right ) then I could hahaha.


Grew up on 40 acres with a river running through. Part woods/part open fields. We had horses. My mom still lives there, the barn has long since fallen down and been cleaned up and removed. Most of the fences are gone now. They use the wood from the woods to burn in their fireplace, keeps them busy.


----------



## Remaru

dogsule said:


> Would love to have 10 acres, we have 5, about 3 of it is wooded. I think acres doesn't matter as much as the size of your house on how many dogs you could have, although the more dogs the bigger the yard you need. I think four would be our limit in our 3 bedroom ranch, we have three now so we could fit another in. Dh would not agree with that though, lol.


We have 5 in our little 3 bedroom house, right now we have 6 since we temporarily fostering the puppy until he can go to his raiser. We have a slightly larger than average backyard. Sometimes our house feels crowded. Right now is one of those times just because there are 4 very active dogs, 3 of them puppies (sure Freyja is almost 2 but she is pretty much a puppy still) under foot in the living room all of the time. Lad hasn't perfected blending into the scenery yet like Duke used to so he is pretty big and usually draped across a large section of floor. I would not have 5 dogs again unless I did have a farm or some good reason. So, probably never.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I must be stunting my dog's growth or something. Both of my dogs are under 20" and look tiny for their breeds. I have a mini Aussie AND a mini Border Collie now. Maybe I'm just used to big dogs.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> The things I could do with 10 acres of land! I would have an entire agility barn, indoor/outdoor kennels for rescue fosters or something and a grooming room! Gaaahhh I hate the suburbs! (I can dream, can't I?)
> 
> I am trying to currently clean up and repaint my basement so that I can make a bathing/grooming area in there. It might take until Spring, but I can't keep lugging two dogs to work and washing them when I'm exhausted already. I'm definitely gonna need it when I get a third.


Sorry, I totally wandered away from this thread. 

It seems awesome, but all of that cool stuff is *so* expensive. Like, fencing in a 1/2 acre suburban yard is not cheap. Now imagine doing it on 5x the scale. We're moving next year and my husband would love to find a house with a barn or some other big outbuilding. Ideally he would get a boat and store it there in the winter, and I could use it for training stuff. But the thought of throwing down thousands of dollars to build something when we don't know if we'll be able to stay in one place more than 5 years, is just a lot. Though we will definitely pay the money to fence in as large of an area as possible at our next house. I would love a huge fenced in yard where the dogs could run and I could relax with a book and not have to watch their every move.

Our currently house is not really fencible, because the "yard" is actually tiny (1/4 acre?) and drops right into the woods. Then if you walk out back there is a small field (maybe 150ftx100ft) and a big field (couple acres?). Either of those fields are a good size to fence, but then we would have a random paddock out in a field not connected to our house. Kind of defeats the purpose. We did put a small temporary fence in the little field with some agility equipment but even that cost a couple hundred dollars and is only 40ftx40ft

More than having 10 acres, I love having a rail trail adjacent to my land. We can find another house with lots of land, probably more than 10 acres, but we will never find that again. We have some paths and stuff on our property, and it takes approximately 2 minutes to cross the whole thing. lol It's not really enough to exercise dogs on unless they are really into fetch and you do that a lot. But the rail trail opens up our world to acres more woods and a little lake (with a trail around it) without having to get in the car.


----------



## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> I think it's a French thing to have the kennel name last.


It's a German thing too. A lot of German breeds, GSDs in particular, will be Fluffykins vom Famous Kennel. Thought Xeph puts her kennel name first in the more American style. It's just tradition and you don't have to do it one way or another.

A lot of people in my breed will put the breeding kennel's name first, and their own kennel name on the end. So it would be Famous Kennel's Fluffykins for Other Kennel. If that makes sense.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

elrohwen said:


> Sorry, I totally wandered away from this thread.
> 
> It seems awesome, but all of that cool stuff is *so* expensive. Like, fencing in a 1/2 acre suburban yard is not cheap. Now imagine doing it on 5x the scale. We're moving next year and my husband would love to find a house with a barn or some other big outbuilding. Ideally he would get a boat and store it there in the winter, and I could use it for training stuff. But the thought of throwing down thousands of dollars to build something when we don't know if we'll be able to stay in one place more than 5 years, is just a lot.
> 
> More than having 10 acres, I love having a rail trail adjacent to my land. We can find another house with lots of land, probably more than 10 acres, but we will never find that again. We have some paths and stuff on our property, and it takes approximately 2 minutes to cross the whole thing. lol It's not really enough to exercise dogs on unless they are really into fetch and you do that a lot. But the rail trail opens up our world to acres more woods and a little lake (with a trail around it) without having to get in the car.


I know the reality. I was just daydreaming.  Sometimes I look at houses for sale and see ones that already have a big pole barn, which would definitely make things quite a bit easier. That's really awesome though about the trails. That would be soo nice!


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> It's a German thing too. A lot of German breeds, GSDs in particular, will be Fluffykins vom Famous Kennel. Thought Xeph puts her kennel name first in the more American style. It's just tradition and you don't have to do it one way or another.
> 
> A lot of people in my breed will put the breeding kennel's name first, and their own kennel name on the end. So it would be Famous Kennel's Fluffykins for Other Kennel. If that makes sense.


Interesting. I've seen the dual kennel name before too.


----------



## Laurelin

I know quite a few BCs under 20"! Smallest I've known is just under 20 lbs (lanky and teeny). I would love a mini BC.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> I know quite a few BCs under 20"! Smallest I've known is just under 20 lbs (lanky and teeny). I would love a mini BC.


Ember is currently about 17" and 27lbs at 8mo old. She hasn't budged since 6mo. I expect her to catch up to her butt, which might put her at 18" or 19".. right with Kairi. I've decided that for agility and for the house I'm in.. I actually REALLY like this size.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ember is currently about 17" and 27lbs at 8mo old. She hasn't budged since 6mo. I expect her to catch up to her butt, which might put her at 18" or 19".. right with Kairi. I've decided that for agility and for the house I'm in.. I actually REALLY like this size.


That's exactly the size Hazel is right now at 6mo. She's a tiny peanut but I like it. Watson is only 43lb (medium-large boned) and her mom was quite a bit smaller than him, so my guess is she hits 35-37lb. Perfect size I think. And if she stays short she'll jump 16". Watson just measures into 20" and that is way too high for him (even his preferred height 16" is higher than he wants to jump)


----------



## CptJack

Molly is a hair over 19" but not much of a hair and still about 35lbs. She's about the same size as most bc around me, and is smaller than almost every male. 

It's a really good size for me. Firmly medium.


----------



## Laurelin

Ember is perfect! Haha she and Hank weigh the same and he's only an inch shorter. So weird. Most my friends have male BCs and they're all 19+ inches. One of my friends has a 19" boy who is 37 lbs and really a great size. Temperament is totally not for me though. 

I am getting to be pretty set though that Nextdog whenever it comes will likely NEED to be a girl. Hank... is.... becoming not so great with males. He's either perfectly fine but certain ones... not so much. He decided to try to take down a 'real' cattle dog a notch this weekend. Not a real fight but they were both being very pushy and grumbly and tense with each other. But I don't think he could be around another 'dominant' or pushy male in the household. 

But it's weird. He's GREAT with my friend's vallhund. And the vallhund is not that different in temperament than the cattle dog. I can't figure him out. So far 0 issues with any female dogs though. 

Long story short I'm pretty sure if I get a BC while Hank exists it will be a girl and hopefully smaller.  My ideal dog is 15-19" or in there.


----------



## Laurelin

Side note but today is the first kind of cold day really that I had to work. Came home and Hank is a NUT. And we're about to go to agility. Should be... something.


----------



## elrohwen

It's funny how weight can vary so much with the same height. Watson is lean, people in the breed ring think he's skin, yet I'm sure he easily weighs 10lbs more than BCs of his height. I'm also sure there are Welshie males his height well into the 50s. Size of bone makes a big difference. Hazel is lighter boned than he is and I like that.


----------



## Crantastic

Casper is about 17 inches at the shoulder but he only weighs 18-20lbs. My brother's pit was just an inch or so taller and she weighed 40lbs. It's funny how much they can vary when they're around the same height. Jade was much more solid than Cas, though, and longer, too. She looked a lot larger than him. She could not perch on top of the armchair!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I must be used to BIG BCs.. because Ember is a little peanut compared to any other one I've met! Ember is still so friggin lanky and skinny. I expect her to fill out at least to 30+lbs. 



I told her she was baaaad.


----------



## CptJack

Bone and build, man, make such a huge difference. Thud is 20-30lbs more than you'd think he'd weigh. He's honestly pretty much GSD or lab sized. He just has a metric ton of bone and a long build (as opposed to a lot of leg). Bug is shorter than Kylie and at an appropriate weight while Kylie is perpetually just a little bit heavy. Bug weighs more. Weight's just weird. Going forward I'm tempted to say "I want a dog between 15 and 20" or something, instead of 'I want a 30-45lb dog.

Also ember is freaking gorgeous and holy crap she looks grown up.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Happy is 21" and 27lbs..Gypsy is 21" and 39lbs. Paisley and Gem are 1/2" apart in height, Paisley being slightly smaller but they are 8lbs apart in weight(well normally, Paisley is a little chunky ATM lol) Paisley appears stouter then Gem though. They are in the 23" range and most people guess them to be around 60lbs. Pais is normally under 40lbs. Gem is 45lbs. 

Sola... My previous Toller, Baby she was 17" and 28lbs. Sola? 16" and 22lbs. Despite only a 1" height difference, Sola is drastically smaller then Baby was lol


----------



## elrohwen

I forgot about length too. Welshies are longer than most dogs ("rectangular" in the standard)


----------



## Flaming

CptJack said:


> Bone and build, man, make such a huge difference. Thud is 20-30lbs more than you'd think he'd weigh. He's honestly pretty much GSD or lab sized. He just has a metric ton of bone and a long build (as opposed to a lot of leg). Bug is shorter than Kylie and at an appropriate weight while Kylie is perpetually just a little bit heavy. Bug weighs more. Weight's just weird. Going forward I'm tempted to say "I want a dog between 15 and 20" or something, instead of 'I want a 30-45lb dog.
> 
> Also ember is freaking gorgeous and holy crap she looks grown up.


Yeah everyone thinks Manna is lighter because she's lanky for a Newfie...and Tall.
People guess 100lbs...she's actually (as of 4 months ago) 163 pounds. She's weird


----------



## Laurelin

Hank thinks he must bring a toy or something to bed every night. It used to be like a tennis ball or a stuffed animal. Lately it's like... a cow ear. A cow trachea. And my favorite: Old rib bone I buried in the yard a half a year ago and dug up today!

He acts very confused and put out about why I keep taking his bed time snuggle toys away.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Laurelin said:


> Hank thinks he must bring a toy or something to bed every night. It used to be like a tennis ball or a stuffed animal. Lately it's like... a cow ear. A cow trachea. And my favorite: Old rib bone I buried in the yard a half a year ago and dug up today!


Same with Shae. Her current toy of choice? A jolly ball. Sorry, dogfriend, but I'm not going to be sleeping with a large ball in my bed.


----------



## CptJack

I spent more time in the rescue community as a whole and have never seen people pull together as fast as I've seen agility people bust their butts for my neighbor's chained dog. I've got his vetting paid for, an offer of being fostered in a day care if he's social, and more than one offer of someone willing to give him a go if their dogs will accept him. Not in a home yet but holy. crap. These people are amazing.


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> I spent more time in the rescue community as a whole and have never seen people pull together as fast as I've seen agility people bust their butts for my neighbor's chained dog. I've got his vetting paid for, an offer of being fostered in a day care if he's social, and more than one offer of someone willing to give him a go if their dogs will accept him. Not in a home yet but holy. crap. These people are amazing.


That's amazing. I guess you won't have trouble finding him a home after all


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> That's amazing. I guess you won't have trouble finding him a home after all


Not unless he has some SERIOUS issues with boy dogs I don't know about we won't! And even then. Help is incredible, and these people are amazing.


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> I spent more time in the rescue community as a whole and have never seen people pull together as fast as I've seen agility people bust their butts for my neighbor's chained dog. I've got his vetting paid for, an offer of being fostered in a day care if he's social, and more than one offer of someone willing to give him a go if their dogs will accept him. Not in a home yet but holy. crap. These people are amazing.


That is awesome! He might be getting off that chain faster than expected!


----------



## ireth0

The chickadees in our backyard are teaching Luna to be polite to them via positive reinforcement. When they take off and land they knock down a seed for her, but if she just rushes them they scatter and she gets nothing.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I have been moved by the amount of support both monetary and spiritually that people have been giving to the owner of that poor Australian Shepherd that got ivermectin poisoning from eating sheep poop out of herding lesson a couple of months ago. I have been following her progress on Facebook and I am just astounded by the recovery she has made, I am so happy and ecstatic for the owner.

I love it when dog owners pull together to help someone, it really warms my heart. Dog people are the best


----------



## taquitos

ireth0 said:


> The chickadees in our backyard are teaching Luna to be polite to them via positive reinforcement. When they take off and land they knock down a seed for her, but if she just rushes them they scatter and she gets nothing.


That is so cool lol!


----------



## Hiraeth

http://imgur.com/gallery/YHygG

Happy ending for the dog found with her muzzle taped shut earlier this year  Warning: photo is slightly graphic/shocking.

ETA: By the looks of those firefighters, I am considering driving to Charleston to chuck myself into a burning house...


----------



## CptJack

Kylie wishes she could rant about the stupid crap I get up to when I'm bored.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> http://imgur.com/gallery/YHygG
> 
> Happy ending for the dog found with her muzzle taped shut earlier this year  Warning: photo is slightly graphic/shocking.
> 
> ETA: By the looks of those firefighters, I am considering driving to Charleston to chuck myself into a burning house...


I know right? !?! If I wasn't married, that is haha

ETA I am watching creepy stuff on tv and I am alone and my dog keeps standing up in bed and growling at the door


----------



## CptJack

There is a fine line between offering constructive feedback, and being a back-seat driver. My husband needs to learn on the feedback side of that line, when it comes to watching me do agility with Kylie.

Or I'm going to cheerfully and lovingly throttle the man to death.


----------



## taquitos

CptJack said:


> There is a fine line between offering constructive feedback, and being a back-seat driver. My husband needs to learn on the feedback side of that line, when it comes to watching me do agility with Kylie.
> 
> Or I'm going to cheerfully and lovingly throttle the man to death.


Hahaha he should start doing agility himself!


----------



## CptJack

taquitos said:


> Hahaha he should start doing agility himself!


I actually tried to get him to run Kylie last night. Not going to happen. He's convinced the dog won't listen to him (probably not because he does no training) and because he doesn't want to be embarrassed in front of other people.

That's fine, but um. Shhh.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> I actually tried to get him to run Kylie last night. Not going to happen. He's convinced the dog won't listen to him (probably not because he does no training) and because he doesn't want to be embarrassed in front of other people.
> 
> That's fine, but um. Shhh.


You know what they say, those who cant do, tell hahaha. :grin:


----------



## Bruschnazzy

Facebook dog drama has me so sucked in lately, haha. I swear though, people get more and more ridiculous by the day that I need to comment.


----------



## Laurelin

Idk what it is lately but Hank is getting so cuddly and I kind of love it. 

And just curious but he is SO warm! Is it a coat type thing? He is like a heating pad.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Idk what it is lately but Hank is getting so cuddly and I kind of love it.
> 
> And just curious but he is SO warm! Is it a coat type thing? He is like a heating pad.


I think so. The less fur, the more of the dog's body heat gets to you. Jack's almost bald and sometimes he is *uncomfortably* warm when he cuddles up to me. He's not running a fever, he's just... got no insulating fur between his skin and mine. (Even a fluffy single coat will feel less 'hot' to you that way).


----------



## dogsule

Ugh! I have an itchy dog! Was trying to switch foods to Fromms but after four/five days of mixing the new with the old I have an itchy dog. So glad Fromms have a satisfaction guarantee on their food. Looking at all the ingredients between what they were on and what I was trying to switch them too it looks like possibly pork is the culprit. Not positive though.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Add me to the switching food club, too (again ... UGH LOL) I think I am going to switch to Victor, I was going to try to stay with pro pac because they are cheaper ($35 VS about $45 for victor) but Lincoln's skin is still flakey, even with fish oil (a special balanced supplement, not grocery store fish oil LOL). Oh well, at least it is cheaper than earthborn, which was like, almost $60 down here after tax.


----------



## Kyllobernese

At one of the Agility trials my sister went to, they had a fun night. One of the courses was holding a piece of paper in their mouth (cost them $20 if they dropped it), and running their dogs without saying a word. She said it was surprising how some of the dogs ran better with no talking. The other course was someone else running the dog. Her husband ran her dog and actually did pretty well. I think things like this teach people to have fun with their dogs. The money raised went to one of the Rescues.


----------



## Hiraeth

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Add me to the switching food club, too (again ... UGH LOL) I think I am going to switch to Victor, I was going to try to stay with pro pac because they are cheaper ($35 VS about $45 for victor) but Lincoln's skin is still flakey, even with fish oil (a special balanced supplement, not grocery store fish oil LOL). Oh well, at least it is cheaper than earthborn, which was like, almost $60 down here after tax.


What? How big of a bag of Earthborn? That's insane. It's only $50 for a 28 lb bag here. Crazy how regional prices differ.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Add me to the switching food club, too (again ... UGH LOL) I think I am going to switch to Victor, I was going to try to stay with pro pac because they are cheaper ($35 VS about $45 for victor) but Lincoln's skin is still flakey, even with fish oil (a special balanced supplement, not grocery store fish oil LOL). Oh well, at least it is cheaper than earthborn, which was like, almost $60 down here after tax.


I have never heard of any of those brands. Hopefully you can find something that works for Lincoln.


----------



## dogsule

Kyllobernese said:


> At one of the Agility trials my sister went to, they had a fun night. One of the courses was holding a piece of paper in their mouth (cost them $20 if they dropped it), and running their dogs without saying a word. She said it was surprising how some of the dogs ran better with no talking. The other course was someone else running the dog. Her husband ran her dog and actually did pretty well. I think things like this teach people to have fun with their dogs. The money raised went to one of the Rescues.


That sounds fun!


----------



## CptJack

I need surgery for a cartilage tear in my wrist. At this stage I'd rather just let my arm fall off. I know exactly how mature that attitude is but I really, really don't want to deal with it. So, pardon me while I stuff my head in the sand while I work up the energy to do crap all about it - and drive my husband insane.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> What? How big of a bag of Earthborn? That's insane. It's only $50 for a 28 lb bag here. Crazy how regional prices differ.


30lb, I think, it used to be about $53 after tax, then, like everything else it started to go up LOL. I CAN afford it, but I would rather not, you know? especially if I can feed something just as good, or better for cheaper, and something that is made here in my state, so it will be fresher, and I will be supporting "local" business. something with more calories and fat, I can see that now. 



dogsule said:


> I have never heard of any of those brands. Hopefully you can find something that works for Lincoln.


Thanks  I know Victor will work for him, because he has gotten it before, I was just hoping this cheaper food would work for him but as he gets further into sports, he is going to need more then what this dog food is giving him.


----------



## kdawnk

I was sitting in my office all morning, my stomach growling.
I got the go ahead to organize a company Chinese food lunch. So I did! I was super pumped and my stomach growled all the way up until the food was here.
I had 1/4 cup of rice, a few chicken balls and then BAM I was completely full. I didn't even get to eat half of the selection! So disappointing. So much food, such little stomach.


----------



## ireth0

I would LOVE to be able to buy good food for $50 after tax, never mind even less than that.


----------



## savagem13

Another reason to dislike the dog park...

Today, aside from the fact that my dog was a complete b#$%h and snarked at two different dogs for no apparent reason, I had to listen to an older woman talk about how she just closed on a new seasonal house on the lake here in New England. She was talking all about her main home in Florida, how much they LOVE it there, how they have a swimming pool and a boat, they just ADORE spending time on the water on the weekends because it makes the humidity in Florida bearable, etc. So I'm a single mom, struggling to keep a roof over my kids' (and dogs') heads, working 60 hours a week at two different jobs and BARELY making ends meet. I'm exhausted all the time, don't have time for a vacation, much less the money for a boat or the time to use it if I had one. Was it wrong of me to wish this woman's house in Florida would just get swept away by the next hurricane?


----------



## savagem13

So I discovered another reason to dislike the dog park today. 
Aside from the fact that my dog was a complete b*%$h and snarked at two different dogs for no apparent reason, I got to listen to an older woman talk about how she just closed on her new seasonal home here on a lake in New England. She was talking all about how she and her husband just ADORE Florida, but they like to spend the warmer months up here. She just LOVES spending time in her swimming pool down in Florida, and spending time on the weekends out on the water in their boat. 

So I'm a single mom, working 60 hours a week at two different jobs. I struggle every day to keep a roof over my kids' (and dogs') heads. I'm tired all the time, and constantly worried about how I'll pay for a new roof, the next tank of oil, the sewer taxes, etc. Was it wrong of me to secretly hope that this woman's Florida home would be swept away by the next hurricane?


----------



## PatriciafromCO

savagem13 said:


> So I discovered another reason to dislike the dog park today.
> Aside from the fact that my dog was a complete b*%$h and snarked at two different dogs for no apparent reason, I got to listen to an older woman talk about how she just closed on her new seasonal home here on a lake in New England. She was talking all about how she and her husband just ADORE Florida, but they like to spend the warmer months up here. She just LOVES spending time in her swimming pool down in Florida, and spending time on the weekends out on the water in their boat.
> 
> So I'm a single mom, working 60 hours a week at two different jobs. I struggle every day to keep a roof over my kids' (and dogs') heads. I'm tired all the time, and constantly worried about how I'll pay for a new roof, the next tank of oil, the sewer taxes, etc. Was it wrong of me to secretly hope that this woman's Florida home would be swept away by the next hurricane?


my heart goes out to you sincerely !!! My mom was a single parent having my baby brother at 49 then ending up divorced having to go back to the workforce after years and years of being a stay at home mom, having the same struggles.. So sending creative vibes your way, that you'll find a solution that will solve a problem make it, or write an ebook for others , write a children s book, find a craft that is irresistible, find a product that you would enjoy sharing with others ,.. I work from home doing something I loved being a customer at.. It's crazy how something so small that you love can be so valuable to help others... Give it some thought


----------



## savagem13

Thanks for the sympathy, Patricia! I actually really enjoy both of my jobs--they're both in fields that I enjoy, and one allows me to exercise my creative chops (writing/photography). So in a sense I guess I'm a lot luckier than most. Neither job pays very well, but at least they're somewhat fulfilling. But really--bragging about the second home, the boat, the pool--doesn't this woman realize how many people are struggling out here right now? A little bit of restraint wouldn't kill her, would it?


----------



## taquitos

savagem13 said:


> Thanks for the sympathy, Patricia! I actually really enjoy both of my jobs--they're both in fields that I enjoy, and one allows me to exercise my creative chops (writing/photography). So in a sense I guess I'm a lot luckier than most. Neither job pays very well, but at least they're somewhat fulfilling. But really--bragging about the second home, the boat, the pool--doesn't this woman realize how many people are struggling out here right now? A little bit of restraint wouldn't kill her, would it?


... it's hard to see stuff like that from a place of privilege. I think you should cut her some slack. She probably has no idea people are struggling, especially people in real life. It's easy to understand that economy is bad, etc. in an abstract sense, it's different to actually figure out that people that she knows might be going through it.

But I sympathize.


----------



## Hiraeth

OwnedbyACDs said:


> 30lb, I think, it used to be about $53 after tax, then, like everything else it started to go up LOL. I CAN afford it, but I would rather not, you know? especially if I can feed something just as good, or better for cheaper, and something that is made here in my state, so it will be fresher, and I will be supporting "local" business. something with more calories and fat, I can see that now.


Wow, that's crazy. For sure, if you can feed just as good, or better, for less money, I'd do that too! Well, except, I can't because of the really specific calcium/protein/phosphorous rates I need to target for my puppy. Bleh. 

I've never looked into having dog food mailed to me. I wonder if it's cheaper to buy from a different vendor? Nope, just checked, more expensive on Amazon!


----------



## Willowy

Check out www.chewy.com---they have great prices and free shipping for orders over $50. I order from them a lot for cat food and ferret food, although I'm buying dog food locally now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

savagem13 said:


> So I discovered another reason to dislike the dog park today.
> Aside from the fact that my dog was a complete b*%$h and snarked at two different dogs for no apparent reason, I got to listen to an older woman talk about how she just closed on her new seasonal home here on a lake in New England. She was talking all about how she and her husband just ADORE Florida, but they like to spend the warmer months up here. She just LOVES spending time in her swimming pool down in Florida, and spending time on the weekends out on the water in their boat.
> 
> So I'm a single mom, working 60 hours a week at two different jobs. I struggle every day to keep a roof over my kids' (and dogs') heads. I'm tired all the time, and constantly worried about how I'll pay for a new roof, the next tank of oil, the sewer taxes, etc. Was it wrong of me to secretly hope that this woman's Florida home would be swept away by the next hurricane?


I also am not a rich person, I am unemployed right now and in school full time, my husband works a full time job and his income is the only one right now so things are tight ... I am just grateful I HAVE ANY kind of roof over my head and can afford to feed my dogs (and us!), but I don't covet what others have, some of the most unhappy people I have known have been rich LOL.



Hiraeth said:


> Wow, that's crazy. For sure, if you can feed just as good, or better, for less money, I'd do that too! Well, except, I can't because of the really specific calcium/protein/phosphorous rates I need to target for my puppy. Bleh.
> 
> I've never looked into having dog food mailed to me. I wonder if it's cheaper to buy from a different vendor? Nope, just checked, more expensive on Amazon!


Yeah, right? its really cheaper for me to just go and pick it up locally haha ... and it will be fresher, too since its made here in the state.



Willowy said:


> Check out www.chewy.com---they have great prices and free shipping for orders over $50. I order from them a lot for cat food and ferret food, although I'm buying dog food locally now.


Chewy is great, but they dont sell Victor


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My post went to moderation, WTH LOL.


----------



## Hiraeth

OwnedbyACDs said:


> My post went to moderation, WTH LOL.


One of mine did the other day, too. I was like "eh?". So confused, haha.


----------



## savagem13

*... it's hard to see stuff like that from a place of privilege. I think you should cut her some slack. She probably has no idea people are struggling, especially people in real life. It's easy to understand that economy is bad, etc. in an abstract sense, it's different to actually figure out that people that she knows might be going through it.*


I guess if you're living in your own little bubble and everything is hunky dory for you, you might not realize what's going on all around you. That's what makes a part of me wish for a hurricane to hit her house. Not really. But sorta.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

savagem13 said:


> *... it's hard to see stuff like that from a place of privilege. I think you should cut her some slack. She probably has no idea people are struggling, especially people in real life. It's easy to understand that economy is bad, etc. in an abstract sense, it's different to actually figure out that people that she knows might be going through it.*
> 
> 
> I guess if you're living in your own little bubble and everything is hunky dory for you, you might not realize what's going on all around you. That's what makes a part of me wish for a hurricane to hit her house. Not really. But sorta.


I for one think that is a terrible thing to wish on someone (even jokingly). Maybe her and her husband worked their whole lives to afford that nice house? Maybe her husband passed away recently and that is why she is selling? It is easy to judge when we dont have the whole story.


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## elrohwen

Sounds like she was a bit annoying and clueless, but it wasn't meant personally and she probably didn't realize how it came across. As someone else said she and her husband may have worked very hard to afford that lifestyle


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Sounds like she was a bit annoying and clueless, but it wasn't meant personally and she probably didn't realize how it came across. As someone else said she and her husband may have worked very hard to afford that lifestyle


Yep my grandfather was in the real estate business back in the day, selling ranches, her made GOOD money and put a lot of it away (they were depression era survivors and were big on putting money away just in case) when they died at almost 100, they had millions ion savings, stocks, etc. Someone could easily look at him and say the exact same thing, but the truth is most older folks have that money because they saved most of their lives, hince why you usually see an older couple toodling down the road in a nice winnebago haha.


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## savagem13

*I for one think that is a terrible thing to wish on someone (even jokingly).*

You're entitled to your opinion.

The hubby isn't dead, 'cause she was talking about how "they" like to do this and that. Maybe they did work very hard. Then again, maybe they're one of the hundreds of couples who made cake money as overpaid state employees here in CT, and now are living high on the hog at taxpayers' expense on an overly-generous pension. At least in buying a "second home" here, they will be taxpayers here again. Too many of these ungrateful jerks abandon the state the second they retire. Or, maybe hubby was/is an overpaid CEO of some consumer-raping corporation. Who knows? But they are living better than about 95% of the world population. She could keep that in mind. Then again, I'M living better than about 68 % of the world population, so I need to keep that in mind, as well.


----------



## elrohwen

savagem13 said:


> *I for one think that is a terrible thing to wish on someone (even jokingly).*
> 
> You're entitled to your opinion.
> 
> The hubby isn't dead, 'cause she was talking about how "they" like to do this and that. Maybe they did work very hard. Then again, maybe they're one of the hundreds of couples who made cake money as overpaid state employees here in CT, and now are living high on the hog at taxpayers' expense on an overly-generous pension. At least in buying a "second home" here, they will be taxpayers here again. Too many of these ungrateful jerks abandon the state the second they retire. Or, maybe hubby was/is an overpaid CEO of some consumer-raping corporation. Who knows? But they are living better than about 95% of the world population. She could keep that in mind. Then again, I'M living better than about 68 % of the world population, so I need to keep that in mind, as well.


So people should never get to discuss the nice things in their lives because lots of other people don't have them? I can't talk about the new car I bought? Or the vacation I went on? What if that new car was a toyota and that vacation was a cheap rental cabin? What if the car was a BMW and the vacation was to the Bahamas? Where do you draw the line?

And I don't know why there is this idea that people with money must be overpaid lazy jerks who screw everyone else over. There are people who work very hard in careers that tend to pay well, then they are careful with their money and save all their lives. There's nothing wrong with that.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

savagem13 said:


> *I for one think that is a terrible thing to wish on someone (even jokingly).*
> 
> You're entitled to your opinion.
> 
> The hubby isn't dead, 'cause she was talking about how "they" like to do this and that. Maybe they did work very hard. Then again, maybe they're one of the hundreds of couples who made cake money as overpaid state employees here in CT, and now are living high on the hog at taxpayers' expense on an overly-generous pension. At least in buying a "second home" here, they will be taxpayers here again. Too many of these ungrateful jerks abandon the state the second they retire. Or, maybe hubby was/is an overpaid CEO of some consumer-raping corporation. Who knows? But they are living better than about 95% of the world population. She could keep that in mind. Then again, I'M living better than about 68 % of the world population, so I need to keep that in mind, as well.


Again, you DONT KNOW. Someone could be looking at YOU with your house with its cable TV, you with your smartphone, at your kids with their new school clothes, supplies, their gaming systems they have, etc ... and saying the SAME thing you are saying about these people, all I am saying is Karma is a B-word, you know? so watch what you say, and think about people, because what goes around, comes around.


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## savagem13

*So people should never get to discuss the nice things in their lives because lots of other people don't have them? I can't talk about the new car I bought? Or the vacation I went on? Where do you draw the line*.

Didn't say that. I think I'd draw the line at maybe talking about closing on the "second home." Maybe not necessary to then go on to talk about the swimming pool and the big boat, eh? At the dog park, no less. 

*And I don't know why there is this idea that people with money must be overpaid lazy jerks who screw everyone else over. There are people who work very hard in careers that tend to pay well, then they are careful with their money and save all their lives. There's nothing wrong with that*. 

There are people who work very hard, but there are also many who are overpaid TO screw other people over. BECAUSE they are good at being sociopathic face-stompers. Like many heads of major corporations. And many lawyers, I'd argue. Oh, and let's not forget "professional" politicians.


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## TSTrainer

I live in a wealthy area, I see people like that all the time, but I've learned not to judge. I barely make a living right now working at a coffee shop full time while I apprentice with a trainer and walk dogs/dogsit for extra cash, and they have been some of the nicest, most generous people. Sure, they live in a different world, but many worked very hard for their money, and they're smart people. I don't think its fair for me to judge someone harshly about their second homes or Teslas or whatever, I'm young and haven't put the years of hard work in yet. I get tons of wisdom and advice from them whenever I can.


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## elrohwen

I mean, you live in CT. It's one of the richest states in the country (I lived in Fairfield County for 5 years). I think having second homes is just normal for lots of people and they don't realize other people don't have them. Everyone talks about what is normal in their social group. When you're suddenly in a different social group it's not easy to figure out what the new expectations are.


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## PatriciafromCO

TSTrainer said:


> I live in a wealthy area, I see people like that all the time, but I've learned not to judge. I barely make a living right now working at a coffee shop full time while I apprentice with a trainer and walk dogs/dogsit for extra cash, and they have been some of the nicest, most generous people. Sure, they live in a different world, but many worked very hard for their money, and they're smart people. I don't think its fair for me to judge someone harshly about their second homes or Teslas or whatever, I'm young and haven't put the years of hard work in yet. I get tons of wisdom and advice from them whenever I can.


First of all I didn't think into any of what savagem13 said other then an observation in the moment, my first thought was to support savagem13 (which I am glad your in a good place) I do love to hear about peoples success, and often very excited to learn about their path in life . And yes people of all incomes are very kind.. I was in Walmart checking out (they were having an offal sale) so I had a basket full of liver, kidney, hearts with the big read 50% off sale stickers, and the people behind me must of thought I was poor and this is what I was feeding my family. The man with his wife and 2 children behind me, discretely stepped up to me and offered me money and asked if he could pay for my groceries. Might of been the barn clothes look which is typical for me that didn't help the situation. I tried to convince him that I was truly fine, but I got that look that I must be too proud , and what a strong person I must be...  too sweet and no harm done...


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## Willowy

PatriciafromCO said:


> First of all I didn't think into any of what savagem13 said other then an observation in the moment, my first thought was to support savagem13 (which I am glad your in a good place) I do love to hear about peoples success, and often very excited to learn about their path in life . And yes people of all incomes are very kind.. I was in Walmart checking out (they were having an offal sale) so I had a basket full of liver, kidney, hearts with the big read 50% off sale stickers, and the people behind me must of thought I was poor and this is what I was feeding my family. The man with his wife and 2 children behind me, discretely stepped up to me and offered me money and asked if he could pay for my groceries. Might of been the barn clothes look which is typical for me that didn't help the situation. I tried to convince him that I was truly fine, but I got that look that I must be too proud , and what a strong person I must be...  too sweet and no harm done...


Haha! That was nice of them. Once I was at Walmart and some lady came over to me, looking very sympathetic, pressed a card into my hand and patted me on the shoulder, and left. The card was for a helpline for suicidal veterans. Do I look suicidal? Or even like a veteran? I admit I was dressed like a hobo (it was a quick after-work trip and I had just thrown on an old sweatshirt and yoga pants), and I was extra tired that day, but that has always kind of confused/amused me. I'm glad that lady wants to help people but I don't know why she thought I needed that particular kind of help.


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## Laurelin

Sometimes people do like to brag and rub success in others' faces too. I do think trying not to judge is good but it can also be very frustrating when you're barely getting by to hear about someone's $5000 purse. Yeah they can buy it if they want, it is their money. But I get why it could make someone feel bad.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Sometimes people do like to brag and rub success in others' faces too. I do think trying not to judge is good but it can also be very frustrating when you're barely getting by to hear about someone's $5000 purse. Yeah they can buy it if they want, it is their money. But I get why it could make someone feel bad.


Oh yeah, not saying wealthy people are allowed to be insensitive jerks. There are rich jerks and poor jerks though. Just being a jerk in general is not good but I don't think it's better or worse depending on the person's income.


----------



## ireth0

Laurelin said:


> I do think trying not to judge is good but it can also be very frustrating when you're barely getting by to hear about someone's $5000 purse. Yeah they can buy it if they want, it is their money. But I get why it could make someone feel bad.


Yea, this. My boss is currently on a 3 week vacation to Europe that I will probably never be in a position to afford. I don't begrudge him his success, he works very hard. I don't think he intends to rub it in my face or anything like that, but it does start to feel a little... I dunno. Just bad I guess, hearing the talk about it over and over and talking about it in meetings, and etc. and I'm like "Okay I have $4 for lunch today, how can I make that happen."


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## Hiraeth

Laurelin said:


> Sometimes people do like to brag and rub success in others' faces too. I do think trying not to judge is good but it can also be very frustrating when you're barely getting by to hear about someone's $5000 purse. Yeah they can buy it if they want, it is their money. But I get why it could make someone feel bad.


Agreed. I rode a $20,000 horse next to girls in my barn who rode $200,000 horses and they *complained* about how their parents wouldn't buy them a better one. It stunk (a lot), but it made me focus on my training and my personal skillset because the only way I was going to beat them in competition was hard work. 

My parents always taught me to not talk about money, and so, for the most part, I don't (except for examples like the one above). I drive a much nicer car than most of my friends. And most of my friend's parents. I go very far out of my way to not talk about it, and I even park it so they won't have to see it when I go places with them (plus, parking far away means I don't get door dings). I've also been lucky enough to afford several Europe vacations, but I try to not mention those very often either, except around the people I vacationed with. It stinks when I can't talk about how fun Ireland was for fear of hurting someone's feelings because they couldn't afford a trip like that, but it's the more socially conscientious thing to do, especially around strangers.


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## Crantastic

People talking about their vacations and homes doesn't bother me. I only get annoyed when they look down on people with less money than them. I went to a small university where only around 15% of us even had student loans (the place recruited mostly at private schools in wealthy areas). There was one girl in my extended friend group (we didn't interact much) who actually said, out loud, that she wouldn't hang out with anyone who wasn't rich.

I knew another girl whose parents gave her $100,000 when she graduated high school. She didn't go around bragging about it, though; I never would have known except that I found out about it during a conversation with her boyfriend one day. One of my other friends was the heir to a large company, but again, you'd never know because his parents gave him an allowance that was actually pretty close to the amount of money I had to spend each month. Sometimes these people would mention trips or other stuff that I couldn't afford, but there's a difference between mentioning something and rubbing it in your face. If you find yourself getting envious and resentful if someone mentions their nice stuff, sometimes you have to take a step back and think about whether the person is actually looking down on you or whether they just don't realize that what they're saying could make you feel bad.


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## PatriciafromCO

elrohwen said:


> Oh yeah, not saying wealthy people are allowed to be insensitive jerks. There are rich jerks and poor jerks though. Just being a jerk in general is not good but I don't think it's better or worse depending on the person's income.


^^^^^^ This  "jerk being universal no matter what your status..... I do feel a lot of people lack awareness.. 

I'm always in barn clothes and don't think about what others think about me... I think it's fun being some huge mystery that others who care way too much can't figure out..


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## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> So people should never get to discuss the nice things in their lives because lots of other people don't have them? I can't talk about the new car I bought? Or the vacation I went on? What if that new car was a toyota and that vacation was a cheap rental cabin? What if the car was a BMW and the vacation was to the Bahamas? Where do you draw the line?
> 
> And I don't know why there is this idea that people with money must be overpaid lazy jerks who screw everyone else over. There are people who work very hard in careers that tend to pay well, then they are careful with their money and save all their lives. There's nothing wrong with that.


Right?




> Didn't say that. I think I'd draw the line at maybe talking about closing on the "second home." Maybe not necessary to then go on to talk about the swimming pool and the big boat, eh? At the dog park, no less.
> 
> There are people who work very hard, but there are also many who are overpaid TO screw other people over. BECAUSE they are good at being sociopathic face-stompers. Like many heads of major corporations. And many lawyers, I'd argue. Oh, and let's not forget "professional" politicians.


So, what do you think gives you the right to say what people can and cant talk about? See, this is what is WRONG with this country today, somehow, at some point everyone suddenly decided to get OFFENDED about EVERYTHING.

I for one am always interested to hear how the other half lives LOL.



elrohwen said:


> I mean, you live in CT. It's one of the richest states in the country (I lived in Fairfield County for 5 years). I think having second homes is just normal for lots of people and they don't realize other people don't have them. Everyone talks about what is normal in their social group. When you're suddenly in a different social group it's not easy to figure out what the new expectations are.


Also this.



Willowy said:


> Haha! That was nice of them. Once I was at Walmart and some lady came over to me, looking very sympathetic, pressed a card into my hand and patted me on the shoulder, and left. The card was for a helpline for suicidal veterans. Do I look suicidal? Or even like a veteran? I admit I was dressed like a hobo (it was a quick after-work trip and I had just thrown on an old sweatshirt and yoga pants), and I was extra tired that day, but that has always kind of confused/amused me. I'm glad that lady wants to help people but I don't know why she thought I needed that particular kind of help.


This is why I always make sure I am at least presentable when I go to walmart LOL.


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## Wet Beards

Yup, jerks are universal. 
I think I met their leader yesterday at Wal-Mart.


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## savagem13

*If you find yourself getting envious and resentful if someone mentions their nice stuff, sometimes you have to take a step back and think about whether the person is actually looking down on you or whether they just don't realize that what they're saying could make you feel bad.* 

Yeah, I think the woman at the dog park was probably a nice person. She had dogs (one of them even a rescue)--how bad could she BE?! LOL 

I have a hard time trusting people who don't have pets. And I tend to think people with dogs are nicer people to begin with. Totally irrational, I'm sure. 

Anyway, I didn't mind her talking about the second home. I have moral/environmental qualms about owning two homes, and I would never do it myself, even if I COULD afford it. But she had just closed on the lake house, so I'm sure she was excited and all. But to then start talking about the inground pool, the big boat, etc. back in Florida--all with a person you just met at the dog park. All of that felt like bragging. 

Honestly, the LAST thing I'd do with my money if I were to suddenly win the lottery and life became a financial bed of roses would be to buy a second home. All of the extreme weather events we're seeing (and we're likely to see more and more)--shoot, it's enough to have to worry about ONE house, never mind two! 
*
hearing the talk about it over and over and talking about it in meetings, and etc. and I'm like "Okay I have $4 for lunch today, how can I make that happen." *

Now this is just bragging or a lack of social graces, in my opinion. Good for you that you're going on a great vacation. Keep it to yourself unless you're talking to close friends/family. 

But I agree--there are jerks at all financial levels.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Wet Beards said:


> Yup, jerks are universal.
> I think I met their leader yesterday at Wal-Mart.


OT, but I did not know that Canada had walmart, interesting.


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## savagem13

*Yup, jerks are universal.
I think I met their leader yesterday at Wal-Mar*t. 

LOL Stay away from Wal-Mart. Not only full of jerks, but they're exploiting people all over the world and contributing to the destruction of the environment big-time. Not to mention putting a burden on us taxpayers by paying their own workers so little that they need public assistance to make ends meet. Off soapbox...


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## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> OT, but I did not know that Canada had walmart, interesting.


From the Walmart corporate website: "We have more than 11000 retail stores under 71 banners in 27 countries"

They're everywhere, they're everywhere! 

I know everyone says that Walmart exploits and underpays their employees, but my brother, aunt, and cousin all work there and they love it. And it's one of the better-paying employers in the area, and one of the few to offer benefits. Maybe in some places a Walmart job is terrible but here everyone fights over the jobs. And everyone I know who's on public assistance has a full-time job, or maybe 2 or 3 part-time jobs, but a full-time Walmart job pays enough that you don't qualify for public assistance, in this state anyway (unless you have 4+ kids).


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## Wet Beards

savagem13 said:


> *Yup, jerks are universal.
> I think I met their leader yesterday at Wal-Mar*t.
> 
> LOL Stay away from Wal-Mart. Not only full of jerks, but they're exploiting people all over the world and contributing to the destruction of the environment big-time. Not to mention putting a burden on us taxpayers by paying their own workers so little that they need public assistance to make ends meet. Off soapbox...


Just had to use their washroom.


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## OwnedbyACDs

savagem13 said:


> *Yup, jerks are universal.
> I think I met their leader yesterday at Wal-Mar*t.
> 
> LOL Stay away from Wal-Mart. Not only full of jerks, but they're exploiting people all over the world and contributing to the destruction of the environment big-time. Not to mention putting a burden on us taxpayers by paying their own workers so little that they need public assistance to make ends meet. Off soapbox...


No more than any other coorprate entity LOL.

I have found that a lot of people who gripe about wally world also:
wear name brand clothes, many who are made overseas by underpaid and overworked people.
eat at large fast food chains, who are major contributor to factory farming


You have kids, I bet you do, or have use disposable diapers, you know those almost never fully decompose, right?

Use disposable plastic anything? Use electricity? Drive a car? Whoops! Then you are supporting the petroleum / oil / coal industry.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Wet Beards said:


> Just had to use their washroom.


EWWWWW I would rather go in a gas station then any of the walmarts here ... their bathrooms are always gross haha.


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## savagem13

*No more than any other coorprate entity LOL.*

Oh yes, more. As Willowy quoted, from the WalMart corporate web site:

* "We have more than 11000 retail stores under 71 banners in 27 countries"*

*wear name brand clothes, many who are made overseas by underpaid and overworked people.
eat at large fast food chains, who are major contributor to factory farming*

Oh, kids--yes, yes I do have kids. But they're 12 and 15 now--way past the disposable diaper stage. And if I'd known then what I know now about disposable diapers, I would've gone with cloth. 

True, I wear Gap and Old Navy, and they are just as bad. Don't eat at fast food chains though--for the reason you quoted, because I'm a vegetarian and their veg choices suck, and because that crap is sooo bad for you. 

Disposable plastic--avoid it like the plague. Electricity and car? Now you're kinda being ridiculous. Most people hardly have a choice in those two areas--by design, I'd argue. 

Re the employees who are treated well by WalMart--South Dakota I think it was? That's great to hear. As much as I detest WalMart (and many other corporate behemoths), I love to hear that the "little guy" is treated well.


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## Hiraeth

On a side note, I actually laughed out loud at this:

Safe for work


----------



## Willowy

> Re the employees who are treated well by WalMart--South Dakota I think it was? That's great to hear. As much as I detest WalMart (and many other corporate behemoths), I love to hear that the "little guy" is treated well.


LOL, well, they're treated better than the other local options, which, admittedly, is not a high bar to clear . One Arizona company opened a call center a few years ago, and one of the corporate employees let it slip that the reason they relocated to SD was because you can treat the workers like crap and they still won't quit. "Midwest work ethic" I suppose. 25% of the people in the county my parents and brother live in are on food stamps, and 20% in my county. And the unemployment rate is under 3%, so that kinda tells you what kind of pay they get.


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## savagem13

Oh, that pug is adorable!

*25% of the people in the county my parents and brother live in are on food stamps, and 20% in my county. And the unemployment rate is under 3%, so that kinda tells you what kind of pay they get.*

This is terrible. WalMart is really the company responsible for this downward spiral into extreme exploitation. Both in terms of raping the environment, and taking advantage of employees and cheap labor. And they exploit local municipalities desperate for a tax base and employment by strong-arming tax deals out of them. Then they skip town when the tax "holiday" is about to expire. WalMart drew up the blueprint for this kind of stuff. Other companies, like Cabela's, thought that was a grand idea and followed suit. WalMart isn't just another exploitative corporation. They are the GRANDDADDY of exploitative corporations!


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## Willowy

> WalMart is really the company responsible for this downward spiral into extreme exploitation.


I. . .don't know? In rural areas I have to say that having a Walmart around really increases general quality of life (unless you own the local hardware/general/grocery store, I guess. And they don't pay their employees any better). But it's always been like this around here, way before Walmart. A bunch of the guys I work with now (in their 60s) used to work at the meat-packing plant during the 60s, 70s, 80s, where they were treated like trash and paid worse. Since food stamps weren't a thing they all have stories of needing to live without electricity because they couldn't afford it, going to the city park to get gallons of water to bathe in because the water got turned off, etc. Just normal guys working overtime to make a living but couldn't pay the bills AND feed their kids, living at a level of poverty that wouldn't be tolerated now. I don't think Walmart made it worse.


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No more than any other coorprate entity LOL.
> 
> I have found that a lot of people who gripe about wally world also:
> wear name brand clothes, many who are made overseas by underpaid and overworked people.
> eat at large fast food chains, who are major contributor to factory farming
> 
> 
> You have kids, I bet you do, or have use disposable diapers, you know those almost never fully decompose, right?
> 
> Use disposable plastic anything? Use electricity? Drive a car? Whoops! Then you are supporting the petroleum / oil / coal industry.


I hate Walmart. Aside from being a corporation with ethics I would prefer not to support (father in law was a corporate manager at Walmart for a very long time, but that was before hubby and I married) I cannot walk into one of the stores without feeling unreasonably angry. It is something about the combination of the lighting, the noise and the layout that bothers me. I become overstimulated, the longer I am in the store the more likely I am to lash out. I only go there if there is something I need that cannot be purchased elsewhere (I usually order online in those situations but sometimes I need to get something right away). 

I do not buy name brand clothing, we shop thrift stores for clothes. Part of that has to do with being really cheap, I've got two special needs kids, even if we were rich we would be poor and we aren't rich. The other part of that is just how I was raised, I enjoy thrift shopping, I'm quirky that way. I also prefer handmade goods. Sometimes we are gifted clothes (birthdays and Christmas). 

I have such a restricted diet that we do not ever eat at fast food restaurants, it would kill me. There are some local restaurants I can eat at but they tend to be smaller family run diner type places. We have a friend who has a cute little diner/bakery, he makes a salad special for me. I wish he would start making some gluten free baked goods, he is always sending cookies and muffins home for the boys but I can't have any. 

My children were cloth diapered. I also use cloth pads and a reusable feminine cup for myself, I have for more than 10years. We're not super green or anything. I have OCD so I use some cleaning chemicals like bleach for the bathroom and I do insist on paper towels (for bathroom cleaning) but I use vinegar and water for the majority of cleaning and, as we do not eat meat, the kitchen can be cleaned with vinegar water and reusable cleaning cloths. We definitely aren't using paper/plastic plates or anything like that. 

We do have a car, one car for a family of 4. Honestly public transportation is just not a viable option where we are or we would utilize it more. If we lived somewhere else we might not need a car at all.


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## OwnedbyACDs

All the walmarts in this area, and my home town (san antonio) area have pretty good benefits for their employees, I hear they have a pretty good insurance plan and all that.

Plus lets face it, its the cheapest place to get stuff.


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## elrohwen

Wal-mart makes me twitchy. It always looks like it was recently looted, there are a million people and no close parking spaces, and there are inevitably only 3 cashiers with 10+ people in line at each. The whole experience is unpleasant.

Not a fan of their company ethics or the way they treat employees most of the time, but that's what happens when the priority is cheap goods over everything else. I would rather pay more money and shop somewhere else but that's just me and I have that luxury. Not everybody does.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> I hate Walmart. Aside from being a corporation with ethics I would prefer not to support (father in law was a corporate manager at Walmart for a very long time, but that was before hubby and I married) I cannot walk into one of the stores without feeling unreasonably angry. It is something about the combination of the lighting, the noise and the layout that bothers me. I become overstimulated, the longer I am in the store the more likely I am to lash out. I only go there if there is something I need that cannot be purchased elsewhere (I usually order online in those situations but sometimes I need to get something right away).
> 
> I do not buy name brand clothing, we shop thrift stores for clothes. Part of that has to do with being really cheap, I've got two special needs kids, even if we were rich we would be poor and we aren't rich. The other part of that is just how I was raised, I enjoy thrift shopping, I'm quirky that way. I also prefer handmade goods. Sometimes we are gifted clothes (birthdays and Christmas).
> 
> I have such a restricted diet that we do not ever eat at fast food restaurants, it would kill me. There are some local restaurants I can eat at but they tend to be smaller family run diner type places. We have a friend who has a cute little diner/bakery, he makes a salad special for me. I wish he would start making some gluten free baked goods, he is always sending cookies and muffins home for the boys but I can't have any.
> 
> My children were cloth diapered. I also use cloth pads and a reusable feminine cup for myself, I have for more than 10years. We're not super green or anything. I have OCD so I use some cleaning chemicals like bleach for the bathroom and I do insist on paper towels (for bathroom cleaning) but I use vinegar and water for the majority of cleaning and, as we do not eat meat, the kitchen can be cleaned with vinegar water and reusable cleaning cloths. We definitely aren't using paper/plastic plates or anything like that.
> 
> We do have a car, one car for a family of 4. Honestly public transportation is just not a viable option where we are or we would utilize it more. If we lived somewhere else we might not need a car at all.


I have the same problems, but I remember I getting chastised for "lashing out" for the exact same reasons?



elrohwen said:


> Wal-mart makes me twitchy. It always looks like it was recently looted, there are a million people and no close parking spaces, and there are inevitably only 3 cashiers with 10+ people in line at each. The whole experience is unpleasant.
> 
> Not a fan of their company ethics or the way they treat employees most of the time, but that's what happens when the priority is cheap goods over everything else. I would rather pay more money and shop somewhere else but that's just me and I have that luxury. Not everybody does.


Yeah WTF man, like three people on checkout for the busiest time of day ???


----------



## taquitos

savagem13 said:


> *... it's hard to see stuff like that from a place of privilege. I think you should cut her some slack. She probably has no idea people are struggling, especially people in real life. It's easy to understand that economy is bad, etc. in an abstract sense, it's different to actually figure out that people that she knows might be going through it.*
> 
> 
> I guess if you're living in your own little bubble and everything is hunky dory for you, you might not realize what's going on all around you. That's what makes a part of me wish for a hurricane to hit her house. Not really. But sorta.



Umm... there are lots of people who live in bubbles like that lol. I go to a university that is in the top 100 so yeah, I see a lot of people like that. It's called privilege.

That's a terrible thing to wish on someone... just because of jealousy :/

And yes, I am aware of what it feels to be at a disadvantage, looking at a person w/ more means... As a POC and a full-time uni student I am acutely aware of that fact... but I'm not going to wish that their fortunes be ruined and they suffer some awful tragedy...


----------



## FallDeere

Remaru, you eat gluten free as well?  I always love hearing about others as it makes me less lonely lol.

I thought I had a gluten sensitivity but turns out I have an outright allergy to wheat. Not as awful as the issues a lot of people have with gluten, but still requires care when choosing foods.

I apparently am also allergic to beef, cows milk, and peanuts. Too bad about the milk because I love it but I've always hated beef and peanuts anyways.

Food allergies/sensitivities stink.  I think I may also be allergic to several other grains because I ate some the other day (gluten free) and felt like I do when I eat peanuts, but it didn't say it had peanuts or was contaminated... I wish eating wasn't necessary to life. Food is stupid.


----------



## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I have the same problems, but I remember I getting chastised for "lashing out" for the exact same reasons?
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah WTF man, like three people on checkout for the busiest time of day ???


This is why I don't go there. I know it triggers me and there is no good reason to do it. If I put myself in that position I have only myself to blame. Most places have gotten away from that type of lighting for that reason but there is also something about the layout, like it doesn't make any sense and the employees just plain don't care which I find frustrating. I get it, their jobs suck and they are being poorly paid. It just all adds up for me, I am already overstimulated and on the verge of meltdown because of the lighting/sounds, then I can't find what I need because it is always in the wrong place, you can't get any help and when you finally find what you need you can't check out because no one is working and there are long lines. It just isn't worth it to shop there. Add to that all of the other issues with Walmart, poor pay for employees, driving small businesses out of business, shoddy merchandise and I would rather just go to Target or shop on line and wait a few days for whatever it is to arrive.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> This is why I don't go there. I know it triggers me and there is no good reason to do it. If I put myself in that position I have only myself to blame. Most places have gotten away from that type of lighting for that reason but there is also something about the layout, like it doesn't make any sense and the employees just plain don't care which I find frustrating. I get it, their jobs suck and they are being poorly paid. It just all adds up for me, I am already overstimulated and on the verge of meltdown because of the lighting/sounds, then I can't find what I need because it is always in the wrong place, you can't get any help and when you finally find what you need you can't check out because no one is working and there are long lines. It just isn't worth it to shop there. Add to that all of the other issues with Walmart, poor pay for employees, driving small businesses out of business, shoddy merchandise and I would rather just go to Target or shop on line and wait a few days for whatever it is to arrive.


I wish I had that luxury but I dont.


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## Remaru

FallDeere said:


> Remaru, you eat gluten free as well?  I always love hearing about others as it makes me less lonely lol.
> 
> I thought I had a gluten sensitivity but turns out I have an outright allergy to wheat. Not as awful as the issues a lot of people have with gluten, but still requires care when choosing foods.
> 
> I apparently am also allergic to beef, cows milk, and peanuts. Too bad about the milk because I love it but I've always hated beef and peanuts anyways.
> 
> Food allergies/sensitivities stink.  I think I may also be allergic to several other grains because I ate some the other day (gluten free) and felt like I do when I eat peanuts, but it didn't say it had peanuts or was contaminated... I wish eating wasn't necessary to life. Food is stupid.


Yes, I have an IBD and a bunch of foods trigger it. Gluten seems to be a big one for me because it also causes joint inflammation and a sort of skin irritation. I also can't have dairy or meats other than fish. Then there are little things that I bother me some times but not others, that cause me reflux some of the time or whatever. When I am in a flare I feel like all I eat are those little squeeze things of fruit. Hubby swears I'm going to just start buying all baby food at some point.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Remaru said:


> Yes, I have an IBD and a bunch of foods trigger it. Gluten seems to be a big one for me because it also causes joint inflammation and a sort of skin irritation. I also can't have dairy or meats other than fish. Then there are little things that I bother me some times but not others, that cause me reflux some of the time or whatever. When I am in a flare I feel like all I eat are those little squeeze things of fruit. Hubby swears I'm going to just start buying all baby food at some point.


Ewwww , watch out for those pouches of fruit and stuff for kids, someone's kid got really sick, and they cut the pouches open to find it was full of mold!


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## Remaru

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ewwww , watch out for those pouches of fruit and stuff for kids, someone's kid got really sick, and they cut the pouches open to find it was full of mold!


Yeah I've been buying organic but I usually make all my own stuff. I am hoping for a vitamix for Christmas this year to make this process easier. I have a Ninja but, while I like it, it is the older version and really not designed for this sort of work. It makes decent breakfast smoothies but I'm pretty sure I'm going to burn it out if I keep using it at the pace I am now. I've considered the nutri-bullet but I've had a similar gadget in the past and the lid would come unscrewed while it was on the base and it would make a huge mess. Plus it just didn't have the power to actually turn veggies and fruit into puree. It was easier to clean than the larger units though. I kept it for grinding soap to make Laundry Detergent (my youngest is allergic to laundry detergent, all of them, plus it is way cheaper).


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## FallDeere

That stinks. 

My whole family has issues with all different types of food. My mom can't have xathan gum as it makes her eyes cross (as well as a few other effects I don't want to mention). I can't have too much of it. And it's in EVERYTHING. My mom has yet to find a salad dressing without it. I realized I was allergic to milk when my face started "falling off" as I like to say. 

My mom actually buys yogurt baby treats, lol. They're really good. Originally, I was buying them for my rats, but I convinced my mom to try them and she fell in love.

I really truly hate food. Who's with me? lol.

As for Walmart... I would love to know a better option of where to shop. We used to mainly shop at Walmart, but since we've had to get more specialty food items, we go to Whole Foods and Sprouts, but we can't afford to buy everything at those places and they don't even have everything we need. My family would love to become more self sufficient, like growing a garden, but with as many health issues as my dad and I are having (plus my sister's ongoing medical issues), it isn't possible for us to do so at this time.


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## Willowy

> I really truly hate food. Who's with me? lol.


Ack, no! I love food. . .too much, alas . I do have a friend who hates food. Childhood issues, I think. We can't understand each other, LOL. 

Yeah, not a lot of options other than Walmart. The town my parents live in used to have a Pamida, but the stuff they sold was of horrible quality (yes, the cheap junk Walmart gets is actually better than the cheap junk some other places get!) and very overpriced. Of course when Walmart opened they went out of business but I don't think anybody mourned their passing. When I go to Sioux Falls I do have more options, and shop at TSC, Target, Costco, etc. But there are still some things I need that other places don't have so I always end up at Walmart. I suppose it's not ideal to have what's essentially a monopoly, but that's what people want now. 

The Walmarts here are fairly nice. It's K-Mart and Shopko that look like they've been looted and then got hit by a tornado .


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## Remaru

FallDeere said:


> That stinks.
> 
> My whole family has issues with all different types of food. My mom can't have xathan gum as it makes her eyes cross (as well as a few other effects I don't want to mention). I can't have too much of it. And it's in EVERYTHING. My mom has yet to find a salad dressing without it. I realized I was allergic to milk when my face started "falling off" as I like to say.
> 
> My mom actually buys yogurt baby treats, lol. They're really good. Originally, I was buying them for my rats, but I convinced my mom to try them and she fell in love.
> 
> I really truly hate food. Who's with me? lol.
> 
> As for Walmart... I would love to know a better option of where to shop. We used to mainly shop at Walmart, but since we've had to get more specialty food items, we go to Whole Foods and Sprouts, but we can't afford to buy everything at those places and they don't even have everything we need. My family would love to become more self sufficient, like growing a garden, but with as many health issues as my dad and I are having (plus my sister's ongoing medical issues), it isn't possible for us to do so at this time.


Food and I are not friends anymore either. It really sucks. 

We buy bulk goods at Costco, paper products, allergy meds, gluten free flour, cereal for the kids depending on the price, some organic produce (big bags of kale and carrots), and sometimes eggs though the price on eggs has been going up and I have been having an issue digesting them so we have cut way back on eggs. Most of our shopping is done at Aldi or Sprouts. Aldi has a good selection of gluten free products and their prices are really good. We have a Winco now and I hear good things but it is always packed and people have told me that shopping there is stressful (and this is from people who don't have issues with shopping) so I am waiting until they "yay shiny new store" excitement dies down. I understand that it has good prices, a bulk bin section and is an ethical company. I buy the majority of my produce at Sprouts. We do eat a lot of produce but as we don't buy any meat our food bills are pretty low.


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## Willowy

An Aldi will be opening in Sioux Falls soon. I hear good things. So hopefully I'll find a new awesome shopping place .


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## savagem13

*That's a terrible thing to wish on someone... just because of jealousy :/

And yes, I am aware of what it feels to be at a disadvantage, looking at a person w/ more means... As a POC and a full-time uni student I am acutely aware of that fact... but I'm not going to wish that their fortunes be ruined and they suffer some awful tragedy...*

Maybe you're just a morally superior person, then.


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## savagem13

Chronic Lyme disease and Babesia have ruined my gut. I cannot eat eggs, dairy or gluten. Also vegetarian for moral reasons, so that leaves precious little. I eat a lot of Amy's gluten free/dairy free burritos, fruits and veggies.


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## Remaru

Willowy said:


> An Aldi will be opening in Sioux Falls soon. I hear good things. So hopefully I'll find a new awesome shopping place .


I was sort of put off the first time we went shopping there. It was like "what do you mean I have to pay a quarter for a cart?" and the aisles seem weird. It almost feels like grocery shopping in Ikea LOL. Now I totally get the whole process and we love Aldi. They have added to their selection significantly in the past year with more organic options, more gluten free, and I heard they are removing artificial colors, partially hydrogenated oils and added MSG from their store branded items (the bulk of what they sell) by the end of the year. Plus they always have neat stuff. We've bought all kinds of things like water filtering pitchers, an area rug for my son's room, glass food storage containers, Halloween Decorations, a dog cooling mat, a couch cover, just all kinds of random things. You never know what they will have from week to week. I will stop now that I have rambled and sort of sound like an Aldi add.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh I hate people, I really do. 

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crim...escue-dog-bit-child-must-euthanized/73610520/


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## FallDeere

Remaru said:


> Food and I are not friends anymore either. It really sucks.
> 
> We buy bulk goods at Costco, paper products, allergy meds, gluten free flour, cereal for the kids depending on the price, some organic produce (big bags of kale and carrots), and sometimes eggs though the price on eggs has been going up and I have been having an issue digesting them so we have cut way back on eggs. Most of our shopping is done at Aldi or Sprouts. Aldi has a good selection of gluten free products and their prices are really good. We have a Winco now and I hear good things but it is always packed and people have told me that shopping there is stressful (and this is from people who don't have issues with shopping) so I am waiting until they "yay shiny new store" excitement dies down. I understand that it has good prices, a bulk bin section and is an ethical company. I buy the majority of my produce at Sprouts. We do eat a lot of produce but as we don't buy any meat our food bills are pretty low.


I was gonna list Costco as the other place we shop, but I wasn't sure if it would be considered any better than Walmart, lol (I don't know much about Costco). That's the only place we can get this awesome xathan gum free queso that rocks. Had some late last night, lol. So good. Plus a bunch of other unique gluten free foods. Some chips we got there actually says "Xanthan gum free" on the package! I admit to "fan-girling" over that when I saw it, because xathan gum is one of my mom's main issues now and the fact that someone has actually taken notice of the fact some people have issues with it and listed it in bold text on the package... Well, there were tears of joy. Though I personally CAN have xathan gum as long as I don't have a LOT, I try to not keep anything with it in my house in case I want to fix food for my mom. 

I have anxiety about someday making her a meal and then realizing one of the ingredients had xanthan gum.  I mean... the mere idea of that is making me want to cry. While her issues with it may not compare to the issues some people have with other foods, it is _really _bad. It makes her feel awful and harder for her to function and she has a special needs daughter to take care of (two if you count me lol), a husband who is not doing well whom she also needs to take care of, and a whole lot of other things on her plate. She's honestly a superhero in my eyes and I try to do whatever I can to make her job easier, or at least not harder, and to think I may accidentally cause her pain by trying to feed her... My nightmare.

My mom and I went into an Aldi once. You mentioned Walmart triggering/upsetting you due to the lights and layout... The Aldi did that to my mom and me. Don't know why. We just hated it. Also, we couldn't find much gluten free stuff. Though, that was when we assumed things labeled "naturally gluten free" were trying to get around the "things labeled 'gluten free' have to have been tested" law. So we probably should go back there and double check. Plus, that was a while ago so their selection probably improved since then.



savagem13 said:


> Chronic Lyme disease and Babesia have ruined my gut. I cannot eat eggs, dairy or gluten. Also vegetarian for moral reasons, so that leaves precious little. I eat a lot of Amy's gluten free/dairy free burritos, fruits and veggies.


Sorry to hear that.  Join my food hating club?

Oh, Amy's stuff is great! I haven't eaten of that stuff in a while because I got turned off of what I liked, but Amy's Kitchen does have a great selection. My mom likes some of their pizzas because they don't seem to have xanthan gum.

I guess a plus of being gluten free is that a LOT of gluten free brands/foods/whatevers also tend to cater to other sensitivities/preferences, like vegan, vegetarian, kosher, dairy-free, peanut free, etc. I'd like to go completely vegetarian eventually, it's just at the moment, I'm still searching for what I can and can't eat at all. I have minimized meat in my diet though.


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## OwnedbyACDs

I personally have never understood when people say they are a vegetarian for moral reasons when there are other options for buying meat, like buying locally and buying organic.


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## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I personally have never understood when people say they are a vegetarian for moral reasons when there are other options for buying meat, like buying locally and buying organic.


Not sure if you really want a discussion about this or are just complaining about other people's eating habits. . .but some people aren't comfortable with the idea of an animal dying to feed them when it isn't strictly necessary, regardless of how the animal is raised. I sort of feel that way but since I own pets who are obligate carnivores, I feel like me abstaining from eating meat myself doesn't make much of a difference. I don't eat much meat though.

Regardless, someone else's eating habits are their own business.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Not sure if you really want a discussion about this or are just complaining about other people's eating habits. . .but some people aren't comfortable with the idea of an animal dying to feed them when it isn't strictly necessary, regardless of how the animal is raised. I sort of feel that way but since I own pets who are obligate carnivores, I feel like me abstaining from eating meat myself doesn't make much of a difference. I don't eat much meat though.
> 
> Regardless, someone else's eating habits are their own business.


 I just think it's silly and that's my opinion. I can understand abstaining from eating meat that is produced from factory farming because the situation the animals live in are quite cruel on the way they are killed is quite cruel, but supporting small business farmers and local ranchers helps the economy the animals are usually dispatched quickly and humanely. Also a lot of ranchers have gotten away from feedlots (at least here) and cages (in the case of chickens and turkeys).


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## Willowy

I bet you do some things other people think are silly . Are you saying that people should do/eat something that makes them uncomfortable?


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## FallDeere

Willowy said:


> some people aren't comfortable with the idea of an animal dying to feed them when it isn't strictly necessary, regardless of how the animal is raised.


I hate the idea of any animal dying. The only reason I can eat meat is because I don't really connect the dots that the slab of meat on my plate was once an animal.  Whenever I do think about it, though, I tend to stop eating meat until I forget again. That's why I'd like to become a vegetarian and only eat milk and eggs from animals who are well cared for. I'd like to own goats and chickens to get my own milk and eggs someday, but I doubt that will happen.

I don't personally have a problem with feeding my animals meat as that's what they _need_. They don't know or care if the animals were well cared for. They just know they're hungry, lol. I would like to know the meat I'm feeding them is somewhat humane (PETA would argue there is no humane way to raise animals for meat), but I'm not really able to be picky at this time.

When I think about it, I always try to give thanks for the animals who have given their lives to sustain me, my family, and my pets. Every animal is important and serves a purpose, even if it's to end up as food, and I try to be grateful for them. Just a personal thing, though. I try not to take any living thing for granted, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.


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## taquitos

savagem13 said:


> *That's a terrible thing to wish on someone... just because of jealousy :/
> 
> And yes, I am aware of what it feels to be at a disadvantage, looking at a person w/ more means... As a POC and a full-time uni student I am acutely aware of that fact... but I'm not going to wish that their fortunes be ruined and they suffer some awful tragedy...*
> 
> Maybe you're just a morally superior person, then.


Wow.. OK lol.


----------



## taquitos

Willowy said:


> I bet you do some things other people think are silly . Are you saying that people should do/eat something that makes them uncomfortable?


Yeah I'm going to have to agree w/ Willowy.

There is no reason to call someone else's choices for abstaining from causing harm to others "silly."

You don't have to do it but you shouldn't dismiss other people's moral beliefs like that... Not cool.

I'm one of those people who are uncomfortable with the idea of killing an animal for food. I don't judge others who are OK with it and who eat meat (my boyfriend is a meat eater and so is my sister). Why is MY choice so silly but not theirs?


----------



## Eenypup

FallDeere said:


> Remaru, you eat gluten free as well?  I always love hearing about others as it makes me less lonely lol.
> 
> I thought I had a gluten sensitivity but turns out I have an outright allergy to wheat. Not as awful as the issues a lot of people have with gluten, but still requires care when choosing foods.
> 
> I apparently am also allergic to beef, cows milk, and peanuts. Too bad about the milk because I love it but I've always hated beef and peanuts anyways.
> 
> Food allergies/sensitivities stink.  I think I may also be allergic to several other grains because I ate some the other day (gluten free) and felt like I do when I eat peanuts, but it didn't say it had peanuts or was contaminated... I wish eating wasn't necessary to life. Food is stupid.


Curious about how your physician defines food allergies..? Did you start getting hives, runny nose, breathing issues etc after being fine for a while? I have a moderate dairy allergy (have epi pen but never had anaphylaxis luckily) and it sucks. But so many people claim to be "allergic" to dairy when they mean it bothers their stomach, makes them bloated, or they feel funny after. People take my life threatening allergy less seriously because of those misconceptions regarding the idea of an allergy. :/

So just wondering how you define allergies, I suppose. Always wondered why people define things as allergy vs sensitivity when the definitions I've always thought were very different!


----------



## Hiraeth

Eenypup said:


> Curious about how your physician defines food allergies..? Did you start getting hives, runny nose, breathing issues etc after being fine for a while? I have a moderate dairy allergy (have epi pen but never had anaphylaxis luckily) and it sucks. But so many people claim to be "allergic" to dairy when they mean it bothers their stomach, makes them bloated, or they feel funny after. People take my life threatening allergy less seriously because of those misconceptions regarding the idea of an allergy. :/
> 
> So just wondering how you define allergies, I suppose. Always wondered why people define things as allergy vs sensitivity when the definitions I've always thought were very different!


Yeah, I run into this with a few of my friends who claim they're allergic to everything. ETA: NOT saying that anyone here is doing that, just saying that a few of my friends think they're allergic to dairy because milk gives them stomach aches.

I am *sensitive* to pineapple. It makes my throat and tongue swell slightly and feel really uncomfortable. I am *extremely sensitive* to shell fish. It makes my stomach cramp horribly and causes me to break out into hives. 

I am *allergic* to bees. If stung, I will die without medical intervention. 

Those are my definitions, at least


----------



## Remaru

Hiraeth said:


> Yeah, I run into this with a few of my friends who claim they're allergic to everything. ETA: NOT saying that anyone here is doing that, just saying that a few of my friends think they're allergic to dairy because milk gives them stomach aches.
> 
> I am *sensitive* to pineapple. It makes my throat and tongue swell slightly and feel really uncomfortable. I am *extremely sensitive* to shell fish. It makes my stomach cramp horribly and causes me to break out into hives.
> 
> I am *allergic* to bees. If stung, I will die without medical intervention.
> 
> Those are my definitions, at least


I'm not allergic to foods but it does aggravate my other health conditions so I have to abstain from eating them. Though I do wonder about the joint swelling/inflamation reaction. While I wouldn't die if I ate these foods it is very hard on my body (having repeated flares causes damage to my digestive system and puts me at higher risk of cancer) so it is a big deal to me. 

My son is allergic to several things, mostly stuff like cleaning products and soaps that cause him to develop rashes. He is allergic to the heat and that has been a huge issue. He breaks out in hives when he gets hot, he is an active 9 year old and we live in TX, it is pretty miserable for him. He uses special lotions and we are trying a new medication that we hope will help. We've had to just cool him off and use Benadryl when necessary but it isn't great with a child who loves to play roller derby.


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## FallDeere

Eenypup said:


> Curious about how your physician defines food allergies..? Did you start getting hives, runny nose, breathing issues etc after being fine for a while? I have a moderate dairy allergy (have epi pen but never had anaphylaxis luckily) and it sucks. But so many people claim to be "allergic" to dairy when they mean it bothers their stomach, makes them bloated, or they feel funny after. People take my life threatening allergy less seriously because of those misconceptions regarding the idea of an allergy. :/
> 
> So just wondering how you define allergies, I suppose. Always wondered why people define things as allergy vs sensitivity when the definitions I've always thought were very different!


I was tested as allergic to wheat, milk, beef, and peanuts. I didn't think I had any food allergic (except _maybe _banana) until I got off of gluten and then other foods started effecting me in weird ways. I didn't realize I was allergic to milk until I got that test and once I got off of milk, my face which had been basically falling off of me cleared up. My doctor thought it best I have an epi pen due to all my allergies. Recently, when I was eating cream cheese (quite a lot), my throat started to feel like it does when I eat peanuts, which is to say... strange and scary. I guess maybe it's swelling up and closing? I don't know. My brain also got all fuzzy, my eyes felt like they were crossing, and basically it was just very scary. I don't really know what happened, but it didn't kill me apparently... but no more cream cheese for me.

None of the foods I've listed give me stomach problems (aside from too much xanthan gum, but that's a whole 'nother story). I wouldn't claim to have an allergy if I didn't know I had at least a few scary reactions to food. I don't know if beef effects me because I've never eaten it much, but milk, wheat, and peanuts have all caused me either skin reactions or other symptoms.

I suppose I define an allergy as anything I have an "allergic reaction" to. Whether it is slight or life threatening, it's still an allergic reaction, isn't it? I mean, I probably should research more into what makes an "allergy" but that's my understanding at this moment. Subject to change, of course, as I learn more things. The gluten sensitivity I mentioned had nothing to do with allergies. My mom thought I had "non-celiac gluten sensitivity" which meant gluten caused a poor mental state (I was depressed, suicidal, etc, and it seemed to be worse when I ate gluten). I didn't think that was an allergy thing at all, but I wasn't the one who researched it, so I don't know.


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## Eenypup

I don't have a completely awesome handle on what constitutes an allergic reaction except that it's an immune system reaction? So lactose intolerance, since it doesn't involve the immune system, is not a dairy allergy. Just an example. I test allergic to eggs and have never had an issue in my life, oddly. I've had many close calls with dairy and I hate that I'm one of those super special people who seem like they'll never outgrow their milk allergy! And no one takes it seriously and thinks I must mean lactose intolerance, which sucks.

A lot of times the curiosity gets me the most. I wish I could just KNOW what ice cream tasted like. Or pizza. Or just real yogurt, real milk, real cream cheese. Idk.


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## Kyllobernese

I used to like shopping in Walmart but around here they have gradually enlarged their food section so have hardly any room for other things. I finally got a Costco card but for one person shopping is hard as everything comes in such large packages so unless it is something like toilet paper or things that keep, can't get a lot in groceries unless it is something that will freeze.


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## kcomstoc

If anybody wants to help out  please message the person in the link, if not no biggie https://www.facebook.com/sandraleeamidon/posts/525913944251817?notif_t=close_friend_activity We need a LOT of people, if you want to help get my bunny to me. Any help is appreciated


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## Marvel

If you want a true definition of allergy: A condition in which the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. I personally would consider swelling and hives an allergic reaction, so if I had the pineapple issue I would say I was allergic to it. But I would probably specify that I'm mildly allergic because I see it as varying levels of allergies. I get itchy, painful eyes if I don't take my allergy medicine because damp weather, pollen, etc are allergens to me. I consider it an allergy, but not a life threatening allergy like my "unknown" that causes full body hives and the inability to breath.

However, when talking food allergies, I think a lot of people get mixed up on a dairy allergy and lactose intolerance. Dairy allergy means potential hives, wheezing, and throwing up after eating milk and may also cause stomach aches, rashes, etc. It can be very serious, as you obviously know.

Lactose intolerance means that I can eat the dairy, but my body cannot actually digest the lactose in it because I no longer have the enzymes to do so resulting in stomach aches and extreme misery. Technically, we aren't supposed to consumer dairy, so it is becoming increasingly common for people to develop lactose intolerance. Severity can be highly variable with lactose intolerance as well, but not to the point of dairy allergies...it just depends how much lactose you can digest. I personally can't digest even a tiny bit of lactose without getting extremely sick.

Also, where Costco is concerned...I would say WAY better than Walmart. I know Costco is actually considered one of the best places to work, and I've heard a lot of great things about the company as a whole.


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## PatriciafromCO

have definitely had reactions one was a time period to store bought eggs out of no where (then it came out on the news that the chicken farmers were giving them something in the chicken feed to kill off bacteria) I've eaten out in restaurants and not had reactions since. I have my own chickens since that period.

after years of not have any gum, and I purchased some and had a reaction, the only thing different is the sugar replacement the X word one and then another one when I purchased fruit drink again with another natural sweetener I had never heard of. I don't do that with steva. .

those reactions are getting a large red patch on my chest, my throat tightening with the back of my tongue feeling like its swelling ,almost panic feeling about being able to keep breathing it's a quick developing reaction but it also subsides over time too. 

Grew up eating wheat, wheat bread but I can't tolerate it for years now, like I can't digest it and am not sure if it is because of GMO's or not. I pretty much stay away from processed food there is no telling what they have done or added that is going to catch me by surprise like that chewing gum did..


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## Willowy

Hiraeth said:


> Yeah, I run into this with a few of my friends who claim they're allergic to everything. ETA: NOT saying that anyone here is doing that, just saying that a few of my friends think they're allergic to dairy because milk gives them stomach aches.
> 
> I am *sensitive* to pineapple. It makes my throat and tongue swell slightly and feel really uncomfortable. I am *extremely sensitive* to shell fish. It makes my stomach cramp horribly and causes me to break out into hives.
> 
> I am *allergic* to bees. If stung, I will die without medical intervention.
> 
> Those are my definitions, at least


As I've learned it, I would call all of those allergies. An allergy is an anaphylactic reaction, whether mild or severe. Hives, swelling, itching are all anaphylactic reactions. A sensitivity would be like. . .my mom is sensitive/intolerant to corn syrup. She gets tummy trouble and feels generally icky when she eats something with corn syrup in it. That's not an allergy. My brother is lactose intolerant, it causes tummy trouble. Not an allergy. But when I was little, cow's milk would make my throat itch. That's an allergy, a mild one (I seem to have outgrown that, although I still don't drink milk. I use cream/half&half in my coffee though)


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## Laurelin

Today I got asked again if Hank was a dalmatian. It just always amuses me a bit.


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## DogTheGreat

Laurelin said:


> Today I got asked again if Hank was a dalmatian. It just always amuses me a bit.


For the first time ever yesterday, somebody asked if Shae was something other than a BC. What did they guess? Berner. It just makes me wonder if people have ever even seen pictures of the breeds they guess other dogs to be let alone one IRL.


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## Max and Me

Laurelin said:


> Today I got asked again if Hank was a dalmatian. It just always amuses me a bit.


Years ago I had a Heinz 57 that was colored like an ACD. I got a lot of Dalmatian guesses even though she didn't look like one at all.


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## Laurelin

I also get 'bird dog' a lot too. Because of the spots.


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## PatriciafromCO

They gave up guessing about Arka,, now everyone thinks Abhik is a Saint Bernard


----------



## Kyllobernese

Do you think I am going to be able to convince people that Bonnie's mother was a Golden Retriever? Her father was 3/4 Poodle and only 1/4 Aussie.


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## DogTheGreat

Kyllobernese said:


> Do you think I am going to be able to convince people that Bonnie's mother was a Golden Retriever?


Maybe if she acts really retriever-like, but even then probably not haha.


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## GrinningDog

I was a very bad girl today. Just spent a ton of money on a new aquarium setup. I had to leave all my tanks in OH when I moved, and I've been satisfying my fishkeeping urge with two betta bowls since then. Well, it wasn't enough, and I finally caved. I'm gonna do a fancy 10 gal planted with driftwood, cherry shrimp, sparkling gouramis, and maybe celestial pearl danios if I can get my paws on them.


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## taquitos

GoGoGypsy said:


> I was a very bad girl today. Just spent a ton of money on a new aquarium setup. I had to leave all my tanks in OH when I moved, and I've been satisfying my fishkeeping urge with two betta bowls since then. Well, it wasn't enough, and I finally caved. I'm gonna do a fancy 10 gal planted with driftwood, cherry shrimp, sparkling gouramis, and maybe celestial pearl danios if I can get my paws on them.


Ooooh nice stock!!! Now you gotta post photos  MTS is a real issue  ahahaha


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## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> As I've learned it, I would call all of those allergies. An allergy is an anaphylactic reaction, whether mild or severe. Hives, swelling, itching are all anaphylactic reactions. A sensitivity would be like. . .my mom is sensitive/intolerant to corn syrup. She gets tummy trouble and feels generally icky when she eats something with corn syrup in it. That's not an allergy. My brother is lactose intolerant, it causes tummy trouble. Not an allergy. But when I was little, cow's milk would make my throat itch. That's an allergy, a mild one (I seem to have outgrown that, although I still don't drink milk. I use cream/half&half in my coffee though)


You can have an allergy that is not an anaphylactic reaction - allergies are a type of immunological response. For example, hives are a type of allergic reaction, but are not by themselves anaphylactic. Anaphylaxis is by definition, an allergic reaction that involves at least two body systems (e.g., skin, lymphatic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, nervous system gastrointestinal system). It doesn't always (and pretty frequently doesn't) involve throat swelling. Stomach problems - any of cramping, nausea, or vomiting - are a common component of anaphylaxis, as are neurological symptoms such as headache, loss of consciousness (with or without breathing problems), dizziness or in extreme cases, delirium or confusion.


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## Laurelin

GoGoGypsy said:


> I was a very bad girl today. Just spent a ton of money on a new aquarium setup. I had to leave all my tanks in OH when I moved, and I've been satisfying my fishkeeping urge with two betta bowls since then. Well, it wasn't enough, and I finally caved. I'm gonna do a fancy 10 gal planted with driftwood, cherry shrimp, sparkling gouramis, and maybe celestial pearl danios if I can get my paws on them.


I did that yesterday! Got all my stuff for my new 30 gallon! Just need to actually set it up...


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## GrinningDog

taquitos said:


> Ooooh nice stock!!! Now you gotta post photos  MTS is a real issue  ahahaha


I have a problem, LOL. I've told myself that I'm only allowed one tank this time, since I am poor and busy. ONE TANK. 

There will be lots of pictures. 8) I want to do progression shots to watch the plants grow.


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## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> I did that yesterday! Got all my stuff for my new 30 gallon! Just need to actually set it up...


Niiiice! So I'm not alone, haha. Share pictures when you have it set up! What are you planning on putting in there?


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## Laurelin

All I know so far is cory cats. Alllllll the cory cats.


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## PatriciafromCO

so sad that cash is not good enough..... DH is flying in from overseas, planes got delay'd messed up his entire schedule to get home and will be stuck out of state... He has plenty of cash to pay for a room for the night... but that is not good enough I have to jump through hoops with printing and scanning forms back and forth to use my CC .... The other thing that bugs me is we don't have a regular CC we have a bank card.... and in some places that is not good enough either... Once we paid off all our CC's I'll never go back... just a pain in the butt sometimes when you need it and cash isn't good enough... sigh..


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## CptJack

I understand why people do that with hotels and car rentals and the like - cash means they can't charge you for damages - but it really is a royal pain and makes life hard.


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## GrinningDog

Laurelin said:


> All I know so far is cory cats. Alllllll the cory cats.


Cory cats are adorable! Get some panda ones!


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## OwnedbyACDs

GoGoGypsy said:


> Cory cats are adorable! Get some panda ones!


I just googled them, OMG!!!!! Are they hard to care for? We are looking into getting an aquarium.


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## taquitos

A lady thought Meeko was a Pekinese yesterday. When I told her that he was a Pomeranian w/ possibly some Chihuahua in there she rambled on about how that is a great, sensible mix.. like what?


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I just googled them, OMG!!!!! Are they hard to care for? We are looking into getting an aquarium.


My Cory cats have always been fairly easy, hardy fish. They have always been peaceful as well and dwell on the bottom. 

I went through a big time fish keeping phase in college since I couldn't have any other pets. I don't want anymore tanks because I get tired of caring for "extra" things, but if you do it right they sure are neat to have!


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## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> My Cory cats have always been fairly easy, hardy fish. They have always been peaceful as well and dwell on the bottom.
> 
> I went through a big time fish keeping phase in college since I couldn't have any other pets. I don't want anymore tanks because I get tired of caring for "extra" things, but if you do it right they sure are neat to have!


What make good tank mates for them? We also like goldfish, and they are very hardy as well. We were planning on getting a 10 or 20 gal tank, but we first have to get rid of our large kitchen table and get a smaller one, and put the tank in the window there. A lot of natural light comes through there but not directly and I think it would be perfect.


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## Laurelin

Cory's are tropical so not good with goldfish since Cory's need warm water. They are really hardy fish and a lot of fun since they school up. Mine have always been very active too. They work well with most tropical community fish. I've had mine with Otos, bettas, shrimp, various tetras, snails. Mine were always emerald Corys but may go with panda this time. Anything but albino. Cory's are my favorite fish I've ever kept. 

I haven't had fish in about 3 years. I just find it relaxing. Like a living garden ecosystem. 

If you do Cory's since they need a real school in 10 gallons you're pretty limited to dwarf Corys. I think the others would be ok in 20 in a small school. They are bottom dwelling dog but mine have been really fast and active 

I'm excited to get back into fish keeping. 

Any fish people what should I put in my 30 gal with the Cory's?


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## taquitos

OwnedbyACDs said:


> What make good tank mates for them? We also like goldfish, and they are very hardy as well. We were planning on getting a 10 or 20 gal tank, but we first have to get rid of our large kitchen table and get a smaller one, and put the tank in the window there. A lot of natural light comes through there but not directly and I think it would be perfect.


20 gallons is not enough for goldfish (it's at least 20 gallons for 1 goldfish).

Cories are tropical as Laurelin has mentioned 



Laurelin said:


> Cory's are tropical so not good with goldfish since Cory's need warm water. They are really hardy fish and a lot of fun since they school up. Mine have always been very active too. They work well with most tropical community fish. I've had mine with Otos, bettas, shrimp, various tetras, snails. Mine were always emerald Corys but may go with panda this time. Anything but albino. Cory's are my favorite fish I've ever kept.
> 
> I haven't had fish in about 3 years. I just find it relaxing. Like a living garden ecosystem.
> 
> If you do Cory's since they need a real school in 10 gallons you're pretty limited to dwarf Corys. I think the others would be ok in 20 in a small school. They are bottom dwelling dog but mine have been really fast and active
> 
> I'm excited to get back into fish keeping.
> 
> Any fish people what should I put in my 30 gal with the Cory's?


I would probably do Cories and some cute schooling tetras.

I guess it depends on how busy/stocked you want it to be. I prefer to keep things on a simpler side (3-4 species max).

I think if I had 30 gallon, I would stock w/ a large group of schooling fish like gold tetras or ember tetras, with a school of cories (Panda, dwarf, and pygmy are my favorites), with about 4-6 Otocinclus.


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## Laurelin

Yeah I really enjoy tetras. Maybe a different species though. I had neons which are pretty but not a hardy. My flame tetras were fun but I like the blue color of some others. I love shrimp but I've had bad shrimp luck with my current city's water. In TX never had trouble. Otos also seem a bit fragile. Is there another option for small algae eating fish?


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## Kathyy

I have been able to limit myself to one tank but it has grown in size over the years. I am sure I am at my absolute maximum at 180 gallons now! Started with 10, then 20, 50, 150 then down to 100 when 150 broke, up to 180. I always wanted a planted tank but until I got fluorescent plants couldn't grow. Drove me nuts as I got an aquarium encyclopedia as a kid with all sorts of beautiful plants shown along with that first 10 gallon tank and the plants just faded away every time. Not that I ever had those wonderful pennywort, Marsilea or hairgrass plants I wanted back then and now grow!

Except for creepy albino corys you really cannot go wrong with Corydoras. In my huge planted tank they even breed for me! I really like all the 'clean up' crew though, shrimp, the little free snails, bristlenose plecos and otos currently. I wish cherry shrimp survived my tank but currently only have Amano which are large and durable although the young cannot survive in a fresh water tank.

I've got the cleaning routine down pat now otherwise this big tank would be impossible. Use a hose to drain to garden and fill from kitchen faucet, fertilizer/CO2/light dialed in so algae isn't a big deal, plants that don't annoy me by being ugly unless they are exactly the right size. Tank has a sump and I cover everything possible with easily removed and rinsed prefilter sponges. And most important, house has a slab foundation and floor is ceramic tile!

Neck and neck whether I spend more on dog gear and classes or tank gear. Tank won last year with a fancy programmable LED and new ADA aqua soil. Dogs only got new packs, Bucky's gear and Ginger's nosework classes. Dog stuff will be ongoing and probably increase as Bucky will be taking classes soon, that LED better last for years so tank expenses should be low from here on out. 

Time to get the dogs out and about before it gets hot. Am going for a so called hike. Bucky generally goes ballistic after a few minutes and we turn around and go home but unless I work it he won't ever figure it out.


----------



## taquitos

Laurelin said:


> Yeah I really enjoy tetras. Maybe a different species though. I had neons which are pretty but not a hardy. My flame tetras were fun but I like the blue color of some others. I love shrimp but I've had bad shrimp luck with my current city's water. In TX never had trouble. Otos also seem a bit fragile. Is there another option for small algae eating fish?


I would give gold tetras a chance -- they're BEAUTIFUL when they school. The way they shine!! I currently have some ember tetras that I really like as well.

It's too bad about the shrimp. I love of shrimp as well!

I have a trio of Otos in my 10 gallon that I've had for over a year now and they're doing great. I think it really depends on where you get yours. How do you acclimate your fish? I would suggest trying the drip method (usually reserved for sensitive fish and shrimp).

I've never seen any small algae eaters that work as well as Otos tbh :/ Maybe try a Nerite snail?


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## Laurelin

I've done the planted tank thing a bit but it always ends up with a lot of algae. I'm going to try again this time (have done a lot of research on low-tech) but we'll see. I guess worst that happens is I just end up doing some anubias and fake plants. 

I have not heard of the drip method for acclimating fish, I will have to look into that. I have no idea what happened to the Otos but they just vanished one day. Didn't seem to last very long. My other fish have all lived for reasonable time frames, even the neons.


----------



## Kathyy

Otos are wild caught and don't get fed in transit. Herbivore guts die if not fed regularly. I've bought them and they've lived long but sometimes they were just not fed for too long a time. If your tank is large enough look at rubbernose and bristlenose plecos. Be careful buying plecos, you don't want the tiny babies that grow to be monsters! I just bought 6 baby bristlenose and put into a tank outside that was completely covered with algae [I redid my tank and it had leftover plants in it but no fish] and had to start feeding them as they cleaned the tank and plants inside a few days. 

I just like regular old ramshorn snails. If you watch there is a lot of variation, red/pink/brown bodies, clear/spotty/brown shells. Nerites are really pretty but they die on me plus the eggs they lay are awful. No baby nerites [which would be lovely] and the shells are bright white and last forever. I also like using ordinary livebearers as algae eaters. I've had a colony of platies surviving for almost 6 years. Female guppies and swordtails, rosy barbs are good too. I like Malaysian Trumpet snails but somehow managed to kill a thriving colony. And if you worry about too many snails there is a carnivorous one in the trade now, assassin snail, which is quite attractive. People buy Amano shrimp as algae eaters. Even feeder shrimp probably are good at picking algae off the tank.

My tank has lots of Anubias. Took me a long time to buy one as they look plastic to me but I've come around. Look at moss you can tie to wood/rocks, java fern and easy crypts as well. If you put a nice hardscape of wood and rocks down and use those low light plants you will have a nice looking tank. 

Too much light is usually the cause of algae. I am used to going through mini plagues of diatoms, green dust when I redo the tank but this time a little diatom on top of pennywort leaves the otos cannot get to is all the tank has had. I have my fancy LED on for 14 hours a day but only at 100% for 30 minutes, rest of the time it is ramping up/down and I have it at 20% at night as that is plenty bright. Love it, no black hole in the room and less algae! With CO2 I just plain don't have trouble with some types and learning how to use essential nutrients rid the tank of other plagues.

Well, I walked around the trailhead's parking lot for 30 minutes with dogs rather than hiking as Bucky was being a weight pulling dog instead of walking with us and now am going to go start reorganizing my front closet. Two more shelves put in yesterday so now it will never get messy again, right?


----------



## Laurelin

I bought a fancy LED light this time but I don't want to deal with anything more than DIY CO2. At least this time I know about fertilizers and injecting Excel or setting up a DIY system. My anubias lasted a long time even with shoddy understanding of how to set up a planted tank. 

I am not sure 30 gallons is good for a pleco? In general I really like smaller fish vs bigger ones. I wanted to go with a 50 gallon but decided 30 was more than enough for now. I must avoid multiple tanks. 

I used to have ghost shrimp but they died often once I moved here. 


soooo much research to do! I need to get this thing up and cycling this weekend. 

Substrate was going to be fluorite with sand over it. (for the corys)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I always had algae eaters in mine and they helped. but I also cleaned the tank every week ... I am a bit OCD though haha.


----------



## Kathyy

My poor corys haven't ever had sand. I'd just use the sand as flourite and sand will just mix and sand works fine as a substrate on its own anyway.

My son is using citric acid CO2 on his 20long. Less stinky than yeast and there is a cheap regulator you use to adjust how much to use. He told me it instantly made the plants grow, the day before he called to tell me he had killed all the plants I sent. Told him that plants always look horrible and about to die after put into a new tank and to watch for new growth but he insists it was the CO2 that did the trick.

Plecos come from a couple inches to a couple feet long. The rubbernose is often at the BB pet stores, bristlenose are less common around here. I haven't had rubbernose, I think they are fine for a 30 gallon, bristlenose are a bit larger. Both are so ugly they are cute. The common pleco is quite cute small. 

I like small fish too. It was hard for me to buy 4" long Congo tetras for a 6' tank even. I want the tank to be a habitat for the critters rather than a cage. I've always liked having at least one species that hides so it is a nice surprise to see them. Kuhli loaches were my first fish that did that, now it is the bristlenose and shrimp.

Feeder shrimp may not live long but they are cheap and fun to watch. The Amano shrimp in my tank were bought in April 2013! Only half remain but that amazes me as the Congo tetras are easily able to harass and eat them.

Got some stuff back in the closet. Sorted out the light bulbs, found Max's and Sassy's old collars and hugged them. Bucky found the tiny Buster Cube and was batting it around but it is empty. Dreading the aquarium stuff, such a mess. The stuff I use weekly is kept fairly neatly in the stand but there is so much other crap I might need someday I need to somehow organize and box up.


----------



## Laurelin

I have heard that sand wouldn't have enough nutrients for plants? But I guess if you dose fertilizers and put in root tabs it will work? I was leaning towards sand for the corys. My last corys were on smooth gravel just fine but I have been told they really need sand? 

Ack, I am such a Noob!

I seemed to always get algae and wilty plants. But I never used fertilizers so maybe that was my issue. I also don't want to hassle with high tech. Will look into the citric acid CO2.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

YAY maybe we should start a "fish tank discussion thread? I have already learned so much just from these few posts!


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## Laurelin

Here we go: http://www.dogforums.com/other-pets/403778-all-new-fish-tank.html#post4495178


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## DogTheGreat

Shae discovered a huge basket of old stuffed animals in the basement/storage about a month ago and has been committed to sneaking off to snatch one whenever she gets the chance. Was cleaning today and found 14 stuffed animals under my bed in the process. I think somebody has a hoarding problem...


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## Laurelin

Hank is reaching all new levels of forum inappropriate word lately and it's really frustrating.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Hank is reaching all new levels of forum inappropriate word lately and it's really frustrating.


Welcome to cattle dogs, and you dont even have a "bad/hard" one LOL.


----------



## kdawnk

I always joke that Sans is a _Weight Loss Dog_, until I realized how accurate that is.
Me and my roommate are trying to be more active, we both hit a slump of inactivity and lazily watching tv instead of hiking/biking/walking like usual. 
Sans doesn't like normal games, but she likes to run. Laura will jog, walk, or bike for an hour in the morning in a field so Sans can be off leash and jog beside her. When I come home after work I take her for 45-60 min bike ride (it shouldn't be that long, I've just hit a slump, it's supposed to be only a half an hour, but it takes me much longer now), or go for an hour - two hour hike off leash with her.

I reeeally hope I can encourage Laura to take Sans to do more things like this, I feel it's motivational to work out FOR someone other than just me. When I just work out myself, the whole time I'm thinking how I have to do something else equally vigorous with Sans for another hour.
It could become a schedule! Even in winter she could take her down to that field and walk her off leash there (it's easier for my roommate to walk her off leash than to undo my work on-leash training). 

I don't know, I'm just brainstorming here, but think how happy of a dog Sans would be if she got like 2 hours of exercise every day. 
Laura could have weekends off where it's just me doing the exercise... I don't know how to suggest a routine like this, but I think it's a really good idea.


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## Laurelin

I dunno right now he's being pretty bad.

The last two times he's been around real ACDs he's actually been too much for them to be honest. He's kind of in general being 'a lot' lately.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I dunno right now he's being pretty bad.
> 
> The last two times he's been around real ACDs he's actually been too much for them to be honest. He's kind of in general being 'a lot' lately.


I wish we lived closer, because I am having the same problem with Lincoln, he was even too much for a 6 month old pittie puppy and a 8 month old brittany puppy LOL


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## Laurelin

I did it again. I meant to film my training session for my fenzi class and instead I filmed everything I thought I wasn't filming and didn't film any of my training.


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## Laurelin

Very cheesy but gosh Mia is perfect. <333


----------



## PatriciafromCO

DH is home..... Arka was beside himself to see DH . They only had 30 days to bond when Arka was 6 months old... It was a solid bond. I don't see CO's as being any different at the core nature towards family then other dog breeds.. And Arka has heard DH voice every day since we talk on Skype several times a day every day with DH talking to the dogs and interacting with them.. I couldn't see it would be a problem for DH coming home after so long and no one ever coming on the property or in the house besides DH.. Yes he alerted when I brought Arka out holding on to the halter to DH in the living room but quickly went melted butter over him for me to confidently release him to engulf DH with affection... 

such a big guy now with intensity, it does take some time to get use to reactions. DH thought he would go out to the barn in the middle of the night to check things out and was confronted with Arka as he got to the door .. DH has a good sense of humor and appreciation for the big guy and Arka quickly recognized DH to guard down for him. So much love and devotion in Arka you so happy to have him on your side in life....  

Abhik lol lol lol everyone loves a puppy... lol ... 123lb pup lol takes some maneuvering for how much "love you so much" can hurt pounding on you... DH does a good job working with her gets her in a bear hug and that is all Abhik wants, is to be close to him. They out doing chores, and some work around the property.


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## kdawnk

So... my roommate's mother's dog got into an entire container of red grapes that were left on the counter. He didn't eat them all, but who knows how much he ate.
He had two bouts of green liquid poop, vomited once... but otherwise hasn't had any adverse reactions (yet).
My roommate told me the story by writing it on the whiteboard in our house and I read it the morning afterwards. She wrote it as though, "Seekem got into the garbage again!! UGH" and not, "My mom's dog ate a lethal amount of grapes!"

I woke her up at 5am when I get up and told her how bad this could be. She called her mom, and her mom was all grumpy and unconcerned. Saying he hasn't had any problems since, and she's not taking him to the vet because he's fine. My roommate is going to check on him before she goes to work at 11, but what can you do?
How long before signs of damage (if any) appear?


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## elrohwen

kdawnk said:


> So... my roommate's mother's dog got into an entire container of red grapes that were left on the counter. He didn't eat them all, but who knows how much he ate.
> He had two bouts of green liquid poop, vomited once... but otherwise hasn't had any adverse reactions (yet).
> My roommate told me the story by writing it on the whiteboard in our house and I read it the morning afterwards. She wrote it as though, "Seekem got into the garbage again!! UGH" and not, "My mom's dog ate a lethal amount of grapes!"
> 
> I woke her up at 5am when I get up and told her how bad this could be. She called her mom, and her mom was all grumpy and unconcerned. Saying he hasn't had any problems since, and she's not taking him to the vet because he's fine. My roommate is going to check on him before she goes to work at 11, but what can you do?
> How long before signs of damage (if any) appear?


Ugh, that sucks.

Here's what I found on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape_and_raisin_toxicity_in_dogs


> Vomiting and diarrhea are often the first clinical signs of grape or raisin toxicity. They often develop within a few hours of ingestion. Pieces of grapes or raisins may be present in the vomitus or stool. Further symptoms include weakness, not eating, increased drinking, and abdominal pain. Acute renal failure develops within 48 hours of ingestion.[4] A blood test may reveal increases in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, phosphorus, and calcium.


Sounds like he needs to go to a vet soon so they can see if he's going into renal failure.


----------



## Willowy

Grapes aren't always fatal/harmful. Nobody knows why. Some dogs will eat pounds of grapes and be just fine, some dogs will be damaged from just a few. It's a really weird thing. Hopefully that dog will be one of the "just fine" dogs, since it sounds like she isn't going to get him to the vet :/.

LOL, I was at my parents' house when my youngest brother came to visit. He lives about an hour away, in "the city", so usually if we see him it's because we went to the city to shop; he rarely comes to my parents' place. Well, Shug just went wild. Whining and yipping and just SO EXCITED to see him. I've only ever seen her do that with one other person, and that's her former owner. I don't know why she was so excited to see my brother, even when he lived there he didn't do much with the dogs. But it was really cute .


----------



## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> Ugh, that sucks.
> 
> Here's what I found on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape_and_raisin_toxicity_in_dogs
> 
> 
> Sounds like he needs to go to a vet soon so they can see if he's going into renal failure.



Thanks for the information. I was wondering what time limit is still suitable to get him taken into the vet.
I told her to bring him in and the mother said he was fine and that he hasn't shown any symptoms since the vomiting/diarrhea of the night before. 
What would the vet even do at this point? Apparently after few hours it's already absorbed into the body and all the vet can do is take a blood test to see the damage.
It doesn't sound like she's going to take him to the vet unless she sees more symptoms appearing, so I imagine all my roommate and I can do is wait at this point.


----------



## Eenypup

Bennie threw up a huge hairball yesterday. Awesome. We had a horrible vacuum up until very recently that wasn't doing it's job, and I guess over the last year & a half she's been ingesting a ton of my girlfriend's hair?? Her hair sheds SO much but we've been vacuuming a lot more lately so hopefully this doesn't happen again.

I came home to this huge thing and it was absolutely disgusting... Bennie has been acting totally normal and unaffected. Ew.


----------



## Willowy

Ugh. Toby once threw up a plastic wrapper he had eaten 2 weeks previously (I didn't know he had eaten it. . .though I did wonder where it went). He had shown no signs of distress beforehand and acted just fine afterward. Dogs!


----------



## Eenypup

She's been acting totally normal, and I can't BELIEVE a hairball that size was in her stomach for who knows how long!! I mean we're talking 6-8 inches long, 3 inches wide?? Disgusting and really amazing that she's fine, honestly.


----------



## Hiraeth

Eenypup said:


> She's been acting totally normal, and I can't BELIEVE a hairball that size was in her stomach for who knows how long!! I mean we're talking 6-8 inches long, 3 inches wide?? Disgusting and really amazing that she's fine, honestly.


Wow, that is a HUGE hairball. I'm glad she's okay! 

It sounds absolutely insane, but I don't wear my hair down when I'm relaxing around the house for this reason. I lose a lot of hair and it's almost 3 feet long, so it wouldn't take much for one of my dogs to ingest some and end up with a problem. I just try to brush it only in the bathroom and to minimize the amount that can end up on my carpet by having it in a ponytail or loose bun when I'm in the house.

Did you get a new vacuum? I realized I was an adult the day I was ridiculously excited to get a Dyson for Christmas...


----------



## Eenypup

I've never even thought about this, my hair doesn't shed much at all and if it does it's usually in the shower or something like that. My girlfriend has long hair that sheds all day every day, apparently. I actually did get an AWESOME new vacuum in hopes to alleviate some of my environmental allergies, but now I'm thinking it might also have a huge benefit for Bennie in not ingesting so much freakin hair! I think they'd get stuck to her treat dispensing toys and things and she'd end up swallowing them. I feel so bad


----------



## Hiraeth

Eenypup said:


> I've never even thought about this, my hair doesn't shed much at all and if it does it's usually in the shower or something like that. My girlfriend has long hair that sheds all day every day, apparently. I actually did get an AWESOME new vacuum in hopes to alleviate some of my environmental allergies, but now I'm thinking it might also have a huge benefit for Bennie in not ingesting so much freakin hair! I think they'd get stuck to her treat dispensing toys and things and she'd end up swallowing them. I feel so bad


Pretty sure the average female loses 50-100 strands of hair a day. I looked that up because I was afraid I was losing too much at one point. That's a ton when you factor in length! It means I probably lose 250 feet of hair a day.... Which kind of freaks me out.

Don't feel badly. No harm, no foul. She's okay and now you can prevent future hairballs!


----------



## kdawnk

This kind of follows topic. When we first got my cat my roommate left her scented hemp yarn/string out and Flynn found it. 
When I came home after work I found the ball and followed the string all the way up the stairs, down the hallway into a bedroom and up to my cat who was attempting to eat the other end.
I panicked and grabbed him and started pulling it out, apparently it hadn't gotten too far into his body because the end had wadded all up into a ball from the way he was swallowing it so it came right out with no resistance, but after unrolling the wad, it was two feet long.

Terrifying.


----------



## kdawnk

Does anyone with adult dogs still schedule bathroom breaks? Is that a common thing?
My dog has never asked to go outside (unless sick) I usually just take her out when I go to the bathroom (bathroom is directly beside backdoor to the yard).
I just realized when I read a thread that was like, "How many times does an adult dog go pee" I realized I have no idea. Haha
I let her out when I go to the bathroom and then go out with her or check on her afterwards if she's not back at the door already. The only time I actively watch her pee is in the morning when we wake up, and at noon when I come home.


----------



## ireth0

She at least gets let out 3 times/day. Before work, after work, and before bed. That said, she does go out more than that with my bf when he goes out to have a smoke.


----------



## CptJack

I don't 'schedule' them so much to prevent accidents, as I do because we have a routine. So there are set times of day they go out. They have a few hours a day of free yard access 9 months a year, when I couldn't tell you exactly but mostly they go out at 7:30, noon, 5:30, and 9.


----------



## kdawnk

CptJack said:


> I don't 'schedule' them so much to prevent accidents, as I do because we have a routine. So there are set times of day they go out. They have a few hours a day of free yard access 9 months a year, when I couldn't tell you exactly but mostly they go out at 7:30, noon, 5:30, and 9.


Yeah that's pretty accurately my time frame as well during the work week, but 6:50am instead of 7:30am and she gets an hour of leisure morning yard experience while I get ready. 
But on the weekend... Whenever I get up, and then after that there's no routine just pretty much my bathroom times or if I'm doing yard work... or we go for an off leash hike...


----------



## Remaru

kdawnk said:


> Does anyone with adult dogs still schedule bathroom breaks? Is that a common thing?
> My dog has never asked to go outside (unless sick) I usually just take her out when I go to the bathroom (bathroom is directly beside backdoor to the yard).
> I just realized when I read a thread that was like, "How many times does an adult dog go pee" I realized I have no idea. Haha
> I let her out when I go to the bathroom and then go out with her or check on her afterwards if she's not back at the door already. The only time I actively watch her pee is in the morning when we wake up, and at noon when I come home.


I have to with Freyja. I don't know what is up with her but she doesn't really let us know she needs to go, eventually she will just go on the floor having never gone to the door or anything. So I let her out every 6 hours or so unless she is crated (she does not go in her crate). She will beg at the door to go out and play, but most of the time doesn't do her business while out. It is really frustrating.  No idea how that happened. I trained her the same way I trained every other dog, Lad caught on to going to the door by his second day here. I also schedule Magic but that is more because she will not poop unless she is walked so I have to schedule at least two walks a day for her. She will go to the door to let us know she needs to pee but we've had to keep her sort of separated into one part of the house to keep the cat safe. So it is best to just plan a few trips out (though she will hold it I don't like to make her).


----------



## Laurelin

Mine go out at 6:30 (ish), sometimes again at 7:30, 12 (ish), 5:30 ish, last call (it's part of my bed time routine and usually 10:30-12:30ish)

They're usually out for 30 minutes to an hour except for the last call.


----------



## cookieface

kdawnk said:


> Does anyone with adult dogs still schedule bathroom breaks? Is that a common thing?
> My dog has never asked to go outside (unless sick) I usually just take her out when I go to the bathroom (bathroom is directly beside backdoor to the yard).
> I just realized when I read a thread that was like, "How many times does an adult dog go pee" I realized I have no idea. Haha
> I let her out when I go to the bathroom and then go out with her or check on her afterwards if she's not back at the door already. The only time I actively watch her pee is in the morning when we wake up, and at noon when I come home.





CptJack said:


> I don't 'schedule' them so much to prevent accidents, as I do because we have a routine. So there are set times of day they go out. They have a few hours a day of free yard access 9 months a year, when I couldn't tell you exactly but mostly they go out at 7:30, noon, 5:30, and 9.


Like CptJack, we have a routine, but not a strict schedule. They go out when we get up, when I get home, before bed, and a few other times during the day, probably 5-7 times total.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson is on a schedule and never asks to go out, but that's because I like routine and we tend to have the same schedule every day. We don't have a fenced in yard so they both go out on leash (or off leash but supervised for Hazel). They do pee on command so I'm not standing out there for half an hour. Watson goes out 4 times a day:
1. Morning (usually as part of a short walk), around 6am
2. Lunch (on week days when I come home for lunch, and on weekends it's generally around the same time) around noon
3. Evening (as part of a walk) about 5pm
4. Bed time about 9-10pm

Hazel will ask to go out, and she goes out at least twice as often as him (for example, she goes immediately when we get up, then again after breakfast, while he just waits until after breakfast)


----------



## Willowy

There have been several instances of fake money being used at Sioux Falls businesses. But it's prop money, not counterfeit. You can buy prop money anywhere (amazon can have it to you in 2 days ). It says clearly "this note is not legal, it is to be used for motion pictures" and "for motion picture use only" several times on the bill. And the picture is different. Now obviously some yahoo thought it would be funny to see if he could pass play money off as real. . .but I don't think it's fair to charge the person with counterfeiting. I hate to think some dopey teenager's life will get ruined with a federal felony charge just because some employees didn't look to see if it was play money :/.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> There have been several instances of fake money being used at Sioux Falls businesses. But it's prop money, not counterfeit. You can buy prop money anywhere (amazon can have it to you in 2 days ). It says clearly "this note is not legal, it is to be used for motion pictures" and "for motion picture use only" several times on the bill. And the picture is different. Now obviously some yahoo thought it would be funny to see if he could pass play money off as real. . .but I don't think it's fair to charge the person with counterfeiting. I hate to think some dopey teenager's life will get ruined with a federal felony charge just because some employees didn't look to see if it was play money :/.


Well, he should have thought about that before he decided to be dopey.


----------



## ireth0

I mean, as someone that worked cash, I wouldn't have stopped to examine the bills someone gave me unless there was something obviously off about them that caused me to give them a closer look.


----------



## jade5280

Yeah I could have been a young person who rang them up and was too nervous or afraid to say anything. If someone gave me counterfeit money I'm not sure I would even say anything....you never know who's a psycho.


----------



## kdawnk

jade5280 said:


> Yeah I could have been a young person who rang them up and was too nervous or afraid to say anything. If someone gave me counterfeit money I'm not sure I would even say anything....you never know who's a psycho.


Very good point!
Some guy gave me counterfeit money when I was working part-time at a shoe store. I probably wouldn't have said anything, but I was thinking out loud.
He gave me a couple hundreds and just before I put it in the till I saw that the colour was slightly off from all of the other hundreds and I said, "Weird, they must have bleached in the sun or something, they're a different colour..."
And I pulled them back out and looked at them/held them in the light (I had no idea what I was looking for, I'd just seen it done on TV before) and the guy grabbed me by my work shirt over the counter, grabbed the money back from my hand growled a curt _"What is this CSI?! Tell no one"_ and ran.


----------



## elrohwen

One of my co-workers also owns a motel, and he came in the other day with some fake $20 bills that someone had used to pay for their room. They looked so real! It was super impressive. I can't believe the motel employee even noticed. The hints that they were fake were the serial numbers (both bills had the same number), and it was missing some slight coloring/holographic stuff that the real bills had. And they felt slightly papery when real bills are more fabric-y. But yeah, super good fakes. So now he has one of those pens you can use to draw on the bill and see if it's real.



kdawnk said:


> And I pulled them back out and looked at them/held them in the light (I had no idea what I was looking for, I'd just seen it done on TV before) and the guy grabbed me by my work shirt over the counter, grabbed the money back from my hand growled a curt _"What is this CSI?! Tell no one"_ and ran.


Uh, that's terrifying!


----------



## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> And they felt slightly papery when real bills are more fabric-y.


Here our bills are now plastic, lol.


----------



## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Here our bills are now plastic, lol.


Whoa, weird!

That reminds me, the old NJ driver's licenses were just laminated paper. Sooo fake looking even when they were real. My husband got his new NY license the other day and they are super fancy now with this little clear window in the card that has a transparent version of your picture.


----------



## kdawnk

ireth0 said:


> Here our bills are now plastic, lol.


Hahaha yeah, the only problem now with them are the older bills that still cycle through the tills and you're trying to remember if that's how they looked 10+ years ago now that you're used to the plastic-y "_maple syrup scented_" ones.

I'm honestly surprised I caught anything at all. I probably would have just taken the money if he didn't get aggressive with me. I had no actual idea what I was looking for, I was 14 (turning 15). I would have just went, _"Hmm, weird"_ after looking at it and put it in the till. I guess he panicked first.


----------



## elrohwen

kdawnk said:


> I'm honestly surprised I caught anything at all. I probably would have just taken the money if he didn't get aggressive with me. I had no actual idea what I was looking for, I was 14 (turning 15). I would have just went, _"Hmm, weird"_ after looking at it and put it in the till. I guess he panicked first.


First rule of being a criminal. Stay cool. lol


----------



## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> First rule of being a criminal. Stay cool. lol


Take notes counterfeit money users. 
Be calm, try a store without surveillance, walk out quietly if they go to ask someone about the money.


----------



## ireth0

Yea, we had a guy trying to return expensive gaming headphones that he would just take off the shelf that I recognized the pattern of (he would come in the store, take the headphones off a shelf, then try to return them for store credit because he didn't have a receipt) and went to inform a manager. 

While I was talking to the manager the guy came storming over and yelled about "Either just return it or don't!" and then just stormed out.


----------



## Willowy

Yeah, we aren't supposed to confront/say anything to someone passing fake bills. Just take note of the person's appearance, maybe their car/license plate, then call the cops. Although I think if it was clearly marked as play money I would say something. Probably stupidly .

And I do think someone trying to use any kind of fake money should face some serious consequences. Just not as serious as if they're actually MAKING the fake money, ya know? And not as serious as if they're distributing real-looking money.


----------



## kdawnk

Are there mixed breeds that you'd like to have for personality/looks wise but wouldn't actively seek (for ethical breeders reasons, health concerns etc)?

Because I've always liked the idea of breeding a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden Retriever. For a slightly more laidback, smaller retriever with spaniel ears.
http://thatmutt.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/golden-mix.jpg
I've seen some breeders, but they call them "Mini Retrievers" and I can just imagine a bundle of issues health-wise.


----------



## ireth0

kdawnk said:


> Are there mixed breeds that you'd like to have for personality/looks wise but wouldn't actively seek (for ethical breeders reasons, health concerns etc)?
> 
> Because I've always liked the idea of breeding a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden Retriever. For a slightly more laidback, smaller retriever with spaniel ears.
> http://thatmutt.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/golden-mix.jpg
> I've seen some breeders, but they call them "Mini Retrievers" and I can just imagine a bundle of issues health-wise.


I would like to have another Luna. Alas...


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Whoa, weird!
> 
> That reminds me, the old NJ driver's licenses were just laminated paper. Sooo fake looking even when they were real. My husband got his new NY license the other day and they are super fancy now with this little clear window in the card that has a transparent version of your picture.


 Did you hear than if you are from NY or NH you will need a passport to fly domestically in 2016? I guess our licenses aren't good enough to be proof of identification compared to other states.


----------



## CptJack

If someone figures out what Kylie is, I'd own all of those ever.


----------



## Laurelin

Omg middle one.

https://www.facebook.com/PCHSRoches...29053451315/10153101781536316/?type=3&fref=nf


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> Omg middle one.
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/PCHSRoches...29053451315/10153101781536316/?type=3&fref=nf


 Nooooooooooooooo! The scared little baby to the right :'(

Oh I see he's pending. Good!


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Omg middle one.
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/PCHSRoches...29053451315/10153101781536316/?type=3&fref=nf


Oh my goodness!! It's Hank's mini-me!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> Very good point!
> Some guy gave me counterfeit money when I was working part-time at a shoe store. I probably wouldn't have said anything, but I was thinking out loud.
> He gave me a couple hundreds and just before I put it in the till I saw that the colour was slightly off from all of the other hundreds and I said, "Weird, they must have bleached in the sun or something, they're a different colour..."
> And I pulled them back out and looked at them/held them in the light (I had no idea what I was looking for, I'd just seen it done on TV before) and the guy grabbed me by my work shirt over the counter, grabbed the money back from my hand growled a curt _"What is this CSI?! Tell no one"_ and ran.


Oh no ... no way. I have a knee jerk reaction to lash out if someone touches me, I would have punched the crap out of that guy, regardless if I lost my job or not LOL.

On the subject of the money, if someone is knowingly trying to pass of fake money as real money, whether they are a "dopey" kid or not, they should be punished. Should an emplyee who doesnt catch the fake money be punished? no, its not their fault someone is dishonest.

I have actually had the police called on me before by someone for allegedly trying to pay with a counterfeit $20, it wasnt counterfeit, it was one of the older $20's that were still in circulation right after they started changing the look of the money. Two cops came over and talked to me, I explained to them that this particular bill came from my bank, so I doubted that it was fake. The cop was very nice, he offered to trade one of his $20's, which was one of the new ones, dog mine and I obliged LOL.


----------



## Remaru

Laurelin said:


> Omg middle one.
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/PCHSRoches...29053451315/10153101781536316/?type=3&fref=nf


You could have a pack of Hanks.


On the topic of mixes I actually kind of like shepherd x husky mixes. I wouldn't support the purposeful breeding but luckily they are popular enough to turn up in shelters frequently so if I want another I can find a young adult to adopt (and make sure I wind up with the temperament I like). Freyja has been an excellent dog so far other than being a bit too soft for my preferences. She is a great buddy for my youngest son. He can get her to do anything.


----------



## Crantastic

Yeah, I've always liked shepherd/husky mixes, and I've liked a lot of pomeranian mixes. Luckily for anyone who wants them (unluckily for the dogs), they're common enough in shelters and rescues that getting one wouldn't be too hard.


----------



## Eenypup

UGH. Got rushed by an off leash dog today. Second time it has happened at all in the past year & a half, it's not a huge issue in the city. Most people who let their dogs off leash here know that they need impeccable recall or they're at risk of getting hit by a car or something. It's just not safe!

Bennie was on her long line in the park and we see this dog, I thought it was on the flexi the owner was holding in his hands but apparently not. So I hold out my hands and say NO and the owner is still casually walking over. My gf tries to body block but the dog DARTS to Bennie and starts posturing at her and so of course Bennie postures back... Honestly I didn't know what to do so I let the long line drop to be super slack because I know she hates being on leash when dogs are off leash. They exchange some nasty noisy growls before the owner grabs his dog and Bennie disengages right away.

To me that seems like a pretty normal dog response so I don't blame her at all. I'm just bummed it happened because I'm happy with her current level of dog tolerance but really don't want her to have bad dog-dog situations. I usually try to plan which dogs she can interact with based on personality and such. Oh well, not my fault and certainly not hers.


----------



## Kyllobernese

We have a great place to walk our dogs off leash out my sister`s back gate. Unfortunately they just moved a bunch of cows and bulls ( 9 bulls) into that end of the pasture. It is now almost impossible to walk the dogs without having to walk around sloppy cow sh-- everywhere. Trying to stop the dogs from eating it or rolling in it is a constant struggle with some of them and you have to watch where you step. We have to make big detours to go around the bulls as some are not too friendly, they were having a fight amongst themselves today and finally two of them chased one of the bulls off down the field. Would not like to have to try and outrun an angry bull. There is so much grass still that they will probably be there for a while. Today we took them on leash and went through the fence into a separate field where they just have some horses and it was a lot better there and they could run off leash and eat horse manure instead!!


----------



## DogTheGreat

Shae's ear fur was getting way out of control and I was tired of getting burs out of the super soft fur there, so I decided it was time to clean it up. She wasn't super cooperative and now it's all choppy. Waaah


----------



## Laurelin

I don't think I'll survive a pack of Hanks to be honest!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh the friend of someone in class brought their jerk dog with them (they weren't in the class themselves), this person has no control over their dog, and it jumped over the retaining wall into the training area twice, right btw Lincoln and another dog, luckily Lincoln didn't do anything! But I was kind of pissed because that dog could have landed on poor little Lincoln and hurt him! 

I don't like people bringing dogs to class that aren't in the class.


----------



## ireth0

Eenypup said:


> UGH. Got rushed by an off leash dog today. Second time it has happened at all in the past year & a half, it's not a huge issue in the city. Most people who let their dogs off leash here know that they need impeccable recall or they're at risk of getting hit by a car or something. It's just not safe!
> 
> Bennie was on her long line in the park and we see this dog, I thought it was on the flexi the owner was holding in his hands but apparently not. So I hold out my hands and say NO and the owner is still casually walking over. My gf tries to body block but the dog DARTS to Bennie and starts posturing at her and so of course Bennie postures back... Honestly I didn't know what to do so I let the long line drop to be super slack because I know she hates being on leash when dogs are off leash. They exchange some nasty noisy growls before the owner grabs his dog and Bennie disengages right away.
> 
> To me that seems like a pretty normal dog response so I don't blame her at all. I'm just bummed it happened because I'm happy with her current level of dog tolerance but really don't want her to have bad dog-dog situations. I usually try to plan which dogs she can interact with based on personality and such. Oh well, not my fault and certainly not hers.


Ugh, that sucks, I'm sorry. 

That's happened a few times to us now and I know it's so stressful to even just have been in the situation, even if nothing bad ultimately happened.


----------



## Laurelin

Kind of random and we have had this convo before but I was reading somewhere else and it amused me...

Does anyone else feel like herding breeds get lumped together way more often than any other breed type group? 

I don't ever see people conflating yorkies and JRTs and APBTs the same way. And terriers ain't easy dogs all the time either.


----------



## missc89

Laurelin said:


> Kind of random and we have had this convo before but I was reading somewhere else and it amused me...
> 
> Does anyone else feel like herog breeds get lumped together way more often than any other breed type group?
> 
> I don't ever see people conflating yorkies and JRTs and APBTs the same way. And terriers ain't easy dogs all the time either.


By herog breeds do you mean herding dog breeds??

Yeah but I kinda do the same with hunting/gun dogs.


----------



## Laurelin

Yes herding, I can't type. 

I guess I mentally kind of lump gundogs together as having similar temperaments to each other in a lot of ways but not to the same extent I see it done with herders. I rarely see posts about 'dont' get a sporting breed, they have soooo much physical energy' (which is a pretty true generalization- or as much so as with herders)


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> Are there mixed breeds that you'd like to have for personality/looks wise but wouldn't actively seek (for ethical breeders reasons, health concerns etc)?
> 
> Because I've always liked the idea of breeding a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden Retriever. For a slightly more laidback, smaller retriever with spaniel ears.
> http://thatmutt.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/golden-mix.jpg
> I've seen some breeders, but they call them "Mini Retrievers" and I can just imagine a bundle of issues health-wise.


Yeah, there are quite a few I really like, but a Great Dane/GSD like Loki tops the list. He was the most beautiful dog I've ever laid eyes on. 

I'd never advocate people breeding them for pets, though. I think Loki would have been an incredible sporting/police dog. He was just about able to keep up with Greyhounds at the dog park in his youth, had a 10 ft vertical leap from a standing position and was just super intense and drive-y. 



Laurelin said:


> Kind of random and we have had this convo before but I was reading somewhere else and it amused me...
> 
> Does anyone else feel like herding breeds get lumped together way more often than any other breed type group?
> 
> I don't ever see people conflating yorkies and JRTs and APBTs the same way. And terriers ain't easy dogs all the time either.


I do think herding dogs get lumped together really frequently and undeservedly.

I lump together retrievers in my mind, for some reason. Like, Flat-Coated, Curly-Coated, Labs, Chesapeake Bay and Goldens... Not so much the Duck Tolling, though, oddly enough.


----------



## taquitos

Just randomly missing my old foster, Sara, like crazy.

I miss her crazy arfing barks, how her normally blank eyes lit up when we took her on hikes, and how great she was with all of the pets at home.

God, she was one awesome little dog <3 I keep thinking even with her deficiencies, she would have benefitted from and done great in agility.


----------



## kdawnk

This may be a stupid question, but when seasons are changing like this and it's getting into the minuses in the mornings does it effect Sans the same way it does me? In the beginning of winter, even as a Canadian P), I find -2ºC or -5ºC to be quite chilly. Not intolerable, I enjoy the cold, but I definitely shiver and my hands/ears get burning cold. In comparison to when spring happens and I'm so used to -30ºC that a -5ºC feels like a tropical holiday.

So is Sans super cold in the mornings when I let her out too? Or because she's all furry and developing her winter coat, I shouldn't be concerned for her preferences?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> This may be a stupid question, but when seasons are changing like this and it's getting into the minuses in the mornings does it effect Sans the same way it does me? In the beginning of winter, even as a Canadian P), I find -2ºC or -5ºC to be quite chilly. Not intolerable, I enjoy the cold, but I definitely shiver and my hands/ears get burning cold. In comparison to when spring happens and I'm so used to -30ºC that a -5ºC feels like a tropical holiday.
> 
> So is Sans super cold in the mornings when I let her out too? Or because she's all furry and developing her winter coat, I shouldn't be concerned for her preferences?


My dog loves the cold, I love the heat, so when it starts getting colder he gets a "spring" in his step LOL. I have noticed that it does take ours a while to get used to the heat again, mostly because the warm weather happens very suddenly down here.


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## missc89

Laurelin said:


> Yes herding, I can't type.
> 
> I guess I mentally kind of lump gundogs together as having similar temperaments to each other in a lot of ways but not to the same extent I see it done with herders. I rarely see posts about 'dont' get a sporting breed, they have soooo much physical energy' (which is a pretty true generalization- or as much so as with herders)


I think it's because when people think "herding breed" they generally think Aussie, BC, ACD - but I don't think the general population really considers a GSD as a herding dog because its used more for police work, and corgi's are too small to be what the 'general population' would consider a typical herding breed. If you look at the list of herding dogs, the ones you typically see herding are generally BC, Aussie and ACD and the others are just more versatile and not used for herding as much in the publics eye (for example, how many of us knew a Beauceron was a herding dog?) That's just my take on it but when I think "herder" I think ACD, Aussie, BC, even though there are TONS more like the Briard, Barbaret, Puli, Bouviers, etc... even Collie =/= herder in my mind, it = rescue dog, and I know better.


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## Annageckos

My basset hound gets cold and shivers. He has a bunch of jackets and sweat shirts. Not because I like to dress him up (it's really not my thing), but because he gets cold. My lab/pointer doesn't seem to care either way, he only has a coat for when it gets really cold out. I know I'm going to need to find a coat or two for my dane pup, she has really short fur, shorter than my basset. I need to find a good winter jacket for her. So yeah, I think some dogs are affected by the cold. A lot seem to love it. My GSD LOVED the cold and snow. She always acted like a puppy when it snowed.


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## kdawnk

Yeah in the middle of winter Sans loves it and I've never put a jacket on her even in the reeeeally cold days. I never really thought of it, I've never seen her shaking (besides when she was a puppy), or holding up her paws uncomfortably.
I just meant during this transition, whether she would be finding the switch from seasons to be hard as well.


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## jade5280

Ryker tolerates the cold well unless is get really bitter cold. Gypsy is outside for 30 seconds and she's shaking like a leaf. She does have shorter fur than Ryker, but not by much and they are both single coated. I think it's because Ryker grew up in NH and Gypsy didn't so she doesn't have a high tolerance. I put jackets on all 3 dogs when we are going to be outside for extended periods and it's chilly.


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## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> I think it's because when people think "herding breed" they generally think Aussie, BC, ACD - but I don't think the general population really considers a GSD as a herding dog because its used more for police work, and corgi's are too small to be what the 'general population' would consider a typical herding breed. If you look at the list of herding dogs, the ones you typically see herding are generally BC, Aussie and ACD and the others are just more versatile and not used for herding as much in the publics eye (for example, how many of us knew a Beauceron was a herding dog?) That's just my take on it but when I think "herder" I think ACD, Aussie, BC, even though there are TONS more like the Briard, Barbaret, Puli, Bouviers, etc... even Collie =/= herder in my mind, it = rescue dog, and I know better.


Yeah, I agree with this. I think to most people, "herding dog" is a very small group consisting of similar dogs, and they aren't really considering the rest of the group.

As far as the sporting group goes, it's dominated by labs and goldens which most people consider calm family dogs, so I think that effects how people talk about the group. To most people the group is split into "nice family pets" and "those crazy pointers". lol


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## elrohwen

The only time I've seen Watson act cold is when it's below 10deg F. Even then it's just his paws, and I think he would be ok if I put boots on him. Not sure about Hazel yet. This morning was 22deg F and she seemed fine on our walk.


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## Laurelin

Goldens and labs really don't strike me as calm dogs though. I mean a few are but most are most definitely not!


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Goldens really don't strike me as calm dogs though. I mean a few are but most are most definitely not!


The ones I've met through sports training are not calm, but the ones I've met out and about who are family pets are really calm and gentle. Age is part of it and breeding is part of it. I think most goldens that pet people have experience with are pretty calm. I see more wild pet bred labs than goldens, but even with labs once they are 5+ years old the ones I meet are generally super laid back and low drive.


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## missc89

elrohwen said:


> As far as the sporting group goes, it's dominated by labs and goldens which most people consider calm family dogs, so I think that effects how people talk about the group. To most people the group is split into "nice family pets" and "those crazy pointers". lol


Yup - before I was more dog-savvy I knew there were pointers and retrievers as gun/sports dogs and that retrievers were the goofy family dogs whereas the pointers were "those crazy gun dogs" lol 

Sterling loves cold, but he's currently blowing his puppy coat and getting his adult double coat. Right now our heater isn't working and it's like 8C (~47F) in our house and he's doing fine. Us, not so much.


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## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> The ones I've met through sports training are not calm, but the ones I've met out and about who are family pets are really calm and gentle. Age is part of it and breeding is part of it. I think most goldens that pet people have experience with are pretty calm. I see more wild pet bred labs than goldens.


My dream dog used to be a Golden Retriever because this is all I saw. Everyone's pet-dogs were all lazy, chubby, gentle creatures that were up for anything.
Every Golden I've met now that I'm more involved in the dog world has slightly put me off. They don't look like they have a serious or calm bone in their body.


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## elrohwen

kdawnk said:


> My dream dog used to be a Golden Retriever because this is all I saw. Everyone's pet-dogs were all lazy, chubby, gentle creatures that were up for anything.
> Every Golden I've met now that I'm more involved in the dog world has slightly put me off. They don't look like they have a serious or calm bone in their body.


I'm actually the opposite. lol I always thought goldens were nice dogs but not something I was interested in. Now that I've met some field and sport bred dogs I really like them. The only thing that puts me off is the high rate of cancer, but otherwise I would definitely get one in the future. Probably only a female though.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Sport bred Goldens are nuts! However, I have a friend who has owned Goldens for years and now Labs. She got a Border Collie and swears her Retrievers are a million times easier. They are not low energy as pups/teens but they definitely settle nicely.


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## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Sport bred Goldens are nuts! However, I have a friend who has owned Goldens for years and now Labs. She got a Border Collie and swears her Retrievers are a million times easier. They are not low energy as pups/teens but they definitely settle nicely.


That's been my experience with sporters in general, and spaniels in particular. They can be wild as anything when they're young, but they generally settle into really nice good dogs. I haven't owned a herder though so not sure how that compares.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Well, both my herders are "settling" nicely.. but they will always be obsessive, or reactive. And honestly I can't see Ember not being weird. She'd make a bad family pet.


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## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Well, both my herders are "settling" nicely.. but they will always be obsessive, or reactive. And honestly I can't see Ember not being weird. She'd make a bad family pet.


I see Watson growing out of a lot of his reactivity, and it was never that awful in the first place. More like he gets overstimulated and temporarily loses his brain, vs fearful reactivity or anything like that. He's maturing into a really nice calm "old man dog" most of the time. I think by the time he's 5 or 6 he's going to be really easy.

I also think it's harder to "ruin" sporting dogs than most other breeds. They might be hellions who steal your food and chew up your pillows, but they'll probably go home and cuddle the kids and greet strangers happily into your home.


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## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Sport bred Goldens are nuts! However, I have a friend who has owned Goldens for years and now Labs. She got a Border Collie and swears her Retrievers are a million times easier. They are not low energy as pups/teens but they definitely settle nicely.


One of my friends went from labs to BC and I asked her what she thought. She said BCs are a lot more fun and don't blow her off like her labs did and she can't see herself ever going back. I really feel like it comes down to personal taste.

EDIT: I am paraphrasing a bit but that was the gist.


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## Laurelin

I just am daydreaming about non terriers at this point tbh.


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## Laurelin

Ok so this is a bit off topic but here goes

I really really really freaking like herder/terriers. I love them in other peoples' hands and admire them so much. I am not sure after Hank I will have another. I've heard a couple people coming from herders (and well I had them before the paps so I guess that counts) having similar issues with sports mixes as I do with Hank. I love Hank a lot and he's so fun and so sweet. But pretty much every place we clash is 'terrier'. I really think now that I would have meshed better with a straight up ACD or BC. :/ I really think he is too much terrier for me.

Live and learn, I guess. We clash in the exact same places my foster terrier and I did. Hank fits me much better though. I'm pretty sure she had beagle or something in her too.


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## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> I'm actually the opposite. lol I always thought goldens were nice dogs but not something I was interested in. Now that I've met some field and sport bred dogs I really like them. The only thing that puts me off is the high rate of cancer, but otherwise I would definitely get one in the future. Probably only a female though.


I already have a high energy goofy dog with little-to-no seriousness I'd like to try something different nextdog.
Maybe it's just how the ones I've seen have been trained, but they don't really seem effected by their owner until they're "Working" or playing. They seem so over-friendly that their interest in their owner is overshadowed.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Definitely personal taste, but for the average family with kids and such I still feel like Labs/Goldens are a better bet in most cases because they are so forgiving and less prone to reactive issues etc. My Border Collie is the least forgiving dog I've ever had. 

Kairi really isn't that hard of a dog and it would have been hard to really screw her up.


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## Laurelin

She has no kids so that's part of it. I can't see myself with a lab/golden though.

Hank is not a hard dog and he'd be difficult to screw up. I just find I don't get Hank a lot of the times. He's just so different from the shelties and papillons. I can deal with their weird quirks and sensitivities a lot better than his extreme prey drive and combative behavior.

Oh and his complete inability to be off leash.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Terriers aren't my thing either. That's one reason I never understood Border Staffies or Border Jacks.. why add to the prey drive?! Haha.


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## Laurelin

I like them. But I'm thinking more in other peoples' hands. 

Cattle dog x terrier is... something. My friend also has a terrier mutt rescue and we were lamenting about terriers this weekend. For some reason I thought he might be easier energy wise but no, he's just more of a jerk. He has way more energy than any ACD we've met so far.


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## Laurelin

I will say after complaining a bit I am noticing some good stuff with him lately. This weekend he was really really good waking around the show grounds. He was without any feedback from me heeling and giving me good attention vs pulling all over the place. He's getting the word 'wait' and will ease back up. He's doing better about sitting when asking for pets. No vaulting on people this weekend. Only screamed at two dogs while running. Did some good play too.


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## kdawnk

So another question(s)

When a dog is leash reactive (sounds/looks aggressive, is actually fearful), some of the time how do you do meet and greets with other dogs for potential adoption?
She's 100% okay in dog parks and daycare environments and gets along with almost every other friendly dog. She can be called off a dog that's bothering her even as it gets more intense if the other dog allows her to walk away. 
She's just has had quite a few traumatic incidents on leash while other dogs have rushed her without our consent. So she's understandably fearful.

I know every shelter and rescue requires them to meet on leash first to see how they react. Sans is going to probably react negatively initially, but she has the more nervous _"submissive"_ stance when the other dog actually calls her bluff.
How important are first impressions?


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## ireth0

kdawnk said:


> So another question(s)
> 
> When a dog is leash reactive (sounds/looks aggressive, is actually fearful), some of the time how do you do meet and greets with other dogs for potential adoption?
> She's 100% okay in dog parks and daycare environments and gets along with almost every other friendly dog. She can be called off a dog that's bothering her even as it gets more intense if the other dog allows her to walk away.
> She's just has had quite a few traumatic incidents on leash while other dogs have rushed her without our consent. So she's understandably fearful.
> 
> I know every shelter and rescue requires them to meet on leash first to see how they react. Sans is going to probably react negatively initially, but she has the more nervous _"submissive"_ stance when the other dog actually calls her bluff.
> How important are first impressions?


If I were the rescue and I knew your dog was dog friendly and knew the potential new dog was dog friendly, I'd let them meet off leash in a safe area and just supervise heavily/maybe let a leash drag to grab just in case.


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## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Terriers aren't my thing either. That's one reason I never understood Border Staffies or Border Jacks.. why add to the prey drive?! Haha.


Yeah, I feel the same way. Lots of the herding dogs I've met (not all! but many) have "prey drive" that nicely channels into toys. And while they like chasing real prey, they call off of it easily. I feel like it's almost become more toy drive than anything, with lots of natural impulse control.

And then you have terriers (and some sporting dogs) who have a whole different intensity with no innate impulse control. 

I guess I can see sort of why you would want to mix a terrier in with a herder, but they've never appealed to me. I'd rather a sporter+herder or something but I don't see anybody doing that.


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## Laurelin

In general I think herder x terrier is better off switch, more tenacity, more scrappiness which is beneficial in some sports. Keeps very high drive and athleticism in a smaller package (there's not really another breed that quite has that level of intensity that small very regularly). I think the big thing is keeping the drive in a smaller package. 

But dang sometimes. Hank goes either 2000 mph or is at zero. There is no medium with him. I'm pretty sure he's unstoppable when he's on but good luck trying to convince him to be 'on' when he ain't feeling it. He is very intense but it's not always focused at good things. Loses his mind over prey. He wants to rumble with (some) other dogs. He is solid muscle and for his size is so strong. So so strong. He bites a lot. I will say he's not nearly as weird as a lot of herders. He's also not as handler focused either. He's still pretty sensitive though and has a good number of fears. And you know... everyone wants a dog that climbs trees. He learns really fast though and his ground speed is great for his size. And he's like a kangaroo in how well he jumps. He has no sense of self preservation and no sense of being polite or body aware. 

I'm not sure he's as easy as I think of him as though. I honestly cannot take him anywhere non dog sport (and even then) and not get comments about how he is super high energy or some other comment on how he's just a plain mess. I think of him as easy because he sleeps while I'm at work and goes to sleep at night. xD

On a happy note he just did a really good engagement/play session in the back yard with me, which we've been really struggling with. Play instead of fence fight/scream at squirrels.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> The ones I've met through sports training are not calm, but the ones I've met out and about who are family pets are really calm and gentle. Age is part of it and breeding is part of it. I think most goldens that pet people have experience with are pretty calm. I see more wild pet bred labs than goldens, but even with labs once they are 5+ years old the ones I meet are generally super laid back and low drive.


Even the labs and goldens I know in sports, who will TEAR IT UP are calm as heck after 2 and being decently trained, you know? I tend to separate retrievers and 'other' gun dogs though. Go figure.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Even the labs and goldens I know in sports, who will TEAR IT UP are calm as heck after 2 and being decently trained, you know? I tend to separate retrievers and 'other' gun dogs though. Go figure.


I think retrievers and most other gun dogs are pretty different, at least if you do sports. There's a reason you see lots of goldens and labs doing obedience and agility, and very few members of the pointer or spaniel groups. I think they are much more biddable and handler focused as a rule. I adore goldens and FCRs. Shame about the cancer :-(


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## Laurelin

One of my friends has a golden that is show line and 3 and she is still wild. She doesn't have Hank's endurance per say but she still wants to jump all over (and she has several obedience titles). I just can't take large jumping dogs though.


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## kdawnk

ireth0 said:


> If I were the rescue and I knew your dog was dog friendly and knew the potential new dog was dog friendly, I'd let them meet off leash in a safe area and just supervise heavily/maybe let a leash drag to grab just in case.


Thank you that's been one of my biggest concerns when thinking about adopting an adult from a rescue. I've casually asked the humane society here about the kind of meet and greet without leashes and they said they never do it. Perhaps they'd consider special circumstances.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I think retrievers and most other gun dogs are pretty different, at least if you do sports. There's a reason you see lots of goldens and labs doing obedience and agility, and very few members of the pointer or spaniel groups. I think they are much more biddable and handler focused as a rule. I adore goldens and FCRs. Shame about the cancer :-(


Yeah. I would own the HECK out of a golden if I could. At this stage they hit what I want with good, solid, happy temperament, decent energy and good biddability. I just can't take the cancer, and labs tend to be too 'hard' for me, temperament wise. Eh, LBR, I'll probably go adult. Or something. I don't know, I'm years off but I'm not doing this reactivity thing again. 

I'll take the energy all day long, I like the intelligence, I love the drive, but I'll get a freaking beagle before I deal with reactivity again.


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## ireth0

kdawnk said:


> Thank you that's been one of my biggest concerns when thinking about adopting an adult from a rescue. I've casually asked the humane society here about the kind of meet and greet without leashes and they said they never do it. Perhaps they'd consider special circumstances.


Yea it's going to depend on the individual organization. Some are very 'these are the rules, and we do the rules only' and some are more understanding and flexible.


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## Laurelin

I think retrievers are way underrated butan. I have just never met one that made me want to own one. And I don't think I've met one younger than 5-6 that hasn't tried to bowl me over. I just find their energy style so ocerwhelming. 

Maybe could do a toller or britt or kookier though. But peobavly not.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I think retrievers are way underrated butan. I have just never met one that made me want to own one. And I don't think I've met one younger than 5-6 that hasn't tried to bowl me over. I just find their energy style so ocerwhelming.
> 
> Maybe could do a toller or britt or kookier though. But peobavly not.


I think tollers are very different energy-wise and personality-wise from the standard British retrievers. And britts are pointers. Not sure where kookiers technically fall - spaniel?


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## CptJack

I will admit freely that when the golden pup in Kylie's originally in agility classes was a teenager I despised him because of the jumping. But since he's turned 2 - well he's fast as heck but he's very, very well behaved. Actually, that applies to all the labs running too (we have 2 people running labs (3), 1 running all goldens (3), and 1 who runs one of each) and they're all nice dogs. Crazy on teh course, 'turn on' at a word and get goofy but are really nice when not being ramped up. 

And the 3 lab lady is running field bred nuts. 

I just can't handle the harder temperament.

I really loved the brits I hung with last trial, though. And I enjoyed the GSP and Weim that were there, though the GSP at least was... odd. Sweet, but crazy, crazy shy and lacking confidence. Nutballs but SWEET and more and more I'd rather have sweet than good at agility or. Well, ANYTHING ELSE. 

I'd STILL rather have a herder, and may well go adult of some breed or whatever but I'm just. Over dog on dog issues.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I will admit freely that when the golden pup in Kylie's originally in agility classes was a teenager I despised him because of the jumping. But since he's turned 2 - well he's fast as heck but he's very, very well behaved. Actually, that applies to all the labs running too (we have 2 people running labs (3), 1 running all goldens (3), and 1 who runs one of each) and they're all nice dogs. Crazy on teh course, 'turn on' at a word and get goofy but are really nice when not being ramped up.


Hazel reminds me a lot of the female goldens I've met, except she's <30lbs. She is sweet and calm much of the time, though she will get that super bouncy OMG I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING energy going on. But she's little so it's not a big deal when she jumps all over. And when it's time to work, it's time to work.

I don't think I can handle male sporting dogs though. They are sweet and happy and adorable, but I find them too wild and distractable in general. At least for the first 4 or so years. They are kind of bone heads. lol


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## CptJack

Blue apparently grew out of it entirely by about 2. I've seen him around practices and things lately and while he's still very wiggly/excited/happy, he's also really focused. Meanwhile her 4 year old lab is like "I AM GOING TO GO VISIT RING CREW" but both really do have it together. 

The Brit I met and loved was 3 and did nothing and weirdly enough that should have put me off but I was so stuck on pure "I don't care this dog is fabulous, COME LOVE ME." it kind of went over my head that 3 obstacles in and the dog was across the ring doing donuts.

Just. The longer I deal with Molly, the more I am finding 'I love everything' appealing. I mean I don't want it per se and I'm not an extroverted person but by GOD I prefer it to this. It's reaction. I know it's reaction. It's a good thing I'm NOT getting another dog right now but. Yeah.


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## Laurelin

I think I enjoy tollers because they're weird retrievers.

If I had to go out tomorrow and buy a sporting dog I'd get a Brittany. 

Have never met a weim I enjoyed at all. Vizsla I like a lot better but never want to own. Same with gsp.


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## elrohwen

The Welshies have the perfect amount of "I love everyone" for my taste. As puppies they do love everyone, but with age they get more reserved. Watson *loves* his people, friends, trainers he's worked with, etc, but I don't think he would ever run up to random ring crew. He might check them out, because he is environmental and likes to check things out, but he wouldn't approach within 5ft. Now he would run up to random dogs which is his big issue so he's not perfect. But a less doggie version of him would be great. I think Hazel will get there with age and she's much less interested in other dogs than he is.

Though on the other hand some of them do end up very shy and worried, which isn't desirable either.


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## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> I think I enjoy tollers because they're weird retrievers.
> 
> If I had to go out tomorrow and buy a sporting dog I'd get a Brittany.
> 
> Have never met a weim I enjoyed at all. Vizsla I like a lot better but never want to own. Same with gsp.


I'm not sure about tollers. I hear too many stories about them being really shy and timid and anxious, but then I hear about good ones too. Do you read Laura Waudby's blog? She has a 1 year old toller who is awesome (and she also has an older one who is extremely anxious).

I like britts and almost got one. I got scared off by the stories of how nuts they are though. Not a fan of the other pointers. They are just too much. Our friends have a young obnoxious GSD, and their parents have a similarly aged GSP. I though the GSD was a PITA until I met the GSP all grown up - that do is so annoying. He whines all the time for no reason. He's all over the place. He also tried to hump a 12 week old Hazel to the point where it took two of us to pry him off of her.


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## Laurelin

Large dogs that jump on everyone is right up there with heavy droolers in things I just can't handle.


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## CptJack

My *ideal* temperament is actually Kylie. She had some time for a while there where she was difficult, but as difficult as she got was needing not to be touched and refusing to take food from people. That's fine. At this point, she's ideal. She is tolerant of people, can be friendly with enough time but they're never a major concern. I never worry about her hurting anyone or another dog, but people/dogs/whatever are never a distraction.

Pretty much finding that in a BREED is danged unlikely, but you know. I like it!


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## Laurelin

No, I don't read her blog at all. I haven't honestly looked too much into tollers. I've met quite a few and enjoy them more than other retrievers but probably not enough to ever seek one out.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Pretty much finding that in a BREED is danged unlikely, but you know. I like it!


Yeah, I think there are always trade offs in any breed and you have to decide what you can and can't work with.


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## Laurelin

I have honestly never had a dog that was universally good with people and dogs. Summer loves all people but not other dogs. Mia hates everyone. Hank is sometimes hardest because he's good with 98% of people and dogs and then very suspicious of certain people and combative with certain dogs. Nikki only liked men and didn't like other dogs.


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## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I have honestly never had a dog that was universally good with people and dogs. Summer loves all people but not other dogs. Mia hates everyone. Hank is sometimes hardest because he's good with 98% of people and dogs and then very suspicious of certain people and combative with certain dogs.


I have! Actually of my 5 now, I'd say 3 are good and 4 are good enough for my purposes. 

Thud isn't good with other adult male dogs of any size at the house/on our property. That one's minor and doesn't bug me. Molly isn't good with other dogs, anywhere, period. 

Kylie is tolerant of both dogs and people though they aren't her favorites. Jack is the same. Will tolerate anything but will do so with some reserve/discomfort. Bug is in love with the world, be it dogs or people. 

I just... you know, I don't even care if it's a dog who LIKES people and dogs at this point, as long as they'll shut up and tolerate. I really, really, am not willing to do this reactivity crap again, ever. It makes EVERYTHING I want to do with dogs impossible. I can't even do classes of any sort because ANY reactivity is a no-go at the training facilities. So you know. No.

Also, weirdly? First dog I've ever had who was reactive or generally not friendly. Reserved, yes, and I've had fosters who were dog aggressive here and there, but this random lunging nonsense and losing it on leash? I dodged it for almost 40 years. Apparently I'm over it now.

(If Molly is radically different at 3, fine, but as it stands : NO NO NO NO. Either adult dog with known temperament or puppy of breed more inclined to maul people to death with effusive love than be reactive.)


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> I just... you know, I don't even care if it's a dog who LIKES people and dogs at this point, as long as they'll shut up and tolerate. I really, really, am not willing to do this reactivity crap again, ever. It makes EVERYTHING I want to do with dogs impossible. I can't even do classes of any sort because ANY reactivity is a no-go at the training facilities. So you know. No.


I feel like this is a big part of your problem. From how you've described Molly, she would be welcome in most of the classes around here. She's not that terrible, and you are good at managing her, and that's all they ask. I imagine it's 10x as hard when you want to do classes and they won't even let you in, vs other places where they're fine with you coming.

ETA: Also, I thought of you when I was reading some random thread on FB. Some people were saying that they have seen more reactivity in farm bred dogs. Basically the theory is that farmers care if the dog can work stock, they don't care how the dog acts in public or at an agility trial or something. While other breeders are breeding for more all around temperaments that can handle those environments. Not sure if it's true or just anecdote, but it made me think of you and Molly.


----------



## jade5280

Ryker is good with other dogs and people. He does have some resource guarding issues in the home, but out an about he's great. Panzer does not like strange dogs approaching him. He has a personal bubble, but he's not reactive. Hopefully he stays that way. It does seem normal for beaucerons to not like strange dogs anyways so it's not something that I'm upset about.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I feel like this is a big part of your problem. From how you've described Molly, she would be welcome in most of the classes around here. She's not that terrible, and you are good at managing her, and that's all they ask. I imagine it's 10x as hard when you want to do classes and they won't even let you in, vs other places where they're fine with you coming.


Yep.

If it weren't acting as a hardcore roadblock from me doing ANYTHING with her in a class or performance setting, I would probably not care at all. But because of where I am, I can't. So I've got this brilliantly smart, trainable, drivey, high energy, really fun dog I want to do things with and I am STUCK AS HECK. The level of frustration in that is just unreal.

ETA: Also, the farm bred thing and reactivity makes sense to me. I mean I met her parents and they were fine, but Molly's fine with dogs here and with people, so. LOL. Ugh.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson is tolerant of people and dogs unless the dog is an intact male (and I think that's more hormonal than temperament, because he approaches them as happily as any other dog at first). He's just way too into dogs for my taste, but he's very tolerant in general. He's fine with rude pushy dogs, snarky dogs, etc. He is never ever snarky and de-escalates everything. Except for those **** intact males. 

I don't know about Hazel. She has snarked at other dogs which surprised me because of her age. I have a feeling she will ignore most dogs, play with the ones she likes, but be snarky if she doesn't like how they act.


----------



## Laurelin

The thing with hank vs my other dogs is the others would vocalize, growl, snap, bark etc at other dogs. Hank on the other hand just goes for it. No noise just BAM. So frustratingly hard to read. 

I still almost wonder if the terrier part isn't JRT.


----------



## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> Watson is tolerant of people and dogs unless the dog is an intact male (and I think that's more hormonal than temperament, because he approaches them as happily as any other dog at first). He's just way too into dogs for my taste, but he's very tolerant in general. He's fine with rude pushy dogs, snarky dogs, etc. He is never ever snarky and de-escalates everything. Except for those **** intact males.
> 
> I don't know about Hazel. She has snarked at other dogs which surprised me because of her age. I have a feeling she will ignore most dogs, play with the ones she likes, but be snarky if she doesn't like how they act.


Ryker is weird that he will get aggressive over a resource, but has never snarked at a strange, rambunctious, or forward dog. He puts up with a lot.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> The thing with hank vs my other dogs is the others would vocalize, growl, snap, bark etc at other dogs. Hank on the other hand just goes for it. No noise just BAM. So frustratingly hard to read.
> 
> I still almost wonder if the terrier part isn't JRT.


I was gonna say, the only dog I've ever seen do that was a JRT. Scary as heck. That would be really hard to live with.

Watson hates intact males, but it's easy enough to just ask if they're intact. It's better than having to guess.


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> I feel like this is a big part of your problem. From how you've described Molly, she would be welcome in most of the classes around here. She's not that terrible, and you are good at managing her, and that's all they ask. I imagine it's 10x as hard when you want to do classes and they won't even let you in, vs other places where they're fine with you coming.
> 
> ETA: Also, I thought of you when I was reading some random thread on FB. Some people were saying that they have seen more reactivity in farm bred dogs. Basically the theory is that farmers care if the dog can work stock, they don't care how the dog acts in public or at an agility trial or something. While other breeders are breeding for more all around temperaments that can handle those environments. Not sure if it's true or just anecdote, but it made me think of you and Molly.


Personally these are just anecdotes but I've seen reactive behavior in both. The biggest meltdowns of BCs i know are sporters (not saying molly Is a meltdown). Theres a couple that seem to barely function. In fact i know one highly competetive person that Just went from sport bred to farm hoping for a more sane dog. Overall structure is the biggest 'tell'. I find working around here are larger and not as well angled. And that's about it. A couple of the working bred dogs have had only so so drive comparatively too (but they are related and I know a dog from a huge name sport kennel that is low drive too. Not a good cross section)

I probably will go sporting bred if I don't go rescue. It's a toss up right now. But it's just because I know a breeder who seems to be producing dogs I like that is sport. It's easier to meet many dogs from sport breeders vs working here. The working bred dogs are usually one offs. 

I may go with a rescue though for reals. It's just easier to skip puppyhood. On the other hand I like the idea of raising a sport pup right from the get go and having lines/health known.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I don't mind dogs that try to bowl me over one bit as long as they are being friendly. Goldens tend to be extra excitable and obnoxious outside the home around new people. They just LOVE people. 

Aussies can be flaky and reactive too, but the more you go toward certain lines the less likely that is. With Kairi.. I can take her into public just fine though and am not worried about her hurting anyone or any dogs. She was amazingly well behaved at the agility trial and minded nobody. Ember would have been a train wreck with the dogs everywhere.. so she is going to need some serious work. Ember is purely farm dog working lines.. and I definitely believe they give less of a crap if the BC is reactive or tolerant to other dogs etc. Stupid BC boards pushing me away from the mixed show lineage I wanted... I'll keep my own ideas from now on. 

I still can't believe a club wouldn't let you in with a reactive dog. My last agility place had a flat out aggressive dog that was well managed. We all knew to clear the way for the dog and the dog never reacted to anyone even once. HOW DO THEY SURVIVE?! There are so many reactive dogs AND truly DA dogs in my classes that I can't even fathom how little dogs would be in it if there were such a rule..


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Personally these are just anecdotes but I've seen reactive behavior in both. The biggest meltdowns of BCs i know are sporters (not saying molly Is a meltdown). Theres a couple that seem to barely function. In fact i know one highly competetive person that Just went from sport bred to farm hoping for a more sane dog. Overall structure is the biggest 'tell'. I find working around here are larger and not as well angled. And that's about it. A couple of the working bred dogs have had only so so drive comparatively too (but they are related and I know a dog from a huge name sport kennel that is low drive too. Not a good cross section)
> 
> I probably will go sporting bred if I don't go rescue. It's a toss up right now. But it's just because I know a breeder who seems to be producing dogs I like that is sport. It's easier to meet many dogs from sport breeders vs working here. The working bred dogs are usually one offs.
> 
> I may go with a rescue though for reals. It's just easier to skip puppyhood. On the other hand I like the idea of raising a sport pup right from the get go and having lines/health known.


Were these dogs from farms? Or just working lines? One thing mentioned on the thread is that they were specifically talking about farm bred dogs, not people who breed working lines for stock dog trials. The theory being that working bred dogs who go out in public and trial are going to need to be ok with that environment. Working bred dogs who just need to move sheep and never leave the farm can get away with a lot more reactivity. 

I'm sure it's still more anecdote than anything. I have very little BC experience (I've met <5 in the three years I've been in dog sports)


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> I was gonna say, the only dog I've ever seen do that was a JRT. Scary as heck. That would be really hard to live with.
> 
> Watson hates intact males, but it's easy enough to just ask if they're intact. It's better than having to guess.


It is so frustrating. He is good 99% of the time. I can almost always pin the beginning of the conflict on the other dog but hank will sneakily try to end it. 

The rest of his temperament seems very JRT as well. He reminds me of my aunts JRT on steroids and less diggy. Lol


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Were these dogs from farms? Or just working lines? One thing mentioned on the thread is that they were specifically talking about farm bred dogs, not people who breed working lines for stock dog trials. The theory being that working bred dogs who go out in public and trial are going to need to be ok with that environment. Working bred dogs who just need to move sheep and never leave the farm can get away with a lot more reactivity.
> 
> I'm sure it's still more anecdote than anything. I have very little BC experience (I've met <5 in the three years I've been in dog sports)


Yeah, I was thinking all of that. I'm sure there's still so much 'mixing' in those lines that it's hard to get a great read on it, but working bred dogs OFTEN means dogs who are bred for trial performance rather than 'useful work on a farm'. 

Honestly, if you removed the bleeping reactivity, Molly would be ideal for me. Good off switch, sweet, smart, enough drive but not so much she turns insane, good work ethic, great biddability and focus. I can not imagine what she'd be like without those things, because they're what makes it possible for me to handle the reactivity at all.


----------



## Hiraeth

Laurelin said:


> I have honestly never had a dog that was universally good with people and dogs. Summer loves all people but not other dogs. Mia hates everyone. Hank is sometimes hardest because he's good with 98% of people and dogs and then very suspicious of certain people and combative with certain dogs. Nikki only liked men and didn't like other dogs.


I am so beyond excited to finally have a dog that I don't have to worry about. With the troubled backgrounds of all of my rescues, even after rehabilitation, I've had to keep a close watch on them when around strangers or strange dogs.

Titan literally has none of that in him. He loves people. He loves other dogs. He hasn't met a living thing he doesn't love yet. And that's apparently a Great Dane thing, not a 'just my puppy' kind of thing. I've read that American Danes can have a little more timidness or flightiness in general, but European Danes like Titan are just the most ridiculously laid back dogs ever. 

I think, if I ever decide for some reason to get a different breed, I'll be looking around for a Leonberger, and they are supposed to have that same kind of naturally "friendly to all" disposition. 

Things can happen, but worrying about my dogs starting crap with other people or dogs is something I'd like to avoid in the future, if possible. It's very stress relieving


----------



## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> Were these dogs from farms? Or just working lines? One thing mentioned on the thread is that they were specifically talking about farm bred dogs, not people who breed working lines for stock dog trials. The theory being that working bred dogs who go out in public and trial are going to need to be ok with that environment. Working bred dogs who just need to move sheep and never leave the farm can get away with a lot more reactivity.
> 
> I'm sure it's still more anecdote than anything. I have very little BC experience (I've met <5 in the three years I've been in dog sports)


Just farms. I know one sheepdog trial BC and she was 8+ when I met her. She has some oddities but also got an agility championship title and is really sweet. Not good with other dogs. 

I think BCs are kind of a crapshoot. One of the wildest I know is show/sport but he is not overly reactive. He just paces and paces and paces with a toy in his mouth. I know about 6 others from that line who are not like that. One even was run and handled by a five year old this weekend. The breeder has had 3-4 in down stays next to the ring with no issue. Thy are impeccable. (Knock a lot of bars and are very showy looking but lovely dogs) 

Two good friends have half brothers and they are so different. One has a flyball mother though. The other is straight agility bred.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> I may go with a rescue though for reals. It's just easier to skip puppyhood. On the other hand I like the idea of raising a sport pup right from the get go and having lines/health known.


With a BC, you might not want to skip puppyhood! At least I definitely wouldn't unless I got one from a place that had them in a foster home that has tested them out some places. They are so flaky.. its nice to start them off learning the performance stuff you want them to do and socializing them to all the weird places like agility trials.


----------



## Laurelin

Two of my friends run/foster for a BC rescue. They'd be who I went through and they often have really nice fosters come through.


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## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> With a BC, you might not want to skip puppyhood! At least I definitely wouldn't unless I got one from a place that had them in a foster home that has tested them out some places. They are so flaky.. its nice to start them off learning the performance stuff you want them to do and socializing them to all the weird places like agility trials.


LOL. The flaky issues are why I am likely to skip. Though, admittedly, not to a shelter dog - foster, pre-owned, whatever, but not straight out of a shelter or most rescues (in part because they wouldn't adopt to me)

Bottom line? Getting one as a puppy did nothing for me, socializing did nothing for me. I can look at an adult dog and see flake, to some degree. An 8 week old puppy is an 8 week old puppy. I do NOT want another 'this puppy is AWESOME' to turn into 'Holy crap, this dog is reactive as crap, there went every dog sport and class ever' at 6 months old.

(And this is a dog who before it went completely to heck was happily playing and working in the middle of a flyball tournament)


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## ireth0

Luna is an adult rescue and loves all people and has yet to meet a dog she didn't like or at least couldn't coexist with.


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## Laurelin

Several of my friends have really really nice rescue BCs. My trainer is taking her stray BC pulled the day he was scheduled to be euthanized to nationals this week even. Not gonna say they were all perfect but they're all pretty cool. I also trust those people to place a dog I'd like since they know me well and know sports well.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Several of my friends have really really nice rescue BCs. My trainer is taking her stray BC pulled the day he was scheduled to be euthanized to nationals this week even. Not gonna say they were all perfect but they're all pretty cool. I also trust those people to place a dog I'd like since they know me well and know sports well.


If I had those kinds of connections, and people who knew just what I was looking for, I would jump on it.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I meant I'd prefer puppy from trusted lines vs straight out of the shelter for a BC you hope to perform with. FOSTER situation ups your chances of getting you what you want vs random BC at the shelter. Not to say great ones don't come from there.. just harder to pick them out. Yes, puppy is definitely more of a crapshoot. I know that all too well.

If you have that connection.. AWESOME.


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## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> If I had those kinds of connections, and people who knew just what I was looking for, I would jump on it.


Haha maybe one day. Gotta survive Hank first.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

ireth0 said:


> Luna is an adult rescue and loves all people and has yet to meet a dog she didn't like or at least couldn't coexist with.


Of course she is, because she isn't a Border Collie! Haha. But seriously.. I think adult rescues are great. Just based on what Laurelin wants I would have a hard time suggesting one, but she has access to a really ideal foster group.


----------



## ireth0

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Of course she is, because she isn't a Border Collie! Haha. But seriously.. I think adult rescues are great. Just based on what Laurelin wants I would have a hard time suggesting one, but she has access to a really ideal foster group.


Oh yea. I'm debating being more into sports with my next dog and it's nice knowing people in rescue that know what I like that could recommend a dog to me. And I also feel more confident now to be able to choose one on my own from a shelter.


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## Laurelin

Haha yeah Hank was probably not the best idea either. Just grab whatever first dog you see!

I will probably buy a puppy if I'm honest. But in a lot of ways I like adults.


----------



## Laurelin

ireth0 said:


> Oh yea. I'm debating being more into sports with my next dog and it's nice knowing people in rescue that know what I like that could recommend a dog to me. And I also feel more confident now to be able to choose one on my own from a shelter.


I feel pretty confident in being able to evaluate dogs in shelters but we will see. I'd be less apt to go that route this time. But it's never off the table either. 

Who knowsaybe I'll show up with some off the wall breed.


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## missc89

Laurelin said:


> Haha yeah Hank was probably not the best idea either. Just grab whatever first dog you see!
> 
> I will probably buy a puppy if I'm honest. But in a lot of ways I like adults.


I've had Sterling for like, what, almost 3 months now? He's officially 5 months old today so yeah 3ish months or so, and like half way through that 3 months I was thinking "damn maybe I should've gotten an adult from a shelter because I'd be able to do dog sports NOW!!!" I don't regret getting a puppy but it's hard to wait that year before you really start doing any kind of intensive sports with him...


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I would love to skip the whole outside every 5 minutes crap.. but I can't deal with adults at this point in my life. Too many people house trained their dogs all wrong and one thing I cannot deal with is an adult dog who pees on my floor (unless health issues are a thing). Also.. terrified of separation anxiety since the last few people in my life that adopted ended up with SA dogs. Ember definitely would have SA if she was passed around into the shelter system. I bond so much better with puppies and really love working with them. 

I will get an adult BC someday though. An adult BC from a local foster based rescue.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I would love to skip the whole outside every 5 minutes crap.. but I can't deal with adults at this point in my life. Too many people house trained their dogs all wrong and one thing I cannot deal with is an adult dog who pees on my floor (unless health issues are a thing). Also.. terrified of separation anxiety since the last few people in my life that adopted ended up with SA dogs. Ember definitely would have SA if she was passed around into the shelter system. I bond so much better with puppies and really love working with them.
> 
> I will get an adult BC someday though. An adult BC from a local foster based rescue.



This is where I am. The only thing I dislike about puppies is going outside every 5min for months. Otherwise, I do really really enjoy raising puppies and I bond much faster with puppies vs adults. I will probably always have breeder puppies. The only way I would get an adult at this point is if I had really good local connections for potential sports dogs in foster homes, and one came along who was perfect.

I'm not opposed to getting an adult through rescue, but I would never get a puppy. They are already a crapshoot so at least I want to know as much as I can about the lines before jumping in. Shelter puppies can turn into anything and I'm fairly specific about what I want.


----------



## Laurelin

Work is hat keeps me from wanting puppies. But if I didn't work ful time is probably only get puppies. I like them and bond easier with them. I do have the ability to get home some during the day so hopefully it won't be too bad. Mia was so easy on my college schedule and he's the only pup I've had all by myself.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Work is hat keeps me from wanting puppies. But if I didn't work ful time is probably only get puppies. I like them and bond easier with them. I do have the ability to get home some during the day so hopefully it won't be too bad. Mia was so easy on my college schedule and he's the only pup I've had all by myself.


I am very lucky that I work 10min from home. I've been coming home every day for lunch since we got Watson 3 years ago. In the spring we're moving and it's highly unlikely that we'll be within 20min of work. I would have waited longer to get a second dog but knowing we would probably move made me think we should do it now while it works with my schedule. In this job I'm also able to work from home a bit or leave early, and when we move it will be a pretty structured 9 hours a day with no chance to work from home.

At least we'll be moving near my parents who are retired, so if a third puppy came along it's possible they could do midday breaks for a few months.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Even my rescue puppy girl was a very, very good dog. My adult rescues were all kinda wonky and messed up from abuse and poor training. I'd love another rescue puppy someday, can't be any worse than my Border Collie! 

I guess all of my puppies have remained the same though, as far as base personality. Kairi was biddable, a little shy with strangers and full of goofy, drivey spunk.. still is. Ember came to me a bitch and while she has went through the most behavior changes.. she is still pretty much the same dog. Jenna was a solid, friendly pup and remained a solid friendly dog.


----------



## Laurelin

I can get home At lunch time. My last boss was much more lax about taking extended lunches and working late to make it up or working on Friday (usually have it off). Etc. my current Boss is strict on time. Luckily that wasn't until I'd had Hank a bit. I still go home but its not 45 minutes anymore. More like 20 min break for dogs. 

With Mia though I could take her to the park 2x a day. I'm not sure i could have survived her without that but I am reminding mysel most puppies are not Mia. I think Hank would have been fine on my schedule as a puppy but I can't imagine it with Mia.


----------



## missc89

The one thing I found hard with a puppy so far is definitely the biting and the needing to pee every 5 minutes. The biting is getting better - he only really does it when we're playing now. I think I'm going to want puppies my entire life for reasons others have stated above too.


----------



## elrohwen

missc89 said:


> The one thing I found hard with a puppy so far is definitely the biting and the needing to pee every 5 minutes. The biting is getting better - he only really does it when we're playing now. I think I'm going to want puppies my entire life for reasons others have stated above too.


Watson was a horrible biter until probably a year. It was awful and I remember crying a couple times because he just wouldn't stop (like, we did 5 time outs in a row and every time he came out he was bouncing and jumping and biting *hard*).

And now I have a puppy who has very rarely bitten me and I'm like "Biting isn't so bad. I don't know what I was all upset about".

LOL How quickly we forget.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank was 6-10 months when I got him and he bit like crazy. Still does!

Mia honestly didn't bite at all. It was the potty training and then the fact she didn't sleep till she was about 3 years old. An the constant screaming. She screamed 7 hours straight the way home. Then she screamed in her crate for two weeks all night (I mean ALL night) till I gave in and let her on the bed. She chewed up everything. She still chews more than any other dog I've had. At nearly 6 years she ate a bunch of my door frame for example. 

I think she's one of a kind though! Sadly.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Hank was 6-10 months when I got him and he bit like crazy. Still does!
> 
> Mia honestly didn't bite at all. It was the potty training and then the fact she didn't sleep till she was about 3 years old. An the constant screaming. She screamed 7 hours straight the way home. Then she screamed in her crate for two weeks all night (I mean ALL night) till I gave in and let her on the bed. She chewed up everything. She still chews more than any other dog I've had. At nearly 6 years she ate a bunch of my door frame for example.
> 
> I think she's one of a kind though! Sadly.


Hahaha. Most people who go through that kind of puppyhood would never get a puppy again.


----------



## Marvel

I think I've been spoiled with Quill and would be in for a shock if I got another puppy. Aside from his biting (which is obnoxious and feels as if it will NEVER stop and as if it is getting harder and not softer...I have to keep reminding myself he's still a baby and it will get better!), potty training was a breeze. He has had very few accidents, only needs to go out every couple of hours, and runs up the stairs to ask when he needs to go out (or whines, if we are in the room). We have started an obnoxious new habit of getting distracted while outside, so he'll pee and then come in only to beg to go back out because he didn't finish his business...but I would still prefer that to him not holding it or not catching on to the whole we potty outside thing quite as quickly. I think we only had about a week before he realized outside was for pottying.

I didn't get an adult dog from a shleter or rescue only because I had very specific things I wanted from my first dog, and wanted to avoid an unknown background that could result in health or behavioral issues stopping us from accomplishing those things. I know people have gotten dogs who can't be off leash, around livestock, won't listen to one gender or the other, etc or who have major health issues develop shortly after. Not saying there aren't GREAT shelter dogs (I've met a lot of those as well!) -- just that I hoped to minimize the chances of ending up with a dog that couldn't do what I wanted by getting a puppy bred for exactly what I wanted.


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## Laurelin

My poor sister was my witness that brining her home was horrible. She puked and screamed the -entire- drive. 

I keep telling myself it could not possibly be worse than her. My only fear is a bigger dog that behaves like she did.


----------



## kdawnk

I'm obsessing so I'm reading random articles about, "Adding a second dog!/Choosing the right second dog!/Things to work on before you get a second dog!" and whatever else I can think of before I really delve too far into looking at breeds. She'll be 2 this winter so within probably the next year I'll look into either getting an adult something or a puppy addition.

I keep seeing this quote/piece of advice in multiple articles, "Get a dog with an energy level a little lower than your own..." I didn't know there was such a thing. I've never met a dog who hasn't wanted to go as long as the human.


----------



## Laurelin

Haha that is actually part of my problem. Even poor Hank sometimes is pooped when I want to GO. lol I think my issue would only be solved by multiple dogs though. I'm honestly pretty low key all around EXCEPT when it comes to dogs/dog things. Then I'm like 'Do all the things! Train all the things!'


----------



## kdawnk

Laurelin said:


> Haha that is actually part of my problem. Even poor Hank sometimes is pooped when I want to GO. lol I think my issue would only be solved by multiple dogs though. I'm honestly pretty low key all around EXCEPT when it comes to dogs/dog things. Then I'm like 'Do all the things! Train all the things!'


Really? My dog could exercise for HOURS and be ready to go again. 
We had a camping trip that was for 3 days. It was three days of hiking and setting up camp and playing in the water and we rented a bike at the designated locations to get her running. At night we'd camp and she'd get bored and start whining after a full day of activity and fun. Camp set-up turned into training time because I cannot stand her whining at me. 
She gets bored of training fairly quickly, an hour training class and she's done, but is still willing to go physically.


----------



## CptJack

My dogs will MOVE longer than I will, but I absolutely fry their brains before I'm ready to stop. Between going out and training - well, Molly's here because Thud didn't like training, much, and I was burning Kylie out, hardcore. 

I mean if I wanted to walk and free run for hours, yeah, they'd do it and never stop but. That's not what we do. So obedience, tricks, agility, fetch, frisbee, swimming, let's go to this dog event, go to agility practice EVERY TIME IT IS OFFERED, and yeah. They crash and burn.

Vacation they all went all the time, but. That was just running and playing. Asking them to THINK? They need some down time. Kylie goes flat and shuts down, Molly gets frantic and her brain falls out, Bug and Jack just leave, and Thud starts ignoring me.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh Hank can go hours. I honestly have not met many dogs that go more/longer than he does. He does have a tendency to go 2000 mph and intensity till he's just done and comatose though. He doesn't regulate himself so well like a lot of dogs, especially if you're talking play with other dogs.

But yeah like CptJack says he will crash after a lot of events. He ran twice on Friday and hung out all afternoon/evening while we set up the trial. Then Saturday he was at the trial all day with a few play/training breaks and watching agility. He was pooped for like a day and a half after that. I also find like human athletes after a day of really hard exercise he really needs a rest day/low key day. 

He can work a lot longer than most dogs but still can't go longer than me. I really need another high energy dog so they can both take breaks. I'm no good at taking breaks.


----------



## elrohwen

This dog. Her only speed lately is AS FAST AS POSSIBLE! It's cute until she runs loops in the woods and won't come back. She's not even hunting or chasing anything? She's running and will be with you in just a second.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh my goodness, she is cute!!! Hank would LOVE her.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> Oh my goodness, she is cute!!! Hank would LOVE her.


He would! She's effing nuts. Poor Watson, she was trying to play with him outside and she ran him down, body slammed him, and bit him in the neck repeatedly. He loves to play, and he likes chase, but she was over the top and obnoxious. So he tried to correct her by showing teeth and pinning her down and she thought that was even more fun. So eventually he just came and stood next to me like "Mom, make her go away"

She is so going to love agility. Go as fast as you can for the whole course and jump over stuff!! OMG! Best ever!


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## kdawnk

CptJack said:


> My dogs will MOVE longer than I will, but I absolutely fry their brains before I'm ready to stop. Between going out and training - well, Molly's here because Thud didn't like training, much, and I was burning Kylie out, hardcore.
> 
> I mean if I wanted to walk and free run for hours, yeah, they'd do it and never stop but. That's not what we do. So obedience, tricks, agility, fetch, frisbee, swimming, let's go to this dog event, go to agility practice EVERY TIME IT IS OFFERED, and yeah. They crash and burn.
> 
> Vacation they all went all the time, but. That was just running and playing. Asking them to THINK? They need some down time. Kylie goes flat and shuts down, Molly gets frantic and her brain falls out, Bug and Jack just leave, and Thud starts ignoring me.


What the heck are you doing that's so taxing?
Sans will train with me but when we're doing new things I have to go very slowly and as excitedly as I can or she shuts down and doesn't want to learn anymore. 
She'll give up fairly fast on me for training (not because she's tired, but because she shuts down or gets bored) but would demand my attention if I didn't physically exercise her afterwards.
I don't know I feel like there's only so many obedience things you can do before it gets too repetitive and I lose her, as well as new tricks she is easily discouraged if I don't 100% set her up for success.

ETA: In my original post I was mostly reading it as physical energy, not mental.


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## kdawnk

elrohwen said:


> This dog. Her only speed lately is AS FAST AS POSSIBLE! It's cute until she runs loops in the woods and won't come back. She's not even hunting or chasing anything? She's running and will be with you in just a second...


I thought this was how all dogs experienced the world off leash? Haha
Sans does the same thing, I always forget my phone at home so I don't take videos often of it, but the entire 60 minutes of the hike/off leash walk she's ripping around in circles. They're a little closer than Hazel's are. Hopping through tall grass, ruffling up leaves, stamping grasshoppers to death with her weird fixated _"hunting"_ style.
She can't go anywhere without at least loping.


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## elrohwen

kdawnk said:


> I thought this was how all dogs experienced the world off leash? Haha
> Sans does the same thing, I always forget my phone at home so I don't take videos often of it, but the entire 60 minutes of the hike/off leash walk she's ripping around in circles. They're a little closer than Hazel's are. Hopping through tall grass, ruffling up leaves, stamping grasshoppers to death with her weird fixated _"hunting"_ style.
> She can't go anywhere without at least loping.


At this point Watson just trots. The only time he ever ran that fast was with a purpose - chasing another dog or following deer or something. He's never run in circles mindlessly just for the sake of running. She also does everything the MOST in agility. Show her the baby dog walk and she's like "ok! Watch me run really fast!!" 

I hope her recall improves. When she's actually into something it's pretty good, and she will stay with me off leash as long as I want to work. But she will blow me off and come back on her own sweet time when she's zooming. I just don't want to make that worse.


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## CptJack

kdawnk said:


> What the heck are you doing that's so taxing?
> Sans will train with me but when we're doing new things I have to go very slowly and as excitedly as I can or she shuts down and doesn't want to learn anymore.
> She'll give up fairly fast on me for training (not because she's tired, but because she shuts down or gets bored) but would demand my attention if I didn't physically exercise her afterwards.
> I don't know I feel like there's only so many obedience things you can do before it gets too repetitive and I lose her, as well as new tricks she is easily discouraged if I don't 100% set her up for success.
> 
> ETA: In my original post I was mostly reading it as physical energy, not mental.


I am pretty sure that, yeah, most dogs can out go most humans for pure physical movement. 

What I'm training doesn't matter, frankly. I don't do a lot of 'let the dog run around and free play' stuff with the dogs. Oh, they run around and play TOGETHER for a couple of hours a day, but 95% of their waking interactions with me involves SOME level of active training and teaching. Even if we're out hiking or I"m throwing a disc or ball, they're working to some degree on mental things. That means they're recalled, they're asked to heel or sit for a release or a ball/disc toss. They're asked to do leg weaves or vault or heel or I hide the toy and ask them to find it or hide myself and ask them to find me, or out or leave it or retrieve by name or we're sitting in the living room and I'm shaping stupid stuff like 'expose your teeth when I say 'smile', or pushing a ball around with their paws or closing a door or- There's always something. Always (Unless they're curled up with me on the couch and we're basically mostly asleep at the end of the day)

WE are CONTINUALLY working on some new trick or command, along with proofing old ones. That's what Molly and Kylie need, (ie: they need training but not all the time because everyone needs a break) AND it's my preferred method for interacting with dogs.

Agility, frankly, is 99% brain work when it's going well, and that's a sometimes 6 days a week thing BETWEEN the two dogs, and it's an hour at a pop. If I dropped all that on them, on top of the above, yeah, they'd crash and burn - even Molly. 

I don't just 'hang out' with dogs well. I get bored and restless and frankly it IS unfair to the dog when one dog is subjected to all of that.


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## elrohwen

I'm really good at just hanging out with dogs. Lol. I love classes and training but I really don't train that much. After working all day I need to rest my own brain so I need more mindless things like a long walk vs spending all evening training


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## CptJack

I should say, I USED to be better about it - but as my kids have gotten older and I have more free time, the dogs are not just family and loved, they're a hobby. So I just... train. A lot. Silly things, not silly things, agility, whatever. Or drag them around to a million events and have them try weird things, or - 

But I don't even think it's POSSIBLE for me to just have a dog to hang out with casually any more at this stage in my life. So multiples and rotation is important for them.


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## Laurelin

kdawnk said:


> What the heck are you doing that's so taxing?
> Sans will train with me but when we're doing new things I have to go very slowly and as excitedly as I can or she shuts down and doesn't want to learn anymore.
> She'll give up fairly fast on me for training (not because she's tired, but because she shuts down or gets bored) but would demand my attention if I didn't physically exercise her afterwards.
> I don't know I feel like there's only so many obedience things you can do before it gets too repetitive and I lose her, as well as new tricks she is easily discouraged if I don't 100% set her up for success.
> 
> ETA: In my original post I was mostly reading it as physical energy, not mental.


I think for a lot of dogs mental and physical energy overlap or are even one in the same. Hank definitely needs physical exercise moreso than my other dogs have but he will also wear out just being out and about all day. Dog events can be really loud/busy and intersperse that with a couple runs they get pooped fast even though he could physically do 20+x the agility runs. I have also seen some people swear by nosework wearing their dogs out the most of anything. For me it doesn't really do that but for some dogs some hard searches wears them out. One of my friend's aussies wears out the most with nosework vs Frisbee, agility, obed, hiking. 

Depending on the weather Hank has between 1-4 hours of sprinting type physical energy. For long runs like lure coursing he is needing a longer breather after the second course. I honestly haven't done more than 2 courses a day. If there's swimming he can go longer but after a while I'll start to see him tire a bit. 

Hank can actually last a full hour agility private lesson which is pretty impressive.

I'm hoping he eventually learns to sleep at agility trials/other events. He's used to getting in some good naps so by the end of a weekend he gets a bit worn out because he doesn't sleep at all.


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## Laurelin

elrohwen said:


> I'm really good at just hanging out with dogs. Lol. I love classes and training but I really don't train that much. After working all day I need to rest my own brain so I need more mindless things like a long walk vs spending all evening training


I am working on this since Denise mentioned it. It IS ok to go out with the dog and have no plan and not accomplish anything. 

Frankly, Hank and I are doing a lot better for it.


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## CptJack

Kylie used to be pooped after an hour of a group class or 20 minutes of private. At this point an hour practice and she's just screaming for more and she's still ready to go at the end of our half-hour private session. I don't think she'd make it a whole hour private, though - it tends to be a bit intense. Not physically, but mentally - some of it does depend on how much success she's having, though. 

Mental stamina is definitely something that builds, I think.



Laurelin said:


> I am working on this since Denise mentioned it. It IS ok to go out with the dog and have no plan and not accomplish anything.
> 
> Frankly, Hank and I are doing a lot better for it.


I rarely have a plan. I just rarely manage to make it for a whole outing without getting bored and asking for SOMETHING. I think in some ways Molly's actually trained me on that one, because she requires such constant management.


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## Willowy

Looking at Suri and her crazy-bonkers reactivity (which is especially crazy-bonkers because she's not consistent. I don't even know what will set her off. Maybe trigger stacking is involved. I'll try to pay more attention to that), I'm wondering how BC rescues evaluate dogs. What do they consider irredeemably aggressive vs "normal" BC reactivity? Because I'm pretty sure, for instance, a Rottweiler rescue would put down a dog that acts like Suri but if it's common in BCs maybe BC rescue groups are a bit more forgiving. Suri's former owner's mother just thinks she's a terrible aggressive dog. And I can see that she isn't. . .just sometimes her brain falls out.


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## Laurelin

I have started even leaving toys and treats at home while taking Hank out. Trying to prevent myself from being tempted to 'just work on one little thing'.


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## CptJack

Two things:
1-) The lack of consistency in the reactivity with Molly is the bane of my existence. 

2-) I know a whole lot of BCs who actually aren't all that reactive. I know more that are, but the ones I know with real reactivity issues aren't from rescue, so. No clue what's going on there, but I'm curious. I do, however, suspect that likelyhood of ever making contact with a person/dog plays into it. Because I can tell you now, if Molly were inclined to bite someone/a dog, she'd have done it several times over by now. She's not. At all. She's loud and acts like an idiot, but she's not going to bite anyone.

I DO know that I read this on a a BC Breeder I really really like's puppy questionnaire:


> You've gone to Puppy kindergarten and socialized your puppy well, but they seem to have a character change as they are growing up. He/she starts to seem more aware and sort of worried about certain environmental changes like big garbage bags, other dogs, overhead planes,etc on the street or certain people or children coming into the house or towards them. Sometimes they growl or bark and back away. Sometimes they advance/lunge towards what is worrying them. How would you handle that and why do you think they are behaving that way?


So. It's clearly pretty typical. 

(Also, I want to know what the right answer is because. DARN IT MOLLY)


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## kdawnk

Yeah I guess with what you're saying my entire hikes are training.
I just don't really think recalls and quick tricks to do anything for her and are more for me and to get her attention back to me if there's something over-stimulating (DEER OMG DEER. HORSES. IS THAT HORSE?!) I do leg weaves to get her brain back or make her sit and hold eye contact with me for a bit. Recalls throughout the entire hike just to practice our whistle training.
Those quick training things throughout a hike do absolutely nothing to mentally tire her.
It needs to be an hour of a busy class environment to work her at all.
I wish there were dog events here, I've never even heard of anything that I could bring my dog to besides the dog park. Even those, "Run for cancer!/Relay for life!/Walk to raise money for shelters!" you're not allowed to bring dogs. 
Unless we're talking competitions, but then I couldn't just take Sans to a competition we're not in, and she wouldn't do well in most competition environments. Too much pressure to perform.

But busy environments + keeping cool = Extremely mentally taxing for her.


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## elrohwen

I should say that we do kind of work on things. I always bring treats on walks and we work on ignoring other dogs, or leave it or maybe even some engagement. But mostly it's just being together. I've had people suggest I step back from training and just be with the dogs and I'm like "what do you think I do all day?!" Haha. I talk about the training because that's where I have angst and I don't mention the hours we spend just hanging out. Other than classes if we do actual shaping and training sessions to work on skills for 5-10 min a day, that's a good day. Plenty of days I do nothing. I like classes because otherwise I would be way too lazy and they get me off my butt.


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## kdawnk

CptJack said:


> Two things:
> 1-) The lack of consistency in the reactivity with Molly is the bane of my existence.
> 
> 2-) I know a whole lot of BCs who actually aren't all that reactive. I know more that are, but the ones I know with real reactivity issues aren't from rescue, so. No clue what's going on there, but I'm curious. I do, however, suspect that likelyhood of ever making contact with a person/dog plays into it. Because I can tell you now, if Molly were inclined to bite someone/a dog, she'd have done it several times over by now. She's not. At all. She's loud and acts like an idiot, but she's not going to bite anyone.
> 
> I DO know that I read this on a a BC Breeder I really really like's puppy questionnaire:
> 
> 
> So. It's clearly pretty typical.
> 
> (Also, I want to know what the right answer is because. DARN IT MOLLY)


Very typical. I've been dealing with this with Sans from close to the beginning. I used to always ask you guys why she reacted to some people and not to others and you guys didn't really know then either. Everyone assume that she picked something out in the person she didn't like. We can go like a full week of walking in town and meeting people on walks and older children approaching her without a reaction at all. Then we see a tree stump and she decides she must alert the world, she sees a person at the bus stop and tries to eat them.

I used to think it was the duration with which people stare. When people are looking/staring at me when they approach she is 80% less concerned about them. If they stare at her and/or talk to her when they approach she's going to lose her mind. 
The only consolation I give myself here is that I know she's bluffing and is just scared and I can almost always alleviate the situation by simply greeting the person like they're a close friend. Hand shake/Hugs. She accepts them immediately.

ETA: Makes for some really intimate greeting with complete strangers and some awkward hand shakes.


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## Laurelin

I would say reactivity is way different than aggressive behavior. And it is usually not too hard to tell the difference. 

Personally I have not met a BC that went Cujo acting. Don't want people to think that is the breed norm.

I dunno my point but 'reactive' to me isn't always a loud overt display. I don't use the term too much really. I guess the easiest explanation is that Dummer is oblivious to everything and in her happy bubble. Hank notices some things and will bark or growl or spook at those. Mia notices everything and is pretty uncomfortable with anything unknown. 

I could see why people would be more cautious with large strong breeds in general. I love Mia but a Rottweiler that had her temperament would be hard to handle. 

People also sometimes use reactive for dogs that get overstimulated easily (for example by movement). Hank lunges at bikes so I suppose that could fall under reactive. (Well he doesn't anymore but I have to constantly monitor him around bikes)


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## Laurelin

Oh wait I lie. My very first trainer had a BC that tried to eat every dog in sight.


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## CptJack

I honestly know way, way more BCs who act like Cujo (in real life and online) under some circumstance/in response to some stimulus, at some part of their lives, than ones who don't. So I'm pretty willing to lay down and say "This is a breed trait you should be prepared for, and count yourself lucky if it never emerges". Even BC I know that are fine now were fearful, spooky, and have gone after other dogs at some point in their past. 

That might not make me popular, and it is a stereotype and there are dogs who don't do that - like I said, I know a tiny few - but most (even all, so far as I know but I'm going to assume I don't know them all/everything) of them at some point or another LOSE THEIR CRAP and are growling, barking, and lunging at either dogs, motion, people, or all three. Whether that continues as they mature is another matter, but it's there and it happens in the breed - A LOT. A ton of breeders, both sport and working, I know warn people about the potential. That it's on a major breeder's website might just be about their lines. When it comes up repeatedly on multiple breeder's sites, I'm going to go ahead and say it's fair to say people should be as aware of that as 'intelligent' and 'high energy' - maybe even more so. Not all dogs will fit either of those, either, and not all beagles will like to use their noses but when you think BC I think it's okay to think of that as part of the picture.

Or, accurately, I suppose not all pits are DA but if you're getting a pit you should be prepared to cope. I like that analogy, most, I think.

For me reactivity just means overreaction. Usually an aggressive looking display. May or may not be loud, may or may not be forward, but it's some sort of intense emotional reaction that looks aggressive. The line between reactive or aggressive, IMO, is sometimes blurry when you're reading about someone else's dog but it's basically in intent to follow through. Molly's been pushed pretty hard and never done more than get increasingly uncomfortable and/or loud so I'm sticking with reactive for her. For now.

And I also think 'overstimulated and acts like Cujo' IS reactivity as much as fear or frustration or whatever other cause. For me it's the action/behavior, not the motivation.


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## CptJack

...Actually, the only border collie MIX I know, for sure, that doesn't have now and has never had either fear, dog-on-dog, or general reactivity issues is a BCXRough Collie that looks and acts almost entirely Collie (not the BC kind). I know more totally dog friendly/solid ACDs. (Though I also know one who is reactive and well managed and one who took a chunk out of another dog, and I know zero BC who have made contact/hurt another dog or person, so there's that.)


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## Laurelin

I think I must just have a different definition of Cujo. I think blatantly aggressive when I think Cujo.


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## CptJack

Yeah, for me it just means loud and barking/growling and lunging. Frankly, though, I'm not sure anyone who saw Molly doing that crap would differentiate between what she's doing "GET OUT OF MY FACE!!!! I DON"T LIKE YOU!" Nonsense and an actual desire to cause damage. 

She doesn't want to cause damage. She wants them to KNOCK IT OFF and GO AWAY. Even the one dog she went after she just - got in the dog's face and snarled and barked with her hackles up. Weirdly high pitched barking, with her tail tucked and crouched. Just - super uncomfortable. When I let that idiot woman push her, she just hit the ground, and kept growling through eating treats and looking god awful miserable. 

The SCARY displays I've seen are all very upright and a heck of a lot quieter. Less wind up, closer distance, and not the same kind of volume I see in pure reactivity. *THAT* I don't see in BC (as a rule).


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## Willowy

Oh. Suri WILL jump another dog, and in a few instances has lunged at people in such a way that is she wasn't stopped by a leash she probably would have bitten them. She jumped Toby Sunday morning---they were eating breakfast and a kibble had fallen near Toby. She finished first and went for the kibble. It was close to him so he growled at her. And then it was ON. I had to drag her off by her back legs even though he's twice her weight and was winning. But most other times he'll growl at her for getting too close to his stuff and she'll just be like "OK, whatever you say!". 

The times she lunged for the humans, it was because she was going Cujo at another dog and the human got too close and she redirected. 

So IDK what that is. Except crazy-bonkers . 

(and, hey, Cujo was a good dog! Wasn't his fault he got rabies )


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## CptJack

Most of the time Molly looks like she's seriously lunging but if she realizes she's going to get closer than anticipated or be able to get to whatever she lunged at/and it's not making it go away? NOPE, she's out of there. Or, well, at worst standing there with her tail tucked and body couched yipping and miserable. I DO think she could end up hurting a person or dog but mostly because I think no reasonable dog is going to take her crap, or because a person refused to retreat and kept pushing forward.

I have really minimal concerns about her hurting anyone. I'd just like her to STFU and stop scaring people.

I'm hoping like heck CAT works for us. When she isn't doing that she's got a nice 'vocabulary' of really friendly behaviors and a really basically very, very friendly temperament with both dogs AND people once they get inside 'her zone'. I honestly think at this point it's mostly habit. Which is sad, I realize, but. Apparently accurate.


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## Laurelin

For the record BCs are definitely not a breed I'd peg as typically universally dog friendly. I know a LOT that are pretty selective or have space bubbles with other dogs (most seem pretty people friendly). I just think in general they are mostly noise or they want to peg whatever it is and retreat. Or they just get so over the top about something moving fast or moving weird. That kind of thing vs actually desiring to eat someone/some dog. Though I know a couple (like the one Hank hates) that will go at it. But I think that is a mutual issue. Both Hank and BC are causing that problem. Oy.

Willowy, who is Suri? I must have missed that. New addition?


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## CptJack

Yeah. I guess ultimately we agree. That also really, really describes Molly. It's just... you know, all that stuff falls under the 'reactive' umbrella for me. Not being argumentative at all, but what do you actually consider reactivity?


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## Laurelin

Hank is definitely my first dog that is willing to follow through. It is new territory. He doesn't put on as much of a show as a lot of dogs but he's going to bring it when it gets down to it. I find that kind of stressful to be honest. Mostly I'm afraid he's going to bring it at a dog that is much larger than he is. It's my least favorite trait he has.


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## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> Yeah. I guess ultimately we agree. That also really, really describes Molly. It's just... you know, all that stuff falls under the 'reactive' umbrella for me. Not being argumentative at all, but what do you actually consider reactivity?


I honestly don't really think about reactivity at all? I think about how Mia is really sensitive to the environment, how Hank is sensitive to motion (bikes especially) and has a tendency to lunge and scream at them. I think about how Hank spooks and barks and growls at statues and old ladies wearing sunglasses and walking mastiffs (how dare they?) because he's afraid/not used to them. Or how Mia growls when kids come running too close because she's afraid of them. Or how Hank has decided that ceiling fans are going to eat him. 

I honestly just... don't think about it as reactivity? I guess technically Mia and Hank are reactive and Summer's not. Summer is oblivious to environmental things completely. I've just always chalked that up to Summer being completely strange and simple minded. Haha

Or maybe Summer is reactive too because she growls and snaps if dogs get too close to her? I don't even know anymore what reactive means. 

I guess I just think about what the problem is and why it's happening. It doesn't do me much good to think of it in an umbrella of 'reactivity'. Though the root cause for a lot of it is the same (suspicion of the unknown, things moving fast, etc).

Keep in mind I've only EVER had herders and papillons and that might be skewing things. I honestly find Summer's obliviousness to 'things' very odd.


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## kdawnk

Yeah what you call sensitivities are what most people call either over stimulated or reactive to bikes. 
I would say Hank is reactive to bicycles. I'm pretty sure we're just using the dictionary definition of reactive here. Reaction - A response to a stimuli 
Reactive - Acting in response to a situation rather than controlling it.


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## CptJack

I see value in reactivity as a dog training umbrella term both to differentiate between truly aggressive behavior and to make it easier to find resources for behavioral issues. In general the training does not change much, regardless of what the trigger is, or the emotional state that motivates it. 

I will, however, admit freely that I'd care much, much less if Molly's reactivity weren't getting in my way of doing what I want to do (that thing we talked about a page or two back). I do think I'd have lost my MIND trying to own her in a city or suburb by now, though.


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## Laurelin

I guess for me I tend to look at behaviors that could be 'reactive' in two camps. I think of it as a dog getting over wound/too high about something or its fear based. Since my response will be different depending on the cause I guess I just don't consider them both reactive. Idk if that makes any sense.


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## Laurelin

Hank and I went to petsmart for an emergency 'whoops ran out of kibble' run (I forget they have no brands I like much)

Anyways he was fantastically behaved. 

But two things. 

First of all the cashier was a jerk. We came up and I asked if hank could have a milk bone that they usually hand out. The guy got all weird about it then was like tellin Hank to sit really oddly. He got all power trippy cuz hank wasn't staying in a sit (he never asked for a stay). I just watched as the guy got frustrated. He finally was like 'he doesn't want to stay!' Me happily 'nope he doesn't'.  the guy was mad acting. 

Also there was a girl there who must be late high school early college who shrieked when we cw around a corner in the dog section. And then again when he was looking at her. I understand dog phobia but you're in the dog supplies section of petsmart. There's gonna be dogs! He was behaving perfectly too. But got weirded out when she shrieked and ran off. I would think someone her age would expect dogs at petsmart.


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## Eenypup

Sometimes I don't know if I wish Bennie was reactive instead of iffy when approached by strange dogs and kids. She doesn't react to anything in the environment at all, aside from animals eliciting her prey drive. Kids can run past, dogs can walk by us, bikes, cars, strollers (she actually really is interested in them oddly), skate boarders, it doesn't matter. I guess for my lifestyle her non-reactivity is wonderful. We do live in a city and regularly go for walks on trails with joggers, bikers, skate boarders, you name it. She's just not weirded out so walking her is pretty simple. I guess I just get annoyed having to say no to kids and people with their dogs who want to say hi, because she _looks_ totally fine with their presence. But she doesn't want them to come up and interact. I guess I'd rather neither problem


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## Willowy

> Willowy, who is Suri? I must have missed that. New addition?


Sort of? She technically "belongs to" my friend but lives with me. Because they live in a trailer court, she wants to eat some people, and there are a lot fewer people on an acreage 6 miles out of town than in a trailer court. Plus, the family took in my friend's little cousins and Suri is not patient with grabby 4-year-olds. It was kind of gradual---"can she stay with you for a week?", "Oh the kids are staying all summer, can you watch her", "oops, guess the kids are staying longer", etc. I don't mind because she mostly gets along with my pets, plus my dogs are all old and deaf so I like having a younger more active dog around, and she's a good watchdog (I am thoroughly alerted of anything out of the ordinary ). I suspect she won't be going back.

She's a black and white spotty dog, I can't really tell what breed mix she might be but BC mix seems reasonable. About 5 years old, around 45-50 pounds. She's a good dog but she's weird! Not that I'm unaccustomed to having weird dogs. . .


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## FallDeere

Laurelin said:


> Also there was a girl there who must be late high school early college who shrieked when we cw around a corner in the dog section. And then again when he was looking at her. I understand dog phobia but you're in the dog supplies section of petsmart. There's gonna be dogs! He was behaving perfectly too. But got weirded out when she shrieked and ran off. I would think someone her age would expect dogs at petsmart.


That's so odd. I mean, I have a fear of large dogs. At petsmart yesterday, I got very uncomfortable when a beautiful Akita was near me, but I didn't do anything about it because he was on a leash, the owner had control, and he was well behaved. But a Hank sized dog? Unless maybe she had a bad experience with a similar dog... I can't imagine why she would be in a pet store at all if she had a fear of dogs in general. If she had a fear of a very specific dog, it would make more sense for her not to avoid dog places in general.

So for my own little rant... There is a beautiful husky in my neighborhood that is always getting loose. There are some people who think he's been loose for days, but I know he hasn't because I see him with his owner or help him get back to his owner from time to time. The family that owns him seems really nice, but I don't think they know how to handle the husky's escaping ability. The good thing is, the dog seems to know to return home when he is done adventuring because the other day, I saw him just sitting on their porch. This whole thing is giving me so much anxiety (I have an anxiety disorder to begin with) because I'm ALWAYS worrying about this dog. He's a great dog and just beautiful... I know his owners love him and he seems very well cared for. They just can't stinkin' keep him contained. This last time, he was gone for several hours and they were worried someone stole him, which is what I always feared would happen because he's beautiful and unique looking. Thankfully, he was found, but I just know someday someone could be driving and see him and think "hmm... could I make money off of this dog?" and steal him. Or fall in love with his wonderful personality and keep him for themselves.

Nothing I can really do other than what I've been doing, which is directing people who see him to his owners and returning him home when I see him.

He's not the only dog that is always loose. There are several dogs whose owners never put on a leash. Two bulldogs, a yorkie, an old doberman, a bully mix, a chihuahua, a shih tzu, a Pomeranian, and two mutts are just a few of the dogs I see purposefully left off leash. Some of which have come up to me, barking their heads off. Not fun when I'm trying to walk my own dog or when I have a fear of being bit by a strange dog. And the Yorkie was in my front yard the other day when I was about to go drive, so it could have been run over.

I don't mind the well behaved dogs being off leash as they usually ignore people, but a majority of them, while they are well behaved some of the time, have gone out into the road or followed someone away from their house/owners. One of the bulldogs really wanted in my dog's face the other day and my dog HATES other dogs, but the owner wouldn't take their bulldog away... while it was in OUR front yard. I'm sure the bulldog was friendly enough, but my dog would have ripped its face off if given the chance. So it just isn't safe for anyone for a dog to be off leash here.


----------



## DogTheGreat

Laurelin said:


> Also there was a girl there who must be late high school early college who shrieked when we cw around a corner in the dog section. And then again when he was looking at her. I understand dog phobia but you're in the dog supplies section of petsmart. There's gonna be dogs! He was behaving perfectly too. But got weirded out when she shrieked and ran off. I would think someone her age would expect dogs at petsmart.


LOL. Made funnier by the fact that he's far from an intimidating looking dog.


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## jade5280

I guess Ryker is reactive, but I don't really consider it a behavioral issue and don't normally describe him as reactive. He gets excited sometimes when he sees other dogs and will bark and pull. Gypsy's reactive issues make me change what I do and where I take her and how I handle her. I describe her as reactive because it affects our daily lives.


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## elrohwen

I consider reactive to be any dog who over reacts to stimuli. It may be because of excitement and it may be because of fear, but if the dog sees something "normal" and starts barking and flipping out for whatever reason, I consider that reactivity. Instead of saying "oh, there's another dog, I see those all the time" the reactive dog is like "OMG DOG!!!" 

I would call Watson a reasonably reactive dog in general. No, he doesn't react to dogs who are far away, they have to get within about 20-30ft before he barks. And he's not reactive to movement or weird things really. But he just notices everything in his environment all the time, and can go from zero to flipping out in a second if he sees something he thinks is exciting. Because he's over reacting to very normal stuff, I would call him reactive. Going over threshold and completely losing your mind because you saw a dog, which you see all the time, is not normal.

Hazel, in contrast, can bark and scream and get excited about things sometimes, but she's never over threshold. Her brain is still in there and she can hear me, or turn back to me, or decide the thing wasn't that exciting after all. Sure she looks at things and can react to them, but she doesn't over react on a hair trigger.


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## CptJack

For me reactivity is basically overreaction/inappropriate reaction to the situation/scenario. 

Kylie gets excited when we go to agility lessons or a trial. She barks and spins and pulls a little bit. However, her brain never falls out. She never stops responding to commands. It doesn't last long. It doesn't affect her performance. She will settle down if she's asked. It's just play/excited behavior and that's fine. For me - not reactivity.

If someone comes to my door at an odd hour and pounds on the door, Thud will go off barking and often leap at the door if I don't intercept. Again, his brain doesn't fall out. He's a LGD mix. He's a guardian. It's protective/guarding behavior. That's fine. I say 'knock it off and go lie down' and it's over. For me - not reactivity. 

Molly's brain falls out. She loses her ability to contain herself. The thing she is responding to could be a dog barking, a dog being too close, a dog moving too fast, a dog LOOKING at her, whatever. Normal stuff, that she sees and is exposed to all the time. Her reaction is way over the top. She doesn't 'bark back', she FLIPS HER LID, loses the ability to think and has very little self-control in the moment. Not fine. For me - reactivity.

I also don't really care if it's fear or overexcitement. To me the difference doesn't impact training at all. If the dog is super ramped up and excited or super afraid and defensive, the teaching is still the same. It's taking the 'charge' out of the situation to some degree, changing the dog's emotional state a little bit to something more even, and teaching the dog to keep their brain in their head instead of falling completely apart and flailing. Which is why, really, *I* don't draw any line between fear/frustration/over arousal. The training method and end result don't change based on those things.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> For me reactivity is basically overreaction/inappropriate reaction to the situation/scenario.
> 
> Kylie gets excited when we go to agility lessons or a trial. She barks and spins and pulls a little bit. However, her brain never falls out. She never stops responding to commands. It doesn't last long. It doesn't affect her performance. She will settle down if she's asked. It's just play/excited behavior and that's fine. For me - not reactivity.
> 
> If someone comes to my door at an odd hour and pounds on the door, Thud will go off barking and often leap at the door if I don't intercept. Again, his brain doesn't fall out. He's a LGD mix. He's a guardian. It's protective/guarding behavior. That's fine. I say 'knock it off and go lie down' and it's over. For me - not reactivity.
> 
> Molly's brain falls out. She loses her ability to contain herself. The thing she is responding to could be a dog barking, a dog being too close, a dog moving too fast, a dog LOOKING at her, whatever. Normal stuff, that she sees and is exposed to all the time. Her reaction is way over the top. She doesn't 'bark back', she FLIPS HER LID, loses the ability to think and has very little self-control in the moment. Not fine. For me - reactivity.
> 
> I also don't really care if it's fear or overexcitement. To me the difference doesn't impact training at all. If the dog is super ramped up and excited or super afraid and defensive, the teaching is still the same. It's taking the 'charge' out of the situation to some degree, changing the dog's emotional state a little bit to something more even, and teaching the dog to keep their brain in their head instead of falling completely apart and flailing. Which is why, really, *I* don't draw any line between fear/frustration/over arousal. The training method and end result don't change based on those things.


Agree with all of this 100%


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## CptJack

And also, yes, Molly is the one where the dog is influencing/limiting where we can go and what we can do, so it's much easier to call that one a problem. 

But mostly it's in that her reaction to normal things is inappropriately intense, and a failure to be able to THINK while it's going on.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Agree with all of this 100%


LOL. We were typing at the same time, saying basically the same stuff. 

I agree with your post, too!


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## Hiraeth

So, I was the second person the scene of a motorcycle accident yesterday evening when I left work. I called 9-11 and then held the guy's hand while emergency personnel arrived. I think he probably had a concussion and some bruised or broken ribs. He definitely had minor lacerations to his face and hands, as well as a rather severe looking compound fracture in his right ankle - the bone was protruding, it was bleeding heavily and the foot was twisted to one side. 

He kept trying to take him helmet off and I kept telling him that he couldn't, and that he needed to lie still and breathe and that the ambulance would be there soon. They got there pretty quickly (I work right next to U of M hospital), at which point I was given permission to leave because I didn't witness the accident.

It's kind of been haunting me ever since, there's nothing about it in the news, and I didn't even think to ask the guy's name. I really wish there was a way for me to make sure he was alright. I called the hospital but no dice because of privacy laws. I'm going to try to call the local police department to see if they have any information. My last resort is calling towing companies in the area and seeing if they'll release the name of the "owner of a red crotch rocket involved in an accident" to me. 

Not sure any of those are going to turn out a name, though  I imagine I'll have to make peace knowing that if it was a fatal accident I would have heard something for sure, and that the guy is probably recovering okay.


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## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> So, I was the second person the scene of a motorcycle accident yesterday evening when I left work. I called 9-11 and then held the guy's hand while emergency personnel arrived. I think he probably had a concussion and some bruised or broken ribs. He definitely had minor lacerations to his face and hands, as well as a rather severe looking compound fracture in his right ankle - the bone was protruding, it was bleeding heavily and the foot was twisted to one side.
> 
> He kept trying to take him helmet off and I kept telling him that he couldn't, and that he needed to lie still and breathe and that the ambulance would be there soon. They got there pretty quickly (I work right next to U of M hospital), at which point I was given permission to leave because I didn't witness the accident.
> 
> It's kind of been haunting me ever since, there's nothing about it in the news, and I didn't even think to ask the guy's name. I really wish there was a way for me to make sure he was alright. I called the hospital but no dice because of privacy laws. I'm going to try to call the local police department to see if they have any information. My last resort is calling towing companies in the area and seeing if they'll release the name of the "owner of a red crotch rocket involved in an accident" to me.
> 
> Not sure any of those are going to turn out a name, though  I imagine I'll have to make peace knowing that if it was a fatal accident I would have heard something for sure, and that the guy is probably recovering okay.


Yikes! That would be traumatic. He's lucky you were there to comfort him though.


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## dogsule

That feeling when you cannot remember if you fed the dogs already or not. So you feed them, two eat, one doesn't. Does that mean two are pigs or one is sick???? For the life of me I could not remember if I fed the dogs before our walk last evening. As I was feeding them when we got back, I thought, hey did I do this already? I still do not know for sure if I fed them twice or not. I must be loosing it, this has never happened before. All ate normally this morning so I still have no clue about last night.


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## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> Yikes! That would be traumatic. He's lucky you were there to comfort him though.


I guess I have horrible luck, because this is the 4th accident (3rd motorcycle accident) in 8 years that I have been either the first or second bystander on scene for. Out of the four, this one is the least traumatic, honestly. The injuries in the others were much more significant. I stop because most people just start freaking out, and that's the last thing an accident victim needs - nameless strangers freaking out around them.

I feel badly that I didn't do anything about his ankle. I do have clean towels in my car, but was worried about the damage putting pressure on a compound fracture might do. Plus, since my hands have some puppy bites on them, I really didn't want to risk getting a stranger's blood on me. If I had seen arterial spurting or profuse bleeding, I would have done something, but I determined he wasn't going to bleed out before the paramedics arrived.

I just feel like I could have done more, looking back on the situation, like give him my name and ask him his and talk to him *about* something instead of just telling him to try to breath and focus on holding my hand and that the paramedics would be there soon. Live and learn, I guess.


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## BellaPup

Hiraeth said:


> I guess I have horrible luck, because this is the 4th accident (3rd motorcycle accident) in 8 years that I have been either the first or second bystander on scene for. Out of the four, this one is the least traumatic, honestly. The injuries in the others were much more significant. I stop because most people just start freaking out, and that's the last thing an accident victim needs - nameless strangers freaking out around them.
> 
> I feel badly that I didn't do anything about his ankle. I do have clean towels in my car, but was worried about the damage putting pressure on a compound fracture might do. Plus, since my hands have some puppy bites on them, I really didn't want to risk getting a stranger's blood on me. If I had seen arterial spurting or profuse bleeding, I would have done something, but I determined he wasn't going to bleed out before the paramedics arrived.
> 
> I just feel like I could have done more, looking back on the situation, like give him my name and ask him his and talk to him *about* something instead of just telling him to try to breath and focus on holding my hand and that the paramedics would be there soon. Live and learn, I guess.


Wow - I don't know what I'd do!! But unless you're an EMT or trained in trauma care, you really shouldn't touch an accident victim other than to put a blanket on them and try to remove dangers from around them if it's safe to do so. As much as you think you should, trying to "help" a victim may just cause more harm...then comes the lawsuit and guilt and all kinds of other bad things. Unless intervention is clearly going to prevent immediate death, just being there and comforting them is best. (And the whole getting someone else's blood on you.)

But, again - I don't know how I'd handle such a thing. Thankfully I've never been in that situation. 

I'm sure you helped more than you know.


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## BellaPup

dogsule said:


> That feeling when you cannot remember if you fed the dogs already or not. So you feed them, two eat, one doesn't. Does that mean two are pigs or one is sick???? For the life of me I could not remember if I fed the dogs before our walk last evening. As I was feeding them when we got back, I thought, hey did I do this already? I still do not know for sure if I fed them twice or not. I must be loosing it, this has never happened before. All ate normally this morning so I still have no clue about last night.


Hahaha...that's happened to me before. I don't trust Bella to be honest about it, either: "Nope - you didn't feed me! Can't you see how starving I am?"


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Hank is definitely my first dog that is willing to follow through. It is new territory. He doesn't put on as much of a show as a lot of dogs but he's going to bring it when it gets down to it. I find that kind of stressful to be honest. Mostly I'm afraid he's going to bring it at a dog that is much larger than he is. It's my least favorite trait he has.


HAHA ... gotta love those terriers / sharp herding dogs, eh?



Laurelin said:


> Hank and I went to petsmart for an emergency 'whoops ran out of kibble' run (I forget they have no brands I like much)
> 
> Anyways he was fantastically behaved.
> 
> But two things.
> 
> First of all the cashier was a jerk. We came up and I asked if hank could have a milk bone that they usually hand out. The guy got all weird about it then was like tellin Hank to sit really oddly. He got all power trippy cuz hank wasn't staying in a sit (he never asked for a stay). I just watched as the guy got frustrated. He finally was like 'he doesn't want to stay!' Me happily 'nope he doesn't'.  the guy was mad acting.
> 
> Also there was a girl there who must be late high school early college who shrieked when we cw around a corner in the dog section. And then again when he was looking at her. I understand dog phobia but you're in the dog supplies section of petsmart. There's gonna be dogs! He was behaving perfectly too. But got weirded out when she shrieked and ran off. I would think someone her age would expect dogs at petsmart.


Yeah, I have a WTF moment at that, too. I could see a "general" place (even though dogs are allowed there) like Home Depot, or TSC where you COULD see a dog but probably not. But petsmart? Geeze kid, get a grip or dont go there, you know?

Also, Lincoln would have sat for him but I wouldnt have let him give it to him, either you give it to ME to give to him or piss off, I dont like my dogs taking things from strangers, a lot of bad people out there, you know?



Hiraeth said:


> So, I was the second person the scene of a motorcycle accident yesterday evening when I left work. I called 9-11 and then held the guy's hand while emergency personnel arrived. I think he probably had a concussion and some bruised or broken ribs. He definitely had minor lacerations to his face and hands, as well as a rather severe looking compound fracture in his right ankle - the bone was protruding, it was bleeding heavily and the foot was twisted to one side.
> 
> He kept trying to take him helmet off and I kept telling him that he couldn't, and that he needed to lie still and breathe and that the ambulance would be there soon. They got there pretty quickly (I work right next to U of M hospital), at which point I was given permission to leave because I didn't witness the accident.
> 
> It's kind of been haunting me ever since, there's nothing about it in the news, and I didn't even think to ask the guy's name. I really wish there was a way for me to make sure he was alright. I called the hospital but no dice because of privacy laws. I'm going to try to call the local police department to see if they have any information. My last resort is calling towing companies in the area and seeing if they'll release the name of the "owner of a red crotch rocket involved in an accident" to me.
> 
> Not sure any of those are going to turn out a name, though  I imagine I'll have to make peace knowing that if it was a fatal accident I would have heard something for sure, and that the guy is probably recovering okay.


Geeze poor guy, hope he will be ok, luckily he had you there! I was shocked when we had our accident, how many people stopped to help us and make sure we were okay! I was very touched and moved by the whole thing, and the FP was there pretty quickly because my truck decided to blow its tire out right in front of the fire station


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## Hiraeth

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Geeze poor guy, hope he will be ok, luckily he had you there! I was shocked when we had our accident, how many people stopped to help us and make sure we were okay! I was very touched and moved by the whole thing, and the FP was there pretty quickly because my truck decided to blow its tire out right in front of the fire station


Yikes. I hope you and your passengers were okay! 

I find that a lot of people stop for accidents, but many of them don't keep cool in stressful situations and can make things worse. Like yesterday, the motorcycle driver was laying injured in the left lane, with the car who hit him and my car also stopped in the left lane. A witness stopped in the right lane (it's a four lane road with a median), therefore entirely blocking southbound traffic. After calling 9-11, I literally had to ask him to move his car because emergency vehicles can't travel down a road on which traffic is at a standstill. Like... Wth was he thinking? 

After the head-on collision I saw last Christmas, the two cars and the occupants were in the middle of the busiest non-highway road in Michigan (Ford Rd.). Lots of people stopped to help, but there was literally a group of 15 people standing around, not doing anything, in the MIDDLE of a 55 mph road, on Christmas night, one of the deadliest drunk driving nights of the year. While my friend (a doctor) dealt with the victim who couldn't move, I had to usher all of the people standing around saying "omg" to the sidewalk and ask anyone who was willing to move their cars into the middle of the road with emergency lights on to create as noticeable of a roadblock as possible in the hopes that another car wouldn't plow into my friend and the victim. Shouldn't people know that standing in the middle of a road unnecessarily is a great way to become a casualty?

I don't know, I guess working with horses really taught me to keep my head screwed on in emergency situations and not everyone has that experience. I DO think that basic roadside emergency procedures should be taught to all drivers. Then again, I also think that everyone, regardless of age, should have to go through a road test and license renewal every 5 years in order to keep some of the bad/dangerous drivers off of the road


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## elrohwen

I've only been on the scene of one serious accident (older guy drove off the highway straight into the woods) and it was interesting to see people's reactions. The people who were helping him seemed quite calm and in control, but the woman I was driving with (a co-worker) was just freaking out. We waited for the cops to give a statement and she wasn't making sense, was talking super fast, not explaining things accurately. I kept trying to talk to the cop because I had actually seen it (she was driving) but she kept talking over me. It was weird. I don't consider myself super great in a crisis, but some people are really high strung and kind of lose it.


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## PatriciafromCO

people are really quick to pull over that are closest to the accident, I think that it's best when there are people pulled over and helping that the rest of the traffic keeps moving so first responders can get to the scene. If I was a medical person I would stop even if there were people already pulled over to help.. I've seen a lot of accidents and deaths scene's working LE the one that always hurts is involving kids.. Just something about kids is harder to digest.


----------



## kdawnk

dogsule said:


> That feeling when you cannot remember if you fed the dogs already or not. So you feed them, two eat, one doesn't. Does that mean two are pigs or one is sick???? For the life of me I could not remember if I fed the dogs before our walk last evening. As I was feeding them when we got back, I thought, hey did I do this already? I still do not know for sure if I fed them twice or not. I must be loosing it, this has never happened before. All ate normally this morning so I still have no clue about last night.


On last Friday I forgot to feed Sans entirely.
Didn't realize it until the morning. We were ordering take out and I usually feed her when the delivery driver pulls up because she's far too interested in eating to bark or worry about who is here. I ended up running behind getting her food ready and the driver showed up, we paid. Then we were in feasting mode so my roommate and I devoured all the pizza and fell into food commas on the couch watching movies.
Woke up in the morning to feed her and suddenly it all came back She didn't even overly beg for food while we were eating and she weirdly didn't whine at all.


----------



## CptJack

"If you have a sound sensitive dog, be aware that VT fires a canon at the start of the game and it can be heard from the park."

These trials are on a roll with 'random distractions'. CANON FIRE.


----------



## ireth0

CptJack said:


> "If you have a sound sensitive dog, be aware that VT fires a canon at the start of the game and it can be heard from the park."
> 
> These trials are on a roll with 'random distractions'. CANON FIRE.


Lol! We have a cannon in our city that's shot off every day at noon.


----------



## CptJack

ireth0 said:


> Lol! We have a cannon in our city that's shot off every day at noon.


I don't think it'll bother Kylie MUCH, but it cracks me up. That is just not normal here. I don't think *I* have ever heard canon fire. ...Kind of looking forward to it.


----------



## ireth0

CptJack said:


> I don't think it'll bother Kylie MUCH, but it cracks me up. That is just not normal here. I don't think *I* have ever heard canon fire. ...Kind of looking forward to it.


Yea it's pretty cool. Definitely earplugs if you're going to be anywhere remotely close (although with dogs probably not a good idea).

We once had some sort of world political conference here (I don't remember exactly what it was for but high profile people), the noon cannon went off but apparently nobody told the foreign officials about it and everyone thought it was a bomb/terrorist attack and chaos ensued.


----------



## CptJack

ireth0 said:


> Yea it's pretty cool. Definitely earplugs if you're going to be anywhere remotely close (although with dogs probably not a good idea).
> 
> We once had some sort of word political conference here (I don't remember exactly what it was for but high profile people), the noon cannon went off but apparently nobody told the foreign officials about it and everyone thought it was a bomb/terrorist attack and chaos ensued.


Oh. I really should have said. This is going on during our agility trial. We know WHEN it will go off, but yeah. So far this location/our trials have had a soccer game, police training, rain, and now a canon. It's just. LOL.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH my husband doesnt think that dogs *need* chews, that I am just "doing it to spoil my dog". No, I am doing it because he is GOING to chew, and I dont like chewed shoes, furniture, etc ... and if I DIDNT get him chews, then he would chew those things and hubby would get mad at him for THAT ... ugh ... men. :frusty:


----------



## Hiraeth

PatriciafromCO said:


> people are really quick to pull over that are closest to the accident, I think that it's best when there are people pulled over and helping that the rest of the traffic keeps moving so first responders can get to the scene. If I was a medical person I would stop even if there were people already pulled over to help.. I've seen a lot of accidents and deaths scene's working LE the one that always hurts is involving kids.. Just something about kids is harder to digest.


Licensed doctors are actually contractually required (at least, in Michigan), to stop and assist any accident victims if there aren't professional responders (fire fighters, EMTs) already on scene. That is actually why my friend and I stopped at the accident on Christmas - there were more than enough people there already, but she was legally required to provide care until the EMTs arrived.

Not sure how it could ever be enforced, and it can get doctors into some really tricky lawsuits if the victims die under their care, but it's in a contract that both of my friends had to sign. Which I personally find ridiculous, but then again, they've pretty much had to sign the rest of their lives away, as well, so I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise.


----------



## ireth0

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH my husband doesnt think that dogs *need* chews, that I am just "doing it to spoil my dog". No, I am doing it because he is GOING to chew, and I dont like chewed shoes, furniture, etc ... and if I DIDNT get him chews, then he would chew those things and hubby would get mad at him for THAT ... ugh ... men. :frusty:


I've known people who are like that with cats. They don't provide anything appropriate for the cat to scratch and then get all bent out of shape when the cat scratches their rug/furniture/etc.


----------



## Willowy

ireth0 said:


> I've known people who are like that with cats. They don't provide anything appropriate for the cat to scratch and then get all bent out of shape when the cat scratches their rug/furniture/etc.


Worse than that---there was someone once who came on the cat forum, mad that her cat wrecked his scratching post, wanted tips on keeping him from wrecking the new one. Um, that's sort of the point of a scratching post! 

I have come to the conclusion that many people who think they want pets really want decorative pillows :/. Or maybe one of those robot animals.


----------



## ireth0

Willowy said:


> Worse than that---there was someone once who came on the cat forum, mad that her cat wrecked his scratching post, wanted tips on keeping him from wrecking the new one. Um, that's sort of the point of a scratching post!
> 
> I have come to the conclusion that many people who think they want pets really want decorative pillows :/. Or maybe one of those robot animals.


Lol, wow yea. 

Although I do wish they were cheaper since they're basically disposable, lol. Here a decent size post is $35-40 minimum. When you want more than one in a house and/or larger furniture for them to climb and etc... it adds up really quickly.


----------



## kdawnk

ireth0 said:


> Lol, wow yea.
> 
> Although I do wish they were cheaper since they're basically disposable, lol. Here a decent size post is $35-40 minimum. When you want more than one in a house and/or larger furniture for them to climb and etc... it adds up really quickly.


Oh yeah the little poles are $40, but a three foot post with a couple landings and a triangle bed is like $200+
I lucked out and went to this man who had passed away's garage sale. They had a 8ft cat tree that screws into their wall set in their garage. I commented how cool it was and how much my cat would like something like that. I went to ask his wife if she knew where he got it and she said they hadn't had a cat in years and encouraged me to take it home that it would make them both happy if I did.

So now I have an 8ft fully carpeted cat tree with multiple perches in my living room that goes riiight up to the ceiling with a small foot between and he spends 90% of his time up there.


----------



## Jen2010

> That feeling when you cannot remember if you fed the dogs already or not. So you feed them, two eat, one doesn't. Does that mean two are pigs or one is sick???? For the life of me I could not remember if I fed the dogs before our walk last evening. As I was feeding them when we got back, I thought, hey did I do this already? I still do not know for sure if I fed them twice or not. I must be loosing it, this has never happened before. All ate normally this morning so I still have no clue about last night.


 Ha! Pepper would never allow herself to go unfed. She would tell me if I had forgotten (lots of whining, resting her head on my lap, running over to her food dish, etc.). In fact she usually lets me know about an hour or two early that it's time for me to feed her. If I'm ever in doubt all I have to do is ask "are you hungry"? If she cocks her head, she's already eaten. If she runs to her dish and spins around in a circle, then comes back to me and repeats the process - she hasn't been fed.


----------



## Laurelin

So this morning was horribly busy and stuff and I missed the tail end of the reactive talk.

I just still don't know that it is a useful designation to me. It seems pretty arbitrary about what is considered reactive or not. I do get that dogs that tend to overreact can be a problem for sure (oh believe me, I know). But I keep coming back to that I know so many dogs that probably would go over the top if allowed only they're either well managed or have worked through it, etc. Not saying all dogs are reactive because they're not well managed at all. But I mean to say I think some dogs definitely don't display their natural tendencies or learn not to.

Also it gets kind of weird for me when you have dogs who are reactive towards X and other dogs reactive towards Y to label them both the same thing.


----------



## elrohwen

Laurelin said:


> So this morning was horribly busy and stuff and I missed the tail end of the reactive talk.
> 
> I just still don't know that it is a useful designation to me. It seems pretty arbitrary about what is considered reactive or not. I do get that dogs that tend to overreact can be a problem for sure (oh believe me, I know). But I keep coming back to that I know so many dogs that probably would go over the top if allowed only they're either well managed or have worked through it, etc. Not saying all dogs are reactive because they're not well managed at all. But I mean to say I think some dogs definitely don't display their natural tendencies or learn not to.
> 
> Also it gets kind of weird for me when you have dogs who are reactive towards X and other dogs reactive towards Y to label them both the same thing.


To me, "reactive" is kind of like the term "dominant". You can't describe a dog in general as reactive or dominant really, but you can describe a specific situation. "This dog is reactive to bikes going past" is specific statement and I think it's clear to most people what you mean by that (dog lunges and barks as bikes go past). You can describe a dog as being reactive in general, if the dog really is just reactive to a lot of stuff a lot of the time, but that's a less clear description and doesn't give you much information. It doesn't describe the dog's emotion behind what they're doing, but the behavior displayed is generally pretty consistent from dog to dog. The training methods to fix it are also more or less the same so it some sense the emotion behind it doesn't matter that much (and we're just guessing at it anyway)

If the dog is no longer reactive to stuff because they grew out of it or were trained out of it, then I just wouldn't say that dog was reactive anymore. If the dog requires someone to shove treats in his face so he doesn't react, then he's probably still reactive and it's just being managed. Left to himself he would still lunge and bark and freak out.

ETA: I also think it's possible that you're just around a lot of dogs that most people would call reactive in one way or another. Doesn't make them bad dogs, but it also doesn't mean their reactions are normal when compared to most dogs walking around the streets.


----------



## Willowy

I forgot to feed my dogs one night a few weeks ago. I was surprised they let me get away with it. They did do their excited dinner dance at one point but I told them to wait a minute while I did something else. . .and then I forgot about it. I would have thought they'd be more insistent.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> To me, "reactive" is kind of like the term "dominant". You can't describe a dog in general as reactive or dominant really, but you can describe a specific situation. "This dog is reactive to bikes going past" is specific statement and I think it's clear to most people what you mean by that (dog lunges and barks as bikes go past). You can describe a dog as being reactive in general, if the dog really is just reactive to a lot of stuff a lot of the time, but that's a less clear description and doesn't give you much information. It doesn't describe the dog's emotion behind what they're doing, but the behavior displayed is generally pretty consistent from dog to dog. The training methods to fix it are also more or less the same so it some sense the emotion behind it doesn't matter that much (and we're just guessing at it anyway)
> 
> If the dog is no longer reactive to stuff because they grew out of it or were trained out of it, then I just wouldn't say that dog was reactive anymore. If the dog requires someone to shove treats in his face so he doesn't react, then he's probably still reactive and it's just being managed. Left to himself he would still lunge and bark and freak out.
> 
> ETA: I also think it's possible that you're just around a lot of dogs that most people would call reactive in one way or another. Doesn't make them bad dogs, but it also doesn't mean their reactions are normal when compared to most dogs walking around the streets.


Yeah, pretty much this.

To me, it's just a description of behavior and, for me at least, a behavioral problem. That doesn't mean it can't be managed, trained, or matured out of - but that's true of every behavioral/temperament problems in dogs that exists. 

I don't think it's 'normal' ever, even in breeds where it's very, very common. For me, it's pretty much basically a temperament or behavioral (not necessarily both, but both as possible reasons/sources) flaw - like shyness. You can have sharp dogs and you can have reserved dogs, but once you're onto flat out shy/fearful or reactive you're into the 'too far, this isn't right' territory, IMO. Not necessarily a major problem/flaw depending on severity, doesn't always require intervention beyond management, but not 'normal' at all.

ETA: And I admit that MY perception of this is based on the fact that I can't do crap with Molly as a result. So clearly it's A Problem.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> To me, "reactive" is kind of like the term "dominant". You can't describe a dog in general as reactive or dominant really, but you can describe a specific situation. "This dog is reactive to bikes going past" is specific statement and I think it's clear to most people what you mean by that (dog lunges and barks as bikes go past). You can describe a dog as being reactive in general, if the dog really is just reactive to a lot of stuff a lot of the time, but that's a less clear description and doesn't give you much information. It doesn't describe the dog's emotion behind what they're doing, but the behavior displayed is generally pretty consistent from dog to dog. The training methods to fix it are also more or less the same so it some sense the emotion behind it doesn't matter that much (and we're just guessing at it anyway)
> 
> If the dog is no longer reactive to stuff because they grew out of it or were trained out of it, then I just wouldn't say that dog was reactive anymore. If the dog requires someone to shove treats in his face so he doesn't react, then he's probably still reactive and it's just being managed. Left to himself he would still lunge and bark and freak out.
> 
> ETA: I also think it's possible that you're just around a lot of dogs that most people would call reactive in one way or another. Doesn't make them bad dogs, but it also doesn't mean their reactions are normal when compared to most dogs walking around the streets.


I agree, I dont think reactivity is as black and white as some people make it out to be, some dogs can be reactive to only certain things, but not others, and not always in a bad way.


----------



## kdawnk

I've been trying to foster again since my first time fostering last March.
I wanted a break after fostering a puppy because Sans ended up regressing in some of her training so I needed about a month and a dog class to get us both back on track.
I turned down one foster opportunity to foster another puppy for about 2 weeks, a week after I finished my first one (I just didn't think Sans was ready for another puppy yet) but told the rescue to contact me for any longer term, adult ones, that they needed.

Heard nothing for 4 months. Didn't really actively try on my end, but figured they didn't need fosters at the time.
Then for the last 2-3 months they kept making posts about _Needing Fosters ASAP_!! Then about how they were about to seize 30-40 dogs from a First Nation's reserve where _packs had formed_ and were becoming a nuisance, so the town issued euthanasia for all of them.
I sent a message to the leader of the organization and she got back to me and told me to re-enter my application because they had lost it, so I did. She read the application, told me she received it, mentioned that she could have used my help during the big seizure, but will be in touch soon. Haven't heard anything back... They keep posting things about needing fosters immediately. I've offered so many times...

Then there's another rescue, the one I got my current dog from and they have NEVER replied to my application, but also make a ton of, _"We can only save as many dogs as we have fosters willing to take them in!/FOSTERS NEEDED ASAP!"_ I don't understand. If there's something wrong with my application that doesn't fit their guidelines, then why did they adopt out to me?


----------



## Hiraeth

Bleh. I'm debating taking Titan to the e-vet. He didn't have an appetite at lunch time and would only eat out of my hand. His gums were pale, though he drank and eliminated normally.

He's been mostly okay this evening. Gums back to their normal pink. Ate normally. He did have a weird episode where he was laying on the couch and just whining for a few seconds. I'm not sure if it was because I left the room, or if he was in pain.

Then it was bed time and he was chewing on a bone in his section of the bed. Then he just randomly started panting. For no reason. Now he's sleeping, but still seems to be breathing sort of heavily. He doesn't feel overly warm, I can hear gut noises, he's been alert all day long.

I did a ton of reading about bloat today, so I'm definitely feeling ridiculously paranoid, but it's just a series of really weird behaviors that's making me super nervous. Maybe he's having growing pains and is uncomfortable, which would explain the loss of appetite, the whining and the panting? Ugh. Don't know what to do. My vet would probably think I was crazy if I took my puppy in because he was panting for thirty seconds and whined at me when I left a room.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> Bleh. I'm debating taking Titan to the e-vet. He didn't have an appetite at lunch time and would only eat out of my hand. His gums were pale, though he drank and eliminated normally.
> 
> He's been mostly okay this evening. Gums back to their normal pink. Ate normally. He did have a weird episode where he was laying on the couch and just whining for a few seconds. I'm not sure if it was because I left the room, or if he was in pain.
> 
> Then it was bed time and he was chewing on a bone in his section of the bed. Then he just randomly started panting. For no reason. Now he's sleeping, but still seems to be breathing sort of heavily. He doesn't feel overly warm, I can hear gut noises, he's been alert all day long.
> 
> I did a ton of reading about bloat today, so I'm definitely feeling ridiculously paranoid, but it's just a series of really weird behaviors that's making me super nervous. Maybe he's having growing pains and is uncomfortable, which would explain the loss of appetite, the whining and the panting? Ugh. Don't know what to do. My vet would probably think I was crazy if I took my puppy in because he was panting for thirty seconds and whined at me when I left a room.


Oh no, poor titian, I hope he is okay , my dog is feeling kind of "blah" right now, too because his seasonal allergies are acting up so I feel you on worrying about dogs being "off".


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## Hiraeth

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Oh no, poor titian, I hope he is okay , my dog is feeling kind of "blah" right now, too because his seasonal allergies are acting up so I feel you on worrying about dogs being "off".


I ended up setting an alarm for every hour to wake me up so I could check on him. It was quite warm in the house last night, as it was unseasonably warm outside, so I'm hoping that was some of the issue. He seemed very normal today - slightly uninterested in kibble at first, but did finish his breakfast, had normal bowel movements and wanted to play for a few minutes before I left for work. 

I *really* wish dogs could communicate with me when they aren't feeling well


----------



## Willowy

Someone on craigslist is selling a "Sarplanac" dog. I'm wondering where they got her, how much they even know about the breed if they can't spell the breed name, and why they think they can get $400 for a 7-year-old dog who has been chained her whole life and hasn't had any training :/. I hope she gets a good home.


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## PatriciafromCO

that's sad Willowy,, I don't know how people can do craigslist,,,, that is how my puppy mill designer dog breeder scum neighbor got all her dogs, breed them then discard them after she made some money off of them... ...


----------



## cookieface

About reactivity - I admit I use the term as a kind of short hand to people who understand what it means in general. But, it's not really a useful term; it tells you nothing about the actual behavior, likely causes, or potentially effective treatment options.

Katie and Tyson are both reactive, but they're entirely different. Katie is super excited, wiggly, jumpy, and wants nothing more than to play with other dogs. Teaching her to focus more on me and restricting access to other dogs has worked well. Tyson is fearful, retreating, and wants nothing more than for the scary thing to go away. We're working on counter-conditioning and confidence building. The only thing in common is that both are heavily managed.




Hiraeth said:


> I ended up setting an alarm for every hour to wake me up so I could check on him. It was quite warm in the house last night, as it was unseasonably warm outside, so I'm hoping that was some of the issue. He seemed very normal today - slightly uninterested in kibble at first, but did finish his breakfast, had normal bowel movements and wanted to play for a few minutes before I left for work.
> 
> I *really* wish dogs could communicate with me when they aren't feeling well


Hope he's doing ok.


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## Hiraeth

cookieface said:


> Hope he's doing ok.


Thanks  He seems to be alright today, my dad has him on Wednesdays and texted me a bit ago that Titan was fine. 

Probably just a combination of sore joints from growing (he only grew .3" and gained 3.5 lbs last week, so I think this week will be higher and he will be more sore, as growth charts I've seen tend to fluctuate week to week), a warm house and me being super paranoid.


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## CptJack

I'm attending a disc workshop with Kylie. This may be a bad idea, but it starts at very beginner which means it should help with drive building stuff and I can probably get something out of the 'advanced' half of the day that I can bring home to use with Molly.


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## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> I'm attending a disc workshop with Kylie. This may be a bad idea, but it starts at very beginner which means it should help with drive building stuff and I can probably get something out of the 'advanced' half of the day that I can bring home to use with Molly.


Ooooh, that sounds like fun. Why do you think it may be a bad idea? I've always thought throwing discs was really relaxing


----------



## CptJack

Hiraeth said:


> Ooooh, that sounds like fun. Why do you think it may be a bad idea? I've always thought throwing discs was really relaxing


Because Kylie has never successfully caught anything in her life and every bit of her toy drive is directly tied to heavy application of food?  Molly loves disc but can't go because reactive so I'm basically Kylie be a stand in. For like 8 hours. She'll be okay but it feels weirdly dishonest to take her just so I can have a dog to go with, then bring everything home and apply 90% of it to a different dog. 

(They know I'm doing it, it just feels odd.)


----------



## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> Because Kylie has never successfully caught anything in her life and every bit of her toy drive is directly tied to heavy application of food?  Molly loves disc but can't go because reactive so I'm basically Kylie be a stand in. For like 8 hours. She'll be okay but it feels weirdly dishonest to take her just so I can have a dog to go with, then bring everything home and apply 90% of it to a different dog.
> 
> (They know I'm doing it, it just feels odd.)


Can you somehow attach food to the disc? Haha. 

Well, I hope it goes alright and even if Kylie isn't too interested, that you learn a ton of stuff to use with Molly


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## CptJack

Hiraeth said:


> Can you somehow attach food to the disc? Haha.
> 
> Well, I hope it goes alright and even if Kylie isn't too interested, that you learn a ton of stuff to use with Molly


Oh, I've managed to get her fairly into at least chasing and retrieving things through use of food. It's more trained behavior than innate, but she'll manage - and yes, stuff for Molly!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

GAH, Lincoln has an appointment to be neutered next tuesday, and I am freaking out about it! I know I shouldnt be, the place I am taking him is a good place, the people are super nice, but still he is an MDR1 affected breed and I still worry, even though I gave the vet's a list of meds he couldnt get.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is in the throes of teenagerness but every now and then I see glimpses of awesome. More and more little glimpses of awesome. 

He played with a couple friends yesterday only I am finding they'd play, then Hank would actually come when called and engage me on his own accord. And he has started cuddling a lot lately and giving kisses and being sweet. And he is understanding no pulling on the leash in certain circumstances. In fact he is heeling? And sitting when I stop. Of his own accord with simple easy verbal commands.

Of course it's interspersed with 'I'm a jerk' but still.... light at the end of the tunnel.


----------



## Laurelin

Also my friend's little BC (I need to get pics of one day but she looks like red Molly with mismatched ears- very similar build) has decided to be stalky now. She never has been really hard eyed but it's like a switch flipped and she's stalking all the time now. She and Hank are about the same age. She'd lie down and stalk him then lie down. He'd go NUTS with zoomies. Thought it was the best game ever. He and I play a game where I stalk him and he gets the zoomies so I'm pretty sure he was excited there was a dog that would play that with him.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Hank is in the throes of teenagerness but every now and then I see glimpses of awesome. More and more little glimpses of awesome.
> 
> He played with a couple friends yesterday only I am finding they'd play, then Hank would actually come when called and engage me on his own accord. And he has started cuddling a lot lately and giving kisses and being sweet. And he is understanding no pulling on the leash in certain circumstances. In fact he is heeling? And sitting when I stop. Of his own accord with simple easy verbal commands.
> 
> Of course it's interspersed with 'I'm a jerk' but still.... light at the end of the tunnel.


You have mentioned a lot of times that he is being naughty ... but just what IS he doing (curious)? LOL. Plus I like to hear Hank antics :grin:


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## Laurelin

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You have mentioned a lot of times that he is being naughty ... but just what IS he doing (curious)? LOL. Plus I like to hear Hank antics :grin:


He is just being a stupid teenage boy.

He is tipping into overstimulation a lot more than he was, especially when it comes to agility class. Losing his brain while training. He just wants to GOFAST. Usually he works really nicely with some thought but lately? Nope. Under the tire because jumping is for slow dogs. He decided to launch off the top of the A-frame to bite me last week. That was... fun?

Being confrontational with other dogs and deciding instead of diffusing the situation or ignoring it he wants to scrap. He's several times decided to race as fast as he can over Summer or body slam her. Yeah THAT is a no go. He's biting me when over the top. Selective hearing. Fence fighting. We've had to re-premack the back yard so he can even be in the yard without losing his head at the dog next door. He even growled at me once this week for telling him to get off the bed, which he has not done since maybe the first week I got him. Nuh uh Mister.

Disclaimer: It's not THAT bad but he's definitely being a little turd lately. More than usual. I really think it's some sort of growing pains phase.

It's just CONSTANT reminders for him of manners. Introducing lots of rules about sitting and WAITING vs just barreling through as fast as possible. We've even had to revert to tethering in the yard some again.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> He is just being a stupid teenage boy.
> 
> He is tipping into overstimulation a lot more than he was, especially when it comes to agility class. Losing his brain while training. He just wants to GOFAST. Usually he works really nicely with some thought but lately? Nope. Under the tire because jumping is for slow dogs. He decided to launch off the top of the A-frame to bite me last week. That was... fun?
> 
> Being confrontational with other dogs and deciding instead of diffusing the situation or ignoring it he wants to scrap. He's several times decided to race as fast as he can over Summer or body slam her. Yeah THAT is a no go. He's biting me when over the top. Selective hearing. Fence fighting. We've had to re-premack the back yard so he can even be in the yard without losing his head at the dog next door. He even growled at me once this week for telling him to get off the bed, which he has not done since maybe the first week I got him. Nuh uh Mister.
> 
> Disclaimer: It's not THAT bad but he's definitely being a little turd lately. More than usual. I really think it's some sort of growing pains phase.
> 
> It's just CONSTANT reminders for him of manners. Introducing lots of rules about sitting and WAITING vs just barreling through as fast as possible. We've even had to revert to tethering in the yard some again.


LOL you just described my day to day life with Lincoln, and it is frustrating, but I just cant help but laugh. I call him "my furry bludger" because even though he is only about 18" and probably about 36 or so lbs now, he can slam into me hard enough to almost topple me over. I have lost several pairs of shirts and pants to him, he bruised my achilles tendon the other day because "I wasnt walking fast enough for him" -_-. 

He has to be supervised during play with Josefina because he will literally HURT her slamming into her, he doesnt use his mouth, thank god but he can muzzle punch hard enough to leave a big bruise. His idea of celebrating when I praise him is biting my clothes, jumping at my face, etc. No dude, I JUST GOT new glasses, it would be nice if you didnt break them.

LOL Its kind of nice to know I am not alone haha. But your guy will likely grow out of it, I doubt Lincoln will grow out of all of it, sure he will stop the spaciness wishy washy during training stuff where sometimes he is on it, and sometimes he looks at me like "stay? what is that?" I can deal with everything else (I had ACDs, remember LOL) but the "space brain" can go anytime now, thanks.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> GAH, Lincoln has an appointment to be neutered next tuesday, and I am freaking out about it! I know I shouldnt be, the place I am taking him is a good place, the people are super nice, but still he is an MDR1 affected breed and I still worry, even though I gave the vet's a list of meds he couldnt get.


I freaked out for the same reason when Kairi got spayed. She is MDR1 Mutant/Normal. My vets are not at all well versed in MDR1, so I had to tell them to use less pre-anesthetic than their usual. She ended up doing fine and waking up just as fast as any other dog. I wouldn't be too worried about it! It's all the regular meds you have to worry about. Have you had him tested?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I freaked out for the same reason when Kairi got spayed. She is MDR1 Mutant/Normal. My vets are not at all well versed in MDR1, so I had to tell them to use less pre-anesthetic than their usual. She ended up doing fine and waking up just as fast as any other dog. I wouldn't be too worried about it! It's all the regular meds you have to worry about. Have you had him tested?


No I havent, but his father was n/n and hos mother is n/m, so in theory, the most he can be is n/m, I did tell the vet that they couldnt use ace, and I wanted a catheter in his arm, I am also doing BW before just to be safe.


----------



## elrohwen

So, my dogs don't really jump on me anymore when I get home. They just jump on each other. lol How do you stop a dog from jumping all over another dog? Of course Hazel is the obnoxious one. Watson "corrects" her, but his corrections are mild and ineffective and she is oblivious.

Mostly joking, I don't really care that much, but they are kind of choatic when someone comes in, barking and play growling and jumping all over each other. It will be better when I can walk away until they're calm, but I still don't trust Hazel to hold her bladder for more than 30sec after being let out of the crate. I forgot how ridiculous multiple dogs can be when they're excited about stuff.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> So, my dogs don't really jump on me anymore when I get home. They just jump on each other. lol How do you stop a dog from jumping all over another dog? Of course Hazel is the obnoxious one. Watson "corrects" her, but his corrections are mild and ineffective and she is oblivious.
> 
> Mostly joking, I don't really care that much, but they are kind of choatic when someone comes in, barking and play growling and jumping all over each other. It will be better when I can walk away until they're calm, but I still don't trust Hazel to hold her bladder for more than 30sec after being let out of the crate. I forgot how ridiculous multiple dogs can be when they're excited about stuff.


UGH Josefina wont correct Lincoln at all -_- ... so I have to separate them unless someone can be out there with them, and only for short intervals, because he will be horribly obnoxious to her and she wont do anything about it. At first I thought it was because he was young and had a puppy license ... but he is almost a year and a half, and she still wont do anything about it.


----------



## CptJack

The only dogs I have who correct other dogs are Kylie and Bug. The boys and Molly just kind of... take everything. Molly is pushy and bossy but she doesn't do corrections to dogs she lives with. 

Thud's the worst about it. That dog lives in a state of losing EVERYTHING and being humped and sat and slept on and jumped on and body slammed and dragged around by the face, unless I'm intervening.

Dork.


----------



## Kathyy

elrohwen said:


> So, my dogs don't really jump on me anymore when I get home. They just jump on each other. lol How do you stop a dog from jumping all over another dog? Of course Hazel is the obnoxious one. Watson "corrects" her, but his corrections are mild and ineffective and she is oblivious.
> 
> Mostly joking, I don't really care that much, but they are kind of choatic when someone comes in, barking and play growling and jumping all over each other. It will be better when I can walk away until they're calm, but I still don't trust Hazel to hold her bladder for more than 30sec after being let out of the crate. I forgot how ridiculous multiple dogs can be when they're excited about stuff.


I learned the hard way to open the back door then let the dogs out of crates when we come home. Bouncing is better done out of my small house anyway. Bucky doesn't mouth me but he sure mouths my daughter. I tell her to 'shun' him but she is lousy at it and he just barks at her. 

In bratty Bucky news both dogs went outside last night hunting critters. They ran next to one another silently [11pm, silent is best] no bouncing on G and when called they came in for a cookie, out again because I didn't close the door fast enough then in for the night. I suspect they are hoping for critters but there haven't actually been any out there, pretty sure their recalls aren't that good.


----------



## Eenypup

Watched the surveillance video of the cop fatally shooting a bully mix who ran outside her home when he randomly knocked on the owner's door. So so so sad and made me sick to my stomach. The dog just runs out to greet a visitor and within SECONDS is shot three times. When I saw her wagging her tail and she lay on the ground dying I just about lost it...


----------



## elrohwen

Watson so sucks at correcting. He basically uses all of his play body language, but really bares his teeth. He'll also kind of alpha roll her and pin her to the ground, but she thinks that's super fun of course. He's missing the part where you get really still, give the hard eye, and *then* bare teeth and lunge. Grey the ACD does that fantastically and he put Hazel right in her place last time we saw him. But Watson is like "I really don't like this but I'm still playing!"


----------



## DogTheGreat

The schnauzer I live with corrects by snapping and then immediately rolling onto her back. Not very effective to say the least.


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## Hiraeth

Eenypup said:


> Watched the surveillance video of the cop fatally shooting a bully mix who ran outside her home when he randomly knocked on the owner's door. So so so sad and made me sick to my stomach. The dog just runs out to greet a visitor and within SECONDS is shot three times. When I saw her wagging her tail and she lay on the ground dying I just about lost it...


I just watched it as well, and it is horribly sad. 

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I personally think that the best way to avoid this situation is to not allow your dog to rush out the front door at strangers. The owner could have prevented the incident by properly restraining their dog when answering the door. I always place my dogs in sit/stays or contain them in some way when opening the door for a stranger or law enforcement. 

Not everyone understands dog body language, so to many people, a dog running at them excitedly could easily be construed as aggression. Heck, people think my dogs are aggressive even when they're sitting still and panting, just because they're big and scary looking. Those of us who own breeds on the 'dangerous' lists need to be very careful about how our dogs are perceived, sadly, and any large dog rushing out of a home at a police officer is likely to get shot, regardless of the dog's intentions. 

Not justifying what the cop did, though I don't think he walks around in his spare time looking for ways to kill dogs in front of their owners and get away with it. I think a large, barking dog caught him unawares by rushing out of a home towards him over a very short distance, and his police training took over.

I feel horribly for the owners and the poor dog. What an awful set of circumstances.


----------



## Willowy

> The owner could have prevented the incident by properly restraining their dog when answering the door


Eh. . .I know a guy who claims (and I really have no reason to doubt him; the cops in this town are bullies who shoot dogs frequently and like to mess with people who are on probation because they can't do anything about it. But no real proof since it wasn't on video or anything) that his dog was looking out the door from behind his leg and the cop shot her right there 6 inches from his knee. And then you hear about the dogs who get shot in their own yards. I would be really reluctant to call the sheriff, sadly :/. Or at least I would secure the dogs in a locked interior room first.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I am lucky, cops in my general area (s) of the state seem to be awesome, at the worst I have met a few who had sticks up their asses, but they weren't unpleasant to deal with. It's just that in the rural areas there isn't enough of them lol. So that is why there is a "we don't dial 911" sign on the front gate of the ranch haha.

Ugh hubby's friend wants a puppy, an ACD, and while this will be his first, he is very capable and equipped to handle such a breed. Just thst his wife says she doesn't want a puppy, though she got all of her basses as puppies .... sorry and I know that is not my business, but I don't think that is fair.


----------



## ireth0

Yes, restraining the dog would have prevented the tragedy. But an officer shooting first and thinking/asking questions later is just not acceptable, end of story. They have a myriad of other options to defend themselves and subdue an attacker (or perceived attacker) before they have to go to killing them. 

I am definitely of the opinion that officers need more training in how to read dog body language and how to handle situations with dogs in general. There have been loads of times strange dogs have run at me and I wasn't afraid for my life because I knew they weren't coming at me to do harm.


----------



## Hiraeth

ireth0 said:


> Yes, restraining the dog would have prevented the tragedy. But an officer shooting first and thinking/asking questions later is just not acceptable, end of story. They have a myriad of other options to defend themselves and subdue an attacker (or perceived attacker) before they have to go to killing them.
> 
> I am definitely of the opinion that officers need more training in how to read dog body language and how to handle situations with dogs in general. There have been loads of times strange dogs have run at me and I wasn't afraid for my life because I knew they weren't coming at me to do harm.


I don't think that particular officer even had time to think "I wonder if this dog is going to bite me or not". In the video, you see him knock and then take several steps back. Due to the proximity of the dog to the door when the door was open, I assume the officer took several steps back because he heard a very loud (and maybe to him, vicious-sounding) dog barking. So when the owner opened the door and a large, black, barking dog emerged, I can't really blame the police officer in question for being alarmed. He was, after all, at the house because he thought a robbery may have occurred, so his internal warning signals for potential danger may already have been going off. 

I like to assume that this cop is a decent guy. He saw a car door open, wanted to make sure the occupants of the house were okay and therefore did a welfare check on them. That's not a 'bad cop' move - he was just trying to help out and it ended tragically.

It's not up to the police (or anyone who doesn't own dogs, frankly) to learn dog body language. It shouldn't be their job to decide 'is this a threat to me or not', when it comes to dogs. It's their job to decide whether people are a threat or not (which, admittedly they are very bad at, sometimes). It's the owner's job to make it *very* clear that a dog is not a threat to anyone. This owner did not do that at a very unfortunate time.

In my CPL and tactical/combat shooting courses, it was explained to me that if a police officer needed to enter my home for any reason, my dogs needed to be restrained or they would end up dead. And that makes total sense to me.

ETA: I imagine there's a whole lot of guilt and 'what ifs' floating around, in both the minds of the owner and the police officer. I don't think anyone in this particular situation is happy with this outcome.


----------



## CptJack

Frankly there have been cases of cops beating and/or overly aggressing at autistic HUMANS that they decided were being uncooperative as opposed to, you know, autistic. There is a lot wrong with the situation when cops default to 'shoot first'. I understand very, very well how on edge they are (believe me, I know - dad was a cop most of my life - also an abusive jerk but I know plenty of guys who aren't and are still traumatized and twitchy and all manner of messed up and had awful things happen) but it really cannot be their first reaction. These people are not just there to 'catch/hurt' the bad guys. They deal with victims and victim's families and provide all kinds of other services. Forget DOGS, this is dangerous to PEOPLE on top of it. 

Frankly maybe better psychological counseling and support or evaluations would help on top of better training - I don' t know - but there is clearly a big global issue and it needs a solution. 

And rationalizing 'they're scared and have reason to be so they shoot things/attack people/always expect trouble' is not it.


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## jade5280

I clipped 4 of Ryker'a nails last night and was actually able to get enough off that they even look clipped! They are still way too long though. Omg 2 years of counterconditioning might be paying off.....


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## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> Frankly there have been cases of cops beating and/or overly aggressing at autistic HUMANS that they decided were being uncooperative as opposed to, you know, autistic. There is a lot wrong with the situation when cops default to 'shoot first'. I understand very, very well how on edge they are (believe me, I know) but it really cannot be their first reaction. These people are not just there to 'catch/hurt' the bad guys. They deal with victims and victim's families and provide all kinds of other services.
> 
> Frankly maybe better psychological counseling and support would help on top of better training - I don' tknow - but there is clearly an issue and it needs a solution.


Oh yes, I'm not arguing that there are many horrible, corrupt, poorly trained police in this world. But, in this circumstance, it is an unavoidable argument that the owner needed to restrain the dog and not allow it to rush out the door at a complete stranger.

I wish there was audio - IF the cop yelled "please restrain your dog" before they opened the door, and they didn't comply, then that's a problem. And that is what every police officer who has knocked on my door has ever done. If he didn't yell that, it is still the owner's job to restrain the dog, but that makes the situation a little more grey. As it is, many of the articles about it are stating inaccurate and contradictory facts - the daughter claimed the dog was barking and that's what drew her to the door in one interview, then claims the dog wasn't barking in another.

I do not think I would have shot this dog in this circumstance, though my firearm certainly would have been drawn. There are situations in which I would shoot first and ask questions second. If I saw a large, unknown, unrestrained dog approaching a child and I was unable to get a read on the body language, for instance. Or in the same situation, but if it was approaching my dogs.

It's important to be aware that while many people are dog friendly and understanding of dog body language and behavior, not everyone is educated or experienced in that regard. I view it as my personal responsibility to make sure that people never feel threatened by my dogs, and I consider that of great importance in protecting my dog's safety. Everyone has a right to be scared of an unknown, unrestrained dog rushing at them out of a house. And I think it's everyone's responsibility to understand public perception (whether it's justified perception or not) of their particular dogs, and to take certain precautions when they own breeds that inspire fear in uneducated people (Pits, Rotts, Dobermans, Mastiffs, GSDs, etc). 

I think this case is sad in so many ways. The saddest is that the dog has lost it's life. One of the others is that the tragedy is being written about in such a way that it's 100% the man's fault. And because this is being heralded as absolutely his fault, no one is even bothering to mention that this could have been prevented by responsible dog ownership. The #1 way for everyone to protect their dogs and to prevent situations like this is to safely restrain them, end of story. After a dog has escaped the home and is running around, unrestrained, whether it is friendly or not, the chances for tragedy to occur are multiplied a hundredfold.

ETA: I wonder how this would have been perceived if it was the same circumstance, but not a male police officer. For instance, if I saw someone's car door open and wanted to be a good citizen and knocked on their door to let them know, then their large dog rushed me and I shot it... Would it be getting the same media coverage? I think not, especially because I'm a woman. Everyone would have viewed the threat as more 'real', I think, and my actions justifiable.


----------



## CptJack

The problem here is, that your average person is NOT going to think 'this policeman may be threatened by my dog', nor are they going to take the time to lock the dog up while a cop is knocking at their door. That's a nightmare situation for the person - there is a policeman at your door, knocking. WHY? Who's dead? What's wrong? OMG GET THEM IN! I doubt the owners were even thinking about the dog. They were very, very likely in panic mode - and we *don't* know what was going on in their lives but if a welfare check was being called for it was SOMETHING, be it minor or huge. 

Again, I understand the threat policemen face (this was not all about corrupt police officers and my post was not trying to imply that - my dad was a **** but that wasn't the gist - I saw what cops face). They provide a role in our society that is primarily one as public service. They come into people's lives with people are at their worst. Not just criminals committing crimes, but people who are VICTIMS of crime and in all kinds of 'public person in trouble and needs' help situations from lost kids to car breakdowns and accidents. So while I understand how and why they become fearful and do things like draw and shoot when it is not necessarily warranted, after so long of looking out for others and having targets on their own backs - they ARE held to a higher standard than the public. That's what they are there for.

If it means they get psychological counseling and work on destigmatizing that, awesome. If that means they have to have training on dog body language, fine. If it means they receive more training on when and how to recognize a disabled person and how to cope with them, awesome. If it means something else, also fine, but there is clearly a global issue. HUMANS are getting beaten and shot because the cops are reading things like disability as 'threat' and they've been trained to respond to threat with a lot of force. I get why. I do, and I do so pretty intimately. 

But that doesn't mean the onus is on the public to protect themselves and family (and dogs) FROM the police. It means the police need to look at what is going wrong and do something about it, so these situations are at least a lot more rare than they are.

Police are there to serve. Not be a scary presence people are afraid to approach. When you've got kids who are terrified to bits of police instead of willing to approach them in times of need - or even adults - you've got an organizational problem that needs to be looked at and dealt with - full stop.

I *don't* think this cop is corrupt, but I do think it is symptomatic of a systemic issue that needs to be looked at and worked on.


----------



## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> But that doesn't mean the onus is on the public to protect themselves and family (and dogs) FROM the police. It means the police need to look at what is going wrong and do something about it, so these situations are at least a lot more rare than they are.


I absolutely agree with everything you said except for this. 

As dog owners, the onus is absolutely, 100% on our shoulders to protect our dogs from the 'outside world' and to protect the 'outside world' from our dogs. Unless I am 100% sure that someone knows dogs, I interact with them as if they know nothing about dogs at all. It's an "every gun is loaded" mentality. Treat everyone like they're uneducated and then the likelihood of having problems occur between your dogs and strangers is at a minimum. 

I think part of the reason I feel strongly about this is because the rescues that I have dealt with. They were dangerous dogs when I adopted them, therefore I was very strongly aware of the dangers they could present to the public if I was irresponsible, even for a second. When I first adopted Loki, if he had escaped from my home, he would have attacked someone who got too close to him, no question about it. So, because of that experience, it is absolutely ingrained in me that when my dogs are out of my house, unrestrained, ANYTHING that happens to them, or anyone else, is my fault.

I think, instead of hailing this guy as a horrible, scheming dog murderer, this particular situation (and others) could be used to do a public outreach to educate people with dogs about how they need to interact with police in order to protect themselves, the police, and their pets. It's something that the general public never receives information on, I don't think. We're all taught when we get pulled over to pull to a safe spot on the road, roll all four windows down, turn the car off, keep our hands on the steering wheel so that the cop isn't wondering what we could be holding when he/she approaches and to inform the cop of where we are reaching for our license/registration. But teaching people 'not all policemen are dog people, they are armed and on high alert, please have your dogs in another room or in the back yard or on a leash or in a crate or wherever they will not make direct contact with the police officer' would be a great way to prevent *some* of these incidents from occurring.


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## CptJack

I am absolutely NOT hailing this guy as a horrible, evil, anything though I know some are.

And I do agree that some basic measures should be taken on the part of the public and to some degree are - see also, keep your hands in plain sight on the steering wheel at a traffic stop- but it HAS to go both ways.

Because when cops are going to the home of someone who is NOT a criminal or suspected of criminal activity, odds of them thinking 'let me put my dog in a stop stay or wait and put the dog in another room' are not high. Most cops going to homes of noncriminals are doing so to tell you someone is gravely injured or dead. Sometimes it's a welfare check, sometimes it's to hand you a flyer for a town event, but typically in off hours it's 'someone you love is badly hurt or dead'. That's *SCARY* for the home owner, too. 

Painting the dog owner as irresponsible and foolish for not stopping to tell the dog to sit and stay or asking a cop to wait when facing that and in that emotional state (and that's assuming they have no general fear of the police, as is now becoming ingrained in society) is no better than painting the cop as an evil jerk who kills puppies for fun when he was likely thinking "OH CRAP I AM GOING TO DIE".

Asking a policeman to recognize friendly dog language is not asking too much of them. I'm not saying 'confine your dog' necessarily IS asking too much, but frankly if anyone gets leeway, it's the non-professional in the situation, the one who's job description isn't 'protect and serve' and mostly the one carrying a gun. I know they're walking into an unknown and potential danger, but a startle reaction still shouldn't be 'shoot'. It should be 'assess'. Presumably he did, and just lacked the knowledge to read the situation accurately. 

Or he had a startle response and pulled the trigger. 

Still not evil. Still a problem.


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## Laurelin

I really think cops should have training about how to read dog body language because really... wouldn't MOST dogs go bark and growl at a person coming through the door? That is pretty typical dog behavior.


----------



## CptJack

And no, I don't think this has anything to do with the gender of the person.

Had you kicked the dog, run away, screamed, shouted, called animal control, whatever, it would have been fine, but anyone who jumps to deadly force because of their knee-jerk and/or ignorant (as in unfounded and uneducated) fear of something that is not actually presenting a threat and clearly so based on clear indicators present within the scenario has a problem. 

Deadly force for people is reserved for, you know, deadly threat. An Am Staff for one isn't a large dog and poses no threat to life to any adult of most sizes, and certainly not one rushing in a friendly way. 

Had a large friendly MAN rushed you and tried to hug you, and you shot them, you would be raked over the coals. See also disabled adults. 

If what amounts to your startle response is to shoot something, it's time for some psychological help. Yes, even if you're a cop. Or a serviceman. Servicemen who have done of thing after being in war zones go to jail. Cops? Oops. 

Not okay. Not the cops 'fault' per se, but not okay.

There's an issue. 

It needs fixed.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I really think cops should have training about how to read dog body language because really... wouldn't MOST dogs go bark and growl at a person coming through the door? That is pretty typical dog behavior.


I can promise you that if a cop knocked on our door, Thud would hit the door like a ton of bricks and roar. I would be able to restrain him rather than just opening the door and tell him to knock it off, but that's because I know his reaction is non-friendly. If I were not home, I would come home to a dead dog. I'd be largely okay with that, because well. Thud can be a threat - though they had better have legitimate reason for getting into my house, like a warrant and/or a 911 call for help and people who would restrain/no him being incapacitated.

It would not, however, occur to me to worry about my FRIENDLY dog running out the door when I open it, because a-) Presumably the cop is there with bad news or b-) I didn't check and people on the street don't respond to a dog rushing toward them by, you know, shooting them. They're not that wound up, I know cops face additional threat, but saying the owners did something wrong to me is just pure foolishness. My dogs don't typically door dash (can't remember the last time) and all have a wait at the door but STUFF HAPPENS. THEY ARE DOGS.

There's an issue with the cops reaction. I don't think it means he's evil, but this happens quite a bit and it's time for some systemic changes in how cops interact with dogs, the disabled, and people in general. If they can manage not to shoot a 300lb drunk man with a knife to death, they can manage not to shoot a 50lb happy dog. I mean, really.


----------



## ireth0

CptJack said:


> I know they're walking into an unknown and potential danger, but a startle reaction still shouldn't be 'shoot'. It should be 'assess'. Presumably he did, and just lacked the knowledge to read the situation accurately.
> 
> Or he had a startle response and pulled the trigger.
> 
> Still not evil. Still a problem.


Exactly this. Like I said, there are a myriad of ways a police officer has readily at their disposal to deal with a potential threat. The fact that the kneejerk reaction is 'shoot to kill' is not acceptable.


----------



## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> I am absolutely NOT hailing this guy as a horrible, evil, anything though I know some are.
> 
> And I do agree that some basic measures should be taken on the part of the public and to some degree are - see also, keep your hands in plain sight on the steering wheel at a traffic stop- but it HAS to go both ways.
> 
> Because when cops are going to the home of someone who is NOT a criminal or suspected of criminal activity, odds of them thinking 'let me put my dog in a stop stay or wait and put the dog in another room' are not high. Most cops going to homes of noncriminals are doing so to tell you someone is gravely injured or dead. Sometimes it's a welfare check, sometimes it's to hand you a flyer for a town event, but typically in off hours it's 'someone you love is badly hurt or dead'. That's *SCARY* for the home owner, too.
> 
> Painting the dog owner as irresponsible and foolish for not stopping to tell the dog to sit and stay or asking a cop to wait when facing that and in that emotional state (and that's assuming they have no general fear of the police, as is now becoming ingrained in society) is no better than painting the cop as an evil jerk who kills puppies for fun when he was likely thinking "OH CRAP I AM GOING TO DIE".
> 
> Asking a policeman to recognize friendly dog language is not asking too much of them. I'm not saying 'confine your dog' necessarily IS asking too much, but frankly if anyone gets leeway, it's the non-professional in the situation, the one who's job description isn't 'protect and serve' and mostly the one carrying a gun.


Yeah, I didn't think you were painting the cop that way at all, I just read some horribly biased articles and that probably translated into my response to you.

We can (and do) all have different ideas of what is responsible dog ownership versus what isn't. And in my personal opinion, shaped from my own experience, owning any large breed and allowing a situation where it rushed out of the home at a stranger standing outside is irresponsible. Anything that happens after a dog leaves a house unrestrained is the owner's fault. If the dog causes a fatal car accident, attacks or kills another animal, bites a person, gets hit by a car - every single one of those scenarios is the owner's fault.

We all know the procedure for getting pulled over, and tensions are really high when that happens, too, yet the procedure being drilled into our brains overpowers the stress. Police working WITH the public to 'train' civilians on how to handle their dogs in these situations could result in the same thing - dog owners having the training to process stressful situations in such a way that leads to increasing the safety of everyone involved, dogs included.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> I don't think that particular officer even had time to think "I wonder if this dog is going to bite me or not". In the video, you see him knock and then take several steps back. Due to the proximity of the dog to the door when the door was open, I assume the officer took several steps back because he heard a very loud (and maybe to him, vicious-sounding) dog barking. So when the owner opened the door and a large, black, barking dog emerged, I can't really blame the police officer in question for being alarmed. He was, after all, at the house because he thought a robbery may have occurred, so his internal warning signals for potential danger may already have been going off.
> 
> I like to assume that this cop is a decent guy. He saw a car door open, wanted to make sure the occupants of the house were okay and therefore did a welfare check on them. That's not a 'bad cop' move - he was just trying to help out and it ended tragically.
> 
> It's not up to the police (or anyone who doesn't own dogs, frankly) to learn dog body language. It shouldn't be their job to decide 'is this a threat to me or not', when it comes to dogs. It's their job to decide whether people are a threat or not (which, admittedly they are very bad at, sometimes). It's the owner's job to make it *very* clear that a dog is not a threat to anyone. This owner did not do that at a very unfortunate time.
> 
> In my CPL and tactical/combat shooting courses, it was explained to me that if a police officer needed to enter my home for any reason, my dogs needed to be restrained or they would end up dead. And that makes total sense to me.
> 
> ETA: I imagine there's a whole lot of guilt and 'what ifs' floating around, in both the minds of the owner and the police officer. I don't think anyone in this particular situation is happy with this outcome.


It doesnt matter what the cop is there for, without probable cause, he cannot enter the property and in this day and age, if a cop is at my door and I didnt not call him, you better believe I would be asking why he was there (and have before).



CptJack said:


> Frankly there have been cases of cops beating and/or overly aggressing at autistic HUMANS that they decided were being uncooperative as opposed to, you know, autistic. There is a lot wrong with the situation when cops default to 'shoot first'. I understand very, very well how on edge they are (believe me, I know - dad was a cop most of my life - also an abusive jerk but I know plenty of guys who aren't and are still traumatized and twitchy and all manner of messed up and had awful things happen) but it really cannot be their first reaction. These people are not just there to 'catch/hurt' the bad guys. They deal with victims and victim's families and provide all kinds of other services. Forget DOGS, this is dangerous to PEOPLE on top of it.
> 
> Frankly maybe better psychological counseling and support or evaluations would help on top of better training - I don' t know - but there is clearly a big global issue and it needs a solution.
> 
> And rationalizing 'they're scared and have reason to be so they shoot things/attack people/always expect trouble' is not it.


In the cop's defense, people who are mentally challenged can be dangerous sometimes.



Hiraeth said:


> Oh yes, I'm not arguing that there are many horrible, corrupt, poorly trained police in this world. But, in this circumstance, it is an unavoidable argument that the owner needed to restrain the dog and not allow it to rush out the door at a complete stranger.
> 
> I wish there was audio - IF the cop yelled "please restrain your dog" before they opened the door, and they didn't comply, then that's a problem. And that is what every police officer who has knocked on my door has ever done. If he didn't yell that, it is still the owner's job to restrain the dog, but that makes the situation a little more grey. As it is, many of the articles about it are stating inaccurate and contradictory facts - the daughter claimed the dog was barking and that's what drew her to the door in one interview, then claims the dog wasn't barking in another.
> 
> I do not think I would have shot this dog in this circumstance, though my firearm certainly would have been drawn. There are situations in which I would shoot first and ask questions second. If I saw a large, unknown, unrestrained dog approaching a child and I was unable to get a read on the body language, for instance. Or in the same situation, but if it was approaching my dogs.
> 
> It's important to be aware that while many people are dog friendly and understanding of dog body language and behavior, not everyone is educated or experienced in that regard. I view it as my personal responsibility to make sure that people never feel threatened by my dogs, and I consider that of great importance in protecting my dog's safety. Everyone has a right to be scared of an unknown, unrestrained dog rushing at them out of a house. And I think it's everyone's responsibility to understand public perception (whether it's justified perception or not) of their particular dogs, and to take certain precautions when they own breeds that inspire fear in uneducated people (Pits, Rotts, Dobermans, Mastiffs, GSDs, etc).
> 
> I think this case is sad in so many ways. The saddest is that the dog has lost it's life. One of the others is that the tragedy is being written about in such a way that it's 100% the man's fault. And because this is being heralded as absolutely his fault, no one is even bothering to mention that this could have been prevented by responsible dog ownership. The #1 way for everyone to protect their dogs and to prevent situations like this is to safely restrain them, end of story. After a dog has escaped the home and is running around, unrestrained, whether it is friendly or not, the chances for tragedy to occur are multiplied a hundredfold.
> 
> ETA: I wonder how this would have been perceived if it was the same circumstance, but not a male police officer. For instance, if I saw someone's car door open and wanted to be a good citizen and knocked on their door to let them know, then their large dog rushed me and I shot it... Would it be getting the same media coverage? I think not, especially because I'm a woman. Everyone would have viewed the threat as more 'real', I think, and my actions justifiable.


I agree, I think some kind of training in dog behavior should ne included in cop training, because honestly even K9 officers arent what I would call well versed in doggy lingo.



CptJack said:


> The problem here is, that your average person is NOT going to think 'this policeman may be threatened by my dog', nor are they going to take the time to lock the dog up while a cop is knocking at their door. That's a nightmare situation for the person - there is a policeman at your door, knocking. WHY? Who's dead? What's wrong? OMG GET THEM IN! I doubt the owners were even thinking about the dog. They were very, very likely in panic mode - and we *don't* know what was going on in their lives but if a welfare check was being called for it was SOMETHING, be it minor or huge.
> 
> Again, I understand the threat policemen face (this was not all about corrupt police officers and my post was not trying to imply that - my dad was a **** but that wasn't the gist - I saw what cops face). They provide a role in our society that is primarily one as public service. They come into people's lives with people are at their worst. Not just criminals committing crimes, but people who are VICTIMS of crime and in all kinds of 'public person in trouble and needs' help situations from lost kids to car breakdowns and accidents. So while I understand how and why they become fearful and do things like draw and shoot when it is not necessarily warranted, after so long of looking out for others and having targets on their own backs - they ARE held to a higher standard than the public. That's what they are there for.
> 
> If it means they get psychological counseling and work on destigmatizing that, awesome. If that means they have to have training on dog body language, fine. If it means they receive more training on when and how to recognize a disabled person and how to cope with them, awesome. If it means something else, also fine, but there is clearly a global issue. HUMANS are getting beaten and shot because the cops are reading things like disability as 'threat' and they've been trained to respond to threat with a lot of force. I get why. I do, and I do so pretty intimately.
> 
> But that doesn't mean the onus is on the public to protect themselves and family (and dogs) FROM the police. It means the police need to look at what is going wrong and do something about it, so these situations are at least a lot more rare than they are.
> 
> Police are there to serve. Not be a scary presence people are afraid to approach. When you've got kids who are terrified to bits of police instead of willing to approach them in times of need - or even adults - you've got an organizational problem that needs to be looked at and dealt with - full stop.
> 
> I *don't* think this cop is corrupt, but I do think it is symptomatic of a systemic issue that needs to be looked at and worked on.





CptJack said:


> I am absolutely NOT hailing this guy as a horrible, evil, anything though I know some are.
> 
> And I do agree that some basic measures should be taken on the part of the public and to some degree are - see also, keep your hands in plain sight on the steering wheel at a traffic stop- but it HAS to go both ways.
> 
> Because when cops are going to the home of someone who is NOT a criminal or suspected of criminal activity, odds of them thinking 'let me put my dog in a stop stay or wait and put the dog in another room' are not high. Most cops going to homes of noncriminals are doing so to tell you someone is gravely injured or dead. Sometimes it's a welfare check, sometimes it's to hand you a flyer for a town event, but typically in off hours it's 'someone you love is badly hurt or dead'. That's *SCARY* for the home owner, too.
> 
> Painting the dog owner as irresponsible and foolish for not stopping to tell the dog to sit and stay or asking a cop to wait when facing that and in that emotional state (and that's assuming they have no general fear of the police, as is now becoming ingrained in society) is no better than painting the cop as an evil jerk who kills puppies for fun when he was likely thinking "OH CRAP I AM GOING TO DIE".
> 
> Asking a policeman to recognize friendly dog language is not asking too much of them. I'm not saying 'confine your dog' necessarily IS asking too much, but frankly if anyone gets leeway, it's the non-professional in the situation, the one who's job description isn't 'protect and serve' and mostly the one carrying a gun. I know they're walking into an unknown and potential danger, but a startle reaction still shouldn't be 'shoot'. It should be 'assess'. Presumably he did, and just lacked the knowledge to read the situation accurately.
> 
> Or he had a startle response and pulled the trigger.
> 
> Still not evil. Still a problem.


Oh I am kind of calling him evil, because cops carry pepper spray they ALL do, and he had plenty of time to use it, they dont NEED to use their guns. 

I actually was almost shot during a traffic stop because I reached for my wallet (which was in my glovebox) when the cop was in the process of getting out of his car, next thing I know, the spot light from his cruiser comes on and I have a gun in my face. I was like WTF!

"Get your hands where I can see them!" he yells at me, so I do, I put my hands on the steering wheel, my wallet, which I had just grabbed was in my hand, the glovebox was still open. "What were you grabbing!" he yells again. "Uh ... my wallet, see?" I say as I wave it at him, I know it was stupid, but it was the end of a very bad night of work and I blurted out. "You know I would appreciate it if you would get your gun out of my face, I am unarmed and I am not a threat to you." I was shocked when he ... did ... and he almost looked ... apologetic about it. He was very nice and polite to me for the rest of the traffic stop, he even gave me a warning and I was going 10 miles over easy.



Laurelin said:


> I really think cops should have training about how to read dog body language because really... wouldn't MOST dogs go bark and growl at a person coming through the door? That is pretty typical dog behavior.


Agreed.



CptJack said:


> I can promise you that if a cop knocked on our door, Thud would hit the door like a ton of bricks and roar. I would be able to restrain him rather than just opening the door and tell him to knock it off, but that's because I know his reaction is non-friendly. If I were not home, I would come home to a dead dog. I'd be largely okay with that, because well. Thud can be a threat - though they had better have legitimate reason for getting into my house, like a warrant and/or a 911 call for help and people who would restrain/no him being incapacitated.
> 
> It would not, however, occur to me to worry about my FRIENDLY dog running out the door when I open it, because a-) Presumably the cop is there with bad news or b-) I didn't check and people on the street don't respond to a dog rushing toward them by, you know, shooting them. They're not that wound up, I know cops face additional threat, but saying the owners did something wrong to me is just pure foolishness. My dogs don't typically door dash (can't remember the last time) and all have a wait at the door but STUFF HAPPENS. THEY ARE DOGS.
> 
> There's an issue with the cops reaction. I don't think it means he's evil, but this happens quite a bit and it's time for some systemic changes in how cops interact with dogs, the disabled, and people in general. If they can manage not to shoot a 300lb drunk man with a knife to death, they can manage not to shoot a 50lb happy dog. I mean, really.


Lincoln looks nasty, too but he is 18" tall and not even 40lbs soaking wet, so yes, in his case, I would be livid (well I would be anyway but you know what I mean) if a cop shot him, because I mean come on, he is basically an ankle biter, what can he do? LOL.


----------



## Willowy

> It doesnt matter what the cop is there for, without probable cause, he cannot enter the property


As I understand it, they can come on your property without permission/warrant but not enter your house (unless, say, someone is screaming in the back room or other exigent circumstances). So that kind of stinks as far as keeping the dogs in a fenced yard :/.


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> As I understand it, they can come on your property without permission/warrant but not enter your house (unless, say, someone is screaming in the back room or other exigent circumstances). So that kind of stinks as far as keeping the dogs in a fenced yard :/.


Yeah, they can be on your property at any time, for any reason. Not in the house without na invitation or warrant or something dangerous/immediate evidence of a crime in plain view, but they don't need permission to be in your yard/on your land for any reason whatsoever.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> I don't think that particular officer even had time to think "I wonder if this dog is going to bite me or not". In the video, you see him knock and then take several steps back. Due to the proximity of the dog to the door when the door was open, I assume the officer took several steps back because he heard a very loud (and maybe to him, vicious-sounding) dog barking. So when the owner opened the door and a large, black, barking dog emerged, I can't really blame the police officer in question for being alarmed. He was, after all, at the house because he thought a robbery may have occurred, so his internal warning signals for potential danger may already have been going off.
> 
> I like to assume that this cop is a decent guy. He saw a car door open, wanted to make sure the occupants of the house were okay and therefore did a welfare check on them. That's not a 'bad cop' move - he was just trying to help out and it ended tragically.
> 
> It's not up to the police (or anyone who doesn't own dogs, frankly) to learn dog body language. It shouldn't be their job to decide 'is this a threat to me or not', when it comes to dogs. It's their job to decide whether people are a threat or not (which, admittedly they are very bad at, sometimes). It's the owner's job to make it *very* clear that a dog is not a threat to anyone. This owner did not do that at a very unfortunate time.
> 
> In my CPL and tactical/combat shooting courses, it was explained to me that if a police officer needed to enter my home for any reason, my dogs needed to be restrained or they would end up dead. And that makes total sense to me.
> 
> ETA: I imagine there's a whole lot of guilt and 'what ifs' floating around, in both the minds of the owner and the police officer. I don't think anyone in this particular situation is happy with this outcome.





CptJack said:


> Frankly there have been cases of cops beating and/or overly aggressing at autistic HUMANS that they decided were being uncooperative as opposed to, you know, autistic. There is a lot wrong with the situation when cops default to 'shoot first'. I understand very, very well how on edge they are (believe me, I know - dad was a cop most of my life - also an abusive jerk but I know plenty of guys who aren't and are still traumatized and twitchy and all manner of messed up and had awful things happen) but it really cannot be their first reaction. These people are not just there to 'catch/hurt' the bad guys. They deal with victims and victim's families and provide all kinds of other services. Forget DOGS, this is dangerous to PEOPLE on top of it.
> 
> Frankly maybe better psychological counseling and support or evaluations would help on top of better training - I don' t know - but there is clearly a big global issue and it needs a solution.
> 
> And rationalizing 'they're scared and have reason to be so they shoot things/attack people/always expect trouble' is not it.





Hiraeth said:


> Oh yes, I'm not arguing that there are many horrible, corrupt, poorly trained police in this world. But, in this circumstance, it is an unavoidable argument that the owner needed to restrain the dog and not allow it to rush out the door at a complete stranger.
> 
> I wish there was audio - IF the cop yelled "please restrain your dog" before they opened the door, and they didn't comply, then that's a problem. And that is what every police officer who has knocked on my door has ever done. If he didn't yell that, it is still the owner's job to restrain the dog, but that makes the situation a little more grey. As it is, many of the articles about it are stating inaccurate and contradictory facts - the daughter claimed the dog was barking and that's what drew her to the door in one interview, then claims the dog wasn't barking in another.
> 
> I do not think I would have shot this dog in this circumstance, though my firearm certainly would have been drawn. There are situations in which I would shoot first and ask questions second. If I saw a large, unknown, unrestrained dog approaching a child and I was unable to get a read on the body language, for instance. Or in the same situation, but if it was approaching my dogs.
> 
> It's important to be aware that while many people are dog friendly and understanding of dog body language and behavior, not everyone is educated or experienced in that regard. I view it as my personal responsibility to make sure that people never feel threatened by my dogs, and I consider that of great importance in protecting my dog's safety. Everyone has a right to be scared of an unknown, unrestrained dog rushing at them out of a house. And I think it's everyone's responsibility to understand public perception (whether it's justified perception or not) of their particular dogs, and to take certain precautions when they own breeds that inspire fear in uneducated people (Pits, Rotts, Dobermans, Mastiffs, GSDs, etc).
> 
> I think this case is sad in so many ways. The saddest is that the dog has lost it's life. One of the others is that the tragedy is being written about in such a way that it's 100% the man's fault. And because this is being heralded as absolutely his fault, no one is even bothering to mention that this could have been prevented by responsible dog ownership. The #1 way for everyone to protect their dogs and to prevent situations like this is to safely restrain them, end of story. After a dog has escaped the home and is running around, unrestrained, whether it is friendly or not, the chances for tragedy to occur are multiplied a hundredfold.
> 
> ETA: I wonder how this would have been perceived if it was the same circumstance, but not a male police officer. For instance, if I saw someone's car door open and wanted to be a good citizen and knocked on their door to let them know, then their large dog rushed me and I shot it... Would it be getting the same media coverage? I think not, especially because I'm a woman. Everyone would have viewed the threat as more 'real', I think, and my actions justifiable.





CptJack said:


> The problem here is, that your average person is NOT going to think 'this policeman may be threatened by my dog', nor are they going to take the time to lock the dog up while a cop is knocking at their door. That's a nightmare situation for the person - there is a policeman at your door, knocking. WHY? Who's dead? What's wrong? OMG GET THEM IN! I doubt the owners were even thinking about the dog. They were very, very likely in panic mode - and we *don't* know what was going on in their lives but if a welfare check was being called for it was SOMETHING, be it minor or huge.
> 
> Again, I understand the threat policemen face (this was not all about corrupt police officers and my post was not trying to imply that - my dad was a **** but that wasn't the gist - I saw what cops face). They provide a role in our society that is primarily one as public service. They come into people's lives with people are at their worst. Not just criminals committing crimes, but people who are VICTIMS of crime and in all kinds of 'public person in trouble and needs' help situations from lost kids to car breakdowns and accidents. So while I understand how and why they become fearful and do things like draw and shoot when it is not necessarily warranted, after so long of looking out for others and having targets on their own backs - they ARE held to a higher standard than the public. That's what they are there for.
> 
> If it means they get psychological counseling and work on destigmatizing that, awesome. If that means they have to have training on dog body language, fine. If it means they receive more training on when and how to recognize a disabled person and how to cope with them, awesome. If it means something else, also fine, but there is clearly a global issue. HUMANS are getting beaten and shot because the cops are reading things like disability as 'threat' and they've been trained to respond to threat with a lot of force. I get why. I do, and I do so pretty intimately.
> 
> But that doesn't mean the onus is on the public to protect themselves and family (and dogs) FROM the police. It means the police need to look at what is going wrong and do something about it, so these situations are at least a lot more rare than they are.
> 
> Police are there to serve. Not be a scary presence people are afraid to approach. When you've got kids who are terrified to bits of police instead of willing to approach them in times of need - or even adults - you've got an organizational problem that needs to be looked at and dealt with - full stop.
> 
> I *don't* think this cop is corrupt, but I do think it is symptomatic of a systemic issue that needs to be looked at and worked on.





CptJack said:


> I am absolutely NOT hailing this guy as a horrible, evil, anything though I know some are.
> 
> And I do agree that some basic measures should be taken on the part of the public and to some degree are - see also, keep your hands in plain sight on the steering wheel at a traffic stop- but it HAS to go both ways.
> 
> Because when cops are going to the home of someone who is NOT a criminal or suspected of criminal activity, odds of them thinking 'let me put my dog in a stop stay or wait and put the dog in another room' are not high. Most cops going to homes of noncriminals are doing so to tell you someone is gravely injured or dead. Sometimes it's a welfare check, sometimes it's to hand you a flyer for a town event, but typically in off hours it's 'someone you love is badly hurt or dead'. That's *SCARY* for the home owner, too.
> 
> Painting the dog owner as irresponsible and foolish for not stopping to tell the dog to sit and stay or asking a cop to wait when facing that and in that emotional state (and that's assuming they have no general fear of the police, as is now becoming ingrained in society) is no better than painting the cop as an evil jerk who kills puppies for fun when he was likely thinking "OH CRAP I AM GOING TO DIE".
> 
> Asking a policeman to recognize friendly dog language is not asking too much of them. I'm not saying 'confine your dog' necessarily IS asking too much, but frankly if anyone gets leeway, it's the non-professional in the situation, the one who's job description isn't 'protect and serve' and mostly the one carrying a gun. I know they're walking into an unknown and potential danger, but a startle reaction still shouldn't be 'shoot'. It should be 'assess'. Presumably he did, and just lacked the knowledge to read the situation accurately.
> 
> Or he had a startle response and pulled the trigger.
> 
> Still not evil. Still a problem.





Laurelin said:


> I really think cops should have training about how to read dog body language because really... wouldn't MOST dogs go bark and growl at a person coming through the door? That is pretty typical dog behavior.





CptJack said:


> Yeah, they can be on your property at any time, for any reason. Not in the house without na invitation or warrant or something dangerous/immediate evidence of a crime in plain view, but they don't need permission to be in your yard/on your land for any reason whatsoever.


I am pretty sure there are regional laws concerning that, like its different in each area, I will have to check out the laws in my area.

Here is the 4th amendment:
_“The four factors are [1] the proximity of the area claimed to be curtilage to the home, [2] whether the area is included within an enclosure surrounding the home, [3] the nature of the uses to which the area is put, and [4] the steps taken by the resident to protect the area from observation by people passing by. These factors are not to be applied mechanically, but are simply useful analytical tools to consider the central question of whether the area in question is so intimately tied to the home itself that it should be placed under the home's 'umbrella' of Fourth Amendment protection. United States v. Jenkins, 124 F3d 768, 772 (6th Cir. 1997)(internal citations omitted)_

In my case, the gate to our property is locked, or closed, a police officer without probable cause would not be able to enter our property because he would either have to 1) jump the fence or 2) cut the lock to be able to drive through (which he would have to do, since our house is over a mile from the county road LOL) and both would be trespassing.

If I CALL them, obviously, I am going to go down and unlock the gate for them, and have my dogs secured. But no, if come cop just showed up at my yard gate (after gaining unlawful entry which he would have to do) and shot one or more of our dogs for barking at him (they would be behind a secure fence with no way to get to him) then yeah, I would be pissed.


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am pretty sure there are regional laws concerning that, like its different in each area, I will have to check out the laws in my area.


I don't think so. I think the Supreme Court ruled on that so it applies everywhere.


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> I don't think so. I think the Supreme Court ruled on that so it applies everywhere.


Yep. 


Now, to some degree it does require a reason - they can't just bust into your house or hang out having a picnic on your lawn - but it doesn't have to be a big serious reason. If they are in pursuit of a criminal or suspect a crime going on (that involves you or doesn't - like they think someone else is growing pot on your land, or have reports of you shooting off illegal fireworks (deliberately minor thing), think someone is in danger (hiker got lost), need to serve a warrant or summons, or otherwise doing ANY kind of 'business' (even delivering notices about the police fundraiser), you bet your BUTT they can be on your property without a warrant or your permission. Besides, how do you expect them to come to your door to do a welfare check without crossing your property? That's official business, can happen at any time, and your dog being in the yard really isn't going to stop them.

They're going to open the gate, walk up your yard, and knock on your door. 

If a criminal is running through your back yard, and they're in pursuit, they're going to follow.

If they get that report about fireworks, they're going to come check it out and/or knock on your door to talk to you. 

If someone calls because kids screaming - they're coming onto your property and listening. Then they're going to knock and talk.

If your neighbor thinks you're up to something/mad at you and calls the cop or you're having a loud argument and storm back to your house, they're going to come walk on your property and knock on the door.

They do NOT need your permission to be there, in any regard, in anything even remotely police related. They need a warrant or permission to enter buildings (unless they see contraband or an illegal situation), they need your permission to hang out and stay beyond that official business, but if you think they can't walk up to your house, across your property, any time and pound on your door, you're dead wrong. 

And no, it doesn't matter if you're in Texas or Alaska or Downtown Chicago.


----------



## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> They do NOT need your permission to be there, in any regard, in anything even remotely police related. They need a warrant or permission to enter buildings (unless they see contraband or an illegal situation), they need your permission to hang out and stay beyond that official business, but if you think they can't walk up to your house, across your property, any time and pound on your door, you're dead wrong.
> 
> And no, it doesn't matter if you're in Texas or Alaska or Downtown Chicago.


How does this work with fenced yards, do you know? For instance, if my dogs were in a fenced yard and a cop shot my dog because he needed access and felt threatened by a dog who couldn't directly reach him, would that be legal? 

I've never looked into this part of the law, as I don't have a fenced yard, I just know to contain the dogs in my home.


----------



## Willowy

Hiraeth said:


> How does this work with fenced yards, do you know? For instance, if my dogs were in a fenced yard and a cop shot my dog because he needed access and felt threatened by a dog who couldn't directly reach him, would that be legal?
> 
> I've never looked into this part of the law, as I don't have a fenced yard, I just know to contain the dogs in my home.


Unfortunately yes. It happens a lot. If they need (or "need") to be in your yard, too bad, doggie.


----------



## Hiraeth

Willowy said:


> Unfortunately yes. It happens a lot. If they need (or "need") to be in your yard, too bad, doggie.


Hmmmm. Yet another reason to add to the list of why people shouldn't leave dogs in the yard unsupervised for lengthy periods of time or when they aren't home, I suppose. Seems like a law with a lot of grey area, to me.


----------



## CptJack

Hiraeth said:


> Hmmmm. Yet another reason to add to the list of why people shouldn't leave dogs in the yard unsupervised for lengthy periods of time or when they aren't home, I suppose. Seems like a law with a lot of grey area, to me.


Maybe, maybe not re: grey area, but there actually have been cases of this happening and the LAW doesn't seem to think it's a grey area at all. If the cop needs to be there, and they feel threatened, they can and will shoot your dog. 

And honestly even if you're out there with the dog and the cop walks up, what exactly are you going to do if the dog's on the other side of the yard, to prevent the dog from running toward the gate or barking? Or even INSIDE the house when the cop comes to the door - the dog doesn't have to come OUT THE DOOR to be a problem/perceived threat and the cop to shoot your dog (and that one's happened too.)

Cops and dogs are GOING to interact, because the public owns dogs and cops work with/for the public. Cops need to be able to be taught how to tell when there's a danger and when there isn't, full stop, and be held accountable when there's not.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Yep.
> 
> 
> Now, to some degree it does require a reason - they can't just bust into your house or hang out having a picnic on your lawn - but it doesn't have to be a big serious reason. If they are in pursuit of a criminal or suspect a crime going on (that involves you or doesn't - like they think someone else is growing pot on your land, or have reports of you shooting off illegal fireworks (deliberately minor thing), think someone is in danger (hiker got lost), need to serve a warrant or summons, or otherwise doing ANY kind of 'business' (even delivering notices about the police fundraiser), you bet your BUTT they can be on your property without a warrant or your permission. Besides, how do you expect them to come to your door to do a welfare check without crossing your property? That's official business, can happen at any time, and your dog being in the yard really isn't going to stop them.
> 
> They're going to open the gate, walk up your yard, and knock on your door.
> 
> If a criminal is running through your back yard, and they're in pursuit, they're going to follow.
> 
> If they get that report about fireworks, they're going to come check it out and/or knock on your door to talk to you.
> 
> If someone calls because kids screaming - they're coming onto your property and listening. Then they're going to knock and talk.
> 
> If your neighbor thinks you're up to something/mad at you and calls the cop or you're having a loud argument and storm back to your house, they're going to come walk on your property and knock on the door.
> 
> They do NOT need your permission to be there, in any regard, in anything even remotely police related. They need a warrant or permission to enter buildings (unless they see contraband or an illegal situation), they need your permission to hang out and stay beyond that official business, but if you think they can't walk up to your house, across your property, any time and pound on your door, you're dead wrong.
> 
> And no, it doesn't matter if you're in Texas or Alaska or Downtown Chicago.


It is different in the city, remember I live out in the middle of BFE, my house is a MILE from the county road, and the start of our private road is almost a 1/4 of a mile down the county road. Like I said, to even GET to our house, the cop would have to CUT the lock or the chain off our gate and drive up, through 3 gates to get to the house. 

Yeah ... no ... that would be trespass.


----------



## Eenypup

Yes, in a perfect world everyone would contain their dogs 100% of the time around strangers. But to me it's completely understandable for the owner of a very friendly dog to be a bit more lax (she was grabbing for the dog when she started door dashing) about securing your dog before opening the door for a stranger. Rude to let your dog be unruly and run at someone at your door, sure! Would I have been mad if the officer was afraid of the dog and chose to kick it, shoo it away, even use his taser? No. I personally would wait to see if the dog was friendly before reacting with violence, and knowing that he had a taser AND a gun if NEED BE and the dog DID bite, he should not have reacted so rashly. Completely and utterly uncalled for. He was a grown man and this was a 40 lb dog. He was not going to be killed. His life was never in danger. If his end game for a dog bite was to shoot it dead, they could test for rabies or whatever else. He was never going to die.

This and so many other instances (yes - against human citizens as well as people's pet dogs) really show the need for more adequate training. Cops are just too trigger happy. That is not supposed to be their first response just because they carry a gun. How was he protecting or serving that family by killing their dog in front of them within two seconds of opening their front door? And dogs are so common in our society, and have been harmed and killed unnecessarily by so many cops, it's clear to me that cops should have training on dog body language or how to disengage with a potentially dangerous/aggressive dog WITHOUT killing it unless utterly necessary.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

yes "" training"" for LE... 13 years in LE I never drew my weapon which includes never discharging it, never sent my dog on anyone.. (doesn't count if the person came at me and the dog lunged up and got them  ) When I was called to sweep a residence with my dog that the back door was wide open. I stopped as soon as I entered the backyard and said this house has dogs and wouldn't proceed with my dog... The house did have dogs... GSD in the living room with a large litter of pups, and two Dobermans in an upstairs bedroom behind a closed door.. Was CQ at the kennels when a call came in for the K9 unit on duty to respond to an Autistic tween in the street with a knife.. I stopped the K9 unit from leaving the kennels and called the Desk SGT to say no .. K9 will not be responding to that call.. Couldn't believe the lack of understanding of what force to use and what force not to use...


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> It is different in the city, remember I live out in the middle of BFE, my house is a MILE from the county road, and the start of our private road is almost a 1/4 of a mile down the county road. Like I said, to even GET to our house, the cop would have to CUT the lock or the chain off our gate and drive up, through 3 gates to get to the house.
> 
> Yeah ... no ... that would be trespass.


The part of the law you quoted would be referring to, say, a sunroom or a smallish area with a tall wooden fence around it. . .so that basically it becomes a part of the house. Not the rest of your property. Now, I think it's highly unlikely a LEO would cut the lock to get to your house but if one did it would not be trespassing if there an LE reason to be there (and why else would he/she be there?), whether or not you agree with their reason. 

On an overseas military base, we were told "nothing is yours. You have no rights". I realize civilian life is not so different when you get down to it .


----------



## PatriciafromCO

we had rules on and off post lots of rules for procedures........ * pursuing *someone yes they go right through your property, right into your house.... (if they were in pursuit). 

There was no breaking into a home or property *"cold"*... you had to have enough cause to present to a judge for a judge to sign off on...

immediate danger of loss of life, or loss of evidence but you better be able to back it up.. 

Just because LE do what they do, doesn't make it legal...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Eenypup said:


> Yes, in a perfect world everyone would contain their dogs 100% of the time around strangers. But to me it's completely understandable for the owner of a very friendly dog to be a bit more lax (she was grabbing for the dog when she started door dashing) about securing your dog before opening the door for a stranger. Rude to let your dog be unruly and run at someone at your door, sure! Would I have been mad if the officer was afraid of the dog and chose to kick it, shoo it away, even use his taser? No. I personally would wait to see if the dog was friendly before reacting with violence, and knowing that he had a taser AND a gun if NEED BE and the dog DID bite, he should not have reacted so rashly. Completely and utterly uncalled for. He was a grown man and this was a 40 lb dog. He was not going to be killed. His life was never in danger. If his end game for a dog bite was to shoot it dead, they could test for rabies or whatever else. He was never going to die.
> 
> This and so many other instances (yes - against human citizens as well as people's pet dogs) really show the need for more adequate training. Cops are just too trigger happy. That is not supposed to be their first response just because they carry a gun. How was he protecting or serving that family by killing their dog in front of them within two seconds of opening their front door? And dogs are so common in our society, and have been harmed and killed unnecessarily by so many cops, it's clear to me that cops should have training on dog body language or how to disengage with a potentially dangerous/aggressive dog WITHOUT killing it unless utterly necessary.


I totally agree!


----------



## CptJack

But at the same time - you're called to do a welfare check on someone. How do you get to their house without going through their yard? That's not even touching warrants, summons, and the like. Pure welfare check - they're going to walk up to your house and knock on the door, the same as the UPS guy or the guy who reads your meter. The difference is LE have a gun.


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## Willowy

I *think* your sidewalk, etc. is considered somewhat public, in that you need to keep it cleared and safe for random people to walk on, and can't prosecute someone for trespass if they stay on your front walk (or other reasonable access to your home). Because people are allowed to walk up and knock on your door. But they can't go wandering off around the property. But if you're not answering the door, a cop can go looking in your windows and stuff. Or maybe they can't but they do .


----------



## PatriciafromCO

agree CptJack.. being there for official reason they will have the right to do what they need to do. they should use common sense to ask the concern party that request a welfare check if they residence has animals. And have an Animal Control unit to assist. So much common sense..

I filled out a card for the Electric company about multiple big dogs, but they don't use it... Idiots,,,, my vehicle parked in the front of the house, parked 100ft from my front door, and just went straight for my backyard gate to find it with a chain and pad lock and making noise about trying to bend it open..... that is when the dogs flew out of the house and right at him.. Only thing that saved him was a chain back gate that prevented him from entering the dog area... 

Very few will bolt cut a chain gate in a non emergency...


----------



## ireth0

Willowy said:


> But if you're not answering the door, a cop can go looking in your windows and stuff. Or maybe they can't but they do .


They can and it makes sense. If you're not answering your door it might be because you're in distress inside (especially if, say, your car is home or a car other than yours is in the driveway or etc).


----------



## Laurelin

My next dog is for sure going to be from a biddable breed. I don't even care about the rest of it.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> My next dog is for sure going to be from a biddable breed. I don't even care about the rest of it.


We amuse me. I know it's sad, but you and Hank and me and Molly and we're both just like '...NOT DOING THIS AGAIN'.


----------



## Laurelin

Maybe we should trade for a week? lol

Papillons and shelties spoil the heck out of you. That's what I've decided. 

Apparently I really really like biddable dogs.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah. You take the biddable reactive one, I'll take the bitey not-biddable one. It'll work out. I'm kind of used to hard biting and not listening, and I know you're used to the reactive thing on some level or another. We'll call it vacation, then trade back. 

Or just be really relieved to trade back. 

Win/Win.


----------



## Laurelin

I don't even know if he is or isn't biddable but he's sure as heck NOT a sheltie or papillon who breathes for their owner. And it's so weird.,

But yes I would like a vacation.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

My next dog I know is going to be a more biddable breed (mini poodle) and I know I am going to be bored haha. I guess I am the only one who likes my dogs "jerkiness"


----------



## Laurelin

I like a good in between. Mia is about perfect (*coughcough* I know... I brag on her too much). She prefers me to anything in the world and environment but she most definitely has her own mind and thoughts. Summer is exceedingly biddable and that's nice too but she's almost too good sometimes. Though I honestly think my household needs one Summer dog all the time for my sanity's sake. 

If I could get over poodle hair, they might be on my list. I really like mini poodles.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I have an Aussie and a Border Collie.. and I still don't know what it's like to have a dog that wants to please me entirely. Kairi can be hard headed, even though she does want to please me some and have fun. Ember cares way more about playing with her toys than pleasing me. She will please me.. to get the toys. And even then sometimes toys keep her from understanding a word I am saying. I don't even know. Maybe I need a Golden Retriever.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh Hank will do anything for a toy or food. But like... environment vs me without food? SEE YA! What really gets me with Hank is half the time he doesn't even acknowledge my existence. I mean around the house he does but out and about? Nope. Not at all. I have to work hard for him to remember I exist at all.

Summer only would blow me off for one thing and that was people.


----------



## CptJack

Molly has reached this point where toys only matter if they are in my hand. The ONE exception, the literal only toy she will play on her own with, is the Jolly ball and even that she brings to me to play near me. That dog would crawl through broken fire to give me what I asked and nothing trumps that. 

Except other dogs. Then her brain falls out. If we could get past that, she'd be incredible.

Kylie is... not actually crazy biddable? She works for food and to do things she finds fun, I'm realizing more as she gets older, but she loves me a whole lot and really LIKES to work and train. It's just - if it's not fun, she doesn't want to and if there's nothing apparent in it for her she's not going to, either. She doesn't have that same "JUST LET ME DO THINGS FOR YOU" that Molly has. She's a good balance between Molly and, say, Thud who just doesn't care.

Environmentally nothing matters, though, EXCEPT me and my husband - except food. She'd leave me for anyone holding food at this point.


----------



## Crantastic

I like biddable dogs in some ways. I like how easy Crystal is to train, how quickly she picks up on things, how eager she is to please. I don't have a ton of patience for training, so a dog who learns things in five repetitions and rarely blows off a command is amazing. But sometimes I feel like she's too focused on me and too eager to do anything I want at any time. She's easily bored, she won't entertain herself with toys or play with Casper (she wants me to interact with her), she licks her paws when anxious or bored and stains her fur red, she's extremely sensitive to my moods and throws calming signals galore if I'm even annoyed (not even annoyed _with her_, but annoyed with anything). Sometimes, I find it endearing that she always has her eye on me, watching for approval and instruction (for example, if someone else gives her a command, she'll look to me to see if she should obey. If someone else asks her if she wants dinner, she'll look at me as if to ask if it's dinnertime). Sometimes I find it annoying.

Casper is different -- he wants to play with Crystal, he plays with toys on his own, he's content to just lounge around doing nothing but is happy to jump up and go for a long walk whenever I want to, he likes to be near me but not touching me, he wouldn't flinch if I screamed at him (I don't, but I could). He's not completely aloof and he's not dumb, but he has more of a "what's in it for me" attitude when it comes to commands and he doesn't need to be close to me, watching me for instruction all the time. He's not as catlike as a basenji or something, and he's more biddable than the typical spitz... but he's definitely not hanging around wanting to serve me all the time. He's easier to deal with on days when I don't have the time or energy to do much with the dogs.


----------



## Laurelin

.... It is dawning on me now that I actually DO want another papillon in the next couple of dogs at least.


----------



## Crantastic

I'd probably miss having a biddable dog if I didn't. I will likely end up sticking with my plan of one biddable dog and one aloof dog forever. If I do go with a basenji some day, as I've considered, I'll probably want something much more biddable to balance it out!

My last dog was a malamute/collie mix (not sure what type of collie, but likely BC). He was kind of perfect. Content to be on his own, but smart and eager to please. Confident and non-neurotic. Energetic but with a great off switch. He had all my favorite traits of both the malamute and the collie.


----------



## Laurelin

I wish there was a larger breed that behaved like papillons. xD I would have nothing else.


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## Crantastic

I like the look of papillons a lot, too. I would just like a 30-40lb papillon. Small enough to take a lot of places, but big enough that I wouldn't need to worry so much about it getting hurt. I get rushed by too many loose dogs and I've had a few scary incidents where I know the dogs meant business but their owners managed to grab them in time. It reduces my enjoyment of walks and it keeps me from walking during the daytime on nice days, especially on the weekend.


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## Laurelin

20-40 lb papillons would be the best breed in the world. 

I do think I'll end up with more though they are too tiny. They're just so charming though. And easy to have around. I do toy around with some slightly larger small fluffy breeds but I just don't like them as much.


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## CptJack

I want a 15-20lb pap, too. 

I also kind of toy with the idea of a maltese, and I don't know WHAT that is or where it comes from but I've loved every one I've met. Again with the tiny size, though.


----------



## Willowy

I wish I knew how/where to reliably find Golden Retriever/GSD mixes, either responsibly bred or second-hand. That's what Toby is mostly (according to his DNA test) and, after looking at pictures, I'm pretty sure that's what my cousin's best dog was too (or maybe Collie/GSD. Another good mix). She was just the most awesome dog, and so is Toby. A good mix of goofy/friendly Golden and protective GSD. 

Haha, I just realized this sounds random. Don't mind me, just the discussion of biddable dogs made me think of it.


----------



## Crantastic

15-20lbs is still a little small for me, I think. Cas is 20lbs and he's a great size for portability and crate space and all of that, but he's still a little too small to effectively defend himself in any kind of incident. A 20lb dog paired with something larger and more protective of the little one could be nice, though.


----------



## Laurelin

I think I should probably go BC next just to try one out and also see how I like slightly larger than Hank sized. But I think after that.... I even have the pap breeder picked out. 

Though the downside of that plan is that would set me up to get a pap sometime after losing both Summer and Mia most likely. It would be HARD to not compare another papillon to Mia especially. 

If I don't do that then sheltie or MAS. But I like papillons the most.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> I like a good in between. Mia is about perfect (*coughcough* I know... I brag on her too much). She prefers me to anything in the world and environment but she most definitely has her own mind and thoughts. Summer is exceedingly biddable and that's nice too but she's almost too good sometimes. Though I honestly think my household needs one Summer dog all the time for my sanity's sake.
> 
> If I could get over poodle hair, they might be on my list. I really like mini poodles.


I know the grooming scares me too, but luckily hubby has a lot of experience clipping horses; manes, faces, bodies etc and he has offered to help me, I am not going to get a complicated cut done (though just paying for the show cut is tempting lol) just a np 2 or 3 all over with it a little longer on the top. 

Lmao MAS are not what I would consider biddable. ... not a good one anyway, they are (or should be) like aussies, only smaller in size. I wouldn't consider Lincoln biddable, the ONLY reason he looks that way is because he wants what he wants, and I know how to use that to make him do what I want. Everything is a game to him, he bites when he is excited, he barks, he chews, and he can body slam me hard enough to almost knock my legs out from under me. He has to be separated from Josefina because he slams her so hard he hurts her and this is a dog who has about 4 " and about 4-5lbs on him.

I hate to say but I think that your hank's jerkiness might be a permanent thing, he was a rescue and it takes some of them a while to really come into their own.


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## CptJack

At today's agility trial, Kylie ended up licking a guy she'd never met before in the face. She didn't even care about his food. She just - let him pet her and licked him in the face. Who is this dog?


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## mudypony

I met the most gorgeous Berger Picard at a Halloween event at the local pet store today. His owner said his father or grandfather (can't remember which) is one of the dogs that played Winn Dixie. He just seemed like a seriously awesome dog, and I totally wanted to steal him! I think I'm really starting to fall for French breeds lately (Beaucerons, Picards, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons).

Also saw a Bull Terrier, a Great Pyrenees, plus a ton of other dogs. It was a fun event and makes me so sad that Duke's reactivity prevents him from going to these types of things  They had trick-or-treating for the dogs and a photo booth, and I know Duke would've had a blast..... IF there weren't other dogs!


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## PatriciafromCO

OH my had to look up " Berger Picard " what a beautiful dog.. reminded me of a Jackolope in dogs.. lol love the ears...


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I know the grooming scares me too, but luckily hubby has a lot of experience clipping horses; manes, faces, bodies etc and he has offered to help me, I am not going to get a complicated cut done (though just paying for the show cut is tempting lol) just a np 2 or 3 all over with it a little longer on the top.
> 
> Lmao MAS are not what I would consider biddable. ... not a good one anyway, they are (or should be) like aussies, only smaller in size. I wouldn't consider Lincoln biddable, the ONLY reason he looks that way is because he wants what he wants, and I know how to use that to make him do what I want. Everything is a game to him, he bites when he is excited, he barks, he chews, and he can body slam me hard enough to almost knock my legs out from under me. He has to be separated from Josefina because he slams her so hard he hurts her and this is a dog who has about 4 " and about 4-5lbs on him.
> 
> I hate to say but I think that your hank's jerkiness might be a permanent thing, he was a rescue and it takes some of them a while to really come into their own.


Aussies are generally considered fairly biddable. They can be a little bit hard headed sometimes.. but they love the work and training. I guess I'm still kind of confused what biddable is. My dogs will work for toys and treats. They will sometimes work for the job itself (Kairi loves to do agility whether she gets a treat or not). BUT, neither will work for praise to PLEASE me. They WANT to please me.. as long as they know I'm going to reward them at least sometimes or it will just be fun. They absolutely will only listen to my husband and I. But I guess it's still not quite the same as a "what's in it for me" kind of thing. They enjoy doing the thing because it is fun and because they want to please me.. they just also really want a danged treat/toy.


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## TSTrainer

I adore Berger Picards... They're on the short list for my second dog but the Beauceron is making its way up the list... Time will tell! I just love the look of wiry, rough coated dogs


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## mudypony

PatriciafromCO said:


> OH my had to look up " Berger Picard " what a beautiful dog.. reminded me of a Jackolope in dogs.. lol love the ears...


Aren't they adorable? At 90lbs, the one I saw was much bigger than I think they normally are. He was super impressive.



TSTrainer said:


> I adore Berger Picards... They're on the short list for my second dog but the Beauceron is making its way up the list... Time will tell! I just love the look of wiry, rough coated dogs


Scruffy dogs are the best! I know someday I'll have a scruffy, whether it's a Picard or Wirehaired Pointing Griffon or just a random mutt, only time will tell haha. In the future I can see myself having three dogs: one scruffy dog, one smooth-coated dog (either bully breed, hound, or great dane), and one herding breed dog (either Beauceron or GSD).

Also, aren't you the one who's getting a Bouvier puppy? Just wanted to say I met the coolest Bouvier who's a shop dog at a little, local shop. She just sat there and watched as people went in and out, never interacted with customers but would accept random pets from people. She was so stoic and gorgeous!


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## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Aussies are generally considered fairly biddable. They can be a little bit hard headed sometimes.. but they love the work and training. I guess I'm still kind of confused what biddable is. My dogs will work for toys and treats. They will sometimes work for the job itself (Kairi loves to do agility whether she gets a treat or not). BUT, neither will work for praise to PLEASE me. They WANT to please me.. as long as they know I'm going to reward them at least sometimes or it will just be fun. They absolutely will only listen to my husband and I. But I guess it's still not quite the same as a "what's in it for me" kind of thing. They enjoy doing the thing because it is fun and because they want to please me.. they just also really want a danged treat/toy.


Lol my boy will do anything to please me, treats and toys are exchangeable the ultimate reward for him is to do something he wants to do in exchange for compliance whatever that might be at that present time. Sure he is a bull headed young dog, but when it comes down to it he really wants to do a good job and to please me. My husband's dog Josephine it's like pulling teeth to get her to do anything for me and I almost have to coerce her into performing any behaviour for me I can barely get her to go to the bathroom for me lol, her and I have always been like oil and water anyway.


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## jade5280

TSTrainer said:


> I adore Berger Picards... They're on the short list for my second dog but the Beauceron is making its way up the list... Time will tell! I just love the look of wiry, rough coated dogs


I know someone with a Beauceron and a Berger Picard. They make a great pair!


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## jade5280

I think of biddability as responsiveness. Panzer is very responsive to me and works with me. He's more of a partner. I still don't ask him to work for nothing. I always give him rewards. The hounds are in their own world most of the time and don't have great attention spans. Even if they have high food drive there is always something more rewarding. They are like babies.


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## Wirehairedvizslalove

My wirehaired vizsla will do anything to make me happy. He is very sensitive though, even if I "look angry" he will have a meltdown and get so upset. We should begin competing in rally novice soon!


----------



## TSTrainer

mudypony said:


> Also, aren't you the one who's getting a Bouvier puppy? Just wanted to say I met the coolest Bouvier who's a shop dog at a little, local shop. She just sat there and watched as people went in and out, never interacted with customers but would accept random pets from people. She was so stoic and gorgeous!


Yep thats me and that sounds exactly like a Bouvier! Very observant and not social but not aloof either. I can't wait for mine!!


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## Crantastic

Crystal will work for nothing other than to please me. She's the kind of dog that those people who don't believe in using treats would love. She works _harder_ for treats, but often she'll get _too_ hyped up and won't listen as well as when she's working for praise or a toy.

The downside to her learning style is that she really hates shaping or solving problems on her own. She wants me to tell her exactly what to do so that she can do it and make me happy. I've tried shaping with her and she just gets frustrated and starts pawing at me while whining. Sometimes I make her problem-solve on her own, and she can definitely do it, but she's not happy about it.

She really is an easy dog, though, as long as I keep her exercised. I always say that training a papillon is almost cheating.


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## mudypony

jade5280 said:


> I know someone with a Beauceron and a Berger Picard. They make a great pair!


That's awesome!! Along with Duke, of course, that's like my dream crew haha


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## Laurelin

Why are all dog events the same day? It feels like this happens so often.

So now do we barn hunt or lure course? Or do I do one day of barn hunt and one day of lure course?

Plus side- barn hunt is closer to home. But it is a fun run, not a real trial. Lure coursing he only needs 1 Q to get a title. But it's not at our usual area so that could be interesting. I also don't know if the area is totally fenced. He's never run off away from the lure before but... Also have more friends at the barn hunt.

I guess go to the lure course, try to title in one day and then barn hunt the next day?


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## TSTrainer

I would go for the title first, and then the fun run. Titling is such a great accomplishment that IMO it should be priority


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## CptJack

Honestly, I'd go for the title - PROVIDED barn hunt events aren't such rare occurrences that you'll have more opportunities to do the lure coursing event several times before you get another chance to do barn hunt.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Ughugh ugh. Fleas must be bad this year (all those darn squirrels and bunnies in my yard!) because I've never had a flea problem. I keep finding random fleas on my dogs and they are itching up a storm. Kairi has a flea allergy. I've tried "natural" flea sprays but they don't seem to work. It might be time to break down and get advantage or something.. but I'm terrified of some kind of reaction from it. Especially Kairi.. since she is sensitive to everything in the world. Someone please tell me I'm being overly paranoid and need to make my dogs comfortable.

Also, I agree on title.


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## Laurelin

Hmm should I go to the coursing both days and skip the barn hunt? If I go day 1 to course and then he doesn't Q that would be bad. So far he's not failed at coursing yet *knock on wood*. So I'm pretty sure he will title in one run. But I don't want to bank on it.

cost will be nearly the same but barn hunt will be a little cheaper. (If I enter now vs day of)

The thing with the barn hunt is I'd like to try for his RATI and RATN titles the next time a real trial happens. But practices are rare here. 

There's not super many opportunities for either event here. A couple a year. For some reason I was thinking one was one week and one was the next. Lure course is Friday/Saturday (I'm off that Friday). Barn hunt is Sat/Sunday.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Boo, there is no lure coursing near to us, the nearest place is an hour away


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## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Boo, there is no lure coursing near to us, the nearest place is an hour away


I've almost never done a dog event that wasn't at least an hour away. And I live 90min from NYC so it's not like I'm completely in the boonies. An hour is pretty typical. I drive an hour to both of the places I take agility and that's every week.


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## OwnedbyACDs

I would love to build a home lure course but dang those things are expensive!


----------



## DogTheGreat

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Boo, there is no lure coursing near to us, the nearest place is an hour away


I can't find lure coursing ANYWHERE around here. Would gladly take an hour drive for it. Everywhere else I take her to train is only about a 30min drive.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Oops, I messed up, its over 2 hours away, I went back and mapped it with google maps LOL, I dont know why I said an hour, that's what I thought I remembered.

We currently only have one car, and my husband is in school full time right now, too so it's hard right now, it will be easier when we have a 2nd car again (we are going to look at one tonight!)


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## kdawnk

Is there a facebook page for Dog Forums?
How does one become a part of it if there is?

ETA: Thanks to the people that PM'd me!


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## Laurelin

Yeah the coursing event I mentioned is 2 hours away and the barn hunt 45 minutes. Both highway times so quite a ways.


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## PatriciafromCO

when I did two events at the same show they tried to schedule my placement in the OB ring so that I could make both rings when I registered. The hardest tittle event to get into was tacking in my state.. I didn't mind the longer distance to drive but you had to qualify at a certain levels to be able to be accepted to be tested. And there was only a limited amount of dogs that could run the course. You were competing with dogs all over the country not just dogs in your own state. There were no clubs doing pre event qualifying that I could find.


----------



## kdawnk

So I finally found a rescue that seems actually pretty professional, and I'm pretty excited.
I sent a foster application at like 3:00pm on Thursday and she called me by 4:30pm
She encouraged me to be a part of their Facebook page, she called my vet for a reference and to set billing up on Friday, and today someone affiliated with the rescue is coming to do a house check and meet my household.

I'm ridiculously nervous, when I can't really imagine what could possibly go wrong... I took Sans to daycare to help take the edge off of ... _HER_, and I plan to clean from the moment I get home.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I've almost never done a dog event that wasn't at least an hour away. And I live 90min from NYC so it's not like I'm completely in the boonies. An hour is pretty typical. I drive an hour to both of the places I take agility and that's every week.


Yep, me too. Well, one of the practice locations is only about 45 minutes?


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Yep, me too. Well, one of the practice locations is only about 45 minutes?


Our main obedience place is only 10min away which is awesome, but there's nothing else within 50min. And they don't hold trials or anything.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Our main obedience place is only 10min away which is awesome, but there's nothing else within 50min. And they don't hold trials or anything.


Yeah, it's just not something I think can be supported in every town, really - or even basically 'hour's drive, even if there are a lot of people in that about an hour'. It's not like a grocery store that everyone has to go to. It's a fairly expensive optional thing, and even MORE optional and more expensive when you're talking sports - even among dog owners. 

We've got two places within an hour but they're split obedience/rally/basic stuff and 'flyball/agility'. Another hour out (2 hours total) there's a pretty big training facility that does it all and 2 hours in the other direction there's another agility place. 

But if I waited on something to exist on top of me, there is no way it'd happen.


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## LoMD13

Guess we're pretty lucky here, I've been to 3 different places for agility training all within 20 minutes to an hour away. And there are 3-4 places I haven't been to. I drive about 45 minutes, I could have gone somewhere closer after I moved but we like the place and the people.


----------



## elrohwen

Northern NJ is about 1.5 hours from me and it's full of dog training places and shows and stuff. Anybody who lives there has a ton of choices. I'm willing to drive down for seminars and shows but it's too far for regular classes (traffic would make it far more than 1.5 hours most days). The one agility place I go to is actually a NJ club but they found a location in NY only 50min from me. Though I think they're getting kicked out Jan 1st (it's a horse farm, so I guess somebody wants to buy it and use it as a farm). Not sure where they will go.

But otherwise I'm in this weird zone between major cities - lots of stuff closer to NYC and the busier parts of CT, some stuff up near Albany, but not a whole lot right where I am, probably because they know people can drive down to the other facilities easily enough so there's not much need for one here. The main place we go is owned by a woman who lives in my town which is why it's close, and it's the main pet training place in the area and is limited in the amount of true sport stuff they offer.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I guess I should count myself lucky where I am then. My agility place is less than 20min away. The "best" agility place is an hour away and there is another one about 40min, which is also where they hold several CPE trials a year. There are 3 CPE trialing areas within 2 hours from me that have trials often enough. AKC has a whole lot of agility within an hour. Barn Hunt classes are 25 minutes from me with another 35 minutes away. Lure coursing is somewhere, but I keep missing the opportunity to try it out (it was literally 10 minutes from me a few months ago and I MISSED it!) and find out. There are 2 herding places within 40 minutes as well. For the past few years we've had a dog fest where you can try out all kinds of sports!

The worst thing is Dock Diving that I would really like to do more of. There is a lovely competition every year at the dog fest only 20 minutes from me and a few more only a couple hours away. They only take place in the warm months for obvious reasons which just doesn't last long in Ohio.


----------



## Laurelin

Just now:

Mia tries to coax Summer into wrestling. Summer grumps at her for being annoying. 

Mia keeps on being flirty.

Hank sees Mia wanting to play. 

Hank runs up and play bow Mia. 

Mia grumps at Hank for being annoying.

lol Mia, you want to play but you won't play with the dog that wants to play with you.


----------



## CptJack

Molly has started sleeping with me. She's doing what Kylie did at about her age, which is getting down when I turn out the light/put down my book to sleep, but I'm pretty consistently waking up with her behind my knees now. Kylie has vacated that spot in favor of sleeping on my face, so it works out. She's also much more affectionate and generally snuggly - and I do mean much. Lots and lots of just burying her head in my chest, tucking her head under my chin and she really, really likes to be hugged which I find weird. Still not clingy but really enjoys affection now instead of huffing off. 

Okay, dog. I'll take this. This is nice.

ETA: Other changes in the dogs as of lately:
Kylie is becoming less tolerant of dog nonsense. She's just not into puppies. She's not inappropriately aggressive but she will sure as heck snap a nose if it's poked into hers by an overly enthusiastic wiggly puppy. She responds well to reserved, polite, dogs but the bouncy/wiggly/kind of rude ones? NOPE. She's much more tolerant of people, though. No more issues there, at all. She was 'giving kisses' to a guy at the trial and he didn't even have to feed her first!

Thud has backed off from working best for rough housing to working really really well for _petting_ and praise of all the bizarre things. Still won't work for a toy at all, in spite of playing with them, and is only kind of willing to work for food but a good dog and enthusiastic butt scratch and ear rub? You bet! Still independent and not like... Molly and Kylie biddable but working with me for love which is just weird. 


Bug and Jack aren't so much but, well, they're both nearly 9.


----------



## taquitos

I know a lot of people don't notice a difference between their kibble fed/raw fed dog in terms of coat, etc. but it really makes a huge difference on Meeko.

For the past couple of months I've been feeding raw about 4/7 of the week, and the rest of the time he's been getting kibble or the Honest Kitchen. Before that when we went camping he was fed kibble (Fromm GF).

Well his fur is noticeably coarser/more cottony feeling now, and he's shedding more.

Back to raw 90% of the time I guess... I just have so much kibble left ugh.


----------



## ireth0

taquitos said:


> I know a lot of people don't notice a difference between their kibble fed/raw fed dog in terms of coat, etc. but it really makes a huge difference on Meeko.
> 
> For the past couple of months I've been feeding raw about 4/7 of the week, and the rest of the time he's been getting kibble or the Honest Kitchen. Before that when we went camping he was fed kibble (Fromm GF).
> 
> Well his fur is noticeably coarser/more cottony feeling now, and he's shedding more.
> 
> Back to raw 90% of the time I guess... I just have so much kibble left ugh.


Donate it! Or use it as training treats! (you can mix with yummier stuff to make it smell more interesting)

We noticed a big difference with Luna when we switched from the shelter food (Iams) to Acana. Significantly less shedding and her coat is so smooth and shiny.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh Lincoln was neutered today and I feel so sorry for him  he hates his cone and is sore and can't get comfortable


----------



## kdawnk

What do you do with your dog on Halloween if you give out candy to trick or treaters?
Last year in the beginning Sans was super noisy, but she only alert barked after the first few people.
However I was doing everything by myself so I ended up tethering her to the couch (she'd get too worked up in the cage not being able to see the shapes of people leaving).
This year my mom is coming to my house to hand out candy so I can work with Sans instead.


----------



## Sibe

kdawnk said:


> What do you do with your dog on Halloween if you give out candy to trick or treaters?
> Last year in the beginning Sans was super noisy, but she only alert barked after the first few people.
> However I was doing everything by myself so I ended up tethering her to the couch (she'd get too worked up in the cage not being able to see the shapes of people leaving).
> This year my mom is coming to my house to hand out candy so I can work with Sans instead.


 Dogs stay back, chewing on Kongs or such. At the least I put the x-pen around the front door to have a fairly secure barrier. I don't want kids trying to pet, I don't want the dogs trying to greet, I don't want Kaytu our bolter to run out, I don't want any accidents or incidents.

It is a GREAT time to work on door manners and reactions to doorbell/knocking. One person can handle the kids, while you work on Go To Mat, giving treats, etc.


----------



## ireth0

Last year I gave the candy out and my bf worked with Luna (gated away from the door) on being calm and her basic behaviours.


----------



## kcomstoc

I have no idea what to do really....this is my first Halloween where I'll have Jake and a place people are actually going to go to get candy. To make matters worse my SO is closing at work that night >.> I can't close Jake off in another room he'll scratch the door continuously and whine/bark, I don't have a crate but even if I did it would be the same thing. He is a bolter so I would ideally like him to stay on the couch where I can see him from the door and if he tried to make a run for it then I could quickly close the door. We have associated him going to the couch with a command *like go to mat, but it's a couch instead* I guess I have some work to do before Halloween. I hadn't really thought about it until you guys said anything.


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## PatriciafromCO

kdawnk said:


> What do you do with your dog on Halloween if you give out candy to trick or treaters?
> Last year in the beginning Sans was super noisy, but she only alert barked after the first few people.
> However I was doing everything by myself so I ended up tethering her to the couch (she'd get too worked up in the cage not being able to see the shapes of people leaving).
> This year my mom is coming to my house to hand out candy so I can work with Sans instead.


mmm the other night Arka and Abhik tackled DH to the ground in a split second, because he walked into the room wearing his bath robe with a hood looking like Obie One Kanobie..)sp). .. probably not a good idea to leave the porch light on


----------



## cookieface

kdawnk said:


> What do you do with your dog on Halloween if you give out candy to trick or treaters?
> Last year in the beginning Sans was super noisy, but she only alert barked after the first few people.
> However I was doing everything by myself so I ended up tethering her to the couch (she'd get too worked up in the cage not being able to see the shapes of people leaving).
> This year my mom is coming to my house to hand out candy so I can work with Sans instead.


Last year, we kept the dogs behind a gate in the kitchen. We had several bags of candy but only two kids, so it wasn't a big deal. This year, I'll be home alone so my plan is to turn off the lights and take the dogs to the family room. I suppose I could leave candy on the porch in case someone walks up the drive.

Sounds like you have a good plan for this year.


----------



## JeJo

Kayla doesn't react much to goings on at the door other than being inquisitive, so I will just continue to do what I always do, putting her into a sit/stay whenever I have to open the main door. However, due to the extra activity, noise and costumes, I will lock the outer storm door and remove the screen for the night so that once I open the main door, I can simply reach through the opening of the storm door to interact with the kiddos and hand out treats. No worries, then should she unexpectedly break her stay for whatever number of spooky reasons.


----------



## elrohwen

They'll be gated into the "library", which is our normal tv/sitting room at the back of the house. Normally they are gated into that room plus the kitchen, with the gate being in the front hall, but we tried that last year and Watson barked more because he could see all of the tricker treaters. "Why aren't they coming into the house to pet me?!?!?" So now they are gated where they can't see what's going on.

We get very few kids though. Our house is on a cul-de-sac off of a busy road, so the 10-15 resident kids stop by as a pack, then get in their cars to go to another neighborhood. We rarely have more than 2 doorbell rings the whole night.


----------



## Kathyy

Sassy did and Ginger does love to greet the kids so they are leashed and at the door with me. Max didn't and Bucky surely won't want anything to do with the kids so I put up a gate of old crate panels for an 8' buffer. If Bucky is still a lunatic [likely] he will get crated but I will be tossing cookies to him as the bell rings. I get to sit for the duration in the hall on a kitchen chair.

I just looked at the dog on the sofa, couldn't tell which one it was. Panic. Looked closer, no white on feet, rear dews, it's Bucky. It's the ears, he used to have a 'combover' but now most of that old hair is gone the ears look like Ginger's. G is on the dog bed but her tootsies don't look very white for some reason and tails look about the same even though G's tail is about 4x as floofy as B's.

Bucky got through half of the second day of the Karen Overall Relaxation Protocol this morning, Ginger aced day 1. I'm impressed with the both of them.


----------



## elrohwen

One year I let Watson greet the kids (he was very young and small then) and half of them started crying at the sight of him. LOL So no more greeting for them.


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> One year I let Watson greet the kids (he was very young and small then) and half of them started crying at the sight of him. LOL So no more greeting for them.


Awwww. Puppy Watson was probably just about the cutest, least intimidating thing on the planet, though!


----------



## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> Awwww. Puppy Watson was probably just about the cutest, least intimidating thing on the planet, though!


Seriously! That's what we thought! Some of the kids wanted to meet him so I allowed it, and then the others ran away crying. Oops. lol The parents thought he was adorable though.

Our next door neighbor's kid is the worst. She would want to hold his leash and "walk" him, but if he turned and looked at her she would start bawling. As soon as he looked away she was happy as a clam following him around holding his leash. I think she was 5, so not super little, and he was about 4 months old (and he wasn't super jumpy and crazy either). After the second time I just didn't bring him around them any more because he was getting freaked out at her weird behavior.


----------



## Willowy

It's snowing. Ugh. I mean, it's barely spitting and it's above freezing so it won't stick, but ugh anyway. It's been such a warm fall that I know we're lucky to have waited this long. But ugh.


----------



## kdawnk

First Halloween with Sans I was doing it all by myself and was having troubles containing and answering the door, and being friendly to children, so Sans ran out the door a couple times (she just went to the boulevard to lay, but still not okay) children were terrified of my house to begin with (much to my pleasure) and then a dark black creature comes running out at/past them... Didn't go over well. 
She was tethered to the couch the remainder of the evening.



Willowy said:


> It's snowing. Ugh. I mean, it's barely spitting and it's above freezing so it won't stick, but ugh anyway. It's been such a warm fall that I know we're lucky to have waited this long. But ugh.


It's been doing the same thing here for the last three days. They predict at +17ºC weekend though, which I think sounds very optimistic.


----------



## Willowy

Yeah, it's supposed to be 68 degrees (20c) on Sunday and Monday. I hope they're right :/.


----------



## taquitos

Had to wake up early to finish studying for an exam. Meeko woke up and kept me company even though I woke up 3 hours before our usual wake up time.

I seriously appreciate his company so much. He is a great companion and he makes me feel soooooo loved <3


----------



## Hiraeth

taquitos said:


> Had to wake up early to finish studying for an exam. Meeko woke up and kept me company even though I woke up 3 hours before our usual wake up time.
> 
> I seriously appreciate his company so much. He is a great companion and he makes me feel soooooo loved <3


Awww, that's so cute. Good luck on your exam!

ETA:

The work study student I share my office with on Thursdays is clearing her throat, LOUDLY, about every minute or so. And sniffling in between.

It is heavily grating on my nerves. I literally almost can't take it any more. Not sure how I'm going to tolerate it for the next two hours....


----------



## TSTrainer

Earphones are your best friend, Hiraeth. I hate repetitive noises, it sends me over the edge. 

So I was recently hired as a trainer (yay!) for a pretty cool place and I'm super excited. I have worked SO hard for most of my life for this. I just have to finish out my last two weeks at my current job and it is SO DIFFICULT. My coworkers are being gossipy and mean because I'm leaving before the holidays and the store is short staffed (I've spent the last five years in retail so that's a problem). Trying to focus on being professional and looking forward to finally working in my field of choice doing my dream job is proving to be a task.


----------



## Willowy

So, somebody in town gets The Nationalist Review (I work at the Post Office in a tiny town). It had a weird headline on the front so I googled it (don't google that). I guess it never occurred to me what Nationalists are (Nazis. They're Nazis). So now I'm a little alarmed :/.


----------



## Laurelin

Someone NEEDS this dog. Holywow pretty. 

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33598746

I think she might be a 'blackinois' (black malinois?)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> One year I let Watson greet the kids (he was very young and small then) and half of them started crying at the sight of him. LOL So no more greeting for them.


Lol yeah a lot of people are afraid of dogs, like a lot, I find it extremely funny sometimes, I'm sorry but people go overboard with their reactions sometimes. I mean I am terrified, I mean terrified of spiders but I don't go into dramatic hysterics every time I see one either.

There is this guy that works with OH here at the ranch who is positively terrified of Lincoln for some reason. He gets along very well with my OH's dog, but since he is afraid of Lincoln and he acts suspiciously which in turn makes Lincoln very suspicious and uncomfortable. So everytime Lincoln sees him he reacts with his hackles up and alarm barking.

As far as trick-or-treaters go our porch light is broken so I doubt we will see any plus we live on a huge private ranch off a busy dangerous construction clogged road so I don't think we will see any anyway. My parents I know won't see any because their property is so secluded, that's the way I like in and I don't miss it at all.


----------



## kdawnk

Things that people say at work that grind my gears 101:
"You should smile more!"

Oh! My apologies, I forgot I'm supposed to smile at my computer like a lunatic for 4-7 consecutive hours. In an office. By myself... My bad.


----------



## TSTrainer

kdawnk said:


> Things that people say at work that grind my gears 101:
> "You should smile more!"
> 
> Oh! My apologies, I forgot I'm supposed to smile at my computer like a lunatic for 4-7 consecutive hours. In an office. By myself... My bad.


I always react so terribly when people tell me this. Its literally one of the worst things to say to me. I'll say "i don't exist to smile because you think I should" or I'll ask when the last time they told a guy to smile... That always gets them lol


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> Things that people say at work that grind my gears 101:
> "You should smile more!"
> 
> Oh! My apologies, I forgot I'm supposed to smile at my computer like a lunatic for 4-7 consecutive hours. In an office. By myself... My bad.


When people tell me to smile more, I put on my extra frown-y face and say 'no' as seriously as I can, then turn back to whatever I was doing. 

I don't often get the 'smile more' request from the same person twice for this reason.


----------



## TSTrainer

Another thing I'll say in my most offended tone is "why?!" and then death stare while they stumble through an answer. I really don't think people realize how annoying, rude, and pointless it is to say that.


----------



## FallDeere

I think if someone told me to smile, I'd put on the most wicked grin and hold my hands in the way disney villains do and begin to laugh maniacally.

I literally smile 90% of the time when I'm out. I smile at people. I smile randomly. I just smile. I think it's more of a nervous reaction than anything (anxiety disorder, blech), but I do like smiling. However, there are certain times when I really can't make myself smile. I could be bursting with happiness, but I can't smile. If someone told me to smile during that time, I'd be so ticked off. Sorry, but I can't force my face to do something... Like right now. I'm trying to smile but my face muscles just aren't working. For me, my expression doesn't always reflect how I feel.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie has this little piece of white cardboard and she's... walking around the house trying to give it to everyone. When they take it and are confused she takes it back and carries it to someone else. I have NO IDEA what she's doing. It's adorable and funny but I am so, so confused.


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> Kylie has this little piece of white cardboard and she's... walking around the house trying to give it to everyone. When they take it and are confused she takes it back and carries it to someone else. I have NO IDEA what she's doing. It's adorable and funny but I am so, so confused.


Haa... that's hilarious! 

-----------------------------------

It's getting cold enough to turn the fireplace on most days.... and Duke LOVES the fireplace (literally glued to it whenever it's on!). So now if it's not on, and we're just chilling at home, he'll go lay by the fireplace and stare at me longingly. When I fail to turn it on for him, he'll finally give up and come lay by me with a big sigh. Sooo dramatic.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

TSTrainer said:


> Earphones are your best friend, Hiraeth. I hate repetitive noises, it sends me over the edge.
> 
> So I was recently hired as a trainer (yay!) for a pretty cool place and I'm super excited. I have worked SO hard for most of my life for this. I just have to finish out my last two weeks at my current job and it is SO DIFFICULT. My coworkers are being gossipy and mean because I'm leaving before the holidays and the store is short staffed (I've spent the last five years in retail so that's a problem). Trying to focus on being professional and looking forward to finally working in my field of choice doing my dream job is proving to be a task.


Am happy for ya !!! and yes do your best to make out the last two weeks with dignity.. always amazed how people want to cut others down when good things happen for them... OH Well see it for what it is and move on to better things...


----------



## jade5280

kdawnk said:


> Things that people say at work that grind my gears 101:
> "You should smile more!"
> 
> Oh! My apologies, I forgot I'm supposed to smile at my computer like a lunatic for 4-7 consecutive hours. In an office. By myself... My bad.


 I can't stand when people say this. It makes me want to punch them in the face. It's usually some creepy old guy.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

jade5280 said:


> I can't stand when people say this. It makes me want to punch them in the face. It's usually some creepy old guy.


I am a victim of "resting b***h face", so I can relate LOL.


----------



## kdawnk

I'm a knee-jerk smiler too though!
Any time I'm associating with a person I smile a lot and give a lot of encouraging smiles to people when I think they're uncomfortable. I smile when I'm on the phone, and I'm a receptionist so that's like once or twice every couple minutes.

But when I'm typing at my desk doing data entry. No I'm not smiling! Why would I just sit here with a crazy, lunatic smile, staring at my computer all day?
That's all sorts of terrifying.

I get super mad when people tell me to smile more at work. Day-to-day it doesn't happen, because I always smile at everyone. At work it happens very frequently because I'm concentrating on accounting. What part of balancing a spreadsheet for 7 hours is smile-worthy.
I'm glad you all feel the same haha!


----------



## Jen2010

I'm pretty mad at myself right now. I found out about a really popular event coming to my city and presale tickets went on sale this morning at 10:00. I was completely prepared and was online at 9:59 to buy tickets. I had only used the site once before but not for presale. Last time I was able to select the seat I wanted based on the seating map. This time it kept generating random seats for me! I kept trying again to get better seats, but it kept giving me the same 2 choices. Finally I got a message that if I tried again I would go go the back of the line. Okay whatever so I did that and got the same choices. So I tried again twice more and then got a message that too many people were trying. Try again later. Now I can't get on at all. 

I guess I missed out because of my own stupidity and inexperience. I'm pretty disappointed. If I had known that was how it worked I would have gotten tickets. I can try again on Monday when they go on sale to the general public, but I imagine it will be pretty busy then too.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie is finally down to a decent weight. We managed to get her there by starting to feed her out of a hamster bowl. I will never not feel like a jerk for feeding her out of that.


----------



## Hiraeth

CptJack said:


> Kylie is finally down to a decent weight. We managed to get her there by starting to feed her out of a hamster bowl. I will never not feel like a jerk for feeding her out of that.


.... Photos?  Sounds rather humorous.


----------



## Wirehairedvizslalove

Does anybody else here actually prefer to be with their dog alone instead of with a group?? I always feel guilty, but I often try to just get out and be alone with my dog when we are out on the trails. I have plenty of friends, oh and a husband  who always want to join me on my adventures, but in all honesty...I just want to be out there alone with my dog! With him I can hear the sounds of nature, go at my pace, and he looks so majestic out in nature. I feel total completeness when I am out there with him and not "alone" at all...Then I start to think how "weird" I am LOL...While my friends are all out at Halloween parties tonight, I just finished a sunset hike with my dog and am now surfing through DF!


----------



## CptJack

Hiraeth said:


> .... Photos?  Sounds rather humorous.


I'll try to remember to take a picture of it sometime soon.


----------



## DogTheGreat

My friend, who has never owned a dog before nor was she raised with them, is telling me how she plans to get a dog soon. The breed she's pretty dead-set on? Border Collie. Border Collie puppy. One of those things where you know it's a bad idea, but also know that pushing that it's a bad idea is probably an even worse idea.


----------



## Wirehairedvizslalove

DogTheGreat said:


> My friend, who has never owned a dog before nor was she raised with them, is telling me how she plans to get a dog soon. The breed she's pretty dead-set on? Border Collie. Border Collie puppy. One of those things where you know it's a bad idea, but also know that pushing that it's a bad idea is probably an even worse idea.


Yeah, I have a friend who never owned a dog before. She went to a farmers market, and saw all these little cute puppies for sale (all different breeds!!), picked one up and took him home...He has a ton of behavior issues and health problems because it is pretty obvious to dog people at least, that he came from a puppy mill.


----------



## Marvel

Wirehairedvizslalove said:


> Does anybody else here actually prefer to be with their dog alone instead of with a group?? I always feel guilty, but I often try to just get out and be alone with my dog when we are out on the trails. I have plenty of friends, oh and a husband  who always want to join me on my adventures, but in all honesty...I just want to be out there alone with my dog! With him I can hear the sounds of nature, go at my pace, and he looks so majestic out in nature. I feel total completeness when I am out there with him and not "alone" at all...Then I start to think how "weird" I am LOL...While my friends are all out at Halloween parties tonight, I just finished a sunset hike with my dog and am now surfing through DF!


Definitely sometimes. I do like having a companion occasionally (and especially when going into the mountains where bears are a concern), but I'm also 100% okay with a hike or walk with just Quill and I! He and I are just hanging out tonight as well, and do most nights. Its part of why I wanted a dog (along with a million other reasons) -- to just have a companion for hiking and hanging out, when the BF isn't around or I don't feel like a hike with other people or going out with friends. I can be social, but prefer not to be all the time! 

My friends asked what I'm doing for Halloween, and I'm inclined to not go out with them. I think our Halloween plans will likely include Hocus Pocus, popcorn, cheap candy, and some cuddle time, assuming I can tame my tiny monster long enough to cuddle.


----------



## Wirehairedvizslalove

Marvel said:


> Definitely sometimes. I do like having a companion occasionally (and especially when going into the mountains where bears are a concern), but I'm also 100% okay with a hike or walk with just Quill and I! He and I are just hanging out tonight as well, and do most nights. Its part of why I wanted a dog (along with a million other reasons) -- to just have a companion for hiking and hanging out, when the BF isn't around or I don't feel like a hike with other people or going out with friends. I can be social, but prefer not to be all the time!
> 
> My friends asked what I'm doing for Halloween, and I'm inclined to not go out with them. I think our Halloween plans will likely include Hocus Pocus, popcorn, cheap candy, and some cuddle time, assuming I can tame my tiny monster long enough to cuddle.


That sounds like a great night! I wish that I lived near mountains so so so so much. I wish I could find a dog crazy friend. I sometimes feel like my friends don't like when I bring the dog, but there is no way that I will leave him behind especially when we are going for a hike! Oh well, the consequence of being a crazy dog lady...Or more like a responsible dog owner. Most of them don't mind working 8-10 hour days, stopping by to feed the dog, and then head back out for the night to socialize.


----------



## GrinningDog

DogTheGreat said:


> My friend, who has never owned a dog before nor was she raised with them, is telling me how she plans to get a dog soon. The breed she's pretty dead-set on? Border Collie. Border Collie puppy. One of those things where you know it's a bad idea, but also know that pushing that it's a bad idea is probably an even worse idea.


Hers is pretty much my story, haha. Hopefully she rises to the challenge of a demanding, high drive puppy, like I did!


----------



## Laurelin

BC is far from my first choice for newbie dog owners but also far from my last. At least it's not a fila?

Would she be open to rescue? I think many BC rescues are really savvy about placing dogs in the right homes.


----------



## DogTheGreat

I recommended an adult dog especially if she was going to go that route, because she'd likely be able to find a temperament that worked for her no matter the breed. She said she wanted a puppy so she could train it, name it, and bond to it more. That's when I was just like yeah this isn't going to go anywhere good if the conversation continues. So yeah, guess we'll see how things turn out.

ETA: Has anybody ever even successfully convinced somebody to adopt an adult over getting a puppy? People on this forum are constantly asking people to consider a rescue or giving pros/cons to adult vs puppy, but I've never actually seen somebody go "Oh, you're right. I think I'll get an adult."


----------



## Marvel

Wirehairedvizslalove said:


> That sounds like a great night! I wish that I lived near mountains so so so so much. I wish I could find a dog crazy friend. I sometimes feel like my friends don't like when I bring the dog, but there is no way that I will leave him behind especially when we are going for a hike! Oh well, the consequence of being a crazy dog lady...Or more like a responsible dog owner. Most of them don't mind working 8-10 hour days, stopping by to feed the dog, and then head back out for the night to socialize.


I'm very fortunate that I live in the mountains (a mountain hike is just 10 minutes away!) and have friends with dogs they LOVE to bring with. I would never leave Quill at home when I was going someplace dogs were allowed...with the exception of my horse's pasture, currently. But only because he's tiny and thinks barking at everything new is fun, so he's asking for trouble. I don't need him taking a hoof to the head! 

However, I went on a hike with my land lady and her dog and her friends, and her friends were not pleased to have the dogs with (one commented that he was going to hike somewhere else to have his lunch to "get away from the dog noise"). Its not as if they didn't know dogs were coming with! I think if its made clear dogs will be coming, you have ample opportunity to back out!

I'm also very excited for next summer. I work outdoors in the summers searching for songbird nests, and Quill will be allowed to come with me! Its going to be so much fun having a partner out in the sage, and getting to spend all day hiking around with him. And as an added bonus, I'm hoping he'll help flush some birds up and find even more nests.


----------



## Wirehairedvizslalove

Marvel said:


> I'm very fortunate that I live in the mountains (a mountain hike is just 10 minutes away!) and have friends with dogs they LOVE to bring with. I would never leave Quill at home when I was going someplace dogs were allowed...with the exception of my horse's pasture, currently. But only because he's tiny and thinks barking at everything new is fun, so he's asking for trouble. I don't need him taking a hoof to the head!
> 
> However, I went on a hike with my land lady and her dog and her friends, and her friends were not pleased to have the dogs with (one commented that he was going to hike somewhere else to have his lunch to "get away from the dog noise"). Its not as if they didn't know dogs were coming with! I think if its made clear dogs will be coming, you have ample opportunity to back out!
> 
> I'm also very excited for next summer. I work outdoors in the summers searching for songbird nests, and Quill will be allowed to come with me! Its going to be so much fun having a partner out in the sage, and getting to spend all day hiking around with him. And as an added bonus, I'm hoping he'll help flush some birds up and find even more nests.


Amazing! I was a park naturalist for 3 years... Unfortunately the pay was terrible and I barely got any hours during the winter. On the bright side, I began my own dog walking business and it's growing like crazy! You will never see me work a desk job.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I am lucky where I live the houses are quite far apart and I have a long driveway so if I close the gate nobody comes on Halloween. Most people take their kids into town where there are houses close together and they have fireworks displays. Usually I hear only a few firecrackers on Halloween but it does vary depending who has moved in over the year and if they have kids.

Last year we had snow on the ground so there were some snowmobilers that set up a big fireworks display out in the back fields by my sisters. No snow this year although we had a few flakes come down the other day but then it turned to rain and has rained off and on since.


----------



## Marvel

It's pretty great working outdoors! I'll be getting my Master's in wildlife biology in the next couple of years. I love it.  That's too bad about the naturalist pay! Definitely the downside to a lot of outdoor jobs.

I would LOVE to dog walk. I wish I knew how to go about it, even just for a little extra cash. That's awesome your business has taken off!


----------



## Eenypup

It's so weird having a dog that's not biddable at all. We were at the vet's office today and because the vet techs gave her attention and treats I did NOT exist when I asked her to do anything. She 10000% ignored me. I don't really even know how to work on this because places near me that dogs can go (aka outside and petco) I have gotten her to kind of pay attention to me. But it never generalizes because she's just not a handler focused dog. Hmph.


----------



## CptJack

Eenypup said:


> It's so weird having a dog that's not biddable at all. We were at the vet's office today and because the vet techs gave her attention and treats I did NOT exist when I asked her to do anything. She 10000% ignored me. I don't really even know how to work on this because places near me that dogs can go (aka outside and petco) I have gotten her to kind of pay attention to me. But it never generalizes because she's just not a handler focused dog. Hmph.


That's not really not biddable  That's not even not handler focused. That's just a dog that really likes attention and food and isn't picky about where it comes from. Molly will leave me to go do work/commands for other people with or without food because hey, fun. Kylie now regularly leaves me and stops acknowledging that I exist for anyone with food. 

I'd never consider either of them not biddable (like - at all) or handler focused. They're just confident dogs who like what they like and what they like is being offered elsewhere - and in the case of Molly the 'handler' is whoever happens to be offering work, not the person she lives with. In fairness, Molly WILL recall away from them to work with me, but she's not going to choose to do nothing with me versus something with someone else - and Kylie's going to take whatever will get her the treat over what won't get her the treat.

If you want focus on you, it needs to be asked for and rewarded and a reward history built into it (a big one). For me, it's just not a thing. Kind of makes me happy to see my formerly crazy shy dog doing tricks for people (Kylie) and Molly - well, better trying to work for them than being afraid and growling at them.


----------



## TSTrainer

DogTheGreat said:


> I recommended an adult dog especially if she was going to go that route, because she'd likely be able to find a temperament that worked for her no matter the breed. She said she wanted a puppy so she could train it, name it, and bond to it more. That's when I was just like yeah this isn't going to go anywhere good if the conversation continues. So yeah, guess we'll see how things turn out.
> 
> ETA: Has anybody ever even successfully convinced somebody to adopt an adult over getting a puppy? People on this forum are constantly asking people to consider a rescue or giving pros/cons to adult vs puppy, but I've never actually seen somebody go "Oh, you're right. I think I'll get an adult."


No. My best friend once asked me for help finding a breeder and I asked what breed and she was like" oh any shepherd" so I gave her some really general info and heavily emphasized the importance of health testing. The next day sent me a pic of a newspaper GSD.

I TOTALLY get your frustration, my friend.


----------



## CptJack

So, Molly had her annual vet visit this morning. She's almost 18 months. She weighs 42lbs, and more importantly she did NOT, I repeat did NOT, act like a fool for the vet. Was nervous and scared and growled a tiny bit, then he just took her leash, took a walk around the room, had her do so some silly tricks (see also: she likes working for people) and then she was gold. I really like my vet. And I'm pleased with my dog.


----------



## DogTheGreat

TSTrainer said:


> The next day sent me a pic of a newspaper GSD.


Yeah, I'd need to take a few deep breaths if I was in that situation.



CptJack said:


> So, Molly had her annual vet visit this morning. She's almost 18 months. She weighs 42lbs, and more importantly she did NOT, I repeat did NOT, act like a fool for the vet. Was nervous and scared and growled a tiny bit, then he just took her leash, took a walk around the room, had her do so some silly tricks (see also: she likes working for people) and then she was gold. I really like my vet. And I'm pleased with my dog.


Go Molly! I <3 my vet and usually leave wishing I liked my doctors half as much.


----------



## CptJack

DogTheGreat said:


> Go Molly! I <3 my vet and usually leave wishing I liked my doctors half as much.


I'm a big fan and really glad he was able to take a couple of minutes with her. He made a pretty big, fast, difference in her comfort level and turned the whole thing into a positive experience.


----------



## Eenypup

CptJack said:


> That's not really not biddable  That's not even not handler focused. That's just a dog that really likes attention and food and isn't picky about where it comes from. Molly will leave me to go do work/commands for other people with or without food because hey, fun. Kylie now regularly leaves me and stops acknowledging that I exist for anyone with food.


Ha - probably true! She loves everyone and is super confident in herself, so it's no surprise she's perfectly happy to try and get treats from other people instead. It's more exciting that way, anyways! I am glad she's charming with strangers and even loves everyone at the vet's office after they examined her, lol.


----------



## dagwall

DogTheGreat said:


> ETA: Has anybody ever even successfully convinced somebody to adopt an adult over getting a puppy? People on this forum are constantly asking people to consider a rescue or giving pros/cons to adult vs puppy, but I've never actually seen somebody go "Oh, you're right. I think I'll get an adult."


It does happen on the forum. Not as often as it should but people do listen sometimes. I did talk my friend out of a puppy. It still didn't end well but I did talk her out of puppy at least. 

Went something like this:

"I think I want a dog, help me" Me: okay we'll have to go through what you want out of a dog and how much you are willing to put into the dog (all the while hoping this will convince them out of a dog in the first place)

"I should get a puppy...." Me: No! (Listed lots of reasons)
"What about two puppies so the entertain each other". Me: Hell no! (Link info on littermate syndrome)
"Okay, okay young adult rescue". At this point we had kinda talked about a small fluffy dog like a bichon as a possibility.
Next day phone call "so can you come over? I kinda have a dog now". Me: what now? Huh? Okay what have you done to get a dog in 24 hours from us talking about you maybe getting a dog? She had a one year old husky from a rescue group when she had gone to their event at a pet store "just looking". So yeah I don't like that rescue group....

Long story short she had a two week trial with the dog and surprise, surprise it didn't work out. She's still mad at me over "being negative" about the whole thing because I spent most of that time sending her info about owning a husky and why it wasn't an easy dog for someone I didn't think was even ready for an easy dog.


----------



## kcomstoc

So we found a lump the size of a golf ball on Jake's hind leg *a little more towards his hip* and he threw up 2x last night so we made a vet appointment for Monday....I'm really hoping this is nothing because we just noticed it last night. He's been acting normal today and eating fine, but in case it is something I still want it checked out. I've felt it and it doesn't seem to be painful to him but it's still worrying me.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh the trainer where I do obedience started to feed Lincoln when she used him as an example for the class, or wanted to help me with something we were having trouble with snd not he freaking tries to get to her every time he sees her coming, even breaking commands and I HATE it so very much. I worked really hard so my dogs wouldn't take food from strangers (because people can be cruel and stupid and might give him something that will hurt him) and now I have to train it all over again ... ugh.


----------



## Marvel

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Ugh the trainer where I do obedience started to feed Lincoln when she used him as an example for the class, or wanted to help me with something we were having trouble with snd not he freaking tries to get to her every time he sees her coming, even breaking commands and I HATE it so very much. I worked really hard so my dogs wouldn't take food from strangers (because people can be cruel and stupid and might give him something that will hurt him) and now I have to train it all over again ... ugh.


I'm sorry to hear she ruined that! Out of curiousity, how did you train him not to take food from other people?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Marvel said:


> I'm sorry to hear she ruined that! Out of curiousity, how did you train him not to take food from other people?


When I used to live in the city, there was a rash of instances of somebody handing out treats that were laced with rat poison and it killed a bunch of dogs. So I taught my dog I had at the time, which was Izze, and every dog after her not to take food from strangers.

She still did it even though I politely explain to her the purpose of training him not to do that. Now he wants to go up to every dang person that we see and see if they have treats, I hate it.

TBH I took this class to be able to proof my dogs behaviors in the presence of other dogs and people, he already knows all the commands they are working on.


----------



## JeJo

OwnedbyACDs said:


> ...which was Izze, and every dog after her not to take food from strangers.


Owned, sorry that your instructor set back your training with Lincoln; how frustrating! 
I, too, would appreciate it if you would share how you went about teaching your dog not to accept food from strangers. My Kayla lives to eat!

Along with that, I hope to teach Kayla not to pick up "food" from the ground as well, as that is where something tainted would be more apt to be found around here, as opposed to directly (and more obviously) from someone's hand.

Good luck regaining lost ground.


----------



## Marvel

Ugh that's highly unfortunate. I'm sorry that happened! I totally understand the reasoning though. I'm big against people treating my horse without permission, and now that I have a dog the same goes! Too many things can go wrong and too many people are stupid and/or cruel.

Unfortunately, for some reason people think it is 100% fine to treat without permission. I took Quill to his first puppy playtime last Sunday and it seemed likely everyone and their brother was pulling treats out and offering them to Quill when he ran up! He is already so people focused, and a person with treats? Good luck getting him to play with puppies after that -- those are his two favorite things! Plus, I'm trying to stop him from running up to new people over excitedly (he's gone from squealing in excitement to barking in excitement as he runs over)...and they are rewarding him for that!


----------



## CptJack

Molly with me walking her walks at heel, mostly. Occasionally gets ahead and pulls some, but self-corrects and comes back. She will do an actual, formal, heel beside me when asked for a while, though I don't push the duration of that just yet.

Molly walking with my husband holding the leash lunges so hard her front feet aren't on the ground. It frustrates the snot out of him, and it makes me INSANE. I don't mind pulling to some degree and mostly just stay out of it, but there is something radically wrong when I'm walking all the dogs when none of them will behave for him. Which is where we are now, with Molly being more dramatic about it than the rest. 

I just. I swear to god.


----------



## Crantastic

My brother's pit was like that. She wouldn't pull him at all and she'd rarely pull me, but she'd drag our mother down the street. Frustrating.


----------



## CptJack

Yep.

Honestly, with the other dogs doing some pulling, I don't much care - between him and them, and they're not hurting themselves and it doesn't really impact what I do with them. I can suck it up and cope most of the time, though watching it is like nails on a chalkboard. 

Molly we're going to have to have an actual sit down conversation about, because ultimately the only thing he really does with her is encourage her to jump all over him when he comes home, and play high energy, high intensity games with her like ball and disc - as games wherein he really just wants to throw the toy and doesn't care what she does as long as she brings it back so he can throw it again. The faster and crazier, the BETTER. 

So, while I have a dog who will leave things, wait, stay, exercise impulse control, walk nicely on leash, turn off and nap with me and snuggle - he shows up and she turns into a *nightmare*. The leash is the worst of it for me right now but honestly? It's everything. She just gets frantic and goes over the top and it really, really kind of has to stop. I don't care that she's like that with him at home, but the fact that any attention from him now cues her to act like a lunatic is an issue. 

...and the irony is, she doesn't even particularly LIKE him. She likes free access to her ball and disc and to rebound off someone's head.

...I'm done ranting now. I think.


----------



## jade5280

kcomstoc said:


> So we found a lump the size of a golf ball on Jake's hind leg *a little more towards his hip* and he threw up 2x last night so we made a vet appointment for Monday....I'm really hoping this is nothing because we just noticed it last night. He's been acting normal today and eating fine, but in case it is something I still want it checked out. I've felt it and it doesn't seem to be painful to him but it's still worrying me.


Sorry to hear. I wouldn't be too worried though. Gypsy has a few lumps and they are all benign. I did freak out a bit before we had them tested so I know how you feel. Keep us updated!


----------



## Laurelin

Meh not looking forward to trick or treaters this yea. It's bad enough with my dogs but I have 6 dogs in the house today. Blergh.


----------



## Marvel

No trick or treaters for us! We live in kind of a weird spot to have them, and on top of that we rent the basement of a house so if we DID have trick or treaters the land lady would take care of them.

I AM excited for discount candy and free pumpkins tomorrow though! I make pumpkin seeds and puree, and with Quill around this year, I plan to make some pumpkin treats for him too. I think I might like the day after Halloween almost better.


----------



## kcomstoc

jade5280 said:


> Sorry to hear. I wouldn't be too worried though. Gypsy has a few lumps and they are all benign. I did freak out a bit before we had them tested so I know how you feel. Keep us updated!


Thank you I will, he's been acting normal today so maybe it's nothing...no vomit or anything. He was very good for Halloween what we ended up doing was tying the leash around my leg *knotting it* and having him come with me to the door each time. It was the best way to make sure he wasn't going to run out the door.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Yep.
> 
> Honestly, with the other dogs doing some pulling, I don't much care - between him and them, and they're not hurting themselves and it doesn't really impact what I do with them. I can suck it up and cope most of the time, though watching it is like nails on a chalkboard.
> 
> Molly we're going to have to have an actual sit down conversation about, because ultimately the only thing he really does with her is encourage her to jump all over him when he comes home, and play high energy, high intensity games with her like ball and disc - as games wherein he really just wants to throw the toy and doesn't care what she does as long as she brings it back so he can throw it again. The faster and crazier, the BETTER.
> 
> So, while I have a dog who will leave things, wait, stay, exercise impulse control, walk nicely on leash, turn off and nap with me and snuggle - he shows up and she turns into a *nightmare*. The leash is the worst of it for me right now but honestly? It's everything. She just gets frantic and goes over the top and it really, really kind of has to stop. I don't care that she's like that with him at home, but the fact that any attention from him now cues her to act like a lunatic is an issue.
> 
> ...and the irony is, she doesn't even particularly LIKE him. She likes free access to her ball and disc and to rebound off someone's head.
> 
> ...I'm done ranting now. I think.


And people ask me why I don't like my hubby to associate with my dogs, because he will do this, then get irritated that the dog I'd biting him, barking, etc and tell me to "do something about it." So I just tell him now to ignore him and I redirect.


----------



## kdawnk

I didn't realize how heavily my parents' approval weighed on the idea of me getting a second dog.
I had a discussion about fostering this weekend with my mom. She was doing the usual polite-yet-cringey facial expression she does when I bring up fostering and eventually getting a second dog. So I finally asked her what her problem with me fostering/adopting was.
She told me she didn't like me fostering just because all the rescues I've tried working with have repeatedly treated me poorly. Then she said she totally supports me getting another dog, but her only hold back is she wants me to get a _smaller_ dog than Sans. That actually blew my mind. Her ONLY concern is that a dog bigger than Sans isn't optimal? This whole time I thought that it was because she didn't think I could handle it, or that she didn't think my life was together enough to get another dog, or that Sans was too poorly trained to her standards for a second dog addition.


----------



## Laurelin

I think all future dogs I'm going to do like Hank... just tell the family after I've had him a few weeks. lol

'Oh yeah, by the way I've had this new dog for a few weeks now.'


----------



## kdawnk

Laurelin said:


> I think all future dogs I'm going to do like Hank... just tell the family after I've had him a few weeks. lol
> 
> 'Oh yeah, by the way I've had this new dog for a few weeks now.'


That was my idea with fostering.
I was supposed to be getting a foster dog this last weekend, but the owners of the dog stopped responding to the rescue when it came time to actually give the dog up.
So my idea was to just get the foster dog acclimated and then when my parents come over randomly be like, "Oh, yeah meet ____ she's been here a week or two."

But I have an out of town conference tomorrow so I had to get my parents on standby to look after Sans and the potential foster in advance. So that's when the whole conversation started.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> I didn't realize how heavily my parents' approval weighed on the idea of me getting a second dog.
> I had a discussion about fostering this weekend with my mom. She was doing the usual polite-yet-cringey facial expression she does when I bring up fostering and eventually getting a second dog. So I finally asked her what her problem with me fostering/adopting was.
> She told me she didn't like me fostering just because all the rescues I've tried working with have repeatedly treated me poorly. Then she said she totally supports me getting another dog, but her only hold back is she wants me to get a _smaller_ dog than Sans. That actually blew my mind. Her ONLY concern is that a dog bigger than Sans isn't optimal? This whole time I thought that it was because she didn't think I could handle it, or that she didn't think my life was together enough to get another dog, or that Sans was too poorly trained to her standards for a second dog addition.


I know, when I mentioned to mine that I would be getting one, they were like "you go girl, thats great!" and I was like ... "huh???" LOL. I guess they realized finally that my dogs are like my kids and not supporting me is like telling me I cant have a second "child" LOL. When mom found out that it is going to be a mini poodle, she was even happier, she has always loved poodles.


----------



## Hiraeth

I've had some super weird experiences while driving lately, probably because I'm traveling around 2 hours a day to let Titan out on my lunches. 

Today's adventure started when I saw a truck stopped in the northbound lane of the main road I take home with its 4 ways on. I drove slowly by and saw a young (and very attractive) male standing confusedly near a raccoon who was sitting in the middle of the road. The male was holding a 2 x 4 and was trying to use it to herd the raccoon off the road so it wouldn't get hit. I drove by and thought "I really don't have time for this", but then thought better of it and turned around. Pulled up behind the guy, put my 4 ways on and got out to get a good look at the raccoon. 

I thought it had been hit by a car, hence its unwillingness to move, but when I got about 7-8 feet away from it, I realized it was salivating heavily, a little foamy on the lips and was bleeding from the mouth, as well. Since I was about 95% sure the raccoon had rabies, I advised the man that he and I both back away from it and not risk getting bitten. At that point, the raccoon stood up and started wandering unsteadily around the road. It wasn't physically limping, just clearly dazed and confused. Knowing we couldn't do much, both the guy and I got in our cars and left. 

I called the county sheriff's office, who told me they didn't have anyone who could handle that situation, so then I called the only animal control organization I know in the area and didn't get an answer.

I saw the raccoon on the way back to work, and he had wandered into the northbound lane and was laying down. I seriously considered hitting him on purpose. The poor animal is suffering horribly, confused and scared. I couldn't do it, though. 

Finally got a call from animal control that they were dispatching an officer about 25 minutes after I saw him in the road and they're about a 25 minute drive away. I hope he's still there and the officer can humanely euthanize him and put out a rabies warning for pet owners in the area. 

I just feel so badly for that poor raccoon and wish I could have done something more to help him


----------



## kcomstoc

So Jake ok, the vet thinks it's a deep bruise, there aren't signs of fatty tissue like you would find if it was a fatty tumor and she didn't see any cancer cells. my SO and I think he was coming from the side of the yard and he hit his back leg on the corner of the stairs


----------



## jade5280

kcomstoc said:


> So Jake ok, the vet thinks it's a deep bruise, there aren't signs of fatty tissue like you would find if it was a fatty tumor and she didn't see any cancer cells. my SO and I think he was coming from the side of the yard and he hit his back leg on the corner of the stairs


 Glad it's nothing too serious! I hope he recovers quickly.


----------



## kcomstoc

jade5280 said:


> Glad it's nothing too serious! I hope he recovers quickly.


Me too, it must have hurt but he didn't react when I pushed on it. He didn't react when the vet put the needle in either, he was a really good boy


----------



## dagwall

Jubel goes in on Thursday to have the cyst on his back removed and have a dental cleaning while he's under. Found the lump on his back a few months ago, had it checked out at the vets then. Aspiration showed it was a cyst and vet said it should be fine to wait until February for the dental month discount and get both done at the same time. Well over the last few months the cyst has been growing pretty quickly so we've bumped it up. He's been under anesthesia a handful of time with no problems so I'm not really too worried about that but the fast growth with the cyst concerns me. Hoping it is JUST a cyst and causes no further issues once it's gone. 

Got his rabies booster last night and had blood drawn for a full health screening/pre-op info. He's not that old yet but I've doing full blood work us on him about 1.5 years ago with the plan of repeats every 1.5-2 years for now. He's about 7.5 years old now. Plan to keep this guy happy and healthy as long as possible, he got a thumbs up from the vet who checked him over last night.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> That was my idea with fostering.
> I was supposed to be getting a foster dog this last weekend, but the owners of the dog stopped responding to the rescue when it came time to actually give the dog up.
> So my idea was to just get the foster dog acclimated and then when my parents come over randomly be like, "Oh, yeah meet ____ she's been here a week or two."
> 
> But I have an out of town conference tomorrow so I had to get my parents on standby to look after Sans and the potential foster in advance. So that's when the whole conversation started.


Mine were ok with me getting a second dog, too, in fact, mom was all like ... happy about it! Especially when she found out it was going to be a poodle, she has always loved poodles. 

UGH Josefina is going to have to have a full blood panel and her hips x rayed when she goes in for shots in december. We think she might have thyroid, and hip issues


----------



## jade5280

dagwall said:


> Jubel goes in on Thursday to have the cyst on his back removed and have a dental cleaning while he's under. Found the lump on his back a few months ago, had it checked out at the vets then. Aspiration showed it was a cyst and vet said it should be fine to wait until February for the dental month discount and get both done at the same time. Well over the last few months the cyst has been growing pretty quickly so we've bumped it up. He's been under anesthesia a handful of time with no problems so I'm not really too worried about that but the fast growth with the cyst concerns me. Hoping it is JUST a cyst and causes no further issues once it's gone.
> 
> Got his rabies booster last night and had blood drawn for a full health screening/pre-op info. He's not that old yet but I've doing full blood work us on him about 1.5 years ago with the plan of repeats every 1.5-2 years for now. He's about 7.5 years old now. Plan to keep this guy happy and healthy as long as possible, he got a thumbs up from the vet who checked him over last night.


I hope the surgery goes well. Gypsy is also scheduled for lump removal and dental next week. She has a couple fatty lumps and cysts that are going to be removed. She has had them since we adopted her, but since they were benign, the vet said to leave them unless they bothered her or started to grow. One of the lumps has grown so we are just going to have them all removed at once.


----------



## dagwall

jade5280 said:


> I hope the surgery goes well. Gypsy is also scheduled for lump removal and dental next week. She has a couple fatty lumps and cysts that are going to be removed. She has had them since we adopted her, but since they were benign, the vet said to leave them unless they bothered her or started to grow. One of the lumps has grown so we are just going to have them all removed at once.


Yeah when we first noticed the lump on his back it was actually hard to pin point and find. You just knew you felt something in that area when you pet him. Eventually you'd find it as you carefully probed the area, I learned to mark the location in my mind after the second extended probing session looking for it. At this point it's big enough I have people who just pet him pointing it out to me in case I didn't know it was there. The people in my nosework group who noticed it were all "I'm sure you know already... but he has a lump back here". We first noticed it MAYBE four months ago, so it's growing fairly quickly.


----------



## Willowy

So a friend talked me into getting a hamster last month (living vicariously I guess; she lives at home and her mom won't let her get a hamster). Well, we were at Petsmart and hamsters were on sale and. . .. Anyway, I thought I didn't like hamsters. Every time I've met one it bit me. But I like this hamster. She's cute and personable and fun. And doesn't bite. Not quite as engaging as a rat but almost, and ratties like to live in pairs/groups so they're not an option right now. I lurve my little hamster .


----------



## Kyllobernese

Hiraeth, did you find out if they got the Raccoon? Do you have Rabies in your area? It is possible that it had just been hit by a car and had internal injuries but better safe than sorry.


----------



## Hiraeth

Kyllobernese said:


> Hiraeth, did you find out if they got the Raccoon? Do you have Rabies in your area? It is possible that it had just been hit by a car and had internal injuries but better safe than sorry.


I saw two animal control cars and officers as well as a police car in the area on my way home that night, which I thought was super strange. Since at that point I didn't know the outcome, even if the animal was rabid, I was wondering why would they have stopped there and searched the forested area to the side of the road? 

The animal control officer called me about two hours ago and left me a voicemail telling me that the raccoon tested positive for rabies and asked me to call back and confirm that I did not see anyone get close enough to get bitten when I stopped. I feel so badly for the poor guy, but the officer ensured me that she raced him back to the building and had him euthanized immediately, so at least his suffering was cut short. I haven't seen any health warnings issued for our area, which strikes me as the next logical thing to do - if an animal was rabid in the community, shouldn't the community be warned? 

----

On another odd note, I was one of the first people to come upon another accident last night. F-150 turned in front of a Toyota. I did the usual, called 9-11, sat with the woman in the Toyota and waited for the ambulances to arrive. She was mostly out of it from the airbag hitting her in the face. Definitely had a broken nose and broken teeth. I think both she and the driver of the truck will be fine. 

I'm thinking I should cut down on my driving time.... If I believed in universal warning signs, I'd be worried.

ETA: I read a few statistics about fatal traffic accidents, both car/car and car/pedestrian collisions, increasing greatly in the first few weeks after Daylight Savings Time. So drive carefully and safely for the next few weeks, everyone! Well, preferably drive carefully and safely all of the time, but especially when the risks are increased


----------



## Willowy

I think the increased risk of accidents is more likely in the spring when everyone loses an hour of sleep. . .but maybe in the fall too since more people are commuting in the dark. I go to work in the dark and come home from work in the dark. Bah. Stoopid tilted axis . 

I don't think it's usual to put out a rabies alert if a wild animal tests positive, in most circumstances. At least not around here. I think we're supposed to assume that some wild animals have rabies and behave accordingly.


----------



## Hiraeth

Willowy said:


> I think the increased risk of accidents is more likely in the spring when everyone loses an hour of sleep. . .but maybe in the fall too since more people are commuting in the dark. I go to work in the dark and come home from work in the dark. Bah. Stoopid tilted axis .
> 
> I don't think it's usual to put out a rabies alert if a wild animal tests positive, in most circumstances. At least not around here. I think we're supposed to assume that some wild animals have rabies and behave accordingly.


No, that's the crazy thing, the increase is in the winter because of what you said - people driving in the dark on the way home from work. It wasn't a huge marked difference in accidents, like 1-1.5% every year in the evenings of the first weeks following DST. The car/pedestrian incidents increase more than the car/car incidents, though, from what I read.

I thought a warning might go out because bow season started a few weeks ago and rifle season starts in a week and a half, so a lot of people are out in the woods in this area at this time of year. Some take their dogs, some take their kids... Would be good for them to know that a case of rabies has been diagnosed, I think.


----------



## Wirehairedvizslalove

I love the change in time during the fall! I can get into my pajamas earlier in the day and not feel like a bum because it gets dark by 5pm ...But then again, going out for night runs isnt exactly safe and a bit unnerving, especially since I bring my dog and I am more concerned about his safety than mine.


----------



## Laurelin

I hate getting home in the dark.  I don't feel safe really walking in the dark though we still do some. I feel bad though not giving the dogs as much exercise. Also makes it hard to do things like get my lawn cared for like I need to (working on re-seeding but no time to mess with it after work now!)

Mia has reached expert levels of making me feel like the worst owner in the world. I walked into my bathroom just now and found her trying to drink water from the washcloth I accidentally dropped in the shower this morning. Checked and yep. Out of water in the bowl. Bone dry.

Usually she's really good about telling me if they run out of water but I guess she figured she could just make do herself.


----------



## Laurelin

I was looking at an intake picture of a BC last week at my old shelter in south TX. Welp, my friend HERE just posted on facebook that she's fostering her. Weird. Gah so pretty girl too.


----------



## Laurelin

Interestingly I saw some pictures of known half Chihuahua and half medium sized purebred (from a good breeder) and the puppies did not look Chihuahua at all. They were basically slightly smaller and less pointy but looked a lot like the non chi half. No 'toyish' features at all. Hmmm... that makes me think chi x acd might be more possible in Hank than I had thought.


----------



## LoMD13

Laur, we are having the same trouble about getting home in the dark! I'm trying to train myself to get up a few hours before I need to go to work, but it hasn't happened yet. 

I've been going on night walks and just carrying a big stick and taking Lucy along with. I'm not worried about people, but I hear a pack of coyotes and the occassional Fisher hooting and hollering too close for my liking.


----------



## Kyllobernese

More snow came down last night. What came down on Wednesday morning had mostly melted away but we got a couple of inches last night. It is still right on freezing. It was Bonnie's first snow and she thought it was great fun, lots of zoomies.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

LOL It's going to be 75 degrees today


----------



## Wirehairedvizslalove

I am in New Jersey, and it is going to be 76 degrees today! I wish it could be in the 50s year rounds.


----------



## Kathyy

Just changed living room window coverings from a roman blind covering just the window to floor length wall to wall. Bucky is really bugged by drapes going floor to ceiling, keeps looking down then up, down then up. Dog just does not do new well.


----------



## CptJack

There are blue-tick X Shih-tzu puppies on one of my local craigslist. That is a puppy who, if my inn were not full, I'd get just to find out WTF it grew up into.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

DH flew out yesterday.... do hope it's not so long this time before he returns.. Was nice since it was his company that continued to request he not take leave,, that they set him up for round trip business class in his flights.. Good food, the seats actually turn into lounge sleepers... so am happy for him for that since he is so long legged and tall.. Regular seats all camped up kill him..... The dogs all adore him... They all had a blast going out and working on the property with him.. And of course he has taught them a bunch of naughty behaviors lol ... One being having Abhik jump up on the futon and look out the window through the blinds for what is passing in front of the house instead of her usual of running outside to look... Will be needing to replace the blinds.. lo lol lol ... It was a good time... He always leaves his stuff behind and Abhik was quick to go grab his slippers and keep them with her for sleeping.. Always hard on everyone... He is almost back to work, just one more flight to wait for...


----------



## Flaming

Ok not even 5 minutes ago before Hubby took Manna out to potty for me. He was rubbing her belly and he just goes all wide eyed.

"OMG how does Manna have ABS!" 


Apparently Manna has abs now lol
I guess all that jouring, slow-mo canicross and dragging/lifting my behind around when my legs don't wanna work right build core muscles.


----------



## Wirehairedvizslalove

Womp, my husband is away for the weekend. So, I guess it is just me and the dog! All of my friends graduated college and moved out of this rural county with little to no opportunity...But hey, I love this beautiful county! 
I do wish that I had some friends though, I am alone A LOT! I'm sure that some of you can relate to that.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Wirehairedvizslalove said:


> Womp, my husband is away for the weekend. So, I guess it is just me and the dog! All of my friends graduated college and moved out of this rural county with little to no opportunity...But hey, I love this beautiful county!
> I do wish that I had some friends though, I am alone A LOT! I'm sure that some of you can relate to that.


... the one time I did live in the City was Berlin GE.. and I did love all the transportation options never seen anything like that before coming from a rural small town where it took forever to drive from the house into town for something to learn to prefer to save all that time and be happy being home... .. love being rural, having the open space and quiet with just the animals roaming around.. All of my friends and family that visit, get bored and want to go to town lol ??? Here's to a safe return for your DH


----------



## DogTheGreat

I went to a family/friend gathering at my cousin's house for her daughter's birthday earlier and her lab was SO obese. Had trouble breathing while just laying around. It broke my heart.


----------



## CrystalGSD

DogTheGreat said:


> I went to a family/friend gathering at my cousin's house for her daughter's birthday earlier and her lab was SO obese. Had trouble breathing while just laying around. It broke my heart.


Obese dogs make me really sad  Like how do people not see that these dogs are suffering?


----------



## cookieface

Our fence was open again this morning. The current theory is that deer are running through and knocking it open. It's been reinforced, so I hope that solves the problem.


----------



## CptJack

I realized today Kylie could easily pass the CGC test - except the part of it that requires her be left with a stranger for several minutes. How do you even BEGIN to train for that?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Wirehairedvizslalove said:


> Womp, my husband is away for the weekend. So, I guess it is just me and the dog! All of my friends graduated college and moved out of this rural county with little to no opportunity...But hey, I love this beautiful county!
> I do wish that I had some friends though, I am alone A LOT! I'm sure that some of you can relate to that.


I can and I love it, I have never had a lot of "real" friends, just online ones LOL



> I realized today Kylie could easily pass the CGC test - except the part of it that requires her be left with a stranger for several minutes. How do you even BEGIN to train for that?


I was wondering this, too, in the supervised separation, dont they have them off lead? The graduation from obed 3 is the CGC test (so if he passed obed 3 he would also have a CGC title). The instructor said he wouldnt have passed because he jumped on her when I was gone, but that was the only thing wrong he did, that and LLW gawd his LLW needs SERIOUS work.


----------



## trainingjunkie

CptJack said:


> I realized today Kylie could easily pass the CGC test - except the part of it that requires her be left with a stranger for several minutes. How do you even BEGIN to train for that?


Break it down. Leave her alone with someone she is comfortable with (and knows) for 30 seconds. Then 45. Then a minute. Then, leave her with someone she knows a little less. Do the same thing. At the same time, start working out-of-sight stays. Keep them short and stress free. Grow them slowly. If you work at it from both ends like that, pretty soon the supervised separation gets much, much easier. My new dog needed a little help with the exercise, but he was able to nail it without a whimper or worry. He knew the drill and knew I was coming back. It became a simple training exercise.


----------



## CptJack

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I was wondering this, too, in the supervised separation, dont they have them off lead? The graduation from obed 3 is the CGC test (so if he passed obed 3 he would also have a CGC title). The instructor said he wouldnt have passed because he jumped on her when I was gone, but that was the only thing wrong he did, that and LLW gawd his LLW needs SERIOUS work.


No, they're on leash during Supervised separation - and for everything else in the CGC



trainingjunkie said:


> Break it down. Leave her alone with someone she is comfortable with (and knows) for 30 seconds. Then 45. Then a minute. Then, leave her with someone she knows a little less. Do the same thing. At the same time, start working out-of-sight stays. Keep them short and stress free. Grow them slowly. If you work at it from both ends like that, pretty soon the supervised separation gets much, much easier. My new dog needed a little help with the exercise, but he was able to nail it without a whimper or worry. He knew the drill and knew I was coming back. It became a simple training exercise.


Kylie actually has a really good stay with me in or out of sight. I could probably leave her in a stay with someone the whole time. She definitely needs some confidence building being left, though. Also with shutting up when being left. That's a real thing. She'll hold it and she'll stay happy but she is the YAPPIEST dog I've ever owned. She'll stay quiet if I'm around and we're doing things but she'll also YAP HER HEAD OFF if given insufficient interaction - and out of sight staying counts. I've been really lazy about it because it bugs me, but starting from scratch and tightening up the criteria should help.

I don't think the thing's even offered here for another year, anyway.


----------



## kcomstoc

So apparently Jake is great with miniature horses, there was one in countrymax when we went in and Jake wanted to go right up to him *the horse was a boy* and was wagging his tail. Later when we were checking out the horse was coming up and Jake went up before I could do anything he went right up and got on his hind legs and gave him kisses on the nose. It. was. adorable!!!!


----------



## CptJack

I can't believe I'm saying this but it seems that Thud has, over the past few/several months moved from being motivated only by mauling me to being motivated most my being praised and pet. Like I managed to transfer value? Somehow?

Still won't work for food or toys, really, but he'll work for a scratch and praise. 

THE HECK? I'm so confused by this.


----------



## kcomstoc

I am so angry today!! I found out that a person that used to be my friend from work's sister got a puppy, not only does she not take care of her child (CPS has been called many times, and it's not just maybe there's a misunderstanding type of call trust me) but now she's adding a puppy to the mess. I just don't understand why she would do this, so can barely support herself and her kid so the solution is to add a puppy? What?!

I think the main reason it upsets me so much is because I'll admit it I'm jealous. You all know I've waited so long *about 9 years or so* for me to get a puppy of my own. I try to be responsible and make sure that I'm actually ready for the responsibility and she just goes and gets a puppy like she's buying a new toy for her son.  sorry I needed to vent about this.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> I am so angry today!! I found out that a person that used to be my friend from work's sister got a puppy, not only does she not take care of her child (CPS has been called many times, and it's not just maybe there's a misunderstanding type of call trust me) but now she's adding a puppy to the mess. I just don't understand why she would do this, so can barely support herself and her kid so the solution is to add a puppy? What?!
> 
> I think the main reason it upsets me so much is because I'll admit it I'm jealous. You all know I've waited so long *about 9 years or so* for me to get a puppy of my own. I try to be responsible and make sure that I'm actually ready for the responsibility and she just goes and gets a puppy like she's buying a new toy for her son.  sorry I needed to vent about this.


Blah, yeah, the waiting sucks. I remember when I got Lincoln i was like "Holy crap! no more puppies for a while!" and here I am, feeling that familiar itch again ... what is wrong with me lmao.


----------



## kdawnk

Does everyone have short-term memory loss about their dog's puppyhood?
I feel like I had little-to-no real issues with Sans as a puppy, I hate puppies, but Sans was pretty easy.
Then I looked back into my threads and saw how stressed I was about so many little things with her. I still think all in all she was an easy puppy though.

Then we raised 5 week old foster puppy. I only remember that she never cried in her crate/through the night, and never went to the bathroom in her x-pen during the day. She had accidents in the house because I was so dead tired from micro-managing her life. She also had little hissy-fits/tantrums all the time which is why we called her Baby Satan. But all in all when I look back at it, it seems like an easy/fun experience.

I remember generally disliking her the entire time she was there, but when I look back on it I don't remember why and most of the negatives are funny happy memories.


----------



## Willowy

We haven't had a hard freeze yet. It's super weird seeing bugs outside on November 9th. . .


----------



## Eenypup

I was upset yesterday and Bennie spent most of the day as close to me as physically possible. Like on top of me all the time. First time it really seemed like she noticed or cared that I was in a bad mood!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kdawnk said:


> Does everyone have short-term memory loss about their dog's puppyhood?
> I feel like I had little-to-no real issues with Sans as a puppy, I hate puppies, but Sans was pretty easy.
> Then I looked back into my threads and saw how stressed I was about so many little things with her. I still think all in all she was an easy puppy though.
> 
> Then we raised 5 week old foster puppy. I only remember that she never cried in her crate/through the night, and never went to the bathroom in her x-pen during the day. She had accidents in the house because I was so dead tired from micro-managing her life. She also had little hissy-fits/tantrums all the time which is why we called her Baby Satan. But all in all when I look back at it, it seems like an easy/fun experience.
> 
> I remember generally disliking her the entire time she was there, but when I look back on it I don't remember why and most of the negatives are funny happy memories.


No I remember, and I am all like "glad he's not like that anymore!" Oh wait ... less than a year from now I will be doing it all over again!

What is WRONG with me lmao.


----------



## kdawnk

OwnedbyACDs said:


> No I remember, and I am all like "glad he's not like that anymore!" Oh wait ... less than a year from now I will be doing it all over again!
> 
> What is WRONG with me lmao.


That's because you're just getting out of it and already are making plans to go back into it! 
(not saying that's bad, just that you haven't had much breather time yet)
Sans is pretty much two years old now and she was a puppy on easy-mode.
I mean I've raised some other foster puppies up until 12 weeks, but they left before they hit crappy adolescence.


----------



## Willowy

Somebody is giving away puppies on the Omaha craigslist. They're Golden/Boxer and look like Toby must have at that age. . .I'm dying! I want to go snatch them up (the ad says "must go soon!" and I don't wanna know what will happen if not :/) and find good homes for them, but I know very well that at least one of them would be staying and I just CAN'T have another dog yet. Argh!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Somebody is giving away puppies on the Omaha craigslist. They're Golden/Boxer and look like Toby must have at that age. . .I'm dying! I want to go snatch them up (the ad says "must go soon!" and I don't wanna know what will happen if not :/) and find good homes for them, but I know very well that at least one of them would be staying and I just CAN'T have another dog yet. Argh!


"Must go soon" doesnt always mean something bad, you know.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

I don't put to much thought into their puppy antics .. to me its a passing phase that isn't long term real, to be too worked up over it... Never forget how much goofy they were as pups... Abhik is in that (no body awareness stage) the one where recall can take out your knee caps, still needs a bit of practice .. lol


----------



## Laurelin

Please tell me I'm not the only mean one that tries to trick their dog. Hank stays at the back door and waits for a release. I call each dog by name (though admittedly the rules are pretty loose for the papillons).

'Mia Summer!' Paps go outside.

Hank waits.

'Thank'
'Spank'
'Stank'
'Drank'
'Frank'
'Sank'
'Tank'
'Hank'

It is silly but also pretty amazing that they can differentiate the similar words.


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> Does everyone have short-term memory loss about their dog's puppyhood?
> I feel like I had little-to-no real issues with Sans as a puppy, I hate puppies, but Sans was pretty easy.
> Then I looked back into my threads and saw how stressed I was about so many little things with her. I still think all in all she was an easy puppy though.
> 
> Then we raised 5 week old foster puppy. I only remember that she never cried in her crate/through the night, and never went to the bathroom in her x-pen during the day. She had accidents in the house because I was so dead tired from micro-managing her life. She also had little hissy-fits/tantrums all the time which is why we called her Baby Satan. But all in all when I look back at it, it seems like an easy/fun experience.
> 
> I remember generally disliking her the entire time she was there, but when I look back on it I don't remember why and most of the negatives are funny happy memories.


Haha, I *sort* of think this is the case. Titan has been so easy, for the most part, that I'm already like "huh, I could do this again". I try not to think about Loki's puppyhood... If I was a member of this forum at that point, I probably would have started a "I'm going to post to this thread every time my dog does something ridiculous so I don't strangle him instead" thread. And I would have posted there multiple times a day. 

I'm already looking into my 2017 puppy. It looks like Titan's breeder is not going to have a litter on the ground that summer, unfortunately. Her disability and back problems are worsening and she is taking a pretty active role in helping her daughter care for her grand kids, so those commitments are most likely going to keep her from breeding the bitch, Karma, that I'm just in love with.

She said she'd let me know if the plans change, but at the moment, she's not planning on having any more litters with her 9 grand kids needing so much care and attention, which I respect. It just stinks because it puts me in the boat of do I want to wait and see if she breeds Karma or do I want to find another breeder I really like instead?


----------



## cookieface

kdawnk said:


> Does everyone have short-term memory loss about their dog's puppyhood?
> I feel like I had little-to-no real issues with Sans as a puppy, I hate puppies, but Sans was pretty easy.
> Then I looked back into my threads and saw how stressed I was about so many little things with her. I still think all in all she was an easy puppy though.
> 
> Then we raised 5 week old foster puppy. I only remember that she never cried in her crate/through the night, and never went to the bathroom in her x-pen during the day. She had accidents in the house because I was so dead tired from micro-managing her life. She also had little hissy-fits/tantrums all the time which is why we called her Baby Satan. But all in all when I look back at it, it seems like an easy/fun experience.
> 
> I remember generally disliking her the entire time she was there, but when I look back on it I don't remember why and most of the negatives are funny happy memories.


Neither of my dogs were bad puppies. I was horribly stressed with Katie, but that was me, not her. I wasn't much less stressed with Tyson because he was so much younger than Katie.



Laurelin said:


> Please tell me I'm not the only mean one that tries to trick their dog. Hank stays at the back door and waits for a release. I call each dog by name (though admittedly the rules are pretty loose for the papillons).
> 
> 'Mia Summer!' Paps go outside.
> 
> Hank waits.
> 
> 'Thank'
> 'Spank'
> 'Stank'
> 'Drank'
> 'Frank'
> 'Sank'
> 'Tank'
> 'Hank'
> 
> It is silly but also pretty amazing that they can differentiate the similar words.


That's impressive.


My random news of the day: This morning, I was driving out of my development and something crossed the street in front of me. It was too small to be a deer, too big to be a fox. I _think_ it was a golden retriever - or at least something about that size and fluffiness. Not what I expected to encounter on a Monday morning.


----------



## elrohwen

I don't think I have a rosy view of puppyhood. Watson actually was an easy puppy. He was just a really hard adolescent and I definitely haven't blocked that from my memory!

Hazel was an easy puppy except that she had to be rushed outside every 5 min (literally) until she was 4-5 months old. She still goes out about once an hour and she's 7 months. Tiny squirrel bladder.


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> I don't think I have a rosy view of puppyhood. Watson actually was an easy puppy. He was just a really hard adolescent and I definitely haven't blocked that from my memory!
> 
> Hazel was an easy puppy except that she had to be rushed outside every 5 min (literally) until she was 4-5 months old. She still goes out about once an hour and she's 7 months. Tiny squirrel bladder.


I was going to ask on facebook, since I don't want to start another potty training thread here, about something similar. Titan is 17 weeks tomorrow and STILL needs to go outside every 30-40 minutes. Most frequently every 30, but sometimes he goes 40 when he's active. He does signal by running to the back door, but it seems overly frequent for a 54 lb puppy.

When should I begin to worry slightly about how long in between potty breaks he goes, do you think? 6 months? 7? While rushing him outside every 30 minutes is okay and totally expected, I'm hoping the time between urination goes up at least a little in the next few weeks/month or so. While it was probably very obnoxious for you, I'm slightly comforted that other puppies take longer to learn how to 'hold it', too, and that it's not just him.


----------



## jade5280

I did not like puppy Ryker and would never want another puppy like him ever again. Other than being really cute, it was not fun. I could have a hundred more puppy Panzer's though.


----------



## elrohwen

Hiraeth said:


> I was going to ask on facebook, since I don't want to start another potty training thread here, about something similar. Titan is 17 weeks tomorrow and STILL needs to go outside every 30-40 minutes. Most frequently every 30, but sometimes he goes 40 when he's active. He does signal by running to the back door, but it seems overly frequent for a 54 lb puppy.
> 
> When should I begin to worry slightly about how long in between potty breaks he goes, do you think? 6 months? 7? While rushing him outside every 30 minutes is okay and totally expected, I'm hoping the time between urination goes up at least a little in the next few weeks/month or so.


I did get Hazel tested for a UTI (though she wasn't dribbling or anything) and she was negative. After that I just didn't worry and assumed it was her. Other puppies in her litter had similar issues so that also put me at ease. I think Watson was holding it over an hour by 12 weeks, and rarely having accidents. She was having accidents up until 4-5 months just because it's really hard to get a puppy outside every 5-10min and be that consistent about it for months.

I also didn't worry because she started signalling to go out very young. She clearly understood peeing outside, but she just couldn't hold it and most of her accidents were by the back door. We're getting there slowly. She did have an accident at 6 months (on the rug!) by otherwise she's been accident free since 5 months old. And she's never peed in training class, even the one held outside (and I no longer take her for a mid-class potty break).


----------



## Hiraeth

elrohwen said:


> I did get Hazel tested for a UTI (though she wasn't dribbling or anything) and she was negative. After that I just didn't worry and assumed it was her. Other puppies in her litter had similar issues so that also put me at ease. I think Watson was holding it over an hour by 12 weeks, and rarely having accidents. She was having accidents up until 4-5 months just because it's really hard to get a puppy outside every 5-10min and be that consistent about it for months.
> 
> I also didn't worry because she started signalling to go out very young. She clearly understood peeing outside, but she just couldn't hold it and most of her accidents were by the back door. We're getting there slowly.


I've had Titan tested as well, he was negative. I'm assuming it's just him, too, and trying to not worry. We have few accidents in the house, but mostly because I'm neurotic about getting him outside and praising/treating for him going out there. I just have to keep an eye on him and pretty much any time he wanders towards the back door, he needs to go outside. 

Titan's accidents are by the back door a vast majority of the time, too. Okay, so at least I can assume he's probably totally normal and just has a longer curve, as far as time between potty breaks goes, versus worrying that I have a dog who will need to go outside every 30 minutes forever.


----------



## jade5280

Panzer had to go out roughly every 30 minutes up until just a couple weeks ago. We went through so much Nature's Miracle.


----------



## elrohwen

I'm lucky that we have a kitchen and family room with easy to clean floors that are attached and make a good living space. Hazel basically never got to go on carpet until she was reliable (or crated, in our bedroom). We finally thought we were ok to put the rug back down in the family room when she peed on it while playing. With the number of accidents she had I would have gone crazy if they were on carpet.


----------



## Hiraeth

Unfortunately, Great Danes (or any giant breeds, really) + slippery floors = potential disaster. As puppies, their growth rate is so high that their bones/cartilage often grow faster than their muscles/ligaments/tendons can stretch, creating some weakness in the joint areas. On top of that, they're pretty clumsy. Any slip on a floor or trip up/down the stairs or jump from a couch or bed can cause joint problems or a pinched nerve in the spine.

I have a pretty fast carpet cleaner that I use when he goes in the house. The back room is covered in rugs, so those are sort of easy to clean, at least. But this is why I'm neurotic about getting him outside and why I get so little rest - the incentive of not having to clean the carpet is enough to have me running with him into the back room and out the door


----------



## Willowy

OwnedbyACDs said:


> "Must go soon" doesnt always mean something bad, you know.


I don't see how it couldn't. It sort of implies desperation. But this one is even more specific saying "leaving town Monday night, must be gone by then". I hope they at least end up at the shelter :/. If I hadn't had to work today I probably would have ended up down there getting them. . .


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Hiraeth said:


> Unfortunately, Great Danes (or any giant breeds, really) + slippery floors = potential disaster. As puppies, their growth rate is so high that their bones/cartilage often grow faster than their muscles/ligaments/tendons can stretch, creating some weakness in the joint areas. On top of that, they're pretty clumsy. Any slip on a floor or trip up/down the stairs or jump from a couch or bed can cause joint problems or a pinched nerve in the spine.
> 
> I have a pretty fast carpet cleaner that I use when he goes in the house. The back room is covered in rugs, so those are sort of easy to clean, at least. But this is why I'm neurotic about getting him outside and why I get so little rest - the incentive of not having to clean the carpet is enough to have me running with him into the back room and out the door


yip on the flooring.. My friend did her new house with the stone tiles, with a natural grit uneven type texture to it.. really like it for a sure footing.. will be my choice in my next building.


----------



## CptJack

At some point I'm going to stop feeling like an agility imposter, right? Like maybe by the time I'm in elite everywhere I"ll feel like I 'deserve' to be at trials? WTF is with my brain? Ugh.


----------



## Laurelin

Got home from agility and walked around the car to let Hank out. Got jumped on by a random heeler mix. WTF

Now I have this dog in my house. He is COOL.

Collar, no tags, intact male. Killer toy drive and really really hyper. Really handler oriented. If I wasn't broke and my industry in the crapper I'd probably consider it. I think he's heeler x BC. About 50 lbs.

But seriously. I like when I find dogs that I don't get tempted to keep.

Also I may for real be a heeler person. O_O


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> Got home from agility and walked around the car to let Hank out. Got jumped on by a random heeler mix. WTF
> 
> Now I have this dog in my house. He is COOL.
> 
> Collar, no tags, intact male. Killer toy drive and really really hyper. Really handler oriented. If I wasn't broke and my industry in the crapper I'd probably consider it. I think he's heeler x BC. About 50 lbs.
> 
> But seriously. I like when I find dogs that I don't get tempted to keep.
> 
> Also I may for real be a heeler person. O_O


 Does he look well cared for, other than having no ID? If so I would probably put up flyers. Are you taking him to a shelter so people have a chance of finding him? [All the things you know but I feel obligated to say in case someone is actually missing him so they can find him]. Hopefully wasn't intentionally dumped


----------



## Laurelin

He has a collar it was just 9 pm and everything closed when I found him. Super sweet. Obviously knows how to sit and comes when called. He's a pretty thing. I'll try to check a chip tomorrow afternoon. Posting him on lost pet FB right now. Will put up a craigslist but not sure how detailed to post....

I don't have a big enough crate. 



















And size lols.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> He has a collar it was just 9 pm and everything closed when I found him. Super sweet. Obviously knows how to sit and comes when called. He's a pretty thing. I'll try to check a chip tomorrow afternoon. Posting him on lost pet FB right now. Will put up a craigslist but not sure how detailed to post....
> 
> I don't have a big enough crate.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And size lols.


Holy crap he is GORGEOUS! If he didn't have a home I'd be super tempted...


----------



## Laurelin

I knowwwwww.....

And urgh I really can't even consider it now. He is a NICE dog. Very high energy, very high toy drive (has been dropping tennis balls constantly at me), comes when called, knows sit. Catches out of the air. He's pretty big though.

But seriously my kind of dog.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with him tomorrow at work.... I only have one crate that is big enough for him or Hank.


----------



## Laurelin

I found a posting for a very similar dog lost two days ago a couple miles away! I'm going to email the owner, I think it's the same dog. Apparently named Cowboy.


----------



## Crantastic

I just saw that on FB! Looks like they replied to you already and it is their dog. Nice to see a happy ending!


----------



## Laurelin

Well we found his owner via facebook! He's actually not a heeler at all but rather mostly border collie according to the owner. So maybe I'm just a BC person and not a heeler person after all.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Well we found his owner via facebook! He's actually not a heeler at all but rather mostly border collie according to the owner. So maybe I'm just a BC person and not a heeler person after all.


Glad you found his home! Are they for sure what is in him? Because he seriously looks like a Border Collie with ACD in him.


----------



## Laurelin

I have no idea. They said mostly BC with some lab (he's BIG for a BC for sure). But behaviorally he was all herder. I really thought ACD x BC when I saw him but I guess some BCs are ticked (a half BC half lab would not have had that much white though)

Argh it actually makes me realize that I'm much more a herder person than a terrier person. lol My next dog needs to be a BC or an ACD or something. When I'm not so broke.


----------



## Laurelin

I dunno it's got me thinking now. Of course that was one dog and he was only at my house a couple hours. But even just having him inside seemed so much easier than Hank. It just felt really right, sounds corny. Hank right off the bat was so so wild and this guy was... but in another way. Like 20x easier to call off of things, which was nice. 

I'm kind of thinking all my future dogs may just be ACDs or BCs (or mixes of the two). But we'll see. I love my terrierist but I just think they're not quite the best fit for me.

At the least it's made me realize I really COULD easily have a dog that size and that energy just fine in my house. Of course he wasn't around the paps at all but saw them through gates and didn't even pay them any attention. I did find out the dog lives with a Chihuahua though so that might be why.

I kind of feel guilty though because Hank was so excited about that dog. It'd be SO nice to have a dog that Hank could let loose with in the back yard and expel energy. But I really can't get another now and probably not for a year or two.


----------



## Hiraeth

PatriciafromCO said:


> yip on the flooring.. My friend did her new house with the stone tiles, with a natural grit uneven type texture to it.. really like it for a sure footing.. will be my choice in my next building.


This sounds *amazing*. Will definitely be looking into that when I'm at that point in my life. Was it on this forum that someone posted a bamboo-like flooring, too, that looked great and was easy to clean but had good grip? I liked the way that stuff looked a lot.


----------



## jade5280

Hiraeth said:


> Unfortunately, Great Danes (or any giant breeds, really) + slippery floors = potential disaster. As puppies, their growth rate is so high that their bones/cartilage often grow faster than their muscles/ligaments/tendons can stretch, creating some weakness in the joint areas. On top of that, they're pretty clumsy. Any slip on a floor or trip up/down the stairs or jump from a couch or bed can cause joint problems or a pinched nerve in the spine.
> 
> I have a pretty fast carpet cleaner that I use when he goes in the house. The back room is covered in rugs, so those are sort of easy to clean, at least. But this is why I'm neurotic about getting him outside and why I get so little rest - the incentive of not having to clean the carpet is enough to have me running with him into the back room and out the door


I put rugs down all over the house for Panzer. I'd rather clean up pee then have him slipping and sliding everywhere.


----------



## Hiraeth

jade5280 said:


> I put rugs down all over the house for Panzer. I'd rather clean up pee then have him slipping and sliding everywhere.


Yup, I have runners in my kitchen and back room. Titan manages to slip and slide on carpet and his new favorite habit when he's tired is to drop down to the floor like a load of bricks. Would hate to hear that boney frame smacking against hard flooring...

I'm so sad, he doesn't fit in my lap in the front seat any more  He's officially a back seat dog when there's a passenger in the car, now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Holy crap he is GORGEOUS! If he didn't have a home I'd be super tempted...


I would be too! especially since he seems like the perfect "brother" for Lincoln LOL,( Lincoln is so rough that he has to be separated from Josefina, because she has bad hips, and he hurts her  ) and he is my kind of size dog, too ... not too big, not too small ... and I have a bunch of crates that are the perfect size for a dog like that, too. But I absolutely can NOT do another dog right now.

Dogs like this seem awesome, but they are a lot of work, I wont lie, especially if he is one of those that thinks it's his mission to outsmart you LOL. Perhaps he just escaped from someone's yard? I know the people who found Josefina after she escaped probably thought she was dumped or something LOL, but she was chipped but they never thought to scan for it, I wish there was some way to put on the dog besides a collar that lets people know they are chipped. 

I hope somewhere there is a loving owner that is heartbroken and looking for him, I like to believe that until I know definitively otherwise LOL.

Maybe if he doesnt you can foster him for a rescue or something? Maybe contact the local heeler rescue and see what they say?


----------



## Laurelin

He's already back at his house.

I'm not worried at all about the work that 'nextdog' breeds could potentially take. I have Hank. It'll be fine. I'm not going to go out and get a random breed that doesn't fit me at all.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> He's already back at his house.
> 
> I'm not worried at all about the work that 'nextdog' breeds could potentially take. I have Hank. It'll be fine. I'm not going to go out and get a random breed that doesn't fit me at all.


Awesome! Thats great he found his home  I bet his owners were happy to have him back.


----------



## Laurelin

He had been missing for two days but the owners lived on the other side of the neighborhood. Made me wonder if he had run off and was trying to find his way back home. 

He was actually pretty big though, a lot bigger than most BCs I am around. I'm really bad at guessing but I'd bet around 50 lbs and over 24". Hank is 26 lbs, 16" tall for reference in that pic. Course most my friends' collies are sport bred and a bit smaller but even then he seemed taller than most BCs/heelers. In that case lab would fit. Who knows! He was neat and glad he found his way back home! 

Did not help my 'second high energy fun dog want' at all. Especially now that Hank can't really dog park. I feel bad he has no real playmate here.


----------



## CptJack

God, I love having local dog friends.


----------



## Laurelin

Me too. Hank did have a play date with my friend's (older) lab puppy this weekend but I think Hank was a bit rough and wild. He was just playing but the friend seemed a bit concerned with his play style. So not sure we'll be invited back so soon. :/

I need to figure out more play opportunities for Hank.


----------



## CptJack

I'm working on arranging a meet up to work on Molly's dog stuff some. I know the owner and dog and it should be fine. But I'm just... so grateful there's someone dog savvy for stuff like that in my life.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh and Hank ended up bleeding from the lab puppy biting his tongue while they were playing. Hank and the heeler/bc/lab/whatever played a lot nicer than Hank did with the lab. He's just a liiiiiittttle bit wild.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> He had been missing for two days but the owners lived on the other side of the neighborhood. Made me wonder if he had run off and was trying to find his way back home.
> 
> He was actually pretty big though, a lot bigger than most BCs I am around. I'm really bad at guessing but I'd bet around 50 lbs and over 24". Hank is 26 lbs, 16" tall for reference in that pic. Course most my friends' collies are sport bred and a bit smaller but even then he seemed taller than most BCs/heelers. In that case lab would fit. Who knows! He was neat and glad he found his way back home!
> 
> Did not help my 'second high energy fun dog want' at all. Especially now that Hank can't really dog park. I feel bad he has no real playmate here.


Why can't he dog park?


----------



## elrohwen

Mine get so out of control with their playing. I'm not sure if it's because they're related, or because Watson taught her everything he knows, but they play EXACTLY THE SAME and it is weird. Like, stand up on hind legs and smash into each other, grab each other by the neck, chase and grab at back legs. The grabbing back legs part is really weird because I've never seen Watson do that with anther dog, and I'm pretty sure she learned it from him. I think it started when he wanted to grab the toy she was carrying, but he won't take a toy from another dog so he grabbed her leg. Now she will gnaw on his legs and even shake them. They get out of control upstairs where we have carpet and lots of soft surfaces to slam each other down on. They've finally learned to stop when I say "enough" at least.


----------



## Laurelin

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Why can't he dog park?


The older he gets the less likely he is to diffuse tense situations and/or more likely to jump headfirst into a brawl. He also has a small but growing list of male dogs he takes issue with and has actually gotten into a couple minor fights in the last few months (since about July). All with dogs I know and to be fair those dogs can also be a bit tense and scrappy. He is a screaming, wiggling, happy thing when he sees his friends but he is happily ready to brawl if another dog decides that's what the game is.

It's not surprising. I think he may end up completely intolerant to strange male dogs in the future. I think he'll probably stay fine with the ones he's known since he was young and plays with often and some really easy going dogs. But other young male sharp, hyped up kind of dogs? Hit or miss. Getting to be more and more misses as he ages.

EDIT: female dogs are FINE. He takes corrections from his two bitchy BC girlfriends just stellar. And golden retrievers get a free pass always because he's madly in love with the breed. Most the issues have been with bully type breeds or young herder boys. But then on the other hand his BFFs are all herder boys but specially chosen ones he's known since he/they were pups.

He also plays a heck of a lot better 1 on 1.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Kris and Bonnie love playing tug with each other. Lately if Kris won't let Bonnie get hold of the tug, Bonnie bites her back legs which makes Kris dance around and Bonnie has a better chance of grabbing the tug. Lucy, my Shih Tzu x Maltese, plays a lot with Bonnie now and they both play the same way with each other, rolling around and wrestling, something Bonnie does not do with Kris. They go at it for so long I eventually have to say "enough" and get them to stop.


----------



## Laurelin

I think a lot of Hank's issue is he plays at a level that most dogs don't and that sets the other dogs off. Basically imagine a JRT x heeler and that's how he is. He is rough, wild, nonstop, bossy, nippy, super fast. He DOES NOT SLOW DOWN playing or break at all. I think his play style overstimulates a lot of dogs. Then they go after him and he gets defensive.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Oops, he would hate Lincoln because he is a young, herder boy LOL, but he does take corrections fairly well, though. You are lucky that your herder is okay with smaller dogs, both of ours are NOT.


----------



## Laurelin

It took 2-3 months for Hank to be ok with papillons. And there are still many precautions in place because he has a tendency to try to start things or bowl them over. He did leap of the bed and land directly on Summer this last month. (I mean like running full speed flying leap). Summer ended up actually pretty injured and sore from that.  but there will forever be rules for Hank because he's just too rough for them. I think he'd be a dog that needed some extra rules though no matter what other dogs we had. But overall he's not too bad. Just a bit intensely wild. 

He is just as terrier as he is herder IMO. Maybe moreso. Or maybe I just notice the terrier traits more since they clash more with me. 

Oddly enough I think the dog last night would have been much much easier to teach to be around the paps. With household rules of course. But he had little/no interest whereas Hank wanted to chase them from day one.


----------



## elrohwen

Watson is good at regulating his play with other dogs. He's played well with little dogs, and with dogs who are weird and hard to read, or who tend to correct him. Hazel is the one who gets over the top, and since they play the same way they just keep escalating each other. Sometimes I think he's actually correcting her, but then he keeps playing anyway? So he's getting kind of annoyed, but won't stop playing, and she gets more and more "aggressive" in her play (barking, growling, charging him). They are much better if toys are involved - she steals them, he chases, much less body slamming.


----------



## CptJack

Most of my dogs are pretty tolerant, even if they don't enjoy it. Kylie isn't, anymore. She used to rough and tumble and chase with anyone but these days she has no desire to really play with anyone and anyone trying to instigate physical contact (as opposed to chase) games is going to lose their face. 

And then she's going to die because most of the time the dogs trying are much bigger than her.

The dogs here don't even TRY thankfully, but it worries me enough that I don't let her 'play' with other dogs and she's pretty happy that way.


----------



## CptJack

Looks like we're going to finally try CAT with Molly. Yee-haw!


----------



## Willowy

So last night I got home from work and the odor in the air made me gag! The farmer who owns the land around my place also owns a hog operation, and every year after harvest he takes the. . .stuff out of the hog lagoons and sprays it on the fields for fertilizer. I've smelled it before but it's never been so strong it made me gag. He must have just sprayed or something. I mean, I'm not complaining because I knew very well that if I bought a house surrounded by corn fields, farm-y things would be happening, plus he warned be before I bought the place that it will get smelly sometimes. But wow, I didn't know it could smell like THAT. But fortunately the odor has dissipated a lot overnight.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Watson is good at regulating his play with other dogs. He's played well with little dogs, and with dogs who are weird and hard to read, or who tend to correct him. Hazel is the one who gets over the top, and since they play the same way they just keep escalating each other. Sometimes I think he's actually correcting her, but then he keeps playing anyway? So he's getting kind of annoyed, but won't stop playing, and she gets more and more "aggressive" in her play (barking, growling, charging him). They are much better if toys are involved - she steals them, he chases, much less body slamming.


LOL body slamming is like, the aussie way haha, I have always had physical type dogs so that kind of play and way of being is normal to me, in fact, if I ever had a breed of dog who didnt do that, it would be weird for me. It's going to be weird having a poodle because they arent like that LOL. Though, since he is going to be raised with an aussie, then he might be that way.


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL body slamming is like, the aussie way haha, I have always had physical type dogs so that kind of play and way of being is normal to me, in fact, if I ever had a breed of dog who didnt do that, it would be weird for me. It's going to be weird having a poodle because they arent like that LOL. Though, since he is going to be raised with an aussie, then he might be that way.


I don't like it because they end up hurting each other. Watson apparently pulled a muscle in his back for a month, and occasionally Hazel comes away limping. They drive me nuts. Just play like normal dogs who don't injure themselves!

Watson's new favorite move is to grab her by the neck and throw her to the ground. lol He used to take the dive and end up on his back, but now that she's bigger and faster I guess he feels like it's her turn to be on the bottom. They are weird.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> At some point I'm going to stop feeling like an agility imposter, right? Like maybe by the time I'm in elite everywhere I"ll feel like I 'deserve' to be at trials? WTF is with my brain? Ugh.


LOL, this is me too!


----------



## WTFCas

I woke up with a migraine and feeling nauseous this morning. After I stopped vomiting, I crawled back into bed and fell back asleep. A few hours later, I woke up to the sound of Salem getting sick. We're not off to a great start today.


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> LOL, this is me too!


It is SO WEIRD. I mean. We have titles and everything! Clearly we're doing something right but. Yep, imposter feeling. Ah well, at least we're in it together.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

When I am there, I feel like people are looking at me like "Oh gawd, what is SHE doing here, she doesnt even belong here!" So yeah, I get it.


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, I love my agility people. I mean I love them and I don't think they're thinking I don't belong. I just feel like I'm not good enough to be in trials and doing well. I certainly shouldn't be out of novice at ALL. Anywhere. 

Somehow. 

It's really, really strange. I honestly felt less like this before I started doing decently. 

IDEK.


----------



## WTFCas

There's a big blue bully mutt who belongs to an irresponsible owner who lets him roam off leash while she watches from her balcony. Her dog while not aggressive to people, is dog aggressive. We live in an apartment complex that does not accept bully breeds and has a weight limit of 35lbs. Today I was taking Salem out and he rushed at us, hackles up and in a very confrontational manner. 

I scooped Salem up and when he continued to approach us, he ignored me when I told him to "GET." I jumped at him and he went running half-way up the stairs. I started to continue to walk out to the potty area for dogs and he comes back at us again. This time I raise my hand up and did a jump and stomp movement at him. As I watch him run half-way up the stairs, I look up and there is his owner watching the whole thing, not doing anything to get her dog under control. I look at her with a deadly serious face and said, "You need to get your dog." She continues to stand there dumb founded that anyone would say anything to her. So I yell, "NOW!" and she finally grabbed her dog and took him inside. 

I called the apartment manager and told them that there was a dog of a restricted breed, constantly off-leash and that I'd be following up to see what steps they will be taking to rectify this issue. Yeah, i'm THAT neighbor now.


----------



## Crantastic

I'd be that neighbor, too. It's not the dog's fault that its owner is an idiot, but it's not safe for it to be loose around other dogs, either. If you didn't say anything, it could have seriously injured or killed someone's dog.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Wow so sad.... one of the local dog / trail areas where you can let your dogs off leash if they are well behaved. Its a nice larger spaced out area that I use to go my guys when I was living up North in COS.... They brought in herd of goats to eat down the weeds and over growth.. and the lady that brought the herd in is packing up and leaving because people are letting their dogs loose to chase the goats... Not having any respect for her animals..


----------



## Hiraeth

WTFCas said:


> There's a big blue bully mutt who belongs to an irresponsible owner who lets him roam off leash while she watches from her balcony. Her dog while not aggressive to people, is dog aggressive. We live in an apartment complex that does not accept bully breeds and has a weight limit of 35lbs. Today I was taking Salem out and he rushed at us, hackles up and in a very confrontational manner.
> 
> I scooped Salem up and when he continued to approach us, he ignored me when I told him to "GET." I jumped at him and he went running half-way up the stairs. I started to continue to walk out to the potty area for dogs and he comes back at us again. This time I raise my hand up and did a jump and stomp movement at him. As I watch him run half-way up the stairs, I look up and there is his owner watching the whole thing, not doing anything to get her dog under control. I look at her with a deadly serious face and said, "You need to get your dog." She continues to stand there dumb founded that anyone would say anything to her. So I yell, "NOW!" and she finally grabbed her dog and took him inside.
> 
> I called the apartment manager and told them that there was a dog of a restricted breed, constantly off-leash and that I'd be following up to see what steps they will be taking to rectify this issue. Yeah, i'm THAT neighbor now.


I've been "that neighbor" twice. Once when someone with an extremely aggressive Akita (which was on the restricted list at my apartment) continuously allowed their dog to roam off leash in our public walking areas. The dog attacked two other dogs, but for some reason was never reported. I knew that if it ever attacked my dogs, my dogs would kill it and that would come back on me even if it wasn't my fault. I called the apartment complex and complained and never saw the dog again.

The second time was just a few weeks ago. My neighbors leave their Treeing Walker/Mastiff mix outside at all hours of the day and night, totally unsupervised. The dog barks at anything that moves. Since I'm feeling old lately, I'm usually in bed by 8:00, so when their dog wakes me up at 10:30 at night, I get pissed. They leave him out in the morning, too, and he barks at me at 5:45 am when I'm out with Titan. I feel badly for my other neighbors who are still trying to sleep, but it's not like I can just tell my puppy "you have to hold it, Tank is outside". So I called our neighborhood association and let them know of the issue. I hope my neighbors don't have to get rid of Tank, but that they are encouraged to be more responsible dog owners. 

I'm glad you and your dog are okay and you did the responsible thing by reporting the dog. It stinks when you have to be that neighbor  You shouldn't feel badly about it, you're acting in the best interest of yourself and every other dog owner in the neighborhood.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Honestly, I love my agility people. I mean I love them and I don't think they're thinking I don't belong. I just feel like I'm not good enough to be in trials and doing well. I certainly shouldn't be out of novice at ALL. Anywhere.
> 
> Somehow.
> 
> It's really, really strange. I honestly felt less like this before I started doing decently.
> 
> IDEK.


In my logical mind, I know they are not thinking that. But my anxiety mind tells me otherwise and has a bad habit of creating scenarios that arent there.


----------



## elrohwen

I feel like that every time I go to a dog show. My dogs are groomed as nicely and don't show as nicely and I think "what are we doing here?" More with Hazel than Watson actually. He was nice enough that I just had to show up. But she is not as nice, and she is a puppy and doesn't show as well yes, and I feel like people are judging what Watson produced, and which puppy I picked from the litter to show, etc. The difference is that they are picking for a breeding program and I was picking entirely for temperament for sports, but when you're at a conformation show people don't know that. I guess I feel like Watson belongs there even if I don't, but neither Hazel nor I belong and it's a weird feeling.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> It is SO WEIRD. I mean. We have titles and everything! Clearly we're doing something right but. Yep, imposter feeling. Ah well, at least we're in it together.


Yep, I know. I don't know how many times I have said if Belle had a different handler she would be so much better. I seriously put myself down a lot but I think it is because there is so much I don't know but somehow we get through things and get titles! I so do not feel worthy of being in the excellent class in Standard now, I am going to be so nervous the 21/22.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Honestly, I love my agility people. I mean I love them and I don't think they're thinking I don't belong. I just feel like I'm not good enough to be in trials and doing well. I certainly shouldn't be out of novice at ALL. Anywhere.
> 
> Somehow.
> 
> It's really, really strange. I honestly felt less like this before I started doing decently.
> 
> IDEK.


Oh yeah, the people are great here too! However, I am thinking possibly if I can get Belle's start fixed (without the sit/stay) I may start feeling better. I didn't realize until the last trial how worked up I would get not knowing if she would release or not. I feel so inferior with the unknown of the start. Once I get going I really don't think about anyone watching at all, it is the start that I feel all eyes on me being not worthy of being there.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, we're getting close to being in Elite in Standard - may well move up after day 1 of our next trial, even. 

Some of it's certainly anxiety - I'm not as overtly anxious as I used to be, but I will still 'feel' a sense of judgement that isn't actually there, like Owned mentioned. 

The rest of it, I just don't know. I'm reasonably confident. I am stupid proud of my dog and a little bit proud even of myself, but I guess ultimately I just feel like an imposter who hasn't really 'earned' my achievements. I feel like I should still be the new kid, but even after only 4 trials in 2015 - we're not the new kids anymore. Just... like I'm faking it. My brain just hasn't caught up, I guess. Which is very weird because AT the trial this last time? I was FIIIIINE. A week after? No.

Eh. I figure it'll go away at some point - and yeah, we're going to end up in Elite Standard probably halfway through January's trial, if we move up. I may not move up. I still don't have a 'plan' in place or even really very concrete goals beyond the very, very long term. Apparently that's something I need to do.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> I feel like that every time I go to a dog show. My dogs are groomed as nicely and don't show as nicely and I think "what are we doing here?" More with Hazel than Watson actually. He was nice enough that I just had to show up. But she is not as nice, and she is a puppy and doesn't show as well yes, and I feel like people are judging what Watson produced, and which puppy I picked from the litter to show, etc. The difference is that they are picking for a breeding program and I was picking entirely for temperament for sports, but when you're at a conformation show people don't know that. I guess I feel like Watson belongs there even if I don't, but neither Hazel nor I belong and it's a weird feeling.


Wow, that's a lot of pressure! I am glad I didnt go that route LOL.

But since I am going to be a trainer, I think the same thing will happen to me, people will know my profession, and judge me on how good and well behaved my dogs are.


----------



## CptJack

Does anyone have any ideas for cool dog/dog training/agility related gifts or things that are a little outside the norm? I'm trying to look around for Christmas fits for a few people and I am so, so stuck. Because they're dog people and that's the point of our connection, but most of them have the more obvious things already.


----------



## trainingjunkie

CptJack said:


> Does anyone have any ideas for cool dog/dog training/agility related gifts or things that are a little outside the norm? I'm trying to look around for Christmas fits for a few people and I am so, so stuck. Because they're dog people and that's the point of our connection, but most of them have the more obvious things already.


What's our budget?


----------



## CptJack

trainingjunkie said:


> What's our budget?


I don't know. Somewhere around 25.00-50.00? Can be a little more if it's particularly cool but that kind of range.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Does anyone have any ideas for cool dog/dog training/agility related gifts or things that are a little outside the norm? I'm trying to look around for Christmas fits for a few people and I am so, so stuck. Because they're dog people and that's the point of our connection, but most of them have the more obvious things already.


I would be immensely touched if anyone gave me ANY dog stuff, LOL. I would be all like "wow, you know me well enough to know that I would rather get stuff for my animals than myself!!!" Even when I get like, gist certificates to Petco or something I am touched! Am I the only one who likes gift cards? No one gives them because they are considered "impersonal" but I think it's awesome to give someone a gift card to their fave store or something. I give my hubby gift cards all the time LOL


----------



## elrohwen

The first thing that came to mind is agility Christmas ornaments if people celebrate Christmas. I hate getting little nicknacks that I don't have any use for, but ornaments are nicknacks that come out once a year, you enjoy them, then you can put them away. A little A-frame ornament or something would be super cute.

Or something edible. Everybody likes edible things. I can't think of anything agility specific, but people like food.


----------



## kcomstoc

If you like baking maybe some homemade dog treats?


----------



## elrohwen

kcomstoc said:


> If you like baking maybe some homemade dog treats?


And decorated cookies in the shape of agility equipment for the people


----------



## trainingjunkie

If they have shorter coated dogs, these are incredibly cool! http://www.fuzzywumpets.com/item_251/Cat-Nap-Cave-Bed.htm


----------



## trainingjunkie

I have been given gift certificate to the Fenzi Academy and have really appreciated them. I have been given gift certificates to Clean Run too. And collection of upper-end dog treats.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

trainingjunkie said:


> I have been given gift certificate to the Fenzi Academy and have really appreciated them. I have been given gift certificates to Clean Run too. And collection of upper-end dog treats.


Awesome!


----------



## Kyllobernese

I am watching this thread as my sister's birthday is in Feb. and would like to get her something Agility related.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

What about a "Rush to Tug" lead? a lot of people use them for agility and other dog sports, you can personalize them and everything!

ETA the link: http://www.rushtotug.com/


----------



## kdawnk

Why, when I go to tell everyone at work that I'm going to be leaving a half an hour early (I take a short (or, no) lunch to compensate) to pick my dog up from Daycare before they close, do I get all sorts of sass and attitude? 

But when someone says they're going to go tie skates for figure skating for their kid's class it's like, "Wow, you're the best dad/mom in the world!"

I've been doing this for 2 years people, the snickering is getting old. I'm _still_ going to be taking her to daycare weekly, no matter how dumb and wasteful you think it is.


----------



## Hiraeth

kdawnk said:


> Why, when I go to tell everyone at work that I'm going to be leaving a half an hour early (I take a short (or, no) lunch to compensate) to pick my dog up from Daycare before they close, do I get all sorts of sass and attitude?
> 
> *But when someone says they're going to go tie skates for figure skating for their kid's class it's like, "Wow, you're the best dad/mom in the world!"*
> 
> I've been doing this for 2 years people, the snickering is getting old. I'm _still_ going to be taking her to daycare weekly, no matter how dumb and wasteful you think it is.


So tempted to make a Canada joke....


----------



## missc89

kdawnk said:


> Why, when I go to tell everyone at work that I'm going to be leaving a half an hour early (I take a short (or, no) lunch to compensate) to pick my dog up from Daycare before they close, do I get all sorts of sass and attitude?
> 
> But when someone says they're going to go tie skates for figure skating for their kid's class it's like, "Wow, you're the best dad/mom in the world!"
> 
> I've been doing this for 2 years people, the snickering is getting old. I'm _still_ going to be taking her to daycare weekly, no matter how dumb and wasteful you think it is.


I'm going to go with... "People have no lives" for 500 Alex!


----------



## kcomstoc

elrohwen said:


> And decorated cookies in the shape of agility equipment for the people


I was thinking this but didn't know if they made those kinda cookie cutters? I guess you could cut them yourself but I'm not that artistic lol


----------



## CptJack

Maybe I'll have a cake decorated >.> 

Thanks guys, there's some good ideas in there that I'll pursue!


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> Maybe I'll have a cake decorated >.>
> 
> Thanks guys, there's some good ideas in there that I'll pursue!


A cake in the shape of their dog?


----------



## CptJack

kcomstoc said:


> A cake in the shape of their dog?


Oh, I meant as a group gift. See if I can find someone who can do something agility related. For individuals not so much  Cookies there. Maybe fudge. Or, heck, I don't know. Tug toys or something. Christmas ornaments. Some combination of all.


----------



## Laurelin

trainingjunkie said:


> If they have shorter coated dogs, these are incredibly cool! http://www.fuzzywumpets.com/item_251/Cat-Nap-Cave-Bed.htm


Hmmmm.... this looks like something Hank needs.










Yes he always brings a toy to sleep with.


----------



## trainingjunkie

Not just needs, but also Deserves!


----------



## kcomstoc

CptJack said:


> Oh, I meant as a group gift. See if I can find someone who can do something agility related. For individuals not so much  Cookies there. Maybe fudge. Or, heck, I don't know. Tug toys or something. Christmas ornaments. Some combination of all.


If you do it for a group you can have each of their dogs do some agility thing on a sheet cake, maybe they can be doing something goofy like one dog is jumping and another dog can be right behind him and he crashes into the jumping dog *if that explanation made any sense* he crashes because the other dog decides not to jump


----------



## Laurelin

trainingjunkie said:


> Not just needs, but also Deserves!


He is really a champion at being lazy.  

It is funny neither of the papillons like being under the covers but Hank is a burrower.


----------



## DogtorWho15

This is a rant thread right? I lost my morning Nova time... Every morning after we wake up, she goes outside for potty then comes back in so her and I can just hang and train and relax before anyone else wakes up. Well we just started this recently, and it has been WONDERFUL this "Nova time" is the only reason I have been waking up actually happy in the mornings and why I am in a good mood for the day. This was my favorite time ever, was to just be with my dog in the warm house doing everyday things. Of course I go outside with her all the time too, but there was just something about this time. I also suck at cooking but have been really wanting to learn, well since we wake up early to do this time, I have started teaching myself how to cook, so I can eat breakfast. And she just makes it more fun being there, when I make eggs, she does a trick for the shells, when I have scraps, she does something right and she gets those too. Well she isnt fully housetrained but she has been doing really well inside lately. But, my brother has a rabbit ( he doesnt deserve to be a pet owner in my opinion but thats another story) And I always close his door because his bunny is scared of Nova, which is completely understandable I mean a bunny is a dogs snack in the wild, anyways I forgot to close it this morning and my dog being freakishly smart and a complete escape artist ( literally, her gate is two gates stacked on top of each other, a wire through the handle cause she figured out how to push it up, then she jumped over the gates and so we had to put chicken wire across the gap and connect to the fence, then she got out through the bottom, so we have a wood board and a lawn mower in front of it, lets just say, breakfast is a little complicated...) she made it over the barricade and into his room, she could care less about the rabbit she just wanted to see my brother, but the bunny FLIPPED and I mean completely flipped out, it woke up my brother and him and my mom were yelling at me to throw her outside, so I did just so everyone could settle down, then my brother came out, I asked if his rabbit was ok and he gave a flat no. Then he said that the dog shouldnt be allowed in and my mom agreed because "she was mopping the floors and didnt want it to smell like dog" MY FAMILY HAS NO PATIENCE WHATSOEVER, seriously guys she is 8 MONTHS OLD, and A DOG accidents and mistakes are going to happen!!! 

And therefore I now lost my Nova time and am very sad and angry - rant over


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## OwnedbyACDs

DogtorWho15 said:


> This is a rant thread right? I lost my morning Nova time... Every morning after we wake up, she goes outside for potty then comes back in so her and I can just hang and train and relax before anyone else wakes up. Well we just started this recently, and it has been WONDERFUL this "Nova time" is the only reason I have been waking up actually happy in the mornings and why I am in a good mood for the day. This was my favorite time ever, was to just be with my dog in the warm house doing everyday things. Of course I go outside with her all the time too, but there was just something about this time. I also suck at cooking but have been really wanting to learn, well since we wake up early to do this time, I have started teaching myself how to cook, so I can eat breakfast. And she just makes it more fun being there, when I make eggs, she does a trick for the shells, when I have scraps, she does something right and she gets those too. Well she isnt fully housetrained but she has been doing really well inside lately. But, my brother has a rabbit ( he doesnt deserve to be a pet owner in my opinion but thats another story) And I always close his door because his bunny is scared of Nova, which is completely understandable I mean a bunny is a dogs snack in the wild, anyways I forgot to close it this morning and my dog being freakishly smart and a complete escape artist ( literally, her gate is two gates stacked on top of each other, a wire through the handle cause she figured out how to push it up, then she jumped over the gates and so we had to put chicken wire across the gap and connect to the fence, then she got out through the bottom, so we have a wood board and a lawn mower in front of it, lets just say, breakfast is a little complicated...) she made it over the barricade and into his room, she could care less about the rabbit she just wanted to see my brother, but the bunny FLIPPED and I mean completely flipped out, it woke up my brother and him and my mom were yelling at me to throw her outside, so I did just so everyone could settle down, then my brother came out, I asked if his rabbit was ok and he gave a flat no. Then he said that the dog shouldnt be allowed in and my mom agreed because "she was mopping the floors and didnt want it to smell like dog" MY FAMILY HAS NO PATIENCE WHATSOEVER, seriously guys she is 8 MONTHS OLD, and A DOG accidents and mistakes are going to happen!!!
> 
> And therefore I now lost my Nova time and am very sad and angry - rant over


I also such at cooking, my husband is a saint LOL.

I will not have a dog outside, and since, even when I was a kid I did most of the cleaning, no one could say anything about it. We have two dogs in a 500 sf apartment and it never smells like a dog


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## DogtorWho15

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I also such at cooking, my husband is a saint LOL.
> 
> I will not have a dog outside, and since, even when I was a kid I did most of the cleaning, no one could say anything about it. We have two dogs in a 500 sf apartment and it never smells like a dog


I am thinking about writing a persuasive paper and making many cleaning promises, and asking her if we could try it for like a week, and if I dont stick to my words then I lose my privileges. Ugh cant wait till I move out. One good thing though! I am going away for Thanksgiving for 2 days, and was unable to take her with me, so my grandma said she could stay with them, they have a HUUUUUGE yard with lots of fun doggy buddies to play with, and Nova just absolutely ADORES my grandmother, it is so cute. So at least she will be having fun now for thanksgiving.


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## OwnedbyACDs

DogtorWho15 said:


> I am thinking about writing a persuasive paper and making many cleaning promises, and asking her if we could try it for like a week, and if I dont stick to my words then I lose my privileges. Ugh cant wait till I move out. One good thing though! I am going away for Thanksgiving for 2 days, and was unable to take her with me, so my grandma said she could stay with them, they have a HUUUUUGE yard with lots of fun doggy buddies to play with, and Nova just absolutely ADORES my grandmother, it is so cute. So at least she will be having fun now for thanksgiving.


Are you an adult? Because as an adult I wouldnt stand for that kind of childlike treatment, their house, or not. that's not cool, IMO.


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## DogtorWho15

So I have a question. I am thinking about switching to feeding Nova raw instead of dog food. Thing is I have no idea, what, how much of, how often etc. I am supposed to feed her. I know she can eat bones as long as they arent cooked but thats about all I know about feeding raw except the obvious "raw" part of it. So those of you that feed raw, would you mind telling me how I do this?? Also is it possible to get a rough estimate on monthly cost? My dog food is about $50 and it last a little over a month. I guess I should also mention that Nova is 9 months tomorrow and is 54.8 lbs


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## DogtorWho15

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Are you an adult? Because as an adult I wouldnt stand for that kind of childlike treatment, their house, or not. that's not cool, IMO.


Not quite an adult yet no, so their say goes. I make all the rules about Nova and such, but they make the house rules.


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## ireth0

DogtorWho15 said:


> So I have a question. I am thinking about switching to feeding Nova raw instead of dog food. Thing is I have no idea, what, how much of, how often etc. I am supposed to feed her. I know she can eat bones as long as they arent cooked but thats about all I know about feeding raw except the obvious "raw" part of it. So those of you that feed raw, would you mind telling me how I do this?? Also is it possible to get a rough estimate on monthly cost? My dog food is about $50 and it last a little over a month. I guess I should also mention that Nova is 9 months tomorrow and is 54.8 lbs


There are lots of knowledgeable folks on raw in the food section, I'm sure they'd be able to point you in the right direction.


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## Sibe

DogtorWho15 said:


> So I have a question. I am thinking about switching to feeding Nova raw instead of dog food. Thing is I have no idea, what, how much of, how often etc. I am supposed to feed her. I know she can eat bones as long as they arent cooked but thats about all I know about feeding raw except the obvious "raw" part of it. So those of you that feed raw, would you mind telling me how I do this?? Also is it possible to get a rough estimate on monthly cost? My dog food is about $50 and it last a little over a month. I guess I should also mention that Nova is 9 months tomorrow and is 54.8 lbs


 In the Food forum there is a "how to start" thread with lots of good tips. Research, research, research before you start. There are different ways of doing raw. Some people do whole pieces and chunks, some do grinds, some do grinds with RMBs, some add veggies and dairy, some decide to do home cooking instead of raw, some mix a variety of raw, home cooked, premade raw, and/or dehydrated. Lots to learn.

I do PMR, here's a starting guide. But I also give high quality kibble in food dispensers and as treats, and since Bobb won a ton of The Honest Kitchen the girls have been getting some of that dehydrated stuff too.
http://www.chanceslittlewebsite.com...rv._7.1_beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw.pdf

Make sure you find reliable sources before starting too. You'll need a good co-op and/or local supplier.


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## CptJack

Molly and I were just outside when the neighbor had some kind of issue with his truck that resulted in a lot of crashing, banging, slamming of things and yelling. She didn't care. 

We came inside and there was a grocery bag (plastic) on the stairs. She fell apart. 

I feel like this beautifully exemplifies how freaking WEIRD life with her can be.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Random vent: I WANT MY STUFF!

I ordered some stuff from chewy over a week ago, they said they delivered it "to the main house" here and i told the foreman about it and he said he would look into it but still NO STUFF!!!! One package is the supplement and that is like over $100 man! I swear, I am going to call the fed ex office and say that anything that says my name on it must be delivered to me, geeze!


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## Laurelin

Hank brought his horse sized jolly ball inside. LOL


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## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Hank brought his horse sized jolly ball inside. LOL


My dogs love those! I have two lol


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## DogtorWho15

Sibe said:


> In the Food forum there is a "how to start" thread with lots of good tips. Research, research, research before you start. There are different ways of doing raw. Some people do whole pieces and chunks, some do grinds, some do grinds with RMBs, some add veggies and dairy, some decide to do home cooking instead of raw, some mix a variety of raw, home cooked, premade raw, and/or dehydrated. Lots to learn.
> 
> I do PMR, here's a starting guide. But I also give high quality kibble in food dispensers and as treats, and since Bobb won a ton of The Honest Kitchen the girls have been getting some of that dehydrated stuff too.
> http://www.chanceslittlewebsite.com...rv._7.1_beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw.pdf
> 
> Make sure you find reliable sources before starting too. You'll need a good co-op and/or local supplier.


Thanks you for all the help!! Ive already read it for 2 hours XD and there is still so much more! I will probably do veggies with it, Nova is a rare dog that actually likes vegetables, thats what I mostly give her in her kong toy lol. I will definitely keep doing research though, I want to make sure I am doing it correctly. Bobb is a popular little guy aint he?


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## Wirehairedvizslalove

Whew, I survived a huge family function (my husbands side) last night. I hate how awkward I am! I wish I could relax and have fun like everyone else. I hate when people treat me differently because that stresses me out even more. There is also another family function tomorrow that I need to get through whewwwwww. All I want to do is hide in the wilderness with my dog. blah


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## OwnedbyACDs

Wirehairedvizslalove said:


> Whew, I survived a huge family function (my husbands side) last night. I hate how awkward I am! I wish I could relax and have fun like everyone else. I hate when people treat me differently because that stresses me out even more. There is also another family function tomorrow that I need to get through whewwwwww. All I want to do is hide in the wilderness with my dog. blah


This is me, I am a wallflower, I wont talk to someone unless they talk to me, first, or unless we have something in common (animals). But generally speaking, if i go to a party and only know two people, chances are good I will know the same two people at the end of the night.


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## Laurelin

Yay Hank is a titled man now! 

Hank CA


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## DogtorWho15

I think my dog is part cat. She jumped onto our tall kitchen table like it was nothing....


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## DogtorWho15

How in the world are you supposed to do the signature thing?? I cant figure it out or get it to work. But I would really like one.


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## DogtorWho15

Wait... I am getting closer....


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## Laurelin

Mia is coughing a LOT lately some days. Some days she's great. Other days she coughs and coughs. I'm so worried about her and if she will one day need a tracheal stent. I think though soon we will end up back at the vet hospital to talk about medication. Neither our regular vet nor the emergency vet thought she was a good candidate for it last time we went in. She was just at the vet at the end of September but the coughing has increased since then. 

I just don't know what to do about the stent since its so expensive (6k last I heard) and life expectancy post stent is not great. 

Sigh. She had been maintaining her condition the last two years with no real additional issues. It just wrecks me thinking she may only have a few more years if that.


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## kcomstoc

Just wanted everyone to know that Jake's bump is getting a lot better, the bruise is pretty much gone and there's no bump anymore 

Laurelin- I'm sorry to hear about Summer, I hope her cough clears up and you don't have to go the stent route


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## DogtorWho15

Laurelin said:


> Mia is coughing a LOT lately some days. Some days she's great. Other days she coughs and coughs. I'm so worried about her and if she will one day need a tracheal stent. I think though soon we will end up back at the vet hospital to talk about medication. Neither our regular vet nor the emergency vet thought she was a good candidate for it last time we went in. She was just at the vet at the end of September but the coughing has increased since then.
> 
> I just don't know what to do about the stent since its so expensive (6k last I heard) and life expectancy post stent is not great.
> 
> Sigh. She had been maintaining her condition the last two years with no real additional issues. It just wrecks me thinking she may only have a few more years if that.


Sorry to hear about Mia  I will pray for her. I really hope she gets better and you can figure out what you should do.


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## Jen2010

Kane is getting really bad at stealing and getting into things. We had to buy a new yard/food waste bin because he kept tipping it over to get what was inside. Now he tries to tip over the garbage can to shred the garbage.

Yesterday I left the living room to fold some laundry and I noticed Kane didn't follow me. I ran back to the living room and the Caramilk bar that was sitting on the couch was gone! No trace of it whatsoever. It hadn't even been opened yet! Then later that evening I went to get a slice of banana bread (I had taken half a loaf out of the freezer earlier that day) and it was nowhere to be found either! No crumbs, no plastic wrap, nothing. Clearly I'm going to have to be more careful about leaving food lying around. And no more kitchen access for him!


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## OwnedbyACDs

Lincoln is crated when I leave the house for this very reason, because he would get into ALL THE THINGS and I would have a very sick dog LOL. I even crate him if I am just stepping out to water the plants or tend the garden, because he will get into stuff if he knows I am not watching. I even crate him, or tether him if I am going to the shower.


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## PatriciafromCO

New Fedx driver was trying to give the dogs treats at the gate ??? I didn't realize what she was doing I was back at the house walking up the drive way towards them at the gate. Would of never of known she gave them something until I realized Arka had one smelling it on the ground not interested. Abhik had already eaten hers.. Called the driver to ask what was the ingredients and all she could say was Kirkland. Told her I know she was only trying to be nice and didn't mean any harm but to not feed peoples dogs without the owners permission some dogs have medical conditions and are on restrictive diets, feeding a dog something they have never had before could cause an upset to their system, and some owner prefer that you don't feed their dogs with out permission. Diver was dumb founded that she could by accident hurt a dog.... Did call Fedx ask that they make it a policy for their drivers to ask first.


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## DogtorWho15

I just saw the CUTEST corgi pup on craigslist with a white heart shaped spot on his little butt <3

*no more dogs right now, no more dogs right now*


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## WTFCas

PatriciafromCO said:


> New Fedx driver was trying to give the dogs treats at the gate ??? I didn't realize what she was doing I was back at the house walking up the drive way towards them at the gate. Would of never of known she gave them something until I realized Arka had one smelling it on the ground not interested. Abhik had already eaten hers.. Called the driver to ask what was the ingredients and all she could say was Kirkland. Told her I know she was only trying to be nice and didn't mean any harm but to not feed peoples dogs without the owners permission some dogs have medical conditions and are on restrictive diets, feeding a dog something they have never had before could cause an upset to their system, and some owner prefer that you don't feed their dogs with out permission. Diver was dumb founded that she could by accident hurt a dog.... Did call Fedx ask that they make it a policy for their drivers to ask first.


You handled that a lot better than I would have. I FREAK OUT whenever someone tries to feed my dog anything without permission. My heart dog was poisoned, she died a horrific death despite emergency vet care and a diagnosis for a full recovery. What was the result of the call to FedEx?


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## PatriciafromCO

WTFCas said:


> You handled that a lot better than I would have. I FREAK OUT whenever someone tries to feed my dog anything without permission. My heart dog was poisoned, she died a horrific death despite emergency vet care and a diagnosis for a full recovery. What was the result of the call to FedEx?


believe me I am devastated I didn't see it happening.. I've lost dogs to poisoning from my neighbors and I don't want my dogs to ever see strangers as food sources especially taking food from them through the property gate. I would love to go all crazy on someone one doing it! , that is how I truly feel inside but it's not going to change the situation and it's not going to help the person understand or learn about why never do it again.. Fedx CS did file a complaint form to the local Fedx office for the delivery driver. and .then transferred me to another level of Customer Service Representative something that started with an A ... If anything people do things because they lack knowledge that they could do harm , so if Fedx makes it a part of their policy and the reasons why, then it may save another dog and owner the trouble.. That would be a good out come.


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## dagwall

So apparently Joshua thinks THE PLACE to run off with the Kong squeezee to my brother's room, drop it, and proceed to whine. Doesn't matter if my brother is there or not he just likes that location for the toy it seems, then thinks SOMETHING else should be happening. Weird dog is weird.


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## Laurelin

I love how unlike most dogs who LET GO when they realize they are biting their human, Hank BITES HARDER. Seriously the biting is getting better...mostly. But still.... 'Oh! Momflesh!' CHOMP CHOMP

Also I propose adding funny bones to boobs and stomach for the most painful places to be bit. And that little flappy of skin between thumb and pointer finger.

And now if someone can convince him not to try to drag my vacuum away while I'm vacuuming that'd be great. 

Thnx bye.


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## Spicy1_VV

PatriciafromCO said:


> New Fedx driver was trying to give the dogs treats at the gate ??? I didn't realize what she was doing I was back at the house walking up the drive way towards them at the gate. Would of never of known she gave them something until I realized Arka had one smelling it on the ground not interested. Abhik had already eaten hers.. Called the driver to ask what was the ingredients and all she could say was Kirkland. Told her I know she was only trying to be nice and didn't mean any harm but to not feed peoples dogs without the owners permission some dogs have medical conditions and are on restrictive diets, feeding a dog something they have never had before could cause an upset to their system, and some owner prefer that you don't feed their dogs with out permission. Diver was dumb founded that she could by accident hurt a dog.... Did call Fedx ask that they make it a policy for their drivers to ask first.


Is Abhik younger? Did you train them to be calm when people approach the gate? Are they calmer when you are there but defensive if you are not present?
My friend told me my CO was um stupid because she went crazy and wanted to tear through the fence instead of eating the chicken she was given.


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## kcomstoc

So Jake got into the butter today....he hasn't bothered it in weeks but today nobody was home for hours and he decided "hmmmm this smells kinda like food, I think I'll try it" don't know why but he always takes the food he decides to eat *besides kibble* on the couch. He didn't eat much of it thankfully *must not have liked it?* but there was butter on the couch and the ground. He's acting normal but come on can't you just leave the food alone? He doesn't even pay any attention to it if my SO and I are only gone for a few hours but when we're both gone for several hours I guess it's open season for any food where ever he can reach.


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## Kyllobernese

Woke up to this yesterday morning and it does not look like it is going to go away, in fact they are forecasting snow for at least the next few days. When I took the dogs for a walk today it was -4C and really windy out so very short walk although the dogs get to run around off leash so they get more exercise than me. Our power has gone off twice now in the last few days.


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## DogtorWho15

Nova decided that the best place to pee would be ON HER BRAND NEW FRIGGEN BED *facepalm*


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## dagwall

Kyllobernese said:


> Woke up to this yesterday morning and it does not look like it is going to go away, in fact they are forecasting snow for at least the next few days. When I took the dogs for a walk today it was -4C and really windy out so very short walk although the dogs get to run around off leash so they get more exercise than me. Our power has gone off twice now in the last few days.


And it was in the upper 60s (close to 20C) in the DC metro area today.


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## DogtorWho15

kcomstoc said:


> So Jake got into the butter today....he hasn't bothered it in weeks but today nobody was home for hours and he decided "hmmmm this smells kinda like food, I think I'll try it" don't know why but he always takes the food he decides to eat *besides kibble* on the couch. He didn't eat much of it thankfully *must not have liked it?* but there was butter on the couch and the ground. He's acting normal but come on can't you just leave the food alone? He doesn't even pay any attention to it if my SO and I are only gone for a few hours but when we're both gone for several hours I guess it's open season for any food where ever he can reach.


Oh man! Nova got into the butter the other day too, except she did like it, and whenever she feels the need to steal something she knows she isnt supposed to, she makes sure I see her doing it -.-


Kyllobernese said:


> Woke up to this yesterday morning and it does not look like it is going to go away, in fact they are forecasting snow for at least the next few days. When I took the dogs for a walk today it was -4C and really windy out so very short walk although the dogs get to run around off leash so they get more exercise than me. Our power has gone off twice now in the last few days.


Aw! I wish we got that much snow here Nova loves it. What kind of dog is that on the far right? HE IS SOOOO FLUFFY I wanna squeezes it :3!!!


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## PatriciafromCO

Spicy1_VV said:


> Is Abhik younger? Did you train them to be calm when people approach the gate? Are they calmer when you are there but defensive if you are not present?
> My friend told me my CO was um stupid because she went crazy and wanted to tear through the fence instead of eating the chicken she was given.


Abhik is the pup.. Normally people who come to the gate are services that are frequent... They calm to different agrees when I get there. as I usually talk and see what's up with them.. Depending on the Individual person and how close I am with them. The regulars I've known for 16 years and consider them like family... Others they will calm but quick to go off without warning at them, if the move towards me at the gate... Anyone else that randomly shows up, Arka will not relax. So no it's not trained, Arka has made his choices from watching. He will bump Abhik away from the gate if she goes up to it. Still a pup and curious and he doesn't like it at all lol ....


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## Laurelin

I wonder if dogs can be claustrophobic. Hank is terrified of plastic crates. Fine with wire crates. It's no big deal but almost every class it seems I have to ask someone else to move their dog out of a wire crate and into a plastic one since he's so afraid of being in the plastic crates. Whale eyes, tail tucked, ears back, panicking... he will blatantly refuse to go in. Even for treats.


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## dogsule

kcomstoc said:


> So Jake got into the butter today....he hasn't bothered it in weeks but today nobody was home for hours and he decided "hmmmm this smells kinda like food, I think I'll try it" don't know why but he always takes the food he decides to eat *besides kibble* on the couch. He didn't eat much of it thankfully *must not have liked it?* but there was butter on the couch and the ground. He's acting normal but come on can't you just leave the food alone? He doesn't even pay any attention to it if my SO and I are only gone for a few hours but when we're both gone for several hours I guess it's open season for any food where ever he can reach.


My Maya got on the kitchen table and ate half a stick of butter once! She didn't even get soft poos from it. My Angel ate about a cup of bacon grease once and got very sick, vomiting and runny poos! She wasn't feeling good for about a day and a half! I don't leave butter on the table anymore and it was Mayas fault that Angel got into the bacon grease as she got the baby proof lock open by the garbage. It is blocked now though.


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## Kyllobernese

Doctor Who 15 - the dog on the far right is Susie, my Bernese cross. You can hardly see Bonnie, my Golden Doodle, running behind my Doberman. She has a really curly coat and is probably going to need clipping in the Spring.


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## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> I wonder if dogs can be claustrophobic. Hank is terrified of plastic crates. Fine with wire crates. It's no big deal but almost every class it seems I have to ask someone else to move their dog out of a wire crate and into a plastic one since he's so afraid of being in the plastic crates. Whale eyes, tail tucked, ears back, panicking... he will blatantly refuse to go in. Even for treats.


You don't take your own crates to class? Here everyone brings their own, some people with large dogs have an extra that they leave at class so they don't have to be hauling a big crate back and forth but ours is easy enough to carry around. I have the plastic. Not sure about claustrophobia but he obviously doesn't like them so maybe they can. Belle loves sleeping under my daughters bed and she barely fits so she is totally not claustrophobic. lol


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## missc89

Sterling seems to have started to whine when he's playing with a certain toy. Actually, he's just really whiny... he whines when the cats won't play with him, he whines when he's playing with a toy, he whines when I'm looking at him asking him to go get a toy so we can play....


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## OwnedbyACDs

There are crates for people to use at one of the places I go to as well. Lincoln doesnt like plastic crates, either. He really could do without ALL crates, but since I like a healthy dog ... and my stuff intact, he has to stay in a crate when we are out LOL. He doesnt LIKE it, but its for his own good as as far as I am concerned, he can "get mad til he gets glad" about it.


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## CptJack

Kylie just played a pretty good game of tug with me. 

I think the world might end soon.

(Not really. I think 'spite-drive' is beautiful, though.)


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## Laurelin

dogsule said:


> You don't take your own crates to class? Here everyone brings their own, some people with large dogs have an extra that they leave at class so they don't have to be hauling a big crate back and forth but ours is easy enough to carry around. I have the plastic. Not sure about claustrophobia but he obviously doesn't like them so maybe they can. Belle loves sleeping under my daughters bed and she barely fits so she is totally not claustrophobic. lol


Nope we have some crates that just live at the training facility. It's nice not having to haul them around. But most are plastic.

He has 0 issues with the wire ones and eagerly will load himself up in those.


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## elrohwen

Both places we do agility have a selection of wire and plastic crates. Watson won't go into a plastic crate without a fight. I think he's just not used to them and they are very different from wire crates. He doesn't like to go into the wire crates either (OMG, some other dog was in here!) but he does eventually. Hazel doesn't seem to care one way or another.


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## dagwall

All training classes I've been to that would like you to crate during class provide crates. I believe they've all been wire crates and they might have some sheets to drape over them if you need to obscure their view.


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## elrohwen

dagwall said:


> All training classes I've been to that would like you to crate during class provide crates. I believe they've all been wire crates and they might have some sheets to drape over them if you need to obscure their view.


The thing that gets me is the agility place provides crates, but nobody crates until the advanced classes. The place is a huge horse arena and about 1/5 of it is fenced off into the entry area/crating area/warm up ring. Yet during beginner classes everybody is out in the main ring on leash. At least put people in the smaller area so the dog who is working can't run up to them. It's set up perfectly and they don't use it to their advantage.


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## dagwall

The one agility class I took all dogs were on leash the entire time except for the last class. In the last class they put up fencing around the equipment and let everyone do a few runs off leash with all the other dogs on the other side of the fencing on leash.


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## elrohwen

I've done beginner classes at two places now and most dogs are off leash by the 3rd class. Just really quick stuff at first (run through a tunnel, do a short recall, etc). But it advances quickly to short sequences where the working dog is off leash, yet the other dogs stay in the ring. I don't get why you wouldn't make it easier on the working dog and remove them. 

And I hate the excuse "Well, to do agility they need to be good off leash around other dogs". 1. You don't run agility trials with other dogs inside the ring. And 2. Why would you expect them to be at that level after 6 weeks of classes? You work up to that, not throw beginning dogs into such advanced level distractions.


----------



## cookieface

dagwall said:


> All training classes I've been to that would like you to crate during class provide crates. I believe they've all been wire crates and they might have some sheets to drape over them if you need to obscure their view.


That's great! We have to provide our own for classes. It wasn't bad for Tyson's NW class (partly because we stopped crating after a few classes), but Katie's crate is huge and awkward to carry - especially on windy days.



elrohwen said:


> The thing that gets me is the agility place provides crates, but nobody crates until the advanced classes. The place is a huge horse arena and about 1/5 of it is fenced off into the entry area/crating area/warm up ring. Yet during beginner classes everybody is out in the main ring on leash. At least put people in the smaller area so the dog who is working can't run up to them. It's set up perfectly and they don't use it to their advantage.


In our first two agility classes, the room was divided into roughly equal sections for each dog. We did some exercises and crated within that space; some exercises were done individually or in small groups in the center of the room. In our current, and I imagine subsequent, classes, dogs are crated in the lobby while not working. Two dogs work simultaneously in separate areas of the training room.


----------



## elrohwen

cookieface said:


> In our first two agility classes, the room was divided into roughly equal sections for each dog. We did some exercises and crated within that space; some exercises were done individually or in small groups in the center of the room. In our current, and I imagine subsequent, classes, dogs are crated in the lobby while not working. Two dogs work simultaneously in separate areas of the training room.


That makes so much more sense to me.

As part of Watson's private lessons, the trainer has been bringing in a friend with a dog. The first couple times she worked in the side area while we worked in the main ring. Last week she also worked in the main ring but as far away from us as possible. Building slowly! I'm also much more comfortable knowing that her dog is friendly and non-threatening to Watson, so when he does run away I can focus on getting him back and not freak out. In group classes there were always a couple dogs who were not super dog friendly and I would panic when Watson would choose to run up to that dog to make friends. Not fair to that dog to be put into that situation either!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

dagwall said:


> The one agility class I took all dogs were on leash the entire time except for the last class. In the last class they put up fencing around the equipment and let everyone do a few runs off leash with all the other dogs on the other side of the fencing on leash.


thats the way my current place here does it. the place I take classes at back home when I am there has options either way.


----------



## cookieface

In our classes, the dogs have been primarily off leash, but with ring gates separating them. For some the individual and small group exercises, they could be on or off leash - whatever we were comfortable with. 



elrohwen said:


> As part of Watson's private lessons, the trainer has been bringing in a friend with a dog. The first couple times she worked in the side area while we worked in the main ring. Last week she also worked in the main ring but as far away from us as possible. Building slowly! I'm also much more comfortable knowing that her dog is friendly and non-threatening to Watson, so when he does run away I can focus on getting him back and not freak out. In group classes there were always a couple dogs who were not super dog friendly and I would panic when Watson would choose to run up to that dog to make friends. Not fair to that dog to be put into that situation either!


That sounds like a really good arrangement. I'm not worried about the dogs in Katie's class being unfriendly; I'm more worried about Katie being a bully and a pest. At least now if she decides to run off, there's only one other dog she can bug and most of them will ignore her.


----------



## dagwall

elrohwen said:


> I've done beginner classes at two places now and most dogs are off leash by the 3rd class. Just really quick stuff at first (run through a tunnel, do a short recall, etc). But it advances quickly to short sequences where the working dog is off leash, yet the other dogs stay in the ring. I don't get why you wouldn't make it easier on the working dog and remove them.
> 
> And I hate the excuse "Well, to do agility they need to be good off leash around other dogs". 1. You don't run agility trials with other dogs inside the ring. And 2. Why would you expect them to be at that level after 6 weeks of classes? You work up to that, not throw beginning dogs into such advanced level distractions.


Oh yeah... it's been a while since that agility class and details become fuzzy. We did let the dogs off leash for a couple exercises but a helper would hold the dog in front of the equipment while you baited the target at the other end and called them to you, re-leashing them at the target. There would be 3-4 equipment stations around the room each with a helper and you'd make your way around the room to each station while the head instructor walked around watching/commenting. 

So maybe 1-3 dog handler pairs waiting for their turn at each station, number depending on if a dog had trouble at an exercise and the helper at the previous station was slow to hold dogs at their station. Everyone was SUPPOSED to keep about 5 feet distance between themselves and the other dog/handler pairs. Many didn't listen, then got annoyed if Jubel jumped on them trying to get their treats.... Well back the hell up and he can't reach you, stand right behind me and I can't really help you... That was fun.


----------



## Flaming

Laurelin said:


> I wonder if dogs can be claustrophobic. Hank is terrified of plastic crates. Fine with wire crates. It's no big deal but almost every class it seems I have to ask someone else to move their dog out of a wire crate and into a plastic one since he's so afraid of being in the plastic crates. Whale eyes, tail tucked, ears back, panicking... he will blatantly refuse to go in. Even for treats.


yes.

Manna is Claustrophobic, she is generally okish if she can touch me, but if she can't touch me even the bathroom is too small of a space for her. 
And she freaks out. Made crate training go out the window, she won't even willingly go into a doghouse.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Flaming said:


> yes.
> 
> Manna is Claustrophobic, she is generally okish if she can touch me, but if she can't touch me even the bathroom is too small of a space for her.
> And she freaks out. Made crate training go out the window, she won't even willingly go into a doghouse.


Izze was like that, hence she was the only dog I didnt/couldnt crate train, because thats how she was, too. All my other dogs either took to the crate well, or learned to accept it as an inevitability LOL.


----------



## Flaming

Yet she will sit in a portapotty with me...because I'm there


----------



## mudypony

My mom's dog is a weirdo.

Normally, he doesn't even acknowledge Duke exists. But, whenever Duke gets the zoomies, he'll jump up from a dead sleep and step directly into Duke's running path... then gets furious when Duke inevitably runs into him. :crazy:


----------



## WTFCas

Salem woke me up by barking and growling at something around 3am. It's the first time i'd ever heard her make a noise other than her once daily good morning "ARROOO!" I have no idea what was agitating her. Once I saw what time it was I assumed it was ghosts/demonic spirits/scary things and refused to go check it out /:


----------



## PatriciafromCO

WTFCas said:


> Salem woke me up by barking and growling at something around 3am. It's the first time i'd ever heard her make a noise other than her once daily good morning "ARROOO!" I have no idea what was agitating her. Once I saw what time it was I assumed it was ghosts/demonic spirits/scary things and refused to go check it out /:


lol maybe it was something checking things out , outside..... yip first time to ever hear my dog Major make a noise less go ballistic... Was a person walking towards my truck in the darknes All the other vehicles around us had pulled out and left.. Dogs are very sensitive to the truth of situations around us.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ugh!!! Is anybody else having problems with Facebook? Either in the app or on the actual desktop website? I woke up this morning and my newsfeed would not load so I figured I needed to update the app, so I did, and now it tells me on my news feed no post to show! And when I go to the actual desktop site, it tells me that I need to find friends in order to see stories and it won't list my friends at all! I don't know what's going on but I hope they fix it soon!


----------



## WTFCas

PatriciafromCO said:


> lol maybe it was something checking things out , outside..... yip first time to ever hear my dog Major make a noise less go ballistic... Was a person walking towards my truck in the darknes All the other vehicles around us had pulled out and left.. Dogs are very sensitive to the truth of situations around us.


We live in an apartment complex so she's used to the noises of people coming and going. So once I got over the thought of it being supernatural, I wondered if maybe someone tried to open our door. She can't see out of our windows but would be aware if someone was making noises right outside of our door. Well this realization is gonna make me get out of bed to see what's lurking about if it ever happens again!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

WTFCas said:


> We live in an apartment complex so she's used to the noises of people coming and going. So once I got over the thought of it being supernatural, I wondered if maybe someone tried to open our door. She can't see out of our windows but would be aware if someone was making noises right outside of our door. Well this realization is gonna make me get out of bed to see what's lurking about if it ever happens again!


not to scare you,, just making that mental note that dogs only know how to speak the truth...especially when they never had a reason to say anything before  am sure if anyone was testing the waters on your door, didn't like the sound of a barking dog so quickly sounding an alarm for everyone in the area...


----------



## Hiraeth

There's a person... Somewhere else... Who sadly just lost a GD and whose other GD was diagnosed with a heart condition days after the first dog passed. This person is insisting that the dog has a broken heart and brushing off the vet telling her that the dog has dilated cardiomyopathy. *sigh*


----------



## WTFCas

Hiraeth said:


> There's a person... Somewhere else... Who sadly just lost a GD and whose other GD was diagnosed with a heart condition days after the first dog passed. This person is insisting that the dog has a broken heart and brushing off the vet telling her that the dog has dilated cardiomyopathy. *sigh*


Ugh, I hate people like that. An ex bf's grandparents were like that. They had a 45lb Beagle they insisted was the picture of health and "pure muscle" (Is it just me or does everyone with grossly obese dogs say this?). The dog had diabetes and the Grandmother would feed him table scraps all the time insisting that " a little treat won't kill him!" It got to the point that their vet would yell at them about how they were killing their dog and if they cared about the dog's well-being they'd put him on a diet. They stopped taking Chance to the vet because they didn't want the vet to admonish them for Chance's weight anymore. He died not long after they stopped taking him to the vet.


----------



## Laurelin

Oh man look what is at Hank's shelter! Anyone want a mal?

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33831790


----------



## mudypony

Laurelin said:


> Oh man look what is at Hank's shelter! Anyone want a mal?
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/33831790


*drooling*

She is gorgeous.


----------



## Hiraeth

WTFCas said:


> Ugh, I hate people like that. An ex bf's grandparents were like that. They had a 45lb Beagle they insisted was the picture of health and "pure muscle" (Is it just me or does everyone with grossly obese dogs say this?). The dog had diabetes and the Grandmother would feed him table scraps all the time insisting that " a little treat won't kill him!" It got to the point that their vet would yell at them about how they were killing their dog and if they cared about the dog's well-being they'd put him on a diet. They stopped taking Chance to the vet because they didn't want the vet to admonish them for Chance's weight anymore. He died not long after they stopped taking him to the vet.


That's awful  

This person with the sick GD is dragging her dog around to specialists asking for different diagnoses, when she's been told that the dog needs a pacemaker and medications. They're testing for all sorts of random things and no answer is emerging besides dilated cardiomyopathy (shocker).

I understand being horribly distraught about just losing a dog and facing losing another within months, but realizing that the dog is a ticking time bomb and putting her on meds to keep her comfortable is the answer, not diagnosing her with a "broken heart" and dragging her around to try to find a specialist that agrees with that diagnosis.


----------



## Loki Love

Hiraeth said:


> That's awful
> 
> This person with the sick GD is dragging her dog around to specialists asking for different diagnoses, when she's been told that the dog needs a pacemaker and medications. They're testing for all sorts of random things and no answer is emerging besides dilated cardiomyopathy (shocker).
> 
> I understand being horribly distraught about just losing a dog and facing losing another within months, but realizing that the dog is a ticking time bomb and putting her on meds to keep her comfortable is the answer, not diagnosing her with a "broken heart" and dragging her around to try to find a specialist that agrees with that diagnosis.


Instead of talking about her behind her back - why not reply on the thread with your thoughts as you've done here?


----------



## Hiraeth

Loki Love said:


> Instead of talking about her behind her back - why not reply on the thread with your thoughts as you've done here?


Edited: 

Before making that suggestion, you should probably assume that since I'm very forthright here, I am everywhere else, as well. This particular conversation platform is NOT a place where "tough love" or harsh advice or criticism is taken well. The woman is clearly looking for sympathy and agreement with her self-diagnosis, which she is getting in spades. Everyone is telling her to keep the dog 'happy', as if somehow that will keep the dog's heart running.

I have NO issue telling someone who is being an idiot about veterinary care who I think may actually listen that they're being an idiot (in nicer terms, of course). I don't particularly have problems telling people they're being idiots on this forum, in general, and giving them advice about how they can be less idiotic. 

The other community is a place where that is frowned upon. It would only result in a community flame-fest with me tied to the stake and being called "insensitive", "rude", or worse.

Know your platform. Know your audience. Know your limitations when it comes to benefits and repercussions.


----------



## Loki Love

Hiraeth said:


> Why do you assume I haven't done that?


Because I checked the thread. You haven't.


----------



## Hiraeth

Loki Love said:


> Because I checked the thread. You haven't.


Please read reply above.

The last time I gave "harsh" advice about a limping dog, I thought someone was going to hunt me down at my home. 

I've come to understand the limitations and expectations of giving unwanted veterinary advice and to keep my nose out of places where my opinion is unpopular. It's just not a place where that can be done tactfully by someone who is new who expects to be allowed to remain. 

I thought about sending the OP a PM, but didn't think that would be received well, either. So I came here to vent, because to me it's a horrible and ridiculous situation, and there's no advice I can give honestly that won't get me flamed horribly. It upsets me to no end that a dog is suffering from an actual medical condition that is being referred to as a 'broken heart', when it could be treated and managed if acknowledged as what it actually is.


----------



## Loki Love

Hiraeth said:


> I thought about sending the OP a PM, but didn't think that would be received well, either. So I came here to vent, because to me it's a horrible and ridiculous situation, and there's no advice I can give honestly that won't get me flamed horribly. It upsets me to no end that a dog is suffering from an actual medical condition that is being referred to as a 'broken heart', when it could be treated and managed if acknowledged as what it actually is.


Sometimes the right thing to do isn't easy. I think if you are wanting to stick around the other forum, you aren't going to win anyone over (new or not) by talking badly about its members in other places. It hasn't gone over well in the past, and I can't see it happening this go around either. 

Just my two cents.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

WTFCas said:


> We live in an apartment complex so she's used to the noises of people coming and going. So once I got over the thought of it being supernatural, I wondered if maybe someone tried to open our door. She can't see out of our windows but would be aware if someone was making noises right outside of our door. Well this realization is gonna make me get out of bed to see what's lurking about if it ever happens again!


You would be surprised with dogs hear, a dog's hearing is so acute that they can actually hear the sound the electrical current makes in your house when it travels through your walls wiring and into your appliances lol, so they can pick up sounds that we don't even notice. You know the old saying "a dog don't ever bark at nothing."


----------



## Hiraeth

Loki Love said:


> Sometimes the right thing to do isn't easy. I think if you are wanting to stick around the other forum, you aren't going to win anyone over (new or not) by talking badly about its members in other places. It hasn't gone over well in the past, and I can't see it happening this go around either.
> 
> Just my two cents.


Your two cents are appreciated. I'm just SO frustrated because I want to be able to give her "good" advice (or at least, my advice), but don't want the backlash from doing so. It's pick one or the other, I suppose. And you're correct, the right thing isn't easy.

ETA: Looks like my venting was partly inaccurate, the way the thread was formatted caused me to miss several important posts. Replying now


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Hiraeth said:


> Please read reply above.
> 
> The last time I gave "harsh" advice about a limping dog, I thought someone was going to hunt me down at my home.
> 
> I've come to understand the limitations and expectations of giving unwanted veterinary advice and to keep my nose out of places where my opinion is unpopular. It's just not a place where that can be done tactfully by someone who is new who expects to be allowed to remain.
> 
> I thought about sending the OP a PM, but didn't think that would be received well, either. So I came here to vent, because to me it's a horrible and ridiculous situation, and there's no advice I can give honestly that won't get me flamed horribly. It upsets me to no end that a dog is suffering from an actual medical condition that is being referred to as a 'broken heart', when it could be treated and managed if acknowledged as what it actually is.


Lol I'd tell them they can come hunt me down all they like, I'll be waiting.


----------



## Laurelin

Terriers, Oy.

Was walking the dogs with Hank on a 5' leash along the river. there was some landscaping to my left. In one very quick pounce he jumped into the middle of the bushes and pulled out and killed a rat and then threw it across the sidewalk. 

Uh... yeah. That is the one thing about his prey drive vs my other dogs. My other dogs would go after things if they SAW them. Hank seems to always be half hunting. then BOOM.

Plus side, I won't have a mouse infestation in my house ever like my old duplex. At least as long as Hank is around.


----------



## Kathyy

Sassy's best neighborhood pounce netted a duck of all things. Generally she was after bones or burritos. Must be some nasty burritos sold around here all the times she came up with them. Bucky is very excited there is a mouse in the garage but at least he is quiet about it. I really have to get him into barnhunt, he'd adore it.

We went on an adventure today that included 4-5 hours of driving. I hadn't taken Bucky for more than a 10 minute drive up to this point as he is so overwhelmed by outside still. He was a champ crated during the drives and only went to 9.5 out of 11 on the 2 short hikes, as in there was less noise but just about as much pulling as expected. My back hurt towards the end of the hikes and I chose to blame his pulling for that but really I was probably tired and legs were just done. The really amazing thing other than nobody fell off a cliff due to his shenanigans was he actually LLW for the tail end of the cheese at the very end of the second hike where the going was easy. I did not expect that at all. Ginger was her usual wonderful self of course.


----------



## kcomstoc

Quick question that needs an immediate answer: We got home from being at my SO's parents and somehow Firefly's cage got up to 111 degrees on the hot side and he was laying right on top of the heaters even though there's a hidey and newspaper on top of it and I got him out to check on him and he's a kinda redish/pinkish on the bottom of his scales. It doesn't look bad, My question is I only have aloe GEL is that ok to use on his burn for now to help take the edge off? or should I make a vet appointment immediately? Sorry for the crap photos I'm trying not to touch him too much.

View attachment 216482

View attachment 216490

View attachment 216498

View attachment 216506


We don't have iodine or I would use that. Sorry for busting into this thread

ETA: Put a tiny bit of Aloe Gel on it (very thin layer on him), tomorrow I'm going to get some iodine and dilute it and put it on.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> Terriers, Oy.
> 
> Was walking the dogs with Hank on a 5' leash along the river. there was some landscaping to my left. In one very quick pounce he jumped into the middle of the bushes and pulled out and killed a rat and then threw it across the sidewalk.
> 
> Uh... yeah. That is the one thing about his prey drive vs my other dogs. My other dogs would go after things if they SAW them. Hank seems to always be half hunting. then BOOM.
> 
> Plus side, I won't have a mouse infestation in my house ever like my old duplex. At least as long as Hank is around.


Lol go hank! Reminds me of bear the jrt when he was a young spry dude . And he never ate it either, once the critter was dead, he was done with it.


----------



## Crantastic

kcomstoc said:


> ETA: Put a tiny bit of Aloe Gel on it (very thin layer on him), tomorrow I'm going to get some iodine and dilute it and put it on.


I think you should call a vet and ask about how best to use the povidone-iodine.


----------



## kcomstoc

Crantastic said:


> I think you should call a vet and ask about how best to use the povidone-iodine.


Actually I don't think I'm going to need the iodine because it looks almost back to normal, I think I'm just going to stick with the aloe gel. Where it was like a redish/pink is now a very faint pink so he should be fine by tomorrow if I put it on today. It just really scared me that he got burned because I didn't know how bad it was snake wise.


----------



## Marvel

I just need to quick rant about Quill's puppy playtime!

So far, it has been great for him. He absolutely loves it, they take out the shy/younger ones and they play in a different section, and Quill has made a lot of puppy friends (in fact, there are two shepherds he just loves playing with!). However, there is one lady who has brought her shepherd twice. Once the very first time Quill and I went, and again today.

The first time, I went to open the door for someone and her puppy ran under my feet and tripped me. It did what puppies do, crying about its paw in that dramatic fashion and of course I felt terrible. I went over to say I was sorry and promptly got chewed out. She informed me "that wasn't a very nice thing to do and maybe we should watch where we are going". Of course I didn't TRY to step on your dog...but I happen to have a puppy too, and you can't tell me your puppy has never appeared out of nowhere underneath your feet. I promise I've accidentally tripped on Quill a time or two, and I came over to say I was sorry! And what do you know, in about ten seconds, her puppy was running around playing and fine.

Now today, she was yelling at other people's puppies for playing with her's -- not in an aggressive manner, just typical play that involved teeth and play growls and paws! The trainers will stop any puppies who get too worked up, and the puppies she was yelling at were not in ANY way too worked up. Thankfully Quill avoided her shepherd because I probably would have spoken up if she had the nerve to yell at him for doing what puppies do. That isn't productive to teaching him what is right and wrong in puppy play, and unless the dog is actually playing too rough and hurting your dog, I don't think you should be yelling at other people's dogs. 

Anyway, it was just frustrating to me that she was yelling at them for normal puppy play. I'm not sure how she expects puppies to play, but clearly she thinks it should involve no biting, chewing, or growling. :doh:


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have been trying to keep the Squirrels out of my attic so for the past month or so, I have been live trapping them and taking them to our park in town which is about 10 miles away and turning them loose. I was up to my sixth Squirrel today. It was a beautiful day out and I wanted to take the dogs with me so I could take them for a run so I loaded them up and then went and got the trapped squirrel. Kris and Bonnie are crated but the other three were loose in the Van. I had the trap on the passenger seat and had one noisy ride into town. I turned the squirrel loose and had a really nice long walk with the dogs.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Marvel said:


> I just need to quick rant about Quill's puppy playtime!
> 
> So far, it has been great for him. He absolutely loves it, they take out the shy/younger ones and they play in a different section, and Quill has made a lot of puppy friends (in fact, there are two shepherds he just loves playing with!). However, there is one lady who has brought her shepherd twice. Once the very first time Quill and I went, and again today.
> 
> The first time, I went to open the door for someone and her puppy ran under my feet and tripped me. It did what puppies do, crying about its paw in that dramatic fashion and of course I felt terrible. I went over to say I was sorry and promptly got chewed out. She informed me "that wasn't a very nice thing to do and maybe we should watch where we are going". Of course I didn't TRY to step on your dog...but I happen to have a puppy too, and you can't tell me your puppy has never appeared out of nowhere underneath your feet. I promise I've accidentally tripped on Quill a time or two, and I came over to say I was sorry! And what do you know, in about ten seconds, her puppy was running around playing and fine.
> 
> Now today, she was yelling at other people's puppies for playing with her's -- not in an aggressive manner, just typical play that involved teeth and play growls and paws! The trainers will stop any puppies who get too worked up, and the puppies she was yelling at were not in ANY way too worked up. Thankfully Quill avoided her shepherd because I probably would have spoken up if she had the nerve to yell at him for doing what puppies do. That isn't productive to teaching him what is right and wrong in puppy play, and unless the dog is actually playing too rough and hurting your dog, I don't think you should be yelling at other people's dogs.
> 
> Anyway, it was just frustrating to me that she was yelling at them for normal puppy play. I'm not sure how she expects puppies to play, but clearly she thinks it should involve no biting, chewing, or growling. :doh:


Where was the trainer in all this (if this was a class)? I would speak to the trainer about it, but if she had yelled at my puppy I would have explained to her that this is normal play, and to manage her dog and leave mine alone LOL.

I would be interested to see what this woman does when her puppy gets to the teenage stage LOL.


----------



## Marvel

It is more a bring your puppy to let them play for an hour deal. We are doing our real class in mid-December, this was just to get him more comfortable around other dogs. There are two trainers there, but also a lot of puppies. They are good about noticing issues, but this wasn't a big scene. I don't think anyone noticed her yelling because she was off to the side and its not as if the puppies were causing any trouble. I only noticed because she was right by me. If she comes back next week and is still doing it (and still not to Quill), I'll probably mention something.

And I know, right? I get wanting to protect your puppy (I had a meltdown when Quill broke his tooth, or everytime he eats something I'm googling it to be sure he's going to be okay), but you have to draw the line somewhere. Puppies are puppies...they are going to play rough and be rambunctious. She's in for a surprise!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

AKC conformation show of all breeds happening literally a 15 minute drive from my house on December 5th, an IPO trial about 25 minutes drive away on December 12th, and a lure coursing trial 45 minutes away on December 19th~20th (I may or may not go to the lure coursing trial just for kicks)! Everything happening so nearby and so close together. December is going to be an exciting month.


----------



## Flaming

My best friend just moved today and I didn't get to say my farewells. Both my husband and his friend went and booked the bus ticket for my friend and told me a wrong departure time. 

By the time I found out otherwise and drove like a bat outta hell to the bus station...she was already gone. 

I wont get to see her for at least another 6 months and I don't think she knows why I wasn't there either. 

I tried texting her but get no answer. 

I swear today just sucks


----------



## kcomstoc

Did anybody see the news report about these people grabbing animals (people's pets and strays) and dumping battery acid on their backs burning them  it's so upsetting and horrible (worse than horrible). I can't believe there are sickos out there that would hold down animals and torture them for no reason other than they think it's "fun"


----------



## Kyllobernese

Guess I will have to start ranting about the weather. It snowed last night and all day today so now I will have to get someone to plow my driveway tomorrow if it stops. I went out and shovelled my sidewalk off and some trails through the snow for the little dogs.

Live trapped another squirrel, then had to put him out in the barn for the night as the dogs would not settle down. I will turn him loose in town tomorrow if I can get out my driveway. Usually have no problem going down my driveway, it is the coming back up that gives me the problem if it is not plowed. This is Susie after only being outside a few moments.


----------



## jade5280

Kyllobernese said:


> Guess I will have to start ranting about the weather. It snowed last night and all day today so now I will have to get someone to plow my driveway tomorrow if it stops. I went out and shovelled my sidewalk off and some trails through the snow for the little dogs.
> 
> Live trapped another squirrel, then had to put him out in the barn for the night as the dogs would not settle down. I will turn him loose in town tomorrow if I can get out my driveway. Usually have no problem going down my driveway, it is the coming back up that gives me the problem if it is not plowed. This is Susie after only being outside a few moments.


 LOL she looks so unimpressed!


----------



## Willowy

We got over a foot of snow last Friday. Nice of winter to start us off easy . It was really coming down. I was at work and went to shovel the sidewalk, there was about 3 or 4 inches at that point. Our snow removal guy showed up about an hour later and he removed about 4 inches. It's melted/settled a lot since then, with 35-degree days. If it were going to stick around I would have hired someone to plow the driveway but since I'm pretty sure this batch will melt I'm just driving on it. My usual strategy .


----------



## Kyllobernese

Up until this dump of snow, I have just left it and it melted off but I do not think this is going anywhere. It snowed most of last night and is down to -10 this morning. We have had such a mild fall that even though you know it is going to come, you still have an "oh no" moment. I bought new studded snow tires this winter so hopefully will be able to get around alright. Never go anywhere until they have had a chance to plow out our roads. Of course, then you have a great big mound of snow at your gateway that you have to move before you drive over it.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Ahhh this is why I love living where I do, its 52 degrees here right now and while it may get cold, it doesnt usually stay that way for long


----------



## ireth0

Yep, no snow here yet.

We've had flurries briefly twice but nothing that's stuck.


----------



## Crantastic

We have snow over here on PEI, although just a little. The dogs are excited -- they love playing in (and eating) snow.


----------



## Kathyy

It's been too warm for me to run the dogs in the middle of the day here! Cooling off at the moment and has been chilly at night. Went on a field trip for nosework and chatting outside waiting for my turn got a bit uncomfortable. Was completely worth it, Ginger had a great time working in a strange place and I had a good time chatting about it with my experienced classmates. 

Bucky likes to put uneaten bone back into his dish after he's finished a big bone meal. It's happened 3x so far.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kathyy said:


> It's been too warm for me to run the dogs in the middle of the day here! Cooling off at the moment and has been chilly at night. Went on a field trip for nosework and chatting outside waiting for my turn got a bit uncomfortable. Was completely worth it, Ginger had a great time working in a strange place and I had a good time chatting about it with my experienced classmates.
> 
> Bucky likes to put uneaten bone back into his dish after he's finished a big bone meal. It's happened 3x so far.


it has to be over 80 degrees before I will consider it "warm" LOL.


----------



## Kathyy

It has been. Even Bucky slows down then.


----------



## Willowy

It was 65 degrees last Sunday (not 2 days ago, the week before that). We had a picnic and scavenger hunt, ended with a bonfire because it dipped to 40 after the sun went down. And now 17 inches of snow and single-digit temps. The weather here likes to play with us . But it is getting to 40 degrees today so a lot should melt. Just in time for our next snow event on Thursday! 

I should mention that the weather people said we would get 4-7 inches of snow and we got 15-17. Way to go guys :/.


----------



## DogtorWho15

had tryouts to be on a traveling tournament team for soccer, this wouldve been my third time doing it, except the fact I didnt stay in real good shape and just overall failed, so I didnt get on the team. UGH


----------



## Max and Me

I'm getting quotes for pet insurance for Benny and one of the companies can't tell me if they offer full coverage for intact male dogs nor can they decide if they cover injuries for dogs who train or compete in agility. I don't know how they became the #1 pet insurance company. They don't even return emails.


----------



## Hiraeth

Which company are you referring to? Healthy Paws or Nationwide? Those are the top ranked companies everywhere I've looked.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I knew if I complained about the weather, it would only get worse. It was -20C (zeroF) this morning. At nine a.m. it still has not warmed up. We cancelled our Agility practice with the little dogs but I will still take Kris into the arena as I can run her over the Agility equipment, then go upstairs to the heated room where we do Obedience and warm up.


----------



## Max and Me

Hiraeth said:


> Which company are you referring to? Healthy Paws or Nationwide? Those are the top ranked companies everywhere I've looked.


Healthy Paws


----------



## Dogsignalfire

It's the day before Thanksgiving, I still am at work, and I'm so checked out. It's only 12pm, but I didn't do a thing today LOL. I want to go home. O_O


----------



## Miss Bugs

contractors today.. "k we are done, we want final payment" ... done? no floors, no doorknob, no door to laundry room, 1 coat of paint, frame around bedroom door is just untouched particle board... on what planet does that = done?


----------



## Laurelin

Pretty sure Hank just broke my finger.


----------



## Hiraeth

Max and Me said:


> Healthy Paws


Why are you e-mailing them instead of just calling their 1-800 number? I've never really heard of someone e-mailing back and forth with a large corporation when they aren't a current customer in order to get answers to general questions.

I'd suggest reading the general policy and speaking to a rep. 

The exclusion causes that are related to agility are 4.d., 4.l. and maybe 5.c. You might ask them about this definition: "Racing Dog. A dog, which is owned and maintained for the purpose of competing in organized races or speed contests." And whether agility counts as a "speed" contest. And also this definition "Working Pets. Any pet involved in activities other than companionship or helping, including, but not limited to, racing, breeding, law enforcement, guarding or for other commercial use." To see whether agility counts as "work".

Both intact and altered animals are covered, as far as I am aware. It is not stated that they aren't anywhere in the policy or list of exclusions.


----------



## Max and Me

Hiraeth said:


> Why are you e-mailing them instead of just calling their 1-800 number? I've never really heard of someone e-mailing back and forth with a large corporation when they aren't a current customer in order to get answers to general questions.
> 
> I'd suggest reading the general policy and speaking to a rep.
> 
> The exclusion causes that are related to agility are 4.d., 4.l. and maybe 5.c. You might ask them about this definition: "Racing Dog. A dog, which is owned and maintained for the purpose of competing in organized races or speed contests." And whether agility counts as a "speed" contest. And also this definition "Working Pets. Any pet involved in activities other than companionship or helping, including, but not limited to, racing, breeding, law enforcement, guarding or for other commercial use." To see whether agility counts as "work".
> 
> Both intact and altered animals are covered, as far as I am aware. It is not stated that they aren't anywhere in the policy or list of exclusions.


I have called twice. They just read from the policy that is on their website and say that since they don't cover racing and K-9 dogs that agility either isn't covered. The second time I called I was told that they weren't sure. I emailed since their email was on their contact info hoping to get a hold of someone who might know. Not a company that I want to do business with anyway at this point. I am sure that they say maybe now but if you file a claim it will be denied.



Laurelin said:


> Pretty sure Hank just broke my finger.


Oh no! I hope that it heals quickly.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank met Dutch. Hank wants to eat Dutch. 

It's just getting harder and harder to deal with him and other dogs.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I'm officially pissed. The family friend who adopted Lilah (the little foster dog) from me is completely lacking common sense, and did not let Lilah outside to pee for 40 hours (24 hours before that, 40 hours before that- this has been going on for a week already), because she's trying to "train" Lilah to use pee pads indoors. 

Girl, if a dog does not want to use the pee pad, you take her out. Whatever the case, you take her out, or they'll get a UTI in a couple days. She is an 11 lb dog.

This woman is literally lacking some kind of common sense in taking care of an animal here... She keeps saying that "I won't give up!" as if forcing your dog to hold their urine for 40 hours is some kind of TRIAL she needs to go through to "succeed".

??????

My mom and I explained to her thoroughly all of the consequences of forcing a little dog like that to hold their bladder for so long- they will quickly develop UTI and bladder stones. She didn't believe us, and we told her to call the vet to ask. She called, got the same replies, and came to us saying, "Well, the vet will always want what's the most ideal for a dog!"

??????

And her reasoning for wanting Lilah to use the pee pads is because she is too lazy to bring her out. That's it. No other reason. She lives in a single family home with _grass in her own front yard. _

We thought she would be a suitable home, because she is retired and seemed very enthusiastic about taking care of a dog, brushing her teeth every night, etc. That's right folks, she is retired and doesn't do a thing all day- and she thinks it is some huge handicap on her life to bring a dog out to her own front yard grass to urinate even two times a day.

I told her that if she isn't even willing to bring a dog out to urinate even two times a day at the VERY LEAST (still better than two full days, holy christ), she needs to give Lilah back to me. 

Now waiting on her reply.


----------



## Hiraeth

It strikes me that picking up pads covered in pee and urine a few times a day would be more difficult than taking a dog outside.... 

I hope you get her back or the lady comes to her senses


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Hiraeth said:


> It strikes me that picking up pads covered in pee and urine a few times a day would be more difficult than taking a dog outside....
> 
> I hope you get her back or the lady comes to her senses


I would imagine that she is so lazy that she would wait a week before picking up the soaked pad. Can't believe this woman. 

I never imagined a person can be this lazy and lacking common sense to this extent.


----------



## Laurelin

So let's tally up today.

1. Hank either broke my finger or sprained it badly

2. Hank wanted to eat Dad's dog

3. Hank chewed through his third Comfortflex harness


----------



## mudypony

Duke slept in until 10:30 this morning... must have been exhausted from all the Thanksgiving activities yesterday haha


----------



## Laurelin

Ok it can really stop raining now. I've got about 15 downed limbs in my yard. And when I'm outside I hear trees and branches falling all over the place. I think it's because the trees still have leaves and now the leaves each have about an inch of ice on them.


----------



## CptJack

Never read the comments. 

Or google dog terms, because sooner or later you'll come across someone who describes your dog and says they're a piece of crap and needs to be put to sleep :/


----------



## Crantastic

Your specific dog, or just dogs like your dog?

I've seen people say that dogs like Casper (who would absolutely bite a kid if he felt threatened) should be put to sleep. I guess they're entitled to that opinion, but I think it's stupid. I've had Cas for almost six years at this point and he's never bitten a kid. It's called management.


----------



## CptJack

Dogs like my dog. I'm not taking that seriously, of course, but it definitely gave me a MOMENT of staring at my computer before I snorted and moved on. I have actual hands on professional people with opinions and I'm also not an idiot. 

But basically same kind of thing you're talking about re: Casper. Sharp and/or fearful dogs should be put to sleep. Pfft.


----------



## CptJack

In totally unrelated news, I told Molly to go downstairs while I cleaned the mouse tank. She submissive grinned at me and because I'm a sucker I let her stay. Now it's her default begging behavior and it's *adorable* but also just a little sad.


----------



## Miss Bugs

I had a fab weekend, traveling to an away trial with Gem and Sola, meeting up with Sola's niece, the pup she flew to the Provence with, coming home from the trial with TWO titles, and Sola was such a good little traveler!! she was so good in the hotel! I really didn't know what to expect, Sola is kind of a loudmouth and a little witch on the leash, but we ran into multiple dogs at the hotel and she didn't react at all(we litterally ran face first into a Viszla and a Yorkie one right after the other), and she didn't make a peep with all the noises going on..Gem was kinda annoying at the hotel and kept boofing under her breath though lol. 

now apparently while I was away there was almost a disaster at home though when the contractors we're using a grinder in the basement and it caught fire filling the entire house with smoke and concrete dust! naturally my immediate reaction to being told that when I got home was "OMG! are my birds ok?!" lol (they are). but I missed that drama in favour of having a good day lol


----------



## Kyllobernese

We haven't had any more snow but the temperature is staying well below freezing all day. The arena where we practice is too cold to do Agility as you freeze, just ran Kris through the weave poles a couple of times and called it quits. Luckily enough the sun has been shining during the day, the finally cleared the trails where I run the dogs so at least they all had a good run.

Then when I got home I let the dogs out of the Van and they have always been good about just going into the yard with me. Not today, Lucy, Kris and Remmy took off down the driveway and off down the road to the neighbors. Bonnie and Kiska stayed with me and Kris and Remmy came right back when I called them. Lucy had to climb through my fence and come back that way. She was the instigator and I know what it was. She has not been out there since the driveway was cleared and she thought it looked too good to not run down it and out the gate. She will be on leash from now on before she gets out of the Van. I am lucky there is very little traffic on my road but it only takes one car at the wrong time so scary if they do that.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I have a friend with a beloved blue-tongued skink (aptly named Dog) who needs to find another home for a few months. My friend moved into an apartment where her skink is very unwelcome for some reason, probably because of roommates, which I think is a complete jerk move. Apparently so unwelcome that she needs to kick the skink out ASAP. I might be the only reptile-friendly friend who can take care of her skink for a few months, but I'm hoping she can find a more suitable temporary home than me. I don't know very much of the specifics of her situation yet though.

I know next to nothing about any lizard species, which is why I'm worried. If she had a snake, I would take it in a heartbeat, because I trust my experience. Of course I will take care of her skink if she has no other choice, but I hope she has a better choice.

So I guess it kind of looks like I will be "fostering" her skink... maybe...


----------



## Lodestar

I'm quite happy to finally have a working internet connection once again. I found being internet-less to be unpleasant.

I also went to a dog training facility to attend one of their monthly orientations. I was rather impressed with the place and the products they sold. Our first puppy class can't come soon enough, imo.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Random... I had no idea french bulldogs were so expensive, until one of my coworkers was interested in one. She already got herself on a breeder's waitlist (Fog City French Bulldogs). They're apparently between $3000~$5000 in general, and this Fog City breeder is already on the low-end. o___o

I thought big name malinois breeders were expensive (around $2000~$3000), but boy was I wrong.


----------



## Crantastic

I think that Frenchies have small litters and usually require c-sections, which contributes to the high price! Do they need to be artificially inseminated, as well?


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Crantastic said:


> I think that Frenchies have small litters and usually require c-sections, which contributes to the high price! Do they need to be artificially inseminated, as well?


Oh yeah, that makes sense- this breeder has an average of three pups per litter. I'm not sure if they require c-sections every time, but I know that the frenchies from this breeder do need to be artificially inseminated!


----------



## Laurelin

We combined agility classes tonight because so many people cancelled because of weather and stuff this last weekend. So that meant I was in class with my friend and her BC. And another BC. And an Aussie. And an ACD. And Hank. And my trainer's BC. Holy hell the BC want is soooo friggin strong right now. I soooo wish I could. But I can't for at least a year or two.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Laurelin said:


> We combined agility classes tonight because so many people cancelled because of weather and stuff this last weekend. So that meant I was in class with my friend and her BC. And another BC. And an Aussie. And an ACD. And Hank. And my trainer's BC. Holy hell the BC want is soooo friggin strong right now. I soooo wish I could. But I can't for at least a year or two.


Understands your feelings.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Dogsignalfire said:


> Understands your feelings.


Me too, I want a puppy NAO!!!!! *sob* but alas, I cannot


----------



## Lodestar

I can't believe Jagger ate his leash. I swear that dog thinks that there's a monthly quota to fulfill in destroyed items.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

A week before Thanksgiving the pot people decided to stop at my gate and pull over off the road into the ditch up against the fence line stop to bait Arka to the fence to them and use an ultra sound dog deterrent device which dazed and confused Arka pretty good for not expecting it.. Devastated me to see what was going on and to see Arka effected by it... Even being in the back the next day of the property one of the trucks slowed down drove over to the fence line side of the road and all you could see was a red pin light in the window as they slowed down and drove past the entire length of the front property fence area.. It snowed pretty good so no traffic down this way and was finally getting Arka back to his old self happy to run the front property.. Again the one pot guy drives past the property as I am out checking the horses and Arka blew right past me enraged, at the one vehicle and would not leave the end of the fence line growling until the vehicle had completely gone out of sight... 

The whole point of doing random front property training with supervision was to give the dogs the opportunity to grow with the changing environment of the Pot growers moving in and adding more traffic to the main road in front of the property.. Wanted the dogs to get use to it, not be killing themselves over it running themselves to death every time a vehicle passed by us... What messed up hateful jerks......... The dogs were slowing down being more relaxed just doing dog stuff for the fun of it,,,,. and they come and assault the dog in the safety of his own yard to hurt him... I don't have words for it at all.... 

Was happy to see Arka go back to enrage at the one idiot's vehicle and be on guard enough to not let it go ...... The trainer will be working with Arka when the snow clears and he can get through the pass.. I will be making sure Arka gets exposed to any attempt to use such a device on him and to blow right through it.. I don't have words for it am so disgusted but happy to see Arka bounced back given some time to figure things out.. Everything I have read about these devices they will have no affect when a dog is truly committed, they will blow right through them.. and I will make sure Arka is equip in experience to know such a device is a cue for threat .....


----------



## Dogsignalfire

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Me too, I want a puppy NAO!!!!! *sob* but alas, I cannot


NAO NAO.

Despite still being stuck between a Malinois, Oracle/Treestarr Aussie, and field line Golden Retriever... I've recently been 90% set on Malinois that isn't coming until 1~2 years later, BUT I WANT NAO!!!!! D8

Why is the want so strong when it isn't coming soon anyway.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Dogsignalfire said:


> NAO NAO.
> 
> Despite still being stuck between a Malinois, Oracle/Treestarr Aussie, and field line Golden Retriever... I've recently been 90% set on Malinois that isn't coming until 1~2 years later, BUT I WANT NAO!!!!! D8
> 
> Why is the want so strong when it isn't coming soon anyway.


The want will be strong til it actually happens, then, no matter how much I plan and am ready I always have a period where I am like "WTH was I THINKING?!"


----------



## DogtorWho15

So they propane guys came today, and they are used to Toffee and Coco but Nova was in the yard today too, and they didnt know her so they wouldnt go in. She was barking and barking which made them even more unsure, but they decided to try it after the door wasnt answered, so one guy went in, and Nova just stood with her head low, very stiff and would not let him go ANYWHERE he had to keep his back against the gate until I cam and called her off, she looked like a collie herding the sheep. She never barked or bit or jumped, she stood her grounds and wouldnt let him pass for nothing, and of course all Toffee and Coco wanted to do was get him to throw the ball. But I am very proud of her, that is exactly what I want her to do when strangers try and get in the yard, not bite, but bark for a bit and then body guard till someone gets there.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Kris, finally at three years old this month, is starting to show some guarding instinct. Since she is a Doberman, that is usually enough to make people think twice at just walking into my yard and I certainly don't want her biting anybody. A few times now, she has actually barked at them and had her hackles up. As soon as I go out and tell her it is okay, she is back to her old self and just sniffs them and walks off. She really does not care if someone she does not know wants to pat her.

My sister and brother-in-law arrived unexpectedly and I had the dogs out in my driveway with my gate onto the road closed. Ron got out to open the gate and Kris has only seen him a couple of times, and she stood there with her hackles up and growled at him. My sister said if they did not know Kris, they would have thought twice about coming in the gate. I heard the dogs and called her and she came running up to me at the house and was fine with them when they got out of their truck.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

(Random thing unrelated to the doggies)

Somehow I feel like I just graduated high school (it was 5 years ago). When I think back, my first thought isn't that I went through 4 years of college, but just the end of high school. Like the time between the end of high school and now kinda smushed together, and college never happened. 

Weird time smushing. I guess I really didn't enjoy my time at Calarts LOL.


----------



## jade5280

PatriciafromCO said:


> A week before Thanksgiving the pot people decided to stop at my gate and pull over off the road into the ditch up against the fence line stop to bait Arka to the fence to them and use an ultra sound dog deterrent device which dazed and confused Arka pretty good for not expecting it.. Devastated me to see what was going on and to see Arka effected by it... Even being in the back the next day of the property one of the trucks slowed down drove over to the fence line side of the road and all you could see was a red pin light in the window as they slowed down and drove past the entire length of the front property fence area.. It snowed pretty good so no traffic down this way and was finally getting Arka back to his old self happy to run the front property.. Again the one pot guy drives past the property as I am out checking the horses and Arka blew right past me enraged, at the one vehicle and would not leave the end of the fence line growling until the vehicle had completely gone out of sight...
> 
> The whole point of doing random front property training with supervision was to give the dogs the opportunity to grow with the changing environment of the Pot growers moving in and adding more traffic to the main road in front of the property.. Wanted the dogs to get use to it, not be killing themselves over it running themselves to death every time a vehicle passed by us... What messed up hateful jerks......... The dogs were slowing down being more relaxed just doing dog stuff for the fun of it,,,,. and they come and assault the dog in the safety of his own yard to hurt him... I don't have words for it at all....
> 
> Was happy to see Arka go back to enrage at the one idiot's vehicle and be on guard enough to not let it go ...... The trainer will be working with Arka when the snow clears and he can get through the pass.. I will be making sure Arka gets exposed to any attempt to use such a device on him and to blow right through it.. I don't have words for it am so disgusted but happy to see Arka bounced back given some time to figure things out.. Everything I have read about these devices they will have no affect when a dog is truly committed, they will blow right through them.. and I will make sure Arka is equip in experience to know such a device is a cue for threat .....


Wow that's awful. What is the device called? Is it like an ultrasonic thing?


----------



## PatriciafromCO

jade5280 said:


> Wow that's awful. What is the device called? Is it like an ultrasonic thing?


I didn't see what the first guy had, the second one looked like a a small hand held yellow spot light, and when I looked there is only one of these devices that looks like that and it's a scram patrol, (it has terrible reviews for effectiveness) but pulled off the road into the ditch they were only about 3 to 5ft from Ark and he was confused looking around but not as startled as he was for the first one. it's also the one device that has a red laser so you can aim it. All I saw in the 3rd vehicle was a tiny red light in the window as they drove by the entire length of the frontal fence it was later in the evening for it to be dark to make it stand out even when I was in the backyard with the dogs.. Yes I do believe they were both ultra sound devices. Arka wont go in the front property just to have fun chasing off rabbits like he loves to do,,, he stays by the house,,, but if a vehicle passes he will still charge fully engaged at them... Thats the difference it wont affect him if he is truly engaged, only startled and scared him when he was completely relaxed just enjoying his own yard doing every day dog stuff not on alert.. all anyone needs is a crazy 147 lb dog right... I did get a response while looking for a device that would read presence of Ultra sound. the only ones they have is the ones they use on machines (guess the levels can get very harmful to humans that work around these machines ) the guy say there device would not read the dog deterrents, but if I could discribe what I needed he might beable to make something that I could use.. So I did and it would be great if they could do it , how are you going to have any proof to really get anything done about it... Just is unsettling that anyone would be looking for a way to get past Arka.. Arka has stopped lots of things happening around the property 100% nothing gets past him. what happens outside the fence is not a threat to us.. and they can't do anything out side that fence...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Mom just called me to tell me that Bear, the old man (15 1/2 ) has a grade 3 heart murmur ... boo


----------



## Lodestar

There's only 7 hours left until I meet my puppy.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lodestar said:


> There's only 7 hours left until I meet my puppy.


STOP RUBBING IT IN ... lol.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I was talking to husband about how I want more dogs for agility and stuff but I don't know how many dogs I can deal with. He will eventually want a retirement dog for Ember as well. He said his offer of "can deal with up to 5 dogs" still stands. Seriously hit the jackpot in dog interested husband!

On another note.. I'm finally understanding the real fun of Border Collies. It only took 7 months of owning one to finally get it.


----------



## mudypony

My aunt's dog woke up this morning unable to use his back legs. Took him to the vet who diagnosed him with a slipped disc. He's 14, so surgery is not really a good option. He was put on a ton of meds, and we're going to see how he does through the weekend. Ughhh.. this dog is just the best dog ever, and I hate to see him like this... hope he's able to bounce back. Just last night he was his normal happy-go-lucky self; I'm so sad right now.

Plus, Duke had to go to the vet today for an ear infection. It's just been a really crappy day.


----------



## Laurelin

I need someone to remind me every time Hank annoys me to just take him and work him on something stress free and fun. Because then he's amazing.

Also we got new tuggies and he loves them. (Well I just bought replacements for an old one).

And 2 new harnesses. Hank please please please do not eat another harness.


----------



## Marvel

Laurelin said:


> I need someone to remind me every time Hank annoys me to just take him and work him on something stress free and fun. Because then he's amazing.


This is how I handle puppy ownership. Ahhhh Quill is annoying me...let's go for a walk because he's an angel on our walks! Oh yeah, I love this puppy. Aaaand he's annoying me again. Repeat. 

Today on our walk, I got complimented on "how well I've done with him" twice. It makes me feel good, even though I know in a few months he'll probably turn into a angsty teen who doesn't want to listen at all AND most of his great behavior is because he is just so people focused, he would rather not wander off very far from me even to chase dogs or say hi to people...but still. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, since he is my first puppy! So I'll take it haha.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Flash question: What time do AKC conformation shows usually start/what time do I need to arrive? I just realized that the AKC page for it doesn't have this info, and the show is tomorrow morning. :U


----------



## jade5280

Dogsignalfire said:


> Flash question: What time do AKC conformation shows usually start/what time do I need to arrive? I just realized that the AKC page for it doesn't have this info, and the show is tomorrow morning. :U


Early morning. Last one we went to started at 7am. Are you showing? If not you can get there whenever. If you go to infodog.com you can look the show up. I think they usually post the ring times for breeds too.


----------



## Laurelin

Super early. Usually there's a show schedule that will tell you which breeds are in which rings and then you can show up when you want to. I think you can probably get to the premium on the AKC events page?

Groups and stuff will be at the end of the day.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

mudypony said:


> My aunt's dog woke up this morning unable to use his back legs. Took him to the vet who diagnosed him with a slipped disc. He's 14, so surgery is not really a good option. He was put on a ton of meds, and we're going to see how he does through the weekend. Ughhh.. this dog is just the best dog ever, and I hate to see him like this... hope he's able to bounce back. Just last night he was his normal happy-go-lucky self; I'm so sad right now.
> 
> Plus, Duke had to go to the vet today for an ear infection. It's just been a really crappy day.


Meds are always a good first option, and as long as they really know it's an actual slip disc surgery is still an option if the success is a certainty for helping, if the senior is healthy enough for the procedure and recovery for it to be worth while. Do hope your Aunts dog recovers with just the meds.


----------



## mudypony

PatriciafromCO said:


> Meds are always a good first option, and as long as they really know it's an actual slip disc surgery is still an option if the success is a certainty for helping, if the senior is healthy enough for the procedure and recovery for it to be worth while. Do hope your Aunts dog recovers with just the meds.


Thank you! 

The meds really knocked him out yesterday. That's almost a positive though, so he doesn't try to move more than necessary. He's still eating & drinking and wags his tail every time he sees someone, which is all good. And, when taking him out potty last night he was trying to move his back legs some, though we had his back end supported with a towel as a makeshift sling. I really hope the meds help, as I don't think surgery is going to happen. He's been slowing down quite a bit just recently anyways, and the vet thinks that a surgery would be extremely hard on him.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Oh thanks guys! I read your posts in the morning and left. Yeah, I'm just watching the dogs, not in the show. I didn't get there super early, but around 9am and it was just in time for the Aussies! The Miniature American Shepherds were right after. 

I came home just to eat lunch, since it's just a 15 minute drive away. And then I'm going back wheeeee

So many cute perfect dogs and like 100 Golden Retrievers LOL. Argh.


----------



## Miss Bugs

OMG this guy... always going on and on, on our work facebook group about how he wishes we would introduce his dogs to his friends dog. his adult male intact Rottie to his friends Adult male intact Rottie..the owners are friends but the dogs have never met. if they wanna introduce them on their own time, have at 'er. but as we have told him over and over.. we do not put intact males with intact males...ever. period. end of discussion. you want us to introduce your dogs? neuter them. otherwise? introduce them yourself.


----------



## Willowy

Ugh ugh ugh. I'm such a terrible procrastinator. And now my latest kitten has gone into heat. I cannot STAND a cat in heat. Of course I knew this was a possibility. . .she's probably 8 months old and I've been telling myself I'll call the vet on Monday for months now . But now she's trilling (fortunately she has a soft voice; my first cat was half Siamese and howled loud enough for the neighbor to hear), rolling around, crouching with her booty in the air whenever I touch her back, and being thoroughly hormonal, mood swings and all. I hope she doesn't spray :/. Grr. I would say this will teach me to be such a procrastinator but I know I'll never learn, lol.

Oh, and a cat in heat has an odor I can't handle. Whenever I say that people think it's weird so I guess most people can't smell it. But I can. Ugh.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

... I always post things in the wrong fb group sldfjskdlf.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

good up date : Talked to the Brand Inspector he is coming tomorrow with the Sheriff about this whole situation. That the dogs are protected and any Harassment or interference with them is illegal.


----------



## DogtorWho15

YAY! When I read what happened my first thought was how in the world could a person be so cruel to an animal? Glad it is all working out for you, Im sure Arka and the others will be happy.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

ARGH I suddenly remembered how at one point (which was just last year and before that), I thought that Lancer's sire was from showlines with a Ch... And it turns out that my mom, not understanding English as well I guess, was talking to Lancer's breeder about how she breeds and shows _Toy Fox Terriers_. My mom thought that she was talking about Australian Shepherds. *facepalm* I feel like I need to post this on a forum just to clear it up, because I'm 100% sure that I told someone/posted somewhere SOMEHOW that Lancer's sire was from showlines, because that's what my mom told me at the time. (Which even just visibly, looking at Lancer, is really not true at all?)

In reality, Lancer's sire (the breeder's only Australian Shepherd) was a ranch dog. The dam was a family pet owned by another woman. And together, they had one random breeding and made a weird Lancer.

*curtains close*


----------



## DogtorWho15

So I would like to make homemade dog treats for the first time! I keep looking at recipes and so far all the ones I have seen are made with flour, I thought flour wasnt all that good for dogs? Is there an alternative or is it ok for training treats? Should I use oat flour or almond flour, I also have coconut flour. And I heard that instead of oil it is good to use unsweetened applesauce, is this true? what things should I avoid in the ingredients and what things are okay and good to have? Does anyone have good recipes that they use and can I have them please? ^_^  Thanks!


----------



## Eenypup

Bennie's making me extra happy tonight!

On our way to the dog park (empty, at night lol) we stopped because she'd gone to the bathroom and as I turn around I see a woman who walks around the area and obviously has some sort of developmental or mental health diagnosis. She looks at Bennie and moves her hand toward her and then stops and starts saying things to me that don't make much sense while she's standing in front of Bennie. Surprisingly Bennie didn't jump up on her when she started bending down, and she wasn't nervous either! Didn't shy away, just calmly stood there. I swear Bennie knows when to be calm with adults who are older, have canes, disabilities, are nervous around dogs, etc. Still don't get how she can read adults like a book but is weirded out by kids, but hey.

Also I'm SUPER excited because we can play fetch at the park now!! Bennie's been in love with her squeaky tennis balls and I recently taught her to bring one back toward me when I throw it so she can put it in her toy box. Well she must have associated that also with bringing it back towards me in general, because we can play fetch at the park for kibbles! And she LOVES it!! I've been wanting a dog to play fetch with for so long and was really bummed I could never get her interested. So I'm very very happy!
[video]http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v492/wagawa/BBB785F4-AF28-4F8F-88AA-B7489E0E806D_zpsyeryxjlq.mp4[/video]


----------



## Laurelin

What do people without papillons do? They are just the funniest, craziest little things. Just their mannerisms are SO flipping hilarious. I wish I could catch all their little moments on camera daily. It's like a comedy show.

I wish they came in a bigger size, they are just the best dogs.


----------



## taquitos

Laurelin said:


> What do people without papillons do? They are just the funniest, craziest little things. Just their mannerisms are SO flipping hilarious. I wish I could catch all their little moments on camera daily. It's like a comedy show.
> 
> I wish they came in a bigger size, they are just the best dogs.


I think that about Meeko too lol.

He makes me laugh everyday.

I don't think I could have a serious dog, ever. I need me some silliness!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Laurelin said:


> What do people without papillons do? They are just the funniest, craziest little things. Just their mannerisms are SO flipping hilarious. I wish I could catch all their little moments on camera daily. It's like a comedy show.
> 
> I wish they came in a bigger size, they are just the best dogs.


I do love your crew... wished my mom had gotten a papillon, she would of had to go out of state to get one , so she got a local FL store front 25 lb tea cup silken Terrier (right) ..


----------



## Laurelin

They always look like they're on caffeine or something. They just flit here and there.

I kept going out to my car and I could just see their ears up in the window as they were hopping up and down trying to watch me walk outside. Just something about those huge ears hopping up and down frantically and trying to shove the other out of the way had me rolling.


----------



## taquitos

Laurelin said:


> They always look like they're on caffeine or something. They just flit here and there.
> 
> I kept going out to my car and I could just see their ears up in the window as they were hopping up and down trying to watch me walk outside. Just something about those huge ears hopping up and down frantically and trying to shove the other out of the way had me rolling.


Hehehe so cute!

Yeah we always joke that Meeko looks like a squirrel on crack. When he's in motion he always looks like he's being fast forwarded lol! Busy bees, little high energy dogs are!

I absolutely love it... but I think it would get on some people's nerves lol!


----------



## TSTrainer

My roommate's Keeshonds are HILARIOUS. When they play together it's like watching a circus act. The other day they were playing on the couch and every time one jumped over the other it would scoot the couch a few inches one way, and then the other, and then back again. I was laughing so hard I cried.


----------



## Kyllobernese

At our Agility practice there are three Papillons owned by one person. Love to watch the three of them doing Agility. All three have their titles in almost everything and do really well at the trials. The owner is a judge and we are really lucky to have her helping us with our handling and setting up courses to run.


----------



## dogsule

Laurelin said:


> What do people without papillons do? They are just the funniest, craziest little things. Just their mannerisms are SO flipping hilarious. I wish I could catch all their little moments on camera daily. It's like a comedy show.
> 
> I wish they came in a bigger size, they are just the best dogs.


There is always that one dog or two in your case, lol! I love my two cockers but Belle is just a hilarious dog that keeps you laughing too! I seriously would get another of her in a heartbeat if I could, don't really know what she is though but I was looking up cotrailians the other day. Not that I am looking for another dog right now.


----------



## Laurelin

Summer cracks me up here:






She's just too too funny.


----------



## Lodestar

While I'm glad that the seizures have finally ended for the month, it does get a bit frustrating to watch Jagger run into things.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I do like me some Paps, but the way I cope is by having an Aussie. Aussies definitely have a sense of humor, and they are intentionally trying to make you laugh so that they can get away with doing something bad.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I do like me some Paps, but the way I cope is by having an Aussie. Aussies definitely have a sense of humor, and they are intentionally trying to make you laugh so that they can get away with doing something bad.


This is the most familiar thing I've read today! haha

Definitely whenever Lancer does something he's not quite supposed to and I frown at him/ask him why, he RUNS over to me to punch me with his nose and intentionally do weird, funny things to show me _how much I should like him_ and make me smile again (ie: smacking my face with his paws, forcefully licking my mouth, smearing his whole body on my lap and staying there like a piece of velcro). Unlike other dogs who run away when scolded, Lancer charges over to me to make me laugh as fast as possible so I'm not disappointed anymore LOL.


----------



## taquitos

Dogsignalfire said:


> This is the most familiar thing I've read today! haha
> 
> Definitely whenever Lancer does something he's not quite supposed to and I frown at him/ask him why, he RUNS over to me to punch me with his nose and intentionally do weird, funny things to show me _how much I should like him_ and make me smile again (ie: smacking my face with his paws, forcefully licking my mouth, smearing his whole body on my lap and staying there like a piece of velcro). Unlike other dogs who run away when scolded, Lancer charges over to me to make me laugh as fast as possible so I'm not disappointed anymore LOL.


This confirms that I should be getting a MAS and me more excited for my future MAS (yes I know they're different breeds but they basically have the same temperament)


----------



## Dogsignalfire

taquitos said:


> This confirms that I should be getting a MAS and me more excited for my future MAS (yes I know they're different breeds but they basically have the same temperament)


Get a male MAS, I swear males are weirder.  

My female MAS actually just stops in her tracks, looks down very slowly, and freezes like that when she does something bad and I ask her why... Maybe starts walking away very very very slowly, like an iphone slowmo recording. And it's just the saddest sight ever, and I can't even pretend to be disappointed.

Basically Aussies and MAS try so hard to please you, and are so distraught when you're unhappy, it's the best. ;; LOL


----------



## DogtorWho15

Laurelin said:


> Summer cracks me up here:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> She's just too too funny.


Lol! Hank is so bouncy! He really can get some air! Your girls are adorable too, all your dogs are such characters.


----------



## taquitos

Dogsignalfire said:


> Get a male MAS, I swear males are weirder.
> 
> My female MAS actually just stops in her tracks, looks down very slowly, and freezes like that when she does something bad and I ask her why... Maybe starts walking away very very very slowly, like an iphone slowmo recording. And it's just the saddest sight ever, and I can't even pretend to be disappointed.
> 
> Basically Aussies and MAS try so hard to please you, and are so distraught when you're unhappy, it's the best. ;; LOL


Haha I'm leaving the gender up to the breeder (same with colour/pattern). Knowing me, though, I'll probably end up with a male! I've never owned a female anything other than my pet hamster growing up


----------



## dogsule

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I do like me some Paps, but the way I cope is by having an Aussie. Aussies definitely have a sense of humor, and they are intentionally trying to make you laugh so that they can get away with doing something bad.


Ok Belle for sure must be part Aussie then, that is what we thought but yeah, she does the goofiest things sometimes.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Laurelin said:


> What do people without papillons do? They are just the funniest, craziest little things. Just their mannerisms are SO flipping hilarious. I wish I could catch all their little moments on camera daily. It's like a comedy show.
> 
> I wish they came in a bigger size, they are just the best dogs.


Lincoln makes me laugh all the time, he is so crazy, and cute. He has such a personality, everyone who meets him loves him.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Dogsignalfire said:


> This is the most familiar thing I've read today! haha
> 
> Definitely whenever Lancer does something he's not quite supposed to and I frown at him/ask him why, he RUNS over to me to punch me with his nose and intentionally do weird, funny things to show me _how much I should like him_ and make me smile again (ie: smacking my face with his paws, forcefully licking my mouth, smearing his whole body on my lap and staying there like a piece of velcro). Unlike other dogs who run away when scolded, Lancer charges over to me to make me laugh as fast as possible so I'm not disappointed anymore LOL.


If I tell Kairi she is being bad, she gets what I call "Sad Wiggle". Her ears go down, she makes weird garble noises sometimes, wiggles like crazy, tucks her head between my legs (while wiggling) and occasionally jumps up to pop me in the nose. She is quite aware that I can't really stay mad at that act. Meanwhile in Border Collie land.. all I have to say is "What were you doing, Ember?" and she slinks off like I beat her all the time. Or she pins her ears back and does a bunch of appeasement behaviors. 



taquitos said:


> This confirms that I should be getting a MAS and me more excited for my future MAS (yes I know they're different breeds but they basically have the same temperament)


Pretty much the same. I can't wait until you get this puppy either! When is that again?



dogsule said:


> Ok Belle for sure must be part Aussie then, that is what we thought but yeah, she does the goofiest things sometimes.


I don't know if Belle has Aussie or not, but intentional goofiness is definitely a common Aussie trait! The best part about Aussies is that they are great workers and also great comedians.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank gets really avoidant if he thinks I'm mad. He is usually just stick still, rooted to where he is and won't respond to anything. Summer is a slinky/sulky kind of dog and tries to appease and 'Oh pleasepleaseplease don't be mad!' She will even shake if I raise my voice at the other dogs.

Mia? Mia if someone else scolded I think would probably pee out of fear but with me she runs through quick appeasement behaviors almost as though 'see look I am being nice!'. Then she goes right back to what she was doing. It's almost like 'I acknowledge that you do not like this behavior. However, I am going to keep doing this behavior because I like it'


----------



## Laurelin

Hank's behavior of just stand still and stare at me and do nothing at all is the weirdest to me. 

Summer is so soft that she's so easy to read. My favorite is if she gets underfoot she seems to think I am so mean and mad and whhhhhhyyyyy? whyyyyyyyy did you try to stomp on poor tiny Summer? Do you hate me? You must hate me. I probably did something bad and now you hate me. How can I make you love me again? Please let me love you. I want to be your best friend and you be nice to me.

Mia just gets mad. 'Watch it! I was walking here!'


----------



## PatriciafromCO

PatriciafromCO said:


> good up date : Talked to the Brand Inspector he is coming tomorrow with the Sheriff about this whole situation. That the dogs are protected and any Harassment or interference with them is illegal.





DogtorWho15 said:


> YAY! When I read what happened my first thought was how in the world could a person be so cruel to an animal? Glad it is all working out for you, Im sure Arka and the others will be happy.


really good information that all the animals LGD's too are protected and taken seriously. Call him (Brand Inspector) directly and there is also a Animal Investigator in case of strange accidents, sickness, or deaths to the animals. Sheriff didn't show but he would be dropping by his office. And he is going to look for a Colorado law , statute ? that I can place on my signs that will best fit for posting the information to others that it is a crime. Even Harassing or interfering from outside the fence or from the road. 

The signs that I would like to have made No Trespassing, Working Live Stock Guardian Dogs, Do Not Harass by penalty of CO XXXXXXXXXXXX


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I was always like, "Nahhhhh I'm never going to do IPO and not interested in it, even though the obedience and tracking looks fun, whatever pffbbthhtbttt."

I'm inevitably gaining interest, the more I watch mals work even outside of trials somehow. e____e Halp.

When can I has mal.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Nova and I walked off leash for a short distance for the first time yesterday without her running away to go dig in a snake hole! EEEK!!


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is so weird. I am seeing a lot of improvement in training sessions if I stop every now and then and give him a hug.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Hank is so weird. I am seeing a lot of improvement in training sessions if I stop every now and then and give him a hug.


He just wants to know he is loved and being such a good boy! He is too cute.

Suddenly.. Border Collie desperately wants to chase and scream at anything that moves too fast, including me. Herding breed teenage fun!


----------



## Laurelin

He has this 'cute' thing down....`










Also I was asked today if Hank is a Bluetick Coonhound.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

So you call the emergency clinic 6 hours before they are due to close at 8pm,, Hopefully it's nothing but it could be something and they tell you that if it is anything serious they can't treat your dog you will have to wait until your regular vet is open because they close at 8pm... ????


----------



## Willowy

PatriciafromCO said:


> So you call the emergency clinic 6 hours before they are due to close at 8pm,, Hopefully it's nothing but it could be something and they tell you that if it is anything serious they can't treat your dog you will have to wait until your regular vet is open because they close at 8pm... ????


What good is it being an emergency clinic if they aren't open 24 hours?


----------



## ireth0

Willowy said:


> What good is it being an emergency clinic if they aren't open 24 hours?


Ours did not do overnight care until recently. Previously you had to transport your dog to your regular vet and then back to emerg if needed.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Willowy said:


> What good is it being an emergency clinic if they aren't open 24 hours?


 I took it as a omen.. save the $95.00 walk in fee and the $70.00 exam fee from people I wouldn't want caring for my dog.. Will see if my regular vet can see Abhik today, but she really doesn't have the facility to do anything.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Dogsignalfire said:


> I was always like, "Nahhhhh I'm never going to do IPO and not interested in it, even though the obedience and tracking looks fun, whatever pffbbthhtbttt."
> 
> I'm inevitably gaining interest, the more I watch mals work even outside of trials somehow. e____e Halp.
> 
> When can I has mal.


"Technically" any breed can do IPO, there are standard poodles who do it overseas, but here in the USA if you tried to do it with anything other than a: mal, dutchie, GSD, dobie, rottie, forget it, you will never get in, and that sucks


----------



## Dogsignalfire

OwnedbyACDs said:


> "Technically" any breed can do IPO, there are standard poodles who do it overseas, but here in the USA if you tried to do it with anything other than a: mal, dutchie, GSD, dobie, rottie, forget it, you will never get in, and that sucks


Yeah, it seems to be that way. And even then, it's like s 95% GSD-dominated sport LOL. Even mals feel out of place sometimes. 

I actually do know someone in the states who has started IPO with her ACD, but I'm not sure how that's turning out yet! And have seen quite a few border collies (videos lolol) doing pretty well in IPO. I think that if someone finds a good unbiased instructor, they can still get in the sport, genuinely depending on the dog and not biases.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Dogsignalfire said:


> Yeah, it seems to be that way. And even then, it's like s 95% GSD-dominated sport LOL. Even mals feel out of place sometimes.
> 
> I actually do know someone in the states who has started IPO with her ACD, but I'm not sure how that's turning out yet! And have seen quite a few border collies (videos lolol) doing pretty well in IPO. I think that if someone finds a good unbiased instructor, they can still get in the sport, genuinely depending on the dog and not biases.


You almost have to know someone or have another breed doing IPO to get an "off" breed in. I have seen someone posting pics of a saint doing it, but the lady who owns the saint also competes with a malinois. 

that picture of that poodle went around the working dog groups on FB and they tore that person apart ... someone even made it a meme to make fun of them, I think they were just jealous 

ETA this is not the picture they used, but is the same dog I believe.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

OwnedbyACDs said:


> You almost have to know someone or have another breed doing IPO to get an "off" breed in. I have seen someone posting pics of a saint doing it, but the lady who owns the saint also competes with a malinois.
> 
> that picture of that poodle went around the working dog groups on FB and they tore that person apart ... someone even made it a meme to make fun of them, I think they were just jealous
> 
> ETA this is not the picture they used, but is the same dog I believe.


OMG this poodle is the best thing ever HAHAH. I'm jealous too, but in a good way!

Pfffft, how were they tearing the person apart? The IPO crowd can be full of critical whispering sometimes. 
That's sad though, assuming there is a very capable off breed dog working well in IPO, what's so wrong with that? (asking rhetorically, not at you haha) I might just be a naive noob, but I love seeing capable off breeds trialing successfully.


----------



## DogtorWho15

So I always torture myself by looking at berners and other dogs on craigslist that I absolutely cannot have. And today I found this ad of a berner/lab mix, I want to take him just so I can help him out, but he seems like quite the handful. The owners clearly never worked with him, and you dont have to meet him to know that. He is absolutely gorgeous though, a nice long golden-white coat, big eyes and a pink nose.

" 12 month old bernese mountain dog lab mix. Dasher is his name, and it fits. Male, neutered and wild. He weighs in at about 65 lbs now and is expected to grow a lot more. He's a ranch type dog and a runner, he loves taking off chasing birds and usually won't come back when you call for him. He loves rolling in mud puddles and even though he has a dog house he is usually too dumb to get in it during the rain storms, preferring to stay out in the rain getting soaked and dirty. He's just smart enough to know when he's been bad because when you yell at him he gets that oh shit look then runs from you when you try to correct him. He also thinks he's a lapdog. Oh and keep your trash can locked up or he'll get into that too stringing garbage from here to Timbuktoo. He is exceptional around kids of all ages, and truly does love children. One good thing is he has never shown aggression of any kind to anything. He does bark at the tumbleweeds, and weeds, and cats (but never harms them), but if one comes near him he takes off running out of fear. He is terrified of the dark, hence why the nights he sleeps in the house we need a nightlight, or if he sleeps outside the porch light has to be on. He is house broken and usually sleeps for 8-10 hours a night and will whine for you to let him out. Most cases it's at 4am when you're most comfy in bed, oh that's another thing he loves jumping on the bed and trying to snuggle with you. He loves car rides but if he's in the back of a truck he will try to jump out to chase birds. He does shed and acts like an injured rabbit with thrashing abilities that rivals that of a 500lb croc when you try to bathe him. He likes to hump things, your leg, the vacuum cleaner and occasionally his own tail. He chews on himself without reserve and it's almost always his right back foot that holds some tasty allure to him. I don't have the energy, nor the patience to put up with him. Plus my family and I are hardly home so leaving him up to his own devices all day alone is bad. He is great with other dogs and loves to play, he's just a bit too exuberant at times. Rehoming fee of $65 and you get half a bag of dog food and his giant cow bone ( if he hasn't buried it for the zizillionith time) if you are interested please email me, and if you choose this dog please understand that when we make arrangements to meet I may be late because trying to get him and out a leash on him is close to impossible. Right now he is filthy, I bathed him just a week ago but he is now covered in dirt, grime and stickers. I can't get a hold of him to brush or bathe him again "


Also one more random rant. I was driving to the lake with Nova for the afternoon, when these two teens passed us on the road BLASTING music and had their bass waayy up, as well as smoking with all the windows rolled up, but the thing I noticed was a pit sitting in the back of the car with his ears as far back as they could go, and probably unable to breath from all the smoke. They are going to make him deaf and sick if he isnt already. Poor thing, people make me so mad.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

walked around the back corner of the house and was hit in the face with propane smell.... walked over to the propane tank and turned it completely off for now..


----------



## Miss Bugs

I randomly had a really good afternoon today. Had one hour in a large yard at work and spent it outside having a ball with the dogs.. First with a dog that doesn't play with others, we played fetch and tug and race games together, he was super fair about involving me, it was so cute! I woukd throw the rope and he would run to it, but then see me not having moved..leave the rope and come wait with me, then I would say "go!" and we would race to the rope, and of coarse he was first and would put his mouth on it, but then just wait for me to grab an end before picking it up fir real and then we would play tug.. It was so fun! Then in the next play group, the dogs liked my gloves and liked batting at them, so I bent over the deck hiding my hands, then would sneak out and bat at them, and they would go crazy trying to bat my hands lol. It probably looked really damn odd to anyone driving by.. A grown woman bent over a deck giggling maniacally, playing bat the paws with a group of dogs lol. Then I went to the small dog room and first had a cuddle sess with 2 yorkies and a poodle..walking around with all 3 in my arms..then sitting on the floor playing and snuggling with a bunch of little pipsqueaks! I was just so friggen HAPPY and blissed with all of them!

Then tonight, while petting Happy I noticed her back legs are nicely muscled, its been a few years since she has had any reasonable muscling in her hind quarters..it made me so happy! I love seeing my old girl doing so well!


----------



## Wet Beards

You know you've been spending far too much time with 
your dogs when: 

I was helping the guys load the work trucks. It was cold and
I didn't wear warm enough gloves. Rubbing my hands together
I idly commented "jeepers, my paws are cold". 
Didn't realize what I said until they started laughing at me. 

The teasing has begun in earnest....lol


----------



## Willowy

I hear farmers and truckers call their hands paws all the time. Maybe it's regional. . .I don't think I'd be teased for saying that around a local.


----------



## Wet Beards

Willowy said:


> I hear farmers and truckers call their hands paws all the time. Maybe it's regional. . .I don't think I'd be teased for saying that around a local.


Yeah, must be regional. 
The teasing is all in good fun.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Whelp, I got to spend my Hanukkah cleaning a jellied skunk carcass out of my dogs fur, in the freezing weather with freezing water......


----------



## Lodestar

It sucks having to put a dog down. 

I'm just glad he isn't in pain now.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Lodestar said:


> It sucks having to put a dog down.
> 
> I'm just glad he isn't in pain now.


I'm very sorry for your loss.


----------



## Lodestar

CrystalGSD said:


> I'm very sorry for your loss.


Thank you.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Related to Wet Beard's post. My sister clipped the face on her Shih Tzu x Maltese, then went to her husband who was on the computer and handed him some dog treats and said have a look at Jade. Instead he popped the treats into his mouth and started chewing on them until my sister burst into laughter. He is never going to live that down. Husbands do not always listen, do they?


----------



## DogtorWho15

OK so I am probably being a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry.
I was cleaning out my hermit tank, when I heard all three dogs go NUTS doing their vicious scary barks (shouldve known something was up when Nova was doing it too), I looked out the window and saw this black car in front of the house. Well our mail lady has a car very similar and I only looked for a second so I just thought it was her. Expecting a knock on the door I go out to wash my hands from all the substrate, but nothing came and the dogs were still freaking out. So I walked out the door, and the car was driving up the road. It went about two houses up then turned around real fast to go the opposite way, I was out by the dogs when it came by our house again, and it most certainly was not the mail lady, it was a BIG scary bald guy with a mustache I had never seen before ( and we live in a small neighborhood) as he was driving by he was staring at me like I was going to find out what he had done. After he was farther down the street, I turned my attention towards the dogs they were all riled up, whining, hair standing, and just nuts. Nova was chasing his car as far as it could go growling like crazy (Just a note, Nova rarely barks, and she has never in her life been interested in a car) I have no idea what he did to them. After I had told my parents the story, my dad and I got in the car and went driving around trying to find his, and we did, we found his car with him out in his garage, got his license plate number, made sure he saw that we now knew where he lived and carried on, we also had Nova in the car so he knew what house and dogs we belonged to. I am just really hoping he didnt abuse, or harass or poison my dogs. Also hoping he didnt come to check out what kind of things he could "get for christmas" and was just testing to see if the dogs would let him in the yard. Now every car I hear going by, I jump and look out the window. And if he ever comes by again, I do have an arsenal of weapons on hand -.-


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## Elicit23

My puppy escapes from her play pen. She drags her little pink bed close to the play pen (made of wire, looks a lot like a cage) and climbs up and jumps over! Sometimes she falls hard her noggin. I caught her in the act once... Corrected her by saying no  lol now she does it when I'm not home and I leave her in my room until my nephew comes to walk her ( she stays alone for about 2-3 hours with access to her wee pad). I was thinking about spraying the cage down with bitter Apple. Any suggestions?


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## taquitos

After playing with my friend's newly adopted dog yesterday (along with training a handful of dogs), I am realizing how "difficult" Meeko is in comparison to most dogs. Much harder to motivate, much harder to keep his attention/engagement, etc.

I honestly never considered him super hard to train with but this makes me even more confident that I can handle most dogs that are thrown my way.

He's for sure made me a better trainer. I have no doubt that my next dog will benefit from everything I've learned during my time with Meeko.


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## elrohwen

taquitos said:


> After playing with my friend's newly adopted dog yesterday (along with training a handful of dogs), I am realizing how "difficult" Meeko is in comparison to most dogs. Much harder to motivate, much harder to keep his attention/engagement, etc.
> 
> I honestly never considered him super hard to train with but this makes me even more confident that I can handle most dogs that are thrown my way.
> 
> He's for sure made me a better trainer. I have no doubt that my next dog will benefit from everything I've learned during my time with Meeko.


That's how I feel about Watson, and he has made me a better trainer! Hazel is super easy, and any novice could train her, but now I feel like my skills are at a much higher level than they were a few years ago and she is benefiting from that.


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## OwnedbyACDs

taquitos said:


> After playing with my friend's newly adopted dog yesterday (along with training a handful of dogs), I am realizing how "difficult" Meeko is in comparison to most dogs. Much harder to motivate, much harder to keep his attention/engagement, etc.
> 
> I honestly never considered him super hard to train with but this makes me even more confident that I can handle most dogs that are thrown my way.
> 
> He's for sure made me a better trainer. I have no doubt that my next dog will benefit from everything I've learned during my time with Meeko.


You will find a MAS to be a breeze compared to Meeko (not ragging on Meeko, though, every dog is different, that's what makes them cool  ) in the training department, they are a bit hard headed ("Are you REALLY going to make me do it?" or "what will happen if I dont do it?") but clownish, goofy, playful and happy to be doing ANYTHING with you LOL.


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## taquitos

elrohwen said:


> That's how I feel about Watson, and he has made me a better trainer! Hazel is super easy, and any novice could train her, but now I feel like my skills are at a much higher level than they were a few years ago and she is benefiting from that.


Haha yeah all the problems you were having with Watson were really relatable lol. It really tests your patience aha.



OwnedbyACDs said:


> You will find a MAS to be a breeze compared to Meeko (not ragging on Meeko, though, every dog is different, that's what makes them cool  ) in the training department, they are a bit hard headed ("Are you REALLY going to make me do it?" or "what will happen if I dont do it?") but clownish, goofy, playful and happy to be doing ANYTHING with you LOL.


Haha yeah I suspect I'll find the next dog a lot easier (not that he/she won't come with their set of problems I'll have to deal with), especially since I'm specifically looking into a more biddable breed!


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## OwnedbyACDs

lincoln made me a better trainer because I had to build his drive, something I never really had to do with my other dogs, but once I did, he became a heck of a dog!!!

Josefina was the most challenging dog I ever worked with (VERY soft, will shut down if you so much as look at her too long), I got through it, but I NEVER want another dog like that again LOL.


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## Kathyy

Elicit23 said:


> My puppy escapes from her play pen. She drags her little pink bed close to the play pen (made of wire, looks a lot like a cage) and climbs up and jumps over! Sometimes she falls hard her noggin. I caught her in the act once... Corrected her by saying no  lol now she does it when I'm not home and I leave her in my room until my nephew comes to walk her ( she stays alone for about 2-3 hours with access to her wee pad). I was thinking about spraying the cage down with bitter Apple. Any suggestions?


I bought a 12 panel pen so I could cut 2 panels off for a floor and 2 off for a roof. The panels are rigid enough that a clip at the corners and middle of each side prevents my dogs from pushing their way out. Actual wire tops are sold as well, they have lips so the roof doesn't fall on the dog! If you ever get to a dog show you may find vendors selling fabric tops that velcro or snap to the top of exercise pens. Or just get a lot of spring clamps/clothespins? and a sheet and fasten it down snugly.


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## PatriciafromCO

DogtorWho15 said:


> OK so I am probably being a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry.
> I was cleaning out my hermit tank, when I heard all three dogs go NUTS doing their vicious scary barks (shouldve known something was up when Nova was doing it too), I looked out the window and saw this black car in front of the house. Well our mail lady has a car very similar and I only looked for a second so I just thought it was her. Expecting a knock on the door I go out to wash my hands from all the substrate, but nothing came and the dogs were still freaking out. So I walked out the door, and the car was driving up the road. It went about two houses up then turned around real fast to go the opposite way, I was out by the dogs when it came by our house again, and it most certainly was not the mail lady, it was a BIG scary bald guy with a mustache I had never seen before ( and we live in a small neighborhood) as he was driving by he was staring at me like I was going to find out what he had done. After he was farther down the street, I turned my attention towards the dogs they were all riled up, whining, hair standing, and just nuts. Nova was chasing his car as far as it could go growling like crazy (Just a note, Nova rarely barks, and she has never in her life been interested in a car) I have no idea what he did to them. After I had told my parents the story, my dad and I got in the car and went driving around trying to find his, and we did, we found his car with him out in his garage, got his license plate number, made sure he saw that we now knew where he lived and carried on, we also had Nova in the car so he knew what house and dogs we belonged to. I am just really hoping he didnt abuse, or harass or poison my dogs. Also hoping he didnt come to check out what kind of things he could "get for christmas" and was just testing to see if the dogs would let him in the yard. Now every car I hear going by, I jump and look out the window. And if he ever comes by again, I do have an arsenal of weapons on hand -.-


 never hurts to be aware of your environment. the solar lights or solar motion detection lights, spot lights do wonders for criminals looking to do a quick fix and run in the dark... Since I put them up on my main gate area that was just re installed and one attempt to re vandalize it, the lights have only been triggered once that the dogs were going ballistic at the same exact time. Never happen again. Think the lights are the least expensive first layer for night time.


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## DogtorWho15

PatriciafromCO said:


> never hurts to be aware of your environment. the solar lights or solar motion detection lights, spot lights do wonders for criminals looking to do a quick fix and run in the dark... Since I put them up on my main gate area that was just re installed and one attempt to re vandalize it, the lights have only been triggered once that the dogs were going ballistic at the same exact time. Never happen again. Think the lights are the least expensive first layer for night time.


Yeah I should probably look into those, theres only ever been like one crime since my entire family (grandparents and all) have lived here, and it was just some guys that lived with their mother, stealing tools and broken down dirt bikes and such. Ever since then nothing has happened really but with the way the worlds going I am sure we will continue to see more. I am so glad that Nova comes in the house to sleep, I feel like we both can protect each other so much better if shes in the house, and honestly I would rather get my car and some things stolen more than my dog getting hurt or stolen. We also dont have a fence around the front of our property either, its all open until the backyard fence, so if I could get that set up I am sure itd contribute to keeping people away as well as the lights. Why cant people just mind their own business and stay away from peoples stuff!?!


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## OwnedbyACDs

DogtorWho15 said:


> OK so I am probably being a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry.
> I was cleaning out my hermit tank, when I heard all three dogs go NUTS doing their vicious scary barks (shouldve known something was up when Nova was doing it too), I looked out the window and saw this black car in front of the house. Well our mail lady has a car very similar and I only looked for a second so I just thought it was her. Expecting a knock on the door I go out to wash my hands from all the substrate, but nothing came and the dogs were still freaking out. So I walked out the door, and the car was driving up the road. It went about two houses up then turned around real fast to go the opposite way, I was out by the dogs when it came by our house again, and it most certainly was not the mail lady, it was a BIG scary bald guy with a mustache I had never seen before ( and we live in a small neighborhood) as he was driving by he was staring at me like I was going to find out what he had done. After he was farther down the street, I turned my attention towards the dogs they were all riled up, whining, hair standing, and just nuts. Nova was chasing his car as far as it could go growling like crazy (Just a note, Nova rarely barks, and she has never in her life been interested in a car) I have no idea what he did to them. After I had told my parents the story, my dad and I got in the car and went driving around trying to find his, and we did, we found his car with him out in his garage, got his license plate number, made sure he saw that we now knew where he lived and carried on, we also had Nova in the car so he knew what house and dogs we belonged to. I am just really hoping he didnt abuse, or harass or poison my dogs. Also hoping he didnt come to check out what kind of things he could "get for christmas" and was just testing to see if the dogs would let him in the yard. Now every car I hear going by, I jump and look out the window. And if he ever comes by again, I do have an arsenal of weapons on hand -.-


If a stranger comes up our property's road uninvited, they are going to be met with a gun, because that means they would have had to go through two locked and chained gates to get to our yard gate.


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## taquitos

OwnedbyACDs said:


> lincoln made me a better trainer because I had to build his drive, something I never really had to do with my other dogs, but once I did, he became a heck of a dog!!!
> 
> Josefina was the most challenging dog I ever worked with (VERY soft, will shut down if you so much as look at her too long), I got through it, but I NEVER want another dog like that again LOL.


Yes those are both things I had to deal with at some point or another. Not always with Meeko, but with other dogs I helped raise/fostered.

At this point I feel like the groundwork for essential things like off leash reliability (which was my biggest problem) and engagement really came from just building a solid relationship with my dog.

The first two years were really hard besides when we were trick training. We're still working through some fear issues with agility but it's a lot easier now that he trusts me 

After meeting my friend's dog yesterday I honestly feel like Meeko doesn't have *that* much drive for anything really lol! He has a decent amount of food drive and he will work for weird things (like pets/snuggles lol), but at the end of the day he's not a super drivey dog at all. It was a really nice change working with a dog who had so much toy and food drive. I like, have the proper tools to work with a higher drive dog but I haven't been able to successfully build that much drive with Meeko lol  It's a miracle that we're even at where we're at now! We've been carefully working on some play drive (tugging), but mainly it's food (cheese is probably the easiest to work with but not enough depending on the environment)>


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## PatriciafromCO

DogtorWho15 said:


> Yeah I should probably look into those, theres only ever been like one crime since my entire family (grandparents and all) have lived here, and it was just some guys that lived with their mother, stealing tools and broken down dirt bikes and such. Ever since then nothing has happened really but with the way the worlds going I am sure we will continue to see more. I am so glad that Nova comes in the house to sleep, I feel like we both can protect each other so much better if shes in the house, and honestly I would rather get my car and some things stolen more than my dog getting hurt or stolen. We also dont have a fence around the front of our property either, its all open until the backyard fence, so if I could get that set up I am sure itd contribute to keeping people away as well as the lights. Why cant people just mind their own business and stay away from peoples stuff!?!


For the most part my new 6ft frontal fence has made a difference for not having easy access day or night. Will be extending the solid fence line to the frontal pasture area where there is a blind spot to the barn and that should stop (easy) access into the barn from the road. They will have to cross into and through the 35ac pasture to get to the homestead, which means they will have to run that far before Arka gets them to get back out. lol it should help since the garmin tracked Arka going 59ft at 0.02 seconds.. 



OwnedbyACDs said:


> If a stranger comes up our property's road uninvited, they are going to be met with a gun, because that means they would have had to go through two locked and chained gates to get to our yard gate.


do wish I had put the homestead further back on the property, wasn't thinking of criminal activity then...


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## Kyllobernese

I only have an acre but my house is set back about 3/4's of the way so I have a nice long driveway. I usually have the gate on the road closed so do not get any unwelcome visitors. It has the stock fencing all the way around as I used to have a horse so really awkward for anyone to climb over it. As I have also added stucco wire on the inside to keep the small dogs in, a person would have to really work climbing over it now. With the dogs I have, nobody is going to sneak up on me. I do have a motion light outside my door but I do have a stray cat that comes through it sometimes at night so I will look out and it will be on but since the dogs do not alert to it, I don't worry.


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## PatriciafromCO

Was a good morning Abhik went in for Vet training, we worked on taking a temperature and getting her ready to take blood. Dr Juan enjoys her and Abhik really likes her too.. Abhik is 128-30 lbs now..


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## Dogsignalfire

Rara should be considered a very soft dog. But the more I just straight up LOVE her and show affection to her otherwise (not "fake" affection, because Rara can tell), the less soft and sensitive she is when even working with me/if she did something wrong. She doesn't give up and deflate so easily when we have an overall stronger relationship, for whatever reason. And her confidence in training depends solely on how close she is to me. Rara is very handler-oriented and needy in that way.

Lancer could care less about what I'm feeling. He just wants ball. Or food. LOL



taquitos said:


> At this point I feel like the groundwork for essential things like off leash reliability (which was my biggest problem) and engagement really came from just building a solid relationship with my dog.


True that!


(Realization that I type LOL a lot. I use LOL like a period, end of a sentence, even if I'm not actually LOLing.)


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## PatriciafromCO

Kyllobernese said:


> I only have an acre but my house is set back about 3/4's of the way so I have a nice long driveway. I usually have the gate on the road closed so do not get any unwelcome visitors. It has the stock fencing all the way around as I used to have a horse so really awkward for anyone to climb over it. As I have also added stucco wire on the inside to keep the small dogs in, a person would have to really work climbing over it now. With the dogs I have, nobody is going to sneak up on me. I do have a motion light outside my door but I do have a stray cat that comes through it sometimes at night so I will look out and it will be on but since the dogs do not alert to it, I don't worry.


it's a good distance was more important at the time to get the free distance to bring the electric to house every pole after that you would have to pay for it. Made my mistake was giving all the out buildings and dog area's full sun year round. (always a disaster when you have an area that the sun never touches for the snow to melt off fast..) But putting the buildings aligned in that angle created the blind spot that is an easy target. That's coming to an end soon..


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## elrohwen

Dogsignalfire said:


> Rara should be considered a very soft dog. But the more I just straight up LOVE her and show affection to her otherwise (not "fake" affection, because Rara can tell), the less soft and sensitive she is when even working with me/if she did something wrong. She doesn't give up and deflate so easily when we have an overall stronger relationship, for whatever reason. And her confidence in training depends solely on how close she is to me. Rara is very handler-oriented and needy in that way.


Watson is like that. Everything matters to him. How I'm feeling, whether I'm genuine or not. What the environment is like. Whether he is comfortable and confident in what he's doing. And some soft dogs look sad and mopey, but he just leaves. "Ok, I'm going to search for cats in the barn because I don't like what we're doing here". It's hard because sometimes I want to strangle him, but he only comes around if I stay calm and actually upbeat, which is easier in some environments than others (home vs class vs trials). I'm pretty sure we are co-dependent. LOL When he's confident and I'm happy, he tries super hard and doesn't quit.

Vs Hazel. If you act disappointed she's like "Oh sorry cookie-lady! I didn't mean to disappoint you! Let me try harder!"


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## dagwall

elrohwen said:


> Watson is like that. Everything matters to him. How I'm feeling, whether I'm genuine or not. What the environment is like. Whether he is comfortable and confident in what he's doing. And some soft dogs look sad and mopey, but he just leaves. "Ok, I'm going to search for cats in the barn because I don't like what we're doing here". It's hard because sometimes I want to strangle him, but he only comes around if I stay calm and actually upbeat, which is easier in some environments than others (home vs class vs trials). I'm pretty sure we are co-dependent. LOL When he's confident and I'm happy, he tries super hard and doesn't quit.
> 
> Vs Hazel. If you act disappointed she's like "Oh sorry cookie-lady! I didn't mean to disappoint you! Let me try harder!"


Ha, Jubel is like Hazel but without the apology. Just "No cookie? Okay... How bout this? *(repeat a handful of times if no cookie is earned)* Still no cookie? Well F you!" *throws random behavior that usually gets rewarded, bark bark bark*


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## elrohwen

dagwall said:


> Ha, Jubel is like Hazel but without the apology. Just "No cookie? Okay... How bout this? *(repeat a handful of times if no cookie is earned)* Still no cookie? Well F you!" *throws random behavior that usually gets rewarded, bark bark bark*


Hahaha. "I'm doing it, lady! What is wrong with you! Bark bark bark!"


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## elrohwen

It's funny because our primary trainer said "You know, Hazel cares more about you than Watson does." Which on the surface is correct, but at their core I don't think it is. I think it's more accurate to say that Hazel cares in general about being right and doing things with people, and Watson cares so much about everything going on that sometimes he just can't focus on the cookie lady. But Hazel very obviously prefers my husband to me, and doesn't get anxious if I leave her, while Watson is very attached to me.


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## jade5280

elrohwen said:


> It's funny because our primary trainer said "You know, Hazel cares more about you than Watson does." Which on the surface is correct, but at their core I don't think it is. I think it's more accurate to say that Hazel cares in general about being right and doing things with people, and Watson cares so much about everything going on that sometimes he just can't focus on the cookie lady. But Hazel very obviously prefers my husband to me, and doesn't get anxious if I leave her, while Watson is very attached to me.


 If your trainers view is right then Ryker and Gypsy definitely don't care about me and Panzer cares more. In reality Ryker 'cares' more about me than both Gypsy and Panzer in an unhealthy codependent way, unfortunately.


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## elrohwen

jade5280 said:


> If your trainers view is right then Ryker and Gypsy definitely don't care about me and Panzer cares more. In reality Ryker 'cares' more about me than both Gypsy and Panzer in an unhealthy codependent way, unfortunately.


Yeah, that's basically it. Watson's caring is mostly of the unhealthy co-dependent variety. lol


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## Dogsignalfire

elrohwen said:


> It's funny because our primary trainer said "You know, Hazel cares more about you than Watson does." Which on the surface is correct, but at their core I don't think it is. I think it's more accurate to say that Hazel cares in general about being right and doing things with people, and Watson cares so much about everything going on that sometimes he just can't focus on the cookie lady. But Hazel very obviously prefers my husband to me, and doesn't get anxious if I leave her, while Watson is very attached to me.


Dogs are deep. LOL
I think your trainer would think Lancer is more attached to me than Rara too in that case, on the surface. But really, all he cares about is a reliable human present to throw his ball and that he can follow around and feel safe with.  Apparent when we had a dog sitter for them for a couple days, and since the dog sitter had food and a ball... Lancer was a-okay and happy as can be LOL. Rara is the one who is visibly sad and hurt whenever I leave back to work every Monday, while Lancer's like, "Well darn, but see ya next weekend!"


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## Eenypup

dagwall said:


> Ha, Jubel is like Hazel but without the apology. Just "No cookie? Okay... How bout this? *(repeat a handful of times if no cookie is earned)* Still no cookie? Well F you!" *throws random behavior that usually gets rewarded, bark bark bark*


This is Bennie, except she's quiet so she just throws around behaviors and then sulks or sighs as she lies on the ground and gives up. She's ridiculous! She loves me but she's not emotionally soft at all, to the point of it being funny to me.

My dad's dog Abilene is very soft and very anxious by nature. My dad was nervous to perform at an open mic one day and Abilene got so nervous about my dad being anxious that she went and hid in the bathtub. The only other times she does that is during thunderstorms. Equally ridiculous dog, lol.


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## kcomstoc

Jake almost killed a cat tonight (we have strays in our neighborhood and the lady across the street feeds them), well one of them was in our backyard and I let Jake out because I had just got home and he hadn't been let out since my SO left for work around 12:30. I was taking care of bunnies while Jake was outside and I hear him do a very intimidating bark, so I opened the door to see what the problem was *sometimes someones walking by and he does the bark, but it's night time and there aren't that many night time walkers*. 

All I see is a flash of white and growling/snarling I'm like oh great another dog got into our backyard somehow then I see the cat's tail the size of a football *maybe not that big but it was huge* anyway luckily the cat got away but Jake was not a happy camper that it did. He is very proud of himself for driving away the evil cat menace though, hope no more cats dare to come into our backyard again so that nothing like that can happen again.


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## OwnedbyACDs

LOL Lincoln is all like "aw crap! sorry, my bad! let me fix it, I have to fix it PLEASE!!!!! Here are a bunch of behaviors and let me know when I get it right!" LOL. When he feels like he has disappointed me, he will bend over backward trying to fix it and make it right, which in a lot of ways, is harder, because he is offering so many behaviors that I can't get a word in edgewise sometimes! But if I walk him around for a bit and regroup, let him calm down, and try again, nine times out of ten, he will get it.

It's just, he WANTS that reward (praise, treats, play, getting to herd those cattle, whatever) and he will work himself up into a lather trying to get it, and the more I say "nope, not the right thing" the more frustrated he gets and he WILL take it out on me (gotta love driy working dogs haha), so the best thing I can do he just ask for something he knows, like sit, or down to regroup, then we try it again with the new whatever I am trying to teach.


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## DogtorWho15

I hate trying to talk to people..... You ask a simple question or bring up some small thing and end up getting this HUGE lecture which sometimes involves yelling -.- 
The outcome of this... I like my dog, end of story.


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## Dogsignalfire

Now I'm just going to list breeds that I want/love/but is not possible to have all of them in my lifetime, so I'll make it up by yelling on dog forums: 

1. Malinois
2. Golden Retriever (both showline and fieldlines tbh)
4. German Shepherd
5. Saluki
6. Borzoi
7. Doberman
8. Groenendael
9. Smooth/rough Collie
10. Newfoundland
11. Brittany
12. Irish Setter

...in a kind of but not really particular order

SIGH.


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## Pasarella

*DogtorWho15* I feel you. Today I checked a womans profile on one Latvian social portal(similar to facebook only in Latvian),saw her discussing on a dachshund group and just wanted to check what kind of dogs she has.So I start watching her galleries and one of them has a dog who appears to be a dachshund beagle mix,so I start with telling how nice dog she has with interesting coloring(red with black back like GSD have),body from a dachshund,but the head reminds of beagle.So I ask her this simple question-is this a beagle mix? Instead of just replying-no/yes/not sure or ignoring the comment ,she blocks me,goes back to the discussion she remembered seeing me on, and starts with how rude I am,I have insulted her dog and yada yada yada.For one moment I thought that maybe she was sure she had a purebred of something and so she was mad at me for daring to call her dog mutt,but no she knew she had a mix!Maybe that's because she is 61 years old,I don't know,old people get weird,she also started voting my comments on the discussion with thumbs down.Every single one.As my mother told-old people are like small children.
I'm sooo over it. People are so mean,for no reason.Perhaps I'm not going to discuss anything ever again on there.All discussion always ends with crazy ladies calling names and yelling at every one.


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## DogtorWho15

Pasarella said:


> *DogtorWho15* I feel you. Today I checked a womans profile on one Latvian social portal(similar to facebook only in Latvian),saw her discussing on a dachshund group and just wanted to check what kind of dogs she has.So I start watching her galleries and one of them has a dog who appears to be a dachshund beagle mix,so I start with telling how nice dog she has with interesting coloring(red with black back like GSD have),body from a dachshund,but the head reminds of beagle.So I ask her this simple question-is this a beagle mix? Instead of just replying-no/yes/not sure or ignoring the comment ,she blocks me,goes back to the discussion she remembered seeing me on, and starts with how rude I am,I have insulted her dog and yada yada yada.For one moment I thought that maybe she was sure she had a purebred of something and so she was mad at me for daring to call her dog mutt,but no she knew she had a mix!Maybe that's because she is 61 years old,I don't know,old people get weird,she also started voting my comments on the discussion with thumbs down.Every single one.As my mother told-old people are like small children.
> I'm sooo over it. People are so mean,for no reason.Perhaps I'm not going to discuss anything ever again on there.All discussion always ends with crazy ladies calling names and yelling at every one.


Ugh thats so strange. I have no idea how she could even take that as insulting. I wouldnt stop talking on there though... I would continue to talk and be happy and ignore the crazy lady to show her I dont give a crap about what she thinks, and she can act like that all she wants but it wont affect ya XD And it isnt just elderly people. Ive had these problems with many people of all ages. I just want an answer to my very simple unrude question, not to sit around and listen to them get into all this stuff that half the time doesnt even remotely have anything to do with what I asked! 

Nova is happy with the outcome when this happens though, she gets to go on a walk or a bike ride for a very long time XD


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## PatriciafromCO

Dogsignalfire said:


> Now I'm just going to list breeds that I want/love/but is not possible to have all of them in my lifetime, so I'll make it up by yelling on dog forums:
> 
> 1. Malinois
> 2. Golden Retriever (both showline and fieldlines tbh)
> 4. German Shepherd
> 5. Saluki
> 6. Borzoi
> 7. Doberman
> 8. Groenendael
> 9. Smooth/rough Collie
> 10. Newfoundland
> 11. Brittany
> 12. Irish Setter
> 
> ...in a kind of but not really particular order
> 
> SIGH.


oooooo #8 ....... <3


----------



## Pasarella

DogtorWho15 said:


> Ugh thats so strange. I have no idea how she could even take that as insulting. I wouldnt stop talking on there though... I would continue to talk and be happy and ignore the crazy lady to show her I dont give a crap about what she thinks, and she can act like that all she wants but it wont affect ya XD And it isnt just elderly people. Ive had these problems with many people of all ages. I just want an answer to my very simple unrude question, not to sit around and listen to them get into all this stuff that half the time doesnt even remotely have anything to do with what I asked!
> 
> Nova is happy with the outcome when this happens though, she gets to go on a walk or a bike ride for a very long time XD


This just happens so often there.No,not just with me,there are tons of crazy ladies who ALWAYS at some point will start arguing,just gets on my nerves.They know how to ruin every good discussion  Latvians are just a crazy nation.We have a saying that the best food for Latvian is another Latvian.That is for reason


----------



## Lodestar

I can't wait for this puppy to grow up! I miss my daily walks with a dog accompanying me.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lodestar said:


> I can't wait for this puppy to grow up! I miss my daily walks with a dog accompanying me.


I love it when they hit 6 mos and beyond because they can start doing more, and they can hold their "business" longer LOL


----------



## Pasarella

I love when dogs get older than 3 years.They just calm down and get so easy going. Two of my younger ones are in heat,so they don't get much walks and I had a chance to go for a walk with only two-both 4 year old sisters.That was SO peaceful and nice and relaxing.So easy to walk,they mostly go only straight,they don't pull, I did enjoy that walk very much.Can't wait for the both younger ones(2 and 1.5 years) to grow their brain a bit.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Ugh Nova has started not waking me up in the morning to get out of her crate, instead she waits until I wake up and finds things to do that she isnt supposed to do -.- JUST WAKE ME UP WHEN YOU GET UP PLEASE I am tired of toys and other things torn to shreds because you let me sleep in later than you!

Also I gave her this puppy toy that says it isnt for strong chewers or dogs with adult teeth, so in other words definitely not for Nova, but I gave it to her anywas under supervision, and it is lasting longer than some of her other toys that are meant for her XD


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I had to dig bone fragments out of my garbage disposal from the old leftover beef stew that dumped out this morning ... yay me :/


----------



## DogtorWho15

Have a vet appt. tomorrow, little nervous, Nova hasnt had much human interaction outside the family lately due to the holidays being so busy, and her being still a little afraid of strange men, idk how shes gonna react to one sticking things up her butt, and his hands all over her and in her mouth.....
Any advice?


----------



## Jen2010

> Have a vet appt. tomorrow, little nervous, Nova hasnt had much human interaction outside the family lately due to the holidays being so busy, and her being still a little afraid of strange men, idk how shes gonna react to one sticking things up her butt, and his hands all over her and in her mouth.....
> Any advice?


 I would bring some high-value treats along to distract her. I was in the same situation with Kane about a month ago, but our vet was fantastic and knew exactly what to say and do with him that he didn't have a problem with the vet at all!


----------



## DogtorWho15

Jen2010 said:


> I would bring some high-value treats along to distract her. I was in the same situation with Kane about a month ago, but our vet was fantastic and knew exactly what to say and do with him that he didn't have a problem with the vet at all!


Thanks! Thats what I was planning to do, she also has this cow plush that she ADORES. Literally, she takes it to go potty with her in the morning :crazy: that I was also thinking of bringing, and I will be sure to let the vet know that she is still a little fearful of people. I just hope all goes well, she normally gets more comfortable with people after I am the one that touches them first, by hugging or hand shake.


----------



## MysticRealm

My old dog gets very nervous around the vet and once kinda snapped/shut his mouth quickly while she was examining his mouth so now generally I lift his lips and show her his teeth so both of them feel safer.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

I go to the vet often just to do training for handling sessions. We work towards things that could be needed in future visits, like handling paws and legs and tying them off like you would do to get blood but not taking blood, just tying the band tight and holding the leg stiff. My vet doesn't charge for the visit to just hang out on a day that is slow and there isn't any appointments.. Then we just sit around and talk as the pup gets over the want to explore going there to laying down and falling asleep. Last session an emergency came in and it was time to go. It's nice to do it because my vet can take her time to work towards teaching, instead of being pressured to actually get something done that needs to be done.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Let me just say, that I personally do not like or vets. Yeah I was thinking about doing that, but knowing our vet, theyd charge. We just got back and it didnt go as great as I'd hoped, the stethescope... SCARY. The thermometer...SUPER SCARY, and when she gave her the intranasal bordatella, she lifted her lips, didnt growl or snap but still showed her teeth, it just wasnt a good experience. The vet didnt even deal with it very good, she was like petting Nova the entire time she was running scared away from her, and kept shoving her hands and everything in her face, she cornered Nova against the bench. My dog was freaking out. And the vet lady that did it all gave her like 10 dumb gross nexgard things, that made her gassy and sick. I was okay with one, and to be honest I didnt even think Nova would eat it cause she HATED them when she was little. But the lady just would stop, 2 before the scope, 2 after, 2 before the thermometer, 2 after, yada yada. I was about ready to scream at her, I dont want my dog eating those, they are supposed to be for flea and tick prevention so they obviously have some chemical in them, and I had hot dogs, the lady saw and still wouldnt let me give her them. She was too busy stuffing her face with the other junk. Next time I go, I will scream at everyone if I have to just so Nova doesnt get those.
Also, I was told that after all of Nova's normal puppy shots, there wouldnt be anymore until the rabies after 1 year and after that every 3. But then today they gave her bordetella and now I got all these reminders for all sorts of stuff
-More bordetella
-Professional exam
-Rabies
-fecal screening
-wellness bloodtest
-distemper/parvo 

Does she even need all of these?? Or are they just trying to make money?

On another note, a while ago I felt like Nova had been a little over weight (probably from staying at grandmas for thanksgiving, she fed her all sorts of stuff) And today when we weighed her at the vet she was 52.1! Before she was 56.5 so we lost 4 pounds and now she is perfect


----------



## Willowy

I think the Nexgard treats are "blanks"---they make chews that are made of the same stuff as the actual product, but without the active ingredient, just to make sure the dog will eat the chew before you spend big bucks on the actual product. I don't think a vet would give the active product to a dog for free, and I'd certainly hope a vet wouldn't give multiple doses! I know Heartgard makes blanks so probably Nexgard does too. 

As for what's necessary at an annual exam, do your own research to decide. If your dog doesn't get boarded or go to daycare you can probably skip the bordetella. If you don't want to do bloodwork annually you can skip that, but it's a good idea to do it at least once while she's young and healthy so you can get a baseline. Fecal exams are usually cheap so you might as well, but if she gets de-wormed often (from heartworm meds) it probably isn't necessary. You ALWAYS want to keep a dog up-to-date on rabies shots for legal reasons. It isn't necessary to give the distemper/parvo vaccine annually, read up on it to see how often you want to repeat it. She absolutely should have the puppy series and one year booster though.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

we are all adults rights. you could talk to your vet about issues you are having with the handling of your dog, I've been through several vets that were not the right fit for my dogs, either too procedure happy, or not interested in interactive skills with the dogs. You have to find the right vet for you and the dog. Even if a vet charged you for a vet visit going when you don't have to do "scary" procedures is the reason you go, to build a dogs positive experience about the vet clinic and the about the vet.


----------



## DogtorWho15

That could be true about that treats, it just made her breath smell bad and her feel bad, so we wont be getting those again, especially a bunch of them like that.

She doesnt do that, but we do go to dog parks, and that was the question the lady asked us. I might do the blood test, still deciding. Most likely gonna skip the fecal test though, we just recently did one and she was clear, we dont do the little tablets or shots for the worm treatment, I do it all naturally, on my own. I know the rabies are a must, I have no problem with those, she just already had all of her puppy shots, and the vet told me there wasnt anything else at all, until the rabies. I dont mind that more stuff popped up, but I dont feel like she really needs all these things, idk, I will research it. Thanks.

Yeah, the thing is, our normal vet (we switch of between two of the actual doctors, and normally have one nurse. Dont know if thats what theyre really called in the dog world lol) wasnt there, or was doing something else, and they gave us one of the random nurses that we havent had before. I just didnt like the way she was handling everything. I am hoping it was just a one time thing and I will get my normal vet next time, but if not and I get another one I dont like, I will probably mention something for Novas sake. 
I know itd be good to go. And I probably should, but I probably would just be able to let Nova explore and sniff and greet the front desk ladies, not sure if I could actually get one of the nurses or something to handle her aside from the petting cause shes cute. I messed with Nova a lot, and still do on occasion to get her used to being touched and poked all over, but thats with me. Anywho I am sure just walking in there and spending 20 mins or so a couple days a week would still help her get used to it a lot more. 


On another note.....I think my dog may be in love with our neighbors rottie XD It is literally the cutest thing on earth. I got pictures of them today, I will have to post them. But you cant hear the noises they make through pics lol


----------



## DogtorWho15

So I was eating dinner and my parents call me and tell me to come help catch this little stray dog. Um okay, so I grab my slip leash and some hot dogs and go to help, when I see the dog it is this little tiny teacup chihuahua pomeranian mix is what it looked like (so she wont make it through the night most likely unless she finds her home. If she doesnt get hit by a car, then she'll freeze, and if not that, we have coyotes), just walking up and down the street, doesnt know what to do and very afraid of humans. So we follow her in the car for a bit and when we get closer I get out and start to talk to her offering the treat, she just cries and runs. Long story short. I followed her ALL around the neighborhood, into peoples yards whos dogs were going nuts. Finally my dad gets out of the car after I told him a million time I needed his help to catch her -.- Anywho, the only way we are gonna catch her is by cornering her so we do that, and she walks right next to me and I try to put the leash around her, and she tries to bite. She then starts crying and runs back closer to my house. So I go home, get Nova and let Nova try and sniff her out for me or maybe she can get the little dog to come closer. Nova gets on her scent and we go down the road quite a ways but we never found her and had to give up, as it is pitch black outside and theres a bunch of dumb people speeding up and down the road because they partied for the weekend. 

I really wanna save her, but IDK what else to do. I just have to hope she finds her way home :/
I may not have done everything correctly, but I aint a professional and at least I tried for an hour and a half. Its very sad.


----------



## CptJack

Agility tonight:

800 aussies, Kylie, a standard schnauzer and a giant one. 

We did a lot of bar resetting and she got cooed over a lot. Even had the odd new person kind of stare in disbelief once or twice ;-)


----------



## dogsule

Been a little overwhelmed lately. Last week I found out my vet (who I was with for almost 10 yrs) had left. The place I go to was all hush hush about it and apparently all staff was told to say nothing to her clients. Many probably don't know yet. There was a post on their FB page that made me suspect she was gone so I called them and asked. She left 2 months ago!! (Thankfully it has been a quiet time here as far as vet visits go) I was sooooo sad (that she was gone) and so upset at that place for not letting us know! I was literally in tears. She knew my dogs and knew them well. With three dogs two of which had issues as puppies and with me always spacing out all vaccinations and vet visits between the three, we were there a lot! I am sure she was told she couldn't say anything either. She is moving like 2-3 hours away. So wish she would have stayed around the area but she probably went where a good job was (not that she was looking though I have heard that it was issues with the vet place/management which doesn't surprise me, they cannot hold onto a small animal vet for very long at all there as I have been with that place since 1986!!) I did hear that she was in town till the first or so and I know her house is still for sale so I sent her a Christmas card and thank you letter. I am so hoping she gets it! I got a reference for another vet in town so I have decided it is time to get rid of the old and into the new (the old place hasn't found a permanent replacement yet for my vet or for the other small animal vet that left over a year ago!) I called the the new place and made an appt for Angel today (found a small pea sized lump the week before last, something I can feel but not see). I called the old vet and had them transfer the girls records to the new place. I am so hoping I like this new vet. I feel like I have lost part of my extended family in loosing my vet. I am seriously bummed about this, just cannot get it off my mind.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Our dogs wont eat any of the HW meds, so I grind them in a pull crusher and put them in their food LOL. Havent tried the chewables, because most of those are ivermectin, which Lincoln, as an MDR1 affected breed can't have.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

My excitement about getting a puppy spring 2016 is over riding my excitement for Christmas lol.


----------



## Pasarella

OMG I'm so angry!Yesterday I got lamb organs for dogs.The livers are FULL of fasciolas!In case someone doesn't know what that is-those are small tapeworms who live in liver's bile ducts. Just threw out bunch of liver,I'm not going to boil it or freeze it,don't care that it will kill them,I'm not going to feed tapeworms to my dogs.How can even someone sell that to someone?I'm going to call the seller who also owns the farm to let her know what I did find and she better has some good explanation to this situation. Don't think I will ever buy something from her again.All it asks is to regularly worm her animals but for some reason she hasn't done that.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I don't blame you for just throwing it out, I would have done the same. I don't know why people do not worm their animals. When I had a pet Mallard duck, I even wormed him.


----------



## MysticRealm

dogsule said:


> Been a little overwhelmed lately. Last week I found out my vet (who I was with for almost 10 yrs) had left. The place I go to was all hush hush about it and apparently all staff was told to say nothing to her clients. Many probably don't know yet. There was a post on their FB page that made me suspect she was gone so I called them and asked. She left 2 months ago!! (Thankfully it has been a quiet time here as far as vet visits go) I was sooooo sad (that she was gone) and so upset at that place for not letting us know! I was literally in tears. She knew my dogs and knew them well. With three dogs two of which had issues as puppies and with me always spacing out all vaccinations and vet visits between the three, we were there a lot! I am sure she was told she couldn't say anything either. She is moving like 2-3 hours away. So wish she would have stayed around the area but she probably went where a good job was (not that she was looking though I have heard that it was issues with the vet place/management which doesn't surprise me, they cannot hold onto a small animal vet for very long at all there as I have been with that place since 1986!!) I did hear that she was in town till the first or so and I know her house is still for sale so I sent her a Christmas card and thank you letter. I am so hoping she gets it! I got a reference for another vet in town so I have decided it is time to get rid of the old and into the new (the old place hasn't found a permanent replacement yet for my vet or for the other small animal vet that left over a year ago!) I called the the new place and made an appt for Angel today (found a small pea sized lump the week before last, something I can feel but not see). I called the old vet and had them transfer the girls records to the new place. I am so hoping I like this new vet. I feel like I have lost part of my extended family in loosing my vet. I am seriously bummed about this, just cannot get it off my mind.


That is virtually exactly what just happened to me! I almost thought that maybe you were talking about the same clinic till you said your vet left 2 months ago and your location. I had seen a post a couple weeks ago on facebook that made me question it, but was not at all clear about anything. I made an appointment on Saturday for an appointment today. Walked in and the front staff asked 'so did you here the news?' I was like 'uh no' they were like 'vet sold the clinic and left 2 weeks ago' I was like '...oh'. New guy is ok. not much small talk just down to business, but not too chatty about that either. It was a puppy check up and he didn't say 'eyes look fine, tummy feels good, ears look clean' Only commented on the top of the head (I guess that area sometimes doesn't 'close' in very small dogs') and on the patellas. I may try another vet as I had been thinking about looking for another vet before this but we used the old vet for so long, and knew her from the horse world that it was hard to switch.


----------



## dogsule

MysticRealm said:


> That is virtually exactly what just happened to me! I almost thought that maybe you were talking about the same clinic till you said your vet left 2 months ago and your location. I had seen a post a couple weeks ago on facebook that made me question it, but was not at all clear about anything. I made an appointment on Saturday for an appointment today. Walked in and the front staff asked 'so did you here the news?' I was like 'uh no' they were like 'vet sold the clinic and left 2 weeks ago' I was like '...oh'. New guy is ok. not much small talk just down to business, but not too chatty about that either. It was a puppy check up and he didn't say 'eyes look fine, tummy feels good, ears look clean' Only commented on the top of the head (I guess that area sometimes doesn't 'close' in very small dogs') and on the patellas. I may try another vet as I had been thinking about looking for another vet before this but we used the old vet for so long, and knew her from the horse world that it was hard to switch.


Sorry you lost your vet too. It sucks. I went to a new clinic yesterday with my white cocker, Angel. I found a small pea sized lump on her side like 2 weeks ago. It isn't something you can see, you can just feel it. The new vet was very nice and very thorough, I thought. He wanted to check her all over and checked her eyes, ears (even let me look in her ear, never saw the inside of an ear canal before!), teeth, belly, butt and listened to her heart and gut. As far as the lump at this point it is too small and too deep for him to try to aspirate cells from it and be certain he actually got the lump. So we are doing a wait and see thing. I am just to keep checking it every couple weeks to see if it changes. It is sort of odd in that it feels harder than a fatty tumor (all too familiar with them) but it isn't attached to anything either. 

So all in all the visit went well, this place is more expensive than my last place though. One other big thing is I asked if they do in house titers for the parvo/distemper shots as Belle gets titers due to an immune disease after her last puppy shot. They said they don't. My old vet didn't either until I told her about an article I read on vets being able to order in house ones to cut the cost of running them. My old vet had no problem ordering them and trying them out, she was very pleased with the results too. This new place said they would look in her records and see if they could get them too or not and would call me and let me know. The in house is like half the price of the send out to lab titers. $60 vs $120+ So if they will be open to new things I will probably stay there but we will see. 

There really isn't a big choice in my town of vets.


----------



## Kathyy

Bucky and Ginger played together for the first time, he's been here nearly 5 months. They were stealing the toy from each other and tugging. We've been seeing his annoying bounces give her the zoomies and scoot away from him then he chases which might be play but this is the very first toy play.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Last night I dreamed that a greyhound rescue GAVE me four greyhounds to adopt (when in reality... now that I think back, two of them had long fur like a LHW). 

And they were all mysteriously biddable, energetic, and highly intelligent- acted like Aussies in the yard. And I was super happy that I got all these greyhounds who were so handler-focused and biddable and they all played fetch. They all knew sit without training, but didn't know stay, so I started to work on that.

It was a hot day, so one of them went to the shower room and turned on the shower with his paw to cool off. And a stranger next to me commented, "He's like a human!" And something about being very intelligent. And it was totally normal in my dream LOL.

(the end)


----------



## DogtorWho15

Dogsignalfire said:


> Last night I dreamed that a greyhound rescue GAVE me four greyhounds to adopt (when in reality... now that I think back, two of them had long fur like a LHW).
> 
> And they were all mysteriously biddable, energetic, and highly intelligent- acted like Aussies in the yard. And I was super happy that I got all these greyhounds who were so handler-focused and biddable and they all played fetch. They all knew sit without training, but didn't know stay, so I started to work on that.
> 
> It was a hot day, so one of them went to the shower room and turned on the shower with his paw to cool off. And a stranger next to me commented, "He's like a human!" And something about being very intelligent. And it was totally normal in my dream LOL.
> 
> (the end)


:laugh: Too bad we have to wake up from those dog dreams!


----------



## taquitos

When you inadvertently reward your dog for vocalizing for attention because he is making strange grunting noises that you can't help but laugh at.

Damn it, Meeks, stop being so full of sass! LOL


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Well what the heck, I had another freaking dog dream last night. What is up with me and two dog dreams in a row, I don't even-

I dreamed I went to this random farmer's ranch (with his wife) to spend thanksgiving, but they were super cheap on food and didn't really want us there? And then I found out they were doberman breeders and had a six week old litter on the ground... And he offered me to pick out a pup. I asked if the parents were health tested and weird things about their temperament. Then I asked totally random questions about IPO that didn't make any sense, but made perfect sense in the dream. Apparently the dobermans were American showlines. 

Then the dobermans suddenly had long fur and looked like GSD's. And I became skeptical of the whole thing.

(the end.. again)



DogtorWho15 said:


> :laugh: Too bad we have to wake up from those dog dreams!


Right?? :faint: (this emoticon makes me laugh)


----------



## dagwall

taquitos said:


> When you inadvertently reward your dog for vocalizing for attention because he is making strange grunting noises that you can't help but laugh at.
> 
> Damn it, Meeks, stop being so full of sass! LOL


Haha, I totally do it on purpose. Jubel has an adorable "rooo rooo" sound that I love. I praise the hell out of him anytime he does it no mater what's happening. I want that on command so badly haha. No luck so far, it is one of his happy/excited sounds. Most frequently heard when I've just got home from work and he is excited that it's time for a walk.


----------



## taquitos

dagwall said:


> Haha, I totally do it on purpose. Jubel has an adorable "rooo rooo" sound that I love. I praise the hell out of him anytime he does it no mater what's happening. I want that on command so badly haha. No luck so far, it is one of his happy/excited sounds. Most frequently heard when I've just got home from work and he is excited that it's time for a walk.


Hehe awww!

Yeah this was like a like "hmmmm" but it sounded hilarious lol I try not to encourage too much vocalization since we rent and we will be living in apartments for the next few years but omggg he is so funny he kills me!

Vocal dogs are so fun


----------



## DogtorWho15

Dogsignalfire said:


> Well what the heck, I had another freaking dog dream last night. What is up with me and two dog dreams in a row, I don't even-
> 
> I dreamed I went to this random farmer's ranch (with his wife) to spend thanksgiving, but they were super cheap on food and didn't really want us there? And then I found out they were doberman breeders and had a six week old litter on the ground... And he offered me to pick out a pup. I asked if the parents were health tested and weird things about their temperament. Then I asked totally random questions about IPO that didn't make any sense, but made perfect sense in the dream. Apparently the dobermans were American showlines.
> 
> Then the dobermans suddenly had long fur and looked like GSD's. And I became skeptical of the whole thing.
> 
> (the end.. again)
> 
> 
> 
> Right?? :faint: (this emoticon makes me laugh)


LOL! I had a dream that I had a berner that wasnt getting fed enough and I had to do like TONS of research on how to feed one, and my brother also had this little grey dog (it wasnt even any breed, it was just a grey weird dog) Who he kept changing the name of cause he couldnt decide what to call it, and then he ran off with Nova (my actual dog) in the car to go take her to some park or grassy area where something was going on, without my permission and I started freaking out like she was kidnapped. And then the berner came around the corner of the house and spoke and did this really creepy facial expression. Then I woke up...... I think your weird dog dreams are contagious, cause I have dog dreams but that one was just strange, and slightly freaky. XD 

Haha!! Well it is funny 
Theres a lot of really cool ones :llama:


----------



## DogtorWho15

OMG I want to see this so bad!! XD 
Watch it all the way through hehe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-80SGWfEjM


----------



## LoveMyFosters

DogtorWho15 said:


> LOL! I had a dream that I had a berner that wasnt getting fed enough and I had to do like TONS of research on how to feed one, and my brother also had this little grey dog (it wasnt even any breed, it was just a grey weird dog) Who he kept changing the name of cause he couldnt decide what to call it, and then he ran off with Nova (my actual dog) in the car to go take her to some park or grassy area where something was going on, without my permission and I started freaking out like she was kidnapped. And then the berner came around the corner of the house and spoke and did this really creepy facial expression. Then I woke up...... I think your weird dog dreams are contagious, cause I have dog dreams but that one was just strange, and slightly freaky. XD
> 
> Haha!! Well it is funny
> Theres a lot of really cool ones :llama:


Lol, that's very weird indeed! I guess these dog dreams must be contagious because I had a dream where I was in a football field filled, and I do mean every inch of it, with Pomeranian puppies, there must have been thousands of them running all over the place! xD


----------



## kcomstoc

For the first time ever I got rushed by a dog while on a walk with Jake, it's happened before without Jake and I usually pet them or grab onto them if I see their owner is trying to catch them. Jake was not thrilled probably because it was night time and didn't see them, thankfully my SO was on the walk with us or it could've been trouble. My SO scooped up Jake which was a little difficult with him snarling and growling at the other dog, the other dog was a female brindled Pitty. The mother of the house apologized over and over as I corralled her dog over to her (for some reason she didn't leave her porch to try to get the dog which I thought was weird), apparently one of her kids didn't lock the gate on the porch. That kid was obviously going to get chewed out and well deserved too.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Not dog related but why don't people slow down when the roads are icy? We had two fatal accidents yesterday in our area and both were caused by speed for the road conditions. There is a lot of traffic on the highways in the next few days with Christmas so please everyone, slow down.

The one mountain highway, next year they are installing electronic signs that will lower the speed limit from the summer 100 kmh depending on the road conditions. It should help IF people obey them.

Hope everybody has a good Christmas and New Year, stay safe.


----------



## theairedale

The holidays have been really hard without him. I haven't even been able to bring myself to take the counter out of my signature, or change it at all. He was just so good and goofy and he was the light of my life. In a few months he would have been two years old. 
It's been difficult. Sorry for being a downer, just needed to get this off my chest. 

Happy holidays to everyone~


----------



## PatriciafromCO

theairedale said:


> The holidays have been really hard without him. I haven't even been able to bring myself to take the counter out of my signature, or change it at all. He was just so good and goofy and he was the light of my life. In a few months he would have been two years old.
> It's been difficult. Sorry for being a downer, just needed to get this off my chest.
> 
> Happy holidays to everyone~


 Not a downer at all... <3 Glad you are among dog people who understand your loss.. Hugs


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Dogsignalfire said:


> Last night I dreamed that a greyhound rescue GAVE me four greyhounds to adopt (when in reality... now that I think back, two of them had long fur like a LHW).
> 
> And they were all mysteriously biddable, energetic, and highly intelligent- acted like Aussies in the yard. And I was super happy that I got all these greyhounds who were so handler-focused and biddable and they all played fetch. They all knew sit without training, but didn't know stay, so I started to work on that.
> 
> It was a hot day, so one of them went to the shower room and turned on the shower with his paw to cool off. And a stranger next to me commented, "He's like a human!" And something about being very intelligent. And it was totally normal in my dream LOL.
> 
> (the end)


hun... lol....I've never dreamed about dogs that I don't have. Always dream that we are on an adventure with the dogs I have. One was with Arka we were out in the snow and the ground shifted or something making a huge gap that was getting bigger and bigger.. I made sure to drop Arka down to the ground before the gap got bigger and higher off the ground level.. When it stopped I was like 40ft high off the ground. I could see Arka safe and sound on the ground running back and forth and was so relieved. I jumped thinking the snow would break my fall. I woke up lol.. Always doing something with the dogs.. One time I turned around in the dream and Adele was not in sight, I started to search and getting a bit panic'd but while in the dream I told myself it was not real, it was a dream to wake up Adele was not lost... lol I woke up and Adele was right there...


----------



## Eenypup

No more being lazy about leaving things on the table for us! Since we've gotten Bennie she's been great about not touching our food if we leave it out in bags or containers while we're gone. She won't bother plates when we're in the other room either.

Of course there's always the exception to that rule... and it looks like someone got herself into a bag of nuts sometime yesterday. Got scared about bloat when we came home yesterday because she was acting weird, trying to throw up but couldn't, really nauseous so she was licking her lips and gulping up grass. Rushed to the e-vet and she did have gastric dilation but luckily NO torsion! Thank goodness, so no food, water or hard exercise plus some sub-q fluids has brought her back to speed. Today when she went to the bathroom the culprit of the peanuts was found. Sigh.


----------



## Willowy

My cousin's dog bit one of their guests on the 24th. 6 stitches in her leg :/. They do not manage that dog well enough.

But the interesting part that I didn't know---of course the doctors have to call the cops, but the cops said that if it happens in the dog's home, it's considered that the person entering the home chose to assume the risk of entering, so they can't do anything to the dog/owner. Some version of the Castle Doctrine I guess. They just asked if he was UTD on rabies. So as a dog owner, that's good to know. . .


----------



## PatriciafromCO

I was really suprised that Colorado had a very dog protective Bite liability law. Funny I have known two cases that the owners lost and were liable to wonder why they were not covered. One was someone breaking into their home when they were gone, two PB's inside the house killed the guy trying to flee. Busted door for entry, the dogs attacked inside the house for the blood evidence then ran outside where the dogs finished him in the front yard. The property was fenced and no trespassing sign clearly viable at the main gate. But the owners were still charged that was in Colorado Springs. Owners were sentenced dogs were killed... The other was in Denver a Rottweiler contained in his yard , clearly marked Be Ware of Dog. Kids at the bus stop tormented the dog every day by many neighbor accounts , going on the owners property to tease and harras the dog at the fence. The Rottweiler busted the gate open and bit one of the kids. Home owners were liable and dog was put to sleep ??

http://dogbitelaw.com/colorado/the-dog-bite-statute-in-colorado

this section" "

(5) A dog owner shall not be liable to a person who suffers bodily injury, serious bodily injury, or death from being bitten by the dog:

(a) While the person is unlawfully on public or private property;

(b) While the person is on property of the dog owner and the property is clearly and conspicuously marked with one or more posted signs stating "no trespassing" or "beware of dog";

(c) While the dog is being used by a peace officer or military personnel in the performance of peace officer or military personnel duties;

(d) As a result of the person knowingly provoking the dog;

(e) If the person is a veterinary health care worker, dog groomer, humane agency staff person, professional dog handler, trainer, or dog show judge acting in the performance of his or her respective duties; or

(f) While the dog is working as a hunting dog, herding dog, farm or ranch dog, or predator control dog on the property of or under the control of the dog's owner.

(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to:

(a) Affect any other cause of action predicated on other negligence, intentional tort, outrageous conduct, or other theories;

(b) Affect the provisions of any other criminal or civil statute governing the regulation of dogs; or

(c) Abrogate any provision of the "Colorado Governmental Immunity Act", article 10 of title 24, C.R.S.
History

Source: L. 2004: Entire section added, p. 507, § 1, effective April 21.


----------



## gingerkid

I have been super busy with school and then we had to make a short-notice trip to Europe (for a wedding), and somewhere along the way I forgot how much fun Ida is to train. She is so much more willing to work than Snowball is, and less annoying during it. I feel a bit like I'm failing her, because when I work with her I remember how much potential she has, but when I'm not working with her I forget, and/or feel guilty for spending time with her instead of with Snowball.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Contemplating whether I should pay $15 to go to the Reptile Super Show happening again next weekend... Do I want another snake yet? Or do I want to wait 5 months to move out of this apartment first.

Breathes heavily. :I


----------



## CptJack

Dogsignalfire said:


> Contemplating whether I should pay $15 to go to the Reptile Super Show happening again next weekend... Do I want another snake yet? Or do I want to wait 5 months to move out of this apartment first.
> 
> Breathes heavily. :I


SNAKES> 

...I still want a boa this year.


----------



## Laurelin

Everyone's getting new girly cattle dogs and it's not fair.

/whine/


----------



## Willowy

CptJack said:


> SNAKES>
> 
> ...I still want a boa this year.


A redtail? Me too. But then I also want a Borneo Short-tailed python---those are the only other snakes I want. But redtails get a little too big for me. . .but some variants don't. . .argh, snakes are addictive .


----------



## PatriciafromCO

I'm hopeful for an awesome 2016 ... that I make progress on the 6ft fence surrounding my entire property that will continue to deter the deranged behaviors of my neighbors. That finally after too many years wasting precious time being dragged in and kept in their stupid nonsense. To be free of it.. What happens on the outside of the fence "can't hurt or bother us" and is still can be felony harassment of livestock to be on the easement or road... Please send positive heartfelt $$$$$$ (thoughts) to the universe for us to make it happen..... Overdue for Moving on in Life !!!!!! NO Dragging US BACK IN.... " And to all A very Awesome year too !!!!!!!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

CptJack said:


> SNAKES>
> 
> ...I still want a boa this year.


GET.  

I am going to be an enabler. 



Willowy said:


> A redtail? Me too. But then I also want a Borneo Short-tailed python---those are the only other snakes I want. But redtails get a little too big for me. . .but some variants don't. . .argh, snakes are addictive .


I support getting either! LOL. You can also look into Pearl Island Boas. Those stay really small. (generally under 6 feet)

Snakes are so addictive to me, because they're so easy to take care of... it's that easy to just add another. They're no hassle at all and the lowest maintenance pet I've ever owned.


----------



## Willowy

Dogsignalfire said:


> You can also look into Pearl Island Boas. Those stay really small. (generally under 6 feet)


 They do sound perfect. . .and they're from Panama (I have relatives from Panama ). But: "possibly the rarest and most expensive Boa Constrictor in the trade"

Just my luck! 

I like some morphs of blood python too but I think I like the Borneos best.

ETA: I looked Pearl Island boas up and they only run about $300 for a hatchling. That's doable! I guess I was thinking the high side of BP morphs when it said they're expensive.


----------



## DogtorWho15

I found Nova's very first collar today, IT WAS SO TINY and so cute!! I felt like I was gonna cry lol XD


----------



## Eenypup

Can't stop thinking about Nextdog. Make me stop! Doesn't help that the gf is now on board and keeps talking about wanting a second dog. 

Ugh. If Bennie was more reliably dog friendly we'd likely have a second dog by now. I just don't think management of her in a small apartment is gonna be fun. But then of course I think maybe she'd do well with a male housemate, she's a bit domineering with females but I haven't tried her much with males...

Not moving for 1.5 years, waiting sounds like torture! And I can't get off Petfinder.


----------



## mudypony

Eenypup said:


> Can't stop thinking about Nextdog. Make me stop! Doesn't help that the gf is now on board and keeps talking about wanting a second dog.
> 
> Ugh. If Bennie was more reliably dog friendly we'd likely have a second dog by now. I just don't think management of her in a small apartment is gonna be fun. But then of course I think maybe she'd do well with a male housemate, she's a bit domineering with females but I haven't tried her much with males...
> 
> Not moving for 1.5 years, waiting sounds like torture! And I can't get off Petfinder.


I understand the pain!! I have puppy fever sooo bad...

I'm stuck in my apartment for another year, but I want a puppy now dammit! I also fall prey to Petfinder; it's a sick form of torture haha.

I CAN'T wait until 2017 when my Beauceron puppy can start taking over my life.


----------



## CptJack

I... kind of want a Hog's Island or Dmeril's Boa. I KEEP wanting and have for a couple of years now but I also keep looking and thinking I need to make a really dedicated space for it and have it ready to go but. Yeah. Addictive. And want.


----------



## Eenypup

mudypony said:


> I understand the pain!! I have puppy fever sooo bad...
> 
> I'm stuck in my apartment for another year, but I want a puppy now dammit! I also fall prey to Petfinder; it's a sick form of torture haha.
> 
> I CAN'T wait until 2017 when my Beauceron puppy can start taking over my life.


Ugh, getting another dog isn't realistic at all until late 2017 but that doesn't stop me from looking! The torture!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

CptJack said:


> I... kind of want a Hog's Island or Dmeril's Boa. I KEEP wanting and have for a couple of years now but I also keep looking and thinking I need to make a really dedicated space for it and have it ready to go but. Yeah. Addictive. And want.


Dumeril's Boas have a slower growth rate, so if you get a young 1 year old, you technically have 4~5 years to plan out the large dedicated space/enclosure for full size. 

Jump first, think later! LOL


----------



## CptJack

Dogsignalfire said:


> Dumeril's Boas have a slower growth rate, so if you get a young 1 year old, you technically have 4~5 years to plan out the large dedicated space/enclosure for full size.
> 
> Jump first, think later! LOL


...That could actually work... Hrm.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Omg chinchillas chew on EVERYTHING :frusty:


----------



## taquitos

My boyfriend bought me a PS4 with the Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection for Christmas (Uncharted is my favorite game series). Besides playing Uncharted, the only game I have played on it so far is Goat Simulator. You would think that I would play something that actually utilizes the power of the new console but nope lol just playing a dumb game where I get to be a goat with a rocket pack, headbutting people and exploding cars nbd... ahaha



DogtorWho15 said:


> Omg chinchillas chew on EVERYTHING :frusty:


But they're so cute you gotta forgive them <3


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I have to laugh because my husband played Goat Simulator. 

Also.. puppy want never goes away. I want a puppy.. I just don't want it to grow up or pee on my floor. Why can't I have everything?


----------



## DogtorWho15

taquitos said:


> My boyfriend bought me a PS4 with the Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection for Christmas (Uncharted is my favorite game series). Besides playing Uncharted, the only game I have played on it so far is Goat Simulator. You would think that I would play something that actually utilizes the power of the new console but nope lol just playing a dumb game where I get to be a goat with a rocket pack, headbutting people and exploding cars nbd... ahaha
> 
> 
> 
> But they're so cute you gotta forgive them <3



Lol! But goat simulator is so glitched you just gotta love it. 


I know..... its terrible, little spawns from hell they are XP why cant they be ugly? Then I could actually dislike them.
I have like 10 new chunks taken out of my furniture JUST from todays playtime.....oy vay


----------



## Pomom

gingerkid said:


> I have been super busy with school and then we had to make a short-notice trip to Europe (for a wedding), and somewhere along the way I forgot how much fun Ida is to train. She is so much more willing to work than Snowball is, and less annoying during it. I feel a bit like I'm failing her, because when I work with her I remember how much potential she has, but when I'm not working with her I forget, and/or feel guilty for spending time with her instead of with Snowball.


I feel guilty about spending time training Sybbie and let Pippin join in, in his old man way. I really want her to sit on my lap right now but I'm waiting for Pippin to fall asleep!


----------



## Pomom

I haven't had Sybbie a week yet and she is on her fourth name. I started collecting dog name ideas years ago and even have a file just for dog names on my iPad ( along with a file of songs I have written for my dogs------>me<-------nut) but I couldn't use any of them cuz she came with a name she knew. She was called "CC" by the breeder which i didn't like but I had to pick something that sounded somewhat similar so she wouldn't lose a fairly reliable recall. I called her Cecelia, briefly Lacey, Ceeley for a few days then Sybbie. My parents think I'm nuts. At 40 you'd think I wouldn't care but I sorta do. But I'm gonna say her name many times a day for years, I hope, so I gotta like it!


----------



## Laurelin

My trainer today told me not to undersell myself or my dog. And that I have worked very hard and have a beautifully trained dog and I know what I'm doing.

It was kinda... nice to hear. I need reminders sometimes.


----------



## Laurelin

Holy crap. My dream mix. Papillon x Border collie.

http://newsite.dawnweaveragility.com/dawns-dogs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRnGO05vYV0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bVOGlcB0bQ


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Holy crap. My dream mix. Papillon x Border collie.
> 
> http://newsite.dawnweaveragility.com/dawns-dogs
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRnGO05vYV0
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bVOGlcB0bQ


Holy crappola! Border Collie x Pap should definitely be a more popular sport mix. They are a lot cuter than I imagined!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Uhm. Lolz? For some reason my reply to Laurelin went into moderation! 

Anyways.. if it doesn't show up.. all I said is that I want Border Paps and they should totally be a common thing.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Oh my gosh, I wish I was more eloquent... I'm not super eloquent, even in writing. And even a lot less eloquent when talking. 

Typing is already a huge save!

If I have a thought or opinion I want to express, I can't pinpoint the right words in the fewest words possible, and I can't pinpoint my main argument. So I just end up typing a lot and everything kinda loosely revolves around a confusing argument. LOL

cries


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Uhm. Lolz? For some reason my reply to Laurelin went into moderation!
> 
> Anyways.. if it doesn't show up.. all I said is that I want Border Paps and they should totally be a common thing.


I want one so freaking bad. I just..... Argh!!!! Why are you not a thing!?


----------



## Remaru

This may be long, just a warning. I have posted a few times about my neighbors and their dogs. A few years ago they had a lab, got him as a puppy and dumped him in the backyard (actually I don't think he was ever allowed in the house). For months he ran the yard digging into my yard any chance he got. I would return him (and for some reason my kids would cry because they wanted "Ego Doggie" as they called him...) and eventually he just disappeared. Either he got out one day and didn't come back or they gave him away. 

Well last year they got another dog, cute little puppy, pretty sure it is an Aussie, maybe Aussie mix (yeah...nothing going wrong there, think it is a farm line dog besides). At first the puppy was in the house a good portion of the time, I even saw them have an in-home trainer out a few times. I thought this was going to turn out reasonably well. Yeah, the dog is in the backyard. He has been locked out there for at least 4 months. They do not have a dog house or any real shelter for him (they have a porch but it doesn't provide adequate shelter). He is bored, he spends a good portion of his day flinging his food and water dishes around on the porch (so he does not often have water). He is covered in fleas. Whenever my dogs go out he rushes the fence and body slams it so hard he has knocked out slats. He isn't mean, he just wants in to play. He then runs in the yard and gives my dogs fleas (we finally have that under control I hope). I am pretty sure his collar is becoming imbedded. He barks half the day and night from boredom and loneliness. 

So, if you were me would you call Animal Control and report it? I could go talk to my neighbors but I can pretty much guarantee they won't do anything. Every time I returned their lab and talked to them about him getting out they just shrugged and shoved him back in the yard. They did nothing about him digging into my yard or about him escaping. They didn't even seem to care when he was running in the road. When I have told them that this dog is knocking down the fence they just give me a blank stare. They really just don't seem to really care. Perhaps if they were fined they would give up the dog or stop doing what they are doing.


----------



## Crantastic

I would definitely call AC. The dog's health is going to deteriorate if the collar is embedded and it constantly has fleas and no water.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Remaru said:


> This may be long, just a warning. I have posted a few times about my neighbors and their dogs. A few years ago they had a lab, got him as a puppy and dumped him in the backyard (actually I don't think he was ever allowed in the house). For months he ran the yard digging into my yard any chance he got. I would return him (and for some reason my kids would cry because they wanted "Ego Doggie" as they called him...) and eventually he just disappeared. Either he got out one day and didn't come back or they gave him away.
> 
> Well last year they got another dog, cute little puppy, pretty sure it is an Aussie, maybe Aussie mix (yeah...nothing going wrong there, think it is a farm line dog besides). At first the puppy was in the house a good portion of the time, I even saw them have an in-home trainer out a few times. I thought this was going to turn out reasonably well. Yeah, the dog is in the backyard. He has been locked out there for at least 4 months. They do not have a dog house or any real shelter for him (they have a porch but it doesn't provide adequate shelter). He is bored, he spends a good portion of his day flinging his food and water dishes around on the porch (so he does not often have water). He is covered in fleas. Whenever my dogs go out he rushes the fence and body slams it so hard he has knocked out slats. He isn't mean, he just wants in to play. He then runs in the yard and gives my dogs fleas (we finally have that under control I hope). I am pretty sure his collar is becoming imbedded. He barks half the day and night from boredom and loneliness.
> 
> So, if you were me would you call Animal Control and report it? I could go talk to my neighbors but I can pretty much guarantee they won't do anything. Every time I returned their lab and talked to them about him getting out they just shrugged and shoved him back in the yard. They did nothing about him digging into my yard or about him escaping. They didn't even seem to care when he was running in the road. When I have told them that this dog is knocking down the fence they just give me a blank stare. They really just don't seem to really care. Perhaps if they were fined they would give up the dog or stop doing what they are doing.


I've been told that animal control won't do anything, unless the animal is sustaining physical injury/suffering from severe neglect. 
So if you're sure his collar is becoming imbedded, I think it's very appropriate to call animal control...


----------



## gingerkid

Soda stream bottles are exceptionally durable... Found Ida chewing on one and there wasn't a single scratch on it!


----------



## Remaru

Dogsignalfire said:


> I've been told that animal control won't do anything, unless the animal is sustaining physical injury/suffering from severe neglect.
> So if you're sure his collar is becoming imbedded, I think it's very appropriate to call animal control...


This is my concern. I can't tell if it is imbedded or just completely matted in his coat. It is obviously small on him and he isn't being cared for properly. I know his barking violates city ordinance and they can be fined for it, one of the other neighbors has complained about it but I don't know if she reported them. Unfortunately another neighbor also has two outdoor dogs (ironically they work for a dog food distributing company...I don't get it) and their dogs also spend a good portion of the day and night barking. I've considered calling AC when he is actually in my yard as they would have to pick him up then.


----------



## Laurelin

Look it's a Hank!

https://stuntdog.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/stuntdogs-branson-2013-181.jpg

http://www.stuntdogshow.com/thestars.html


----------



## MysticRealm

Caught my little Haku very happily dreaming today.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

It's 10pm and I'm sitting at work, literally because I was too lazy to get up and drive back to my apartment.

(Because there's no motivation to go back to the apartment anyway... it's just a place to sleep and browse more computer. Dogs are at parents' house.)


----------



## Equinox

Dogsignalfire said:


> It's 10pm and I'm sitting at work, literally because I was too lazy to get up and drive back to my apartment.
> 
> (Because there's no motivation to go back to the apartment anyway... it's just a place to sleep and browse more computer. Dogs are at parents' house.)


drive to oregon and visit me bby


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Equinox said:


> drive to oregon and visit me bby


RUNS TO YOU SUPER FAST!!!!

Yes, runs from here


----------



## Equinox

Dogsignalfire said:


> RUNS TO YOU SUPER FAST!!!!
> 
> Yes, runs from here


kk i expect you here tomorrow morning SO PLS RUN FAST.

expect to be smothered by puppy kisses okay.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Equinox said:


> kk i expect you here tomorrow morning SO PLS RUN FAST.
> 
> expect to be smothered by puppy kisses okay.


I am about 3 miles from my apartment rn, ill get there in a couple hours

looks forward to pup keeses. 

(I think Laika just needs to temporarily hire me for a few months, just so I can meet you guys. I don care if they lay me off like they do everyone else. LOL)


----------



## Jen2010

> This is my concern. I can't tell if it is imbedded or just completely matted in his coat. It is obviously small on him and he isn't being cared for properly. I know his barking violates city ordinance and they can be fined for it, one of the other neighbors has complained about it but I don't know if she reported them. Unfortunately another neighbor also has two outdoor dogs (ironically they work for a dog food distributing company...I don't get it) and their dogs also spend a good portion of the day and night barking. I've considered calling AC when he is actually in my yard as they would have to pick him up then.


 Each city usually has its own rules/bylaws, but I would call Animal Control and just report what you've seen. I had to do that last year with my neighbor's dog and they visited my neighbor but couldn't really do anything unless other neighbors also complained. Our issue was mainly the barking and being tied up outside alone all the time.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Huh... I was turned down to foster a cat from a local shelter. They said that they "don't need foster homes right now".

Excuse. Any foster home is a potential adoption, and a screened foster home provides a healthier and happier environment and stimulus for the cats, whether your shelter is full yet or not. Besides my situation, it's unwise of them to so bluntly turn down people who are interested in providing a foster home.

Well... maybe I'll check out another shelter.

(My roommate's back in Korea for a month, so I was hoping to foster a cat/dog for a couple weeks before she's back... She apparently dislikes cats and is scared of dogs.)


----------



## Eenypup

Ugh. Another bull breed related fatality in the news. Left three pit types and a 9 yo boy they didn't know well alone in a trailer. Wouldn't be shocked if DA and a dog-dog scuffle was the spark but so tragic nonetheless. This type of stuff always makes me question my confidence as a bull breed owner. :/


----------



## Equinox

Dogsignalfire said:


> I am about 3 miles from my apartment rn, ill get there in a couple hours
> 
> looks forward to pup keeses.
> 
> (I think Laika just needs to temporarily hire me for a few months, just so I can meet you guys. I don care if they lay me off like they do everyone else. LOL)


Hahahaha that sounds awful but at the same time I'm like YES PLEASE JUST COME TO OREGON. You will love it here okay. 

Really one of us just has to win the lottery or get rich somehow and make the other one of us the trophy wife 10/10 flawless plan.


----------



## mudypony

Today was my first day back to school & work, after about 3 weeks off school and 1 1/2 weeks off work. Was gone for about 8 hrs total. 

Duke must've gotten really used to having me home because my mom told me he wouldn't leave my bed for almost the entire day. Just laid in there waiting for me to come home... breaks my heart  As soon as I got home he was his normal self, and we went on a fun adventure together. 

Can I just quit work and school and be with my dog 24/7??


----------



## CptJack

Thud is being neutered today. 

The clinic called to tell us that he had a heart murmur and to ask if we wanted to go ahead it was really very minor. Yeah, sure, go on. I'm not overly concerned on that front. 

What I AM confused by is the number of times he's been seen by our own vet and examined for various things that this has never been mentioned. Is it new? Have they just missed it? Is the clinic person 'mishearing'? I mean I'll investigate and figure it out and have him seen by our regular vet again and because Bug does have actual heart issues I'm aware it's not much of a big deal either way, but. Curious, darn it.


----------



## dagwall

CptJack said:


> Thud is being neutered today.
> 
> The clinic called to tell us that he had a heart murmur and to ask if we wanted to go ahead it was really very minor. Yeah, sure, go on. I'm not overly concerned on that front.
> 
> What I AM confused by is the number of times he's been seen by our own vet and examined for various things that this has never been mentioned. Is it new? Have they just missed it? Is the clinic person 'mishearing'? I mean I'll investigate and figure it out and have him seen by our regular vet again and because Bug does have actual heart issues I'm aware it's not much of a big deal either way, but. Curious, darn it.


I have had them mention a slight murmur concerning Jubel ONCE in the 5.5 years I've had him and taken him to the same vet practice. Never a single mention of it again at any time. I kinda wonder the same thing as you. But again realize a slight murmur isn't a big deal, I have one myself. So yeah... I don't really worry about it.


----------



## sydneynicole

I stopped by my parents to start the Blue Power Ear treatment for Grace earlier this morning. Well, apparently I got some Boric Acid powder residue on my fingers which didn't come off even though I washed my hands, soap/hot water. Hours later I rubbed my eye and bam. Terrible burning, convinced I was going to go blind, etc. I was in the car with no water so I was concerned because I couldn't wash it out right away. Got home, flew into the house (nearly trampled poor Oliver) and stuck my head under the faucet. 

I checked the bottle and it said to rinse out your eyes and All is okay, besides my eye being totally bloodshot and puffy, only a slight burning sensation left but it's just irritation from the water and initial trauma. Vision is fine. 

Dog people problems.


----------



## Willowy

Boric acid is used for eye wash. . .it's not supposed to sting! Or as drugs.com says "Boric acid provides soothing relief from eye irritation". I wonder if the boric acid was bad or if your body has a weird reaction. . .or if it was something else that caused the irritation. I hope you feel better soon, nothing worse than eye problems!


----------



## sydneynicole

Willowy said:


> Boric acid is used for eye wash. . .it's not supposed to sting! Or as drugs.com says "Boric acid provides soothing relief from eye irritation". I wonder if the boric acid was bad or if your body has a weird reaction. . .or if it was something else that caused the irritation. I hope you feel better soon, nothing worse than eye problems!


Huh, I didn't know that! Wonder why the bottle says to wash it out and seek medical attention if burning doesn't stop within 20 minutes - maybe just a precaution. Maybe it had something to do with the concentration, because I would assume you don't normally put just the boric acid powder in your eye? I suppose it could have been something else, there is alcohol and gentian violet in the solution, but the boric acid was the only thing I actually touched, purposely at least (pinching it into the bottle), where as I just flooded her ears with the solution and wiped out with cotton swabs after she shook it out.

Anyways thanks, and I agree!


----------



## DogtorWho15

ugh, I wish dogs could brush their own teeth....


----------



## Jen2010

> ugh, I wish dogs could brush their own teeth....


 Lol! Yes! I agree.


----------



## mudypony

DogtorWho15 said:


> ugh, I wish dogs could brush their own teeth....


Ha! My dog LOVES getting his teeth brushed. Whenever I brush mine, he comes running because he knows he gets his done next haha.

Now my mom's dog.... I definitely wish he could brush his own.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

DogtorWho15 said:


> ugh, I wish dogs could brush their own teeth....


My dogs sit in line to get their teeth brushed. LOL




Equinox said:


> Hahahaha that sounds awful but at the same time I'm like YES PLEASE JUST COME TO OREGON. You will love it here okay.
> 
> Really one of us just has to win the lottery or get rich somehow and make the other one of us the trophy wife 10/10 flawless plan.


YES PLEASE TOO


----------



## CptJack

dagwall said:


> I have had them mention a slight murmur concerning Jubel ONCE in the 5.5 years I've had him and taken him to the same vet practice. Never a single mention of it again at any time. I kinda wonder the same thing as you. But again realize a slight murmur isn't a big deal, I have one myself. So yeah... I don't really worry about it.


Yeah, I'm not majorly worried. Slightly more than I was since it's apparently grade III, maybe even IV (?!) but I'm waiting on our regular vet to get in touch and get some more info before I flip anything. That's about where Bug sits, frankly, so still very, very much not freaking out. I just want more info. So, probably some tests, depending on what the 'real' vet has to say.


----------



## Kyllobernese

When I took Kiska in for a check-up before having her teeth cleaned, she has a slight heart murmur. She was 9 years old this year and it was never mentioned before. She had her teeth cleaned with no problem with the aneasthetic. It certainly does not slow her down as she races everywhere.

Hope Thud is alright after his neuter.


----------



## Pomom

mudypony said:


> Can I just quit work and school and be with my dog 24/7??


Me too! Need to win lottery.


----------



## Pomom

It has been ten days since I brought Sybbie home and she all of a sudden started to:
-play
-pee and poo outside
-stay home alone (with Pippin) without crying
!!!!!

It's still early days and these things aren't reliable but I'm so proud of her!


----------



## DogtorWho15

mudypony said:


> Ha! My dog LOVES getting his teeth brushed. Whenever I brush mine, he comes running because he knows he gets his done next haha.
> 
> Now my mom's dog.... I definitely wish he could brush his own.


 


Dogsignalfire said:


> My dogs sit in line to get their teeth brushed. LOL


How?!?! Even with treats she still wont sit through it. How do you get your dogs to do this? XD


----------



## DogtorWho15

So Novas recall was tested today, and even though its getting better, she didnt listen to squat today. I was taking her inside and I always just let her walk to the door off leash cause she just goes straight there. But today there was a rabbit in the yard, she saw it and took off running, went about three houses down before some dachshunds that were going nuts grabbed her attention. Well that entire time I was calling her and chasing after her and she wouldnt listen to ANYTHING so eventually I tried bribing her so the people wouldnt freak out that she was loose in their yard, and she didnt even want the bribe. I try running away and telling her "lets go home" she started to follow me and then saw the neighbors puppy and went right back to blocking me out, after that I just had to go and get her, which she then tried to run away from me cause she liked being "free" 
It was not fun, I stayed calm and I was out there trying to let her come on her own for like 5 minutes, but she just wouldnt do it so I had to go get her. BLEGH now I know what we are working on non stop for the rest of her life.......


----------



## Dogsignalfire

DogtorWho15 said:


> How?!?! Even with treats she still wont sit through it. How do you get your dogs to do this? XD


With my two, I think it's mostly a competition of "_She_ got attention, I gotta do it too, whatever it is!!" They're so lame.

And it helps that they enjoy eating the toothpaste LOL.


----------



## mudypony

DogtorWho15 said:


> How?!?! Even with treats she still wont sit through it. How do you get your dogs to do this? XD





Dogsignalfire said:


> With my two, I think it's mostly a competition of "_She_ got attention, I gotta do it too, whatever it is!!" They're so lame.
> 
> And it helps that they enjoy eating the toothpaste LOL.


Duke just really likes the toothpaste too haha. He starts drooling whenever he sees the toothpaste tube.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Ember played with another dog in agility class today. I can't even handle how amazing that is for her! Also she is doing GREAT in class. So much more focus.


----------



## Laurelin

So I want a fourth dog sorta. But then I think and I'm not sure. But I have 3 potentials on the radar. I want to go meet them but am kind of terrified they'll be perfect? 

But I also really want a dog to train for disc. But my house is so easy and all my dogs are easy and it's just... easy... keeping three.

But I reallyreallyreally want a disc dog. :/


----------



## Crantastic

Are they BCs or BC mixes? I think you might regret it if you get a non-BC. You've mentioned a lot of breeds but you just keep coming back to those... for years now.


----------



## Laurelin

2 BCs, 1 ACD....

Yes I think I probably will regret a non BC. 

Orr I start applying to breeders. I'm terrified of a puppy sometimes!


----------



## DogtorWho15

designing a 40 gallon tropical paradise :3


----------



## DogtorWho15

mudypony said:


> Duke just really likes the toothpaste too haha. He starts drooling whenever he sees the toothpaste tube.


Oh lol, what brand do you use? Cause I should switch. Nova doesnt like this one, when we brushed for the first time, she wouldnt even lick it.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

DogtorWho15 said:


> designing a 40 gallon tropical paradise :3


Yay! Terrarium or aquarium? Post pics!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> 2 BCs, 1 ACD....
> 
> Yes I think I probably will regret a non BC.
> 
> Orr I start applying to breeders. I'm terrified of a puppy sometimes!


I vote Border Collie puppy from a breeder. I feel you need the whole BC experience. 

Puppies are always scary.. but we always manage somehow.


----------



## Jen2010

> Oh lol, what brand do you use? Cause I should switch. Nova doesnt like this one, when we brushed for the first time, she wouldnt even lick it.


 I just made my own this week from a recipe I found on Pinterest. The dogs like it way better than the store-bought kind and it's cheaper!

http://www.dognotebook.com/how-to-make-homemade-dog-toothpaste/


----------



## Laurelin

The initial thought was there is a purebred BC (male) in a shelter that says they with weekly. I thought if he is still there I'd go look and maybe pull him on Friday. 

I was very certain he'd be adopted by then. He's still there. 

If I go look I have no idea if I can manage not taking him. He is very pretty. There's also a male tri that is in a no kill and good with small dogs and sounds great with everyone. But he's in no danger. 

So.. Not sure. Or I wait like a responsible adult.


----------



## jade5280

Laurelin said:


> The initial thought was there is a purebred BC (male) in a shelter that says they with weekly. I thought if he is still there I'd go look and maybe pull him on Friday.
> 
> I was very certain he'd be adopted by then. He's still there.
> 
> If I go look I have no idea if I can manage not taking him. He is very pretty. There's also a male tri that is in a no kill and good with small dogs and sounds great with everyone. But he's in no danger.
> 
> So.. Not sure. Or I wait like a responsible adult.


 You can always foster him and rehome.


----------



## Laurelin

Yeah that's kind of my plan... Or see if I can get him into rescue. Not sure how long he's been there but they flat out say 'sometimes hold the dog a full week' if they have space. He's been there four days. No info on him at all


----------



## jade5280

I'm glad I don't live where there are a lot of shelters that Euthanize. I would end up with a million dogs.


----------



## Laurelin

Initial thoughts were 'I don't want this guy to die'

Then the tri actually sounded like a good fit maybe. But that'd be getting a dog for me potentially instead of rescuing one in an iffy situation



jade5280 said:


> I'm glad I don't live where there are a lot of shelters that Euthanize. I would end up with a million dogs.


I need to ban myself from petfinder.


----------



## Laurelin

The tri though. 8 months old. Sweetest expression ever.

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/34167801

https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/34167201


----------



## Crantastic

Nothing wrong with getting a dog for yourself if you can afford/manage it! You're still helping a dog that needs a home.


----------



## Eenypup

Guys... we're actually making headway with not jumping to greet people!! Almost 2 years in and we're finally getting somewhere!! Honestly we haven't been consistent until recently because I'd keep getting frustrated and thinking she wouldn't get it.

She hasn't really tried to jump up as a greeting in maybe a week? We went to the vet today, which she thought was super exciting before getting vaccines, and she didn't jump on ANYONE. She kept sitting or just standing and leaning for pets! And believe me, she was soliciting a lot of pets.  Yay Bennie!!


----------



## Laurelin

Crantastic said:


> Nothing wrong with getting a dog for yourself if you can afford/manage it! You're still helping a dog that needs a home.


We will see. I keep wavering between 'want to do disc' and 'but my crew is so so easy right now!'


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Laurelin said:


> We will see. I keep wavering between 'want to do disc' and 'but my crew is so so easy right now!'


*pounds table* BC PUPPY! BC PUPPY.

But actually, have you contacted a rescue about him? Maybe you can offer to give him a temporary foster home for a couple weeks while they line up one of their fosters?


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I'm so bored every day, but I shouldn't be bored because I actuallyhavealotofworkpiledupbutitisboringwork aaaahhhhhhhhh

I die die. I cry cry.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> The tri though. 8 months old. Sweetest expression ever.
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/34167801
> 
> https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/34167201


Well, if male BC on death row needs a home I'd say sure foster him. Tri boy has Kairi expression in second picture. SO cute.

BUT. I know you wanted a girl.


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Well, if male BC on death row needs a home I'd say sure foster him. Tri boy has Kairi expression in second picture. SO cute.
> 
> BUT. I know you wanted a girl.


So not helpful because that's exactly my thought process!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> So not helpful because that's exactly my thought process!


Well I personally would go with the female puppy from a sport breeder this time. But I'm not you and don't know what you -really- want.

Seriously that tri dog's second picture compared to my avatar picture! Hah!


----------



## Laurelin

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Well I personally would go with the female puppy from a sport breeder this time. But I'm not you and don't know what you -really- want.
> 
> Seriously that tri dog's second picture compared to my avatar picture! Hah!


I've been doing some soul searching and I think you are right. I think waiting and starting to apply in the fall for a girl is the best thing for me and also for Hank especially.

He and I are FINALLY starting to click together and I'm not sure another dog would be fair right at this moment. 

So I'll sleep on it but am leaning towards talking to the BC rescue about pulling him. 

May set up a new fish tank instead lol.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Dogsignalfire said:


> Yay! Terrarium or aquarium? Post pics!


Terrerium! I will as soon as its finished. But it may be a while lol! I had to stock up dog and chinchilla food so I lost my funds for the tank supplies. I dont even all the bedding for it yet XD
I have a 10 gal the the pets are in now, but I walked into petco one day with a gift card I got for Christmas and they were having a $1 per gallon sale so I couldnt pass it up! It is a 40 breeder, and it is open glass so I have to get a lid for it. 



Jen2010 said:


> I just made my own this week from a recipe I found on Pinterest. The dogs like it way better than the store-bought kind and it's cheaper!
> 
> http://www.dognotebook.com/how-to-make-homemade-dog-toothpaste/


oooooo!! I should definitely try that tomorrow ^_^


----------



## notgaga

I had a dream I got another puppy. Specifically, another Laika. So I had my two year old Laika and her 11 week old version. And the baby Laika was just as much of a demon as the original was, only adult Laika was frightened and confused. 

I may have puppy fever. Even though I'm not ready for another dog, let alone a puppy. Even FURTHER let alone a puppy like Laika was. (but she was so cuuuute)


----------



## Laurelin

Laurelin said:


> I've been doing some soul searching and I think you are right. I think waiting and starting to apply in the fall for a girl is the best thing for me and also for Hank especially.
> 
> He and I are FINALLY starting to click together and I'm not sure another dog would be fair right at this moment.
> 
> So I'll sleep on it but am leaning towards talking to the BC rescue about pulling him.
> 
> May set up a new fish tank instead lol.


Meh I am still undecided!!!!

I know I could swing one of them. I want a BC. But it's not ideal. I should wait till it's ideal. But I have a history of being compulsive.


Gonna go play with Hank some.


----------



## CptJack

The more I actually *do* agility, the less I care if Molly is ever able to compete and the more I think my next agility dog (way, way in the future) is likely to be a poodle, pap, sheltie or similar. I would prefer jumping 4 or 8", honestly, though I'd do 12 and be happy. What I don't want is to be running at 16 or 20" jump heights, regardless of the size of the dog - for me, because I like extra course time and I really enjoy running a little dog. Skilled gives me some leeway with it, for sure. It still means a smallish dog. 

Still want to always own a BC but maybe not for agility which makes me feel like a NUT.


----------



## Laurelin

We need to make the pap x BCs happen.

I just can't decide. That little tri boy is calling to me bad. Not really 'for sports' but just something about his eyes and I like the breed a lot. :/

It's not good timing though.


----------



## CptJack

We do. Give me a 13-15" BC and I'd be in heaven. 

I'd say wait. Mostly I say this since I know you can only have 4 and it'd suck to not have what you want out of that one. But... I can't say I'd actuallY DO that.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Laurelin said:


> We need to make the pap x BCs happen.
> 
> I just can't decide. That little tri boy is calling to me bad. Not really 'for sports' but just something about his eyes and I like the breed a lot. :/
> 
> It's not good timing though.


Why dont you foster or at least go see him? You never know, just cause he is so cute he may not be the dog for you 
But if you feel like you really like the way things are with your household and dont want to change that, especially with Hank, then youll have to make a hard decision for the well being of you and your pack.
Just my two cents


----------



## Laurelin

I think if I foster, I'd keep him. I have a bad track record that way lol. Even the terrier mutt (not Hank the other one) that I didn't enjoy I wanted to keep. 

I just like dogs, okay? 

It would suck to have the fourth be the wrong dog. That is one thing I've thought about a lot. But I am also just not sure where to go for the next dog still...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I want to add another to my pack as well, and its hard because so many poodle breeders have litters on the ground that would be PERFECT for what I want to do with next dog, but Lincoln is just coming into his own, and I want to take the winter to focus on him, and if I had a new puppy, I wouldnt be able to do that.

So, as hard as it is, I will stick with my original timeline of summer/fall 2016


----------



## Laurelin

DogtorWho15 said:


> Why dont you foster or at least go see him? You never know, just cause he is so cute he may not be the dog for you
> But if you feel like you really like the way things are with your household and dont want to change that, especially with Hank, then youll have to make a hard decision for the well being of you and your pack.
> Just my two cents


My house is very very easy. It's all running smoothly. Everyone gets along great. All my dogs have great off switches. 

There's good and bad in that. I was honestly anticipating a bit more difficulty with Hank. But he's grown into himself really nicely and he's just an easy pet dog. I admittedly like a bit of a challenge especially since my life is basically work and dogs and not much else.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> The more I actually *do* agility, the less I care if Molly is ever able to compete and the more I think my next agility dog (way, way in the future) is likely to be a poodle, pap, sheltie or similar. I would prefer jumping 4 or 8", honestly, though I'd do 12 and be happy. What I don't want is to be running at 16 or 20" jump heights, regardless of the size of the dog - for me, because I like extra course time and I really enjoy running a little dog. Skilled gives me some leeway with it, for sure. It still means a smallish dog.
> 
> Still want to always own a BC but maybe not for agility which makes me feel like a NUT.


I do have to say I am really enjoying running a 16" dog. It requires a lot more out of me but I also feel like I have hope to keep up with him too. If he ran the way he did and had a longer stride I'd be screwed.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> I do have to say I am really enjoying running a 16" dog. It requires a lot more out of me but I also feel like I have hope to keep up with him too. If he ran the way he did and had a longer stride I'd be screwed.


Yeah. My issue is partially venue, I THINK. NADAC regular times aren't bad at all but the games as you get up toward Elite get pretty tight. I'd have to seriously drill hard for distance with a dog running at 16 or 20 - I think. I may be overthinking but I'm kind of liking the little dog thing there  Of course Kylie, while now much more independent, isn't the MOST independent with just driving ahead of me either. Makes courses clean but time can be an issue unless I'm hauling tail too.

Mostly though I think I now have a STYLE and a comfort zone that I don't necessarily want to leave


----------



## dogsule

I had the strangest dream last night. My daughter and I were wolves and we escaped from this big building but outside was all enclosed with fences and there were people at each exit trying to get us in cages if we went to an exit. So we went to where there were some trees inside the fence and climbed them like humans to go up and over the fence. Then we were running away and to a woods but the woods was enclosed by fences too so we knew we couldn't go in there and were trying to find a safe place to go. There was a little more but it is very vague right now but it was really strange. Would love to know what the heck the meaning of this dream might be. I did watch the movie Insidious 2 last night before bed. lol!


----------



## Laurelin

Gosh darn it! I keep convincing myself not to go look at the tri boy. Then I think 'well what's the harm in just meeting him?'

BAD LAUREN BAD LAUREN.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Isn't it awkward when some ten of your coworkers set up a secret santa kind of thing, but you weren't told or invited?

I think I'm kind of hating the working world. :| Can I go back to college.


----------



## dogsule

Dogsignalfire said:


> Isn't it awkward when some ten of your coworkers set up a secret santa kind of thing, but you weren't told or invited?
> 
> I think I'm kind of hating the working world. :| Can I go back to college.


Ummm, yeah! That is odd!!


----------



## DogtorWho15

I always set Nova up with a mind game while I come on here to catch up XD


----------



## kcomstoc

Jake has been eating his poop lately, it started when I started feeding him raw....he didn't do it before I started feeding him raw but now he is. Last night he brought in one of his poops (like he pooped outside and then brought it inside in his mouth) don't know why but he did. Does anyone know why he's starting to do these things? It's really gross and I'm trying to get him to stop.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

kcomstoc said:


> Jake has been eating his poop lately, it started when I started feeding him raw....he didn't do it before I started feeding him raw but now he is. Last night he brought in one of his poops (like he pooped outside and then brought it inside in his mouth) don't know why but he did. Does anyone know why he's starting to do these things? It's really gross and I'm trying to get him to stop.


Well.. he probably thinks his poop has started tasting good. LOL x_x I have a poop eater too.

There's stuff you can buy to put in his food that makes his eventual poop taste bitter. That might help.


----------



## CptJack

My vet is concerned enough about Thud's heart to want to see him for a proper work up, and to give me a big list of signs and symptoms that mean I need to get him in on an emergency basis RIGHT NOW.

He is not concerned enough to want me to worry about getting him in even for blood work for the next 3 weeks (...they have a pretty full schedule this month, apparently). 

End result? I am absolutely anxiously and obsessively fixated on Thud and freak out every time he like. Pants.


----------



## kcomstoc

Dogsignalfire said:


> Well.. he probably thinks his poop has started tasting good. LOL x_x I have a poop eater too.
> 
> There's stuff you can buy to put in his food that makes his eventual poop taste bitter. That might help.


i'm guessing that's what happened too, I will look for this bitter stuff because it's driving me crazy I mean I think when he brought the poop in the house (maybe to eat later? Idk) that was the last straw like REALLY dog?!?!


----------



## DogtorWho15

kcomstoc said:


> i'm guessing that's what happened too, I will look for this bitter stuff because it's driving me crazy I mean I think when he brought the poop in the house (maybe to eat later? Idk) that was the last straw like REALLY dog?!?!


Lol I can only imagine what he was thinking... "B-but mom, my raw food just tastes so good, and it made my poop taste good too, so I-I just thought that.......:redface:"



Anywho! Hows the thing with your rough collie girl going? I forgot when you said you were getting her lol


----------



## Flaming

kcomstoc said:


> i'm guessing that's what happened too, I will look for this bitter stuff because it's driving me crazy I mean I think when he brought the poop in the house (maybe to eat later? Idk) that was the last straw like REALLY dog?!?!


pineapple juice


----------



## kcomstoc

DogtorWho15 said:


> Lol I can only imagine what he was thinking... "B-but mom, my raw food just tastes so good, and it made my poop taste good too, so I-I just thought that.......:redface:"
> 
> 
> 
> Anywho! Hows the thing with your rough collie girl going? I forgot when you said you were getting her lol


lol probably was what he was thinking, probably this spring as long as everything goes as planned....hopefully. Also Flaming, I will get some pineapple juice...my SO would like some anyway


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> My vet is concerned enough about Thud's heart to want to see him for a proper work up, and to give me a big list of signs and symptoms that mean I need to get him in on an emergency basis RIGHT NOW.
> 
> He is not concerned enough to want me to worry about getting him in even for blood work for the next 3 weeks (...they have a pretty full schedule this month, apparently).
> 
> End result? I am absolutely anxiously and obsessively fixated on Thud and freak out every time he like. Pants.


Oh I hope it's not a big deal. Weird that they would just mention it now.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> i'm guessing that's what happened too, I will look for this bitter stuff because it's driving me crazy I mean I think when he brought the poop in the house (maybe to eat later? Idk) that was the last straw like REALLY dog?!?!


Ewww just .... ewww .... stool eating is one thing I can't stand dogs to do, Lincoln used to do it, but thankfully, he grew out of it.


----------



## Flaming

sorry for the short 2 word replay, I was on my 15 at work. 

Vitae is a spring poop eater, something about the frozen poop nuggets that I miss during winter being uncovered by snow I suppose and pineapple juice is cheaper than the stuff made to do the same job. I just mix a few table spoons in with some honest kitchen or something else that I can pour over her raw food (meat juice/blood/ect). 
Pick up often and pray that they grow out of it.


----------



## kcomstoc

Flaming said:


> sorry for the short 2 word replay, I was on my 15 at work.
> 
> Vitae is a spring poop eater, something about the frozen poop nuggets that I miss during winter being uncovered by snow I suppose and pineapple juice is cheaper than the stuff made to do the same job. I just mix a few table spoons in with some honest kitchen or something else that I can pour over her raw food (meat juice/blood/ect).
> Pick up often and pray that they grow out of it.


I'll give it a try and no problem lol I know what it's like when you want to reply but you don't have the time. Hopefully he does grow out of it, I guess raw food is just so good he wants to eat it twice >.>


----------



## DogtorWho15

kcomstoc said:


> I'll give it a try and no problem lol I know what it's like when you want to reply but you don't have the time. Hopefully he does grow out of it, I guess raw food is just so good he wants to eat it twice >.>


I will be switching Nova to raw food once she turns a year old, I really hope she doesnt like it THAT much 0_0 Lol, good luck with him  And getting your new pup.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

kcomstoc said:


> I'll give it a try and no problem lol I know what it's like when you want to reply but you don't have the time. Hopefully he does grow out of it, I guess raw food is just so good he wants to eat it twice >.>


Wait ... you have a new pup? When did I miss this?


----------



## Flaming

it's very dog specific.

Manna has never even tasted other dog poop and only had a month long craving for cat poop as a puppy. 

Vitae wants to eat all the poop! Except at the dog park...she only goes for raw fed poops


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is horrible. I just saw him trying to eat his poops while still pooping. He also follows the papillons around like they're a buffet. Soooo gross.


----------



## Willowy

Penny only eats poopsicles. Guess it's too gross when it's warm . But I just can't stop her poopsicle habit. Dogs are icky.


----------



## Mirzam

I once saw a gorilla at the zoo pull out some poop from her behind and eat it. The crowd went wild!!!!


----------



## Laurelin

How to traumatize your dog 101. 

Throw his Star Wars Egg toy down the hall and accidentally hit the 'on switch' on the side of the vacuum so that the second your dog runs up and reaches the vacuum it turns on with a roar (and mine has bright head lights that lit up)

Hank is pretty sure the vacuum is the devil now.


----------



## Pomom

CptJack said:


> My vet is concerned enough about Thud's heart to want to see him for a proper work up, and to give me a big list of signs and symptoms that mean I need to get him in on an emergency basis RIGHT NOW.
> 
> He is not concerned enough to want me to worry about getting him in even for blood work for the next 3 weeks (...they have a pretty full schedule this month, apparently).
> 
> End result? I am absolutely anxiously and obsessively fixated on Thud and freak out every time he like. Pants.


I know that anxiety! cOnstantly watching and worrying! It's the worst!


----------



## Pomom

Laurelin said:


> How to traumatize your dog 101.
> 
> Throw his Star Wars Egg toy down the hall and accidentally hit the 'on switch' on the side of the vacuum so that the second your dog runs up and reaches the vacuum it turns on with a roar (and mine has bright head lights that lit up)
> 
> Hank is pretty sure the vacuum is the devil now.


 Oh funny but not! Did you have a guilt attack?

What's the latest on the fourth dog?


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Pomom said:


> Oh funny but not! Did you have a guilt attack?
> 
> What's the latest on the fourth dog?


this is one of the main reasons we dont play inside LOL.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Laurelin said:


> How to traumatize your dog 101.
> 
> Throw his Star Wars Egg toy down the hall and accidentally hit the 'on switch' on the side of the vacuum so that the second your dog runs up and reaches the vacuum it turns on with a roar (and mine has bright head lights that lit up)
> 
> Hank is pretty sure the vacuum is the devil now.


Omg! ound:
Poor Hank! This is why I dont play with "throwing" toys in the house LOL


----------



## DogtorWho15

I love my dog.... I can give her a carrot stick and it is only a little less value than a meat bone...I just love my dog. XD


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DogtorWho15 said:


> I love my dog.... I can give her a carrot stick and it is only a little less value than a meat bone...I just love my dog. XD


Lincoln loves carrots, I freeze them and give them to him as treats, best thing ever he thinks.


----------



## Kate M

Having a great time with friend at empty dog park. Lady comes across the field with dog jumping around her and 4 kids trailing. Dog runs all around dog park. My dog and friend's dog go to fence to investigate. Lady yells at one kid to "throw open the gate and she'll just go right in!" Which he does, leaving both gates open. Friend and I rush to close gates. Lady finally makes it into dog park with kids. New dog runs smack into her leg and she start swearing up a storm (not great since my two little ones were there). Grabs her dog, leashes her up and yells "now you have to be punished for running out the front door!". Marches off, leaving gates open AGAIN. Seems to have forgotten all the kids which are now chasing my poor anti-human Charlie and teasing my friend's friendly Golden. I leashed up Charlie, gathered my kids and told my pal I had to leave. It was just too much. I explained to my kids how someone could have done things different for that poor dog but it still irks me how she acted. Such a bummer because it was the first play date after Charlie's spay that we have gotten together.


----------



## Laurelin

He won't even run down the hall now. I think we're going to have to have remedial vacuums are not scary training sessions. Lol poor kid

As far as fourth dog. Undecided but leaning towards staring to email breeders for a girl puppy


----------



## DogtorWho15

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Lincoln loves carrots, I freeze them and give them to him as treats, best thing ever he thinks.


Haha! Aint it great? She has just always liked most vegetables. My mom and grandma HATED her once the garden was grown because she would steal things and run off with em :doh: 
I always wanted a dog that would eat veggies just for health reasons and wanting my dog to be weird LOL I guess I got it.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Kate M said:


> Having a great time with friend at empty dog park. Lady comes across the field with dog jumping around her and 4 kids trailing. Dog runs all around dog park. My dog and friend's dog go to fence to investigate. Lady yells at one kid to "throw open the gate and she'll just go right in!" Which he does, leaving both gates open. Friend and I rush to close gates. Lady finally makes it into dog park with kids. New dog runs smack into her leg and she start swearing up a storm (not great since my two little ones were there). Grabs her dog, leashes her up and yells "now you have to be punished for running out the front door!". Marches off, leaving gates open AGAIN. Seems to have forgotten all the kids which are now chasing my poor anti-human Charlie and teasing my friend's friendly Golden. I leashed up Charlie, gathered my kids and told my pal I had to leave. It was just too much. I explained to my kids how someone could have done things different for that poor dog but it still irks me how she acted. Such a bummer because it was the first play date after Charlie's spay that we have gotten together.


I am sorry :/ that really sucks. Hopefully she wasnt going to abuse the dog or something for something he didnt remember doing.....Some people arent meant to be pet owners....or parents.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Kate M said:


> Having a great time with friend at empty dog park. Lady comes across the field with dog jumping around her and 4 kids trailing. Dog runs all around dog park. My dog and friend's dog go to fence to investigate. Lady yells at one kid to "throw open the gate and she'll just go right in!" Which he does, leaving both gates open. Friend and I rush to close gates. Lady finally makes it into dog park with kids. New dog runs smack into her leg and she start swearing up a storm (not great since my two little ones were there). Grabs her dog, leashes her up and yells "now you have to be punished for running out the front door!". Marches off, leaving gates open AGAIN. Seems to have forgotten all the kids which are now chasing my poor anti-human Charlie and teasing my friend's friendly Golden. I leashed up Charlie, gathered my kids and told my pal I had to leave. It was just too much. I explained to my kids how someone could have done things different for that poor dog but it still irks me how she acted. Such a bummer because it was the first play date after Charlie's spay that we have gotten together.


Wow that sucks. Some people just shouldn't own a dog.

The other day I was at the dog park and this lady was walking with her dog and would not let her dog just be a dog. Her dog would approach a dog and begin playing, and she would immediately yell at her dog. If her dog didn't immediately come back to her, she would shove her dog away and raise her arm at the dog and the dog would cower away. It was obvious that she was abusive towards her dog. Like if you don't want your dog to play, why did you bring it to the dog park? Not to mention, she had her toddler with her and would threaten to "pop" the kid for nearly everything normal her kid did... And the fact she did this in public, I'm scared for what she does behind closed doors.

Also there is this obnoxious regular to the dog park, and all she does is force her dog to play fetch. She won't even let the dog interact with anyone. And if the dog doesn't bring the ball back fast enough she starts hollering at her dog... Like chill...

I find that when the weather is bad that is when all the responsible owners are there, and when the weather is good, everyone, good and bad, flocks to the park.


----------



## kcomstoc

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Wait ... you have a new pup? When did I miss this?


lol no I just worded it confusing sorry I was saying hopefully I'll get my female rough collie puppy in the Spring as long as my SO gets his nursing job he applied for...BUT I think I missed that you were getting a new puppy!!! getting a poodle? That's what the countdown picture looks like >.>


----------



## CptJack

We just ran into a dog that spooked Molly, after basically seeing no strange dogs for over a month. Rather than all the forward reacting stuff she just froze, tucked her tail and SHOOK. 

...I preferred the aggressive sounding reactivity.


----------



## Remaru

DogtorWho15 said:


> Haha! Aint it great? She has just always liked most vegetables. My mom and grandma HATED her once the garden was grown because she would steal things and run off with em :doh:
> I always wanted a dog that would eat veggies just for health reasons and wanting my dog to be weird LOL I guess I got it.


My son's bitty dog eats veggies. It is great because we have to keep her food intake limited (she is only 7lbs and super low energy so she packs on the lbs if we don't limit her food) so we can give her carrots or other veggie scraps and she feels like she is getting awesome treats and she isn't getting super chubby. My son gives her a couple of carrots each day and I will toss her odds and ends when I am prepping dinner (she loves zucchini, spinach and green beans). Freyja will eat carrots and some zucchini but not much else.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Remaru said:


> My son's bitty dog eats veggies. It is great because we have to keep her food intake limited (she is only 7lbs and super low energy so she packs on the lbs if we don't limit her food) so we can give her carrots or other veggie scraps and she feels like she is getting awesome treats and she isn't getting super chubby. My son gives her a couple of carrots each day and I will toss her odds and ends when I am prepping dinner (she loves zucchini, spinach and green beans). Freyja will eat carrots and some zucchini but not much else.


Thats really helpful! Id hate getting an obese dog just cause I wanted to give em treats lol.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Nova has decided she wants to become a panda...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Pomom said:


> I know that anxiety! cOnstantly watching and worrying! It's the worst!


I know this anxiety, too. the old man, Bear, has a grade 3 murmur, and he had to go under to have a growth on the roof of his mouth removed (or it would have grown so large he wouldnt have been able to eat) we also had his teeth cleaned and had to have some extractions done. I was nervous as heck about putting him under (mostly for my parents, because he is their little buddy ), but there was no other choice.


----------



## KayaScout

Two things happened this weekend:

1. Kaya started her official behavioral training today. I really love the trainer and he comes highly recommended. She went into the room and SHOOK for like 10 minutes. I've never seen her do that. But after about 20 minutes, she was willing to work for him, played some ball/tug, and learned something new. I'm excited to see what happens after her 6 week individual sessions!

2. Kaya's stool has been loose for about a month now, mostly. Sometimes its solid (if she poos 3 times a day, 1 is sold 2 are soft). I've been thinking she needs to switch to adult food and that is what is causing her squishy poos. But maybe half a week ago, she started to chew on her back left paw, and only that one. It isn't red or bleeding and doesn't seem to have a rash or a broken nail. I had attributed it to her food but I'm not so sure. Any thoughts on this one guys? She has a vet apt Wednesday for a shot booster so they will check her then, but ease my mind in the mean time please!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Spooked Rara out yesterday. 

I wore a big sweater and sucked my arms in the body of the sweater, but not in the sleeves, if you know what I mean... 

Sat next to her and put an empty sleeve on her head, which she apparently thought was my hand. I poked my real hand out from the bottom of the sweater towards her, and her eyes popped and she completely lost it and flew off the couch LOL. 

Horror story experience for dog.

(I did the same to Lancer later, and he didn't care/notice the difference LOL)


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Kate M said:


> Having a great time with friend at empty dog park. Lady comes across the field with dog jumping around her and 4 kids trailing. Dog runs all around dog park. My dog and friend's dog go to fence to investigate. Lady yells at one kid to "throw open the gate and she'll just go right in!" Which he does, leaving both gates open. Friend and I rush to close gates. Lady finally makes it into dog park with kids. New dog runs smack into her leg and she start swearing up a storm (not great since my two little ones were there). Grabs her dog, leashes her up and yells "now you have to be punished for running out the front door!". Marches off, leaving gates open AGAIN. Seems to have forgotten all the kids which are now chasing my poor anti-human Charlie and teasing my friend's friendly Golden. I leashed up Charlie, gathered my kids and told my pal I had to leave. It was just too much. I explained to my kids how someone could have done things different for that poor dog but it still irks me how she acted. Such a bummer because it was the first play date after Charlie's spay that we have gotten together.


Yuck, that sucks.

This is the reason I groan when I see people coming into the dog park with kids and an unruly dog. I always think "recipe for disaster", I am glad she left, or else I would have asked her to leave if it were me.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Ugh worst day ever....
Some people need to realize that what they have is a dog and not a throw away pet


----------



## cookieface

When I was buying toys for a shelter / rescue collection, I picked up one of these







. Tyson _loves_ it. As many times as I stuff the chicks in the barn, he'll pull them out and prance around the house with a chicky in his mouth. It's so cute.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> When I was buying toys for a shelter / rescue collection, I picked up one of these
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . Tyson _loves_ it. As many times as I stuff the chicks in the barn, he'll pull them out and prance around the house with a chicky in his mouth. It's so cute.


I got something similar for Kylie but with chipmunks. Best. Toy. EVER.


----------



## Willowy

I got one of the chipmunk ones for my mom's dogs (they're smaller than my dogs). When we visit, Toby loves to carry one of the little chipmunks around in his mouth. You can barely see it in there, just a tail sticking out. But he thinks it's awesome. Dogs are silly .


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

cookieface said:


> When I was buying toys for a shelter / rescue collection, I picked up one of these
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . Tyson _loves_ it. As many times as I stuff the chicks in the barn, he'll pull them out and prance around the house with a chicky in his mouth. It's so cute.


I think these kinds of toys look so fun but my dogs would rip the whole thing to shreds in minutes.


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> I got one of the chipmunk ones for my mom's dogs (they're smaller than my dogs). When we visit, Toby loves to carry one of the little chipmunks around in his mouth. You can barely see it in there, just a tail sticking out. But he thinks it's awesome. Dogs are silly .


Ours are beavers, but Ida does this too. They're one of the few toys we have that she will obsessively squeak.


----------



## dagwall

I've got the beehive one that I let foster dogs play with if they won't destroy it, or just to see what they'll do with plush toys. I really like the idea but Jubel just likes to destroy stuff haha.


----------



## Laurelin

Mia used to have some of those and loved them. She basically just filled the thing with tennis balls and had a blast hiding the tennis balls and getting them out. Then hiding again. And again.

And then I got Hank. :/ I think it lasted 3 minutes.


----------



## gingerkid

Unrelated to the toys, I did nails this morning and I quicked Snowball... luckily it was a back foot (they're less sensitive), and it must've been juuuuust barely because it didn't bleed that much, but I was still surprised to see it bleeding because he didn't even flinch!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I think these kinds of toys look so fun but my dogs would rip the whole thing to shreds in minutes.


Add me to the "dogs are so destructive we can't have nice toys" club


----------



## KayaScout

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Add me to the "dogs are so destructive we can't have nice toys" club


Ugh same . Nothing not made of bone (or nylabone), really tough rubber, or tennis balls in our house. Plush toys are a thing of the past


----------



## CptJack

Supervised play y'all. At least if you have some dogs who play nicely/get the point and others who shred OR your dog is one who is only destructive sometimes. Molly couldn't be left alone with ANYTHING, but I'm not leaving her out with anything, either. She plays with me or she doesn't play. Chew, yes. Play with toys, no.


----------



## dogsule

Ugh....three dogs, six eyes....two drops in each eye 3x a day! Tonights drops went ok, will see how it goes tomorrow. Conjunctivitis.


----------



## Laurelin

Hank is actually not too destructive of non stuffed toys. I bought him this thing recently:

http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/dog/dog-toys/star-wars-squeaky-darth-vader-egg-dog-toy

Except it's R2D2. 

FAVORITIST TOY EVER. 

It's really not tough feeling but he hasn't destroyed it. But he loses his mind for it.


----------



## LoMD13

Lo's got a chipmunk one too, it really is cute. Ever since we got it, Lucy tries every single day to take a chipmunk outside but has been thwarted every time.


----------



## Pasarella

Mine also destroys everything. Had big, stuffed ball. Killed in 10 minutes.


----------



## Wet Beards

My friend in Denmark, just took in two Galgo's to foster. 
What a beautiful breed.


----------



## Remaru

Mine destroy everything too, particularly Freyja and Lenore, they enjoy destuffing toys, it gives them great pleasure. They don't want to play nicely with toys, they want to rip them apart. Freyja and Lad enjoy frisbee and Lad enjoys squeaky toys. I do keep them put up where he can't have them unless we are playing fetch. Freyja won't destroy a frisbee, it isn't as fun as tearing up something fuzzy and full of fluff.


----------



## Remaru

I am beginning to think I just live in a really bad place. One of my other neighbors got a puppy, it is now in the back yard 24/7. It has not stopped barking. I share a fence line with 4 neighbors, 3 of those neighbors now have "backyard dogs". I know this isn't uncommon here but really? The one with the newest puppy has a pool, they don't even really have a yard for the puppy to be running in, and they had an older dog that was inside (no idea where that dog is now, we never really saw it much). Wishing we had moved a couple of years ago.


----------



## MysticRealm

I had a client once that had a super old dog. They couldn't find the dog (had to cancel their appointment because of it) a few weeks later they called to let us know they had found the poor dog dead and floating in their pool. I felt so bad for them, that must have just been awful to discover. I imagine the dog had never had trouble with the pool before but had failing eyesight and lack of coordination which probably led to him falling in.


----------



## CptJack

Molly got spooked by a _cake_ tonight. 

I feel like if there was an award for most insane dog, she'd win it.


----------



## Flaming

cardboard....really??? cardboard...

Vitae resource guards cardboard.

She only RG's her raw food from Manna and never blinks an eye at a human going near and/or messing with her food or taking it away....but cardboard is apparently the new "in thing" and is worth gold. 

what the Vitae?


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> Molly got spooked by a _cake_ tonight.
> 
> I feel like if there was an award for most insane dog, she'd win it.


Max (my foster guy) was afraid of the spiralizer I left sitting out on the table to dry after cleaning it. He was just walking through the house and noticed it sitting there and bolted for the other side of the house. No clue. He has a lot of fear issues though.


----------



## jade5280

Flaming said:


> cardboard....really??? cardboard...
> 
> Vitae resource guards cardboard.
> 
> She only RG's her raw food from Manna and never blinks an eye at a human going near and/or messing with her food or taking it away....but cardboard is apparently the new "in thing" and is worth gold.
> 
> what the Vitae?


 Dogs are so weird. Ryker tried resource guarding a pumpkin we got for Halloween. Gypsy will eat cardboard if we leave it out.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie can be a sensitive little flower about some things but I think I could bend her into a knot while grooming her and she'd be fine. Hold her tail straight up and blast warm air at her butt, perch her awkwardly on the bathroom sink, turn her upside down to dry her belly and do her nails, whatever. She's just lying there falling asleep.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Kylie can be a sensitive little flower about some things but I think I could bend her into a knot while grooming her and she'd be fine. Hold her tail straight up and blast warm air at her butt, perch her awkwardly on the bathroom sink, turn her upside down to dry her belly and do her nails, whatever. She's just lying there falling asleep.


Well that would be convenient! Wish my girls were like that!


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Well that would be convenient! Wish my girls were like that!


It is very, very handy and a lot like grooming a stuffed animal. I wish any of the rest were that good, but I guess if one of them had to be it's best that it's the one with fur. The others are PRETTY good? But not THAT good.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Bonnie just loves being groomed, never batted an eye the first time I used the clippers on her. She is getting a little big for my grooming table and also a little heavy to lift up so I mainly groom her on the floor. Brushing her, I do one side and just flip her over and do the other side or get her to stand while I am clipping her and she never tries to leave.


----------



## CptJack

Molly has an appointment in about a month with the intention of putting her on an anti-anxiety med. We'll see how that appointment goes, but - This is a thing that's happening. Or at least probably happening.

Not posting about it on FB, yet. Will do that post-appointment, but.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Molly has an appointment in about a month with the intention of putting her on an anti-anxiety med. We'll see how that appointment goes, but - This is a thing that's happening. Or at least probably happening.
> 
> Not posting about it on FB, yet. Will do that post-appointment, but.


Good luck! I hope it works for you and Molly.

Tyson has been on Prozac since October. Honestly, I haven't noticed a huge difference, but I also haven't been able to do much training with him nor has he really been exposed to other dogs since then. But, he doesn't seem to have any side effects nor have I noticed any negative aspects of his taking it. Wish I had a more positive report to share.


----------



## Laurelin

Summer turned into a zombie on Prozac. I think they dosed her too high (she's so tiny)


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> Molly has an appointment in about a month with the intention of putting her on an anti-anxiety med. We'll see how that appointment goes, but - This is a thing that's happening. Or at least probably happening.
> 
> Not posting about it on FB, yet. Will do that post-appointment, but.


Good luck! I hope it helps her.


----------



## CptJack

I really don't know what I expect. Certainly not a miracle fix, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, for this one, I think. Better is all I really want.


----------



## Jen2010

> cardboard....really??? cardboard...
> 
> Vitae resource guards cardboard.
> 
> She only RG's her raw food from Manna and never blinks an eye at a human going near and/or messing with her food or taking it away....but cardboard is apparently the new "in thing" and is worth gold.


 Pepper's afraid of cardboard! Like if there's some cardboard leaning against the wall. She'll go near it, but if someone bumps it or she thinks in any way that it could be moving she freaks out and runs away. She thinks it's going to fall on her.


----------



## jade5280

It didn't effect Ryker at all other than helping his anxiety. He was always super playful and energetic. Now that he's not on it anymore his energy level is still the same too.


----------



## Remaru

Not one puppy, two puppies. They have two puppies out there alone in the yard. They found a weak spot in the fence (the neighbors just replaced it because the old one was rotten and they are responsible for it because of the pool, they have to either put a locking fence around the pool or an 8ft fence around their yard), well they didn't do a good job because their two puppies found their way into my yard. Their yard is a good foot above mine so once they were in they couldn't get back. Call me the worst neighbor ever but after listening to these poor puppies scream for the past week alone in that yard I didn't bother returning them, I called AC. So puppies are on their way to the shelter. Our local shelter is not bad, they will try to find their owners and if the neighbors have any kind of sense (doubtful) they will look there. The puppies did not have tags but who knows, maybe they were chipped. If not, maybe their next family will actually take care of them.


----------



## Crantastic

I wouldn't have returned them, either. Hopefully the neighbors don't bother looking for them. Puppies should be very adoptable at the shelter.


----------



## Eenypup

Bennie is walking kind of strangely. Like a very mild limp but it's hard for me to place which leg is bothering her. I first thought I noticed it about a week ago and doesn't seem to be letting up so I ordered some joint tablets to put her on. And now I'll just hope for the best with that...


----------



## Laurelin

Hank just murdered a chewbacca toy and I kinda feel bad.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Went to the dog park today, and it was crazy busy! But it actually seemed to help Nova out, she had more options to choose from LOL. She could decide which dogs were too scary and big, which were too mellow or small to play with, which were too hyper to play with and which were juuuust right XD And out of the almost 30 dogs that were there, she only found about 4 she really wanted to hang out with and decided were ok 

She seems like she doesnt know how to play with other dogs whenever we go though, and I dont know how to show her, she wont go into the play fight thing, she wont go after toys or balls with everyone, she will run with them kinda but seems to not know what they are doing really......All she wants to do is bark at them until they chase her (and only sometimes) and she wont let them sniff her either, she sniffs them but they arent allowed to sniff her. She also takes quite some time to warm up to everything, today we were there for an hour and she got a lot more into things like 45 mins in, but still was never her full self, she never ventures far and just HAS to "check in" with me every 5 mins :doh: I like check ins very much but seriously dog just go enjoy yourself LOL!.....She reminds me so so much of a VERY socially awkward child.....


----------



## Eenypup

Girlfriend and I had a huge fight and I broke down crying tonight, and I've never seen Bennie so deliberately try to comfort me before. Or maybe not in the sense that she knew what she was doing but was clearly in tune with the fact that I was upset and acting very differently because of it. Pushing herself into me, circling into my lap multiple times to be as close as possible, licking but not even excessively. Sweet girl.


----------



## mudypony

I'm officially meeting a Beauceron in person this coming Friday! So excited but also a little nervous! I've never done one of these meet & greets before, so if anyone has any tips or questions I should ask, let me know! :wink:


----------



## DogtorWho15

Omg I just died laughing, literally.. I am dead...right now XP I got Nova some snow shoes cause we are taking a big snowboarding trip tomorrow and are gonna be in snow for 5+ hours. Anywho, I ordered her a coat as well but it didnt come in in time, and I picked up her shoes today. Well I just tried them on her (unfortunately they are 1 size too big) and OH MY GOSH!! I was laughing so hard I cried and I couldnt breath. It was the funniest thing on earth, she looked like a clydesdale or something. I just am still laughing!! I put a leash on her and started prancing around with her like we were in a fancy dog show XD and she pranced-ish beautifully HAHA!! Not mocking dog shows, I watch em all the time LOL! We were making jokes that mutts can walk nicer than pure breds and all sorts of stuff. I just cant get the way that she walked out of my head hehe....! Its funny when its another dog, but its absolutely hilarious when its your own!


----------



## gingerkid

DogtorWho15 said:


> Omg I just died laughing, literally.. I am dead...right now XP I got Nova some snow shoes cause we are taking a big snowboarding trip tomorrow and are gonna be in snow for 5+ hours. Anywho, I ordered her a coat as well but it didnt come in in time, and I picked up her shoes today. Well I just tried them on her (unfortunately they are 1 size too big) and OH MY GOSH!! I was laughing so hard I cried and I couldnt breath. It was the funniest thing on earth, she looked like a clydesdale or something. I just am still laughing!! I put a leash on her and started prancing around with her like we were in a fancy dog show XD and she pranced-ish beautifully HAHA!! Not mocking dog shows, I watch em all the time LOL! We were making jokes that mutts can walk nicer than pure breds and all sorts of stuff. I just cant get the way that she walked out of my head hehe....! Its funny when its another dog, but its absolutely hilarious when its your own!


Where's the video!?  We want to laugh with you.


----------



## parapluie

mudypony said:


> I'm officially meeting a Beauceron in person this coming Friday! So excited but also a little nervous! I've never done one of these meet & greets before, so if anyone has any tips or questions I should ask, let me know! :wink:


Exciting! Are you meeting up with a breeder or someone who owns one? When we first started looking at Eurasiers we'd never met any so we ended up meeting an owner and then later a breeder with 5 dogs. They can answer different questions, based on different experience/knowledge of the breed. Think about what it is that you really want in a dog/draws you to the breed and also things that would be really difficult for you -- that can help guide your questions. It's soooo much better to meet them than read about them online! Enjoy!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I volunteered at a nose work elements specialty trial today, and I realized that there were a few dogs who were very unprepared- totally didn't catch odor after going over the hot box four times, or were simply unfocused and distracted. Or it's on the handler that they pulled their dog away from the hot box to check the other boxes when the dog actually stayed because they already found it. I figured there might be more of handler mistakes and unprepared dogs in elements specialty, since it's generally seen as easy peasy compared to NW1... so people might enter just for the heck of it.

But anyway, I'm glad I went! Now I know what's going on for when I enter and what mistakes to look out for in particular! LOL


----------



## CptJack

Sometimes it's a totally unprepared dog. Sometimes it's a nervous handler, all handler error for whatever reason or an off day. 

Brought to you by the dog at my last agility trial who did two obstacles and then ran out of the ring entirely. Dog was an elite level dog. It might not be ready for elite but it was not new to the game or poorly trained/unable. W asn't the first time the dog was in a trial, either, not at that level.

Sometimes things just HAPPEN. Especially at the first time the dog is in a competition setting.


----------



## mudypony

parapluie said:


> Exciting! Are you meeting up with a breeder or someone who owns one? When we first started looking at Eurasiers we'd never met any so we ended up meeting an owner and then later a breeder with 5 dogs. They can answer different questions, based on different experience/knowledge of the breed. Think about what it is that you really want in a dog/draws you to the breed and also things that would be really difficult for you -- that can help guide your questions. It's soooo much better to meet them than read about them online! Enjoy!


I'm meeting with someone who owns one. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to meet a breeder until I actually pick up a puppy, as the closest breeder I know of is several states away. I'm so excited to meet one in person! Definitely better than anything I can learn online, that's for sure. 

I really want a solid, confident dog that has a higher drive and tendency for handler focus. Basically, a dog that is comfortable out in busier public places (yes, training/socialization plays a big role too) and can partake, possibly compete, in rally/obedience and nosework.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

CptJack said:


> Sometimes it's a totally unprepared dog. Sometimes it's a nervous handler, all handler error for whatever reason or an off day.
> 
> Brought to you by the dog at my last agility trial who did two obstacles and then ran out of the ring entirely. Dog was an elite level dog. It might not be ready for elite but it was not new to the game or poorly trained/unable. W asn't the first time the dog was in a trial, either, not at that level.
> 
> Sometimes things just HAPPEN. Especially at the first time the dog is in a competition setting.


Oh yeah, that's all totally true. And wowie, I would have been so shocked in that situation (agility). That sounds insane and also hilarious. 

I don't doubt that whenever Lancer and I are so totally prepared to ace his ORT, he possibly is distracted by a dog hair and flunks it or something. ;; Knock on wood LOL.


----------



## CptJack

Dogsignalfire said:


> Oh yeah, that's all totally true. And wowie, I would have been so shocked in that situation (agility). That sounds insane and also hilarious.
> 
> I don't doubt that whenever Lancer and I are so totally prepared to ace his ORT, he possibly is distracted by a dog hair and flunks it or something. ;; Knock on wood LOL.


One of the beauties of having a dog for a partner. Human element, plus species and communication gap, plus another living creature who has their own moods and whims. Honestly, agility has taught me that dogs just... they dog. They do things. They are never going to be entirely consistent or reliable. 

It's part of the 'fun'.  

(I have SEEN EVERYTHING, I SWEAR).


----------



## ireth0

For those who don't know, we are currently doing a freestyle class.

It's been so much fun! It's just the kind of unstructured no pressure fun I had been looking for. Last night we practiced a bit on transitions, but the majority of the class was "work on tricks you think are fun/your dog likes and/or just try out random things and see what they offer you"


----------



## Remaru

mudypony said:


> I'm meeting with someone who owns one. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to meet a breeder until I actually pick up a puppy, as the closest breeder I know of is several states away. I'm so excited to meet one in person! Definitely better than anything I can learn online, that's for sure.
> 
> I really want a solid, confident dog that has a higher drive and tendency for handler focus. Basically, a dog that is comfortable out in busier public places (yes, training/socialization plays a big role too) and can partake, possibly compete, in rally/obedience and nosework.


Do you have any dog shows near you? I've been able to spend some time with a Beauceron at a local dog show. I understand that the particular Beauceron I'm in love with is not necessarily typical of the breed. At the first show he nearly knocked down a barrier and shoved himself into my lap during the Best of Show. I ran into him again at the show in December and he pulled his owner to me to try and rub all over me like a cat. His owner did tell me that he doesn't usually act like that, I guess he just really likes me.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Abhik got her first stranger on property bite today. Fence people didn't shut the gate. All dogs in the house with me for the day while they working since they need to use the electricity in the barn for the training area. Stuff happens even when you are careful when your contractors don't take you seriously. Had the contractor and his vehicle secure inside the chain link training area left them to go back inside the house to check on the dogs and locked the chain link main gates behind me. Was headed out of the house to check on the fence people when Abhik pushed passed me but shut the door so Arka wouldn't leave. Wasn't too worried until I saw the chain link gate open. Had to run but the dogs are so fast, she went straight for the chain link area through the open gate and right at them, one was inside a kennel and he shut the kennel gate and the other was working on the outside of the kennel on a step ladder.. Abhik didn't hesitate one second jumped up grabbed his leg pushing him off the step ladder but he held on to the top railing of the 6ft chain link. Pulled my slip lead out of my pocket and got her to let go.. Still a pup for her to easly let go when I got the lead on her and she mostly had the winter heavy insulated cover all jumpsuit .. no harm done to anyone except scaring them and to drive my point home why I stress to always shut every gate they pass through. They had made jokes about me saying close the gates behind you (every gate).. *so now they will be shutting the gates and not thinking its silly stupid ...*


----------



## Kyllobernese

Good lesson for them but glad nobody got hurt. Have the same problem in our area when the snowmobile riders leave the gates open and the horses get out. Hate to keep padlocks on them all the time, you would think they would learn and appreciate the fact they can come through with their snowmobiles.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Kyllobernese said:


> Good lesson for them but glad nobody got hurt. Have the same problem in our area when the snowmobile riders leave the gates open and the horses get out. Hate to keep padlocks on them all the time, you would think they would learn and appreciate the fact they can come through with their snowmobiles.


wow that is really rude that you have to worry about them leaving the gates open..


----------



## jade5280

mudypony said:


> I'm officially meeting a Beauceron in person this coming Friday! So excited but also a little nervous! I've never done one of these meet & greets before, so if anyone has any tips or questions I should ask, let me know! :wink:


Let me know how it goes! What's the dogs name you are meeting?


----------



## mudypony

Remaru said:


> Do you have any dog shows near you? I've been able to spend some time with a Beauceron at a local dog show. I understand that the particular Beauceron I'm in love with is not necessarily typical of the breed. At the first show he nearly knocked down a barrier and shoved himself into my lap during the Best of Show. I ran into him again at the show in December and he pulled his owner to me to try and rub all over me like a cat. His owner did tell me that he doesn't usually act like that, I guess he just really likes me.


There's actually a dog show this weekend about an hour away, and it looks like there's one Beauceron competing... might have to sneak away this Saturday to go check it out!

And, that Beauce sounds absolutely adorable 



jade5280 said:


> Let me know how it goes! What's the dogs name you are meeting?


Will do! :wink:

I'm meeting Fleetwood. So excited!


----------



## jade5280

mudypony said:


> There's actually a dog show this weekend about an hour away, and it looks like there's one Beauceron competing... might have to sneak away this Saturday to go check it out!
> 
> And, that Beauce sounds absolutely adorable
> 
> 
> 
> Will do! :wink:
> 
> I'm meeting Fleetwood. So excited!


 Cool! I don't see much of him on the FB page, but from what I've read I'm sure after meeting him you will be dead set on a beauceron


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> wow that is really rude that you have to worry about them leaving the gates open..


Yeah, with faced with that level of rudeness, I wouldnt feel bad in the slightest about locking my gates. If they cant exercise common courtesy, too bad, so sad, IMO.


----------



## taquitos

Eenypup said:


> Girlfriend and I had a huge fight and I broke down crying tonight, and I've never seen Bennie so deliberately try to comfort me before. Or maybe not in the sense that she knew what she was doing but was clearly in tune with the fact that I was upset and acting very differently because of it. Pushing herself into me, circling into my lap multiple times to be as close as possible, licking but not even excessively. Sweet girl.


Bennie is such a sweetheart!

I hope you're feeling better <3


----------



## cookieface

Eenypup said:


> Girlfriend and I had a huge fight and I broke down crying tonight, and I've never seen Bennie so deliberately try to comfort me before. Or maybe not in the sense that she knew what she was doing but was clearly in tune with the fact that I was upset and acting very differently because of it. Pushing herself into me, circling into my lap multiple times to be as close as possible, licking but not even excessively. Sweet girl.


Just catching up... Hope you're doing ok.


----------



## mudypony

GUYS..... I'm meeting a Beauceron TOMORROW! Eeeekkk I'm so excited!!! :bounce:


----------



## gingerkid

Note to me: Stop training snowball with anything more exciting than kibble. One of these days I'm going to lose a finger.


----------



## Eenypup

taquitos said:


> Bennie is such a sweetheart!
> 
> I hope you're feeling better <3





cookieface said:


> Just catching up... Hope you're doing ok.


Thank you! Everything worked itself out between us so I'm doing much better in that regard!! 

Of course back to your regularly scheduled regretting adopting a pit because she could in theory hurt someone or their dog nonsense. Wish my semester was busier, trying to filling in free time with babysitting and improv classes but it only fills up so much! Way too much time left to my own devices lately. :/ No one to talk to because the girlfriend is rightfully tired of it and when I tell my dad he hates that I'm ever emotionally struggling and just thinks I need to give her up, maybe I can't handle having a dog like her that's imperfect. What a mess.


----------



## ireth0

Eenypup said:


> Thank you! Everything worked itself out between us so I'm doing much better in that regard!!
> 
> Of course back to your regularly scheduled regretting adopting a pit because she could in theory hurt someone or their dog nonsense. Wish my semester was busier, trying to filling in free time with babysitting and improv classes but it only fills up so much! Way too much time left to my own devices lately. :/ No one to talk to because the girlfriend is rightfully tired of it and when I tell my dad he hates that I'm ever emotionally struggling and just thinks I need to give her up, *maybe I can't handle having a dog like her that's imperfect*. What a mess.


Lady, all dogs are imperfect in some way.

As a fellow bully owner I sympathize with your concern about being extra responsible, but nothing I've ever read about Bennie leads me to believe she is anywhere near a risk to the public any more than any other dog. Maybe she's not a 'take everywhere' dog, that's fine, a very very small percentage of dogs are appropriate for all situations.


----------



## elrohwen

Dogsignalfire said:


> I volunteered at a nose work elements specialty trial today, and I realized that there were a few dogs who were very unprepared- totally didn't catch odor after going over the hot box four times, or were simply unfocused and distracted. Or it's on the handler that they pulled their dog away from the hot box to check the other boxes when the dog actually stayed because they already found it. I figured there might be more of handler mistakes and unprepared dogs in elements specialty, since it's generally seen as easy peasy compared to NW1... so people might enter just for the heck of it.
> 
> But anyway, I'm glad I went! Now I know what's going on for when I enter and what mistakes to look out for in particular! LOL


Sometimes it's not unprepared so much as trial stress. Watson has gone for his NW1 twice, and both times he really crapped out at the end of the day. He didn't have the maturity or the stamina to work in the morning, sit in the car for 8 hours, then work again. In the morning he got high marks for speed and drive from both judges. In the afternoon he stood and stared into the wind for a minute or two, then false alerted on a totally made up spot. You would think he has no idea what he's doing but it's really not that.


----------



## taquitos

Eenypup said:


> Thank you! Everything worked itself out between us so I'm doing much better in that regard!!
> 
> Of course back to your regularly scheduled regretting adopting a pit because she could in theory hurt someone or their dog nonsense. Wish my semester was busier, trying to filling in free time with babysitting and improv classes but it only fills up so much! Way too much time left to my own devices lately. :/ No one to talk to because the girlfriend is rightfully tired of it and when I tell my dad he hates that I'm ever emotionally struggling and just thinks I need to give her up, maybe I can't handle having a dog like her that's imperfect. What a mess.


If you ever need someone to talk to let me know! I can PM you my FB and we can talk.

I second what ireth0 has said.

Bennie is an amazing dog and you and her have been through so much and improved so so sooo much! You should be proud of all the things you guys have achieved!


----------



## trainingjunkie

elrohwen said:


> Sometimes it's not unprepared so much as trial stress. Watson has gone for his NW1 twice, and both times he really crapped out at the end of the day. He didn't have the maturity or the stamina to work in the morning, sit in the car for 8 hours, then work again. In the morning he got high marks for speed and drive from both judges. In the afternoon he stood and stared into the wind for a minute or two, then false alerted on a totally made up spot. You would think he has no idea what he's doing but it's really not that.


Here is my whippet on his first ORT of the day. He looks unprepared: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nacJxKhcbVo

Here he is later the same day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjxJlrqksqk

Sometimes, dogs just can't quite pull it together. Mahto was well-prepared and went 3/3 at the ORT, but his opening was sure ugly! I could understand if people thought he wasn't ready or didn't know his job, but the pressure just rocked him for a minute.


----------



## elrohwen

trainingjunkie said:


> Here is my whippet on his first ORT of the day. He looks unprepared: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nacJxKhcbVo
> 
> Here he is later the same day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjxJlrqksqk
> 
> Sometimes, dogs just can't quite pull it together. Mahto was well-prepared and went 3/3 at the ORT, but his opening was sure ugly! I could understand if people thought he wasn't ready or didn't know his job, but the pressure just rocked him for a minute.


In our third Rally Novice run, Watson started out so confused and slow. I had to use the leash to nudge him into a right finish because he just stared at me. And then halfway through it was like a lightbulb went off and he realized what we were doing. He snapped up into heel position, got all excited, and was fantastic for the rest of the run. He looked like a totally untrained dog for the first half, and he's not. It was just a lot of stress (for both of us)


----------



## Wet Beards

Random question:
How long will a post stay in moderation?
Thanks


----------



## cookieface

Wet Beards said:


> Random question:
> How long will a post stay in moderation?
> Thanks


Generally, until you notify a mod that your post needs to be approved.


----------



## Eenypup

ireth0 said:


> Lady, all dogs are imperfect in some way.
> 
> As a fellow bully owner I sympathize with your concern about being extra responsible, but nothing I've ever read about Bennie leads me to believe she is anywhere near a risk to the public any more than any other dog. Maybe she's not a 'take everywhere' dog, that's fine, a very very small percentage of dogs are appropriate for all situations.


Yeah she's not a liability or anything, she's a super well-controlled dog who minds her own business. She's one of those weird bully breeds who doesn't like other dogs but runs away when we accidentally round the corner and meet one  She's like NOPE BYE. Especially if they're little and yappy, she becomes a speed demon lol. She's not going out of her way to bother anyone. I know plenty of idiots with dogs that are much more difficult than her. 



taquitos said:


> If you ever need someone to talk to let me know! I can PM you my FB and we can talk.
> 
> I second what ireth0 has said.
> 
> Bennie is an amazing dog and you and her have been through so much and improved so so sooo much! You should be proud of all the things you guys have achieved!


Thank you  She's a very good girl!


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, I'm trying to think of adult dogs of any breed who are totally dog friendly - ie: not selective at all. 

...I can't think of any. 

I can think of some who are more likely to be friendly and like ALMOST all other dogs, but I cannot think of a single dog over the age of 2 who legitimately gets along with every dog they meet and enjoys playing with them. The closest I come is dogs who will stoically tolerate all other dogs in all other circumstances - tolerate, not enjoy - and even those are the minority.

Like. Not 'dangerously aggressive' or anything but definitely everything between dogs who are just 'get out of my space' (which I realize doesn't truly count) with unknown dogs, to wanting to eat certain types of dogs (breeds, gender, sizes, playstyles) for dinner.


----------



## Wet Beards

cookieface said:


> Generally, until you notify a mod that your post needs to be approved.


Thanks cookieface.


----------



## Eenypup

Oh I honestly am very content with how she gets along with dogs. Many bully breeds I've met are CRAZY reactive and/or DA, and she's super manageable. That's not something that bothers me, I'm happy if she chooses to flee when confronted with strange dogs, lol. I didn't expect dog friendliness when choosing a bully breed from the shelter.

It's just owning a pit that doesn't like children is emotionally exhausting to me. Pits are supposed to be either totally human obsessed or a danger to children everywhere and an impending news headline. :/


----------



## trainingjunkie

Eenypup said:


> It's just owning a pit that doesn't like children is emotionally exhausting to me. Pits are supposed to be either totally human obsessed or a danger to children everywhere and an impending news headline. :/


Ignore the zealots. Pit bulls are dogs. "Just" dogs. People are Krazy. 

Hang in there. You're doing great. Bennie is lucky to have you.


----------



## Sandakat

mudypony said:


> GUYS..... I'm meeting a Beauceron TOMORROW! Eeeekkk I'm so excited!!! :bounce:


To consider getting one or just to meet in person?


----------



## Sandakat

Random product review: Pet Loader folding dog steps. Toby is now almost 12 and can't reliably jump into my Xterra. He refuses to use a ramp so we bought a Pet Loader folding dog stairs for the car. We got the 4 step one. It comes also in 3 or 5 steps. So far I really like it. It's very sturdy and folds and unfolds easily. He learned to use it pretty quickly with a little bribery (chicken jerky). The main problems are the weight: 24 pounds, and the size even while folded. This one folds into a cube about 16inches X 12 inches X 8 inches, which takes up quite a bit of room in my car if it's lying down. I rigged up a rope harness to keep it standing against one side of the car and Toby is much happier with his space. I'm happy because I don't have to hold my breath every time he has to jump into or out of the car.


----------



## mudypony

Sandakat said:


> To consider getting one or just to meet in person?


To consider getting one  Which will hopefully happen in 2017, or 2018 at the latest! 

The meet-up went great today, and I am now officially in love with the breed!!


----------



## parapluie

mudypony said:


> The meet-up went great today, and I am now officially in love with the breed!!


Yay!! So glad it went well! Did you get all your questions answered?


----------



## mudypony

parapluie said:


> Yay!! So glad it went well! Did you get all your questions answered?


Pretty much! He was basically everything I'm looking for in my next dog. I know he's just a single representation of the breed, but if most Beaucerons are remotely similar to him, I think I've found the breed for me


----------



## parapluie

mudypony said:


> Pretty much! He was basically everything I'm looking for in my next dog. I know he's just a single representation of the breed, but if most Beaucerons are remotely similar to him, I think I've found the breed for me


That is exactly how we felt driving away from meeting our first Eurasier. Sure there are differences between dogs within a breed, but sometimes there's just that special spark... It was there with the next 5 as well. SO exciting!!


----------



## Sandakat

mudypony said:


> To consider getting one  Which will hopefully happen in 2017, or 2018 at the latest!
> 
> The meet-up went great today, and I am now officially in love with the breed!!


That is very cool! I'm right there with you. I recently put a deposit down for a 2017 pup. LOL There are going to be lots of Beauce on this forum!


----------



## Pomom

That's great! I've never met one.

Totally random: Sybbie is lying on my lap with my iPad on her back. HeAted lap desk.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I really hope to get to go to an all breed show one of these days, because I would love to meet all different kinds of breeds!


----------



## mudypony

parapluie said:


> That is exactly how we felt driving away from meeting our first Eurasier. Sure there are differences between dogs within a breed, but sometimes there's just that special spark... It was there with the next 5 as well. SO exciting!!


There's definitely that special spark with the Beauceron. Every time I see one, my heart kind of skips a beat <3

Are you getting a Eurasier?? They're another one of the top breeds I hope to own one day! So gorgeous and fluffy!!!



Sandakat said:


> That is very cool! I'm right there with you. I recently put a deposit down for a 2017 pup. LOL There are going to be lots of Beauce on this forum!


Sooo cool!! By next year Beaucerons are gonna take over dogforums hahaha

------------------------

Also, I just got back from a dog show this morning. Didn't find the only Beauceron that was supposedly registered, BOO! But, there were SO MANY dogs there. Oh my gosh, it was awesome. There were over 30 Ridgebacks there, and it was like looking right at Duke. He looks so much like them, minus the ridge. 

There were so many breeds. My favorites were probably the Belgian Terverans, Borzois, Leonbergers, Rotties, Samoyeds. One of the rotties I met was so precious. He was only seven months old and crawled right into my lap and gave me hundreds of kisses; I loved him.

In addition to the conformation, there was dock diving, agility, rally, obedience, and barn hunt; it was really cool to see all the events.


----------



## CptJack

My downstairs heat broke yesterday and we're snowed in - so we couldn't get it fixed (it's an easy fix, really, but we can't do crap until we can get out). So, since one of my kids' rooms is down there I sent him upstairs to sleep with my husband and I stayed down in the FREEZING bedroom. 

Molly and Kylie had all the warm options in the world. Did they take them? No. They came and slept with me. In fairness I had an electric blanket and regular blankets, it wasn't bad, but the fact that they were curled up into little shivering balls of MISERY rather than staying warm upstairs - or even staying upstairs where it was warm, in a warm bed? Was both profoundly sweet and kind of dumb. 

(They also kept me warm).


----------



## Laurelin

I need some good vibes if anyone can spare them.  Just been a real crappy time lately and possibly getting crappier.


----------



## Eenypup

Laurelin said:


> I need some good vibes if anyone can spare them.  Just been a real crappy time lately and possibly getting crappier.


Good vibes to you. <3


----------



## parapluie

mudypony said:


> Are you getting a Eurasier?? They're another one of the top breeds I hope to own one day! So gorgeous and fluffy!!!


Yes!! If all goes well we should be bringing one home in April! Puppies due in a few weeks! eeeee!!!! 



CptJack said:


> Molly and Kylie had all the warm options in the world. Did they take them? No. They came and slept with me. In fairness I had an electric blanket and regular blankets, it wasn't bad, but the fact that they were curled up into little shivering balls of MISERY rather than staying warm upstairs - or even staying upstairs where it was warm, in a warm bed? Was both profoundly sweet and kind of dumb.


Aww, that is ridiculously sweet.


----------



## mudypony

parapluie said:


> Yes!! If all goes well we should be bringing one home in April! Puppies due in a few weeks! eeeee!!!!


Oh man, that's so exciting!! I'll be waiting patiently for pictures!


----------



## CptJack

Y'all remember how I used to say that if I sat down too close to Molly she'd get up and leave in a huff? 

And wasn't very affectionate in general?









Yeaaaaah, that's changed. She was sitting behind me in my chair watching the computer over my shoulder for ages. I mean it's changed in other ways too, like her sleeping with me, and all, but mostly she's grown into a dog who would like to live in my skin and must be touching me 23.5 hours a day. Some of it's probably all the fear crap but she's not actually fearful around the house/in her comfort zone, so. 

Mostly I think she just grew out of being Miss Independent.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I finally witnessed Rara tearing Lancer's ear fluff off for real. 

I walked into the living room and saw Rara's jaws clamped on a huge tuft of Lancer's ears and just yanking her head back, like she's playing tug LOOOL.

No wonder Lancer's precious ear fluffs are gone too. They play ear tug with each other. :|


----------



## sydneynicole

If my neighbors constantly let their dog out to wander the streets by itself, and they let it out during a snow storm and I happen to pick it up on my way home, can I just pretend to not know whose dog it is and give it to a friend who will actually take care of it? 

Ugh. Currently cutting mats out of his hair and pulling ice/snow chunks out of his paws. They aren't even looking for him. 

On a side note, my parents didn't bring one of their dogs to the vet when his eye was freaky looking and gunky and irritated because they 'didn't have the money'. But they have the money for booze, pizza, chinese food several times a week, every week... why do I always have to be the adult? There goes $200 and I don't even get to have the dog.


----------



## taquitos

Dogsignalfire said:


> I finally witnessed Rara tearing Lancer's ear fluff off for real.
> 
> I walked into the living room and saw Rara's jaws clamped on a huge tuft of Lancer's ears and just yanking her head back, like she's playing tug LOOOL.
> 
> No wonder Lancer's precious ear fluffs are gone too. They play ear tug with each other. :|


OMG RARA!!! lol!!!

When I was fostering a fellow mill survivor with Meeko a couple of years back, Meeko taught her to play by tugging at her tail. She started doing it to him, and eventually he lost like 50% of his hair on his tail LOL. He stopped tugging tails after he realized what he had taught her... but she continued to do it >_> Poor Meeko! LOL It's been like two years and his hair has finally grown back but it's just not the same... lol.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Whelp I wont be sleeping tonight LOL
I got a really pretty bad knee injury along with a mild concussion earlier this week due to a little snowboarding accident (concussion went away but knee is even worse) therefore I was not supposed to use my knee at all, I didnt listen..... I have a high pain tolerance, I am an athlete and get injuries ALL THE TIME and I usually heal pretty quickly, and I have a dog that needs to be walked and played with. So I did everything I would normally do even though it hurt like hell. Obviously it wasnt getting better and only getting worse, and since I didnt listen the first time I am now being watched like a hawk and am not allowed to do anything really apart from walking around the house with an uncomfortable brace thing. Now I spend my time sitting with a pack of ice and taking anti-inflammatories to get the swelling down. So Nova cant get walked, and I have literally nobody to do it for me, so she gets no exercise and I get no sleep......BLAH


----------



## dagwall

sydneynicole said:


> If my neighbors constantly let their dog out to wander the streets by itself, and they let it out during a snow storm and I happen to pick it up on my way home, can I just pretend to not know whose dog it is and give it to a friend who will actually take care of it?
> 
> Ugh. Currently cutting mats out of his hair and pulling ice/snow chunks out of his paws. They aren't even looking for him.


My neighbors are close to doing similar with another dog in our neighborhood. They found him roaming the neighborhood about a week ago in the morning, had him all day long looking for an owner. The owner knocked on my door at evening looking for the dog and I gave them my neighbors number after they showed me a picture of the dog. Well yesterday, keep in mind we have about 2 feet of snow on the ground here, they picked up the dog AGAIN. She'd had the dog for a few hours with no one out looking for him. Both the first time and this time there was no ID on the dog at all, not microchiped. He's not "getting out" by door dashing they just let him out off leash and don't really care where he goes. Also they do have a fenced in backyard...

So yesterday my neighbor confronted them saying if she found him out again he's going to the shelter to get a home where people actually care about him. Our local open intake shelter has an over 90% adoption rate so he'd be in no danger there. Woman was all full of excuses, none that had anything to do with letting the dog out off leash in front of the house and not caring when he ran off. I'm not sure but I THINK this is the same house that had a little white chi mix that I haven't seen for months. That dog was risking death pretty much every time I saw it, probably is dead thinking on it now. It would charge at me and my dog(s) barking and snarling, would run ACROSS the street to do so multiple times. I had warned them multiple times that the dog was going to get himself killed if they didn't use a leash. Either by a dog who wouldn't tolerate his nonsense or hit by a car. This might be the "replacement" dog for the chi mix. I hadn't heard anything about a dog hit or killed but it's very possible.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I made a connection with an awesome lady who is either having a conformation handling class or willing to teach me privately. I will be taking Kairi because it will be good for her (plus we are BORED in the winter) AND I'm interested in a conformation Aussie for next puppy possibly. Not only does she use positive methods, but she has shown Aussies! Such luck!

Also, got Kairi's ITD title for fun. We will have the next 2 after a little bit of practice and try for the TDCH in the Summer. Husband is doing trick stuff with Ember too. She is ROCKING it at tricks!


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I made a connection with an awesome lady who is either having a conformation handling class or willing to teach me privately. I will be taking Kairi because it will be good for her (plus we are BORED in the winter) AND I'm interested in a conformation Aussie for next puppy possibly. Not only does she use positive methods, but she has shown Aussies! Such luck!
> 
> Also, got Kairi's ITD title for fun. We will have the next 2 after a little bit of practice and try for the TDCH in the Summer. Husband is doing trick stuff with Ember too. She is ROCKING it at tricks!


Yay! That's awesome! Handling classes are nice and low stress.


----------



## Prozax

Gave the new pup her first bath in her new home and she took it like a champ ( with plenty of treats of course)! Next time we'll try going to a groomer so she can be fluffy and all pretty up, I don't know how to brush her. But she is gorgeous anyway!

Also, post bath zoomies! So cute till she knocked down the laptop )


----------



## CrystalGSD

Being sick + having a puppy doesn't work well. Hero hasn't been exercised in a few days because of my catching a bug and he's driving me UP THE WALL. Remind me to never get sick again :|


----------



## Kathyy

Had an amazing hike with Bucky this morning. He freaks out at new, or did, so I've been taking him to the same place over and over again making little side trips to get some new into him. I live near amazing open space and miss my favorite trails!

Today we went someplace entirely new. He and Ginger both had their super cute backpacks on and I carried regular leashes in case things got crazy but walked them with the flexis. He was able to come when asked to do so, had a blast sniffing and mostly stayed within the flexi's circle without hitting the end of it. On the way back I got tired of counting LLW steps and just did random treat tosses to make the walk more fun for them. Full disclosure, a very quiet hike with one bike/one hiker and zero dogs/horses. But he came when asked and was quiet and polite which was fantastic for him. He didn't seem overwhelmed at all.

Then I did a clicker session with the unused bits of cheese this evening and actually got a silly trick on him. No cue yet but he was rolling on his back and staying there for 5 seconds reliably. Eye contact is difficult but he wasn't doing the eye darting he used to do, tonight he was more looking at my chin so that was better as well.

Things are looking up! 5 months here. Good thing I didn't have any expectations of a perfect dog in X amount of time. Letting him settle in on his time table is paying off big time.


----------



## DogtorWho15

OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH 
I just found out that hedgehogs are now legal in Arizona!!!! I have been waiting for this for forever.... I know what my next pet shall be now :3 
*is happiest person on earth*


----------



## PatriciafromCO

just went to get my work out started to find Arka in the middle of the training floor with his bowl eating his dinner he picks up his bowl and carries it likes my workout mat .. Slays me one dog ( my Ra's lasting legacy) with a silly habit ends up teaching everyone a variation of doing it too.. Break my heart to displace him in mid dinner, will post pone my workout until he is done... lol the things that catch you by surprise lol ....


----------



## Pomom

Kathyy said:


> Had an amazing hike with Bucky this morning. He freaks out at new, or did, so I've been taking him to the same place over and over again making little side trips to get some new into him. I live near amazing open space and miss my favorite trails!
> 
> Today we went someplace entirely new. He and Ginger both had their super cute backpacks on and I carried regular leashes in case things got crazy but walked them with the flexis. He was able to come when asked to do so, had a blast sniffing and mostly stayed within the flexi's circle without hitting the end of it. On the way back I got tired of counting LLW steps and just did random treat tosses to make the walk more fun for them. Full disclosure, a very quiet hike with one bike/one hiker and zero dogs/horses. But he came when asked and was quiet and polite which was fantastic for him. He didn't seem overwhelmed at all.
> 
> Then I did a clicker session with the unused bits of cheese this evening and actually got a silly trick on him. No cue yet but he was rolling on his back and staying there for 5 seconds reliably. Eye contact is difficult but he wasn't doing the eye darting he used to do, tonight he was more looking at my chin so that was better as well.
> 
> Things are looking up! 5 months here. Good thing I didn't have any expectations of a perfect dog in X amount of time. Letting him settle in on his time table is paying off big time.


That's great! I am trying to be patient with a canine somebody too so good to hear!


----------



## kcomstoc

DogtorWho15 said:


> OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH
> I just found out that hedgehogs are now legal in Arizona!!!! I have been waiting for this for forever.... I know what my next pet shall be now :3
> *is happiest person on earth*


That's awesome post lots of pictures, I wanted a hedgehog


----------



## dagwall

It's Jubel's birthday today, my boy is 8 and I can't believe it. Time flies by way to fast. Signed us up for a treibball class last night... we'll see how that goes. He's either going to think it's a blast or not care at all... going to be interesting.


----------



## jade5280

dagwall said:


> It's Jubel's birthday today, my boy is 8 and I can't believe it. Time flies by way to fast. Signed us up for a treibball class last night... we'll see how that goes. He's either going to think it's a blast or not care at all... going to be interesting.


Happy birthday, Jubel!


----------



## Jen2010

> It's Jubel's birthday today, my boy is 8 and I can't believe it. Time flies by way to fast. Signed us up for a treibball class last night... we'll see how that goes. He's either going to think it's a blast or not care at all... going to be interesting.


 Wow, happy birthday Jubel!


----------



## kcomstoc

So on the way home from work today we rolled down the windows so Jake could stick his head out (we were stopped at a stop light) and we notice that the car next to us has a girl in the backseat with her phone out taking a picture of Jake, they didn't say anything to us or roll down their window to ask to take a picture they just did. Then the light turned green and they drove off and they were laughing. VERY STRANGE!! I mean I know Jake is adorable but why would you take a picture of him? To look at it later? to show your mom? to show your friends? you could just look up the breed based on a description right? I was kinda mad but at the same time flattered but at the same time WTH kinda thing


----------



## Crantastic

I've had lots of people ask to take photos of Casper (when he was a puppy, one of the front desk girls at a hotel even asked if she could hold him for a moment and get a picture with him). People just really like cute dogs, I guess!

Casper is uncooperative, though. He's constantly on alert when out in public, so photos of him are a blur because his head just keeps whipping around!


----------



## Jen2010

> So on the way home from work today we rolled down the windows so Jake could stick his head out (we were stopped at a stop light) and we notice that the car next to us has a girl in the backseat with her phone out taking a picture of Jake, they didn't say anything to us or roll down their window to ask to take a picture they just did. Then the light turned green and they drove off and they were laughing. VERY STRANGE!! I mean I know Jake is adorable but why would you take a picture of him? To look at it later? to show your mom? to show your friends? you could just look up the breed based on a description right? I was kinda mad but at the same time flattered but at the same time WTH kinda thing


 We get lots of compliments on Pepper and Kane; sometimes I just hear people talking about them. A few months ago we were at the boat launch and someone asked if they he take their picture. I don't have a problem with it. They do look pretty cute sticking their head out the same little back window  Kane started barking as soon as the guy spoke though so I'm not sure how good his picture turned out. I think they want to show others because they like the look of the dogs and want to get one similar in the future. Just a guess.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Ugh I hate bad dog park experiences. Some idiot lady wouldnt do squat with her dog, this dog kept getting into fights and actually hurting the dog he was attacking, like really hurting. And nobody knew who the owner was of that dog because all she did WAS JUST SIT! She just watched all the dogs as if she were at home with the TV she never corrected her dog, tried to even call it off the other dog or help break up the fight NOTHING. Made me so mad, the only reason I knew who the owner was, was because she finally left after like an hour or more. 
And Nova being the scaredy cat that she is, was crying, yes crying for 5 minutes after the fight was over. She wasnt apart of the fight at all, she was far away from it but it just scared her seeing another dog get beat up or something, after that she wouldnt leave my side. People kept asking me if she was ok lol.


----------



## TheDarkestMinds

CrystalGSD said:


> Being sick + having a puppy doesn't work well. Hero hasn't been exercised in a few days because of my catching a bug and he's driving me UP THE WALL. Remind me to never get sick again :|


This is why I have been avoiding public like the plague. I so don't want to be sick with an 11 week old puppy. It sucks period. Hope you feel better soon.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DogtorWho15 said:


> Ugh I hate bad dog park experiences. Some idiot lady wouldnt do squat with her dog, this dog kept getting into fights and actually hurting the dog he was attacking, like really hurting. And nobody knew who the owner was of that dog because all she did WAS JUST SIT! She just watched all the dogs as if she were at home with the TV she never corrected her dog, tried to even call it off the other dog or help break up the fight NOTHING. Made me so mad, the only reason I knew who the owner was, was because she finally left after like an hour or more.
> And Nova being the scaredy cat that she is, was crying, yes crying for 5 minutes after the fight was over. She wasnt apart of the fight at all, she was far away from it but it just scared her seeing another dog get beat up or something, after that she wouldnt leave my side. People kept asking me if she was ok lol.


I would have told that lady to leave, or I would call the police. I have done that before and I would do it again.


----------



## DogtorWho15

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I would have told that lady to leave, or I would call the police. I have done that before and I would do it again.


I wouldve approached her if I knew who she was at the time, but nobody had a clue who the owner was until she collected the dog and left, which by that time she wasnt a problem anymore, she was gone. :/


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

DogtorWho15 said:


> I wouldve approached her if I knew who she was at the time, but nobody had a clue who the owner was until she collected the dog and left, which by that time she wasnt a problem anymore, she was gone. :/


UGH :/ at least now you know what she and the dog look like, in case there is a next time.


----------



## CptJack

For safety I only buy one size dog chew - the size appropriate for Thud.

The results are sometimes amusing.


----------



## DogtorWho15

CptJack said:


> For safety I only buy one size dog chew - the size appropriate for Thud.
> 
> The results are sometimes amusing.


LOL! Why not? They last longer for the littler dogs in my experience XD 


P.S. I saw a dog the other day that looked EXACTLY like a mix of Kylie and Kdawnks Sansa


----------



## CptJack

Everyone else has given up on theirs and gone to sleep. Kylie is *still* chewing that thing and likely will be for quite a while. 

In other news, in PetSmart tonight a small child walked around a corner and made a beeline and grab for Kylie's face. Kylie evaded but there was no drama. Little dog has come a long, long way.


----------



## Pomom

Do you ever worry about her swallowing big chunks? It freaks me out so badly that I can't even buy most chews for my dogs.


----------



## CptJack

At that size? No way. 

That's himilayan chew wrapped around bully stick. Even the 100lb dog can't tear off chunks of that and it's all digestible anyway.


----------



## Prozax

Boyfriend got red wine on dog. Dog is taking a bath! How does that even happen haha :clap2:


----------



## CptJack

Prozac prescription has been achieved. We'll start giving it to her tomorrow morning and see how things go. Also going to be upping her exercise again and after about a week start back with some pretty heavy desensitization stuff again.


----------



## MysticRealm

Just put down my deposit for my Show Standard Poodle Puppy! Ah! Breeder has 2 litters coming up so I should get a pup this year, hopefully by summer! My poor bank account!


----------



## CrystalGSD

MysticRealm said:


> Just put down my deposit for my Show Standard Poodle Puppy! Ah! Breeder has 2 litters coming up so I should get a pup this year, hopefully by summer! My poor bank account!


Yay, congrats!


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> Prozac prescription has been achieved. We'll start giving it to her tomorrow morning and see how things go. Also going to be upping her exercise again and after about a week start back with some pretty heavy desensitization stuff again.


Hope the prozac works well for Molly! Personally, it's done wonders for my mom's dog. He used to be so on edge all the time and overly snarky with Duke. He just could not relax mentally. After the prozac, he's like a different dog. He's now tolerant of Duke's presence (training helped too, of course!) and is now capable of RELAXing. Also, I don't know if it's coincidence, but he also has more energy and is more playful since starting the prozac. Just a much happier dog in general.


----------



## CptJack

mudypony said:


> Hope the prozac works well for Molly! Personally, it's done wonders for my mom's dog. He used to be so on edge all the time and overly snarky with Duke. He just could not relax mentally. After the prozac, he's like a different dog. He's now tolerant of Duke's presence (training helped too, of course!) and is now capable of RELAXing. Also, I don't know if it's coincidence, but he also has more energy and is more playful since starting the prozac. Just a much happier dog in general.


Thanks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained etc. I still have some mixed feelings but screw it. If it helps, I'm there. The comprehensive plan at the moment is to give her the meds, increase her exercise again (weather has killed me, and I admit that I've slacked off lately just in general), and to pretty much start from scratch with desensitization/counter conditioning/training/b-mod type scenarios.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Prozac prescription has been achieved. We'll start giving it to her tomorrow morning and see how things go. Also going to be upping her exercise again and after about a week start back with some pretty heavy desensitization stuff again.


Hope it works for her.


Tyson has been on prozac since October, but we haven't had too many opportunities to test its effectiveness. He's not a zombie, as my husband expected.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Hope it works for her.
> 
> 
> Tyson has been on prozac since October, but we haven't had too many opportunities to test its effectiveness. He's not a zombie, as my husband expected.


Must be something about husbands. Mine is expecting a totally drugged out dog.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Must be something about husbands. Mine is expecting a totally drugged out dog.


Husbands are the worst. I think it bothers me because I took various anti-depressants while we were married - what does he think of me??? 




Did I just say that????


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I hope that Molly can find some relief with her new meds!


----------



## CrystalGSD

I get so paranoid when there are little kids at the dog park... there was this family that had six or seven kids, ranging from around ten to younger than two years old, and the kids were all running around like crazy. One randomly grabbed Crystal and pressed his face up against her face. I nearly peed myself thinking she was going to do something (she usually loves kids but at the dog park she gets very wound up). The kid did it before I could say anything, then he ran away and left. I don't know why people bring little kids to the dog park, though... especially when they're running wild. It's asking for a bite.


----------



## parapluie

CptJack said:


> Must be something about husbands. Mine is expecting a totally drugged out dog.


My grandparents' dog has been on Prozac for a while now. She isn't drugged out but there has been a huge improvement in her level of anxiety/reactiveness.  I hope all goes well with Molly!


----------



## mudypony

Been extremely proud of Duke lately! Our walks this week have been super productive. His LLW is coming along. It still takes constant work on my part because his first instinct is to pull pull pull as soon as I put the leash on (I swear I need to get into bikejoring or weight pull with him). But now we can get about 15-20 steps of LLW in a row. He's also much more engaged on walks and is paying attention to me more than the environment, which is awesome. Getting him to engage outside has always been a struggle, but he's learning that paying attention to me gets him yummy treats and play time. 

This morning I was especially impressed with him. During our training session outside, we came across another dog in the apartment complex a couple times, from a distance, of course. Every time Duke caught sight of the other dog I would throw a handful of kibble right in front of him before he reacted. By the fourth time he saw the dog, he was starting to look at me for his treats instead of reacting. Yayyy, progress.


----------



## Whip

Watching a dog age is so hard.  Millie has degenerative myelopathy and over time she's been getting more and more unstable in her hind end. She's 14 years old and I know a difficult decision is on the horizon. This dog has been with me since I was nine years old and I don't even know how I'm going to handle losing her. I need to invent a pill that makes dogs immortal.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Yay! @mudypony, I'm glad that Duke is improving! 

I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to work on LLW with Hero yet, despite him being almost five months old. At this point he is off leash 99% of the time and when he is on leash it is for when we need to cross roads or something and I don't have the time to spend training him to walk loosely. I'm probably going to regret this later... Oops.

So at this point I'm thinking about getting him different equipment for different standards. By that I mean maybe he has a harness for when I don't care if he's pulling or not and only use a collar when I want loose leash walking. Could dogs differentiate like this? I'm thinking about training him like this so that if I don't have time to reinforce loose leash walking I can just hook him up to his harness so I don't negate all the training I do before hand.


----------



## Willowy

Whip said:


> Watching a dog age is so hard.  Millie has degenerative myelopathy and over time she's been getting more and more unstable in her hind end. She's 14 years old and I know a difficult decision is on th horizon. This dog has been with me since I was nine years old and I don't even know how I'm going to handle losing her. I need to invent a pill that makes dogs immortal.


Ugh, it's awful isn't it? 3 of my dogs are 13 this year. . .Toby is weak in the back legs. He sometimes can't get up, and it turns out that it's not so easy to help a big dog get his feet under him. So I got this harness: http://www.chewy.com/dog/solvit-carelift-full-front-back/dp/53762 and it's super awesome . Can't recommend it enough.


----------



## Remaru

CrystalGSD said:


> Yay! @mudypony, I'm glad that Duke is improving!
> 
> I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to work on LLW with Hero yet, despite him being almost five months old. At this point he is off leash 99% of the time and when he is on leash it is for when we need to cross roads or something and I don't have the time to spend training him to walk loosely. I'm probably going to regret this later... Oops.
> 
> So at this point I'm thinking about getting him different equipment for different standards. By that I mean maybe he has a harness for when I don't care if he's pulling or not and only use a collar when I want loose leash walking. Could dogs differentiate like this? I'm thinking about training him like this so that if I don't have time to reinforce loose leash walking I can just hook him up to his harness so I don't negate all the training I do before hand.


I started training Lad to LLW almost as soon as I brought him home. I have to say that it has been well worth the effort put in. He stands politely next to me, walks beautifully both on and off leash, works on voice command, and I am always happy to take him out unless I am in extreme pain. He just walks so nicely next to me that I don't have to worry about him pulling, getting distracted, lunging, barking, he is just a lovely gentleman by my side. I don't even have to worry about my son walking him because he is always well behaved (my son is now 14 and as big as I am pretty much but I hate for him to have to wrangle a 60lb heavy pulling dog). 

Dogs can differentiate gear if trained to do so. My dogs who run know that when a specific harness is put on them they are running however they also still know their commands so if they are told to "stop" or "sit" they still do. If they can't do that they can't run, it would be dangerous. I am not comfortable training LLW in a collar with a dog that pulls or lunges, I start training with no leash in the house, then I usually move on to on leash in the house, then outside. I usually do start on a harness and move on to a flat collar or martingale depending on what I will be using.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I am a little like CrystalGSD, my pup is going to be six months on the 3rd of Feb. The only time she is on leash is when I take her with me to the arena when I go for Obedience and Agility with my other dogs twice a week. Right now I am just concentrating on her not getting too wild when she sees people and other dogs working in the arena. She has a really good sit whenever I stop and most of the time if I stop to talk to people as long as they do not make a big fuss over her. I have taken her into the Pet Stores and around town a bit but probably not as much as I should. She is really smart and does pay attention to me most of the time. She is such a different temperament than Kris, my Dobe, much more sensitive and playful so I am taking it slow with her.


----------



## DogtorWho15

I started working on LLW the second I got Nova, I cant stand a pulling dog especially if they are strong and can really pull like Nova. Now at a year old she is really good at it and we are finally starting off leash walking. I am still having problems with keeping her attention during walks (especially when the people we walk past are being stupid -.-) but she has improved in such a short amount of time! There are some crazy little dogs around her and like Duke did, she decided to look at me for her treat once we passed the dogs instead of pay attention to them. We can walk in pet stores very well usually even with a couple of dogs. I take her by all the crazy loud birds and cats and rodents and she could care less about them, I couldnt be more grateful for that! 
At the dog park, if I get up and start walking around, Nova is right there in a split second right by my side walking with me despite whats going on, and I really love that. There was one time I started walking around the park and she left walking with me to go sniff a new dog that had come in, after she sniffed him, she lost me (it was a really busy day) She started getting nervous and walked up to a lady that had my hair color and once she saw it wasnt me she freaked out, she was looking up at all the people and running back and forth by the gate we entered in and just tried everything to find me lol. Finally I called her and she was the happiest thing on earth! 
There was another time that she had got out of her yard at night and when I came out to get her she was gone. I didnt even have to look for her though because she was crying and crying trying to get back in the yard.
I feel like I can trust a little bit more that she wont run off, or if she does she will get scared and want to come back to me.

She actually walks better along side my bike than she does just on a normal walk, idk why lol!


----------



## CrystalGSD

I'm glad to hear that dogs can differentiate between gear.

I think part of the reason I haven't worked on it is because he isn't bad enough to bother me, lol. When I stop walking, he sits, if I'm sitting, he settles down on the leash and doesn't pull. He just keeps the leash taut. But I know this could change as he grows older. I'm going to start LLW training this weekend, though.


----------



## Pomom

Whip said:


> Watching a dog age is so hard.  Millie has degenerative myelopathy and over time she's been getting more and more unstable in her hind end. She's 14 years old and I know a difficult decision is on the horizon. This dog has been with me since I was nine years old and I don't even know how I'm going to handle losing her. I need to invent a pill that makes dogs immortal.


I need that pill fast. Pippin's back end is so weak he can't even get it on to his bed anymore. He is laying right now with just his head on the bed and the rest of him on the floor like a big giant pillow. He is also 14. He was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease almost two years ago though so I've had more time with him than I thought I would at the time. Prednisolone gave him good quality of life for a long time. I might have to increase his dose but I don't want to cuz it is killing his liver. Starting physio as soon as the chiropractor gets back from vacation on the 9th. Hoping I can avoid an increase in Pred. Love to Millie!


----------



## Pomom

I signed Sybbie up for a clicker training class today. It is a beginners class at a school that is super close, conveniently. I tried to do obedience with Hope but she wasn't motivated easily. Pippin and I did an agility class but also had our reasons for stopping. I've always wanted to go to a trial and now I am having dreams. I have my doubts that Sybbie has the drive though. Pippin had it, but the timing wasn't right. Oh well I am looking forward to it even if it just helps me with the basics. They do have a CGN prep course at this school though which would be cool and they also teach RallyO.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Quick happy rant here too... I finally broke through to Lancer's confidence in playing tug again (we've been doing short games with the rope and fetch reward to lead up to this point). He has not had confidence to play tug since he was a puppy, maybe 3 months old. He's 3.5 years old now! It has been that long!

We've been doing confidence building and focus/relaxation(? no idea if this is the right term) exercises pretty casually, but it shows through quickly in many ways. I hope I can build his love for tugging even more (though it'll take awhile), so we can then use tug as a reward for anything too! I never thought I would see the day. LOL.


----------



## CptJack

It's going to be really quiet here or at least few days. I was warned that Molly was going to be drowsy/lethargic until she adjusted and lose her appetite. The appetite loss doesn't worry me overly much yet, but she is definitely... sleepy.

Also feel almost like I should make a thread just so *I* can track things. I'd use a blog, but I don't have one of those


----------



## MysticRealm

Arg! Back to my pup sleeping in a crate for night! He's been sleeping in my bed just fine for at least 2 weeks now. For the last 3 days he has pooped in my bed every night! I thought ok, the first couple night, he just must have not gone just before bed them couldn't hold it (and he's small so I must not have felt him moving around), but last night he DID go poop at 11pm at night just before I got into bed, I then felt him waked up at 6:50am and took him out and he pooped again, so I thought phew, surely he didn't poop in the bed today. But he did!! So back to the crate for night he goes!


----------



## jade5280

CptJack said:


> It's going to be really quiet here or at least few days. I was warned that Molly was going to be drowsy/lethargic until she adjusted and lose her appetite. The appetite loss doesn't worry me overly much yet, but she is definitely... sleepy.
> 
> Also feel almost like I should make a thread just so *I* can track things. I'd use a blog, but I don't have one of those


 You should make a thread so I can follow you! Ryker definitely lost his appetite for a couple weeks, but wasn't drowsy because we started on a low mg.


----------



## CptJack

jade5280 said:


> You should make a thread so I can follow you! Ryker definitely lost his appetite for a couple weeks, but wasn't drowsy because we started on a low mg.


I'll get one up this afternoon/after lunch. 

She woke up to play some ball and eventually ate when I used food as a training reward, so. Not too bad.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> It's going to be really quiet here or at least few days. I was warned that Molly was going to be drowsy/lethargic until she adjusted and lose her appetite. The appetite loss doesn't worry me overly much yet, but she is definitely... sleepy.
> 
> Also feel almost like I should make a thread just so *I* can track things. I'd use a blog, but I don't have one of those


Poor little pumpkin. Hope it helps her in the end. She's such an awesome little dog and I hope she gets to fully enjoy life very soon. I'd be very interested in reading about your progress.

With Tyson, we started with a lower dosage and increased it after a week of no significant side effects. He vomited a little more often, but I didn't notice anything else different. Honestly, I still don't notice much difference.


----------



## CptJack

Out of curiosity, what's Tyson's dosage now?


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Out of curiosity, what's Tyson's dosage now?


20mgs and he's about 42lbs


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> 20mgs and he's about 42lbs


...I'm giving this a week and discussing with my vet. Molly's the same size and on literally TWICE that.

ETA: I mean. I trust him, and I'm sure there's reasoning but. It seems like a LOT.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> ...I'm giving this a week and discussing with my vet. Molly's the same size and on literally TWICE that.
> 
> ETA: I mean. I trust him, and I'm sure there's reasoning but. It seems like a LOT.


Our VB said the general recommendation is 1mg fluoxetine / 1kg body weight, and she had us give half the dosage for a week to gauge side effects.

I wonder if he might need a higher dose or a supplemental med, but I know my husband won't agree to another consultation and we're past our follow up period.


----------



## jade5280

cookieface said:


> Our VB said the general recommendation is 1mg fluoxetine / 1kg body weight, and she had us give half the dosage for a week to gauge side effects.
> 
> I wonder if he might need a higher dose or a supplemental med, but I know my husband won't agree to another consultation and we're past our follow up period.


Can your VB just write a new prescription for an increase without you having to go in for a follow up?


----------



## cookieface

jade5280 said:


> Can your VB just write a new prescription for an increase without you having to go in for a follow up?


I'm not sure. I'll admit that we fell off the training wagon, so I'm sure that's a factor, too. Once we're able to get out more (i.e., not dark at 5pm), I want to start some serious training and see what happens.


----------



## CptJack

I'd ask about the new ex for sure.

We were told from .6-1mg per pound and I'm cool with that but probably would have been happier with a ramp up. And I might to stay cool with the higher dose. Just... Depends. More talking likely anyway.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I want to try barn hunt, and lure coursing, but I can't find anything that is a reasonable distance from us  I know Lincoln would love both.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Not only is Nova the most vocal dog on planet earth, but the noises that come out of her are the strangest things 0_0.............
its like GrrrBRAFSdgreebaaaaarrerebrreeeegraaaaaa......I dont even know..... Maybe she was an alien in her previous life


----------



## mudypony

My mom's dog took Duke's usual spot next to me on the couch. So, now he's sitting on the opposite side of the couch giving me the glare of death and sighing repeatedly... what a drama king.


----------



## CptJack

mudypony said:


> My mom's dog took Duke's usual spot next to me on the couch. So, now he's sitting on the opposite side of the couch giving me the glare of death and sighing repeatedly... what a drama king.


I have a story and pictures for you when I stop being mobile. #notetoself


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> I have a story and pictures for you when I stop being mobile. #notetoself


(Im)patiently waiting....


----------



## CptJack

mudypony said:


> (Im)patiently waiting....


All right. 

So, brief background. We have dog beds scattered around the floor, mostly for Thud because he doesn't *do* furniture. Bug and Jack primarily spend all day in my husband's bed dozing together, but Molly and Kylie hang out on the sofa and living room with me while I work at the computer. 

So, this weekend we bought Molly a bed for the couch, since that's where she mostly hangs out. We didn't bother to get one for Kylie since Kylie has never, in her life, used any sort of dog bed. Anyway, we bring the one home for Molly and she perches above Molly like a vulture WAITING for Molly to move so she can take it. All kinds of sad eyes and emo, plonking her butt in it every chance she can get and being all sorts of emo when Molly's in it. 

So, we go and we buy one for her.










I feel I chose her harness patches well.










The freaking little SNOT.


----------



## parapluie

The visuals from both of your stories, mudypony and CptJack, are great. Was laughing reading them. Has Kylie touched hers at all since?


----------



## CptJack

parapluie said:


> The visuals from both of your stories, mudypony and CptJack, are great. Was laughing reading them. Has Kylie touched hers at all since?


Sleeping beside it doesn't count?!

She's been in it once, for about two seconds. Mostly, no. Because brat.


----------



## parapluie

Hahaha. 
Yes, technically her head was cuddling it in that photo.


----------



## MysticRealm

My 5 month old pom decided to scare me to death today. Was cleaning up my grooming shop at the end of the day. Had let Haku out about an hour earlier and all seemed well and good. So I'm vacuuming and I go to the front of the shop and see Haku and immediately stopped and went 'that is a sick dog!' He was hunkered down in this weird sitting position, droopy head, squinty eyes, and his tongue slightly sticking out. I picked him up and looked in his mouth, nothing in there but his tongue and gums were WHITE. I put him down and he wouldn't walk and would only stand all twisted and splayed out. He would not take treats or even look interested. I was like, omg, I think I need to drop everything and rush him to the vet. I quickly phoned my mom to talk it out with her. Just as I was about to hang up with her and take him to the vet, he started to follow Stryder, my poo, slowly. Walking a little weird but at least moving. Just a few seconds later he started to look more perky, a few seconds after that I offered him a treat and he walked over to me totally normal and happily took several pieces of food from me. And suddenly he was totally back to normal! It was probably less than 10 mins, and he is fine still a good 3 hours later (ate his supper, did a training session, played). I don't know what it was, the only weird things was that the big box my computer came in (that was empty but a kennel was on top of it so had some weight), was askew from where it normally sits (which is right beside where I found Haku looking ill) so I don't know if he tried to get behind it and got stuck and twerked something or bonked his head and so he felt bad for a few minutes till the feeling passed. Have no idea what, but thankfully he seems 100%. Will definitely be keeping a close eye on him though.


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> All right.
> 
> So, brief background. We have dog beds scattered around the floor, mostly for Thud because he doesn't *do* furniture. Bug and Jack primarily spend all day in my husband's bed dozing together, but Molly and Kylie hang out on the sofa and living room with me while I work at the computer.
> 
> So, this weekend we bought Molly a bed for the couch, since that's where she mostly hangs out. We didn't bother to get one for Kylie since Kylie has never, in her life, used any sort of dog bed. Anyway, we bring the one home for Molly and she perches above Molly like a vulture WAITING for Molly to move so she can take it. All kinds of sad eyes and emo, plonking her butt in it every chance she can get and being all sorts of emo when Molly's in it.
> 
> So, we go and we buy one for her.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I feel I chose her harness patches well.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The freaking little SNOT.


That is the best. EVER. I think this story makes me love Kylie even more hahaha

Also, I think Duke needs a matching harness. He can totally pull off pink, right?? 



parapluie said:


> The visuals from both of your stories, mudypony and CptJack, are great. Was laughing reading them. Has Kylie touched hers at all since?


Glad you got a laugh out of it haha! At least dramatic pups keep things interesting. Duke is now laying in the hallway outside my bedroom crying & sighing (have I mentioned he enjoys sighing?) because he wants to go to bed but refuses to go without me. He obviously has a rough life...


----------



## CptJack

Well. Thud wore a pink sparkly collar with hearts for months. So, yeah. He'd be fine in pink


----------



## Pomom

CptJack---which dog is which in your siggy? I think I know, but just wanna check my math.


----------



## CptJack

Pomom said:


> CptJack---which dog is which in your siggy? I think I know, but just wanna check my math.


Left to right:
Jack, Bug, Kylie, Thud, Molly


----------



## Pomom

CptJack said:


> Left to right:
> Jack, Bug, Kylie, Thud, Molly


 I was right!


----------



## Whip

Fable is slowly driving me be bonkers. First off, she makes a lot of noise and I'm afraid someone in my apartment building is going to complain. She doesn't actually bark a lot, but she does a whining/yipping/grumbling/growling like a bear cub thing. Plus, when she gets really excited she does a whining that's so high pitched it ends up being a sort of shriek. o.0 For about a month now she has loudly woken me up in the middle of the night. _Every_ night between 1:00 and 4:00 AM. I thought it must have been because I was feeding her too late, but moving her dinner earlier didn't change anything. She could have to pee from drinking water, but I mean, she did also drink water prior to the last month. When she wakes me I let her outside, she drinks a bit, and we go back to sleep. Or at least I try. Sometimes I can't fall asleep again for hours. :/ I am so sleep deprived from this that people keep telling me I look awful and worn out.


----------



## Pomom

Whip said:


> Fable is slowly driving me be bonkers. First off, she makes a lot of noise and I'm afraid someone in my apartment building is going to complain. She doesn't actually bark a lot, but she does a whining/yipping/grumbling/growling like a bear cub thing. Plus, when she gets really excited she does a whining that's so high pitched it ends up being a sort of shriek. o.0 For about a month now she has loudly woken me up in the middle of the night. _Every_ night between 1:00 and 4:00 AM. I thought it must have been because I was feeding her too late, but moving her dinner earlier didn't change anything. She could have to pee from drinking water, but I mean, she did also drink water prior to the last month. When she wakes me I let her outside, she drinks a bit, and we go back to sleep. Or at least I try. Sometimes I can't fall asleep again for hours. :/ I am so sleep deprived from this that people keep telling me I look awful and worn out.


Hope used to do the same thing, but only when we were at our weekly overnight at my parents's. So, perfect, she didn't just wake me but the whole house. At home she could sleep as long as I did, even if I indulged til 11am. So weird. I'd say try to ignore it so that she doesn't get reinforced, but you can't really do that in an apartment. Get to bed early tonight!


----------



## CrystalGSD

There were 2 Turkish Boz Dogs at the dog park yesterday. I've never seen let alone heard of that breed before, but they are stunning dogs. One was an adult and one was a puppy, and both were super friendly. The adult leaned on me and almost shoved me over LOL


----------



## mudypony

CrystalGSD said:


> There were 2 Turkish Boz Dogs at the dog park yesterday. I've never seen let alone heard of that breed before, but they are stunning dogs. One was an adult and one was a puppy, and both were super friendly. The adult leaned on me and almost shoved me over LOL


Never heard of that breed either. Just googled them, and, man, they are gorgeous! I love running across unique breeds just out and about.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Suddenly reverts back into browsing Malinois and Dutch Shep breeders and dogs 24/7 again. Halp.

I can't even have until at least 5 months from now. Sad.

It's almost over... moving out of this apartment is soon... only 3.5 months left... It's been an annoying year.


----------



## Pomom

MysticRealm said:


> My 5 month old pom decided to scare me to death today. Was cleaning up my grooming shop at the end of the day. Had let Haku out about an hour earlier and all seemed well and good. So I'm vacuuming and I go to the front of the shop and see Haku and immediately stopped and went 'that is a sick dog!' He was hunkered down in this weird sitting position, droopy head, squinty eyes, and his tongue slightly sticking out. I picked him up and looked in his mouth, nothing in there but his tongue and gums were WHITE. I put him down and he wouldn't walk and would only stand all twisted and splayed out. He would not take treats or even look interested. I was like, omg, I think I need to drop everything and rush him to the vet. I quickly phoned my mom to talk it out with her. Just as I was about to hang up with her and take him to the vet, he started to follow Stryder, my poo, slowly. Walking a little weird but at least moving. Just a few seconds later he started to look more perky, a few seconds after that I offered him a treat and he walked over to me totally normal and happily took several pieces of food from me. And suddenly he was totally back to normal! It was probably less than 10 mins, and he is fine still a good 3 hours later (ate his supper, did a training session, played). I don't know what it was, the only weird things was that the big box my computer came in (that was empty but a kennel was on top of it so had some weight), was askew from where it normally sits (which is right beside where I found Haku looking ill) so I don't know if he tried to get behind it and got stuck and twerked something or bonked his head and so he felt bad for a few minutes till the feeling passed. Have no idea what, but thankfully he seems 100%. Will definitely be keeping a close eye on him though.


That sounds terrifying, especially the pale gums. Did you look in his mouth after he felt better? They sure know how to worry us!


----------



## Pomom

CrystalGSD said:


> There were 2 Turkish Boz Dogs at the dog park yesterday. I've never seen let alone heard of that breed before, but they are stunning dogs. One was an adult and one was a puppy, and both were super friendly. The adult leaned on me and almost shoved me over LOL


 Googled them too. Wow! No wonder he nearly knocked you over! I much prefer the natural ears though.


----------



## taquitos

I am having serious dog owner guilt.

I know tons of dogs are totally OK with their owners being away all day because of work... but I only just started doing that and I feel terrible about it.

My poor dog


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

taquitos said:


> I am having serious dog owner guilt.
> 
> I know tons of dogs are totally OK with their owners being away all day because of work... but I only just started doing that and I feel terrible about it.
> 
> My poor dog


Be prepared, when you get your MAS they KNOW just how to make you feel like scum for leaving them, LOL. Lincoln gives me this "but mommy, why?!" every time I leave and he knows I am coming back, just the thought that he didnt get to go, and that he might be missing out on something fun, ESPECIALLY if I dress in what he considers to be "training class clothes".


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Ember is becoming increasingly insecure and fear aggressive around some dogs (yay teenage BC..). She is becoming more and more fearful of me handling her (not as bad with my husband.. she trusts him more). She is a very VERY soft and insecure dog. I'm not overly soft of a person and have some anxious breakdowns at times. If I even FEEL upset.. she thinks I'm going to beat her or something. She ate a big chunk of poop today and had it stuck in her teeth. I was noticeably annoyed while getting some of it out. Now she will barely let me touch her in fear of me being "mad" at her. I didn't yell.. I wasn't rough.. told her she was okay.. but she KNEW I was upset. She is just so easy to BREAK. Sigh. 

It's so difficult to mask true feelings for an overly soft dog who knows exactly how you really feel. Now I have to pick up the pieces that I have screwed up with her. This dog is becoming a mess. I feel like I failed her. I know part of it is genetic (she was unusually snappy and confusing from the day I brought her home..) and part of it being a teen but man do I feel like crap. Back to square one. Cookies for all things. No training when I'm anxious.


----------



## jade5280

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ember is becoming increasingly insecure and fear aggressive around some dogs (yay teenage BC..). She is becoming more and more fearful of me handling her (not as bad with my husband.. she trusts him more). She is a very VERY soft and insecure dog. I'm not overly soft of a person and have some anxious breakdowns at times. If I even FEEL upset.. she thinks I'm going to beat her or something. She ate a big chunk of poop today and had it stuck in her teeth. I was noticeably annoyed while getting some of it out. Now she will barely let me touch her in fear of me being "mad" at her. I didn't yell.. I wasn't rough.. told her she was okay.. but she KNEW I was upset. She is just so easy to BREAK. Sigh.
> 
> It's so difficult to mask true feelings for an overly soft dog who knows exactly how you really feel. Now I have to pick up the pieces that I have screwed up with her. This dog is becoming a mess. I feel like I failed her. I know part of it is genetic (she was unusually snappy and confusing from the day I brought her home..) and part of it being a teen but man do I feel like crap. Back to square one. Cookies for all things. No training when I'm anxious.


 That sucks  Panzer is softer than I excepted him to be and he picks up when I am frustrated as well, but definitely not to the extent that Ember is. If he were any softer I don't think I would enjoy training him as much.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ember is becoming increasingly insecure and fear aggressive around some dogs (yay teenage BC..). She is becoming more and more fearful of me handling her (not as bad with my husband.. she trusts him more). She is a very VERY soft and insecure dog. I'm not overly soft of a person and have some anxious breakdowns at times. If I even FEEL upset.. she thinks I'm going to beat her or something. She ate a big chunk of poop today and had it stuck in her teeth. I was noticeably annoyed while getting some of it out. Now she will barely let me touch her in fear of me being "mad" at her. I didn't yell.. I wasn't rough.. told her she was okay.. but she KNEW I was upset. She is just so easy to BREAK. Sigh.
> 
> It's so difficult to mask true feelings for an overly soft dog who knows exactly how you really feel. Now I have to pick up the pieces that I have screwed up with her. This dog is becoming a mess. I feel like I failed her. I know part of it is genetic (she was unusually snappy and confusing from the day I brought her home..) and part of it being a teen but man do I feel like crap. Back to square one. Cookies for all things. No training when I'm anxious.


Please "forgive yourself" your a better owner for being honest of your short comings and the best owner to make changes because your aware of yourself and cause and effect ...... being your solution is letting it go, walk away, make a plan and come back to expedite your plan consciously..... not everything has to be dealt with immediately.... Some days or areas are just not the right time to work with them... do something else instead that brings you closer instead of pushing you further away..


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ember is becoming increasingly insecure and fear aggressive around some dogs (yay teenage BC..). She is becoming more and more fearful of me handling her (not as bad with my husband.. she trusts him more). She is a very VERY soft and insecure dog. I'm not overly soft of a person and have some anxious breakdowns at times. If I even FEEL upset.. she thinks I'm going to beat her or something. She ate a big chunk of poop today and had it stuck in her teeth. I was noticeably annoyed while getting some of it out. Now she will barely let me touch her in fear of me being "mad" at her. I didn't yell.. I wasn't rough.. told her she was okay.. but she KNEW I was upset. She is just so easy to BREAK. Sigh.
> 
> It's so difficult to mask true feelings for an overly soft dog who knows exactly how you really feel. Now I have to pick up the pieces that I have screwed up with her. This dog is becoming a mess. I feel like I failed her. I know part of it is genetic (she was unusually snappy and confusing from the day I brought her home..) and part of it being a teen but man do I feel like crap. Back to square one. Cookies for all things. No training when I'm anxious.


Hubby's dog is just like this, if she even THINKS you are mad (even if I am not, its mainly me, since I have a very strong, type A personality), she will fold like a cheap lawn chair and shut down, which, in turn makes me more frustrated and anxious :/. Luckily she isnt my dog, and I dont have to deal with her often but I just released the anxiety of "upsetting " her and just started being myself, if she doesnt like it, tough. I know that sounds harsh, but I am who I am, and I can't pretend to be someone else forever. 

UGH, in related news, I accidently hit the crap out of Lincoln in the face with the chuck it stick while playing today, and for a bit he did avoid me (I have never laid a hand on him, ever, so this came as a shock to him, I think it was more the emotional shock of "mommy HIT me!" then him actually being hurt by it) but, I called him over to me and said I was sorry, and he got over it in the end LOL.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ember is becoming increasingly insecure and fear aggressive around some dogs (yay teenage BC..). She is becoming more and more fearful of me handling her (not as bad with my husband.. she trusts him more). She is a very VERY soft and insecure dog. I'm not overly soft of a person and have some anxious breakdowns at times. If I even FEEL upset.. she thinks I'm going to beat her or something. She ate a big chunk of poop today and had it stuck in her teeth. I was noticeably annoyed while getting some of it out. Now she will barely let me touch her in fear of me being "mad" at her. I didn't yell.. I wasn't rough.. told her she was okay.. but she KNEW I was upset. She is just so easy to BREAK. Sigh.
> 
> It's so difficult to mask true feelings for an overly soft dog who knows exactly how you really feel. Now I have to pick up the pieces that I have screwed up with her. This dog is becoming a mess. I feel like I failed her. I know part of it is genetic (she was unusually snappy and confusing from the day I brought her home..) and part of it being a teen but man do I feel like crap. Back to square one. Cookies for all things. No training when I'm anxious.


Go easy on yourself. Some dogs are just hard!


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Thanks all. We did a nice Counter Conditioning session and she (and I) seems to have relaxed a bit. She has a wonderful, fun, quirky and sweet side to her.. but them issues. Border Collies.. I tell ya.


----------



## CptJack

We took Thud in for a check on his heart and basically there's nothing, or danged near nothing, there. We picked up some ear wash for him since he's got one ear looking a little iffy, but that was about it. 

The more interesting part was the fact that Thud was trying his darnedest to climb the guy and lick his face off after about 10 seconds. Which led to "SEE? ALL OUR DOGS AREN"T INSANE!" in a joking kind of way since he'd seen Molly less than a week ago for meds. To which he said roughly "she's probably playing with a full deck but it needs reshuffled. Several times." 

I love that, actually, and it makes me laugh. Mostly it just makes me feel better to know that I don't break every puppy I raise. (Kylie is pretty good too but Molly was murdering my confidence)


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Thanks all. We did a nice Counter Conditioning session and she (and I) seems to have relaxed a bit. She has a wonderful, fun, quirky and sweet side to her.. but them issues. Border Collies.. I tell ya.


I sympathize. 

I so, so sympathize. not just with living with them but man they can be a kick right in YOUR confidence.


----------



## Willowy

How did Border Collies get like that anyway? I've met sheep farmers and they aren't generally quiet and gentle kinda guys . I suppose they do have to develop patience because sheep are stupid and easily scared. . .but even so, I can't see them putting up with spooky and soft dogs. Weird.


----------



## DogtorWho15

ugh Nova has what looks like an ear infection, she shakes her head and scratches at it so much it is beginning to bleed -.- 
I have been pouring either hydrogen peroxide down it (which makes it STINK BAD) or apple cider vinager. 
Hopefully itll be fixed soon and I wont have to take her to the vet.


On another note, she got SPOOKED today when we were jogging by a car that had a noisy trailer, nearly pulled me over trying to run away.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Willowy said:


> How did Border Collies get like that anyway? I've met sheep farmers and they aren't generally quiet and gentle kinda guys . I suppose they do have to develop patience because sheep are stupid and easily scared. . .but even so, I can't see them putting up with spooky and soft dogs. Weird.


I wanna know this too. Most of the collies I have met have been pretty dang tough dogs that dont seem soft at all.


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> How did Border Collies get like that anyway? I've met sheep farmers and they aren't generally quiet and gentle kinda guys . I suppose they do have to develop patience because sheep are stupid and easily scared. . .but even so, I can't see them putting up with spooky and soft dogs. Weird.


Well. 

How many BC do you know, who are working down on the farm, that need to cope with a bunch of other fast moving dogs, barking dogs, bicycles, running kids, and basically suburban life. They're bred to respond and react to motion and on a working farm that is FANTASTIC. Put them in suburbia or a city or even rural neighborhood and things can get a little... screwy. 

And to be blunt, BC have been bred for a long, long, time to WORK. Not to be good pets, not to have sound temperaments in general (not like unsound but things that just don't get tested and nipping the grandkids doesn't matter so much if they're good at the job/vital to the farm - my grandparents BC was a good example of THAT), not to be gentle and sweet and loving to everyone and like all the people and other dogs, but to be highly responsive to their (often singular or at most two) person, follow those directions - usually subtle directions - and CHASE THINGS. Pretty specialized.

Also I'd like to say that if you go talk to some working BC owners - as in using them on sheep - they don't want tough as nails dogs. Not dogs who melt down at being told they're wrong, but dogs who take being wrong seriously. Molly is spooky to things around here but know what she's not? Soft to CORRECTION. If I'm mad? She's a puddle but I can "YOU ARE WRONGITY WRONG WRONG" until I"m blue in the face and she just wags her tail and bounces around and does better. Difference, there, in responding to a mood or gesture and not being able to take a correction.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> I sympathize.
> 
> I so, so sympathize. not just with living with them but man they can be a kick right in YOUR confidence.


Ember is definitely not to Molly level.. but she definitely has me worried. I know all BC's aren't like ours.. because I've met them. BUT I'm hearing more and more stories of aggressive/fearful/really messed up BCs. 



Willowy said:


> How did Border Collies get like that anyway? I've met sheep farmers and they aren't generally quiet and gentle kinda guys . I suppose they do have to develop patience because sheep are stupid and easily scared. . .but even so, I can't see them putting up with spooky and soft dogs. Weird.


Well, Ember would probably be a lot happier and normal if her life was on the farm. She would seriously love doing what she was bred to do nearly everyday and living as a farm dog. No walks, no random dogs, the same old stuff going on all the time. No pressure to be anything else. I don't really know the answer to that.. but because Border Collies are already a soft and quirky breed.. it isn't hard to breed toward fearful and a little too whacky.


----------



## CptJack

And yeah, also I should say:

I've met some really perfectly stable BC. I haven't met very many who haven't had at least periods of being kooky, but they're out there. 

Also almost ALL herding breeds are prone to reactivity. Goes hand in hand, honestly, with drive and intelligence. Softness goes with biddability. It's easy to cross the line.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Ember is definitely not to Molly level.. but she definitely has me worried. I know all BC's aren't like ours.. because I've met them. BUT I'm hearing more and more stories of aggressive/fearful/really messed up BCs.


Honestly, just looking around the BC forums and searching for 'prozac'? ...There's a lot of BC on drugs. And even more who are seriously fearful, reactive, and fear aggressive. A LOT. I love Molly dearly and she's THISCLOSE to perfect for me (my temperament is very different from yours) but man alive. 

Older puppy or an adult if I do this again. Or a farm.


----------



## Laurelin

If my work could figure their stuff out that'd be great. I'm sitting around waiting on layoff news. 

I decided to go ahead and enter the ORT because there are never ORTs nearby. Even if I'm jobless by then...

And... I want to buy a puppy. But I cannot put my name on puppy lists until I figure out if I have a job or not. 

And yeah. It's been almost a month since they announced layoffs and no news yet.

EDIT: Also Summer had 4 seizures this month so we're trying her on new meds.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> Well, Ember would probably be a lot happier and normal if her life was on the farm. She would seriously love doing what she was bred to do nearly everyday and living as a farm dog. No walks, no random dogs, the same old stuff going on all the time. No pressure to be anything else.


I feel you, a lot. Though Lancer's really very good now and relatively easily managed with me, he would obviously be a ton happier living on a farm and herding all day, quiet environment, no new environments or people, nobody else except him and his owner and some cattle/sheep- which are about the only things in the universe that he is instinctively confident and cocky and happy to deal with, besides tennis balls LOL.

(Unsure what to add, but I feel ya. :s )


----------



## Laurelin




----------



## CrystalGSD

Ugh, giving Crystal medication is so tough. She has some sort of eye inflammation in both of her eyes so the vet gave us eye drops that we are supposed to give three times a day for a week. Um... Nope. We've given it maybe once a day, and it is a STRUGGLE just to get the drops in her eyes. We have tried everything, peanut butter, muzzling her, etc. it's terrible. She snaps and writhes and won't let us do anything. She's not doing it out of evil either, she just gets SO scared!

Going to the vet is extremely hard too. She literally hyperventilates and shakes and froths at the mouth from fear. Even when muzzled it is a struggle to do anything with her, she literally goes rabid from fear. The vet gave us some anxiety medication for when we need to go to the vet next week since she needs to get multiple shots and her eyes checked up on. I hope it works. I just worry about how we will care for her when she gets older if she won't allow us to medicate her. It's going to be rough. :/


----------



## Kyllobernese

Sorry to hear about Summer. I can't believe that Remmy has not had a seizure since August 2015. He had gone 13 months before that one after having them fairly regularly since his first one in 2013. When I had him to the Vet that did all the initial tests on him when he first started having them in 2013 she said they do not usually stop. He goes to Agility practice twice a week and is really enjoying it. First trial March 5/6, our only indoor trial till next November.


----------



## CptJack

Molly: /sleeping
Me: Hey Molly?
Molly: Huh?
Me: Nothing.
Molly: Thousand yard stare of woe and a deep sigh. 

>.> Poor dog.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Whelp the at home treatment of Novas ear didnt work at all, and it just keeps getting worse, so we have a vet appt. today that I AM NOT looking forward to.... The last one was awful and she just gets so scared and breaks down. 
Her ear is swollen and inflamed and super bright red, it has some extra gunk in there and is also bloody, idk if that from her trying to scratch or what. But she slept in till 10 this morning because it bothered her so much last night, she did not sleep at all! 

Wish us luck at the vet! We are getting a new guy today, hopefully he handles her well unlike the last one.


----------



## parapluie

CptJack said:


>


Her eyes  Want to hug her (in a non-threatening to dogs kind of magical way).


----------



## CptJack

parapluie said:


> Her eyes  Want to hug her (in a non-threatening to dogs kind of magical way).


I know. If it makes you feel better, she really was just sleepy and 'oh god why'ing at the computer then went back to sleep. 

Or, you know. Have this.



















Which are also from today.


----------



## parapluie

Much better!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Staring at Vrijheid dutchies and wanting. skldfskfjlsf


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I regret I didn't buy my BC from the local breeder with heavy show lines. Met her dogs and related dogs at dogfest when Ember was a pup. They were incredibly tolerant to everything and very social to both dogs and people. I hate how fluffy they are though and the heads are just.. ehhhh on some of them. Husband rejected the idea right away before Ember. BUT I think he and I both learned that all BC will come from that kind of breeding or adult rescue from now on. Oh well. Ember makes me a better trainer.


I hope that everything gets squared away with your job stuff soon Laurelin. That is not cool. And so sorry to hear about Summer.


----------



## CptJack

My conflict with the BC thing is ultimately that the show dogs are incredibly social and friendly but the ones I've seen in agility are... not at all BC like in either drive or speed. They're very sweet, but honestly they're kind of like a small black and white show golden - not even sports goldens or a drivey/high energy golden. They're SWEET and they're happy to work with people but that thing that makes a BC a BC? isn't there. 

I have no doubt that's not universally true, and I am likely talking about maybe 2 or 3 of the nearest breeders in the southeast, but I don't like the LOOK at all, either, so. IDK. Something. I'm reaching the point where I fully believe that dogs who are typically driven and soft are also a hair's breath from being reactive and fearful and it's just part of the package. Not to the degree of Molly, but I really do kind of think it's a risk you take with that particular type of dog. 

And that to make sure you don't get it you have to give something up. 

(Sports dogs are right out for me.) Tailsman farms is still a possibility for me, though, because it seems like their dogs are pretty well balanced all around but aren't confo dogs. But mostly I am in the land of 'IDK" and still, fortunately, probably 5 or more years out having to figure it out.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I definitely agree they aren't really they same in the heavy show lines. As long as the cross isn't overly extreme in head and coat.. I WANT my fluffy black and white Golden Retriever!  Ember didn't end up having a huge ton of agility drive, which is fine for my husband but a show bred BC would have suited him (AND US) just as well.

Also.. Aussie puppy fever so bad. I can't handle it. I don't need a puppy yet. I don't need a puppy yet.


----------



## elrohwen

I know a breeder (of briards) who has show line BCs and does quite well with them in agility. She gets show line dogs who are also proven in performance, because she also enjoys showing in confo and likes to do it all. I met her new puppy and she was very outgoing and happy. 

Not sure about "lacking what makes a BC a BC" because I honestly don't have a wide variety of BC experience (they don't seem very common here, even in my agility classes). But some of the show/performance line dogs seem nice. Though I agree on hating the heads on some and the super fluffiness on others.


----------



## CptJack

I'm just having a lot of thinky thoughts about this lately as it relates to me. 

Like. Molly's too extreme with all of this, for sure. She's got some serious issues. I absolutely do not want to go down this rabbit hole again.

But. If I had to choose between one extreme and the other- 

With a dog like Thud on one end who is hard, lacking a lot of handler focus and who has driven for only things I don't control but can go anywhere and is totally bomb proof, friendly with people and all other dogs (off property, on his property there is some serious NO to other male dogs if they're not under 30lbs) 

And a dog on the other end who is sharp, reactive, super soft and is absolutely not dog or people friendly but is handler focused, sensitive, soft, and has a ton of desire to play games like ball and frisbee on the other end. 

I honestly think the dog I can't do dog sports with, and has to stay home. 

My issue is fear of crossing the line into the nervous wreck MOLLY is, again, ultimately. 

I really just don't know.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I know a breeder (of briards) who has show line BCs and does quite well with them in agility. She gets show line dogs who are also proven in performance, because she also enjoys showing in confo and likes to do it all. I met her new puppy and she was very outgoing and happy.
> 
> Not sure about "lacking what makes a BC a BC" because I honestly don't have a wide variety of BC experience (they don't seem very common here, even in my agility classes). But some of the show/performance line dogs seem nice. Though I agree on hating the heads on some and the super fluffiness on others.


honestly? For me it's intensity, sharpness, and softness/handler focus. Some reserve and caution. 

When they get super friendly and wiggly and happy and kind of goofy they're missing the core of why I have a BC instead of a golden or brit. 

But. Those are the dogs who are competing and Molly's, you know, home and not doing a blamed thing including being incredibly functional somedays so it's not like I'm saying inherently better.

It's just that the traits I LIKE are awfully close to the line of things I DON'T.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> When they get super friendly and wiggly and happy and kind of goofy they're missing the core of why I have a BC instead of a golden or brit.


I think there is still a difference between herder and sporter, even if the herder is on the wiggly and friendly end of the spectrum. Though I totally see what you mean.



> It's just that the traits I LIKE are awfully close to the line of things I DON'T.


I was just going to say this before I saw your edit. lol The things you say you like are the same traits that easily shift from quirky to crazy.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I was just going to say this before I saw your edit. lol The things you say you like are the same traits that easily shift from quirky to crazy.


Yep. The exact same traits I love at a certain level are RIGHT ON THAT LINE for being pure nuttiness when taken further - and sometimes just a little further. Probably I will get a sporting (and yes, I agree there is a difference, still) or a companion breed if I end up with a puppy, and an older puppy or rescue dog if I go back to BC. What I want is out there, but my GOD I am reluctant to take that kind of risk again.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> My conflict with the BC thing is ultimately that the show dogs are incredibly social and friendly but the ones I've seen in agility are... not at all BC like in either drive or speed. They're very sweet, but honestly they're kind of like a small black and white show golden - not even sports goldens or a drivey/high energy golden. They're SWEET and they're happy to work with people but that thing that makes a BC a BC? isn't there.
> 
> I have no doubt that's not universally true, and I am likely talking about maybe 2 or 3 of the nearest breeders in the southeast, but I don't like the LOOK at all, either, so. IDK. Something. I'm reaching the point where I fully believe that dogs who are typically driven and soft are also a hair's breath from being reactive and fearful and it's just part of the package. Not to the degree of Molly, but I really do kind of think it's a risk you take with that particular type of dog.
> 
> And that to make sure you don't get it you have to give something up.
> 
> (Sports dogs are right out for me.) Tailsman farms is still a possibility for me, though, because it seems like their dogs are pretty well balanced all around but aren't confo dogs. But mostly I am in the land of 'IDK" and still, fortunately, probably 5 or more years out having to figure it out.


Talisman farms breeds aussies, too. Though they keep tails and I dont care for tails on an aussie, BUT, that being said, her aussies are awesome, bred for sport, too


----------



## Laurelin

The show BCs I know are very very BC in temperament. I don't know any bred strictly for show, though, they are all arounders. I'm not a fan of their coat and face type and the fact that the ones here drop bars a lot. But they are certainly BCs in temperament. Fast, intense, soft, really aware of handler pressure, etc. In fact one is probably one of the highest drive BCs I know.

I'm probably going to go to a sport breeder. I only have 3 points of reference for the lines but 2/3 are what I want pretty exactly. The third is too high/not clear headed enough but still very social with people and dogs. I'm ok risking too much drive but I'll be asking for a lower drive pup and be avoiding some specific pairings. 

I haven't been real impressed with the working bred dogs (mostly structurally) here. And I honestly haven't seen more weirdness in sports dogs. Maybe more drive but idk. We'll see how it goes but I like the dogs from the breeder I'm looking at a lot. 

BUT not until job stuff works its way out. May found out next week. :/


----------



## Laurelin

Last weekend I cuddled 6 week old border whippets all day. If I thought I'd enjoy a sight hound, they'd be so tempting. Thankfully they were already all spoken for.


----------



## Whip

CptJack said:


> honestly? For me it's intensity, sharpness, and softness/handler focus. Some reserve and caution.
> 
> When they get super friendly and wiggly and happy and kind of goofy they're missing the core of why I have a BC instead of a golden or brit.


This is why when I do get a border collie I'm going to go with working lines. I think the show line dogs are gorgeous, but often (though not always) too much like a golden retriever in a BC suit. In my experience sporting lines tend to be a hit or miss in temperament, some totally lacking any self control or off switch, though in those cases that's usually because the breeder was breeding for energy and drive and putting everything else on the back burner.

A lot of people tend to find the energy of border collies to be very overwhelming, but I personally find it less overwhelming than that of a lab, for example. I think that's because it's more. . .focused? And BCs generally are good at channeling that energy into a specific task (of course, potentially to an obsessive degree) rather than having that sort of scattered hyperness.


----------



## Laurelin

I think it really is breeder and parents more than lines. I had always heard that working lines were less crazy than sport and show lines were driveless but I find that's not really true at all. The biggest differences I've seen are just in looks mainly.

Anyways, I am pretty firmly decided I'm not a one breed person. Next is a BC for sure. Then after that who knows?


----------



## DogtorWho15

So the vet trip was a lot longer than expected, BUT it was great! The new guy was AMAZING with her, absolutely amazing. He and his assistant handled her so so well, they let her take as much time as she needed and built some trust with her, and were calm and quiet and gentle, it was just great.
Although Nova didnt like being there, she was still much more comfortable than all the other times. She started to fall asleep on the floor while we were waiting for him to look at a swab under the scope, which I never thought she would ever do that.
They did muzzle her just in case, but she didnt act like she wanted to bite them at all, she wasnt warning them, her first thought was to just run which is good considering she snarled at the last lady who was awful. She took treats from them and walked close to them and was just really great for a scared dog.

Anywho, they said her ear was a big mess, and I have a million different things I have to give her each day. She is on prednisone and something called terbinafine and then of course the actual ear care stuff that I gotta quirt into it a couple times a day. This is not gonna be fun....


----------



## CptJack

Whip said:


> This is why when I do get a border collie I'm going to go with working lines. I think the show line dogs are gorgeous, but often (though not always) too much like a golden retriever in a BC suit. In my experience sporting lines tend to be a hit or miss in temperament, some totally lacking any self control or off switch, though in those cases that's usually because the breeder was breeding for energy and drive and putting everything else on the back burner.
> 
> A lot of people tend to find the energy of border collies to be very overwhelming, but I personally find it less overwhelming than that of a lab, for example. I think that's because it's more. . .focused? And BCs generally are good at channeling that energy into a specific task (of course, potentially to an obsessive degree) rather than having that sort of scattered hyperness.


Yeah. Molly's working bred, her parents are fine - I met them. So I don't even know. But she's not something I want to repeat. The energy and drive are fine. Some reactivity is okay, but she's just... not wired right at all.


----------



## CptJack

After fumbling around for a while trying to figure out exactly what the rush I get out of agility is, I have nailed it down. 

It isn't being proud or the reaction to having been nervous or having achieved something or succeeded at doing something difficult. It's that when it goes right? I fall totally, head over heels, in love with the dog I'm with. It happens over and over and over, and it's the best feeling in the WORLD.


----------



## Whip

Yep, I agree that a lot of it is based on the breeder as opposed to just general lines. I'm just speaking from my own experience; I really can't make any broad sweeping statements.

CptJack, do you know if any of Molly's littermates are experiencing similar issues?


----------



## CptJack

Whip said:


> Yep, I agree that a lot of it is based on the breeder as opposed to just general lines. I'm just speaking from my own experience; I really can't make any broad sweeping statements.
> 
> CptJack, do you know if any of Molly's littermates are experiencing similar issues?


I know her brother's generally pretty timid, but not 'forward aggression' about it. There was another/third puppy I know nothing at all about.

HOWEVER, IN FAIRNESS: Molly's litter was an oops litter and while her parents were both physically and mentally sound on their own and MOM has a solid, known, background, the background of her father was unknown. So who knows what the heck was lurking back there. 

And frankly until you asked me that question, I hadn't even thought about it.


----------



## Eenypup

Always love when one side of the dog park is empty and her one little terrier friend is around so they can play chase, and I can watch her safely and happily enjoying a dog's company  We've come very far, Bean! She loves to howl and grumble as she tries to catch up to him, he's less than 2 years old so she never does!


----------



## CrystalGSD

We randomly met Hero's sister at the dog park! It was hilarious, lol, a dog came up to Hero that looked suspiciously like him, except all tan. I asked the owner what type of dog she was, and he was like "GSD x Husky". I was just like "same!" Basically as we continued comparing details we found out that there's like a 99% chance that they are siblings. They have the same birthdays and we got them from the same part of the city. It was quite funny lol.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I think I have too many breeds on my want list...

Oh well, I have to go with one first. :I


----------



## CrystalGSD

Dogsignalfire said:


> I think I have too many breeds on my want list...
> 
> Oh well, I have to go with one first. :I


Lol that's the story of my life


----------



## Sibe

I just had one of those spontaneous burst into tears moments for Bobb. It was from nothing special. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing but an ordinary feeding time. Had his food soaking (it's dehydrated stuff) and I got up to go set it down for him. For whatever reason, his joy and enthusiasm and speed and everything as he got excited to eat made me immediately tear up and have a short cry. How the cuss is this dog so happy after everything he's been through??

I do my best to not dwell on his past and the horror, torture, and constant pain he endured for so long, but sometimes it all comes up and slaps me in the face and breaks my heart. The healthier and happier he gets, the harder it is to think about where he came from and the condition he was found in, and had been in for so long.


----------



## CrystalGSD

@Sibe, wow that sounds great. I'm so happy that Bobb is able to find joy in his life despite his past. It sounds like he really enjoys you and the home you provide for him. Dogs are miraculous creatures


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Lancer just wants to play games and train things all day, even if it's just simple environmental exercises with some kibble. As long as there's food or ropes or toys or balls involved. 24/7 and he doesn't care what it is, he just wants to DO. Nose work included. We have class tomorrow morning, so we just cram-trained for the past few hours.

It's not like he RAMPAGES THROUGH THE HOUSE when he's on either, but it takes him an hour after the fact every time to accept the fact that I'm not going to play with him anymore and chill out, because_ Lancer it is the end of the day._ Right now he's lying next to me. I glanced at him secretly just now while typing, and he abruptly turned his round af eyeballs on me to see if we're going to go back to doing things. <___<

And I'm not complaining... I'm bragging! LOL

sldkfjkls

I'll forever feel it's unfortunate that he has temperament issues and DA, because his drive at home is sweet and lovely.

I also officially got a rope burn today from playing tug with Lancer, which is good news. I never thought I would see the day.


----------



## cookieface

Dogsignalfire said:


> Lancer just wants to play games and train things all day, even if it's just simple environmental exercises with some kibble. As long as there's food or ropes or toys or balls involved. 24/7 and he doesn't care what it is, he just wants to DO. Nose work included. We have class tomorrow morning, so we just cram-trained for the past few hours.
> 
> It's not like he RAMPAGES THROUGH THE HOUSE when he's on either, but it takes him an hour after the fact every time to accept the fact that I'm not going to play with him anymore and chill out, because_ Lancer it is the end of the day._ Right now he's lying next to me. I glanced at him secretly just now while typing, and he abruptly turned his round af eyeballs on me to see if we're going to go back to doing things. <___<
> 
> And I'm not complaining... I'm bragging! LOL
> 
> sldkfjkls
> 
> I'll forever feel it's unfortunate that he has temperament issues and DA, because his drive at home is sweet and lovely.
> 
> I also officially got a rope burn today from playing tug with Lancer, which is good news. I never thought I would see the day.


Lancer sounds quite a bit like my Tyson. He loves to do things...all the things...but he's so scared and has shown some tendency towards fear aggression so I'm reluctant to enroll him in more classes. He's such a happy, lovey little boy at home and with my other dog, but unpredictable when he's out alone.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Nova is like Lancer too, MUST Do ALL THE THINGS ALL DAY. 
it gets really hard to keep up with them LOL! 

And Nova is also like Tyson, she is a chicken and has shown fear aggression too, so we are limited a bit to what we can do, I dont mind though. We are gonna (HOPEFULLY) enroll in agility classes next year. This year I am just focusing on her confidence building and desensitization type stuff. I really cant wait though, knowing my dog, agility could become an obsession with her LOL. She loves to work and run and jump OMG



Anywho, small brag. Nova amazes me how smart she is, we woke up and were on our way outside when I saw some leftover chicken in the pot from last nights dinner and decided to give some to her (she is on prednisone right now so her hunger is CONSTANT) 
BUT I wasnt gonna just treat her, I saw it as an opportunity to do a little training but I never expected this. We learned spin, I only had to lead her with the treat 3 TIMES, after that I did the hand gesture and she had it DOWN without much help at all. I tested her memory today and she still knew how to do it.
I love my dog <3


----------



## Max and Me

Sibe said:


> I just had one of those spontaneous burst into tears moments for Bobb. It was from nothing special. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing but an ordinary feeding time. Had his food soaking (it's dehydrated stuff) and I got up to go set it down for him. For whatever reason, his joy and enthusiasm and speed and everything as he got excited to eat made me immediately tear up and have a short cry. How the cuss is this dog so happy after everything he's been through??
> 
> I do my best to not dwell on his past and the horror, torture, and constant pain he endured for so long, but sometimes it all comes up and slaps me in the face and breaks my heart. The healthier and happier he gets, the harder it is to think about where he came from and the condition he was found in, and had been in for so long.


How wonderful that Bobb has found happiness in such a loving home. He didn't make the journey alone. You should be proud.


----------



## Sibe

CrystalGSD said:


> @Sibe, wow that sounds great. I'm so happy that Bobb is able to find joy in his life despite his past. It sounds like he really enjoys you and the home you provide for him. Dogs are miraculous creatures





Max and Me said:


> How wonderful that Bobb has found happiness in such a loving home. He didn't make the journey alone. You should be proud.


Thank you both. I swear Bobb is getting younger every day! I tend to have a good outlook and find the positive, and have a healthy emotional barrier. You have to when you do rescue/fostering/volunteering. If you focus on all the negative it destroys you. But, as one of my favorite articles says, "if you’re emphatic to a traumatized population, then you’re exposed to their suffering." Which means you also have to feel the hurt sometimes. You can't always ignore it. You have to deal with it, or it builds up and that's not good for you.

The article which discusses compassion fatigue.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> After fumbling around for a while trying to figure out exactly what the rush I get out of agility is, I have nailed it down.
> 
> It isn't being proud or the reaction to having been nervous or having achieved something or succeeded at doing something difficult. It's that when it goes right? I fall totally, head over heels, in love with the dog I'm with. It happens over and over and over, and it's the best feeling in the WORLD.


I totally agree with this. Although I totally feel proud of my dog too. I really love doing agility even though I am nervous as all get out beforehand, I am still happy at the end even if it doesn't go right but if it does it feels really good!!


----------



## DogtorWho15

I have spent the whole day cleaning and reorganizing the house. I bought a loft bed today and idk if the idiots who sold it to me didn't notice anymore, or just didn't have the decency to tell me cause they wanted it gone, that the bed and wood desk that goes under it, are drenched in cat pee. They SMELL like hell. I can't stand cat pee, especially if it is where people will be sleeping. 
So any who I spent the last three hours scrubbing pee out of everything, and tomorrow I am going to bake it in the sun..... and if it doesn't come out completely after that, I'm gonna have to trash it.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Nova's insomnia is killing me....... 
It is 3:30 AM right now, we were up two hours ago, and two hours before that, and two hours before that. 
I feel like in going through a puppy all over again. 

On top of it she's also got gas, BAD gas. So she keeps stinking up the room.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

UGH Lincoln is starting to blow his coat, so there is hair EVERYWHERE and it will only get worse, in other news, Josefina has had some allergies crop up in the last year or so, sensitivities to starches (mainly potatoes), and allergies to fleas  poor girl, she has been itching all the hair off her butt, its starting to come back with care, but its a slow process, poor girl , I have started her on the same allergy meds Lincoln is on, I hope they help her, too.



> Nova's insomnia is killing me.......
> It is 3:30 AM right now, we were up two hours ago, and two hours before that, and two hours before that.
> I feel like in going through a puppy all over again.
> 
> On top of it she's also got gas, BAD gas. So she keeps stinking up the room.


I dont put up with a dog who wont settle, I dont care if you cant sleep, I want to sleep and you'd better be quiet. if they wont settle, I banish them from the human bed to their own beds (which they usually lie on anyway because they get hot on our bed). Lincoln usually just chews on his chewies for a while if he cant sleep, but if he cant, its usually my fault because I didnt give him enough exercise that day. I have never seen Josefina not sleep LOL.


----------



## DogtorWho15

OwnedbyACDs said:


> UGH Lincoln is starting to blow his coat, so there is hair EVERYWHERE and it will only get worse, in other news, Josefina has had some allergies crop up in the last year or so, sensitivities to starches (mainly potatoes), and allergies to fleas  poor girl, she has been itching all the hair off her butt, its starting to come back with care, but its a slow process, poor girl , I have started her on the same allergy meds Lincoln is on, I hope they help her, too.
> 
> 
> 
> I dont put up with a dog who wont settle, I dont care if you cant sleep, I want to sleep and you'd better be quiet. if they wont settle, I banish them from the human bed to their own beds (which they usually lie on anyway because they get hot on our bed). Lincoln usually just chews on his chewies for a while if he cant sleep, but if he cant, its usually my fault because I didnt give him enough exercise that day. I have never seen Josefina not sleep LOL.


I would normally do that too, but she is on meds right now and insomnia and increase in potty trips are side effects of that. So if I don't take her out she WILL go potty by the door. We are doing the same amount of exercise we do everyday, and on Sunday we did a BIG trip with her, but it didn't do squat, it's just the medication. I cannot wait till she's off it.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Does everyone know the Snickers Commercial ? "" That your not yourself when your Hungry "" I can't help but think of that commercial for Arka when one of the girls are in their 3 day ovulation during standing heat week... How a 150lb dog can intelligently almost canny premeditation take advantage of a 2 inch crack opening the door (inward towards him) and fit himself through that 2 inch crack in a blink of the eye right past you like you were a gum wrapper in the wind. lol lol... So how does one so insignificant individual control/detain and move a massive motivated 150lb dog from the motivation. Hobble them with the lead using one of their front legs.. That way you can move him with one hand to the nearest structure to tie him off still hobbled. Then take the motivation and secure them...... And come back to release the big lug..... I removed a drawl from the master bathroom sink area and tied him to that framing. hobbled he will just sit there uncomfortable no balance when trying to exert any form of power. if he had been on collar only, not hobbled he would ripped that small section of wood out of the wall unit. Abhik was terrible (not helping the situation) all I could see was this 130lb hand puppet jumping on Arkas head while I was setting up the lead on Arka.. NOT HELPING ME Abhik.... she finally took off through the house and was waiting for me. anyone that needs it.. wrap the lead twice around the neck ( had a tiny lead) for a hand hold, bring the lead down and under one of the front legs at the arm pit and back up through the collar hold then back down around the paw (wrap twice) and back up and under the collar hold everything fits in the one hand leaving the other hand free.. note:::: I have these 1 inch folded double woven cotton long lines that I grabbed on my way to the fire.. Hate them terrible on the hands under pressure... stick with leather leads.... 3 days are over such an innocent little angelic face on him.... lol lol lol ..


----------



## Dogsignalfire

(nose work ramble)

We haven't tried going out to a park or somewhere to train nose work again, ever since a couple months back. I don't know if Lancer's ready yet still, but we've just been playing sporadically at home, and he's really amped for the game every time. That said, he's only super amped for the first 3 times... every couple days... but I think I'd rather have him only play when he's excited, and not getting slower/bored.

But he was also amped a couple months ago too... He just likes playing in our home/yard. When will I know if he's ready to try at a park again? World may never know.

(Or rather, I know I just have to try him again one day to test him out, but ah)


----------



## Pomom

DogtorWho15 said:


> Nova's insomnia is killing me.......
> It is 3:30 AM right now, we were up two hours ago, and two hours before that, and two hours before that.
> I feel like in going through a puppy all over again.
> 
> On top of it she's also got gas, BAD gas. So she keeps stinking up the room.


 It's the Pred. Pippin was like that when he first started it too.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Pomom said:


> It's the Pred. Pippin was like that when he first started it too.


Yeah my brother takes it so he understands our pain lol. 
Luckily she took her last pill today of the prednisone. I just hope there arent any of these side effects with the other pills... Cause theres a lot of those


----------



## CptJack

I had grand plans of assembling/setting up all my spiffy new agility equipment this week/weekend. Yeah, no. There's cold and then there's 'highs in the teens and lows below freezing' cold so that's just not going to happen. Even agility lessons aren't happening this weekend because of cold. 

Next week looks promising, though, and hey, our indoor class Friday is still a go!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I've only just come to this dilemma after a long discussion with my family with the coming possibility of working from home.

So I've been wanting a Malinois or Dutch Shepherd for a long time (previously was a generalized "want a working shepherd" but unsure of breed, but I whittled it down to just a couple breeds) now realized that a puppy with strong genetics behind her would be my favorite choice, and I want to do this thing. I found an excellent breeder in Washington of Dutch Shepherds, and I've already been talking with her about her upcoming litter between Hector x Eefje that would be so perfect for what I am looking for (on a general level, since the dam is coming into heat in May/June...). Social, extremely stable, solid nerves, biddable, can turn on when working and can settle in the home- dam has an EXCELLENT off switch- Nerves and stability are the core of what I'm looking for in a breeding, and they are all strong traits in these dogs.

I was planning on moving into my own house in July/August, but renting, basically just so I can have this puppy. But the rent around here would be at least $1900~$2200 a month. My family's home is an hour and 15 minute drive away from my workplace, while the house I rent is potentially just 15~30 minutes drive away. So I am essentially going to be paying $1900~2200 a month JUST for having a puppy + a shorter commute to work. I also learned that the person who I was hoping would be my roommate, if she wanted to (my best friend from college) just decided that she would rather commute from her parent's house too, so isn't looking to rent with me anymore.

Or I can commute from home (family's home) and save A LOT of money. But that means I can't have this puppy this year, and ideally then not even the following year. The reason being that my current Australian Shepherd (at my parent's house) is dog aggressive and a variety of other temperament issues that also prevent him from participating in most sports and activities, so we can't have additional dogs in the house, and I definitely am not willing to risk it (even if there was an 0.1% chance of him getting along with puppy).

In terms of saving money, it would be most ideal if I live at my parent's home and commute to work (though it's an hour and 15 minute drive daily, but from the way things are going, I'm likely to start working from home in May) until 2~3 years later when real estate prices go down, and it's finally safe to just BUY a house and make it an investment.

OR I throw $2000 money per month down the drain uselessly at a rental for now, pretty much just so I can have this puppy from this breeding asap. 

Logically and technically ideally, I should wait the 2 years before I can just BUY my own property, make it an investment, and then have a puppy from this breeder from a future breeding. That would be ideal financially, zero risk, and much much much more savings on my end.

BUT THEN I can't have the puppy asap aaahaha. I can't have the puppy from this litter. But I'm sure that this breeder would continue to have excellent breedings in the future. I just feel like I can't wait any longer. 

Do I continue to learn patience, or do I go with what I want? I feel like when I put it this way, it's an obvious answer... But I want the thing so so badly that everything else is skewed in comparison lol.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Dogsignalfire said:


> I've only just come to this dilemma after a long discussion with my family with the coming possibility of working from home.
> 
> So I've been wanting a Malinois or Dutch Shepherd for a long time (previously was a generalized "want a working shepherd" but unsure of breed, but I whittled it down to just a couple breeds) now realized that a puppy with strong genetics behind her would be my favorite choice, and I want to do this thing. I found an excellent breeder in Washington of Dutch Shepherds, and I've already been talking with her about her upcoming litter between Hector x Eefje that would be so perfect for what I am looking for (on a general level, since the dam is coming into heat in May/June...). Social, extremely stable, solid nerves, biddable, can turn on when working and can settle in the home- dam has an EXCELLENT off switch- Nerves and stability are the core of what I'm looking for in a breeding, and they are all strong traits in these dogs.
> 
> I was planning on moving into my own house in July/August, but renting, basically just so I can have this puppy. But the rent around here would be at least $1900~$2200 a month. My family's home is an hour and 15 minute drive away from my workplace, while the house I rent is potentially just 15~30 minutes drive away. So I am essentially going to be paying $1900~2200 a month JUST for having a puppy + a shorter commute to work. I also learned that the person who I was hoping would be my roommate, if she wanted to (my best friend from college) just decided that she would rather commute from her parent's house too, so isn't looking to rent with me anymore.
> 
> Or I can commute from home (family's home) and save A LOT of money. But that means I can't have this puppy this year, and ideally then not even the following year. The reason being that my current Australian Shepherd (at my parent's house) is dog aggressive and a variety of other temperament issues that also prevent him from participating in most sports and activities, so we can't have additional dogs in the house, and I definitely am not willing to risk it (even if there was an 0.1% chance of him getting along with puppy).
> 
> In terms of saving money, it would be most ideal if I live at my parent's home and commute to work (though it's an hour and 15 minute drive daily, but from the way things are going, I'm likely to start working from home in May) until 2~3 years later when real estate prices go down, and it's finally safe to just BUY a house and make it an investment.
> 
> OR I throw $2000 money per month down the drain uselessly at a rental for now, pretty much just so I can have this puppy from this breeding asap.
> 
> Logically and technically ideally, I should wait the 2 years before I can just BUY my own property, make it an investment, and then have a puppy from this breeder from a future breeding. That would be ideal financially, zero risk, and much much much more savings on my end.
> 
> BUT THEN I can't have the puppy asap aaahaha. I can't have the puppy from this litter. But I'm sure that this breeder would continue to have excellent breedings in the future. I just feel like I can't wait any longer.
> 
> Do I continue to learn patience, or do I go with what I want? I feel like when I put it this way, it's an obvious answer... But I want the thing so so badly that everything else is skewed in comparison lol.


my thought process looking for an answer is the long term endurance.... every day, in all types of weather, in health and in sickness, (time in the day) and your list of other priorities that the animals will always be competing with.... How long could you sustain what an added dog will need of your already current schedule..


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> Does everyone know the Snickers Commercial ? "" That your not yourself when your Hungry "" I can't help but think of that commercial for Arka when one of the girls are in their 3 day ovulation during standing heat week... How a 150lb dog can intelligently almost canny premeditation take advantage of a 2 inch crack opening the door (inward towards him) and fit himself through that 2 inch crack in a blink of the eye right past you like you were a gum wrapper in the wind. lol lol... So how does one so insignificant individual control/detain and move a massive motivated 150lb dog from the motivation. Hobble them with the lead using one of their front legs.. That way you can move him with one hand to the nearest structure to tie him off still hobbled. Then take the motivation and secure them...... And come back to release the big lug..... I removed a drawl from the master bathroom sink area and tied him to that framing. hobbled he will just sit there uncomfortable no balance when trying to exert any form of power. if he had been on collar only, not hobbled he would ripped that small section of wood out of the wall unit. Abhik was terrible (not helping the situation) all I could see was this 130lb hand puppet jumping on Arkas head while I was setting up the lead on Arka.. NOT HELPING ME Abhik.... she finally took off through the house and was waiting for me. anyone that needs it.. wrap the lead twice around the neck ( had a tiny lead) for a hand hold, bring the lead down and under one of the front legs at the arm pit and back up through the collar hold then back down around the paw (wrap twice) and back up and under the collar hold everything fits in the one hand leaving the other hand free.. note:::: I have these 1 inch folded double woven cotton long lines that I grabbed on my way to the fire.. Hate them terrible on the hands under pressure... stick with leather leads.... 3 days are over such an innocent little angelic face on him.... lol lol lol ..


wow just ... wow LOL yikes! what an eventful evening you had!


----------



## CrystalGSD

Hero's exhibiting more and more adult traits and I'm like nooooo stay a puppy! But I'm also happy because he's growing into himself. Today, he barked protectively out the window for the first time. It scared the poop out of me because I never had heard him bark out the window. Usually when he barks it's a talking "woo-woo" type of howl bark. So I turned around and there he was, barking with his hackles up. Lol he was barking at Crystal because she was in the backyard at that moment. Idk why I was so surprised, considering 5 months is when Crystal began exhibiting protective traits as well. Also, he lifted his leg up today to pee! I'm like, you're so grown Hero :'(

Also someone at the dog park complimented his training. He's such a good dog, I'm proud of him.


----------



## MysticRealm

Dogsignalfire said:


> I've only just come to this dilemma after a long discussion with my family with the coming possibility of working from home.
> 
> So I've been wanting a Malinois or Dutch Shepherd for a long time (previously was a generalized "want a working shepherd" but unsure of breed, but I whittled it down to just a couple breeds) now realized that a puppy with strong genetics behind her would be my favorite choice, and I want to do this thing. I found an excellent breeder in Washington of Dutch Shepherds, and I've already been talking with her about her upcoming litter between Hector x Eefje that would be so perfect for what I am looking for (on a general level, since the dam is coming into heat in May/June...). Social, extremely stable, solid nerves, biddable, can turn on when working and can settle in the home- dam has an EXCELLENT off switch- Nerves and stability are the core of what I'm looking for in a breeding, and they are all strong traits in these dogs.
> 
> I was planning on moving into my own house in July/August, but renting, basically just so I can have this puppy. But the rent around here would be at least $1900~$2200 a month. My family's home is an hour and 15 minute drive away from my workplace, while the house I rent is potentially just 15~30 minutes drive away. So I am essentially going to be paying $1900~2200 a month JUST for having a puppy + a shorter commute to work. I also learned that the person who I was hoping would be my roommate, if she wanted to (my best friend from college) just decided that she would rather commute from her parent's house too, so isn't looking to rent with me anymore.
> 
> Or I can commute from home (family's home) and save A LOT of money. But that means I can't have this puppy this year, and ideally then not even the following year. The reason being that my current Australian Shepherd (at my parent's house) is dog aggressive and a variety of other temperament issues that also prevent him from participating in most sports and activities, so we can't have additional dogs in the house, and I definitely am not willing to risk it (even if there was an 0.1% chance of him getting along with puppy).
> 
> In terms of saving money, it would be most ideal if I live at my parent's home and commute to work (though it's an hour and 15 minute drive daily, but from the way things are going, I'm likely to start working from home in May) until 2~3 years later when real estate prices go down, and it's finally safe to just BUY a house and make it an investment.
> 
> OR I throw $2000 money per month down the drain uselessly at a rental for now, pretty much just so I can have this puppy from this breeding asap.
> 
> Logically and technically ideally, I should wait the 2 years before I can just BUY my own property, make it an investment, and then have a puppy from this breeder from a future breeding. That would be ideal financially, zero risk, and much much much more savings on my end.
> 
> BUT THEN I can't have the puppy asap aaahaha. I can't have the puppy from this litter. But I'm sure that this breeder would continue to have excellent breedings in the future. I just feel like I can't wait any longer.
> 
> Do I continue to learn patience, or do I go with what I want? I feel like when I put it this way, it's an obvious answer... But I want the thing so so badly that everything else is skewed in comparison lol.


I waited over 10 years for a standard poodle, it's been my absolute dream. But I was either living with my parents or in a condo.
I bought my new house virtually STRICTLY so I could get my standard. It's still not the best time, I owe my mom a few more thousand from her helping me out with the purchase of my house, but OMG I'm so DONE with waiting!!! So I'm gonna be poor, I'm selling off my horse riding gear to put some more money in the bank, but I'm getting my puppy gosh darnit!! I don't even know how I will wait the next 4 months before I actually get the puppy (and that's IF the breeding has taken, and IF there is a male show prospect for me!)


----------



## DogtorWho15

It has been in the 70's this entire week! Its really nice but honestly a little too warm. The real feel is 80 because there is no breeze and well.. its Arizona. 
Nova hasnt been wanting to sleep in the house because its so hot.


----------



## MysticRealm

@dogsignalfire
I replied to you but apparently it's sitting and waiting to be approved...


----------



## Dogsignalfire

MysticRealm said:


> @dogsignalfire
> I replied to you but apparently it's sitting and waiting to be approved...


Ah okay! Thanks for the reply. Apparently for these "waiting approval" things, you'd need to private message a moderator to get it specifically approved (like Kuma's Mom) or it will sit forever. :s


----------



## PatriciafromCO

OwnedbyACDs said:


> wow just ... wow LOL yikes! what an eventful evening you had!


lol what a poop he is  it sounds like alot but it all play'd out and ended in about 2 minutes...


----------



## MysticRealm

Dogsignalfire said:


> Ah okay! Thanks for the reply. Apparently for these "waiting approval" things, you'd need to private message a moderator to get it specifically approved (like Kuma's Mom) or it will sit forever. :s


I did message someone that said Moderator but I'll message Kuma's Mom


----------



## Dogsignalfire

MysticRealm said:


> I waited over 10 years for a standard poodle, it's been my absolute dream. But I was either living with my parents or in a condo.
> I bought my new house virtually STRICTLY so I could get my standard. It's still not the best time, I owe my mom a few more thousand from her helping me out with the purchase of my house, but OMG I'm so DONE with waiting!!! So I'm gonna be poor, I'm selling off my horse riding gear to put some more money in the bank, but I'm getting my puppy gosh darnit!! I don't even know how I will wait the next 4 months before I actually get the puppy (and that's IF the breeding has taken, and IF there is a male show prospect for me!)


Aahhh pretty much my situation right now!! Except I would still just be renting, not buying yet. Congrats on making the decision though!! Happiness is important too. Especially if it's just being completely dogless vs. having a dog. At least if I end up living with my parents, I have Lancer and Rara. 

Most days, I feel like I'll TOTALLY go through with the renting and getting the puppy, despite having much fewer savings! Because taking advantage of happiness in youth is important too, I think? I dunno. But then yesterday when I made that post, I thought... what the hell am I doing. I'll have so much more money to do with later if I just live with my parents for a couple years. LOL

I guess it even depends on whether or not one believes in the concept of living life happy, not necessarily wealthy. Or be the kind who spend years saving and working hard to buy that big house/car/whatever dream, but only when you've used up a decade of your youth being busy, less happy, and striving for that goal.

That's putting it way too dramatically probably, but it's basically the same concept and decision I have to make? I don't know. aahh

ETA: Forgot about this- I guess happiness vs. money is not the sole decision. Having more savings is planning for the rainy days, like if I ever get laid off and still have to pay rent or something. So that's a factor too... Which is why now I'm trying to find an agency to find me a more continuous flow of freelance work and get that started on the side LOL.


----------



## CptJack

The real thing you need to think about is not money right now. Happy vs. wealthy is nothing but you're talking about a dependent and thinking of taking a less secure option that will cost you lots and lots of money in the long run to be happy.

The fact of the matter is, renting costs you money for an end gain of NOTHING. As in, you will spend thousands and thousands renting, but you won't have anything to show for it at the end. 

The other consideration is, renting with a large dog of that sort of breed is going to be HARD, if you need to move, your landlord sells the house, etc. 

I hate being the voice of reason, I am usually miss enabling, but when it comes to 'buy a house or buy a dog' - wait and buy the dog. Just... do. That house is secure housing for you and your dog and if you have to move it's a lump sum of money you can get back out. Those are things renting won't give you.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I am getting a mini poodle puppy, shooting for fall/winter 2016 and even that short it is tough to wait, but I have a lot of things going on right now, with finishing school, and getting Lincoln into showing this summer, it wouldnt be fair to the puppy to bring it into that  plus my parents are leaving for their trip to canada this summer so I will be watching their place for them while they are gone, so there's that too.

I mean I COULD get one sooner, like the two breeders that I am looking at have litters that would be ready this summer, but it ... just wouldnt be ideal, you know?


----------



## Dogsignalfire

CptJack said:


> The real thing you need to think about is not money right now. Happy vs. wealthy is nothing but you're talking about a dependent and thinking of taking a less secure option that will cost you lots and lots of money in the long run to be happy.
> 
> The fact of the matter is, renting costs you money for an end gain of NOTHING. As in, you will spend thousands and thousands renting, but you won't have anything to show for it at the end.
> 
> The other consideration is, renting with a large dog of that sort of breed is going to be HARD, if you need to move, your landlord sells the house, etc.
> 
> I hate being the voice of reason, I am usually miss enabling, but when it comes to 'buy a house or buy a dog' - wait and buy the dog. Just... do. That house is secure housing for you and your dog and if you have to move it's a lump sum of money you can get back out. Those are things renting won't give you.


Yeah, I know.. :s I rambled a bit about this in my post yesterday. On some days, I'm like "Screw it, get doge", and on a day like yesterday, I consider the situation realistically looool.

The only thing I missed actually was if the landlord suddenly decides to kick me out in the next month or sells the house. That would be... basically the worst outcome ever. But it is a possible outcome, so actually... just this consideration changes a lot of things. My parents didn't consider this either. I think we might have assumed that signing a one-year lease would secure the rental for one year? I'm not sure how that works, but I apparently need to look into it now.

I have already been talking with Asheley (Vrijheid) though, but just for the past week. I hope that I can keep in contact then and hopefully still have a good chance at a puppy from one of her suitable litters the following year or two.

Man, life is long and full of waiting... LOL


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Wait... and this is not taking into account the fact that I might not even be able to work from home. I'm assuming here that I'll be able to work from home starting in 3 months- and I think the possibility is pretty good, but it's not 100% until it happens. 

So if I can't work from home... I'll still just have to consider renting. I guess I'll not know the situation for sure until a month from now.


----------



## Eenypup

Lol. Just read someone cite that a study about "pit bulls" causing 50% of significant bites at Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania over a 5 year period. This somehow proves they are more dangerous or aggressive than other dogs.

This hospital is located in the city of Philadelphia - where I live. I find this laughable because even in areas where it's difficult to rent with bully breeds, pit mixes and similar mutts make up I'd think 25-33% of the dogs I see walking around. Especially if you're only considering larger dogs that could do more damage than a 10 lb poodle. And if you go up north or west to poorer areas of the city, or areas where it's easier to rent or own with a pit type? The majority of dogs are bull breeds. I'm talking upwards of 75% of dogs in those areas of Philly being pit bull types. I've been all over the city and they are the predominant dog in many areas. And those are just ones I see being walked, not to mention dogs chained in yards or being hoarded like Bennie was in a basement with 25 other dogs.

7% of the population my a#@.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Guys I jinxed myself ;_; just kidding, I know I didn't actually jinx myself, but the other day I saw a post on a forum (I can't remember which one, possibly this one) about potty training regression around 4-6 months of age. I thought to myself "wow I'm so glad Hero isn't going through that." Well. Guess what. Guess who has peed inside everyday for the past three days. Yep. Lol


----------



## Aussie27

I'm going home for reading week on Sunday and I am a little too excited to see Cali! I miss her the most out of all my family members when I'm away haha.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Yknow.. I could probably walk Nova from 10 am to 10pm and do a 4 hour training session somewhere in between there, and she would STILL have a buttload of energy........This dog is gonna be the death of me :faint:


----------



## Kathyy

That's Bucky. I try to mix it up, straight physical some days, work on his brain other days and have off days. He bugs us to work on his mat big time too. Excited to practice chilling out?

Bucky's been here 6 months. He came with pretty much every hair he ever grew still on him and lost all that nasty old stuff after a couple months of daily brushing out. Basically he'd been nearly naked for a couple months. Had a bath a couple days ago and all of a sudden he is fuzzy again. Been through this before but still a relief that he is furry again.


----------



## Prozax

After a month a half here, Eli has started to play! I caught her chewing the rug ( finishing the job that Luna started a year ago) and gave her a Kong Wubba. She loved it and started to rip it apart. We also played tug a little bit; she's such a dog now :d Me and my bf were looking at her with stupid smiles on our faces while she destroyed her toy. 
The things we get excited about


----------



## Dogsignalfire

In other news... my coworker got a French Bulldog puppy named Mable and brings her to work every day!!! Mable is such a chill and quiet puppy. I have never seen anything like it. 

Technically, dogs are not allowed here. But Mable is so quiet and small and undisturbing that the producers pretend she isn't there. l m a o 

Who would be so terrible to kick out a French Bulldog puppy who is as quiet as can be? O_O Tsk tsk.

So yeah. She just lays in her box bed thing in my coworker's cubicle and sleeps all day. Quite literally sleeps all day. Maybe wakes up every once in awhile for 20 minutes to play a little bit of very, very light tug. Tug = biting the strings of a toy lightly. It is the strangest thing I've ever seen. This is very un-doglike but also very sweet. So sweet.

*puppy fever escalates*


----------



## PatriciafromCO

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I am getting a mini poodle puppy, shooting for fall/winter 2016 and even that short it is tough to wait, but I have a lot of things going on right now, with finishing school, and getting Lincoln into showing this summer, it wouldnt be fair to the puppy to bring it into that  plus my parents are leaving for their trip to canada this summer so I will be watching their place for them while they are gone, so there's that too.
> 
> I mean I COULD get one sooner, like the two breeders that I am looking at have litters that would be ready this summer, but it ... just wouldnt be ideal, you know?


awww  congratulations !!! are you looking for any particular color ?


----------



## PatriciafromCO

productive today  second property back property line fencing is finished... no more opportunity for anyone driving through my property to claim it as a main road and me loosing my pasture being split in half to give access for a road......     need to post some NO Trespassing signs just for the sake of doing it... 

Waiting on 30 days after notifying the owner of the broken down grader that he dumped on my front easement the grader will be towed..... Legally I don't have to do a certified letter or wait 30 days,, I could have it towed out of there in 24 hours of it being dumped without my permission or knowledge and not say anything... But hey, talked to the Sheriff and no one could fault me or the tow company by sending a certified letter and 30 days..... 

And waiting on estimate bids for 450ft of new frontal fencing with more affordable materials and home made coyote rollers system . As much as I would of loved my bar panel fencing,,,, I could never justify 6K for 450ft... welcome to the real world of disappointments lol .... 

Final excellent news for today, is added two more security cameras on the house that I can monitor live continues record. More to put up tomorrow to give me 360 degree monitoring around the house, the barns/ the vehicles and all corners and fence line "no longer can you dodge a single camera set up) 9 cameras total in groups of 3's.. each watching the others back side..... dealt with several cut camera lines because you could come up behind them..... and finding not having everything covered on all sides of the house, fence panels had been cut for entry at the far back of the back yard area.. all I need to do is really figure out how to get my system connected on line.. for motion alerts and email notifications...... ??? have all weekend right lol lol lol ... 

learned too much about how to get around a security system over the years... hopefully taking what I have learned in failure, I am air tight and the dogs will do the rest lol lol lol ...


----------



## CrystalGSD

I want to clone Hero and own 30 of him.

It would be slightly chaotic but in a good kind of way


----------



## DogtorWho15

Kathyy said:


> That's Bucky. I try to mix it up, straight physical some days, work on his brain other days and have off days. He bugs us to work on his mat big time too. Excited to practice chilling out?
> 
> Bucky's been here 6 months. He came with pretty much every hair he ever grew still on him and lost all that nasty old stuff after a couple months of daily brushing out. Basically he'd been nearly naked for a couple months. Had a bath a couple days ago and all of a sudden he is fuzzy again. Been through this before but still a relief that he is furry again.


LOL Sometimes it can be really nice and other times youre just like "OMG DOG LEARN HOW TO CHILL"
you cant get anything done because theyre like "here mom lets do this, oh mom look at this, wow mom whats that? Hey where you going? whatcha doing? Can I come? Can we play now? hey hey you got food? I will do every single trick I know without you even asking so I can have that treat" 

Is Bucky a rescue? What breed is he?


----------



## Kathyy

That's just it. He practically levitates to get on the mat so he gets cheese for laying still. He wants training and direction and cheese of course constantly.

Yes a rescue. Been here 6 months now. He's all muscle and bounce and lots of fun but extremely noisy and over the top in his reactions to everything. He came to the shelter as a biter but I think he was doing that because he was pushed around rather than taught how to behave. He is mouthy but less each month and he has been soft mouthed but still.

Here he is enjoying his first hike on a flexi.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Kathyy said:


> That's just it. He practically levitates to get on the mat so he gets cheese for laying still. He wants training and direction and cheese of course constantly.
> 
> Yes a rescue. Been here 6 months now. He's all muscle and bounce and lots of fun but extremely noisy and over the top in his reactions to everything. He came to the shelter as a biter but I think he was doing that because he was pushed around rather than taught how to behave. He is mouthy but less each month and he has been soft mouthed but still.
> 
> Here he is enjoying his first hike on a flexi.



Awwww! He is super cute. Glad he found a good home  
How old is he?


----------



## Pomom

DogtorWho15 said:


> LOL Sometimes it can be really nice and other times youre just like "OMG DOG LEARN HOW TO CHILL"
> you cant get anything done because theyre like "here mom lets do this, oh mom look at this, wow mom whats that? Hey where you going? whatcha doing? Can I come? Can we play now? hey hey you got food? I will do every single trick I know without you even asking so I can have that treat"
> ?


 Haha I remember having two of those. Well said lmao. Been many years of QUIET now which is nice for a while but...
Pippin is an old man and Sybbie is the most chill three year old ever.


----------



## parapluie

PatriciafromCO said:


> Final excellent news for today, is added two more security cameras on the house that I can monitor live continues record. More to put up tomorrow to give me 360 degree monitoring around the house, the barns/ the vehicles and all corners and fence line "no longer can you dodge a single camera set up) 9 cameras total in groups of 3's.. each watching the others back side..... dealt with several cut camera lines because you could come up behind them..... and finding not having everything covered on all sides of the house, fence panels had been cut for entry at the far back of the back yard area.. all I need to do is really figure out how to get my system connected on line.. for motion alerts and email notifications...... ??? have all weekend right lol lol lol ...
> 
> learned too much about how to get around a security system over the years... hopefully taking what I have learned in failure, I am air tight and the dogs will do the rest lol lol lol ...


I'm looking into getting a security camera as well. What system/brand do you use? Are they wired or wireless?


----------



## PatriciafromCO

parapluie said:


> I'm looking into getting a security camera as well. What system/brand do you use? Are they wired or wireless?


I purchased from LOREX have a 24 camera wired system (subscribe to their email system and wait for a holiday/sales deals) ... started off with their 4 camera wireless system they call it Lorex Live the cameras have two way audio.. had this system several years with the cameras exposed to rain and heavy snow and temps.. as long as you have a clear line (mine is house to the horses corral about 250ft to 300ft) no obstacles beside the house wall , get full strength on signal. Talk to the horses all the time .. and they come and stare up into the camera when they want to get my attention lol ... so the wireless was quick and easy to put up and use... uses a SD card to record, just play it back on the monitor, or use the card in computer to play it with out any special soft ware.. or weird file extensions to need to convert.. plug and play..


----------



## parapluie

I will look into it, thank you!!


----------



## gingerkid

My husband just suggested that Ida might be a silken windhound x eskie.


























Mind = blown

(I know, its super unlikely. But but but.... what if?).


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Why do I even care so badly about sports dogs and dogs and getting a sports dog and doing dog things with sports dog. haaaha

I should stop caring, at least until I CAN ACTUALLY obtain one in a completely risk-free and ready situation. Should I rent just to get a Dutch Shepherd puppy in the next year (which I can do, but with some risk and much much less savings... and thousands dumped down the drain into rental), or wait two years just to BUY a house and have a 100% stable residence for my puppy? I'm wasting my time and bothered by this every time I'm sitting at work. LOL

I need to turn my attention away from Dutch Shepherds and breeders and Malinois for a year or two, or at least that's what technically would be best.


----------



## elrohwen

Dogsignalfire said:


> Why do I even care so badly about sports dogs and dogs and getting a sports dog and doing dog things with sports dog. haaaha
> 
> I should stop caring, at least until I CAN ACTUALLY obtain one in a completely risk-free and ready situation. Should I rent just to get a Dutch Shepherd puppy in the next year (which I can do, but with some risk and much much less savings... and thousands dumped down the drain into rental), or wait two years just to BUY a house and have a 100% stable residence for my puppy? I'm wasting my time and bothered by this every time I'm sitting at work. LOL
> 
> I need to turn my attention away from Dutch Shepherds and breeders and Malinois for a year or two, or at least that's what technically would be best.


It's hard not to fixate on the thing that you really want. I have that tendency too.


----------



## CptJack

Jack is going lure coursing on Sunday!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

elrohwen said:


> It's hard not to fixate on the thing that you really want. I have that tendency too.


I wish I did not have this tendency... it's just troublesome. :s


----------



## Willowy

Corporate buzzword rant! My boss' boss is sending a bunch of e-mails about safety, avoiding accidents, etc. He says "let's make safety muscle memory!" Argh. I do not think that phrase means what he thinks it means . Perhaps he means "second nature" or "a habit". But that's not the sort of thing that can become muscle memory. It just can't. Well, OK, I suppose individual safe actions, if repetitive, could become muscle memory. But not safety as a concept. And I guess it's a common buzzword because I saw it in some unrelated corporate thing online. Corporate types need a buzzword proofreader to make sure their buzzwords aren't too stupid and they actually mean what they want them to mean. I shall volunteer . I wonder if that's really a job, and how well it pays. . .


----------



## PatriciafromCO

so my main drive is filled up.. I have a second drive that is huge not even half way full.. only thing on my main drive is windows stuff, all back ups are sent to an external drive .. is there anyway to fix this.. would upgrading to windows 10 wipe out all the windows 7 build up ,, and reconfigure my C drive back to open space..


----------



## Prozax

PatriciafromCO said:


> so my main drive is filled up.. I have a second drive that is huge not even half way full.. only thing on my main drive is windows stuff, all back ups are sent to an external drive .. is there anyway to fix this.. would upgrading to windows 10 wipe out all the windows 7 build up ,, and reconfigure my C drive back to open space..



Try to do some cleaning up on that partition. It will delete old temp files. Right click, go to Properties and then Disk Cleanup. Also, make sure to keep your Recycle bin and Desktop clean as they are stored in the same partition you installed windows on.

I just installed windows 10 a couple of days ago and it does save some space. I upgraded from windows 7, so the back-up files are kept. If you delete those you should definitely see some improvement.


----------



## parapluie

elrohwen said:


> It's hard not to fixate on the thing that you really want. I have that tendency too.


Totally with you both there. 

I'm currently struggling with not hearing back from my breeder for 8 days now and trying not to email her every day to follow up. She's busy with 2 week old puppies, she's busy with 2 week old puppies, patience is good for you... This puppy waiting business is turning me into a nut.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Prozax said:


> Try to do some cleaning up on that partition. It will delete old temp files. Right click, go to Properties and then Disk Cleanup. Also, make sure to keep your Recycle bin and Desktop clean as they are stored in the same partition you installed windows on.
> 
> I just installed windows 10 a couple of days ago and it does save some space. I upgraded from windows 7, so the back-up files are kept. If you delete those you should definitely see some improvement.


thanks ,,  will give everything a try.


----------



## CptJack

And disc dog seminar in March.

I'm just going to do all the things.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> And disc dog seminar in March.
> 
> I'm just going to do all the things.


Us too! Hazel is signed up for one on March 19th at the place we do agility. The afternoon is a match which should be fun.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> Us too! Hazel is signed up for one on March 19th at the place we do agility. The afternoon is a match which should be fun.


Mine's the 12th! Also a match afterward. I'm taking Kylie so I can learn things, but mostly intend to bring it home to Molly. Kylie will PLAY disc stuff, but is very 'meh'. 

What's your seminar in particular?


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Mine's the 12th! Also a match afterward. I'm taking Kylie so I can learn things, but mostly intend to bring it home to Molly. Kylie will PLAY disc stuff, but is very 'meh'.
> 
> What's your seminar in particular?


I know the match is UpDog. Frizgility which sounds awesome (she can do jumps and tunnels! and you can set the jumps as low as you want). And another one that's more about accuracy which sounds hard, since I suck. The main thing I'm worried about is that it's a dirt arena and we only do rollers. They allow rollers, but if they won't work on the dirt we won't be able to do the match at all since I can't throw for real and she certainly can't catch. I meant to try it out at agility, but there are obstacles everywhere (obviously) so I'm not sure I'll even get a good test. Apparently they have to be 1 year to earn points and she'll be 2 weeks short exactly, but a friend online said that they won't ask so I shouldn't bring it up. lol

I'm not sure about the seminar. It sounds like it's beginner on up, but the description wasn't very specific. I think it's only 10 working spots, so maybe they just work with what you have, or adjust based on the level of most of the people.

What is yours?


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> I know the match is UpDog. Frizgility which sounds awesome (she can do jumps and tunnels! and you can set the jumps as low as you want). And another one that's more about accuracy which sounds hard, since I can't throw. The main thing I'm worried about is that it's a dirt arena and we only do rollers. They allow rollers, but if they won't work on the dirt we won't be able to do the match at all since I can't throw for real and she certainly can't catch. I meant to try it out at agility, but there are obstacles everywhere (obviously) so I'm not sure I'll even get a good test. Apparently they have to be 1 year to earn points and she'll be 2 weeks short exactly, but a friend online said that they won't ask so I shouldn't bring it up. lol
> 
> I'm not sure about the seminar. It sounds like it's beginner on up, but the description wasn't very specific. I think it's only 10 working spots, so maybe they just work with what you have, or adjust based on the level of most of the people.
> 
> What is yours?


That sounds really really awesome, actually. I bet you two have a blast and learn a ton - and hopefully the rollers will work. Based on what I know of dirt floors - 'maybe' - which is awkward. SOme of them are more packed than others, and smoother. You should be able to figure it out pretty fast over the course of actually rolling a few/being in the seminar. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1529507364043208/ - This. /lazy.


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> That sounds really really awesome, actually. I bet you two have a blast and learn a ton - and hopefully the rollers will work. Based on what I know of dirt floors - 'maybe' - which is awkward. SOme of them are more packed than others, and smoother. You should be able to figure it out pretty fast over the course of actually rolling a few/being in the seminar.


I guess if rollers don't work I just send her over all of the obstacles a million times. LOL She'll have fun at least. I did pay a few more $$ to enter additional rounds (I think you got 1 with the seminar, and additional ones were like $3). I figure if we really suck I'll want another chance to figure it out. Or if we are doing well I'll want to do it again. I'm still working on catches at home, and my throwing is getting better, so there's a slight chance we might have some of that in time, which is better than no throwing or catching skills.



> https://www.facebook.com/events/1529507364043208/ - This. /lazy.


That sounds cool! I love that you can add an additional handler. My husband actually wanted to come to this, but it's $40 for an auditing spot and he didn't want to come that much. But he's much much better than I am and has been getting into disc a bit with her. I don't think he cares about tricks at all, but he'd like to get her to the point of catching.


----------



## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> That sounds cool! I love that you can add an additional handler. My husband actually wanted to come to this, but it's $40 for an auditing spot and he didn't want to come that much. But he's much much better than I am and has been getting into disc a bit with her. I don't think he cares about tricks at all, but he'd like to get her to the point of catching.


Yeah, I really liked that part, too.  I'd have been happy to drag my husband along as an extra and for Molly he might have even done it. Kylie doesn't... work for him, ever, at all, though so apparently he's going to a gaming thing.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I wish there was somewhere Lancer could do a mock ORT. Simply new classroom, new people watching, new setting overall. I need a classroom/indoor setting to practice that he isn't already familiar with, but don't have one. Nose work class is always in the same room, so he's very used to it. I literally have no idea how he would do in a new indoor setting. He would either shut down like how he does outside at parks, or I can still amp up his drive and he might be fine.


----------



## elrohwen

Dogsignalfire said:


> I wish there was somewhere Lancer could do a mock ORT. Meaning simply new classroom, new people watching, new setting overall. I need a classroom/indoor setting to practice that he isn't already familiar with, but don't have one. Nose work class is always in the same room, so he's very used to it. I literally have no idea how he would do in a new indoor setting. He would either shut down like how he does outside at parks, or I can still amp up his excitement and he might be fine.


What about a pet store or tractor supply store? We've practiced in both. The feed store is nice because it's generally not crowded, rarely other dogs, and the competing smells aren't so strong. It's good for exteriors too in the garden center section. I just asked before we started, more so they would know what the heck I was doing than because I thought they would say no.


----------



## DogtorWho15

What is Mock ORT just curious?


I really wanna learn about all the different sports and things that you can do with your dog and take em too. I have never been to any sort of show just to watch and really don't know how they work or how to train. 
I am still always learning LOL Hopefully by the second dog I will be a little more knowledgeable and prepared etc. to do sport and actually know what I am doing and how things work XD 
Honestly even though I LOVE Nova and am so thankful for her, I would've rather waited to get my dog in my own home and know everything I could, and be able to do sports with her.


----------



## CptJack

Mock ORT - Mock nosework trial of some kind. Basically a practice run. 

You know, honestly, I'm living the life right now. I am somehow, suddenly, in an area with agility, flyball, disc, lure coursing, rally, and some dock diving and seminars in other sports coming through (okay, I did a treibball one). I fully intend to eventually try out all of it and I wish we had access to freestyle, barn-hunt, and/or nosework but it's been such a good experience. 

And doing it with Kylie for the most part has just been right. She's not the highest drive dog, but she's willing and sweet and stable and I get to learn and experiment and gain experience with a dog who is pretty forgiving. Jack will try out the lure coursing, Thud will get to try dock diving and maybe lure coursing and the girls have all done at least some agility. Molly does disc stuff and will do more second hand (going with Kylie, learning, bringing it home to her). 

This sports stuff has totally changed my relationship with my dogs and training them and I just. I get emotional, darn it.


ETA: Also real world dog people. Man. Best. Thing. Ever. REAL LIFE IN THE REAL WORLD PEOPLE WHO ARE NUTTY ABOUT DOGS.


----------



## CptJack

...I have so many feelings.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

elrohwen said:


> What about a pet store or tractor supply store? We've practiced in both. The feed store is nice because it's generally not crowded, rarely other dogs, and the competing smells aren't so strong. It's good for exteriors too in the garden center section. I just asked before we started, more so they would know what the heck I was doing than because I thought they would say no.


Thanks! I actually had to google feed store to know what it is, because we don't have any of those around here! I think a Home Depot might work, but it's HUGE with a bunch of staff, so no specific person to ask for permission. :s I might try to find a really remote nursery too.




CptJack said:


> Mock ORT - Mock nosework trial of some kind. Basically a practice run.





DogtorWho15 said:


> What is Mock ORT just curious?


The ORT isn't even a trial, just a short preliminary test before your dog can participate in a nose work trial. It's Odor Recognition Test for any of the three odors (birch, anise, clove) to make sure your dog can even recognize the odor before he's allowed to go screw around in a trial LOL. So mock ORT is just a practice run of an ORT.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Lancer is so cute that it makes me sad. He's just so cute and needing security that I feel sorry for him for no apparent reason. I feel sorry that he's with me, because he's too cute to be with me. What. I don't even know.

I am sad. I think I might be just missing him actually. It is hard to identify emotions. WHY DO I WORK AWAY FROM HOME.

I feel like he is so needy and dependent on me that I feel sad for leaving him? Maybe that's it. I feel sad when I think of him for every moment I'm not there to train and take care of him.

Maybe I won't get a puppy until my dad can be at home more for Lancer. He also depends on my dad very much, but the problem is that my dad doesn't understand his issues or training as a whole- he knows how to play ball with Lancer. Technically, playing ball is enough for Lancer as well. But when I work with him on the simple random things in even just a couple training sessions, I can see the immediate difference in his confidence and dependence on me, a further boost even from playing ball or anything my dad can do with him.

I love Lancer so much that life is sad. I am not sure what to do about that. Lancer is so cute that it makes life sad.


----------



## elrohwen

DogtorWho15 said:


> What is Mock ORT just curious?
> 
> 
> I really wanna learn about all the different sports and things that you can do with your dog and take em too. I have never been to any sort of show just to watch and really don't know how they work or how to train.
> I am still always learning LOL Hopefully by the second dog I will be a little more knowledgeable and prepared etc. to do sport and actually know what I am doing and how things work XD
> Honestly even though I LOVE Nova and am so thankful for her, I would've rather waited to get my dog in my own home and know everything I could, and be able to do sports with her.


Just find a place that offers classes and sign up for something that sounds interesting. That's how most people get started


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

elrohwen said:


> Just find a place that offers classes and sign up for something that sounds interesting. That's how most people get started


thats how I started LOL.


----------



## dogsule

Have an agility trial this weekend and am feeling excited because I know we can do it, this is right now. I know by Saturday it will be nervous feelings because I feel good until the day of then when the day gets here I feel like I know we aren't going to do it and I worry about Belle being distracted like she has been lately. Why do I do this to myself?? I am sure she is feeling my nerves too which may be why she has been distracted. Ugh!


----------



## elrohwen

dogsule said:


> Have an agility trial this weekend and am feeling excited because I know we can do it, this is right now. I know by Saturday it will be nervous feelings because I feel good until the day of then when the day gets here I feel like I know we aren't going to do it and I worry about Belle being distracted like she has been lately. Why do I do this to myself?? I am sure she is feeling my nerves too which may be why she has been distracted. Ugh!


And this is why I don't like to trial. lol 

I'm wondering if it will be different with Hazel, because she doesn't stress and get distracted like Watson does. She may be be able to take up some of my slack when I get nervous. But Watson mirrors me 100% which makes me even more nervous and it's a spiral.


----------



## Jen2010

Ugh. Kane is being so stubborn! He won't drink out of the dogs' water dish anymore.

A few weeks ago we renovated our back entrance area so I had to move the water dish to another room temporarily. He refused to drink anything from it the whole time. He would wait until he could go outside and lick the grass or puddles. Once we were finished the renos I moved the water back where it used to be. He took a drink within an hour or two so I thought he was back to normal, but since then he won't drink from it again! Arghh. Why Kane? It's been over a week and he just gets water wherever he can elsewhere. Plus they eat raw food so it's got lots of moisture in it. It's so frustrating though! I washed the dish thoroughly this morning thinking maybe it had a weird smell or something. When I point it out to him and tell him "water", he just wags his tail and comes over to me, but won't look at the water dish.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

My roommate is suddenly getting laid off from her job. It's seriously abrupt and bad news, especially for international students, and her last day is literally tomorrow. Life is really tough for international kids. She needs to apply for her visa again in a month, so the crap company gave her very little notice and time to prepare for this. Basically, if she does not find another job within the next month that can sponsor her visa, she needs to move back to Korea permanently (unless she gets hired here from Korea, but the chances are very very slim). 

The crap company and her producer just suddenly turned 180 degrees and told her quote quote, "You're easily replaceable. We can find any American to fill your role, so we don't need to sponsor your visa." I can only wonder how much people can be such ******bags. The situation is already horrid- how could someone make another person feel even worse with these kinds of comments, and they were on the same team? When for the past few months, her producer has been telling her repeatedly that she's the most valuable asset on their team. 

The same happened to my other roommate, who had to move back to Korea last October due to not finding a job in time. It's really hard here for international students... 



DogtorWho15 said:


> I really wanna learn about all the different sports and things that you can do with your dog and take em too. I have never been to any sort of show just to watch and really don't know how they work or how to train.
> I am still always learning LOL Hopefully by the second dog I will be a little more knowledgeable and prepared etc. to do sport and actually know what I am doing and how things work XD
> Honestly even though I LOVE Nova and am so thankful for her, I would've rather waited to get my dog in my own home and know everything I could, and be able to do sports with her.


Also attending training seminars on whatever you're interested in... or even just watching training classes without a dog, and nice instructors will let you watch once or twice for free. I think it's all fun.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

*Dogsignalfire *that is very sad... will keep your roommate in my thoughts....

Have no idea how strong the wind or the gust have been today.. non stop for shaking and rattling the house.. I had to use the tractor to get the animals fed and water not having the strength to walk between buildings.. Several Semi's have been picked up and overturned coming into my 13 mile stretch of interstate.. Another storm wave is pushing through.. I don't think we will see much snow from it.. just this wind as it crashes across us...


----------



## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> And this is why I don't like to trial. lol
> 
> I'm wondering if it will be different with Hazel, because she doesn't stress and get distracted like Watson does. She may be be able to take up some of my slack when I get nervous. But Watson mirrors me 100% which makes me even more nervous and it's a spiral.


Funny thing is I actually like the trials, I just stress too much. Hopefully all will go as planned this weekend. LOL!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

*please ignore/delete! Test posting...*


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> Funny thing is I actually like the trials, I just stress too much. Hopefully all will go as planned this weekend. LOL!


I am really lucky that fully half of my trials are actually hosted by my 'home' club, and half of those that are left are at a sister club, so the overlap of people attending is about 85%. I'm fine at these trials. 

The ones in a new location where I don't really know the people OR the layout of things? Those make me nervous. 

I seem to have given up being more than pleasantly high in the ring in general, though, as *long* as I know what the routine is outside of it. I don't know how that happened though, because outside of this one context I am the highest strung person in the world! Apparently, though, my issue is people and social interaction, not performance in front of them? 

I don't get it, but I'll take it.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

winds were 40, 60 mph yesterday with some gust up to 89 mph yesterday and all through the night... wind still this morning but should settle down by the end of day today... lol... one of those days I'm always looking at the fences.. One year my entire backyard fence was down (didn't notice it down) dogs didn't care they stay'd in the yard, maybe they didn't notice it either being so use to the boundary being there... Ever since that situation, I"m always giving a quick visual to make sure the fence is still standing..


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> I am really lucky that fully half of my trials are actually hosted by my 'home' club, and half of those that are left are at a sister club, so the overlap of people attending is about 85%. I'm fine at these trials.
> 
> The ones in a new location where I don't really know the people OR the layout of things? Those make me nervous.
> 
> I seem to have given up being more than pleasantly high in the ring in general, though, as *long* as I know what the routine is outside of it. I don't know how that happened though, because outside of this one context I am the highest strung person in the world! Apparently, though, my issue is people and social interaction, not performance in front of them?
> 
> I don't get it, but I'll take it.


To some extent I am nervous because people are watching but mostly I am nervous that Belle will just not listen and do something crazy like sniff the judge (last two trials!). I know dogs are dogs and I see even the master dogs doing crazy things (like pooping in the ring and then humping the judges leg) but I am always at a loss as to how to not let that happen. Belle never does it in classes, only trials, although lately she has been distracted at class too. I never feel like I know enough about what I am doing to be out there which is why I feel nervous I guess. I still enjoy it somehow though. I can always laugh at things when I am done and I don't get mad at Belle for being a dog but of course we all want to succeed. Went to our building and set up a course last night (A frame, teeter, chute, weaves and 5 jumps) and Belle rocked it, hopefully she can do it this weekend too.


----------



## dogsule

PatriciafromCO said:


> winds were 40, 60 mph yesterday with some gust up to 89 mph yesterday and all through the night... wind still this morning but should settle down by the end of day today... lol... one of those days I'm always looking at the fences.. One year my entire backyard fence was down (didn't notice it down) dogs didn't care they stay'd in the yard, maybe they didn't notice it either being so use to the boundary being there... Ever since that situation, I"m always giving a quick visual to make sure the fence is still standing..


Wow, those are some crazy strong winds!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

dogsule said:


> Wow, those are some crazy strong winds!


very typical in this spot.. storms pushing over the mountains behind us with a lot of force... it suddenly stopped and is as calm as calm can be.. time to walk around fix what needs to be fixed and collect everything that got blown away.. I don't let the geese out of the barn when it's this bad.. they will spread their wings to regain balance and then be tossed like tumble weeds when the wind catches their wings.. they get penned up against the fence for me to try to peel them off without hurting them.. so they locked in the barn when it's really bad.. other days when there is only strong gust between calmer winds, the geese love to sit and wait for each wave then start running and try to catch the wind under their wings and glide across the property.. its pretty cool and cute that the new babies get flying school on those days... run flap your wings and then jump....


----------



## CptJack

dogsule said:


> To some extent I am nervous because people are watching but mostly I am nervous that Belle will just not listen and do something crazy like sniff the judge (last two trials!). I know dogs are dogs and I see even the master dogs doing crazy things (like pooping in the ring and then humping the judges leg) but I am always at a loss as to how to not let that happen. Belle never does it in classes, only trials, although lately she has been distracted at class too. I never feel like I know enough about what I am doing to be out there which is why I feel nervous I guess. I still enjoy it somehow though. I can always laugh at things when I am done and I don't get mad at Belle for being a dog but of course we all want to succeed. Went to our building and set up a course last night (A frame, teeter, chute, weaves and 5 jumps) and Belle rocked it, hopefully she can do it this weekend too.


I have everything crossed for you guys!

Thinking about it, honestly, there's definitely an element of that stuff in play with me, too. I get nervous thinking about going to CLASS again with Bug. I don't really have that with Kylie because these people have seen her at least once a week, almost every week, for a long time. They KNOW her. There's nothing she's going to do that's going to shock them terribly or make them think I suck. 

They don't know Bug as well, or Molly or - and if I was competing with those dogs, even if you removed reactivity, I'd have many more nerves. Apparently my *DOG* being a known factor goes a long, long, way.

(Last trial we were in a livestock arena and there were weird shadows. The judge turned around (outside the ring) and spoke to Kylie and she just lost. her. crap at him. He asked if she was friendly, and got himself out of the weird moving shadows and light so she could see him and it was fine but there was a good 90 seconds of her just SCREAMING at him. Ugh.)


----------



## mudypony

I got to play with a GSP puppy last night. Oh my gosh. SO CUTE. She wanted to play tug but then snuggle at the same time, so she'd tug then leap into my lap to snuggle and back & forth haha. Then, she fell asleep in my lap. I could've totally taken her home. Shorthairs have got to be one of my top favorite sporting breeds, just love every single one I know.

Also, in other news, I inadvertently taught Duke to speak. Was having a training session with my mom's dog with Duke sitting on his bed watching on the other side of the room. Asked my mom's dog to speak, and Duke let out a bark. Ever since then he's been able to speak on command. I've NEVER even worked on speak with him; he just learned from watching my mom's dog. He's way too smart for his own good.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

dogsule "" throw this out """ * but I am always at a loss as to how to not let that happen*. you don't need it.... and it will never help you , only serve as a distraction to you....

focus of hitting every mark like you trained for .....having a good run like your train for.. 

sending good thoughts...


----------



## DogtorWho15

CptJack said:


> Mock ORT - Mock nosework trial of some kind. Basically a practice run.
> 
> You know, honestly, I'm living the life right now. I am somehow, suddenly, in an area with agility, flyball, disc, lure coursing, rally, and some dock diving and seminars in other sports coming through (okay, I did a treibball one). I fully intend to eventually try out all of it and I wish we had access to freestyle, barn-hunt, and/or nosework but it's been such a good experience.
> 
> And doing it with Kylie for the most part has just been right. She's not the highest drive dog, but she's willing and sweet and stable and I get to learn and experiment and gain experience with a dog who is pretty forgiving. Jack will try out the lure coursing, Thud will get to try dock diving and maybe lure coursing and the girls have all done at least some agility. Molly does disc stuff and will do more second hand (going with Kylie, learning, bringing it home to her).
> 
> This sports stuff has totally changed my relationship with my dogs and training them and I just. I get emotional, darn it.
> 
> 
> ETA: Also real world dog people. Man. Best. Thing. Ever. REAL LIFE IN THE REAL WORLD PEOPLE WHO ARE NUTTY ABOUT DOGS.


Oh okay thanks 

Honestly it makes me soooo disappointed to not be able to put Nova in sports for many many reasons, she would not only do great at them but would also just enjoy them. Even though I am not in sports I can totally see how it can change the relationship with your dog and improve it and you as a trainer so much. I think that she would be an entirely different dog if she got to do something like agility. It breaks my heart.
I still hope that some day she will be able to, even if I put her in them at the age of 10! XP Nah jk
I think I would have to move states before I would even be able to do sports, I think there is only on place that does some things here and the only actual sport they have is agility, and I don't even know if I would like the trainer etc. 

I was watching youtube videos of all the crufts competitions. And man do those dogs LOVE what they do, I watched flyball, agility of all sizes, disc, dock diving, lure coursing and some regular fancy shows.


----------



## DogtorWho15

elrohwen said:


> Just find a place that offers classes and sign up for something that sounds interesting. That's how most people get started


I know but it I am not financially capable right now. I have a crap job, and Novas food just got a little more expensive, theres other animals in my household that also need to eat. I am trying to buy a land rover and have to go to OH.....Ugh I hate when life gets in the way of your dog XD
I guess I don't really wanna start something that I don't think I would be able to finish. :/



Dogsignalfire said:


> Also attending training seminars on whatever you're interested in... or even just watching training classes without a dog, and nice instructors will let you watch once or twice for free. I think it's all fun.


Is there a way to search for something like this online? I don't think there are many sports stuff in my area, and Ive never seen anything like out in the open.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

am so done with the desk top computer.... so what does everyone use.. Desk top, lap top, computer, phone, tablets.. is it the thing now to have everything stored online in cloud services and not have to worry about drive space on their devices..


----------



## CptJack

Well, Bug is starting agility at 10 - okay she started a couple of years ago but she's going back later this spring/early this summer


----------



## Prozax

PatriciafromCO said:


> am so done with the desk top computer.... so what does everyone use.. Desk top, lap top, computer, phone, tablets.. is it the thing now to have everything stored online in cloud services and not have to worry about drive space on their devices..


Can you add a second hard disk? i have a 256 gb SSD and a 1 Tb normal hard disk for storing files. The system will boot up much faster ( 3 seconds for windows 7) and you won't have any problems with disk space.


----------



## parapluie

PatriciafromCO said:


> am so done with the desk top computer.... so what does everyone use.. Desk top, lap top, computer, phone, tablets.. is it the thing now to have everything stored online in cloud services and not have to worry about drive space on their devices..


I use a laptop mostly but also my phone. I store my photos (I have way too many) and other things like music and videos on an external hard drive as a backup (they have pretty inexpensive ones now with TONS of storage space). I know a lot of people store things online/in the cloud and I do occasionally (i.e., Dropbox) but I feel better having something physical as well for important things I really want to keep - though I know they can sometimes fail eventually as well. No perfect solution


----------



## gingerkid

PatriciafromCO said:


> am so done with the desk top computer.... so what does everyone use.. Desk top, lap top, computer, phone, tablets.. is it the thing now to have everything stored online in cloud services and not have to worry about drive space on their devices..


I use a desktop and a laptop, about equally. The desktop because I sometimes work from home and it is much easier to work with a 21" screen, whereas I prefer my laptops to be smaller than that for portability.

I have a Google Chrome book, which - although I can't use it for work - I really like. Especially if your main use of the computer is for interweb-browing and creating simple documents, it works really well.


----------



## cookieface

PatriciafromCO said:


> am so done with the desk top computer.... so what does everyone use.. Desk top, lap top, computer, phone, tablets.. is it the thing now to have everything stored online in cloud services and not have to worry about drive space on their devices..


I use laptops at home and work. I love that they're portable. Hated my tablet, but it could have been that particular one. In December, I finally got a smart phone. It's nice to use in meetings or when I'm out, but it won't replace my laptop.

I store most of my files in google drive for convenience; I like being able to access them anywhere.


----------



## Remaru

PatriciafromCO said:


> am so done with the desk top computer.... so what does everyone use.. Desk top, lap top, computer, phone, tablets.. is it the thing now to have everything stored online in cloud services and not have to worry about drive space on their devices..


I use a laptop. I am probably one of the least technologically savvy people on the planet though. I'm always significantly behind and I hate technology. I don't have a smartphone, I don't like them. It irritates me the way people spend all of their time staring at phones instead of just talking to each other (and this is from an introvert with severe social anxiety). I won't let my kids have smart phones either. They do have tablets but there is a limit on how much they can use them. I guess I'm one of those mean moms who expects them to actually _do_ stuff. We do have a desktop, it is really just for my kids to do their school work on (I homeschool them) and for me to use for printing. Last year my boys got laptops for their school work (they are getting older and we thought they were mature enough now) so really it doesn't get used much at all. I find it clunky and not particularly user friendly but it is less because it is a desk top and more just that particular system. I do like that I can have my laptop anywhere and it doesn't take up much space. Hubby uses a tablet or his smartphone for almost everything. He does like a computer for gaming.


----------



## dagwall

Since I quit online gaming on my desktop I rarely touch it. Mostly use my iPad for my internet browsing and some online gaming. Every now and then I get on my desktop PC to store photos, make videos, random tasks I can't do on my iPad. I'm starting an online college course on Monday and that'll have to be done on my desktop PC. Once I get into the program I'm working towards I'll probably need to get a new laptop.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Yesterday night I found the weirdest solution to Crystal's picky eating... If I threw her dog food for her, like it was a toy, it garnered enough interest that she ate the rest of her bowl. I've had her for 6 years af this is the only time she has ever eaten her dog food willingly. Odd lol


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> am so done with the desk top computer.... so what does everyone use.. Desk top, lap top, computer, phone, tablets.. is it the thing now to have everything stored online in cloud services and not have to worry about drive space on their devices..


I have a toshiba laptop (I got rid of my desktop as well) and I love it, I have had it forever and it's still a workhorse (it runs window's 7 ... so that tells you how old it is LOL) but it's still functional and serves my purpose so I am not going to replace it until it peeters out.


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## Willowy

Yeah, laptops are as good as a desktop nowadays, unless you're into gaming or graphics or other really high bandwidth stuff. Then a laptop overheats. But for most people it should do. However, I haven't even turned on my laptop in like 6 months . Smartphone and tablet do everything I want to do . 

My 8- and 10-year-old niece and nephew got smartphones for Christmas. Kids' smartphones; certain things are limited, and I think the parents set the controls. So now they're randomly texting everybody "Hi!" and posting silly pictures on Facebook. I'm not sure that I would get smartphones for kids that young if they were mine, but so far it seems to be OK. They aren't addicted and still go outside and do things (and take pictures and post them. . .). So I guess "connected kids" aren't as horrible as a lot of people make them out to be! We'll see what happens when they're 12 or 13, though, lol.


----------



## mudypony

I just have a laptop (Macbook Pro) that I use for everything from work to school to photo editing. I would love an iMac desktop for photo editing, but $$$$. Because I do photography on the side, I work with a lot of large raw and photoshop files which quickly eat up ALL the space on my laptop. So, I only keep the photos I'm currently working on on my laptop and put everything else onto an external drive that automatically syncs to another external drive at my dad's house. That way everything is saved in two locations because I would die if I lost any of my photos! I also use Carbonite which automatically backs up everything currently on my laptop. If something happened to my laptop, all the stuff I'm currently working on is safe in the cloud.


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## sydneynicole

Just got some doggy-related pullover hoodies (sweatshirt season is coming, yay) and the company I purchased from donates 15 meals to shelter dogs for every sweatshirt bought, so I donated 30 meals with my purchase. So that's how I justified the fact that they were a bit pricey, but I couldn't have gotten the cute/funny quotes from a different company anyways.


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## cookieface

sydneynicole said:


> Just got some doggy-related pullover hoodies (sweatshirt season is coming, yay) and the company I purchased from donates 15 meals to shelter dogs for every sweatshirt bought, so I donated 30 meals with my purchase. So that's how I justified the fact that they were a bit pricey, but I couldn't have gotten the cute/funny quotes from a different company anyways.


Oh, cool. Where?

I bought two sweatshirts from MrsBoats and _love_ them. I'll likely buy a few t-shirts in the spring, too.

As an aside, I'm amused by your comment that sweatshirt season is coming; I thought it was here.


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## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Oh, cool. Where?
> 
> I bought two sweatshirts from MrsBoats and _love_ them. I'll likely buy a few t-shirts in the spring, too.
> 
> As an aside, I'm amused by your comment that sweatshirt season is coming; I thought it was here.


I bought a t-shirt and hoodie from Mrs. Boats. I want more. Those things are FANTASTIC.


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## CptJack

That leather strap attached from Thud's collar to the leash (with the leash attached to the harness) is the best thing I've ever bought. I got it just for Molly for extra security, but now I think I'm getting another one. It's just a seriously ingenuous bit of equipment. I like it better than using a coupler because it's JUST the right length, and it's not attaching the collar and harness directly to each other.


----------



## CrystalGSD

CptJack said:


> That leather strap attached from Thud's collar to the leash (with the leash attached to the harness) is the best thing I've ever bought. I got it just for Molly for extra security, but now I think I'm getting another one. It's just a seriously ingenuous bit of equipment. I like it better than using a coupler because it's JUST the right length, and it's not attaching the collar and harness directly to each other.


This may be a dumb question, but what is the smaller leash used for? (Also, Thud is adorable, as always.)


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## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I bought a t-shirt and hoodie from Mrs. Boats. I want more. Those things are FANTASTIC.


I didn't look at her site enough. I have the paw lotus hoodie, but should have gotten the compass design because it doesn't come in a v-neck t-shirt.


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## CptJack

CrystalGSD said:


> This may be a dumb question, but what is the smaller leash used for? (Also, Thud is adorable, as always.)


You mean the thing between his collar and the proper leash? 

It just keeps him connected to both harness and collar. It seems to even out pressure on him and if the collar breaks (not likely but theoretically possible) or the harness gets loosened up or whatever, he's not going to be free. 

It also keeps the whole 'rig' seeming a lot more stable on him. Nothing's twisting and turning around at all, and it seems to even out where he's putting pressure if he decides to pull. 



cookieface said:


> I didn't look at her site enough. I have the paw lotus hoodie, but should have gotten the compass design because it doesn't come in a v-neck t-shirt.


I have 'In my dog I trust' and frankly I want that design on everything in the world. I LIKE the rest, but I LOVE the in dog I trust thing on so many levels.


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## Crantastic

I do a double collar thing on Casper. I have a small nylon slip collar that he wears along with his flat collar, with the leash clipped to both of them. It actually did save him once when he lunged after a running fox and snapped the buckle on his flat collar. Otherwise the slip collar never engages. You can see the blue slip collar here:


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## PatriciafromCO

Thanks everyone... The main thing I have on my desk top was movies and full TV series downloads from itunes.. Huge second drive.. honestly not in the mood for PC shopping... I rather get a huge external drive and use it with my lap top that I haven't used. and keep using my larger monitor as well with the lap top. for now.. Did try reloading a fresh win 7 from the disc and it did give me some extra space, but do feel short term it's a loosing battle since the system drive is small and there is nothing, nothing on it except system files that you can't delete. I didn't know you could use an external drive for you phone...?? I have a smart phone lol .. but mainly use it just as a phone.. lol lol feel so aged........ for right now I dust off my lap top and wait for the desk top to fill back up. and be just fine..


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## sydneynicole

cookieface said:


> Oh, cool. Where?
> 
> I bought two sweatshirts from MrsBoats and _love_ them. I'll likely buy a few t-shirts in the spring, too.
> 
> As an aside, I'm amused by your comment that sweatshirt season is coming; I thought it was here.


I guess what I mean by sweatshirt season is coming is that soon I'll be able to wear _only_ a sweatshirt and not 3 shirts a sweatshirt and 2 jackets haha.

Anyways, I got them from iheartdogs. I got one that says 'If you aren't a dog person I'm not a you person' and another that says 'I woke up like this (covered in dog hair)'. There's a ton others that I want of course.


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## cookieface

sydneynicole said:


> I guess what I mean by sweatshirt season is coming is that soon I'll be able to wear _only_ a sweatshirt and not 3 shirts a sweatshirt and 2 jackets haha.
> 
> Anyways, I got them from iheartdogs. I got one that says 'If you aren't a dog person I'm not a you person' and another that says 'I woke up like this (covered in dog hair)'. There's a ton others that I want of course.


hahaha Yeah, sweatshirt only - not multiple layers.... maybe in a few months... lol


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## Kate M

Walking Charlie, working on her being scared of people, especially outside the home. Come across two dogs roaming free. Charlie gets charged by the dogs and freaks out, submissively urinating on herself. Dogs didn't do anything but scare her thank goodness. Owner comes sauntering out from a trail saying "they don't have leashes because they have shock collars and I zap 'em and they come back". Oh jeez. 

Continue walk and see man walking in the road while we are on the sidewalk. Start feeding her chicken bits as he gets closer to us and she is actually eating it instead of refusing and freezing out of fear. He passes by without her running or jumping away, all the time eating the gummies I am shoveling at her.

I am so super proud so did so well with a stranger about 10' from us. I am SO angry at the careless owner who allowed his dogs to literally scare the pee out of my dog.


----------



## TSTrainer

I became HIGHLY annoyed with my roommate last night. We were talking about how Coraline finally learned to go down all the steps into the yard and she mentioned that she doesn't give her treats for going potty outside anymore. When I asked why she's not her answer was "well she goes so I just praise her!" Yes she goes outside because she's given many opportunities to relieve herself without resorting to eliminating in the house. She is by no means reliably potty trained therefore nowhere near ready to phase treats out.

What really gets me is that she did the exact same thing with her dog and we have had potty training problems with him since we got him as a puppy and she doesn't believe that THAT is the reason why.

Edit: My roommate and I are very close but I by no means expect her to potty train my dog. If I'm not home I am totally fine with her being in the crate or ex pen, but since my roommate wants her out and playing with the other dogs I don't think its too much to ask for her to just go witj her and give a few treats for peeing and pooping outside.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Kate M said:


> Walking Charlie, working on her being scared of people, especially outside the home. Come across two dogs roaming free. Charlie gets charged by the dogs and freaks out, submissively urinating on herself. Dogs didn't do anything but scare her thank goodness. Owner comes sauntering out from a trail saying "they don't have leashes because they have shock collars and I zap 'em and they come back". Oh jeez.
> 
> Continue walk and see man walking in the road while we are on the sidewalk. Start feeding her chicken bits as he gets closer to us and she is actually eating it instead of refusing and freezing out of fear. He passes by without her running or jumping away, all the time eating the gummies I am shoveling at her.
> 
> I am so super proud so did so well with a stranger about 10' from us. I am SO angry at the careless owner who allowed his dogs to literally scare the pee out of my dog.


am glad your pup did well for the person... for the other dogs its horrible to have to face out of control conditions.. main focus will always be in the (recovery) how you handle moving on... for you pup to follow your lead in attitude ... ( what a bunch of A-holes hun !!! looking at your pup as you say it) it's the little cues we give them, because it's the only thing we can do.. sounds like a good bounce back for getting through the person that came after that..


----------



## Prozax

Eli peed on the carpet tonight. First time in a month. I guess we got a bit too relaxed with her potty schedule. Anyway, after she peed ( in another room) she came to us with such a sad face. Aww darling.. it was totally our fault but she still felt guilty.


----------



## cookieface

Prozax said:


> Eli peed on the carpet tonight. First time in a month. I guess we got a bit too relaxed with her potty schedule. Anyway, after she peed ( in another room) she came to us with such a sad face. Aww darling.. it was totally our fault but she still felt guilty.


Katie's had a few accidents (twice she was sick and once she had too much water for the time she was alone) and afterwards she looked so embarrassed. Poor girl.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Nova keeps growling at the hermit crabs.... Its not like she hasnt seen them before or heard all the obnoxious noises that come from the tank, but for some reason they are just really threatening tonight......


----------



## mudypony

So, Karma Collars reopened today... under a new owner. Not impressed with the three new collars added. Cheap beads and everything looks crooked. They still have the older styles, but all the pictures are from the original owner. Looks like I'm gonna have to find a new favorite place for collars.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, I'm not impressed either. 

Ella's lead got my business most recently- and probably will again when I finally get around to getting Thud a new collar. I'm not thrilled with how lightweight some of the stones in the design are (not all just some) but that's the only complaint I can find.


----------



## Equinox

mudypony said:


> So, Karma Collars reopened today... under a new owner. Not impressed with the three new collars added. Cheap beads and everything looks crooked. They still have the older styles, but all the pictures are from the original owner. Looks like I'm gonna have to find a new favorite place for collars.


Ugh, yeah. Not only are they cheap looking, they're freaking ugly too. Gaudy and cheesy, not at all like the style I've come to associate with Karma Collars. I'm annoyed I didn't get to buy a Monacco Wide for Trent before they closed, but am glad I at least have the Spartan!! 

Looks like I'll be sticking with Kismet from now on!


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> Yeah, I'm not impressed either.
> 
> Ella's lead got my business most recently- and probably will again when I finally get around to getting Thud a new collar. I'm not thrilled with how lightweight some of the stones in the design are (not all just some) but that's the only complaint I can find.


It's really disappointing. Their old collars were fantastic, down to every little detail. 

I've heard good things about Ella's Lead. I like some of their designs a lot too. I also like the look of some of the Sexy Beast collars but don't know anyone who has collars from there. As soon as I get a female dog, I'm getting their Western Berry Bling collar though; I love the look of that collar! I've been thinking about getting Duke a second fancy collar (maybe with a mix of nickel & brass hardware?), but I'm so darn picky. I'm biting myself now not getting another one from Karma before it was sold.


----------



## CptJack

mudypony said:


> It's really disappointing. Their old collars were fantastic, down to every little detail.
> 
> I've heard good things about Ella's Lead. I like some of their designs a lot too. I also like the look of some of the Sexy Beast collars but don't know anyone who has collars from there. As soon as I get a female dog, I'm getting their Western Berry Bling collar though; I love the look of that collar! I've been thinking about getting Duke a second fancy collar (maybe with a mix of nickel & brass hardware?), but I'm so darn picky. I'm biting myself now not getting another one from Karma before it was sold.


Jack and Molly have Karma collars - Jack's is the Munroe, and MOlly's is... victorian heart? Something like that. Bug and Kylie have Ella's lead collars - though Kylie's is a cat collar. I'm pretty happy with them, but. I liked Karma more, just to be honest. not MUCH more, but more.


----------



## mudypony

Equinox said:


> Ugh, yeah. Not only are they cheap looking, they're freaking ugly too. Gaudy and cheesy, not at all like the style I've come to associate with Karma Collars. I'm annoyed I didn't get to buy a Monacco Wide for Trent before they closed, but am glad I at least have the Spartan!!
> 
> Looks like I'll be sticking with Kismet from now on!


First off, WHO'S THE NEW PUP IN YOUR SIGNATURE???

Secondly, the new collars are definitely ugly. The Monaco Wide was the collar I wanted to get for Duke! It's hard to find manly looking collars, but that one just fit's the bill so perfectly. Simple, classic, and not too girly. Why didn't I buy it months ago?? Urghh...

I'll have to look into Kismet. Siege's looks super nice! Would've guessed it was an old Karma, if I didn't know better!


----------



## CptJack

http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/17424

I want this on Thud.

I'm broken, but I want that collar on Thud. 

I have no taste.


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/17424
> 
> I want this on Thud.
> 
> I'm broken, but I want that collar on Thud.
> 
> I have no taste.


That's such a Thud collar. You NEED it.

And, you need this one, too, for days when Thud wants to be sophisticated.
http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/4630/4623


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## CptJack

mudypony said:


> That's such a Thud collar. You NEED it.
> 
> And, you need this one, too, for days when Thud wants to be sophisticated.
> http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/4630/4623


I love that collar. It is utterly and completely gorgeous and matches him beautifully- ie: Color, mostly. 

...I am not even remotely convinced he can ever pull off looking that elegant. ...maybe. It'd make me happy to try, anyway!


----------



## Remaru

CptJack said:


> http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/17424
> 
> I want this on Thud.
> 
> I'm broken, but I want that collar on Thud.
> 
> I have no taste.


Ha ha ha 

http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/16421/16979
I have this for Lad. I LOVE IT!!!!

My oldest was jealous and asked for one for Blue for his Birthday. I ordered a custom tiny gem collar in rainbow for her. I have been eyeing collars for Freyja, they have a bunch of new styles. 

http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/16421/20697 

I like this one because unicorns. I just haven't ordered one for her because she has a history of eating collars. She has been wearing her cheap pink collar for a while without eating it though.


----------



## CptJack

Yeah, Kylie's cat collar is the rainbow one. I like rainbows!


----------



## Equinox

mudypony said:


> First off, WHO'S THE NEW PUP IN YOUR SIGNATURE???
> 
> Secondly, the new collars are definitely ugly. The Monaco Wide was the collar I wanted to get for Duke! It's hard to find manly looking collars, but that one just fit's the bill so perfectly. Simple, classic, and not too girly. Why didn't I buy it months ago?? Urghh...
> 
> I'll have to look into Kismet. Siege's looks super nice! Would've guessed it was an old Karma, if I didn't know better!


LOL! His name is Legion and he's Siegespawn! He's got a photo thread here: http://www.dogforums.com/dog-pictures-forum/425682-whoops-introducing-legion.html 

And yeah, I'm just so incredibly annoyed with the new Karma Collars look. Even the website is ridiculously ugly. I know they're still continuing to make the old designs, but the craftsmanship looks pretty bad. No way I'm taking that risk, especially not for the price tag. 

I'm really really happy with our Kismet collar and the quality of the leather is fantastic! The turnaround time is a bit slow, but I 100% trust the collar maker. Prices are similar to Karma's so I'll have to save up, but it'd definitely be worth it. This is their website: http://kismetcollars.com/

sassafras/Karen has convinced me to take a look at Ella's Lead's vegan collars, but I don't think I'd touch their leather collars because of the quality inconsistency. Definitely can't beat the price and I think the people who run the business are great, but I just see too many of their collars getting ruined way too quick because of the cut of leather they use.

No lie though...I reaaally like this
http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/16421/19633

or this http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/16421/19395

or definitely this http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/3632/11098

I promised my sister a Time Traveler for when she gets her first dog (a greyhound)
http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/7631/15248


----------



## mudypony

Equinox said:


> LOL! His name is Legion and he's Siegespawn! He's got a photo thread here: http://www.dogforums.com/dog-pictures-forum/425682-whoops-introducing-legion.html
> 
> And yeah, I'm just so incredibly annoyed with the new Karma Collars look. Even the website is ridiculously ugly. I know they're still continuing to make the old designs, but the craftsmanship looks pretty bad. No way I'm taking that risk, especially not for the price tag.
> 
> I'm really really happy with our Kismet collar and the quality of the leather is fantastic! The turnaround time is a bit slow, but I 100% trust the collar maker. Prices are similar to Karma's so I'll have to save up, but it'd definitely be worth it. This is their website: http://kismetcollars.com/
> 
> sassafras/Karen has convinced me to take a look at Ella's Lead's vegan collars, but I don't think I'd touch their leather collars because of the quality inconsistency. Definitely can't beat the price and I think the people who run the business are great, but I just see too many of their collars getting ruined way too quick because of the cut of leather they use.
> 
> No lie though...I reaaally like this
> http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/16421/19633
> 
> or this http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/16421/19395
> 
> or definitely this http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/3632/11098
> 
> I promised my sister a Time Traveler for when she gets her first dog (a greyhound)
> http://ellaslead.com/inc/sdetail/7631/15248


Found the photo thread, haha! That is so exciting. Legion is incredibly handsome and sounds perfect for you!

I think ordering from Karma Collars again is out for sure. Also, don't know why they changed the website? It looks pretty bad, and the old one looked quite nice, if I remember right. They kept basically everything else (except quality...), so why change the website?

Wow, I really like some of the Kismet Collars, especially the one Siege has! And, yeah, some of Ella's Lead designs are awesome. I can just picture Duke in this one. Good to know about the leather quality inconsistency; that's a bummer  Guess I'll have to stick to the vegan ones as well, if I order through them.

Have you heard anything about Crazy Rebels? I love this one, especially the mix of hardware colors.


----------



## Equinox

mudypony said:


> Found the photo thread, haha! That is so exciting. Legion is incredibly handsome and sounds perfect for you!
> 
> I think ordering from Karma Collars again is out for sure. Also, don't know why they changed the website? It looks pretty bad, and the old one looked quite nice, if I remember right. They kept basically everything else (except quality...), so why change the website?
> 
> Wow, I really like some of the Kismet Collars, especially the one Siege has! And, yeah, some of Ella's Lead designs are awesome. I can just picture Duke in this one. Good to know about the leather quality inconsistency; that's a bummer  Guess I'll have to stick to the vegan ones as well, if I order through them.
> 
> Have you heard anything about Crazy Rebels? I love this one, especially the mix of hardware colors.


Thank you, I'm super super excited to have him! Honestly speaking, he's not really what I want in my next dog so not quite perfect for me...but he's a Siege puppy and that makes me automatically love him. He is all I need, just as he is  I told myself my next dog would be harder, wilder, higher energy, snappier, more aggressive edge lol got the opposite. But I knew exactly what I was getting and in fact, he's doing better than I had hoped! I am very happy I got him. 

And with the whole Karma Collars thing, yeah, it blows. The stupid thing is that they changed the website format but still use the old Karma photos?? But just a look at their new designs and you can tell that the craftsmanship is a far cry from what it was before, and I feel like that's false advertising. Aughhhhh. 

Yeah that Ella's Lead collar would look gorgeous on Duke! And I mean, I know a lot of people have Ella's Lead leather collars and are happy with them, I just know it's also a thing for their collars to get gross and frayed after just a short period of time. It's pretty luck based, depends on what cut of leather they use to make the collar. For their lower prices though I think a lot of people find it worth the gamble. I'm definitely interested in trying the vegan leather though!! 

I haven't bought or put my hands on any Crazy Rebel collars before, though I like their designs and their prices seem decent! That collar design is really nice looking and YES I love mixing hardware colors!! Haha thus why Siege's collar has mixed hardware colors (it was custom made for her and then put on the website). The problem though, is that looking at their collars, they all look really rough and rather crudely made  I'm normally not nitpicky about that, but it's pretty obvious on these collars (the new Karma designs have the same issue)


----------



## Equinox

Also, *mudypony*, are you at all active on Facebook? You should add me there, I've been meaning to ask you so I can keep updated on Duke photos!


----------



## Sibe

Equinox said:


> Also, *mudypony*, are you at all active on Facebook? You should add me there, I've been meaning to ask you so I can keep updated on Duke photos!


 Seeing your Legion post reminded me that I was going to add you, I saw a post of yours in one of the structure groups or something. Immediately recognized the photography- and dog.


----------



## Equinox

Sibe said:


> Seeing your Legion post reminded me that I was going to add you, I saw a post of yours in one of the structure groups or something. Immediately recognized the photography- and dog.


Can't believe I didn't have you added yet when I got the request -thank you!!  Haha and yeah I posted Siege and Kirin both a while back, it's a cool group for learning (for the most part)!


----------



## Remaru

I have 3 Ella's Lead Leather collars and haven't had any issues. Lenore scratched one of the stones on her's (she is super rough on her things) wrestling so she and Lad only wear theirs for outings. Blue wears hers all of the time, and hers is one of the really delicate tiny dog collars. No real wear to speak of. I have also been watching Sexy Beast and Made to Measure leather collars (because obviously my dogs need more fancy collars). I have a friend who has several of the braided leather leashes from Sexy Beast and loves them, at the very least I think I'm going to snag one of those soon.


----------



## Equinox

Yeah I have a lot of friends happy with their Ella's Lead collars. It's just more of a gamble than I'm willing to make - their collars are cheaper than other makers', but still not _cheap _cheap. Since they use iffier cuts of leather I just would rather go with someone I know uses the good cuts.

And aw man, I really like this collar, but I haaaate seeing stitching on leather collars dlafjlskfjls;kafjsfklj. And also finding that I'm iffy about rounded edges.
http://sexybeastdogcollars.com/specialty-leather-collars/western-berry-bling

Makes me even more upset about this whole Karma Collar thing haha. Maybe I'll get a Saluki Feather custom collar, though I wonder if those are just mainly decorative.


----------



## mudypony

Equinox said:


> Thank you, I'm super super excited to have him! Honestly speaking, he's not really what I want in my next dog so not quite perfect for me...but he's a Siege puppy and that makes me automatically love him. He is all I need, just as he is  I told myself my next dog would be harder, wilder, higher energy, snappier, more aggressive edge lol got the opposite. But I knew exactly what I was getting and in fact, he's doing better than I had hoped! I am very happy I got him.
> 
> And with the whole Karma Collars thing, yeah, it blows. The stupid thing is that they changed the website format but still use the old Karma photos?? But just a look at their new designs and you can tell that the craftsmanship is a far cry from what it was before, and I feel like that's false advertising. Aughhhhh.
> 
> Yeah that Ella's Lead collar would look gorgeous on Duke! And I mean, I know a lot of people have Ella's Lead leather collars and are happy with them, I just know it's also a thing for their collars to get gross and frayed after just a short period of time. It's pretty luck based, depends on what cut of leather they use to make the collar. For their lower prices though I think a lot of people find it worth the gamble. I'm definitely interested in trying the vegan leather though!!
> 
> I haven't bought or put my hands on any Crazy Rebel collars before, though I like their designs and their prices seem decent! That collar design is really nice looking and YES I love mixing hardware colors!! Haha thus why Siege's collar has mixed hardware colors (it was custom made for her and then put on the website). The problem though, is that looking at their collars, they all look really rough and rather crudely made  I'm normally not nitpicky about that, but it's pretty obvious on these collars (the new Karma designs have the same issue)


Even if he's not exactly what you wanted, how can you go wrong with a Siege puppy? Plus, he is GORGEOUS. Seriously gorgeous. 

I think that's my biggest problem with the new Karma Collars. They're using the old photos when their craftsmanship appears to not be at the same level at all. It's very misleading. I miss the old Karma *cries*

The vegan collars from Ella's seem promising. They make them sound extremely durable, which is exactly what I want. I wonder if they could ever do a design similar to that Crazy Rebel collar. Because, yeah, I agree the Crazy Rebel collars are ROUGH, but I like that design a ton. Might have to contact Ella's Lead about a custom collar.... my bank account is going to kill me.



Equinox said:


> Also, *mudypony*, are you at all active on Facebook? You should add me there, I've been meaning to ask you so I can keep updated on Duke photos!


I have a Facebook but am admittedly not very active haha. I do have an Instagram too and am wayyy more active on there. I'll PM you!



Equinox said:


> And aw man, I really like this collar, but I haaaate seeing stitching on leather collars dlafjlskfjls;kafjsfklj. And also finding that I'm iffy about rounded edges.
> http://sexybeastdogcollars.com/specialty-leather-collars/western-berry-bling


That's my favorite collar from them. I don't mind seeing the stitching or the rounded edges. Though, in a perfect world, I do prefer the more squared off edges. But, I just really like that concho. It's super pretty, and I love that it has both brass and silver.


----------



## jade5280

I'm so sad about the Karma thing too. I'm not ordering from them anymore. I'm glad I was able to get 2 while they were still owned by the old owners. Panzer will be getting a Kismet collar.


----------



## dogsule

TSTrainer said:


> I became HIGHLY annoyed with my roommate last night. We were talking about how Coraline finally learned to go down all the steps into the yard and she mentioned that she doesn't give her treats for going potty outside anymore. When I asked why she's not her answer was "well she goes so I just praise her!" Yes she goes outside because she's given many opportunities to relieve herself without resorting to eliminating in the house. She is by no means reliably potty trained therefore nowhere near ready to phase treats out.
> 
> What really gets me is that she did the exact same thing with her dog and we have had potty training problems with him since we got him as a puppy and she doesn't believe that THAT is the reason why.
> 
> Edit: My roommate and I are very close but I by no means expect her to potty train my dog. If I'm not home I am totally fine with her being in the crate or ex pen, but since my roommate wants her out and playing with the other dogs I don't think its too much to ask for her to just go witj her and give a few treats for peeing and pooping outside.


When I potty trained my puppies I pretty much used praise only, not treats. My last puppy was reliably house trained by 4 months.

Edited to add, now though when the dogs go outside to potty (I don't go with them but watch from the window) they do get a treat when they come back in, always.


----------



## DogtorWho15

Wow I just saw the new Karma Collars. They are so ugly and look like they were made by a toddler and her bead kit..........
I never even got the chance to buy Nova the Augusta


----------



## Sandakat

I can't wait to have a dog I can buy fancy collars for. Rough collies make collars vanish. I guess he saves me money that way. It's not worth buying them.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Hero cracks me up lol. We have been working on his leave it for a while and now he can leave food alone that's on his paws. Now, food is his favorite thing in the WORLD. Like, dog kibble is a high value reward for him, that's how much he loves food. So, anyway, whenever I tell him to leave it he always avoids eye contact with the food; I didn't train him to do this, I think he automatically does it because he just can't stand looking at the food and not being able to get it. Well now, if I tell him leave it and I put the food on his paw, he avoids eye contact with the food, stares at me, and moves his paw so the food falls off of his paw. He stares at me like "why would you do this." It is hilarious lol!


----------



## dogsule

Ugh! So this was in my tire yesterday. Tire was shot, new one being put on today. Thankfully we have coverage for that, they were almost brand new tires too, just put them on in Nov.

20160225_073752-1 by rzyg, on Flickr


----------



## mudypony

CrystalGSD said:


> Hero cracks me up lol. We have been working on his leave it for a while and now he can leave food alone that's on his paws. Now, food is his favorite thing in the WORLD. Like, dog kibble is a high value reward for him, that's how much he loves food. So, anyway, whenever I tell him to leave it he always avoids eye contact with the food; I didn't train him to do this, I think he automatically does it because he just can't stand looking at the food and not being able to get it. Well now, if I tell him leave it and I put the food on his paw, he avoids eye contact with the food, stares at me, and moves his paw so the food falls off of his paw. He stares at me like "why would you do this." It is hilarious lol!


Haha! Duke does the same thing. Whenever I tell him to leave it, he turns his head the opposite direction of the food and starts drooling profusely. Also, he knows he's supposed to make eye contact with me when I tell him to leave it. It's so funny when the piece of food is in the way of making eye contact with me. You can just see him struggle with the dilemma. Must make eye contact but cannot catch glimpse of the food!

-------

Also, took Duke to the local dog friendly outdoor mall on Monday to work on his reactivity in a different setting. It was pretty cold that day, and a Monday, so I hoped it would be just busy enough to work on his reactivity but not too busy that he passes his threshold. My only goals were to make it a positive experience and keep him under threshold.

Overall, he was just soooo good. I'm so proud of him! When we first got there you could tell he was over the top excited but calmed down after sitting on the outskirts of the mall for a few minutes. We headed to the dog bakery first. He was good but the employee there annoyed me a bit. Duke gave a little woof/whine, paired with a wiggly body & tail, when he caught sight of her before I could get his attention back on me. It was basically a I-want-you-to-pet-me-so-bad woof. They always give out a sample treat when checking out, but when we went to check out she made a comment like "he growled at me, so I'm not giving him a sample." And, Duke is just sitting there next to me wagging his tail being just about perfect. Ughh, makes me mad how quickly people judge, especially because he didn't growl, he gave one little bark.

Other than that, he was so good. Said hello to almost everyone working in each of the stores. Didn't react at the three dogs we encountered, of course the food I shoveled down his throat as we passed helped with that. Saw strollers, went in stores, even quietly laid down next to me while I drank a tea. The only thing he somewhat reacted to was a squirrel that came out of nowhere right in front of us haha. Overall, the experience was a good one, and I can definitely see the progress we're making. We still have work to do with reacting to other dogs and loose leash walking, but his confidence has boosted so much. He confidently entered every store and politely said hi to everyone who asked to pet him. Plus, I think he had a lot of fun, and I can't really ask for more than that.


----------



## Jen2010

> Ugh! So this was in my tire yesterday. Tire was shot, new one being put on today. Thankfully we have coverage for that, they were almost brand new tires too, just put them on in Nov.


 Wow where did you pick that up?! I got a screw in my tire less than 6 months after I got my new car. Thankfully it was covered too and I got a new tire


----------



## Kyllobernese

You are lucky Mudypony that you live in an area that you can take your dog into so many stores. We just have a fairly small mall and the only dogs allowed in are Seeing Eye dogs (don't even mention Service Dogs but probably none around here). The only places we can take dogs is the Feed Store, two Pet Stores and the Vet. I have also taken them into the Tire Shop when I have been having a vehicle serviced or tires changed but that is it.


----------



## dogsule

Jen2010 said:


> Wow where did you pick that up?! I got a screw in my tire less than 6 months after I got my new car. Thankfully it was covered too and I got a new tire


I really am not sure, don't even know what it is! On Sunday I was coming home from the trial and taking an exit when my tire pressure light came on. I pulled over after a little bit and looked and all the tires looked fine. Started driving again and the light went off. Checked the tires the next morning and they all looked good, no light came on again until yesterday morning (Wednesday) when my daughter drove to school. She got out of the van and could hear the air hissing out of the tire. No clue who picked it up really, not sure if it could have been there a few days before it really caused damage or not.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I.. can't.. even.

CM is coming near my area. I'm going to puke.


----------



## Sandakat

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I.. can't.. even.
> 
> CM is coming near my area. I'm going to puke.


I suggest some really loud music and a Chardonnay.


----------



## mudypony

Kyllobernese said:


> You are lucky Mudypony that you live in an area that you can take your dog into so many stores. We just have a fairly small mall and the only dogs allowed in are Seeing Eye dogs (don't even mention Service Dogs but probably none around here). The only places we can take dogs is the Feed Store, two Pet Stores and the Vet. I have also taken them into the Tire Shop when I have been having a vehicle serviced or tires changed but that is it.


I'm definitely thankful to have this mall nearby. It has around 90 stores/restaurants, and, even though it's outdoor, it's built to block the wind and isn't too cold in the winter and is super nice and well taken care of. It's nice to have somewhere to go to work on Duke's reactivity that is dog friendly but isn't swarmed with dogs, like pet stores. Was also super impressed with the mall's customer service. We stopped by the management office to ask where we could get some water for Duke because it was cold and didn't feel like walking back to the car to grab the water I brought. And, she pulled out a bowl and went and got some water for us. Even gave Duke a few treats after I gave the okay, so, of course Duke fell in love with her. It was super cute and makes me love that mall even more.


----------



## gingerkid

Maybe it's just me, but I've never had any success with mixing wet dog food and kibble and stuffing that into a kong (with or without freezing it). Maybe my dogs are all dense, but they can never get it out. The kibble absorbs the moisture from the canned food and expands and it really packs in there and I guess they just can't get it out??


----------



## Remaru

gingerkid said:


> Maybe it's just me, but I've never had any success with mixing wet dog food and kibble and stuffing that into a kong (with or without freezing it). Maybe my dogs are all dense, but they can never get it out. The kibble absorbs the moisture from the canned food and expands and it really packs in there and I guess they just can't get it out??


I have the same issue. I can't wet the kibble in any way or the dogs can't get it out, then I'm left with a gross mess to clean out. I just put kibble in the kong and seal the end with whatever and freeze.


----------



## Sibe

gingerkid said:


> Maybe it's just me, but I've never had any success with mixing wet dog food and kibble and stuffing that into a kong (with or without freezing it). Maybe my dogs are all dense, but they can never get it out. The kibble absorbs the moisture from the canned food and expands and it really packs in there and I guess they just can't get it out??


 Layer it. Plain kibble in first, then wet food, then dry again, then wet. Mini Kong are usually like 3 pieces of kibble, tiny bit of wet, then another few pieces, then wet on top. Giant Kongs just layer until it's full, may take another couple layers. Dry food is always in first, and wet food always last.

I used to do this for the dogs at the shelter. I'd take home a big bucket of Kongs and stuff, freeze, and return them the next day.


----------



## Prozax

This morning I was going to work with Eli and bf. At some point they turned around to go home and I kept going to the office. 10 minutes later I get a call from my bf that Eli wasn't settling and was pulling towards me and that at one point she pulled so hard she snapped the leash and just started running full speed towards me ( I was several blocks away, not in her sight). She was so lucky she got green lights because she would have definitely been hit by a car( busy busy street at 9 am). She has no sense of keeping herself safe. Anyway, when she got close to me, a lady stopped her and kept her while my bf caught up and collected her.

I didn't see any of this as it was raining, I had my hoodie on and was paying attention to not get splashed by cars. He was so scared and panicked when he saw her running down the street 

The lady grabbed her by the harness handle. Good harness! Pic is from this morning


----------



## Prozax

Sibe said:


> Layer it. Plain kibble in first, then wet food, then dry again, then wet. Mini Kong are usually like 3 pieces of kibble, tiny bit of wet, then another few pieces, then wet on top. Giant Kongs just layer until it's full, may take another couple layers. Dry food is always in first, and wet food always last.
> 
> I used to do this for the dogs at the shelter. I'd take home a big bucket of Kongs and stuff, freeze, and return them the next day.


+ 1 for layering. Moistening the kibble entirely does cause it to expand and Eli won't be able to take it out. But layers of kibble and canned food work really well. Even yogurt, which is more liquidy, and kibble works.


----------



## CptJack

Molly ate a box of chocolate covered raisins. 

She's had vomiting induced (by us and the vet), been given activated charcoal at the vet, and had baseline labs drawn. She goes back in the AM to have more bloodwork and to see if she needs to be admitted for IV therapy/diuretics. 

I am scared *spitless*.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Molly ate a box of chocolate covered raisins.
> 
> She's had vomiting induced (by us and the vet), been given activated charcoal at the vet, and had baseline labs drawn. She goes back in the AM to have more bloodwork and to see if she needs to be admitted for IV therapy/diuretics.
> 
> I am scared *spitless*.


Oh no! Hope she's ok. How much time passed between when she ate them and when she vomited?

Tyson ate some raisin bread a few months ago and was fine.


----------



## CptJack

cookieface said:


> Oh no! Hope she's ok. How much time passed between when she ate them and when she vomited?
> 
> Tyson ate some raisin bread a few months ago and was fine.


I really don't know exactly :/ Probably not terribly long but I just don't know.


----------



## Kate M

CptJack said:


> Molly ate a box of chocolate covered raisins.
> 
> She's had vomiting induced (by us and the vet), been given activated charcoal at the vet, and had baseline labs drawn. She goes back in the AM to have more bloodwork and to see if she needs to be admitted for IV therapy/diuretics.
> 
> I am scared *spitless*.[/QUOTE
> 
> Poor pup! It is scary when they get into things they shouldn't. Hope she feels better soon. Please update when you have a chance.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> I really don't know exactly :/ Probably not terribly long but I just don't know.


I'm sure she'll be fine. Good thoughts to her and you.


----------



## Willowy

I hope Molly is OK! Update?

There is an ad on Omaha craigslist that says, basically: "free snake, roommate moved and left it, about 5 feet long, green, brown, and white, come and get it". I'm so tempted, even just out of curiosity. LOL, it's probably a burm or other huge snake I'm not prepared for. If it were Sioux Falls I totally would but Omaha is a bit too far. I hope some reptile rescue steps in if a knowledgeable herper doesn't get it first.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I.. can't.. even.
> 
> CM is coming near my area. I'm going to puke.


Meh, he has come to my area before, I dont care LOL. I DO wish I had thought of the TV idea first though haha.


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> Molly ate a box of chocolate covered raisins.
> 
> She's had vomiting induced (by us and the vet), been given activated charcoal at the vet, and had baseline labs drawn. She goes back in the AM to have more bloodwork and to see if she needs to be admitted for IV therapy/diuretics.
> 
> I am scared *spitless*.


Oh no! I hope Molly's okay! It's so scary when they eat something bad for them.


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> I hope Molly is OK! Update?
> 
> .


She *seems* fine? She played ball and tug, she ate and she drank. But I won't really have any useful information until we go back to the vet tomorrow morning for more blood work and get those results (compared with today's). The risk is basically it killing her kidneys and that doesn't happen immediately.

So I just don't know.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Oh no! I hope that Molly's results turn out just fine.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I tried Kibble in my Kong and the dogs gave up trying to get it out. Have better luck filling it with canned food or peanut butter (low-fat) and freezing it. They completely empty it out and it takes them a while.

Hope Molly is alright, hopefully there was not a lot of chocolate.


----------



## CptJack

Thanks, guys.

The vet was not concerned about the chocolate at all. Said in this case it was probably a *good* thing, since it was wrapped around the raisins. Also said people panic about milk chocolate waaaaay too much. Not that it's not a problem just that when it's milk chocolate it takes a *LOT* to cause an issue.


----------



## gingerkid

Sibe said:


> Layer it. Plain kibble in first, then wet food, then dry again, then wet. Mini Kong are usually like 3 pieces of kibble, tiny bit of wet, then another few pieces, then wet on top. Giant Kongs just layer until it's full, may take another couple layers. Dry food is always in first, and wet food always last.


ooooh, okay. I had only ever seen tutorials that talk about mixing them... maybe bad choice of words. Laying makes sense, I'll have to try that.


----------



## Kate M

Thanks to some recommendations on another thread, I was able to find a good harness for Charlie. Is it sad that I am constantly checking to see when it will be here along with her new collar?!?! I am so excited!


----------



## Sandakat

I hope Molly is OK! I'm glad she's acting OK and playing.


----------



## CptJack

Round of bloodwork 2 was clear, so we're done. Yay.


----------



## mudypony

CptJack said:


> Round of bloodwork 2 was clear, so we're done. Yay.


Yayyyyy!!!


----------



## sydneynicole

Kate M said:


> Thanks to some recommendations on another thread, I was able to find a good harness for Charlie. Is it sad that I am constantly checking to see when it will be here along with her new collar?!?! I am so excited!


I just ordered a bunch of new collars (4 dogs) and a harness for Oli and I checked the tracking like 8 times a day haha... now they're here (except for Oli's because his is from Greece..) and I just want to shop for more! Online shopping is a dangerous thing.


----------



## CptJack

Dogs all got baths today and are naked until they dry.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Interesting moment with my Farrier lol ... We had finished up with Bob. Yes I only have one rope halter and lead rope.. (just got tired replacing my stuff being stolen) so the farrier went to halter up Johnny and Johnny started the run off and catch me thing.. I never interfere with professional horse people so I gave the farrier his moment in presuing Johnny unsuccessfully... and when he was done not getting anywhere with Johnny... he handed me the halter and lead.. I told Johnny to come and get his collar on... Johnny trotted right over to me.. told my farrier I don't do the chase me game ... with them... I'm too old to and too lazy for that game.. lol.. I've always refused to play it... and that seems to work for them... My Farrier just laughed at me and went to work on Johnny...


----------



## sydneynicole

PatriciafromCO said:


> Interesting moment with my Farrier lol ... We had finished up with Bob. Yes I only have one rope halter and lead rope.. (just got tired replacing my stuff being stolen) so the farrier went to halter up Johnny and Johnny started the run off and catch me thing.. I never interfere with professional horse people so I gave the farrier his moment in presuing Johnny unsuccessfully... and when he was done not getting anywhere with Johnny... he handed me the halter and lead.. I told Johnny to come and get his collar on... Johnny trotted right over to me.. told my farrier I don't do the chase me game ... with them... I'm too old to and too lazy for that game.. lol.. I've always refused to play it... and that seems to work for them... My Farrier just laughed at me and went to work on Johnny...


When I was 11 I had my first show horse, I made her show name Catch Me If You Can (we did jumpers so it was relevant lol). Unfortunately she lived up to it...both in the field and in her stall. The day after a show she'd demand to be left alone in her paddock and would not let anyone catch her... anyone who tried she would come galloping by and kick just close enough to scare you off. Oh, mares.


----------



## cookieface

CptJack said:


> Round of bloodwork 2 was clear, so we're done. Yay.


Great news! So glad she's ok.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

sydneynicole said:


> When I was 11 I had my first show horse, I made her show name Catch Me If You Can (we did jumpers so it was relevant lol). Unfortunately she lived up to it...both in the field and in her stall. The day after a show she'd demand to be left alone in her paddock and would not let anyone catch her... anyone who tried she would come galloping by and kick just close enough to scare you off. Oh, mares.


 lol...I am very superstitious on names of not naming them what I don't want them to become lol ...


----------



## Sandakat

CptJack said:


> Round of bloodwork 2 was clear, so we're done. Yay.


That's great!!


----------



## Kathyy

PatriciafromCO said:


> lol...I am very superstitious on names of not naming them what I don't want them to become lol ...


I was determined not to call Ginger Gingerbread, aka the catch me if you can gingerbread boy. No luck. She skittered away when we got her and she skitters away now so we gave up and call her Gingerbread half the time now. At least Gingersnap doesn't come naturally, I do not want have a dog with anything that sounds like biting in her/his name.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Kathyy said:


> I was determined not to call Ginger Gingerbread, aka the catch me if you can gingerbread boy. No luck. She skittered away when we got her and she skitters away now so we gave up and call her Gingerbread half the time now. At least Gingersnap doesn't come naturally, I do not want have a dog with anything that sounds like biting in her/his name.


I named one of my llamas "kicker" self explanatory, people understood right away to be extra respectful towards him.. It made him a better llama for people not trying to grab and hug on him when he was a cute baby,,, and always gave him space, he turned out really sociable for having those good experiences with people ... currently looking for my (hopefully) pups name I do use other languages if I don't want to openly use the English word ..


----------



## Kathyy

PatriciafromCO said:


> I named one of my llamas "kicker" self explanatory, people understood right away to be extra respectful towards him.. It made him a better llama for people not trying to grab and hug on him when he was a cute baby,,, and always gave him space, he turned out really sociable for having those good experiences with people ... currently looking for my (hopefully) pups name I do use other languages if I don't want to openly use the English word ..


Interesting. Maybe one of Bucky's nicknames should include something about snapping and fear biting then. Any ideas? Idiots don't believe me when that calm looking, cute dog goes nuts if they get too close to him.


----------



## CptJack

Kathyy said:


> Interesting. Maybe one of Bucky's nicknames should include something about snapping and fear biting then. Any ideas? Idiots don't believe me when that calm looking, cute dog goes nuts if they get too close to him.


Bucky's a character from Winter SOldier (Avenger's Movie) who has his mind wiped and turned into a weapon. There's got to be something you can use from there


----------



## Kathyy

Good idea. Bet Tony Stark will have all kinds of nicknames for Bucky in Captain America: Civil War.


----------



## Pomom

I'm a little late but I'm glad Molly is ok! This forum has really made me realize that when it comes to dogs stuff just happens sometimes! I don't need to feel alone or picked on. Thank you all for that!


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

sydneynicole said:


> When I was 11 I had my first show horse, I made her show name Catch Me If You Can (we did jumpers so it was relevant lol). Unfortunately she lived up to it...both in the field and in her stall. The day after a show she'd demand to be left alone in her paddock and would not let anyone catch her... anyone who tried she would come galloping by and kick just close enough to scare you off. Oh, mares.


I hate female animals of any kind LOL, so bitchy, I won't own any more.


----------



## CptJack

We'll balance.

I'll never own a boy animal again. Well, boy dogs or cats. DNW. I mean, I'm not going to go insulting them all by calling them all dumb and overly affectionate because I recognize variances within individuals and breeds and that I just happen to have a preference and some confirmation bias going on. 

Also because I'm not a jerk who enjoys sweeping generalizations and for me to say those things would require both. 

But I prefer girl dogs and cats.

Small animals, I could not care less and prefer boy rabbits.


----------



## Willowy

Haha. I have a slight preference for male cats and dogs. They DO tend to be dumb and overly affectionate and that's how I like 'em . But it's not a very strong preference and I'll probably have at least one of each anyway. If I get a larger species of snake I'll deliberately look for a male because they stay smaller. I'm not fond of looking at the large testicles male rodents have, lol. I haven't had a male rabbit but since I had 2 non-affectionate female rabbits the males could only be better . But that might not have been a gender thing. With ferrets, the males are considerably larger, which is sometimes better and sometimes not, so it depends on the circumstances which one I would prefer.

Sometimes I wonder if the gender-based personality differences we see in our pets are only due to our own prejudices or if there really is an objective difference.


----------



## CptJack

Willowy said:


> Sometimes I wonder if the gender-based personality differences we see in our pets are only due to our own prejudices or if there really is an objective difference.


This is actually my theory. 

There's lots and lots of obvious, objective differences in male and female animals, but for dogs in particular? We've messed with their temperaments/personalities/traits a LOT. 

There might be some broad strokes you could make about differences between male and female dogs of a given breed (in fact you probably could), but across the whole species? Proooobably not as a whole. Too much variance just in that.

Like a border collie male is probably still 'bitchier' and more reserved/less affectionate than a golden female.


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I hate female animals of any kind LOL, so bitchy, I won't own any more.


Yep my girls are so bitchy (never squabble, are not aggressive over anything, one is fearful of other dogs until she knows them so will bark but nothing more, I can feed them all out of the same bowl, take anything out of their mouths - even dead birds....yep just bitchy as can be!)

This photo pretty much sums up all their personalities..
IMG_8309a5 by rzyg, on Flickr


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Molly ate a box of chocolate covered raisins.
> 
> She's had vomiting induced (by us and the vet), been given activated charcoal at the vet, and had baseline labs drawn. She goes back in the AM to have more bloodwork and to see if she needs to be admitted for IV therapy/diuretics.
> 
> I am scared *spitless*.


Yikes!! So glad to hear she is doing ok now!! How scary!!


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Thanks, guys.
> 
> The vet was not concerned about the chocolate at all. Said in this case it was probably a *good* thing, since it was wrapped around the raisins. Also said people panic about milk chocolate waaaaay too much. Not that it's not a problem just that when it's milk chocolate it takes a *LOT* to cause an issue.


Oh yeah I didn't even think about the chocolate when I read this, just the raisins. I know dark choc is the bad stuff. Maya once at a whole bunch of Girl Scout thin mint cookies, that were on the kitchen counter I might add...oh yeah we had to induce vomiting. One time our late Ginger got into a bunch of different candy (it was after Halloween) when we were gone but thankfully she induced her own vomiting all over our off white carpeting!!


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## lets0402

I found this girl in one of the garages in my condo on Saturday. She was really hungry and scared, but after she got cleaned up, she just wanted to rest and cuddle. My sister is keeping her.


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## OwnedbyACDs

I think the "male VS female " thing shows up more in some breeds than in others. for me, a female ACD/ aussie is more "bitchier" than a male, at least IME.


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## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I think the "male VS female " thing shows up more in some breeds than in others. for me, a female ACD/ aussie is more "bitchier" than a male, at least IME.


Yet your quote was....I hate female animals of any kind LOL, so bitchy, I won't own any more.

Growing up we had GSD's and GSD mixes, all females. They were never bitchy with each other either. One of them hated men but it was because she grew up with only women (my mom, my sister and I) in the house. We have had two other cocker females before our current dogs and they weren't bitchy either. 

Also growing up we had various horses, six at the most at one time. All mares who all got along, even when we introduced new ones, they got along and were great riding horses.

I cannot attest to the temperament of males as I have always had females, but I can say not all females of any animal are bitchy.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I prefer female dogs because I dislike marking (even outside), pee feathers and male parts in general. Personality really has nothing to do with it for me. I've never had a "bitchy" female dog until Ember.. and I've met plenty of "bitchy" male Border Collies soo... yeah. Aside from little things (and breed specific things) here and there, I don't think there is really as big of a difference as we think.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> pee feathers.


I don't want to deal with pee feathers ever again. Ugh.

I'm torn. I really like things about both genders. I do agree that it can vary by breed, so just talking about what I see in the breeds and dogs I've had. I feel like the girls are usually better workers, more interested in figuring out what you want them to do and then carrying it out. Not necessarily that they're biddable and doing it "for you", but they seem to enjoy that work and doing it for the sake of doing it. I enjoy the personalities of the boys a lot too. They are usually sweeter and goofier and so charming. I think I ultimately enjoy living with the girls more, especially with the training and sports that I do, but I find the boys to be really irresistible. Like with my two right now, Hazel is perfect for me, but Watson pulls at my heart more, and most people in their lives feel the same way. The previous male/female pair I had was a completely different breed but remarkably similar in some ways.


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## PatriciafromCO

was all boys at first, then I met my Capella really loved the females just as much... always loved how the female GSD's ruled the boy GSD's .. The boys give the larger posturing and all the fluff fluff... but the girls they could discourage the boys with just a look. Capella could be sleeping on the floor her favorite toy cuddled under her chin and with out even opening an eye,, do a slight lip curl and the boys would be (nope don't want non of that) GSD's I find they both have similar charms...


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## dagwall

Push comes to shove I'd probably go male over female but really I judge by the dog in front of me.


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## Crantastic

I like to go with females for practical reasons, too. I tend to prefer dogs with longer fur and I don't want to deal with pee stains. They're so gross on male papillons, especially, because the fur is mostly white. For shorter-haired dogs, male is fine. I have had two female and two male dogs and I haven't noticed any real difference in their willingness to learn or their attachment to me.


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## CrystalGSD

I tend to like males because I can keep them intact without dealing with heat. Also, in GSDs SSA is prevalent among females more than males, so it'd be easier to keep multiple males than multiple females. I haven't owned enough dogs to really say much more regarding male vs female differences, but I've heard contradicting things.


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## gingerkid

I have no preference for male or female? I haven't had to deal with "pee feathers" even though snowball is long-haired. Ida is much more willing to work than Snowball is but that is probably less her being a female and more her just being... her. She is also just as attached to me as Snowball is, as far as I can tell.


----------



## CptJack

I will continue to admit confirmation bias for my girl preference, just so we're clear I'm not actually making generalizations.

My girls are seemingly less physical in the attachment - even Bug who can be pretty physical in play. In general my particular girls want to be near me, to do things with me, and to be touching me. The girls sleep with their head on my feet while I work, or in the chair beside me or even my lap. They're content that way. 

Jack and Thud seem to want to be in my skin. They're pushing and demanding and physical. They want to be pet, or scratched or actively cuddled/snuggled more. They're more inclined to lick, or paw, or nudge/nuzzle at me, even if it gets them nothing. They're just... more actively physically affectionate, I guess, than the girls who are more passively THERE and in contact.


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## mudypony

When it comes to horses, I definitely prefer geldings. It takes a special mare to win me over after having quite few... umm.. interesting experiences with them. Mainly one that I rode for about two years who was known to strike with both teeth and hooves and did not back down. It didn't help that she was 17 hands tall. I have quite a few scars from her. Her worst offense was picking up a woman by her ponytail and flinging her like she was nothing. With consistent work and training (after ruling out pain) she got better, but I'm convinced she had something wrong mentally. She's kind of ruined me on mares, but one or two mares have wormed their way into my heart since then. I do have to admit that bonds formed with a mare are generally quite strong, and, once that bond is formed, she's generally willing to do almost anything for you. With that said, when it comes to my own horses, I will probably always stick to geldings.

For dogs, that's a bit harder. I've really only had male dogs. And, I love them, but I guess I'll have to update once I get a girl (hopefully NextDog?). 

-------

Also, side note, but I finally caved and bought a DNA test for Duke. Super curious to see what the results will be.


----------



## cookieface

Based on my vast experience (uh, two dogs), I'd choose male over female - even with pee feathers. Tyson, man, that boy knows how to melt my heart. Katie is more velcro and definitely better behaved naturally, but Tyson is a world-class charmer.


----------



## Remaru

I've always preferred males. I just find the bond stronger. It could be the males vs females I've had. None of my females have been that close to me except my very first dog. The males always felt more loyal, even when goofy. I don't appreciate the peeing on the feet, but I've found that females can manage it too (Freyja likes to pee on the stone walkway and will pee until she is standing in a puddle....yeah....). Duke never peed on himself so it isn't necessarily an issue for all male dogs. I definitely never want to deal with a heat again if I don't have to but I can't say I enjoy male dog adolescence. None of my females are bitchy (except Blue and it is more about not wanting to be bothered than actual bitchiness). I just prefer a dog that wants to be with and that has always been my males.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

IDK if I just got lucky or what, but my male dog is very neat. I have never noticed any of that "discharge" they talk about with male dogs, nor does he dribble pee all over the place, but he is also very neat and cleans himself after he goes to the bathroom. He also has never marked or peed inside our house, or anywhere (outside of a few mistakes when he was younger). 

Temperament; I used to think I liked females better, but Lincoln has changed my preference to favor males in general. As a whole, IME, males are more goofy, more fun, less "serious" and less "bitchy" (at least in my breed(s) ).


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

My female Aussie is serious AND goofy. She is also very cuddly. She is not "bitchy" at all. I also know plenty of other Aussie females even more goofy and outgoing than her.

I'm afraid to get a male because the teenager males in Ember's puppy class have about half a brain at this point. Kairi at that age (and even Ember who sometimes loses it) had way more focus and desire to work. My experiences with males have not been all that great in general. The handful of males that I did have a good experience with are some of my all time favorite dogs though. I'm still afraid to really own one.


----------



## elrohwen

OwnedbyACDs said:


> IDK if I just got lucky or what, but my male dog is very neat. I have never noticed any of that "discharge" they talk about with male dogs, nor does he dribble pee all over the place


It doesn't have anything to do with discharge or dribbling. Dogs with long belly and inner thigh feathers will pee on them. There's really no way to prevent it other than cutting them all off. They're right there in the way of the pee and they get peed on.


----------



## elrohwen

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> My female Aussie is serious AND goofy. She is also very cuddly. She is not "bitchy" at all. I also know plenty of other Aussie females even more goofy and outgoing than her.
> 
> I'm afraid to get a male because the teenager males in Ember's puppy class have about half a brain at this point. Kairi at that age (and even Ember who sometimes loses it) had way more focus and desire to work. My experiences with males have not been all that great in general. The handful of males that I did have a good experience with are some of my all time favorite dogs though. I'm still afraid to really own one.


Hazel is also serious yet goofy. She is very silly and smiley, but she's also intense and into her "work", whatever she defines it to be. Though Watson has more of a sense of humor for sure, and will purposely do things to provoke a reaction from us or from her. He'll pick up a ball he knows she loves, that he doesn't care about, and stand there wagging his tail with a goofy look on his face, baiting her to come and get it. She would never do something like that, but she's still a very silly wiggly dog who is always having THE BEST TIME EVER!

But yeah, I feel you on the maturity and focus thing. Watson is almost 4 and is just approaching 11 month old Hazel's level of focus. I could do a male as a pet again for sure, but if I want to keep doing sports I'm not sure I can deal with years of frustration again.


----------



## sydneynicole

Loose dog running around 4 lanes of traffic at an intersection on the way home from work today. Looked like a St Bernard x Mastiff mix. There was a guy driving behind it when it came to our side of the road. I have a spare leash and treats in my car, so I hopped out to see if it was the kind of dog who just needs someone to call it. It paused and looked at me (at which point I realized I was face to face with a scared, strange, 120lb dog...lol, whoops) and I tossed a few treats but it didn't take any. I'm figuring it was way too stressed out. Normally I wouldn't chase a dog that was loose, but since he was in the busiest section of road in town, a few other people helped kind of herd him down a side road. No one could get near him. I flagged down a cop and asked him to call animal control but he seemed nonchalant about it. I called and got no answer. 

I hope the big fella is safe. There aren't strays around here so he had to have a home.

I am just getting over strep and a sinus infection and I ran around for about 20 minutes in the pouring rain, about 35 degrees out, in just a tshirt. So also hoping I don't get even more sick now.


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## Sandakat

After having 2 male dogs, my next dog is going to be a female. I am completely over the politics of peeing with the males. 

With my cats, the males have been much more affectionate and interactive than the females. I'll take either, but I do like the boys when it comes to felines.


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## Wet Beards

Willowy 
I just read on another thread that you just lost Toby.
So very sorry for your loss.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

On the flip side, there is a female BC, and I have been in class with several female MAS, and their level of focus is NOT even close to Lincoln's, Now, I dont know if that is because he has more hours of training on him than they do, or if it is the lines (in the case of the MAS, the BC was quite clearly, a WL BC). Everyone warned me that males take longer to mature but that hasnt been my experience ... or maybe he was, its just I find his antics endearing and it doesnt bother me and that's why I havent noticed it? who knows LOL.


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## Willowy

Argh, Suri ate half a bottle of fish oil pills! I found the chewed-up empty bottle when I got home from work. I googled it and apparently it shouldn't be dangerous as a one-time overdose, except maybe causing some tummy troubles. So far she seems unconcerned. That bottle has always been on that counter, why did she eat it now? Crazy dog. She smells very strongly of fish.


----------



## Sandakat

Willowy said:


> Argh, Suri ate half a bottle of fish oil pills! I found the chewed-up empty bottle when I got home from work. I googled it and apparently it shouldn't be dangerous as a one-time overdose, except maybe causing some tummy troubles. So far she seems unconcerned. That bottle has always been on that counter, why did she eat it now? Crazy dog. She smells very strongly of fish.


Mmmmmm, fishy dog smell....

I would bet she has some diarrhea.


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## Willowy

Sandakat said:


> Mmmmmm, fishy dog smell....
> 
> I would bet she has some diarrhea.


She hasn't yet! And this is the dog who can't eat a beef stick without exploding . Crazy mutt.


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## parapluie

Willowy said:


> She hasn't yet! And this is the dog who can't eat a beef stick without exploding . Crazy mutt.


haha well, I guess that beats the alternative!!


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## gingerkid

Sandakat said:


> After having 2 male dogs, my next dog is going to be a female. I am completely over the politics of peeing with the males.
> 
> With my cats, the males have been much more affectionate and interactive than the females. I'll take either, but I do like the boys when it comes to felines.


Wouldn't it be funny if you got one of the few females that marks? lol.


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## dagwall

gingerkid said:


> Wouldn't it be funny if you got one of the few females that marks? lol.


Is it really that rare? It hasn't been in my experience at least. I'm not talking the "competitive" marking but marking in general (outside on walks not in the house). I know plenty females that mark, a few who did the competitive marking ie I HAVE to go back and pee where you just peed pretty much anytime they see another dog pee.


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## Sandakat

gingerkid said:


> Wouldn't it be funny if you got one of the few females that marks? lol.


*sigh* Yep, that's absolutely possible. We'd love her all the same.


----------



## ireth0

dagwall said:


> Is it really that rare? It hasn't been in my experience at least. I'm not talking the "competitive" marking but marking in general (outside on walks not in the house). I know plenty females that mark, a few who did the competitive marking ie I HAVE to go back and pee where you just peed pretty much anytime they see another dog pee.


Luna always goes where another dog has gone. Always.

Sometimes she tries to do it before the other dog is even finished and has gotten peed on. Sigh.


----------



## Willowy

Someone is selling their whole snake setup on craigslist. Racks, incubators, etc. From what I can tell from the pics, 7 BPs and 2 boas. I'm horribly tempted. I shouldn't---I don't really want to breed (even if I got them I wouldn't), I don't really want 11 snakes, I'm not sure I'm ready for a boa, but wow. Tempted.

Also on craigslist---a 9-month old male GSD pup. I need to stop looking at craigslist .


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## Eenypup

ireth0 said:


> Luna always goes where another dog has gone. Always.
> 
> Sometimes she tries to do it before the other dog is even finished and has gotten peed on. Sigh.


Bennie does this all the time. Her and Abilene go back and forth peeing on each other's spots and sometimes before the other is finished! She marks everywhere outside. Eeeeeverywhere.


----------



## Remaru

dagwall said:


> Is it really that rare? It hasn't been in my experience at least. I'm not talking the "competitive" marking but marking in general (outside on walks not in the house). I know plenty females that mark, a few who did the competitive marking ie I HAVE to go back and pee where you just peed pretty much anytime they see another dog pee.


Yeah I have to say my spayed females are markers. Always outside but little Blue is the worst of the lot. My boys aren't bad at all by comparison. Remus was but he marked with poop which was a whole different issue. His wasn't even so much about marking where some one else went as marking his territory. He dug holes and pooped in them all along our fence line if I didn't deter the behavior. He was a special case though. Lad will pee on walks if I give him freedom to do it, otherwise he just sort of "meh" about the whole thing, except the sniffing. Duke couldn't have cared less about any of it. The girls all do to some degree, Blue and Lenore will run themselves dry trying to out pee each other. I don't really care, they don't fight and that is what really matters. Hubby does prefer female dogs now, because of the peeing on their own legs thing.


----------



## Flaming

I swear that Manna doesn't think life is complete without marking everything.

Vitae hasn't marked at all yet


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

gingerkid said:


> Wouldn't it be funny if you got one of the few females that marks? lol.


LOL our female (spayed since a puppy per the shelter) marks worse than any male I have had, in stores, especially pet stores we always have to watch her. Lincoln? He just has to be told once and he is like "okay!" and doesnt do it anymore.


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## sydneynicole

Oliver chewed my laptop charger :/ not upset about needing a new one, but upset about the fact that I almost fried my puppy. He had to have gotten zapped at least a little, because it was nearly all the way through and I discovered it was chewed on by plugging it into my laptop when it 'zzzzed' and there was a spark and my laptop shut off. Luckily my laptop is okay too because it's only a few months old. It did remind me that there's stuff I need to back up on there, though.
Ugh. I thought we were getting past the chew everything stage.


----------



## gingerkid

sydneynicole said:


> Oliver chewed my laptop charger :/ not upset about needing a new one, but upset about the fact that I almost fried my puppy. He had to have gotten zapped at least a little, because it was nearly all the way through and I discovered it was chewed on by plugging it into my laptop when it 'zzzzed' and there was a spark and my laptop shut off. Luckily my laptop is okay too because it's only a few months old. It did remind me that there's stuff I need to back up on there, though.
> Ugh. I thought we were getting past the chew everything stage.


Our "chew everything stage" lasted until almost 10 months. Luckily by the end it was only one corner of a cheap rug that she was interested in, but yeah. It's annoying.


----------



## sydneynicole

gingerkid said:


> Our "chew everything stage" lasted until almost 10 months. Luckily by the end it was only one corner of a cheap rug that she was interested in, but yeah. It's annoying.


Oliver is 9 months old so hopefully the end is somewhere in the near future. I'm always worried he'll end up one of those dogs that you can just never leave unsupervised. He is mostly interested in the stand of the fish tank and the window sill, but the spray deterrent works pretty well - hopefully he isn't moving on to wires.


----------



## Pasarella

I had a puppy who chewed on anything. Once I found him with a sock, half of it was already swallowed. He liked my underwear, so he did stole my clean one while I was trying to put it in it's place and then he chew tiny holes in it  And yes, he ate my laptop's charger.


----------



## gingerkid

sydneynicole said:


> Oliver is 9 months old so hopefully the end is somewhere in the near future. I'm always worried he'll end up one of those dogs that you can just never leave unsupervised. He is mostly interested in the stand of the fish tank and the window sill, but the spray deterrent works pretty well - hopefully he isn't moving on to wires.


Ida will still chew up very certain things, but she's done with general chewing. She'll tear up cardboard and paper, she'll chew on anything that is soft plastic that she can carry around, and she'll chew on anything with real fur/sheep skin. But those things are all easy to keep out of her reach (in theory at least, lol) so I don't consider it a problem anymore.

ETA: Oh, and panties. She chews the crotches out of my panties.


----------



## Pomom

OwnedbyACDs said:


> LOL our female (spayed since a puppy per the shelter) marks worse than any male I have had, in stores, especially pet stores we always have to watch her. Lincoln? He just has to be told once and he is like "okay!" and doesnt do it anymore.


Hope (spayed after 2 heats) was a marker. She even lifted her leg a little! She'd back her bum up a tree or pole to try to get higher. Sybbie won't even pee or poo on walks, only in the yard (or house :/)


----------



## Prozax

Eli touched a toad. She scared me so much.


----------



## Pomom

Prozax said:


> Eli touched a toad. She scared me so much.


Ahhhh! Any issues?


----------



## CptJack

There was a redbone at our show 'n' go yesterday. My husband fell completely, head over heels, in love. I mean, the dog's reaction to being taken off leash in a horse arena with birds flying in the rafters was predictable (and enthusiastic and yay fence) but my god that dog was sweet. 

Probably NOT what we'll end up with because I'm not entirely convinced he's prepared to go back to 'leash all the time' but man. Love.


----------



## Prozax

Pomom said:


> Ahhhh! Any issues?


Luckily she barely touched it. But she was foaming at the mouth and her head started shaking for several minutes. She's fine now, but no more park walk in the rain ever. She didn't even care afterwards, kept jumping to catch them. She did not like the thorough mouth cleaning she got right afterwards though. If only she'd make the connection between the two events.


----------



## Willowy

Do you have toxic toads there? That would be scary. My dogs have licked toads before and got foamy-mouthed but the toads here aren't dangerously toxic so I just laugh at them for being dumb enough to lick a toad .


----------



## Prozax

No, no toxic toads, I don't think so. They are everywhere when it rains and kids play with them all the time and I've never heard of anyone getting sick. I honestly did not know that's what happens when dogs lick them. I thought she ate it even though I saw the frog hopping away. Full panic mode on. As these things usually happen, it was 10 pm on a Sunday.


----------



## dogsule

My Maya loves to catch frogs so when we are walking and she sees a toad, she has that dang thing in her mouth before she realizes it wasn't a frog. We do not have toxic toads here thankfully, so she just gets the foamy mouth and she spits it out. There was one time when she threw up after having a toad in her mouth but that was when it was near dark on our walk and I did not realize she had two small frogs and one small toad in her mouth, they must have been in there awhile which is why she threw up. She is obsessed with frogs.


----------



## MysticRealm

My pom pup, Haku, slept through the entire night for the first time in like a month!! Crossing fingers that he sleeps through the night from now on!


----------



## gingerkid

Note to me: stop using hot dogs as treats for Snowball. He'll work for low-value dry treats in class, and if you keep using hot dogs, one day you're going to lose a finger.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Apparently sleepy me does not make well thought out decisions. I tried to drink coffee and play tug with Hero at the same time. You can guess how that turned out.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

procrastinated long enough to order my winter hay... it's been so warm and snowless not worry about waiting until the last hay bale on property was gone.. love the new tractor only took me 2 hours to clean up and reset all the pallets for the hay to arrive today.. Dogs have all learned to be mindful of the tractor.. Still constantly check to see where they are out of habit. and they doing great to stay out of the way and stay within view while I am moving around the property.. All done and waiting for the hay to arrived and I finally remembered to have them throw on a bag of pasture seed......


----------



## MysticRealm

MysticRealm said:


> My pom pup, Haku, slept through the entire night for the first time in like a month!! Crossing fingers that he sleeps through the night from now on!


So the night after I wrote this he had to go out not once but TWICE that night. However this last night he again slept through the whole night!
I weighed him last night (on my own scale at home) and he now weighs about 3.2 pounds! With a bunch more hair and a bit more filling out he may almost reach the 4 pounds a pom should be!


----------



## Willowy

Wow. . .this explains my dad so much. He won't even talk about the therapy he had when he was a kid, although he sometimes talks about what his parents did to him (like, his mom would dump a glass of water over his head when he was having a meltdown), but he gets anxious and triggery if you even mention the therapy. I guess I know why now . Ugh, people can be so terrible without even meaning to. . .I think I'm glad my mom is so suspicious of medical professionals 
https://unstrangemind.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/aba/


----------



## Eenypup

Willowy said:


> Wow. . .this explains my dad so much. He won't even talk about the therapy he had when he was a kid, although he sometimes talks about what his parents did to him (like, his mom would dump a glass of water over his head when he was having a meltdown), but he gets anxious and triggery if you even mention the therapy. I guess I know why now . Ugh, people can be so terrible without even meaning to. . .I think I'm glad my mom is so suspicious of medical professionals
> https://unstrangemind.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/aba/


I'm an occupational therapy student who is very interested in working with the autistic population. Nothing makes me more upset than how many people in my profession sing praises of ABA while autistic adults explain time and time again how traumatic and abusive it is.


----------



## Willowy

Yeah. . I've known parents who did things like force eye contact and punish stimming behaviors, I just thought, well, lots of parents do crappy things to their kids, believing they're doing the right thing. But I didn't know it was an "approved" protocol! That stinks . I hope it gets gone soon.


----------



## Eenypup

Willowy said:


> Yeah. . I've known parents who did things like force eye contact and punish stimming behaviors, I just thought, well, lots of parents do crappy things to their kids, believing they're doing the right thing. But I didn't know it was an "approved" protocol! That stinks . I hope it gets gone soon.


I know there are some professors in my program who quietly dislike ABA, but I would say the protocol and profession of ABA Therapy is sadly alive and well. More autistic adults are getting their story out there via the internet & blogging but sadly people only see the "evidence" and won't listen. Ya know, if it gets rid of what neurotypical people see as "problem behaviors" then it works! But at what cost? :/


----------



## mudypony

Finding a harness that actually fits Duke is driving me crazy. I've tried so many and none of them work. His chest and shoulders are massive, but his neck is relatively narrow. Also, his chest expands so much when he's sitting vs. standing, so, when it's adjusted to fit him standing up, it's super tight when he sits down. I've tried the Freedom Harness, Ruffwear Front Range Harness, custom made Alpine Outfitters Urban Trail Harness, a no name harness that's similar to the Julius K9, and trying on all the ones sold at the local dog store. 

The biggest problems are they either shift around a ton or dig into his shoulder blades while being too loose around his neck. I don't know if I should try the Julius K9 next or maybe something like this: http://leerburg.com/1605.htm or this:http://www.dog-harnesses-store.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69&products_id=451 

Ughhh... it's so frustrating. Why can't you be shaped normally, Duke??


----------



## CptJack

I went to a disc dog seminar today, with Kylie.

Me: She's just here because my border collie can't be. She doesn't have much toy drive, especially away from home.

Kylie: *Chases frisbees like her life depends on it.*

Me: ????

Instructor: You're a liar. 

IDK. I do, however, have sore freaking arms.


----------



## Eenypup

I also want to start looking around at harnesses for Bennie. We only have a Freedom No-Pull that's XL sized because we bought it when we first got her and she was 35 lb heavier. Not really sure what we're looking to get or need. I just want something to use for hikes on her long-line instead of her martingale. She walks very well on a martingale collar so this would only be used sporadically - don't want to spend a fortune on it. Recommendations?


----------



## Sibe

If you're looking for a no-pull, my picks are Freedom, Balance, and Walk in Sync. Do not get an Easy Walk, Sensation, Halti, or any that have the straight horizontal strap across the chest that bisects the dog's shoulder muscles. Not only do these restrict movement and cause weight to shift back (not good physically for the dog, particularly their elbows it seems) but I've seen many dogs step out of them.

Freedom 








Balance










Walk in Sync










For a really adjustable, comfortable, padded harness, for things like hiking or if you're worried about rubbing I love the Alpine Outfitters "Urban Trail" adjustable harness. No front clip.
http://www.alpineoutfitters.net/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=189


----------



## Eenypup

Ohhh I like the Urban Trail one, but it isn't too cheap! I don't think she needs a no-pull, we mostly rely on gentle leash pressure and voice commands when on the long line. I really just want a harness because on occasion she'll see a squirrel or deer in the woods and I don't want her to hurt her neck when she hits the end of the line!


----------



## Sibe

Urban Trail is pricey but it really lasts. I got Denali's when she was about a year old or so, and still have it. 5 years later. Stitching is still fine, padding is still fine, nothing coming undone. Pics when it was new


















Took some adjusting to get it to fit well while she was mushing, it tended to slide to one side like it's doing here. I hadn't slid the strap from her neck to under between her front legs to be in the right spot to keep it straight. Once fixed it's been perfect.


----------



## dogsule

Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Belle somehow managed to puncture her cornea! Got her up this morning (supposed to leave for an agility trial) and her eye was red and goopy and her pupil was constricted. Had to wait 2 hours to call the vet as they didn't open until 7:30, then got her in at 9:20. No clue what she did, she was fine last night. She is now on two different ointments one of which will keep her eye dilated so no trial, no class, no walking in the bright sun. Follow up appt on thursday to make sure it is healing. So bummed about missing the trial but gosh I feel bad for Belle, her eye is all goopy looking now with ointment and looks sore with the huge dilated pupil! I feel so bad because it must have hurt pretty badly but it had to happen either when we were out a bit last night and we didn't notice when we got home or while we were sleeping. Poor girl!!


----------



## Remaru

Eenypup said:


> I know there are some professors in my program who quietly dislike ABA, but I would say the protocol and profession of ABA Therapy is sadly alive and well. More autistic adults are getting their story out there via the internet & blogging but sadly people only see the "evidence" and won't listen. Ya know, if it gets rid of what neurotypical people see as "problem behaviors" then it works! But at what cost? :/



I never liked the idea of ABA. Years ago, when my oldest was younger and there were a gazillion different types of therapies tossed around as "the new cure" we stuck with OT, ST and behavioral therapy (just good old fashioned talk therapy). We did do equine therapy for a couple of years and that was amazing, I would recommend it to anyone (as long as your child isn't afraid of horses). Really a good SLP and OT are your best friends. The therapist was great, at the time my son was very young and he was really there to help hubby and I trouble shoot sleep issues, meltdowns, triggers, ect. I have considered the option of talk therapy for him now that he is verbal and is trying to navigate puberty. He still sees his OTs and SLPs for social skills group, they have been great and he loves them. There was just something off putting about ABA. I talked to a couple of different therapists and a couple of different organizations and they all came off sort of cold. I also didn't like the idea that it would essentially be his full time job. Either the therapist would be in our home 30-40hours a day "working" with him or he would have to be at a center all day "working" and I wasn't comfortable with that. I got the feeling that education was not important to them at all, "fixing" him was. It just didn't sit well with me. I have no idea if I've made the right choice or not. He isn't an easy child. I just kind of have to hope.


----------



## Eenypup

I'm so glad your therapists have been a great asset for you and your son  OT and SLP are often very appropriate for children on the spectrum. There is some ABA that people claim "isn't that bad" but I'd just steer clear. Go with your gut about what is best for your child. ABA is essentially using all your child's free time to work toward appearing and acting "normal". I.e. extinguishing stimming, forcing eye contact, forcing verbal language when the child communicates comfortably and well using AAC devices, etc.


----------



## gingerkid

Eenypup said:


> I'm so glad your therapists have been a great asset for you and your son  OT and SLP are often very appropriate for children on the spectrum. There is some ABA that people claim "isn't that bad" but I'd just steer clear. Go with your gut about what is best for your child. ABA is essentially using all your child's free time to work toward appearing and acting "normal". I.e. extinguishing stimming, forcing eye contact, forcing verbal language when the child communicates comfortably and well using AAC devices, etc.


Reading that article made my heart ache. Especially because my aunt and uncle definitely used at least some of those techniques on my cousin.


----------



## Remaru

Eenypup said:


> I'm so glad your therapists have been a great asset for you and your son  OT and SLP are often very appropriate for children on the spectrum. There is some ABA that people claim "isn't that bad" but I'd just steer clear. Go with your gut about what is best for your child. ABA is essentially using all your child's free time to work toward appearing and acting "normal". I.e. extinguishing stimming, forcing eye contact, forcing verbal language when the child communicates comfortably and well using AAC devices, etc.


That was the impression I got from speaking with several centers and therapists. It just never felt right to me. The OT and ST was always about teaching skills, self regulation, coordination, balance, motor skills, ASL, pronunciation, reading aloud, even conversational skills. He also did feeding therapy which I am incredibly grateful for as he was starving himself (had to have an NG tube for a while). His SLP was really patient though, always made everything his idea. I wish I could figure out how to help him through the teen thing, makes the early years seem easy.


----------



## gingerkid

Teaching/proofing a "stay" has got to be THE most boring thing in dog training.


----------



## GrinningDog

gingerkid said:


> Teaching/proofing a "stay" has got to be THE most boring thing in dog training.


Agreed! That's why my dog has a pretty crappy stay. 

Because *I* get bored teaching it.


----------



## mudypony

During yesterday's walk we ran into 7 different dogs, and Duke didn't react to ANY of them! He lunged at 2 of them before I could get his attention back on me but no growling or barking, a big improvement. He's been so much easier to redirect than even just a month ago. He used to ignore even the highest value treats when he saw a dog, but today we just had kibble, and he was pretty easily redirected. Just so so so proud of him. 

So happy I've been sticking with the LAT training. The results are far from immediate but with consistency we're taking huge steps in the right direction. Wearing a backpack has been helping him a ton too, definitely worth the investment.


----------



## Laurelin

Really wish lurchers could compete in full on ASFA coursing.


----------



## ireth0

gingerkid said:


> Teaching/proofing a "stay" has got to be THE most boring thing in dog training.


I enjoy it!

It's like "okay, what weird random thing can I try next?"


----------



## elrohwen

gingerkid said:


> Teaching/proofing a "stay" has got to be THE most boring thing in dog training.


Agreed!

I find proofing is fun. I like to raise the difficulty level. But adding duration is insanely boring. So both of my dogs are really good at staying if I'm running around and waving my hands while throwing treats in the air, but they break if I stand there and don't move at all. lol


----------



## Kyllobernese

I did a lot of proofing on Kris' stay. I made a mistake when I started doing Agility with her in telling her to stay using the word STAY, then getting her to start a course. I know now I should have used a different word like WAIT as it has confused her a little and made her stay not as solid as it was. I have changed that now and hopefully she will learn the difference. I have always used STAY to mean stay till I return to the dog no matter what I am doing and she still stays in an Obedience type line-up but she used to also stay when I was re-setting equipment and is not as solid on that now.


----------



## Lillith

gingerkid said:


> Teaching/proofing a "stay" has got to be THE most boring thing in dog training.


Not if you dance around the house banging walls and jumping on squeaky toys. Ralphie can now "stay" through an entire production of "Let it Go." Probably not useful in real life, but I found it impressive because I'm a horrible singer.


----------



## CrystalGSD

mudypony said:


> During yesterday's walk we ran into 7 different dogs, and Duke didn't react to ANY of them! He lunged at 2 of them before I could get his attention back on me but no growling or barking, a big improvement. He's been so much easier to redirect than even just a month ago. He used to ignore even the highest value treats when he saw a dog, but today we just had kibble, and he was pretty easily redirected. Just so so so proud of him.
> 
> So happy I've been sticking with the LAT training. The results are far from immediate but with consistency we're taking huge steps in the right direction. Wearing a backpack has been helping him a ton too, definitely worth the investment.


Yay! That's really good!  Go Duke!


----------



## gingerkid

I'm sure having a stay at that level is fun.. But getting there is not (for me).


----------



## Sandakat

You know your dog is getting old when you notice that his eyelashes have turned white. Toby used to have such beautiful blond eyelashes. I was just petting him and noticed that they're all white.


----------



## sydneynicole

(Note: Dogs aren't allowed to socialize before during or after class for liability issues. The instructors clearly state this and it is noted when you register.)

Sitting outside waiting to go into class is one of the hardest things for Oli. He is super friendly but reactive to other dogs on the leash. I've been working really hard to keep his focus and have him laying quietly even while other dogs are leaving class and dogs from his class are arriving. Since his reactivity isn't fear based it has been going pretty smoothly, just a matter of teaching him that not every dog is his best buddy and he can't play with every dog, and how to stay calm in those situations. 

We had our first break through Sunday - I actually had his attention and he was laying quietly while other unfamiliar dogs walked around him. Then this jerk who is in our class (I say jerk because he is taking an obedience class based solely on positive methods and uses aversive training right outside class - stomping at the dog, jerking the leash, etc -, then acts like he doesn't when in class..) lets his dog, who is also reactive but is actually aggressive, not just friendly, and is snarling and posturing at Oli, run right up to him. Even though in previous classes I've reminded him they aren't supposed to socialize and so has the instructor. I managed to block him from actually getting in Oli's face, and by some miracle Oli didn't get up or get riled up. I snapped at the guy and he got all huffy and stood somewhere else. 

Ugh, just so infuriating to me. Luckily that incident didn't set Oli back, but it could have, and it is supposed to be a controlled environment. Why take classes if you don't really care, or follow the rules? I just don't get it. 

My only satisfaction was that his dog didn't do well in class and Oli was a super star


----------



## Dogsignalfire

An idiom I live by- let sleeping dogs lie. aaahaha dogs

That is, if it's just something petty or unimportant. Be polite and let it side/walk away/change the topic. Relations between people and being considerate are more important than starting an argument/being rude over something petty.

In other news, Lancer can stand on a 1'x1' box. <__< Very important matters. LOL


----------



## gingerkid

sydneynicole said:


> (Note: Dogs aren't allowed to socialize before during or after class for liability issues. The instructors clearly state this and it is noted when you register.)
> 
> Sitting outside waiting to go into class is one of the hardest things for Oli. He is super friendly but reactive to other dogs on the leash. I've been working really hard to keep his focus and have him laying quietly even while other dogs are leaving class and dogs from his class are arriving. Since his reactivity isn't fear based it has been going pretty smoothly, just a matter of teaching him that not every dog is his best buddy and he can't play with every dog, and how to stay calm in those situations.
> 
> We had our first break through Sunday - I actually had his attention and he was laying quietly while other unfamiliar dogs walked around him. Then this jerk who is in our class (I say jerk because he is taking an obedience class based solely on positive methods and uses aversive training right outside class - stomping at the dog, jerking the leash, etc -, then acts like he doesn't when in class..) lets his dog, who is also reactive but is actually aggressive, not just friendly, and is snarling and posturing at Oli, run right up to him. Even though in previous classes I've reminded him they aren't supposed to socialize and so has the instructor. I managed to block him from actually getting in Oli's face, and by some miracle Oli didn't get up or get riled up. I snapped at the guy and he got all huffy and stood somewhere else.
> 
> Ugh, just so infuriating to me. Luckily that incident didn't set Oli back, but it could have, and it is supposed to be a controlled environment. Why take classes if you don't really care, or follow the rules? I just don't get it.
> 
> My only satisfaction was that his dog didn't do well in class and Oli was a super star


That is frustrating.

On a reactivity related note, Snowball *hates* the part of class where the instructor explains things. To his mind, it sucks because food has stopped (or at least slowed down) going in his mouth. Do he does his quiet "reminder" woof after every 10 or 15 seconds that he hasn't gotten a treat. It is endearing and annoying at the same time.


----------



## dagwall

gingerkid said:


> That is frustrating.
> 
> On a reactivity related note, Snowball *hates* the part of class where the instructor explains things. To his mind, it sucks because food has stopped (or at least slowed down) going in his mouth. Do he does his quiet "reminder" woof after every 10 or 15 seconds that he hasn't gotten a treat. It is endearing and annoying at the same time.


Jubel is very similar. He has the expectation that if we're in class he's going to spend the whole hour getting treats shoved in his mouth. These breaks for the instructor to talk are not part of his plan.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have been cutting Kris' food down as she has gained some weight over the winter not being able to race around like she does in the good weather. She thinks she should get fed more and will stand by her food dish and "woof" at me. I finally end up putting her and Bonnie outside so they can run and play and she can forget about food for a while.

Now that the snow has gone down enough for me to close my front gate, she is starting to get lots of running in as she races the fence line every time someone walks down the road and with the better weather there are always a few. She does not bark, just races around so I don't mind her doing it. Bonnie usually just sits and watches her, probably wondering what all the excitement is about.


----------



## CptJack

Kylie caught a frisbee in the air. Twice. 

Y'all, this dog won't try to catch FOOD out of the air. I'm kind of in shock.


----------



## Willowy

The snow has melted to reveal all the trash in the ditches :/. I don't know who wants to live in a landfill but I guess the people who throw trash out their window on the highway are OK with it. I suppose it's super macho to have trash lining your highways. Of course enforcing anti-littering laws would be some kind of liberal commie plot to de-masculinize farm boys. Jerks.

And there's a 4-year-old GSD on craigslist whose owner "just wants him to have fenced yard so he can get off the chain". He looks like a good boy. Why do I torture myself? I shouldn't even look.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

got my first exposure to learning about "cherry eye" The winds here have been non stop obnoxious 40 to 80 mphs as the winter storms push right over the mountains and past us... Adele came in the house to sit next to me late in the day and I couldn't see her eye ball definitely a walking dead moment of what in the world........ Called the vet and got the appointment for today.. after researching, that debre, bateria can play it's part. i flushed it with saline a few times until we went to bed and put a cold compress on it.. It helped and this morning she was fine and normal.. Vet game me some cream and to continue to flush with the saline twice a day for the next few days to calm the irritation down..


----------



## PatriciafromCO

PatriciafromCO said:


> got my first exposure to learning about "cherry eye" The winds here have been non stop obnoxious 40 to 80 mphs as the winter storms push right over the mountains and past us... Adele came in the house to sit next to me late in the day and I couldn't see her eye ball definitely a walking dead moment of what in the world........ Called the vet and got the appointment for today.. after researching, that debre, bateria can play it's part. i flushed it with saline a few times until we went to bed and put a cold compress on it.. It helped and this morning she was fine and normal.. Vet gave me some cream and to continue to flush with the saline twice a day for the next few days to calm the irritation down..


Tons better this morning....  and at least a day or two of no wind... "yay"


----------



## Willowy

The wind on the plains is something else, isn't it? I read somewhere that the early settlers would go insane from the constant wind. . .I believe it. If I didn't have TV to drown it out I think the sound _would_ make me insane.


----------



## Kathyy

Bucky played fetch with DD last night. He dug a ball out of the toy chest and repeatedly dropped it at her feet. 

Really terrific as this is the dog that puts up a wall of sound when she comes in the room. She's learned to put him on his bed until he calms down and he is responding brilliantly to that. Tests it every single time but eventually the bouncing around puts him in the bed and he sits there quivering and barking then just quivering then the quivering slows to a normal looking wagging tail then he is allowed up. It all only takes a minute or so but that barking makes it seem much much longer.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Willowy said:


> The wind on the plains is something else, isn't it? I read somewhere that the early settlers would go insane from the constant wind. . .I believe it. If I didn't have TV to drown it out I think the sound _would_ make me insane.


yes you get tired of the really harsh parts of the season where you are fighting against them trying to get everyday chores done.. not sure which is worse in the face.. being beaten by hot dry dust and sand or stung by icy bitter wet cold..... lol .. always happy when they pass...


----------



## CrystalGSD

Poor Crystal had to get a tooth extracted during her dental cleaning. I wish she would just let us brush her teeth but she is really bad about all things grooming. She had something wrong with her eyes a few weeks back and giving her eye drops was a huge battle that she won half the time.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

CrystalGSD said:


> Poor Crystal had to get a tooth extracted during her dental cleaning. I wish she would just let us brush her teeth but she is really bad about all things grooming. She had something wrong with her eyes a few weeks back and giving her eye drops was a huge battle that she won half the time.


chlorhexidine might not be spelled right.. trying to read it off the my vets hand writing... it's a liquid mix... for J's teeth she has an aggressive gum disease that they can't clear up . this liquid is easy to apply.. able to get a gentle two stroke brush every evening, followed by a water pick rinse on each side, then a syringe soak of the chlorhexidine on both side.. no one feels it will clear the problem up but it does seem to help to keep it at a level for J's well being for having it... something you could ask about and the water pic is a great non intrusive aid to have for them


----------



## Willowy

Somebody on craigslist has a BC/Aussie pup, I can't tell if they're the breeder or if it's a rehome situation, but it's only one pup. They require: an "extremely active home in the country", minimal vaccinating, grain-free diet, wait to spay 18-24 months, "someone with a lot of time to train and exercise her" (not sure if this is code for "no full-time workers"), and someone with experience with those breeds. I feel like this is a little demanding for a craigslist post .

ETA: must be the breeder because they have other pups listed individually. Only one pup has the full list of requirements. The others just say "email me and tell me as much as you're comfortable with telling me about your experience with dogs".


----------



## Willowy

PatriciafromCO said:


> yes you get tired of the really harsh parts of the season where you are fighting against them trying to get everyday chores done.. not sure which is worse in the face.. being beaten by hot dry dust and sand or stung by icy bitter wet cold..... lol .. always happy when they pass...


The wind here is nearly constant. . .no mountains to slow it down. Nice weather, bad weather, doesn't matter, the wind will probably be blowing . I'm trying to set up a carport (one of those metal frames with tarp sides) and the wind will. not. stop. so I can't put the tarps on. It's really strong today, I can hear it blowing through the roof vent.


----------



## Lillith

Willowy said:


> The wind here is nearly constant. . .no mountains to slow it down. Nice weather, bad weather, doesn't matter, the wind will probably be blowing . I'm trying to set up a carport (one of those metal frames with tarp sides) and the wind will. not. stop. so I can't put the tarps on. It's really strong today, I can hear it blowing through the roof vent.


Minnesota sucks and Montana blows. I feel you!


----------



## gingerkid

Oh and hey, you know what's really annoying? Dogs with a deathwish that eat the leftover French Onion Soup that you forgot to throw away before you left the house and contained what should have been a toxic amount of onions so you take them to the e-vet but it's been too long for them to induce vomiting so they just give you active charcoal and the stupid dogs then proceed to have absolutely no symptoms of onion toxicity whatsoever, not even so much as a soft stool the next morning, and _definitely_ not any lethargy.

Dogs, amirite?


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie found a chocolate chip cookie laying on the side of the road (who does that? what kind of strange person throws out a cookie?). He ripped it out of the bag and proceeded to chew on it (it was frozen). I made the mistake of lunging for it in a panic, and he thought it was a game. So here I am on the side of the road trying to reel my dog in with one hand, grabbing his collar, and sticking my other hand in his sharp mouth pulling out the cookie. I'm sure it looked horrible. I managed to retrieve the whole thing from his maw. Ralphie then glared at me like I was some evil fun-killing witch. I just saved you from an upset tummy and perhaps a vet trip, you ungrateful mutt! There probably wasn't enough chocolate in there to do much to him, but still, LOL!


----------



## Eenypup

Googled the names of the people Bennie was taken from again & realized I could see court documents since they're public records. Just... wow.

Makes me hold her closer and realize any flaws she has now she just can't be blamed for. Deplorable conditions and he didn't even know what dogs he had in his basement and garage. Just left in a dirty crate all day surrounded by a dozen other dogs. Already 20 lbs overweight (how??), and then just gained another 20 lbs and spent 2 years in a cleaner but similarly isolated environment at the shelter.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

I am watching the agility nationals, and I dont know about anyone else, but I get annoyed when I see one breed dominating one height class, like, I watched the 4-8 in class and after 10 paps in a row, I switched to another ring. 20 in is like 90% BCs etc ... call me petty, but I like some variety, darn it!


----------



## sydneynicole

Woke up at 10am today - which is unusual even for a day off, I'm up at 4:30 for work and usually up by 8 on days off, but definitely nice and much needed. Went out shopping with Oliver and got him and myself some breakfast at the grocery store, then went out for a nice 2 hour 5ish mile hike. Stopped at home for a lunch break/breather, then went to the barn. Oliver is becoming so good around the horses, learning to respect them a bit more and that they aren't just giant dogs. Spent about 2 hours there, Oli rolled in poop and ate some neat weeds and ran around the arena/farm yard. Then stopped at my parent's and took all 4 of the dogs for a nice 3 mile walk. Back to the barn to blanket the horses, Oli takes this job very seriously. And now we're calling it quits for the day - Oli has eaten his dinner and is chewing on a beef tendon while I relax. Twas a good day.


----------



## gingerkid

I am really really loving training for agility with Ida. Like, not just the classes, but actually working on the homework and the basics. Ida catches on REALLY quickly and she's really good at shaping.

But heaven help me if/when I get a dog smarter than her.


----------



## kendra9

I might be moving to Switzerland, and I'm interested in Kooikers, so my mom (who is Swiss) sent a polite inquiry to a breeder there. She accidentally sent the email twice and got these responses:
Email 1: "I don't sell to Americans!"
Email 2: "They cost 15,000SF" (~$15,477)

I'll take quirky American breeders any day!


----------



## DogtorWho15

Im pretty sure that to my dog, getting her nails clipped is a form of torture.........


HOW IN THA WORLD DO PEOPLE CLIP EM??


----------



## CptJack

DogtorWho15 said:


> Im pretty sure that to my dog, getting her nails clipped is a form of torture.........
> 
> 
> HOW IN THA WORLD DO PEOPLE CLIP EM??


Dremel, man. Dremel.


----------



## gingerkid

kendra9 said:


> I might be moving to Switzerland, and I'm interested in Kooikers, so my mom (who is Swiss) sent a polite inquiry to a breeder there. She accidentally sent the email twice and got these responses:
> Email 1: "I don't sell to Americans!"
> Email 2: "They cost 15,000SF" (~$15,477)
> 
> I'll take quirky American breeders any day!


Did she explain that she'd be living in Europe? Maybe the breeder doesn't ship or wants to keep all her dogs in Europe.

Either way.... weird.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

DogtorWho15 said:


> Im pretty sure that to my dog, getting her nails clipped is a form of torture.........
> 
> 
> HOW IN THA WORLD DO PEOPLE CLIP EM??


some dogs are more sensitive with their fee... you may have to start with paw holding and caressing first, even go back further and start with how you want them to stand or lay down to get their nails clipped first and work on getting a calm relax state before you move on to just holding one paw at a time and release... i start off with one nail at a time clip treat and release.... i always end up with being able to get all their nails clipped in one session by starting this way ( only one) every day at the same general time and same routine.. stay on the nails that need to be done and work your way up to more and more..


----------



## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> Dremel, man. Dremel.


Yeah, my sensitive dog is much more ok with the dremel than the clippers. He doesn't love it, and he yelps sometimes if I'm even close to the quick, but it's a million times easier and I can get them much shorter.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

I do pull out the clippers and show them and click them, of course the one runs off and I laugh saying where you going lol... make a game out of them being silly, they come back for a hug session laughing at them... it's just a game, and they join in on the fun as a game.. they come running towards me for pulling them out.. Did enjoy using the Dremel for all the GSD's... CO's have so much long hair around their paws I just haven't wanted to bother taking the chance to catching it in the Dremel by accident Think in the end it's how you present the situation for the dog...


----------



## CptJack

The clippers can actually hurt some dogs, because it's still a pinching/crushing motion. A lot of dogs don't care, but it can definitely cause actual discomfort to dogs who are a little more delicate about their toes. Particularly if you're cutting anywhere near the quick.


----------



## elrohwen

PatriciafromCO said:


> I do pull out the clippers and show them and click them, of course the one runs off and I laugh saying where you going lol... make a game out of them being silly, they come back for a hug session laughing at them... it's just a game, and they join in on the fun as a game.. they come running towards me for pulling them out.. Did enjoy using the Dremel for all the GSD's... CO's have so much long hair around their paws I just haven't wanted to bother taking the chance to catching it in the Dremel by accident Think in the end it's how you present the situation for the dog...


I do think some dogs are just physically more sensitive than others. I did a lot of positive work with the clippers with Watson and he really tried to let me do them for a long time, but the actual clipping action is physicall uncomfortable and even painful for him. He's yelped in pain a bunch of times and I've never quicked him. No matter how positive I try to make it, it still hurts him.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> I do pull out the clippers and show them and click them, of course the one runs off and I laugh saying where you going lol... make a game out of them being silly, they come back for a hug session laughing at them... it's just a game, and they join in on the fun as a game.. they come running towards me for pulling them out.. Did enjoy using the Dremel for all the GSD's... CO's have so much long hair around their paws I just haven't wanted to bother taking the chance to catching it in the Dremel by accident Think in the end it's how you present the situation for the dog...


that is exactly how I am, my apt is small and he tries to run away and I laugh at him and am all like "where you goin'? get your butt over here!" in a joking tone. so he does and flops on his back and "assumes the position" lol. He is also a dog who HATES his feet messed with at all, but I worked with him just like you explained, caressing, he doesnt fear it, I have never quicked him, ever, but at some point he is going to have to suck it up and just ... deal. Also,he was like 20x worse with the dremel, the sound scared him, and he has long hair around his feet as well, and I also didnt want to risk it getting caught in the dremel. Plus, I am faster with clippers, just snip snip and I can be done in less than 5 min.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

with the Dremel everyone had that polished manicured look all in one step.. i do miss it   and agree with the pinch with the clippers cutting close to the wick. it's a long process working with a sensitive paw dog in training.. more likely for the nails to be overgrown for putting it off until you have that right moment to having the time and mindset for a positive experience, and doing one nail at a time .. your always having the next round , when you finally get to that last nail on the first round lol .. 

i've always believed that if you just clip, shave a tiny portion of the nail on the first round the wick will recede so when you do the second round you can clip the nail closer still being far enough from the wick being too sensitive. so I always think of that when I need to play catch up..

what I do know with the big baby Arka is sit on the floor and put the treat up on my computer table enough off the edge so you can see it. Arka is more focused on looking up at that treat about to fall off the table... he forgets about anything else.. lol...


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

yeah I got lazy and didnt do my hubby's dog, and they got a little long ... now i will have to start over again ugh


----------



## elrohwen

PatriciafromCO said:


> with the Dremel everyone had that polished manicured look all in one step.. i do miss it   and agree with the pinch with the clippers cutting close to the wick. it's a long process working with a sensitive paw dog in training.. more likely for the nails to be overgrown for putting it off until you have that right moment to having the time and mindset for a positive experience, and doing one nail at a time .. your always having the next round , when you finally get to that last nail on the first round lol ..


This was my problem with Watson. I could take little bits off without too much trouble, but getting near the quick made him cry and also made his behavior worse and worse. Get near the quick once, the next time is going to be harder. Get near it again, next time will be harder still. So his quicks got really long. Now with the dremel we're working them back and he does yelp once in a while if I get a bit close, but overall it's so much better because it's not hurting him the majority of the time.


----------



## dogsule

CptJack said:


> The clippers can actually hurt some dogs, because it's still a pinching/crushing motion. A lot of dogs don't care, but it can definitely cause actual discomfort to dogs who are a little more delicate about their toes. Particularly if you're cutting anywhere near the quick.


My dogs HATED getting their nails clipped and then I bought a new clippers (same style - guillotine) and they all hardly fussed at all the last time I clipped them. Guess my old blade was too dull and hurting them. Poor dogs!!


----------



## dogsule

OwnedbyACDs said:


> that is exactly how I am, my apt is small and he tries to run away and I laugh at him and am all like "where you goin'? get your butt over here!" in a joking tone. so he does and flops on his back and "assumes the position" lol. He is also a dog who HATES his feet messed with at all, but I worked with him just like you explained, caressing, he doesnt fear it, I have never quicked him, ever, but at some point he is going to have to suck it up and just ... deal. Also,he was like 20x worse with the dremel, the sound scared him, and he has long hair around his feet as well, and I also didnt want to risk it getting caught in the dremel. Plus, I am faster with clippers, just snip snip and I can be done in less than 5 min.


I would never even dream of using a dremel on Belle, that noise would most likely terrify her! Plus I am sure Maya would think I was trying to kill her with it.


----------



## elrohwen

dogsule said:


> I would never even dream of using a dremel on Belle, that noise would most likely terrify her! Plus I am sure Maya would think I was trying to kill her with it.


My old dremel was super loud. My dogs are used to clippers on their necks and ears so I think they were mostly desensitized to it, but man it was loud. I just ordered a new one and it's super duper quiet. The lowest setting (which does work for nails, though I tend to use one up from that) barely makes any noise at all. It's awesome. I can tell the dogs are more relaxed with it just because it's so much quieter.


----------



## dogsule

elrohwen said:


> My old dremel was super loud. My dogs are used to clippers on their necks and ears so I think they were mostly desensitized to it, but man it was loud. I just ordered a new one and it's super duper quiet. The lowest setting (which does work for nails, though I tend to use one up from that) barely makes any noise at all. It's awesome. I can tell the dogs are more relaxed with it just because it's so much quieter.


I have/had a dremmel once, I guess I don't remember it sounding like a clippers. Obviously all my dogs are used to the clipper sounds. LOL! Belle was deathly afraid of the noise that the Lure Coursing motor made which was very quiet. She has such weird sound issues, thunderstorms don't scare her in the least but dang if you open a can of Pillsbury anything she takes off running and hides under the bed!


----------



## elrohwen

dogsule said:


> I have/had a dremmel once, I guess I don't remember it sounding like a clippers. Obviously all my dogs are used to the clipper sounds. LOL! Belle was deathly afraid of the noise that the Lure Coursing motor made which was very quiet. She has such weird sound issues, thunderstorms don't scare her in the least but dang if you open a can of Pillsbury anything she takes off running and hides under the bed!


Doesn't sound like clippers, but at least they were used to loud things. I think it would've taken them a lot longer to get used to the dremel if they didn't have clipper experience and the idea that loud electronic noises can be ok. The new quieter ones are so much better though. I'm almost tempted to try it on my bunnies because it's so quiet, but I'm pretty sure they'd freak out.


----------



## KayaScout

On our Sunday walk to our play-field, we passed the usual houses on the usual street. Usually at this time of day, church is in session and everyone is parked on the side of the road (this is a very rural road/town) and there is always this one truck that has a giant, mean sounding, dog in it. Well Sunday, that dog was not in the truck. We come up to the church and this dog comes sprinting out of the front door (what church allows dogs in, I have no idea). This is a full grown St. Bernard running full tilt at me (a 130 lb female) and my 55 lb puppy. She doesn't stop so I stand between her and my dog and the St. Bernard goes around me and immediately starts snarling and snapping at my dog. I simultaneously pick up my dog and scream "you need to come get your dog"! Some lady just meanders out of the church calling "Muffin, get back here" and then gives me a casual "Sorry, she doesn't have any manners". I just cannot believe she would 1. keep a dog that is that aggressive not on a leash and 2. have really no reaction to it pretty much attacking myself and my dog. Luckily Kaya didn't seem too phased and we went on to play. But it was a little scary for me.


----------



## elrohwen

KayaScout said:


> On our Sunday walk to our play-field, we passed the usual houses on the usual street. Usually at this time of day, church is in session and everyone is parked on the side of the road (this is a very rural road/town) and there is always this one truck that has a giant, mean sounding, dog in it. Well Sunday, that dog was not in the truck. We come up to the church and this dog comes sprinting out of the front door (what church allows dogs in, I have no idea). This is a full grown St. Bernard running full tilt at me (a 130 lb female) and my 55 lb puppy. She doesn't stop so I stand between her and my dog and the St. Bernard goes around me and immediately starts snarling and snapping at my dog. I simultaneously pick up my dog and scream "you need to come get your dog"! Some lady just meanders out of the church calling "Muffin, get back here" and then gives me a casual "Sorry, she doesn't have any manners". I just cannot believe she would 1. keep a dog that is that aggressive not on a leash and 2. have really no reaction to it pretty much attacking myself and my dog. Luckily Kaya didn't seem too phased and we went on to play. But it was a little scary for me.


We got charged by a St Bernard once and it was pretty terrifying, even though the dog looked friendly (pretty sure it was an adolescent). 

That sucks! Who has a dog in church? And not on a leash?


----------



## KayaScout

elrohwen said:


> We got charged by a St Bernard once and it was pretty terrifying, even though the dog looked friendly (pretty sure it was an adolescent).
> 
> That sucks! Who has a dog in church? And not on a leash?


That must have been scary! It was for me. This one did not look too friendly....despite her sweet name...

To be fair, the church is attached to a "lodge club" where they usually have breakfast after church so my guess is the dog came out of that part of the building as opposed to the actual church part. But still, it should have been leashed!


----------



## elrohwen

KayaScout said:


> That must have been scary! It was for me. This one did not look too friendly....despite her sweet name...
> 
> To be fair, the church is attached to a "lodge club" where they usually have breakfast after church so my guess is the dog came out of that part of the building as opposed to the actual church part. But still, it should have been leashed!


I was afraid that Watson would snark at him, and if the St Bernard took offense he could do some serious damage.


----------



## KayaScout

elrohwen said:


> I was afraid that Watson would snark at him, and if the St Bernard took offense he could do some serious damage.


Yeah there's no room for Watson's mouth to write a check his butt can't cash with a large dog who probably doesn't know the harm he could do.

Now I am overly cautious about letting Kaya off-leash. I mean she would never charge someone or their dog. She usually trots up to the dog to say hello and dog and owners alike are welcoming of that. But I don't ever want anyone to feel like Kaya is charging or invading a dog's space like I felt. I know it's kind of comparing apples and oranges but I guess you just never know how someone will react.


----------



## elrohwen

KayaScout said:


> Yeah there's no room for Watson's mouth to write a check his butt can't cash with a large dog who probably doesn't know the harm he could do.
> 
> Now I am overly cautious about letting Kaya off-leash. I mean she would never charge someone or their dog. She usually trots up to the dog to say hello and dog and owners alike are welcoming of that. But I don't ever want anyone to feel like Kaya is charging or invading a dog's space like I felt. I know it's kind of comparing apples and oranges but I guess you just never know how someone will react.


Mine are only off leash on my property. One time our neighbors walked through and my dogs accosted them and I felt so bad. There's a pass through from the rail trail to our street that everybody is allowed to use, but nobody ever does so they surprised by me and the dogs by appearing out of the woods. I shouldn't feel that bad that my dogs barked at people on my own property, but I still did. Especially when they jumped on the poor people with muddy paws. lol


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie nose punched one of our guests once. I felt terrible. Then he jumped on her kid and knocked the kid over. I think he felt really bad afterward, though, because he was far more gentle. He will bark and run toward people walking by on the sidewalk, too. His bark is so loud and piercing, it can be kind of scary. I keep him on a 30 ft outside in our yard. He has gotten better about the jumping, but he still "accosts" passerby with kisses and barking if they surprise me and I can't reel him in on time!


----------



## Wet Beards

That sucks! Who has a dog in church? And not on a leash?[/QUOTE]

Um....We go to the church on a weekly basis. But not when there is service in progress. 
Church is at the end of our driveway. (1/2 a mile)


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## elrohwen

Wet Beards said:


> Um....We go to the church on a weekly basis. But not when there is service in progress.
> Church is at the end of our driveway. (1/2 a mile)


But you guys aren't inside the church during service  Using the grounds is different.

Beautiful church, btw!


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## Wet Beards

No, never inside with the dogs. lol
We just walk around the cemetery. Can't see it in the picture. 
I'll pick up garbage that may have blown in, straighten flowers, that
sort of thing. 
It really is an old beautiful church.


----------



## kendra9

gingerkid said:


> Did she explain that she'd be living in Europe? Maybe the breeder doesn't ship or wants to keep all her dogs in Europe.
> 
> Either way.... weird.


Seriously. My mom asked for clarification, and the women straight up said "she should get a stuffed animal and keep the receipt". Who talks to other people like that??

Edit: Apparently this woman also went on about puppy mills in the US, so apparently we're all horrible!


----------



## gingerkid

kendra9 said:


> Seriously. My mom asked for clarification, and the women straight up said "she should get a stuffed animal and keep the receipt". Who talks to other people like that??
> 
> Edit: Apparently this woman also went on about puppy mills in the US, so apparently we're all horrible!


Well, the good news is that Europe is very small and you can drive across several countries in one day so you can maybe find more breeders within a reasonable distance?


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## PatriciafromCO

at least you know up front that is not a breeder you want to work with.. My first GSD came from a breeder that would not sell to Military... (I was military at the time), More then understandable for what happens to pets when military families move... they dump them, on people who dump them, leave them tied up in their back yards and leave or in their house and leave.... This is not because of sudden deployment .... more then understandable when she said it from my own personal experience knowing what military people do to animals how disposable they are... I still wanted to go and meet her and talk GSD's to learn being in search mode for the breed... Ended up life long friends and wonderful dogs from her... just makes no sense to dally in a bad situation when you have the freedom to move on.....


----------



## Jen2010

So it looks like we'll be spending the entire long weekend building a fence in the back yard. The sides are both newly done, but the back section is old and rotted. It's in a treed area with lots of shrubs, bushes, etc. so it wasn't a priority before. 

But last night I let the dogs out to go to the bathroom and they were barking. Pepper started barking particularly frantically so I went to get them in and Pepper was standing in the middle of the yard, barking toward the back. She came when I called her but Kane didn't. I walked out into the yard fearing he had escaped (I hadn't checked on the fence for a while). Pepper literally was hopping backward in front of me as I walked to the back to check. There was Kane nose to nose with the neighbour's dog through a huge hole/gap in the fence. My heart froze for a moment because Kane doesn't usually like bigger dogs and I didn't know if the other dog was friendly, but I saw right away that they both looked relaxed and tails were wagging. I called Kane away and he and his new friend happily came to me! Lol! We temporarily propped the fence back up and called the neighbour to let them know their dog was loose (he had a long tether on him but it wasn't attached to anything).

So the fence has become a priority and will be replaced this weekend. Good thing I didn't really have any big plans anyway


----------



## Sandakat

Jen2010 said:


> So the fence has become a priority and will be replaced this weekend. Good thing I didn't really have any big plans anyway


Isn't it amazing how plans happen?


----------



## Sandakat

Am I being a superstitious idiot? Toby wears a collar, that he's had for years, with a plastic clasp. One arm of the clasp broke. The collar still stays closed and we pull it over his head rather than unclipping it most of the time anyway. I'm afraid to buy him a new collar. There's just something about getting the old dog a new collar that scares me... like having a new collar is going to make him die. Weird, right?


----------



## Eenypup

I keep thinking adding a second dog would maybe allow me to lower my expectations for Bennie and have a dog that fills needs I didn't know I wanted - i.e. take anywhere even with a bunch of kids around, off leash potential, dog park going type of dog.

Of course because Bennie is a pit mix adding a new dog could be distastrous for my relationship with her if they end up not getting along. I want a second dog, I wouldn't be getting it just so I can like Bennie more lol. She doesn't fill all I want in a dog but I don't know if getting one in this two room apartment is possible. Although I do have the most free time in these next few months that I'll have in a loooong time......


----------



## Kathyy

I put up the heavy 48" tall exercise pen this morning as the dogs were getting a meaty bone for breakfast. Closed it and when I put the bottom clip on there was a dog inside. If I had messed up and lost control of the xpen there could have been a Buckwheat pancake.


----------



## Jen2010

> Am I being a superstitious idiot? Toby wears a collar, that he's had for years, with a plastic clasp. One arm of the clasp broke. The collar still stays closed and we pull it over his head rather than unclipping it most of the time anyway. I'm afraid to buy him a new collar. There's just something about getting the old dog a new collar that scares me... like having a new collar is going to make him die. Weird, right?


 The old collar has proven itself to be reliable, a new one has not. I get it


----------



## Pasarella

I'm getting soo excited for one of my future litters! It actually will be born only next year (ether February or August, depends on when I decide to breed her), but the male I have in mind is just FABULOUS! So fabulous I have to share it and I don't care that probably no one is going to answer to this post any way.

He is located in Russia, Moscow, which is about 2000km from me, but I think we are going to make it work.


----------



## Remaru

Pasarella said:


> I'm getting soo excited for one of my future litters! It actually will be born only next year (ether February or August, depends on when I decide to breed her), but the male I have in mind is just FABULOUS! So fabulous I have to share it and I don't care that probably no one is going to answer to this post any way.
> 
> He is located in Russia, Moscow, which is about 2000km from me, but I think we are going to make it work.


He is handsome. Which one of your females were you planning to match him to?


----------



## Pasarella

Mimi, the black dapple. They both carry for brown, so we could get not only black puppies, but also brown


----------



## gingerkid

Ida has so many brand new toys (mainly stuffies) that are kind of piling up because foster dog is much harder on soft toys than Ida is and I don't want foster dog to wreck all of Ida's toys (she has her own toys!).

I do not need to buy more toys. I do not need to buy more toys. I DO NOT NEED TO BUY MORE TOYS.

but I have to fill my amazon basket to $25 for free shipping....


----------



## Captain_Russia

My mother knows everything. Absolutely everything.
Ugh.
I'm just glad she lives in a different town now so I don't have to deal with her very much.

She's one of those people, everybody knows one, who can't stop giving you unsolicited opinions on things they know _less than nothing_ about! I would tell her "I've been putting my hands around her food bowl at meal time so she doesn't get food-aggressive" and get "Oh, good! Yes, that's very important because ...." Yeah, I kind of knew that, why did you think I was doing it in the first place? "Have you taught her any new tricks?" "I've had her for a week, so no." "Well it's very important you do it now! She needs to learn this all while she's young or you'll have a lot of trouble later!" Proceeds to teach "roll over" by waving a treat in a circle in the air. Fantastic training skills you have there, mom, you should go be a professional dog trainer. Oh yes, and don't forget that with all your skills, you should ask me three months later to help your coworker with her dog's behaviour problem, because I'm suddenly the best dog trainer in existence. And let's not forget how you traumatized - I mean, _desensitized_ my puppy by rushing forward to grab her, tossing her upside down, then making loud noises and flailing your hands all over her, shoving your fingers in her mouth, and tugging on her ears, feet, and tail. Oh, and every time I tell you to "stop" or "don't do that" be sure to keep doing exactly what you were doing and force me to explain why that was dangerous or bad instead of trusting me or at least giving me the benefit of the doubt. Yes, garlic is poisonous to dogs. Yes, that includes garlic crust pizza. I should not have to take a crust out of my puppy's mouth and then google that for you, that is something you should just take my word for and look up later. To be fair, my dad's guilty of that, too, he can't just take my word for something.

And also those kinds of people who try to tell you how your dog should behave. "Oh is she allowed on the couch?" *picks dog up* "Well, she is now!"
No no, go ahead. She doesn't belong to me or anything, you teach her all the bad habits you like.


----------



## Crantastic

When people do stuff like that, I put the dogs away in another room. Don't listen to me? You don't get to play with my dogs.

The dogs don't mind chilling in another room with their toys or a Kong or whatever, so this is only aversive to the misbehaving humans.


----------



## CptJack

Highlight of day one of this weekend's agility trial:

The judge said we scared him for a second, but praised us for our save. (The scare was she stopped dead in the weaves). I don't know why that amuses and delights me so much, but it totally does.


----------



## cookieface

Two things - 

*Tyson brag:* I pulled the trash bag out of the can and left it to put veg scraps in. Tyson sniffed it, I told him "leave it," and he walked away! He walked away and didn't return!!! A year (few months?) ago, I would have needed to immediately take it to the garage to keep him out of it. Baby boy is growing up. I'm proud of him, but sad at the same time.


Stopped in a used book store this morning and picked up:
_Don't Shoot the Dog_ by Karen Pryor
_Chill Out Fido!_ by Nan Arthur
_Inside of a Dog_ by Alexandra Horowitz
_The Intelligence of Dogs_ by Stanley Coren
_Through a Dog's Eyes_ by Jennifer Arnold

I wasn't sure about the last two, but we got a shopping bag full of books for $30 so why not. We also got _The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time_. My husband picked it up because there's a poodle on the cover; I told him I didn't want it because the dog dies and I don't like fiction. He bought it anyway.


----------



## Terriermon

I am more comfortable having my dogs walk on my left side. I'm left-handed, I dunno, it just feels more 'right' for me. But this is contrary to how the rest of the world operate. I'm talking about when I'm walking down a sidewalk, dogs to my left. People approach, and it's as if we are on the highway...rather than just pass us to the right, they choose to stick to their proper lane, and instead end up walking on the grass to avoid the dogs. Rather than just passing me on the right on the sidewalk. Not everyone does it. But its weird. Am I wrong should I just switch the to walk on the right, and I walk on the right side of the sidewalk, treating it like a road?


----------



## Pomom

Sandakat said:


> Am I being a superstitious idiot? Toby wears a collar, that he's had for years, with a plastic clasp. One arm of the clasp broke. The collar still stays closed and we pull it over his head rather than unclipping it most of the time anyway. I'm afraid to buy him a new collar. There's just something about getting the old dog a new collar that scares me... like having a new collar is going to make him die. Weird, right?


 I totally understand! I was afraid to bath Pippin because Hope happened to have a bath three days before she died. As a kid whenever I got my hamster a new cage it would die. But you could just as easily say a new collar will make him live longer cuz he can't waste it!


----------



## Pomom

Captain_Russia said:


> My mother knows everything. Absolutely everything.
> Ugh.
> I'm just glad she lives in a different town now so I don't have to deal with her very much.
> 
> She's one of those people, everybody knows one, who can't stop giving you unsolicited opinions on things they know _less than nothing_ about! I would tell her "I've been putting my hands around her food bowl at meal time so she doesn't get food-aggressive" and get "Oh, good! Yes, that's very important because ...." Yeah, I kind of knew that, why did you think I was doing it in the first place? "Have you taught her any new tricks?" "I've had her for a week, so no." "Well it's very important you do it now! She needs to learn this all while she's young or you'll have a lot of trouble later!" Proceeds to teach "roll over" by waving a treat in a circle in the air. Fantastic training skills you have there, mom, you should go be a professional dog trainer. Oh yes, and don't forget that with all your skills, you should ask me three months later to help your coworker with her dog's behaviour problem, because I'm suddenly the best dog trainer in existence. And let's not forget how you traumatized - I mean, _desensitized_ my puppy by rushing forward to grab her, tossing her upside down, then making loud noises and flailing your hands all over her, shoving your fingers in her mouth, and tugging on her ears, feet, and tail. Oh, and every time I tell you to "stop" or "don't do that" be sure to keep doing exactly what you were doing and force me to explain why that was dangerous or bad instead of trusting me or at least giving me the benefit of the doubt. Yes, garlic is poisonous to dogs. Yes, that includes garlic crust pizza. I should not have to take a crust out of my puppy's mouth and then google that for you, that is something you should just take my word for and look up later. To be fair, my dad's guilty of that, too, he can't just take my word for something.
> 
> And also those kinds of people who try to tell you how your dog should behave. "Oh is she allowed on the couch?" *picks dog up* "Well, she is now!"
> No no, go ahead. She doesn't belong to me or anything, you teach her all the bad habits you like.


I hear you! I told my Dad I hadn't taught Sybbie the word for down yet and he says "that's not training!" And yells down at her over and over and is annoyed that she doesn't do it.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Hero is beginning to show signs of fear/wariness/shyness towards strangers. It makes me kind of sad, especially with all the socialization we've been doing.


----------



## Laurelin

I got lots of pyrshep love today. <3 

Anyone else feel like there's too many breeds and not enough time?


----------



## DogtorWho15

I really need to get a dremel then. I have grown up with dogs all my life and have never had one with as sensitive feet as she does. I will try to cut small bits at a time and she still whines at me. Also she is the deepest sleeper, but if I go near her toes, shes is up in a split second and gives me the silent treatment + death stare........


----------



## DogtorWho15

So a little rant...... The snowboarding accident that happened 2 or 3? months ago where I injured my knee, still hasnt healed! It actually is getting worse, in other words, Nova hasnt been walked in that amount of time....... She gets exercise by toy playing in the yard, and she still gets some basic training, but OMG THIS SUCKS!! I feel really bad I cant do more stuff for her, and I feel like by the time we get back on the leash she is going to forget how to walk like an angel and how to ignore things. Basically starting over. 
I went to the docs finally, and he didnt have an answer for what was wrong and sent me to physical therapy for a month. However, he said they would give us a call within the next week to set it up....That was 3 weeks ago... -.- 
Ive called the office countless times but holy crap I never knew that someone could not answer a phone this many times in a short period. Im thinking of getting a wheelchair and will teach Nova mushing XD Thatd be fun hehe

Also she just farted BLEH


----------



## mrsserena

Eenypup said:


> take anywhere even with a bunch of kids around, off leash potential, dog park going type of dog.


That's actually a LOT to ask of any dog. I've never had one that fit all of those criteria...


----------



## parapluie

mrsserena said:


> That's actually a LOT to ask of any dog. I've never had one that fit all of those criteria...


I've had dogs that fit it once they have a bit of training. I would agree not every dog would fit it but it is possible for sure.


----------



## gingerkid

mrsserena said:


> That's actually a LOT to ask of any dog. I've never had one that fit all of those criteria...


Both of my dogs fit those criteria; even though they're both leash reactive, they're both fine at off-leash parks and both enjoy kids (although I don't subject them to large random groups of children unless the children and the dogs are both calm and the dogs are happy). But I have a feeling that I totally lucked out with my two; the only training they really needed to fit those requirements are recall and working on their leash-reactivity (but, again, once they're off leash they're totally fine).


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## Kyllobernese

I have actually never been to a dog park or even been where there is one. Yesterday there was one in the area I was in so I thought I would go and have a look at it. I had no intention of putting either Kris or Bonnie in it, the only two dogs I had with me. When I arrived there I noticed there were several dogs in it. I put a leash on Kris and walked along on the trail they had behind it and the Great Dane came charging at the fence just roaring at her. It seemed to be alright with the dogs in with it but they were probably dogs he knew. I hate to think what would have happened if I had just walked in with either of my dogs although maybe it was alright when there was no fence between them. I am afraid I would never have the nerve to take my dog to one and hope everyone got along.


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## Laurelin

I've never had a dog that fits that criteria


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## gingerkid

Kyllobernese said:


> I have actually never been to a dog park or even been where there is one. Yesterday there was one in the area I was in so I thought I would go and have a look at it. I had no intention of putting either Kris or Bonnie in it, the only two dogs I had with me. When I arrived there I noticed there were several dogs in it. I put a leash on Kris and walked along on the trail they had behind it and the Great Dane came charging at the fence just roaring at her. It seemed to be alright with the dogs in with it but they were probably dogs he knew. I hate to think what would have happened if I had just walked in with either of my dogs although maybe it was alright when there was no fence between them. I am afraid I would never have the nerve to take my dog to one and hope everyone got along.


Barrier reactivity is more common than DA IME, but when dealing with dogs the size of a Dane, I wouldn't take the chance either. We don't have many thunderdome style parks here (relatively small area that's fenced on all sides) and the ones that we have are all private, but I don't think I would like them either.


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## Lillith

So apparently I have succeeded in completely tuning out my dog's barking. Our neighbors were really loud when they came home the other night, and my husband said that Ralphie started barking at them. I never heard any of this. I can tune him out for 5 minutes while he demand barks incessantly for my pizza, and now I can tune him out while I'm sleeping. Cool. Yet I still wake up at the small whines he makes if he REALLY has to potty in the middle of the night, lol.


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## CrystalGSD

Laurelin said:


> Anyone else feel like there's too many breeds and not enough time?


Yes! (Too short)


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## Sandakat

Laurelin said:


> Anyone else feel like there's too many breeds and not enough time?


Oh yes! And not enough money...


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## Prozax

Eli is lame on the front left leg. Probably from running around the forest yesterday. Tomorrow morning back to vet. I should just move there at this point. Not a week goes by without us there.

Hope she'll be fine by Saturday as we have a whole trip planned abroad with her


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## Remaru

mrsserena said:


> That's actually a LOT to ask of any dog. I've never had one that fit all of those criteria...


I have had dogs that fit this. This describes Freyja. My first dog Kecha fit this. Duke fit this though I don't know I would have taken him to the dog park because I am anti-dog parks and that is more risk than I want to take (with him being a bull breed if something happened he would have been blamed). Hobgoblin fit this. Lenore is iffy off leash but with work probably (and this just say potential, she has the potential and if I had her as a puppy she might be better). Lad fits this.


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## CptJack

The real hang up for me is:

A-) A dog who is totally fine with kids but is only sporadically exposed to them. This is hard. A dog in a house with kids can be fine, but a dog who lives with adults, is exposed mostly to adults, and only sees kids erratically (every few months) - It's a big ask. 

B-) There is more to being dog park suitable thn not being dog selective or aggressive. It also means a dog who is tolerant of all playstyles AND doesn't have an invisible Kick Me sign AND isn't of a size where it could accidentally be injured or cause injury to another dog. 

It's not just "tolerant of everything." 

JACK is tolerant of everything but that doesn't mean he enjoys kids - he doesn't, and largely because his exposure to them is rare - OR that he doesn't have every dog in a 10 mile radius wanting to pick on him OR that he isn't a dog who is easily sent sprawling with thin skin that gets torn easily.

I'm nt saying those dogs don't exist - they do, more in some breeds and types than others, and I certainly am not doubting that people mentioning their dogs here have them.

Can and should is still a question, though. I CAN have Jack around my toddler nephew without any fear or danger, but I don't believe that means I SHOULD. He doesn't like it. It stresses him and makes im sad. Ergo - Not a kid dog.


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## mrsserena

True, I guess I'm thinking of a dog that actually likes kids, other dogs, and dog parks. You can probably train most dogs for it, but you can't make them love it. I'm probably not a good example because I don't really want such an easy dog, that would bore me?.


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## Remaru

My dogs were raised with kids, with the exception of the dogs I adopted as adults (pretty sure some of them were as well as Lenore thinks toddlers are absolutely amazing). So kids are just normal for them. They were also raised with other dogs and I wouldn't adopt dogs that weren't dog friendly (or at least dog tolerant) because I have many dogs and foster. I do have dogs that would not be good dog park candidates, either they don't have good dog social skills or are not as dog friendly with strange dogs but most of my dogs would do reasonably well in a dog park. It isn't about easy vs difficult dogs. What I find difficult in a dog is different than what someone else might find difficult.


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## Eenypup

I certainly don't think every dog should or would fit that criteria  I know many, many dogs who don't.


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## Pomom

Sybbie in the dog park today: kids sat on ground. She crawled in their lap. Exuberant puppy harassed her. She tried to run away but it wouldn't leave her alone so she bit the air. Not interested in playing. Happy and polite with all people. Too small for me to really relax.

Still I feel she is a go anywhere dog. Every dog has to be managed for one reason or another, don't they? If they didn't they wouldn't be so fascinating.


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## mrsserena

Eenypup said:


> I certainly don't think every dog should or would fit that criteria  I know many, many dogs who don't.


OK, sounds like you get it! I was just a little worried that since your current dog didn't turn out how you wanted, you might be setting your expectations a little high for a second dog. As long as you wouldn't be too disappointed if they do everything else, but maybe you have to limit exposure to kids (that's my dogs). But it works for me, since I don't have kids and I'd rather have a hyper dog . 

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk


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## Prozax

After 4 days of crate rest and leashed potty breaks, Eli is bouncing up the walls. She is hardly sleeping at night anymore, but at least she stopped limping  Looks like we're gonna take our trip after all!


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## OwnedbyACDs

mrsserena said:


> True, I guess I'm thinking of a dog that actually likes kids, other dogs, and dog parks. You can probably train most dogs for it, but you can't make them love it. I'm probably not a good example because I don't really want such an easy dog, that would bore me?.


My dog likes kids, other dogs, and dog parks, but he is NOT a good dog park dog, why? because he is a herdy thing and his play style is very ... herdy LOL. Also, if there is a dog with a "kick me" sign on their back, he will target that dog and make them his b****. 

He is shy around kids and new people at first, but I think if he LIVED with kids he would be fine, if he didnt like something he would just leave (of course I would never allow harassment of him though). 

With other dogs he is convinced they were all put on earth to be his friend and it matters not to him if they are snarling at him he will be all like "why we no be friends, yo?" (Of course I dont LET him approach strange dogs, esp on leash because that is how problems happen, I was just speaking hypothetically).

In public he SEEMS calm and well mannered, and he is, but that is a facade; and it was achieved through many hours of consistent training, it is not his true nature. His true nature is that of a loudmouth landshark and I have several pairs of ripped pants to prove it LOL. Just last week, he grabbed my jacket and put a hole in it ... jerk :/.


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## DogtorWho15

Yknow sometimes I really want another dog, and just cant wait to be able to get one. But then I start playing everything through my head and I just really cant imagine having another dog doing daily things, comforting and loving on me and taking my attention, that isnt Nova............

Anyone else feel this way? XD



(didnt read every post about this topic)
My aunt has 2 dogs who fit that. They walk on leashes, great with other dogs, kids, and AMAZING off leash. They are happy about it all too. It is possible XD


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## Sandakat

When we had 2 dogs it worked just fine. They liked each other and were both easy off leash. Now that I have one dog I see how much more work 2 were. There's a small chance that I'll have a puppy while Toby is still around, but in general I think that one dog at a time is going to be best for me and the dog.


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## Terriermon

my 4 month old jagdterrier beat the crap out of a whippet at the park yesterday. She was just playing and it was not, would not leave her alone and chased her into a corner snapping at her neck and back, neither me nor owner could get dogs to recall. We got them back and not a mark on my pup but the whippets face and neck was all cut up and bleeding. My pup didn't even get the dog was being seriously aggressive she was still wagging and playful. Owner was upset but it sure as heck wasn't my fault. If the dog has such delicate skin and is also aggressive probably not a good idea to bring it to the park! Dogs don't play checkers at the park they play like dogs!


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## Sibe

Terriermon said:


> my 4 month old jagdterrier beat the crap out of a whippet at the park yesterday. She was just playing and it was not, would not leave her alone and chased her into a corner snapping at her neck and back, neither me nor owner could get dogs to recall. We got them back and not a mark on my pup but the whippets face and neck was all cut up and bleeding. My pup didn't even get the dog was being seriously aggressive she was still wagging and playful. Owner was upset but it sure as heck wasn't my fault. If the dog has such delicate skin and is also aggressive probably not a good idea to bring it to the park! Dogs don't play checkers at the park they play like dogs!


 How is it not your fault? It's at least some your fault. You don't have appropriate control of your dog, your dog doesn't have appropriate bite inhibition, your dog isn't reading the other dog's body language...


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## Terriermon

she didn't bite it it was all done with her claws. The whippet had her cornered. she is 4 months old and is still learning to read other dogs. my point was it's not my fault the whippet was so physically delicate that a 20 lb 4 mo. old puppy could tear up its skin like that. seems silly to bring a dog made of tissue paper to a dog park I dunno. it was also the aggressor, she did not pursue it it came after her, I assume cause she is small and was running fast


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## Sibe

Well I'm a ****. I totally read that wrong. I'm so sorry!

Edit, ha, DF starred that out. I'm a jerk, does that work DF?


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## Terriermon

Sibe said:


> Well I'm a ****. I totally read that wrong. I'm so sorry!
> 
> Edit, ha, DF starred that out. I'm a jerk, does that work DF?


oh no worries!!!


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## sydneynicole

I've had issues with almost every sighthound that's come to the dog park in my town. I feel like most are not good dog park candidates because of the high prey drive. One woman put her greyhound (small one, looked like an oversized whippet) on the small dog side. I have a 13lb fluffy black dog who is very fast but no match for a greyhound lol. She didn't understand why I immediately scooped him up and asked her to put her dog on the big dog side or leave after seeing it lock in and chase him down, sending him tumbling a good 10 feet before going back after him before he even got up. He didn't have any open wounds, but the dog _would not_ leave him alone. He's just a baby so he didn't defend himself, just got a 'what the heck is wrong with this dog?' look on his face and tried to run back to me. Sounds kind of similar to the situation that happened to your dog.


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## Terriermon

Yeah except mine seemed to think it was a fun wrestling match, she got on her back and kicked and scratched. To be honest I don't think she will be a good dog park candidate when grown either. She is going to end up in that 'gray zone' of being too intense and a tad too big for the little dogs, while a bit too small and fiery to play well with the big guys.


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## sydneynicole

Terriermon said:


> Yeah except mine seemed to think it was a fun wrestling match, she got on her back and kicked and scratched. To be honest I don't think she will be a good dog park candidate when grown either. She is going to end up in that 'gray zone' of being too intense and a tad too big for the little dogs, while a bit too small and fiery to play well with the big guys.


The good thing is that you recognize she may not be a good dog park dog through her adult life - many people just don't realize it and it can ruin it for people with suitable dogs. Or, of course, end up with one or both dogs being injured.


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## DogtorWho15

I was sorta one of those people! LOL I took a little longer than I shouldve to realize my dog is not a dog park dog, she isnt aggressive and doesnt ruin it for other people and their dogs, but it ruins her. She just breaks down and is terrified. She is perfectly happy just with her human and I am perfectly fine with that. She likes my grandmas dog and my neighbors dog and that is IT XD


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## Prozax

After a tiring weekend, full of activities, with Eli just alongside with us, my bf just pointed out that I'm not happy(or not worried) except when Eli is on the move: playing, begging, jumping, running whatever it takes for her not to stand still. I guess I never really stopped worrying after I lost Luna, even though I have a perfectly healthy dog now.


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## Lillith

I would love to take Ralphie to the dog park, but at this point in time he likes to hump everything that moves. He is crossed up with two herding breeds, but he wants all the other dogs to chase him, and if they don't he barks and barks and barks at them until they comply. Like yours, he hasn't quite figured out when another dog is being aggressive. I was giving Ralphie a treat, and the Puggle saw so snarled and snapped at Ralphie. Ralphie thought he was trying to play so got excited and play bowed and whatnot. So silly. Usually he is good at reading other dogs, but sometimes it's like he just rejects reality and replaces it with his own, lol.


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## RockApChamp

We live around 100 yards from a dog park and take our 3 sometimes to let them run. Personality wise my 3 are all daylight and dark so the dog park is different for each of them. Our 7 month pittie is at the dog park for the humans. He'll play some, but he mostly just wants to hop onto a bench next to someone and curl up for petting. Our 1 year old pibble is a rocket, all over the place all the time, however, he wants to play with the one dog in the park who is terrified of him, every time. But he has really great recall so we keep an eye on him just in case he antagonizes a pup who is aggressive when scared. And then our spaniel loves dogs of all sizes, HATES strangers. So he spends most of his time peeing on things, sometimes other dogs, lol, and barking at strangers, never aggressive, tail wagging the entire time, he just barks at everyone. But our struggle is far too many people don't care their dogs are not cut out for dog parks, and bring them anyway to socialize. And then they get aggressive and it's a nightmare. That's why we don't go so often. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Kathyy

Well I've been busy in the vegetable garden for the past week and Bucky has been having a ball supervising me, finding out what lives in compost and chasing lizards. After beds are planted I don't want him trampling through them so I put boards loosely across the walls of the beds, they are maybe 3-4" off the dirt. I was cleaning up tools and heard a clatter of boards. Stinker was chasing a lizard going up the wall and running on the boards. Guess I'll be putting up little fences to keep him out after all. Have a pile of old wood I get to put to work....


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## PatriciafromCO

Terriermon said:


> my 4 month old jagdterrier beat the crap out of a whippet at the park yesterday. She was just playing and it was not, would not leave her alone and chased her into a corner snapping at her neck and back, neither me nor owner could get dogs to recall. We got them back and not a mark on my pup but the whippets face and neck was all cut up and bleeding. My pup didn't even get the dog was being seriously aggressive she was still wagging and playful. Owner was upset but it sure as heck wasn't my fault. If the dog has such delicate skin and is also aggressive probably not a good idea to bring it to the park! Dogs don't play checkers at the park they play like dogs!


your an advocate to the sight hound thread, and am sure you know the breed you own? it's not a matter (if) any breed can get along in a group ,, you should also consider (before you involve other peoples dogs) what your dog is capable of when it suddenly is not ok because they dogs.. this is why I don't recommend dog parks, people are not realistic in what they own to what other people own...


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## Lillith

So Ralphie did the weirdest thing the other night. He was quietly laying on the floor and chewing on his toy while I was watching Netflix. It was dark, all the curtains were closed, so there is no way he was seeing reflections from the TV in the windows (which he has barked at before). It was not windy (for once), or raining, or snowing, all was quiet (except for the occasional rude noise from my husband downstairs, but we're all quite used to that...) and it was a routine weekday night. 

Anyways, Ralphie lifts his head up abruptly, drops his toy, and gets up. He does a 180 and plops his butt to the floor, his back to me, then lifts up his muzzle and seems to be looking up at something, exactly the position he assumes when sitting in front of me for training and treats. At this point I am looking at him like "Ok, what the heck? Is he having an episode?" He just sits there all still and focused on whatever it is. Then he starts moving his head back and forth like he is watching something. Then he started licking the air. So, I was convinced he was having some sort of episode so I said his name and moved to get up. He instantly snapped out of it and looked at me happily without a trace of fear or worry, then went and got his floppy skunk toy and shoved it in my lap.

What the heck, dog? So strange, lol!


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## Jen2010

> Anyways, Ralphie lifts his head up abruptly, drops his toy, and gets up. He does a 180 and plops his butt to the floor, his back to me, then lifts up his muzzle and seems to be looking up at something, exactly the position he assumes when sitting in front of me for training and treats. At this point I am looking at him like "Ok, what the heck? Is he having an episode?" He just sits there all still and focused on whatever it is. Then he starts moving his head back and forth like he is watching something. Then he started licking the air. So, I was convinced he was having some sort of episode so I said his name and moved to get up. He instantly snapped out of it and looked at me happily without a trace of fear or worry, then went and got his floppy skunk toy and shoved it in my lap.
> 
> What the heck, dog? So strange, lol!


 Maybe there was a bug flying around?


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## Lillith

Jen2010 said:


> Maybe there was a bug flying around?


I haven't seen a bug since last fall, but could be! I spray peppermint around the house because when it started getting cold last year I found 3 gigantic spiders and they simply needed to die.


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## CrystalGSD

We found out yesterday that Hero obeys to one person and one person only... Me. He usually has a 90% recall rate I would say, and we made the mistake of thinking that extended to the whole family. I mean it seemed like he listen to them well enough. Well, I was out of the house and my dad decided to let Hero off his leash without me there, and Hero would NOT come back. His recall is almost impeccable so I didn't really understand why, so I came home and tried to recall him. He listened perfectly. Then I realized: every time he has listened or been off leash, I have been with him. So now I had to establish a rule of not letting him off leash while I'm not there. Unfortunately my family is not very dog-training-oriented or else I could probably work on this problem. It's not even surprising though, since I'm the one that trains him, obviously he's going to listen to me, and not someone who never even gives him commands to obey.


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## Lillith

CrystalGSD said:


> We found out yesterday that Hero obeys to one person and one person only... Me. He usually has a 90% recall rate I would say, and we made the mistake of thinking that extended to the whole family. I mean it seemed like he listen to them well enough. Well, I was out of the house and my dad decided to let Hero off his leash without me there, and Hero would NOT come back. His recall is almost impeccable so I didn't really understand why, so I came home and tried to recall him. He listened perfectly. Then I realized: every time he has listened or been off leash, I have been with him. So now I had to establish a rule of not letting him off leash while I'm not there. Unfortunately my family is not very dog-training-oriented or else I could probably work on this problem. It's not even surprising though, since I'm the one that trains him, obviously he's going to listen to me, and not someone who never even gives him commands to obey.


It can be a good thing and a bad thing! At least he won't wander off after some stranger. My husband gets angry when Ralphie won't listen to him like he does to me, but then I'm like "Go out and train with him, then!" My husband has learned to deal with it, lol!


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## Pasarella

Many people don't understand what it is so difficult about being a breeder. Well, I have had some rough time looking for a sir for my dam. This almost drove me nuts. I was looking at two males for about a year. I personally know their owner's friends and as I don't speak Russian I asked for them to help me contact with them. One of them had some problems, not sure what kind of problems, but he was not available for stud, the other was, they agreed to let me use him and then week later, turns out that they have this dog in co-ownership and that his owner is not willing to give him as she has lost two dogs recently and, apparently, mating might kill him. Instead they are giving me this dog's brother, who isn't a bad dog, but he is not my type and there is a reason why I was looking at him and not his brother, and an 11 years old male with roached back, claims that that was a after an accident, but has no pictures before that.
So I went ahead and contacted another male's owner who has nice, young male available for stud. So we talked it out and if something doesn't go wrong again ( God I hope not) we will be breeding them this December. So FINALLY!
Now this woman who helped me contact her friends is angry with me because I didn't want to breed with those two other options. She thinks I'm changing my mind too often, so nobody is going to help me next time. Yeah, they can't give me what I'm looking for so if I'm saying no to other dogs, then I'm the bad one. Apparently I should chose something only from this kennel, just because she helped me, the fact that this isn't what I was looking for doesn't matter.


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## PatriciafromCO

sending good thoughts to you *Pasarella,* totally understand... I think breeders can visually see the genetic map for the entire history in the breed of each dog, in the dogs they choose to breed. My dearest friend and mentor Mary was always so fascinating listening to her planning out a litter, going through choices... current and past are so relevant at all times.. and what you choose, is in your lines to need to live with..... best pick your best direction....


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## Pasarella

Thank you! 
This is going to be a puppy year. I have never had litters so close to each other. In two weeks we are having one litter, then in June (litter C will be somewhere around 8 weeks and starting to leave) I'm planning to breed Moka for the first time with brindle male, should have a lot of brindles and then in December Mimi. Cuteness, poop and mess overload  
Then we will have a break for a year or more.


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## DogtorWho15

I think my dog is some kind of super shedder. Ive never seen a dog shed so much in my life and she does it the same amount all year round.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

I hate spay day. Ember is so sad and pathetic.


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## DogtorWho15

Wow......My dog literally just got scared of my belly button.........................


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## Pasarella

How can a dog get scared of a belly button?


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## Werebadger

Going to take Jake to a playdate with another (younger but about his size) puppy next week. Kinda nervousss.... Jake is okay with dogs, he's just rough and he wants to PLAYPLAYPLAY so bad. Supposedly the other pup has a similar play style, so we'll see.
Just nervous they won't get along.


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## Willowy

Yikes! I'm trying to trap the farm cats to have them fixed and vaccinated. . .5 down, 2 to go! So I had 2 traps set out in the machine shed. I went to check them and there's a possum in one and. . .something in the other. I knew the possum lived out there (saw his tracks in the snow) but what is that other thing? Too big to be one of the cats, dark colored. There are no lights in the shed and only a couple windows, so I went back to the house and got a flashlight. Still couldn't tell because it was on its back, feet splayed against the corners, hiding its head. I guess a defense pose. Finally it looked at me, and it's a raccoon! I'm perfectly comfortable with the possum. Timid little things, not very smart. But what do I do with this raccoon?

I threw a towel over the trap and tried to carry it out, but he was heavy and started flinging himself around the cage trying to get out. And I wasn't going to try to stick my fingers in the mesh to carry it! So I put it in the dump cart that's towed behind the mower. I took it to the far back of the property, unlocked the trap, and jumped behind the dump cart in case he was mad and came at me. But no worries---he ran out of the trap away from me as fast as he could go, lol. Hope he learned his lesson. Poor thing's paws were all bloody from trying to get out of the trap, and he must have stuck his arms through the bars because they were all scraped up . I hope he heals OK. And he pooped everywhere and bent the heck out of my trap . I didn't even know there were raccoons on the property! But I suppose they're everywhere. I've never seen tracks though.

For the possum, I just unlocked the trap and left him there. Hopefully he'll try the door and leave on his own. If he's still there after work I guess I'll have to show him how to get out. They aren't so smart.


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## PatriciafromCO

Two weeks ago, my internet service started dropping in and out.  I use a usb device that has a sims card and it's way over due for being eligible for an upgrade.. So I called my service provider when the signal completely dropped and of course all the up front procedures were performed (that I have already done being with the same carrier for 16 years) of course that didn't help. Then the, will get a specialist tech support to look into and be back with you in 24 hours, did get a full day of service with perfect signal, then hit and miss) so I called and there it was,,,, the speech::::: Well the signal is there so it's not our fault, OH your device is a dinosaur but lucky you are eligible for an upgrade..... which is going to cost me even though I don't have to pay the full price if I wasn't eligible for and upgrade.. I am going to have to dish out money... I asked if the device I have is still available and she said NO, but we have this and this and this.... and I said can you use an external antenna with them, she said NO I don't see that you could.. I said wow that is such a shame and I have been with yall for so long.. Guess I am going to have to change carriers now to anyone that has a device with an antenna option, without an antenna nothing will work, I know I have had 16 years of practice finding the signal in this area. She said she would get back with Tech support and see what they could do.. and send me a new sims card in case that is the problem.. 

New sims card is at the post office still.. " just one of those miricals my device with the old sims card is working top notch again... Just my gut feeling all these years and especially now with all the advancements that they do control each individual device's with these sims cards and can pick one out from all the others to control your signal and data flow..


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## sydneynicole

Stupid stupid mistake tonight. Gave Oliver a chicken neck for dinner. Towards the end I started getting nervous that it was an awkward shape/size and decided to take it from him. He saw me coming and quickly put the whole thing in his mouth. Not thinking I just stuck my finger in there to fish it out and CRUNCH. Right down on my finger. Punctured/cracked through my nail which I will most likely lose now and some of the flesh near the nail as well as underneath it. It bled for a while and right now it's swollen/throbbing. Not sure if anything is broken - I broke my elbow before and didn't know it until I finally went to the ER 3 days later, so I'm guessing this will just heal on its own either way. 

Stupid stupid stupid! I guess it's good I learned my lesson with the only small dog in the family - had it been one of the bigger ones I could have hamburg meat for a finger/hand right now.


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## Lillith

Had a little win tonight. Ralphie watched a jogger go by on the path in our backyard and only looked, no barking. He took a few steps toward her, but when I called his name he turned around and came to me! Granted, he was pretty tired because he had just been running around with his puppy friend, but I was still impressed.

Later after dinner we went out for a potty break, and we were training and playing frisbee. A jogger surprised us (seriously this guy was fast I check the sidewalk every 2 minutes or so I can secure my dog before they pass our yard, or I usually hear them coming) and Ralphie barked and ran toward him. I called him back, and he paused, but no complete recall. I had stepped on his leash, so no jumping, but he decided to run alongside the jogger for as long as he could trying to entice the stranger to give him pets as I apologized, lol.

Now he's just full of piss and vinegar tonight. He's been super calm and mellow in the house for the past couple of weeks, but tonight he just wants to run back and forth with his toys!


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## jade5280

Ryker bit me the other day. He was laying on top of me under the blankets while we were watching a movie. Panzer comes over to me and Ryker lunges for him and gets me in the leg instead. He doesn't like his space being invaded by other dogs especially when he's sleeping. Leg is all bruised up. This dog is going to make my hair fall out!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Great *Lillith* happy for Ralphie 

*jade5280* am glad your going to make it through it.


----------



## CptJack

Talking about dog breeds and me liking beagles and husband loving beagles and I said "I have loved the personality of every hound I've lived with or known, but I am just not That Good At training" and my trainer popped up and said "Yes, yes you are."

I have never been more flattered by anything in my life.


----------



## Lillith

CptJack said:


> Talking about dog breeds and me liking beagles and husband loving beagles and I said "I have loved the personality of every hound I've lived with or known, but I am just not That Good At training" and my trainer popped up and said "Yes, yes you are."
> 
> I have never been more flattered by anything in my life.


I think everyone who actually tries and researches and is creative with their training is a far better trainer than they think they are. What a compliment! It's so easy to feel down on yourself and question your ability when you or your dog makes a mistake, but that's all part of the training process!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

The rant is... "just when the dogs are starting to release their undercoat so the brush is able to pull it out in these 60 to 80 degree temps......... A storm is coming in now that will drop up back into freezing.... and I was starting to make some progress on them.

Fun news is I took Arka with me into town to top off supplies... stopped at my friend who has a tow truck company, he asked if he could get his grandsons to meet Arka and I said yes.. Arka hasn't seen a kid since he was 3 months old, but LGD are suppose to love kids naturally... Talk about Arka's eyes light up when those two boys started walking across the street.. He was all wags. I told the kids to stop a few feet back and give Arka a moment to take it all in and Arka wanted to go to them .. So I let him.. He had a good time and the boys kept talking about his big head..... he was raised as a small pup with kids, one of them a little boy.. I'm happy for him....


----------



## Lillith

Two vet trips for Ralphie today. First one was to get him weighed for heartworm preventative, and they took some blood and asked for a stool sample. Pretty routine. They also cut a matted bur out from under his ear for us because we have been trying for week, but it was so close to the skin we couldn't quite get it. Anyways, this left a large patch of bare skin. He was playing with the neighbor's puppy, and the puppy grabbed this spot and her sharp little teeth ripped it open. No yelp or anything, but they saw the blood and looked pretty bad so they took him in to the vet again. Vet said it was just fine and looked worse than it really is, and to just keep it clean. Fun day for Ralphie and my husband, because I was at work and he had to do all of it. Good boys, haha.


----------



## Lillith

A little miffed! The receptionist at the vet's office was less than pleasant to my husband. I had to work, so I sent him in with Ralphie for his heart worm preventative. Note, my husband is not a dog person. He doesn't know much about worms or parasites. I gave him instructions and told him to call me, but I assured him the vet would know what Ralphie needed. When my husband was trying to explain which medication I wanted he stumbled and asked which one "covers ring worm." He meant round worm. The receptionist apparently looked at him like he had 3 heads and said condescendingly "You mean round worm?" 

Then, on the second trip for Ralphie's scrape, she questioned him as if he were abusing the dog. "Are you sure he didn't get stuck in a fence. Are you surrreee? Did something else happen?" Him and our neighbor were watching the dogs the whole time. It was an accident. Then she couldn't seem to grasp the concept that my husband was taking the dog to the vet instead of me because he jokingly said the dog listens better to me and I take care of him. I feel so bad for him. He did the right things, and then he gets treated like he is stupid by someone who is supposed to help educate customers about their animals. 

On the plus side, he said the doctor was very nice and informative.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

so date line was airing a recent murder and murder trial for our little town.. "Tangled" and I was reading through the comments on the Date line FB... lots of people from the town and one popped up... about the brutality to her and her family endured, to include killing their dogs... and LE turning the other way and harassment from them... before this family felt the need to flee and escape... All I could think was Date line got the wrong story.... the murder was boring.... but the idea this small little town and it's original family homestead decedents are in a habit of running family's out of town with such relentless viciousness using the same tactics as house burning s, animal killings, everyone looking the other way and getting support from the LE... all the way back to the miners revolt, where they and their family's were trapped and burned alive... is pretty creepy that it continues....

https://libcom.org/history/blood-coal-colorado-strike-1927-patrick-murfin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre

not to over look what happen to the Indians right in the very area we built our home.. that beautiful nice mountain yall always see in my photo's Greenhorn.......


----------



## Laurelin

My vet is pretty sure Summer has nasal cancer. :/

I just don't even know what to do. We are looking at a rhinoscopy just to find out for sure.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

so sorry Laurelin


----------



## JeJo

Thoughts and prayers are with you, Laurelin.


----------



## Wet Beards

Sending good thoughts Laurelin. Hugs


----------



## Terriermon

Here's my rant for today, more of a whine;
The dog sport club that does soooo many things I want to get involved in, especially barn hunt, only runs classes and practice during weekdays, and nothing on weekends. I can't make any of the times cause I work a regular job. I assume most people with dogs do, which makes it seem like these classes are catered more to the retired or independently wealthy. I dunno I know trainers need time off but there is a lot of demand for weekend classes. I'd even give more money!! But alas. There isn't anywhere else within a reasonable drive doing barn hunt that I know of.

oh one more...our pup got spayed last Friday and has stitches, day 7 now of E-collar (cone) and trying to keep her quiet. almost done. This dog has two modes: asleep, and crazy overdrive hyper. She is stuck in the crate a lot because she starts to do zoomies as soon as we let her out. The banging of the collar on the crate is driving us crazy, and she is so wound up. I tried taking her for a calm walk but she is just too pent up. I don't know what else to do but keep her crated. Even when she is out with a chew or stuffed kong she just picks it up and runs around and jumps on the couch with it. Stitches come out on Monday, I understand we should wait 4 more days after that, then she can go outside and finally release her energy.


----------



## Jen2010

About a month ago we lost Pepper's whole ring of tags at a lake/park when we went hiking. Two weeks later someone called me to say he had found them. Yay! I asked him if he could mail them to me but he didn't want to do that so he left them there at the park with one of the staff. 

So the next weekend we decided to head back to the park to collect our tags. I got there and found an employee who knew exactly what I was looking for - she said she put the tags on their lost-and-found shelf with a note on them that I would be picking them up. So I follow her to the office and goes to get them off the shelf and they're gone! Seriously!? She looked everywhere around the shelf and anywhere else in the office they could possibly be. She even called her superior to see if he had moved them or knew where they were. He didn't. So I had to leave empty handed and hope they were found and I'd get another call. It's been a week and I haven't heard anything. What happened? Surely nobody else claimed them! I just don't get it.


----------



## jade5280

Jen2010 said:


> About a month ago we lost Pepper's whole ring of tags at a lake/park when we went hiking. Two weeks later someone called me to say he had found them. Yay! I asked him if he could mail them to me but he didn't want to do that so he left them there at the park with one of the staff.
> 
> So the next weekend we decided to head back to the park to collect our tags. I got there and found an employee who knew exactly what I was looking for - she said she put the tags on their lost-and-found shelf with a note on them that I would be picking them up. So I follow her to the office and goes to get them off the shelf and they're gone! Seriously!? She looked everywhere around the shelf and anywhere else in the office they could possibly be. She even called her superior to see if he had moved them or knew where they were. He didn't. So I had to leave empty handed and hope they were found and I'd get another call. It's been a week and I haven't heard anything. What happened? Surely nobody else claimed them! I just don't get it.


That's so weird. What would someone possibly want them for? Also that guy was a total jerk. Did he not want to spend the money on a stamp? Hahaha


----------



## Jen2010

> That's so weird. What would someone possibly want them for? Also that guy was a total jerk. Did he not want to spend the money on a stamp? Hahaha


 I know right?!


----------



## Psycho07

Ok so heres my stupid question. My friend owns this 5 m/o pitbull but he wants to give it to someone else to take care of it (permantly) so im thinking of getting it, is it cool? what should i ask him to know about that dog?


----------



## Crantastic

How are his manners, how is he around adults, how is he around children, how is he around other dogs, has he been introduced to cats or other animals, does he have any health issues.

If you get him, buy him a nice wide flat collar instead of that dumb choke chain!


----------



## Psycho07

Okay another stupid question. What should u do if your pitbull get crazy for any reason and run for u? xD
Should you kick him? just some tip(s)


----------



## cookieface

Psycho07 said:


> Okay another stupid question. What should u do if your pitbull get crazy for any reason and run for u? xD
> Should you kick him? just some tip(s)


Can you explain a bit more what is happening? Is this the 5 month old you mentioned in the previous post? 

Generally, unless you're in imminent danger of being attacked, no, you should not kick a dog.

ETA: You'll likely get more answers if you start a new thread with your questions. Posts in this particular thread can get overlooked.


----------



## Psycho07

No, not that one im just asking a general question for my knowledge. But yeah i was asking if he run to tou to bite you


----------



## cookieface

Psycho07 said:


> No, not that one im just asking a general question for my knowledge. But yeah i was asking if he run to tou to bite you


If any dog - regardless of breed - is intending to do harm, then yes, protect yourself. That said, if you plan to be around dogs, you should learn about body language so you can distinguish play (which can look scary to someone unfamiliar with dogs) from threatening behavior.


----------



## Aussie27

Laurelin, just seeing your post, and I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope things turn out alright for you and Summer; you'll both be in my thoughts!

I got home yesterday from university for the summer, and Cali was _over the moon_ excited to see me! She was with her sitter for the day, since it's a 10+ hour round trip, and they were on a walk when we arrived... so we waited on the deck. They get back, Cali didn't notice me and went right for the cat in the driveway. I called out her name and she immediately shifted her focus and excitedly ran full-tilt over to me! I picked her up and got a face full of wiggly cuddles and kisses.  She is always super excited to see me when I come home from university, but to see that she was excited enough to ignore a cat warmed my heart!


----------



## Prozax

Not a rant, but a " I wanted a crazier dog and I totally got one".
After a full Saturday of bikejoring and running around the river for Eli, I thought she'd be pooped out on Sunday. I could not have been more wrong!! 

We went to the dog park on Sunday morning and she managed to tire out 3 separate dogs one after the other. In the afternoon we went to the river, outside of the city where she proceeded to dive into the water and swim around ( for the first time ever). Following this lovely swimming adventure, she found some sort of dead animal and managed to eat it and roll around in it, together with her sister. We decided to load them up in the car and take them home as it was already raining. While we were driving out, still on the river bank ( at a low speed) they saw a dog and started to bark madly at him, with Eli jumping on the back door on the car. She managed to open it, and jumped out of the moving car( albeit veery slow). She started to run after the dog, who was scared out of his mind of this dog that came out of nowhere. Luckily, she did recall and was on her way back to us when she saw a flock of sheep. Followed by the sister, who also got out of the car in the chaos that followed they decided to investigate them, but kept a nice distance. Once again, Eli recalled nicely and brought Bruna back with her.

So yeah, she went full dog yesterday lol It's funny how she can be a dainty princess sometimes and then set the tone when there's a possibility of mischief around. She and her sister make quite the team ) On she's on her own, Eli is an angel.

I just feel the need to add that the owner of the car has taken a note of the fact that the dogs are able to open the car door now and will take the handle out altogether. We were just lucky this happened in the middle of nowhere, not in the city.


----------



## CrystalGSD

I would be so happy if someone could create a breed with a sighthound appearance and a herding dog temperament. Just saying haha.


----------



## sydneynicole

CrystalGSD said:


> I would be so happy if someone could create a breed with a sighthound appearance and a herding dog temperament. Just saying haha.


Yesss. Though ultimately I don't support breeding for appearance and sighthounds' appearance has a lot to do with their 'job'.... but yes lol


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CrystalGSD said:


> I would be so happy if someone could create a breed with a sighthound appearance and a herding dog temperament. Just saying haha.


I think this is why they have things like Border Whippets for agility and such. I completely agree!


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I think this is why they have things like Border Whippets for agility and such. I completely agree!


Yeah. There are a few in my club and I've gotta say - they're gorgeous and they ROCK.


----------



## Laurelin

Border whippets are the best. One of my friends had a litter recently.


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Border whippets are the best. One of my friends had a litter recently.


The ones I know are all from one breeder and ngl... If they're still breeding when I'm ready, I'm tempted. 

I also found someone who occasionally breeds border rats....


----------



## CrystalGSD

Do Border Whippets tend to have the herding dog temperament or is it a range since it's an F1 cross? I would totally be interested in Border Whippets if there was a high enough chance that their temperament turns out more herd-y than sighthound-y.


----------



## CptJack

CrystalGSD said:


> Do Border Whippets tend to have the herding dog temperament or is it a range since it's an F1 cross? I would totally be interested in Border Whippets if there was a high enough chance that their temperament turns out more herd-y than sighthound-y.


The dogs I know aren't a F1 cross. They're border/whippet mixes bred to border/whippet mixes (for several generations at this point). I only know dogs from one breeder, but yeah. They're... not herdy in the sense that they're into HERDING, but they're biddable, soft, handler focused, and drivey - but they're not 'weird' and 'spooky', absolutely none of them are reactive at all and are both beautiful and fast as blazes.

The border rat is... well, I like her, but she's the only one of those dogs I've met. She's very bouncy, very fast, very into her toy, but seems kind of high strung and nervy and just a little sharper than the border whippet or even the straight up BCs.


----------



## CrystalGSD

Wow, that's interesting, I'm definitely intrigued. Definitely going to look into it more in the future.


----------



## Lillith

I was walking Ralphie last night, and a teenager/preteen boy comes rolling along on a skateboard (trying to take a selfie, if you can imagine that). Ralphie isn't entirely comfortable with rolling things yet, some days are better than others. We were just starting to cross a street and the kid was going to pass behind us, but Ralphie saw and barked. Whatever, he does that. Now usually I can have him under control in 3 seconds flat and his outbursts rarely last that long, but this little punk decides to start barking at my dog. I couldn't believe it. Of course this escalated Ralphie, who lunged then ran circles around me and wrapped the leash around my legs, and then a car turned on the street and was coming for us, and ugh! Really? I'm trying to teach him NOT to react to that. Thanks. Some evil part of my mind wished I could let go of the leash and let my dog chase the dumb, inconsiderate kid down and nip his ankles. It would have been great fun.


----------



## Jen2010

> I was walking Ralphie last night, and a teenager/preteen boy comes rolling along on a skateboard (trying to take a selfie, if you can imagine that). Ralphie isn't entirely comfortable with rolling things yet, some days are better than others. We were just starting to cross a street and the kid was going to pass behind us, but Ralphie saw and barked. Whatever, he does that. Now usually I can have him under control in 3 seconds flat and his outbursts rarely last that long, but this little punk decides to start barking at my dog. I couldn't believe it. Of course this escalated Ralphie, who lunged then ran circles around me and wrapped the leash around my legs, and then a car turned on the street and was coming for us, and ugh! Really? I'm trying to teach him NOT to react to that. Thanks. Some evil part of my mind wished I could let go of the leash and let my dog chase the dumb, inconsiderate kid down and nip his ankles. It would have been great fun.


 What a jerk! Kids have no respect.


----------



## Remaru

Unfortunately some people have no respect. I have had grown adults bark at my dog in public. He is wearing a vest that very clearly marks him as a service dog with patches that say "Working Do Not Pet". People still walk by and pet him and if I ask them not to some will get rude with me. I have had people talk to my dog instead of me, make kissie noises while saying "I know I'm not supposed to distract you because you are working but I just love doggies so much," (because that makes it ok, you love them so they won't be distracted), and a few people bark. I have no idea what makes people bark, Lad does not nor does he respond by barking, but they do it. I actually have far more trouble with adults than children. I had one mother point Lad out to her two children and her older daughter actually said "you can't bother that dog he is working." I think they teach service dog etiquette in some of the local schools.


----------



## Lillith

Remaru said:


> Unfortunately some people have no respect. I have had grown adults bark at my dog in public. He is wearing a vest that very clearly marks him as a service dog with patches that say "Working Do Not Pet". People still walk by and pet him and if I ask them not to some will get rude with me. I have had people talk to my dog instead of me, make kissie noises while saying "I know I'm not supposed to distract you because you are working but I just love doggies so much," (because that makes it ok, you love them so they won't be distracted), and a few people bark. I have no idea what makes people bark, Lad does not nor does he respond by barking, but they do it. I actually have far more trouble with adults than children. I had one mother point Lad out to her two children and her older daughter actually said "you can't bother that dog he is working." I think they teach service dog etiquette in some of the local schools.


How incredibly frustrating!


----------



## Chroniko

Remaru said:


> Unfortunately some people have no respect. I have had grown adults bark at my dog in public. He is wearing a vest that very clearly marks him as a service dog with patches that say "Working Do Not Pet". People still walk by and pet him and if I ask them not to some will get rude with me. I have had people talk to my dog instead of me, make kissie noises while saying "I know I'm not supposed to distract you because you are working but I just love doggies so much," (because that makes it ok, you love them so they won't be distracted), and a few people bark. I have no idea what makes people bark, Lad does not nor does he respond by barking, but they do it. I actually have far more trouble with adults than children. I had one mother point Lad out to her two children and her older daughter actually said "you can't bother that dog he is working." I think they teach service dog etiquette in some of the local schools.


Wow what is wrong with people...

I wonder if they'd have the same reaction if he wore a muzzle or something. 

Reminds me last year. During Christmas time they had donation collecting and they happened to have a dog there. Looked like a young lab. It was wearing a service dog vest. Everyone came over to drop donations in and pet the dog. The dog was jumping up on people to be pet...the owner didn't seem to mind. So that leads me to believe it wasn't a real service dog. I'm not sure if they threw him in a vest to get more people to donate or what. Now more people will believe its okay to touch and interact with service dogs...great.


----------



## Remaru

Chroniko said:


> Wow what is wrong with people...
> 
> I wonder if they'd have the same reaction if he wore a muzzle or something.
> 
> Reminds me last year. During Christmas time they had donation collecting and they happened to have a dog there. Looked like a young lab. It was wearing a service dog vest. Everyone came over to drop donations in and pet the dog. The dog was jumping up on people to be pet...the owner didn't seem to mind. So that leads me to believe it wasn't a real service dog. I'm not sure if they threw him in a vest to get more people to donate or what. Now more people will believe its okay to touch and interact with service dogs...great.


Some people just throw vests on their pets so they can take them everywhere unfortunately. It might have been a puppy in training but you would hope that the handler/trainer would have been managing behavior better in that case. 

I know some handlers use haltis and gentle leaders and while they are obviously not muzzles they do say that people frequently ask if their dogs bite and avoid their dogs. I guess there are some benefits in that. Of course a Service Dog should never be aggressive or bite. 

I really don't mind taking a second to talk to someone most days, I just prefer they actually talk to me not my dog. I get some really weird/personal questions and I don't necessarily want to discuss my medical issues with every person I meet in a grocery store or cafe.


----------



## Flaming

Remaru said:


> Some people just throw vests on their pets so they can take them everywhere unfortunately. It might have been a puppy in training but you would hope that the handler/trainer would have been managing behavior better in that case.
> 
> I know some handlers use haltis and gentle leaders and while they are obviously not muzzles they do say that people frequently ask if their dogs bite and avoid their dogs. I guess there are some benefits in that. Of course a Service Dog should never be aggressive or bite.
> 
> I really don't mind taking a second to talk to someone most days, I just prefer they actually talk to me not my dog. I get some really weird/personal questions and I don't necessarily want to discuss my medical issues with every person I meet in a grocery store or cafe.


I love talking to random people but...My face is up here and it is not black and furry...


----------



## Lillith

My dog likes people more than I do. Its fine with me. In fact, at puppy class I learned all the dogs' names, but I didn't know the name of a single handler although I talked to them almost every class. Everyone knew Ralphie's name, but they didn't know mine.


----------



## Terriermon

Often people talk to my dogs passing by but completely ignore me, not even eye contact. Which is fine I'm not very social anyway, but it's still...hold on I think I do that too lol...


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Now bulldogs are starting to grow on me, because of my coworker's frenchie at work and a bulldog I know online. Just that.

Too many dogs to want in life... I want too many dogs... Now I'm looking at boxers, on a whim. And I like brindle. I also want a dutch shepherd, but also a samoyed, but also a golden retriever, and a Treestarr aussie. RIDICULOUS. ;_;

I'll just have to have them ALL some day. When I actually own a house and can have.


----------



## sydneynicole

Dogsignalfire said:


> Now bulldogs are starting to grow on me, because of my coworker's frenchie at work and a bulldog I know online. Just that.
> 
> Too many dogs to want in life... I want too many dogs... Now I'm looking at boxers, on a whim. And I like brindle. I also want a dutch shepherd, but also a samoyed, but also a golden retriever, and a Treestarr aussie. RIDICULOUS. ;_;
> 
> I'll just have to have them ALL some day. When I actually own a house and can have.


This is a perpetual issue lol. I want so many breeds, but am not really interested in having more than 2 dogs at a time (maybe foster a 3rd). I actually sometimes stress out about it if I think about it too much lol - oh no, I can't have all the breeds I want to own in the time frame of my life... But for now all I can have is little Oli, anyways. Not that he isn't more than enough in himself


----------



## mudypony

Dogsignalfire said:


> Now bulldogs are starting to grow on me, because of my coworker's frenchie at work and a bulldog I know online. Just that.
> 
> Too many dogs to want in life... I want too many dogs... Now I'm looking at boxers, on a whim. And I like brindle. I also want a dutch shepherd, but also a samoyed, but also a golden retriever, and a Treestarr aussie. RIDICULOUS. ;_;
> 
> I'll just have to have them ALL some day. When I actually own a house and can have.


The struggle is real! 

I know next dog will be a Beauce, but I'm already thinking about next next dog. I spent way too much time looking at Rhodesian Ridgeback and Eurasier breeders today. But, I also want all the Belgians, a Dutch Shepherd, GSD, Bluetick Coonhound, Silken Windhound, Great Dane, Black Russian Terrier, Giant Schnauzer, and Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. And, those are just the breeds I could realistically see myself getting. I have a problem......


----------



## Crantastic

I want another papillon, a kai ken, a basenji, a Dutch shepherd, maybe a BC, some kind of LGD if I ever move to the country... I think most of us are in the "won't live long enough to own all the breeds we want" boat!


----------



## Equinox

Dogsignalfire said:


> Now bulldogs are starting to grow on me, because of my coworker's frenchie at work and a bulldog I know online. Just that.
> 
> Too many dogs to want in life... I want too many dogs... Now I'm looking at boxers, on a whim. And I like brindle. I also want a dutch shepherd, but also a samoyed, but also a golden retriever, and a Treestarr aussie. RIDICULOUS. ;_;
> 
> I'll just have to have them ALL some day. When I actually own a house and can have.


babe pls come move hereeee

still so sad there are no good jobs worth your time/talent in the area :c

you will have two Mals and two GSDs and a part time husky, and all the dogs you want too (but I'm vetoing boxers SORRY FREND, no boxers)

but yeah I feel this so hard, only it's really more about specific litters for me rather than breeds (I really just want Malinois and German Shepherds forever, with the possible Dutchie or Rhodesian Ridgeback maybe??). let's all place bets on how many more years I can hold out after I get this puppy L O L


----------



## MysticRealm

I've got it pretty easy as far as breeds I want. Standard Poodle (less than 4 more weeks to go!!!), and borzoi. I think it will be a long while before I get a borzoi if I ever do as I'm hoping that if my standard poodle is the great show dog I'm hoping that we will breed him and I'll take one of his off spring (and possible keep going on and on like that haha) and I have my 11 yr old mini poo and my 8 month old pom still too! So I could end up with 4 dogs in not too long! Ah! haha.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

for all the breeds on every ones wish list what difference would they bring to the table for you, what specifically would you do with them because of their breed... ?

I love many breeds, love hearing about them from others... owning any of them would not be more then I have and need already. Maybe I am too much a Vanilla type lol lol


----------



## Dogsignalfire

mudypony said:


> The struggle is real!


too real :flypig: D:



Equinox said:


> babe pls come move hereeee
> 
> still so sad there are no good jobs worth your time/talent in the area :c
> 
> you will have two Mals and two GSDs and a part time husky, and all the dogs you want too (but I'm vetoing boxers SORRY FREND, no boxers)
> 
> but yeah I feel this so hard, only it's really more about specific litters for me rather than breeds (I really just want Malinois and German Shepherds forever, with the possible Dutchie or Rhodesian Ridgeback maybe??). let's all place bets on how many more years I can hold out after I get this puppy L O L


*MOVES THERE ASAP*

Mang, I just wish Laik... weren't such a horrible company to work for. I probably shouldn't talk about it online, so code words, but meh. Idea-stealing, low-balling salary, crazily self-important directors and higher ups, unreliable employment... even for the most talented people I know, they have the shadiest reasons for laying them off.

I want to have ALL OF UR DOGES GRAZE, ALL OF THE THING!!! YELLS

LOL NO BOXERS, HOW SAD!!! but it's okay, not all whims can be met :')

graze, i bet 1.5 years...


----------



## Dogsignalfire

PatriciafromCO said:


> for all the breeds on every ones wish list what difference would they bring to the table for you, what specifically would you do with them because of their breed... ?
> 
> I love many breeds, love hearing about them from others... owning any of them would not be more then I have and need already. Maybe I am too much a Vanilla type lol lol


!! I love *talk about yourself questions* ahah. Hearing everyone talk about their dog wishes is the best and also the sad.

For goldens and dutchies, pretty similar reasons, with different expectations of course... hear me out LOL. For goldens, I'd go with field lines for the working drive. I'd want a stable, driven, confident, social dog, and we will do flyball and dock jumping and excel at fun sports- at a general level. Past that, I would want as high level of drive while retaining stability and lack of twitchiness. Since drive and reactivity is kind of hand-in-hand, either direction with either breed would be a fair trade off for me. As long as on the dutchie end, it stays away from the point of "cars are cattle, birds are popcorn, leaves are mice, I am losing my mind when something new comes into my vicinity, what is life" LOL. But with the breeder I have in mind with certain dogs, it should be great!

For samoyeds, they're just an off breed that I always wanted for no particular reason other than sunshines and rainbows and happy and beautyyyy.

An Aussie from Treestarr for obvious reasons, but I also really want to explore the breeds that I've always wanted.


----------



## Aussie27

Still will never understand people who let their dogs free roam, especially when the dog doesn't have any type of recall.

I took Cali out for a hike, and then decided to take her for a walk around a residential area nearby, so we drove over to a parking lot so I could park my car. We were walking up towards the walking trail when Cali spooks all of a sudden, which I found weird until I looked behind me to see a husky approaching quite rapidly! So naturally I scooped her up just in case the dog turned out to be unfriendly, but she was nervous for the remainder of our walk. We did meet up with a dog more her size that I let her meet but she was still a bit shook up by her encounter with the husky.

It'll be nice to have her with me at university where the dog owners seem a lot more responsible and we'll be able to go on long walks without encountering off-leash, unsupervised dogs.


----------



## Crantastic

I don't do sports or anything with my dogs (I'd love to get into nose work or something but it's not even offered in my province), so it's just long hikes and playing and teaching tricks. For me it's more about personality. I like two types of dog -- really biddable ones that want to please me and learn all kinds of stuff, and jerks who are basically cats. Hence the papillon and a Dutch shepherd on one side and stuff like the AKK and basenji on the other. I'll probably always have two dogs at a time, one biddable and one more independent, to balance each other out and allow me to try different training techniques. As long as they're well-mannered in the house and can handle nice long walks, I'm happy.


----------



## Lillith

I don't think I really have that many breeds on my wish list! I just really enjoy the personality of Australian Shepherds. I've never owned a pure bred one, though! All of them have been mixed with something. I love biddable breeds that seem to know what you're thinking and can figure out what you want without ever being trained for that specific behavior. I like their energy, as well, because they're always willing to come do something with you. The one on the farm was more bonded to my father, but we were constant walking buddies, but he was also the cow dog. Ralphie doesn't seem to have much of the herding instinct, which is fine, but he loves to run. I plan on doing agility with him, mountain biking, hiking, lots of stuff. 

My husband and I want to buy a place with some land out in the country in a few years, so a hunting dog would be great. I like labs, but they aren't my favorite. Perhaps a spaniel of some sort. Maybe a second Aussie or Aussie mix because I can. When I'm an old creaky lady I think I will probably have a little lazy lap dog, perhaps a senior shelter dog, to keep me company.


----------



## Miss Bugs

most of the breeds on my list are all pretty similar lol. what I have: Aussie, BC, Toller, HeelerxGSD and Heelerxwho knows, on my list besides those: Standard Poodle, Malinois, MAS... like, I like to have differences in attitude but for the most part I just like to try different breeds that are high energy, high drive, smart and handler focused. Mali's are actually on my list because of Gem, she is highly focused, bouncy, screaming set of teeth. today she screamed and bit my eye during a game because I told her "leave it"... I have never had a dog like her before...and I LOVE it, it's so much fun!


----------



## Equinox

PatriciafromCO said:


> for all the breeds on every ones wish list what difference would they bring to the table for you, what specifically would you do with them because of their breed... ?
> 
> I love many breeds, love hearing about them from others... owning any of them would not be more then I have and need already. Maybe I am too much a Vanilla type lol lol


My list of breeds is very short, essentially I do have my favorite breeds already and my next few dogs probably will still be German Shepherds and Malinois. With GSDs, Mals, and possibly in the future Dutch Shepherds too (though a bit unlikely), it is less a matter of breed and more a matter of specific litter/lines. I think that Malinois have become my default now, but when a very good German Shepherd litter came up it was not something I wanted to pass up. It isn't exactly bringing me anything a Malinois cannot (just as when I got Mals, they weren't anything a GSD technically couldn't be), but it is a breeding that points most directly to the type of dog I'm seeking out currently. And I think I'll always want a dog capable of doing fairly well in IPO/bitesports, but what I look for in terms of seriousness, aggressive edge, sociability, etc. will vary (it seems that I like a mixed group of happy go lucky dogs and more aloof stranger danger dogs). 

I include Dutch Shepherd in my list of breeds but really I tend to also lump them with Malinois, so I don't necessarily see them as different besides color/aesthetics. Very much depends on the lines. Now my random desire for a Rhodesian Ridgeback is fairly unrealistic because I don't know how happy I would be with one, as I prefer my dogs with more biddability. I honestly would not get a RR for sports and I can't say if there's a trait they possess that I can't find in my current breeds (or even in the dogs I already own). The major part of the appeal is aesthetic and a vague general impression of the breed. It would have to be a very special dog, one that I specifically fell in love with, to convince me to stray from my current breeds. I have found what works for me perfectly and I'd be happy owning my chosen breeds for the rest of my life!


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## Equinox

Dogsignalfire said:


> *MOVES THERE ASAP*
> 
> Mang, I just wish Laik... weren't such a horrible company to work for. I probably shouldn't talk about it online, so code words, but meh. Idea-stealing, low-balling salary, crazily self-important directors and higher ups, unreliable employment... even for the most talented people I know, they have the shadiest reasons for laying them off.
> 
> I want to have ALL OF UR DOGES GRAZE, ALL OF THE THING!!! YELLS
> 
> LOL NO BOXERS, HOW SAD!!! but it's okay, not all whims can be met :')
> 
> graze, i bet 1.5 years...


cries for you THAT IS SO FRUSTRATING, makes me so mad I just want things to work out for you so you can have a million dogs, okay

yes please come and be human pincushion for my dogs they will love you forever, and I can squish your snakes and you can squish my dogs. we'll have a snake room and get indoor + outdoor kennels built and then wouldn't that all be so amazing, we could have so many dogs l m a o

but yeah no boxers sorry LOL I just can't with boxers but everything else is a-okay 

(hahahaha and no let's say at least 3+ years, but even then I think that 4 is absolute MAXIMUM hmmm)


----------



## sydneynicole

Was house sitting for my aunt the past 2 weeks. She has a little dog I rescued a few years ago named Mojo. Oliver and Mojo got along SO WELL. Perfect play buddies. Made me really itch for next dog... I'm trying to hold out until I finish school//we get our own house. I found a great BC rescue and got in touch with them, looking to get involved in some way (maybe foster? Not sure I have the time though :/) and when the time comes get my dog from them. They are very willing to listen to my needs and match me with the right dog. I was planning on my next dog being a puppy from a breeder, but now I'm thinking I would like to get an adult BC or BC mix. I've never had a herding breed before and certainly not a dog with the drive and intensity most BCs have so an adult matched with me by a breed specific rescue seems like a good way to go to make the leap


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie was sitting on the couch playing with his stuffed duck. He dropped it on the ground. Is now laying on the couch, head on paws, looking down at his toy and whining and barking at it pitifully. It is less than two feet from his nose. I think someone needs to go to bed after a busy day observing large insects fly from one blade of grass to another while ignoring the pile of toys I brought out for him and tried to play with him with.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

why I will always need an interactive breed... playing toss the ball to Abhik she loves backing up, focusing and waiting for me to toss it and catching it.. really good at it.. but then she just lets it drop to the floor out of her mouth and sit there on the floor looking at me.. ?????? So I have to get up off the futon and go get it so I can come back sit on the futon and then throw it to her again for her to let it drop out of her mouth ?????? oh well.. Love the big guys but Adele and J are so much more fun and less work for me....


----------



## mudypony

PatriciafromCO said:


> for all the breeds on every ones wish list what difference would they bring to the table for you, what specifically would you do with them because of their breed... ?
> 
> I love many breeds, love hearing about them from others... owning any of them would not be more then I have and need already. Maybe I am too much a Vanilla type lol lol


My want for so many breeds is probably because I've only lived with mystery mutts, except for a Newfoundland when I was little. I have no idea what breeds I'll click with, so at this point I just want them ALL.

A Beauceron will be my next dog because they're amazing, biddable, high energy, gorgeous. They're basically everything I'm looking for in my NextDog. Planning on doing nosework and rally and possibly obedience and agility. All the Belgians, Dutch Shepherds, and GSDs stick out to me for similar reasons as the Beauce. I kinda want to try one of each. That's not insane, right?!?

Rhodesian Ridgeback because they're basically Duke clones. Plus, I like the idea of having a mix of biddable and independent dogs (this is why I like the Bluetick too, plus I want to experience a scent hound--- yep, I've lost my mind). Would definitely explore lure coursing if I get a ridgie. A Ridgeback probably won't happen until wayyy in the future, likely after Duke passes which is a LONG ways away. Because I don't think I could deal with more than one independent dog like Duke at a time.

Eurasier because FLUFFY. And, they just seem like a good all-around, fun breed. Similar reason as to why I want a Great Dane; they are just such a great breed. Every Dane I've met has been so fantastic. Both breeds seem to be overall friendly with other people and dogs and a little more easygoing than all the crazy herders I want.

Realistically, I could see myself with three to four dogs at a time -- 1-2 biddable herders, 1 independent hound, and a Eurasier and/or Great Dane. 

Silken Windhound, BRT, Giant Schnauzer, and Wirehaired Pointing Griffon are breeds I could see myself owning but don't know if I'd seek them out. Silkens maybe when I'm older and can't keep up with the super high energy dogs. Griffons if I ever want to branch into sporting dogs. Plus, they're sruffy and adorable. I have a love for GSPs, and Griffons remind me of them. BRTs and Giant Schnauzers I'd have to look into more, but I loved the ones I've met; their personalities seem pretty cool. If I ever get sick of all the shedding, I might look into them.


----------



## sydneynicole

For those of you who have/want upwards of 4 dogs at a time - how do you handle taking them places? Do you rotate who gets to go - and do you do so without feeling guilty about it leaving one or three behind?

I grew up with 4 dogs at a time for 20 years. Now all I have is little 13lb Oliver. I love being able to take him with me everywhere - rides to the store, the dog park, hiking, etc. I still take my parent's dogs out regularly since otherwise they would never see outside of the yard. Taking all 5 at once is very stressful as only 1 person even though they are all older/well trained, but I always feel too guilty to leave one or two behind. 

I think I'd really like to have a bunch of dogs. But I guess after growing up with 4 giant dogs at a time, then going to just 1 dog, 1 dog is just so much easier. So much time to put into just one animal and I have the ability to take him everywhere and never worry about leaving him behind because it's the other dogs' turn. I will definitely be getting a second in the next few years, but as much as my heart would like a third or a fourth or a fifth, I'm not sure I'll ever do that again.


----------



## griffinflames

All this discussion of future dogs reminded me of a sign at my vet's office: Dogs are like potato chips. You can't have just one.

Yum! 

I'll take a Mal, GSD, and Vizsla while we're at it.


----------



## MysticRealm

sydneynicole said:


> For those of you who have/want upwards of 4 dogs at a time - how do you handle taking them places? Do you rotate who gets to go - and do you do so without feeling guilty about it leaving one or three behind?
> 
> I grew up with 4 dogs at a time for 20 years. Now all I have is little 13lb Oliver. I love being able to take him with me everywhere - rides to the store, the dog park, hiking, etc. I still take my parent's dogs out regularly since otherwise they would never see outside of the yard. Taking all 5 at once is very stressful as only 1 person even though they are all older/well trained, but I always feel too guilty to leave one or two behind.
> 
> I think I'd really like to have a bunch of dogs. But I guess after growing up with 4 giant dogs at a time, then going to just 1 dog, 1 dog is just so much easier. So much time to put into just one animal and I have the ability to take him everywhere and never worry about leaving him behind because it's the other dogs' turn. I will definitely be getting a second in the next few years, but as much as my heart would like a third or a fourth or a fifth, I'm not sure I'll ever do that again.


I'm headed down this road! I currently have 2 (an 11 yr old 8.5 pound mini poo and an 8 month old 3 pound pom) and am 1 month away from getting a show prospect standard poodle puppy. If he turns out to be a fantastic show dog and passes all his health testing then my breeder may breed him and then I would want one of his puppies. She'd probably breed him at 2-3 years old so in the near future I could have 4 dogs! And possibly 2 standard poodles in full mane! Ah! My 2 right now aren't too hard to manage, though my poodle is so been there done that that I don't really do any training with him at all (and I could/should), so I spend all training time with the pom. The pom just started agility foundations classes. I'd love to keep going with that but I wonder what time I will have once I get my show poodle. I would have to find classes on tuesdays because mondays I would have handling classes with the poodle, and by wednesdays I may be heading out to a show. Now I will have to double up my training times if I want to keep up my pom's training. I mean he's trained enough that he's live-with-able and he's too small to get into any real trouble. He can't yank me around on a leash or get onto the counters and I can just pick him up at any time if I need to, but I'd like to keep putting training into him.
Adding the standard will make things tougher to take them all at once to places. The pom could get squished if the standard gets excited. Once the poodle is older and trained it would probably be ok, but when the pup is young and especially when it's a 'teen' he'll be too rambunctious for a 3 pound dog!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

sydneynicole said:


> For those of you who have/want upwards of 4 dogs at a time - how do you handle taking them places? Do you rotate who gets to go - and do you do so without feeling guilty about it leaving one or three behind?
> 
> I grew up with 4 dogs at a time for 20 years. Now all I have is little 13lb Oliver. I love being able to take him with me everywhere - rides to the store, the dog park, hiking, etc. I still take my parent's dogs out regularly since otherwise they would never see outside of the yard. Taking all 5 at once is very stressful as only 1 person even though they are all older/well trained, but I always feel too guilty to leave one or two behind.
> 
> I think I'd really like to have a bunch of dogs. But I guess after growing up with 4 giant dogs at a time, then going to just 1 dog, 1 dog is just so much easier. So much time to put into just one animal and I have the ability to take him everywhere and never worry about leaving him behind because it's the other dogs' turn. I will definitely be getting a second in the next few years, but as much as my heart would like a third or a fourth or a fifth, I'm not sure I'll ever do that again.


They all have important jobs,, going with and staying home are both good training experiences.. when you have multiples you want them all to be strong worldly individuals.. and not dependent on each other. You switch it up in every direction.. if you have a weaker dog that is a bit of a struggle on the lead in new places.. Pair him with a dog that is strong going places and being on a lead. Let your dogs help you help each other...


----------



## CptJack

sydneynicole said:


> For those of you who have/want upwards of 4 dogs at a time - how do you handle taking them places? Do you rotate who gets to go - and do you do so without feeling guilty about it leaving one or three behind?
> 
> I grew up with 4 dogs at a time for 20 years. Now all I have is little 13lb Oliver. I love being able to take him with me everywhere - rides to the store, the dog park, hiking, etc. I still take my parent's dogs out regularly since otherwise they would never see outside of the yard. Taking all 5 at once is very stressful as only 1 person even though they are all older/well trained, but I always feel too guilty to leave one or two behind.
> 
> I think I'd really like to have a bunch of dogs. But I guess after growing up with 4 giant dogs at a time, then going to just 1 dog, 1 dog is just so much easier. So much time to put into just one animal and I have the ability to take him everywhere and never worry about leaving him behind because it's the other dogs' turn. I will definitely be getting a second in the next few years, but as much as my heart would like a third or a fourth or a fifth, I'm not sure I'll ever do that again.


Yes, I sometimes feel guilty but not seriously.

Long ago Sass said 'Fair isn't everyone getting the same thing, it's everyone getting what they need.'

My dogs are different. 

Kylie does agility.
Molly loves disc.
Thud loves to swim. 
Jack just wants to cuddle. 
Bug loves being a social butterfly. 

Kylie and Molly and Thud and Jack are not social butterflies.
Bug, Thud, Molly and Kylie, aren't big onto daytime cuddling sessions. 
Molly, Jack and Bug don't swim. Kylie does, but it isn't her favorite thing.
Thud, Bug, and Jack don't really like Toys at all, much less discs. Kylie will play but it's a training session for her not her reason for living/passion in life. 

So, you know. 
Thud goes swimming, Kylie goes to agility trials, Molly goes disc dogging, Bug goes on outings with lots of people/is our pass her around dog, and Jack gets all the snuggles and affection.

Yeah, everyone goes hiking and sometimes we take them all to the park or whatever, but no matter how much they look sad that they're being left, I know DANGED WELL they're upset about not going with us, not about not getting to do the thing. That, in fact, 9 times out of 10 given the opportunity to do the thing they'd either take it half-heartedly and actively be happier if they were at home. 

So mostly, no, no guilt. Everyone has their special stuff.


----------



## Kyllobernese

I have seven dogs. Susie is 12 this year and is quite content to stay home. Kris and Bonnie, and Remmy usually always go with me but as the weather is finally getting hot, up to 80 the last few days, I will be leaving Bonnie at home when I take Kris and Lucy in to do Agility on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the same with Remmy, Kiska and Monty. They will stay at home.

I just take Lucy and Kris with me down to my sister's almost every day to practice Agility. Bonnie and Susie stay outside and the others just stay in the house, with Remmy in a crate. Every once in a while I will load all six of them up and take them for a good run in the fields. Susie is the only one who stays at home.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Equinox said:


> cries for you THAT IS SO FRUSTRATING, makes me so mad I just want things to work out for you so you can have a million dogs, okay
> 
> yes please come and be human pincushion for my dogs they will love you forever, and I can squish your snakes and you can squish my dogs. we'll have a snake room and get indoor + outdoor kennels built and then wouldn't that all be so amazing, we could have so many dogs l m a o
> 
> but yeah no boxers sorry LOL I just can't with boxers but everything else is a-okay
> 
> (hahahaha and no let's say at least 3+ years, but even then I think that 4 is absolute MAXIMUM hmmm)


this sounds like the life THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE LIFE 
;___; I wish I could find an animation job in oregon or washington or just... up there that is pretty and has lots of nice looking and inexpensive land LOL. 

Okay okay 3 years.... I will bet 2 years. LOL


----------



## Dogsignalfire

I just had a convo yesterday out of the blue with a friend straight out of the rule book. She has never had pets in her life, except for a couple turtles (who died very early). It went exactly like this.

Friend: I want a working dog. A work dog? A working dog? 
Me: Oh... What are you going to do with the working dog?
Friend: Nothing. I just want a working dog.

I am scream
She actually will start med school in a month, and then residency for a few years after that, so she will be gone for 12 hours a day on average. We discussed about how she will have a hard time (she with zero dog experience) and the dog will have a harder time, and it's not going to end well. In the end, we kind of settled for her getting a cat who acts like a dog or an older, chill dog from a rescue who just chills all day (because she just really really wants a dog).


----------



## Laurelin

Collecting cattle dogs is a bad idea. 

Collecting cattle dogs is a bad idea. 

Collecting cattle dogs is a bad idea. 

Collecting cattle dogs is a bad idea.


----------



## Laurelin

CptJack said:


> The ones I know are all from one breeder and ngl... If they're still breeding when I'm ready, I'm tempted.
> 
> I also found someone who occasionally breeds border rats....


So I found a border pap breeder. She does half and half and 3/4th BC 1/4th papillon. 

You should join sport bred mixes on Facebook just to oogle. Lots of the BRats there


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> So I found a border pap breeder. She does half and half and 3/4th BC 1/4th papillon.
> 
> You should join sport bred mixes on Facebook just to oogle. Lots of the BRats there


I had no idea that was a group but danged straight I'm joining. (Thank you!)


----------



## Laurelin

Yasssss. It's fun and super neat dogs

There's also several cattle X rats (known mixes) and several Hank type rescues. Plus lurchers and multi mixes. <3


----------



## Laurelin

CrystalGSD said:


> Do Border Whippets tend to have the herding dog temperament or is it a range since it's an F1 cross? I would totally be interested in Border Whippets if there was a high enough chance that their temperament turns out more herd-y than sighthound-y.


My friend did half and half. Only two pups (old sire). One is whippety and one collie


----------



## Laurelin

PatriciafromCO said:


> for all the breeds on every ones wish list what difference would they bring to the table for you, what specifically would you do with them because of their breed... ?
> 
> I love many breeds, love hearing about them from others... owning any of them would not be more then I have and need already. Maybe I am too much a Vanilla type lol lol


Papillons because awesome. And cute and perfect. 

Border collie- makes sense. Versatility plus I like them and the most likely choice for high level sports I play. I also want a stalky dog. Oh and the focus and a bit softer dog would be nice. And biddable would be nice. 

Cattle dog- because I'm dumb. I don't know why I like them so much but I do. Versatile. Not as sure a bet though. And some traits I don't like too. But they're really just...practical hardy dogs? I also admit I like being a bit off beat instead of the millionth BC or sheltie. Would be fine without the aggression though. 

Sheltie because common sense. This is the most logical breed for me to own by far. I've had three. They're easy and adaptable. Portable. Rock at my sports. Maybe but I don't love the Breed. 

Pyrshep- scruffy and weird and hyper. Not sure if it'll happen

MAS - not a sheltie but similar size and such 

Mixed breed- I kind of toy with only having mixes. I love the idea of well bred mixes and the ones I've met are amazing drivey dogs that are a bit more stable than straight herders. But alas terrierness and DA. Hank is maturing super nicely though so maybe I'll forget his teenage growing pains.

I don't see myself getting anything that doesn't at least have a good chance of being a good agility dog. I also want to do disc. Right now plan is sport bred BC next (female) and then... Either ACD or papillon or papillon X BC. But hen part of me wants 1 BC, 1 herder X terrier and 1 fluffy small. But I have to fit an ACD in there somehow...


----------



## Laurelin

And yes I know trying to decide between an ACD or a papillon for next next dog is crazy. Lol


----------



## CptJack

Honestly, what I want and what I absolutely do not want exist in the same packages so frequently it makes me indecisive. 

Fortunately, I am a long way off having to decide, but when I do I'll likely solicit recommendations directly from my agility friends who have dogs I like a lot. Breed wise, I don't much care. What I want are TRAITS.


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie learned how to open our sliding patio door. I was taking a shower, Chris was downstairs, Ralphie was looking out the door when I went into the bathroom. Anyways, when I come out of the bathroom husband told me that the neighbor called him and asked "So where's your dog?" husband goes, "In the house somewhere." Neighbor says, "No he's not, I've got him here outside with me!" Husband goes and gets the dog, and when he went upstairs he saw the sliding door was open! The dog somehow opened it, got out, and took himself for a walk. The neighbor said Ralphie saw him and just trotted on up to him from down the sidewalk, happy as a clam. We have no idea how long he was out there.

We still can't figure out how he got the door open. We went outside on the patio to see if he would do it again, but he just stared at us. I'm positive the door was closed, but it wasn't locked, but it takes a bit of strength to open it that I did not think a dog could muster with paws and teeth and no places for a dog to grip and pull. So either the dog opened it or someone climbed onto the patio and opened it! So I guess now we are locking the sliding door! At least he didn't wander far from home!


----------



## elrohwen

Lillith said:


> Ralphie learned how to open our sliding patio door. I was taking a shower, Chris was downstairs, Ralphie was looking out the door when I went into the bathroom. Anyways, when I come out of the bathroom husband told me that the neighbor called him and asked "So where's your dog?" husband goes, "In the house somewhere." Neighbor says, "No he's not, I've got him here outside with me!" Husband goes and gets the dog, and when he went upstairs he saw the sliding door was open! The dog somehow opened it, got out, and took himself for a walk. The neighbor said Ralphie saw him and just trotted on up to him from down the sidewalk, happy as a clam. We have no idea how long he was out there.
> 
> We still can't figure out how he got the door open. We went outside on the patio to see if he would do it again, but he just stared at us. I'm positive the door was closed, but it wasn't locked, but it takes a bit of strength to open it that I did not think a dog could muster with paws and teeth and no places for a dog to grip and pull. So either the dog opened it or someone climbed onto the patio and opened it! So I guess now we are locking the sliding door! At least he didn't wander far from home!


Glad he's safe!

I would guess he did it accidentally. My friends' dog jumps at the door and if he hits it right with his paw it starts to open, and then he gets it open the rest of the way. It doesn't seem purposeful on his part, he's just jumping and happens to hit it occasionally.


----------



## Lillith

elrohwen said:


> Glad he's safe!
> 
> I would guess he did it accidentally. My friends' dog jumps at the door and if he hits it right with his paw it starts to open, and then he gets it open the rest of the way. It doesn't seem purposeful on his part, he's just jumping and happens to hit it occasionally.


Thanks! Luckily we live in a fairly quiet neighborhood with few cars, but he generally stays close to home (he door dashed once before and ran circles in the yard, haha). We get a fence next month, though, so then it won't matter if he decides to open doors!


----------



## taquitos

Time is snaaaaailing by as I wait for date #2 with Flit. We're going to get his HIC next time we meet so that should be interesting  I also found a farm not too far from where I live where they offer herding classes... so I might give it a try.

Also I am trying to shop for his things and I can't decide on what to get him. I think I'm partially worried that things might not work out (although I doubt this will be the case), and I'll be stuck with things I don't need...



Dogsignalfire said:


> I just had a convo yesterday out of the blue with a friend straight out of the rule book. She has never had pets in her life, except for a couple turtles (who died very early). It went exactly like this.
> 
> Friend: I want a working dog. A work dog? A working dog?
> Me: Oh... What are you going to do with the working dog?
> Friend: Nothing. I just want a working dog.
> 
> I am scream
> She actually will start med school in a month, and then residency for a few years after that, so she will be gone for 12 hours a day on average. We discussed about how she will have a hard time (she with zero dog experience) and the dog will have a harder time, and it's not going to end well. In the end, we kind of settled for her getting a cat who acts like a dog or an older, chill dog from a rescue who just chills all day (because she just really really wants a dog).


At least she listened to you!


----------



## Jen2010

> Ralphie learned how to open our sliding patio door. I was taking a shower, Chris was downstairs, Ralphie was looking out the door when I went into the bathroom. Anyways, when I come out of the bathroom husband told me that the neighbor called him and asked "So where's your dog?" husband goes, "In the house somewhere." Neighbor says, "No he's not, I've got him here outside with me!" Husband goes and gets the dog, and when he went upstairs he saw the sliding door was open! The dog somehow opened it, got out, and took himself for a walk. The neighbor said Ralphie saw him and just trotted on up to him from down the sidewalk, happy as a clam. We have no idea how long he was out there.
> 
> We still can't figure out how he got the door open. We went outside on the patio to see if he would do it again, but he just stared at us. I'm positive the door was closed, but it wasn't locked, but it takes a bit of strength to open it that I did not think a dog could muster with paws and teeth and no places for a dog to grip and pull. So either the dog opened it or someone climbed onto the patio and opened it! So I guess now we are locking the sliding door! At least he didn't wander far from home!


 Good thing your neighbor grabbed him! Pepper can open the patio door if it's not closed completely tight. She just wiggles her nose in there until she gets it open.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

CptJack said:


> Honestly, what I want and what I absolutely do not want exist in the same packages so frequently it makes me indecisive.
> 
> Fortunately, I am a long way off having to decide, but when I do I'll likely solicit recommendations directly from my agility friends who have dogs I like a lot. Breed wise, I don't much care. What I want are TRAITS.


You should also check out "Agility Puppies" on FB, they also have a lot of awesome dogs, some rarer breeds, too!


----------



## DogtorWho15

I am thinking of getting a Julius K9 backpack or harness hopefully customized. 

What are your favorite products by them and why?? Also where can I find one for hopefully on the cheaper side? But not a big deal if its not


----------



## PatriciafromCO

DogtorWho15 said:


> I am thinking of getting a Julius K9 backpack or harness hopefully customized.
> 
> What are your favorite products by them and why?? Also where can I find one for hopefully on the cheaper side? But not a big deal if its not


I really love the Julius K9 harness.. it fits the different dogs body types really well.. CO, smaller GSD, and CC am Sad that Arka grew out of his and they don't make a size larger.


----------



## Laurelin

Summer is cancer free!!! Biopsy came back clear!


----------



## CptJack

Laurelin said:


> Summer is cancer free!!! Biopsy came back clear!


YAY! So much relief and happy for you!


----------



## Sibe

Laurelin said:


> Summer is cancer free!!! Biopsy came back clear!


 Woohooo!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad to hear! Must be such a great feeling of relief.


----------



## Crantastic

Yaaaaaaay! So glad to hear that.


----------



## Laurelin

The final diagnosis is Chronic eosinophilic rhinitis. Very high chance she will have to be medicated permanently. Right now she's going on a high dose of steroids then they are going to try to wean her down as much as possible since long term steroids are a bad thing. 

It's not curable but at least it's treatable. 

"Diagnosis:
Chronic rhinitis - eosinophlic - rule out idiopathic • vs allergy
Case Summary: Summer is a 12 year old FS Papillon who presented to the internal medicine service for evaluation of
chronic sneezing/nasal congestion. On presentation, Summer was bright and alert. She had intermittent stertorous
breathing but was otherwise unremarkable. We discussed possible causes and recommended thoracic radiographs,
CT scan and rhinoscopy. The thoracic radiographs were unremarkable. The owner elected to go forward with
rhinoscopy without CT scan. A coagulation profile was done prior to biopsying which wa snormal.
The rhinoscopy showed proliferative tissue in the left nasal cavity with a normal appearance to the mucosa. There was
mild discharge in both nasal cavities. Several biopsies were taken and submitted for histopathology. The
histopathology came back consistent with an eosinophilic rhinitis. This can be secondary to an allergy or could be
idiopathic (cause not identified). We would recommend not using anything aerosolized, carpet cleaners, scented plug
ins, etc which may cause inflammation in the nose. We will prescribe a higher dose of steroids for a couple weeks ot
assess her response. We are also prescribing an antibiotic to treat for a possible secondary infection and as an
immunomodulator. If Summer responds well to the steroids and we are unable to wean her down, we will discuss
inhaled steroids or another anti-inflammatory (such as piroxicam). Unfortunately rhinitis is not curable but can usually
be managed with medications. In some cases, patients require medications lifelong."

Between her and Mia's breathing issues/collapsed trachea I swear I may not have another shorter muzzled dog again. But apparently rhinitis and nasal tumors is more common in very long muzzled breeds like collies and large dogs.

I can't win. 

I'm also not sure how you can't use carpet cleaners. Maybe I can find a more allergy friendly type? They also want her low allergen food.

Also she's had the issue over the course of two houses so I just can't think she's allergic to something in the house. The vet believes it's idiopathic and we'll never know the cause.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

While I feel bad for you and poor Summer that you have to deal with this.. very happy for you that it is something that can be managed.


----------



## Lillith

Great for Summer! Glad its not cancer!

I've decided my dog is really weird. On our walk today we met two strangers on different occasions off of our property. Ralphie moved toward them with interest, but when the strangers put their hands out for him to sniff he backed up and started barking at them. He would do this thing where he would move toward them like he wanted to sniff and get pets, but then he would back up real quick and start barking. Saw some dogs from a distance. Looked at them barking at him, didn't care and moved on. 

Then close to our house this kid was on a scooter. Ralphie is ok with kids on scooters or any wheeled thing at a distance (except for bikes but I've been training him for that), but he isn't quite comfortable with those weird looking things close to him yet. The kid seemed absolutely oblivious to the fact my dog did not like it. Ralphie started pulling and barking at him, and the kid seemed to think this was an invitation to play???? What? I said to the kid he doesn't really like scooters, so I pulled to the side so the kid could go by because I thought that's what he wanted, but he just kept standing there with this weird grin on his face staring at Ralphie. Kids are weird. Anyways, we moved past that, because then Ralphie saw the neighbors who he loves. Met one of their guests and was fine. He tried to jump of course, but she was pre-warned, lol (ugh, this is perhaps the hardest behavior to break with this dog!). 

Then we were in the back yard and a couple come walking down the path, never met them before in our life. Ralphie approaches them, no barking, just pure sweet wiggly dog. Note, when people walk on that path he goes nuts MOM THERE ARE STRANGERS ON OUR YARD OMG until we tell him its ok. He was all muddy and I warned them but he only tried to jump once and then he was good. He wanted to follow them home.

Really, dog? He's so weird. Go up to investigate people and sniff them, but bark when they say hello back? Why? Is this a thing puppies do?


----------



## MysticRealm

Laurelin said:


> I'm also not sure how you can't use carpet cleaners. Maybe I can find a more allergy friendly type? They also want her low allergen food.
> 
> Also she's had the issue over the course of two houses so I just can't think she's allergic to something in the house. The vet believes it's idiopathic and we'll never know the cause.


Maybe try asking about carpet cleaners and such on a bird forum. Birds are so touchy when it comes to any type of vapors and such that they may have good suggestions for you


----------



## CptJack

I realized today that if you gave me a choice between a dog like Molly, who is all energy, drive, biddability and desire to play and do - but can't do it in any 'real' setting, because of issues with other dogs/people/whatever.

Or a dog like Jack who can go anywhere and do anything but has no desire to work with people/learn/train/play-

I'd take Molly and dogs like her all day long. 

I mean, yeah, the ideal is somewhere between but, well, most of my life isn't classes or trials, and Molly is so much freaking fun.


----------



## Sandakat

Laurelin said:


> Summer is cancer free!!! Biopsy came back clear!


That is WONDERFUL news!!


----------



## Lillith

I really like the training club I go to, but they have some outdated theories. They still kind of buy into the whole dominance based theory that "if you are not a strong leader, the dog will decide that he is the leader" or "some dogs have more dominant personalities than others" and "Dogs need an Alpha pack leader." They encourage owners not to yell at dogs, use positive reinforcement, don't strike your dog, your dog can't know what you want unless you've trained him to know what you want, etc., etc. Some trainers there promote corrections (leash jerks, physical manipulation) more than others and try to teach how to apply them correctly, but they don't specify that everyone has to use them. I think each trainer makes their own materials to pass out and there is not a club standard. Oh well. I'm still learning a lot of stuff!


----------



## Prozax

I've dropped Eli off at boarding, and ever since I have had my eyes glued to the screen watching the live feed and waiting for them to move her from the temporary holding area we left her in(where there is no camera). I don't think I'll get any work done today till I have to go and catch the plane.
I find myself much more worried about her than I was about Luna, when it comes to leaving her somewhere. I knew Luna was tough and confident and she was totally fine in any situation. Eli on the other hand, is so much more sensitive and needs someone there with her. In the last month she has really opened up to us and seeks our guidance when she is unsure. I hope her love of food will make her adjust easier. I've left her food toys, that they said they will use and plenty of chewies and treats. I'd be ok with getting a chubby dog back, as long as she's happy


----------



## Sficciolo

Sunday rant. 
I go with Jago to a park where dogs can be left off-leash. 
He has a great time and plays with dogs he knows already, and he also makes some new pals. We have a great time. 

Until this old lady with two young greyhounds. Jago loves greyhounds, cause he loves chasing them, and two of his favourite dogs ever are grehounds. He just gets along with them. Although we are in an off-leash area, the lady keeps are two hounds on leash, as she say they're very young and she's only had them for a week. 
She lets them play with Jago and of her dogs escapes her collar and runs away. She INTIMATES me to call my dog, as her dog has not learnt recall and may run away. I call Jago, Jaco comes and the hound with him. Because I'm afraid Jago may get the hounds in trouble I move away with him to another off-leash area. 

I'm there playing with Jago, and she gets closer and closer with the two hounds off-leash. I call Jago and move further away, she shouts 'NO, IT'S FINE I THINK THEY CAN STAY OFF-LEASH' and runs with her dog. It's the first time their hounds play off-leash at the park, and one of them starts going really. Of course Jago can't keep up with him, so he starts coming towards me. When Jago passes her SHE GRABS HIM and holds him, keeping him by the harness and squeezing him between her legs, Jago looks panicked and doesn't move. I have to remind myself that this is an old lady when I yell at them telling her to let my dog go, and she screams back at me that I must come with the leash, then I get really angry and scream at her to let my dog go IMMEDIATELY. She lets him go and Jago comes to me. 

The hounds come as well, she can't recall them, they start jumping around Jago and inviting him to play. She comes, and instead of taking her dogs, she starts telling me about how they're young and stuff, so Jago gets all excited again and they start running again. The lady panics her hounds may not come back. I call Jago, the recall fails. 
This is the first time Jago doesn't come when called. I move further away, call him again and he come but he definitely doesn't want to stay and wants to run with the hounds. To make a long story short, this all ends with me struggling with Jago that doesn't want the leash, while the two hounds jump off-leas all around the lady, who's lecturing me on effing Cesar Milan and alpha rolls! While I'm trying to get my dog to sit so that I can put him on leash because she has NO CONTROL over her two hounds. 

People are crazy. I can't believe this woman with untrained dogs was lecturing me on how to train my dog who had never failed a recall - nor be grabbed by random strangers when he was coming back to me. I'm so angry right now. This ruined my day.


----------



## Lillith

Sficciolo said:


> Sunday rant.
> I go with Jago to a park where dogs can be left off-leash.
> He has a great time and plays with dogs he knows already, and he also makes some new pals. We have a great time.
> 
> Until this old lady with two young greyhounds. Jago loves greyhounds, cause he loves chasing them, and two of his favourite dogs ever are grehounds. He just gets along with them. Although we are in an off-leash area, the lady keeps are two hounds on leash, as she say they're very young and she's only had them for a week.
> She lets them play with Jago and of her dogs escapes her collar and runs away. She INTIMATES me to call my dog, as her dog has not learnt recall and may run away. I call Jago, Jaco comes and the hound with him. Because I'm afraid Jago may get the hounds in trouble I move away with him to another off-leash area.
> 
> I'm there playing with Jago, and she gets closer and closer with the two hounds off-leash. I call Jago and move further away, she shouts 'NO, IT'S FINE I THINK THEY CAN STAY OFF-LEASH' and runs with her dog. It's the first time their hounds play off-leash at the park, and one of them starts going really. Of course Jago can't keep up with him, so he starts coming towards me. When Jago passes her SHE GRABS HIM and holds him, keeping him by the harness and squeezing him between her legs, Jago looks panicked and doesn't move. I have to remind myself that this is an old lady when I yell at them telling her to let my dog go, and she screams back at me that I must come with the leash, then I get really angry and scream at her to let my dog go IMMEDIATELY. She lets him go and Jago comes to me.
> 
> The hounds come as well, she can't recall them, they start jumping around Jago and inviting him to play. She comes, and instead of taking her dogs, she starts telling me about how they're young and stuff, so Jago gets all excited again and they start running again. The lady panics her hounds may not come back. I call Jago, the recall fails.
> This is the first time Jago doesn't come when called. I move further away, call him again and he come but he definitely doesn't want to stay and wants to run with the hounds. To make a long story short, this all ends with me struggling with Jago that doesn't want the leash, while the two hounds jump off-leas all around the lady, who's lecturing me on effing Cesar Milan and alpha rolls! While I'm trying to get my dog to sit so that I can put him on leash because she has NO CONTROL over her two hounds.
> 
> People are crazy. I can't believe this woman with untrained dogs was lecturing me on how to train my dog who had never failed a recall - nor be grabbed by random strangers when he was coming back to me. I'm so angry right now. This ruined my day.


I'm sorry that happened to you. Sometimes it's best to just leave the park for a bit until the offender leaves. Kind of like when when your puppy plays too hard and bites you, when the people don't know how to control their dogs leave and ignore them!


----------



## Peachy_Keen

As an allergy sufferer, the thing that bothers me the most is when people tell me, _"There is no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog."_ Hypoallergenic means less allergens, non allergenic means no allergens. I realize that all dogs have dander, saliva, and urine; if I wanted a dog that doesn't have that, I'll get a robot dog. I'm not asking for a Nonallergenic dog, I'm asking for a hypoallergenic dog, there is a difference. A simple Google search will prove that.


----------



## RobinB

My Wirehaired Pointing Griffon tried to strum my son's banjo.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

at that age they are no longer gilie -lious (sp) puppies and they know all your superficial tricks they use to fall for lol lollollol lol ...


----------



## Aussie27

My mom's friend brought her two young kids (5 & 9 years old) over to play with Cali this afternoon and she did really well with them! It took her a little bit to warm up to them, but eventually she was up on the couch with them and even let them both brush her. The 5 year old had trouble brushing her properly, but with some direction from his sister and I, he was going alright with it. We ended up taking her outside for a little bit as well and Cali even played fetch with them and was content to be loved on, all while being at ease. She has been extremely nervous around kids ever since she had a bad experience, but I'm hoping today, along with other positive experiences, help her feel more relaxed around them. She even met a two year old the other day and was calm enough to lick her hand and be still for some petting... so I think we are on our way there.


----------



## Willowy

There are about 100 barn swallows on my property. Literally. They like my outbuildings. I like them. We get along . But, there are also about eleventy billion mosquitoes on my property. So this makes me wonder HOW MANY MOSQUITOES WOULD THERE BE IF NOT FOR THE BARN SWALLOWS BECAUSE OMG I'M NOT SURE I HAVE ANY BLOOD LEFT. I mean, is it even possible for there to be more mosquitoes? Ugh.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Willowy said:


> There are about 100 barn swallows on my property. Literally. They like my outbuildings. I like them. We get along . But, there are also about eleventy billion mosquitoes on my property. So this makes me wonder HOW MANY MOSQUITOES WOULD THERE BE IF NOT FOR THE BARN SWALLOWS BECAUSE OMG I'M NOT SURE I HAVE ANY BLOOD LEFT. I mean, is it even possible for there to be more mosquitoes? Ugh.


when you say it that way,, yes that is pretty scary Willowy


----------



## Aussie27

I'm planning on taking Cali to a dog park this weekend for the first time, since I found one that has a small dog area, and I'm excited to see how she likes it. She's a lot more comfortable around dogs closer in size to her, so it would be awesome to run into a couple and see if she can find someone to run around with.  We'll also probably go on a hike or trail walk before paying a visit to the pet store to grab some food and hopefully some chicken necks if they have any in stock now.


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> There are about 100 barn swallows on my property. Literally. They like my outbuildings. I like them. We get along . But, there are also about eleventy billion mosquitoes on my property. So this makes me wonder HOW MANY MOSQUITOES WOULD THERE BE IF NOT FOR THE BARN SWALLOWS BECAUSE OMG I'M NOT SURE I HAVE ANY BLOOD LEFT. I mean, is it even possible for there to be more mosquitoes? Ugh.


A couple years ago the mosquitos here were so bad that you could hear them buzzing while driving down the highway. At 100km/h. Inside the car. With the radio on.


----------



## Willowy

gingerkid said:


> A couple years ago the mosquitos here were so bad that you could hear them buzzing while driving down the highway. At 100km/h. Inside the car. With the radio on.


Oh wow. That's kind of impressive and scary at the same time.

I think the barn swallows' babies will be fat this year. . .last year they had 2 batches per nest, average of 4-5 babies per batch. Before they migrated there were almost as many of them as there were mosquitoes . They might have more this year!


----------



## gingerkid

Willowy said:


> Oh wow. That's kind of impressive and scary at the same time.
> 
> I think the barn swallows' babies will be fat this year. . .last year they had 2 batches per nest, average of 4-5 babies per batch. Before they migrated there were almost as many of them as there were mosquitoes . They might have more this year!


It would've been a bad year for squeeters anyway - it was very wet, everything was nearly a swamp for most of the summer - but it also happened to be the one year the city decided to cut its mosquito spraying program. (You can imagine how well that went over.) I've always loved swallows, and I wish they would come live at our house.

Unrelated to mosquitos... If one more trainer tells me it "only takes 10 minutes a day" to hand-feed my dog all her meals, I am going to scream. Ida is the slowest eater in the world; it takes her like 10 seconds to finish one piece of kibble, no matter how tiny (even small-breed kibbles)! I mean, on the one hand, good for her for chewing her food, but on the other, omg just finish it Ida so that we can keep working.


----------



## CptJack

I have come to the conclusion that the best possible example of Thud's personality and temperament is basically saying he's a 9 month old lab. I mean, he's neither lab nor 9 months old, but about 90% of the time? Similar, only better trained. 

Kind of suspect he's going to act like an adolescent of some sort right up until he's a senior.


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie and I went to my parents' farm for the holiday weekend, and he got to play with their Great Pyr/Border Collie, Duke. Turns out Duke is a resource guarder. If there is any food, he attacks Ralphie. Otherwise they're fine, but we're just keeping them separated all the time to be on the safe side. I had treats in my jacket pocket I forgot about, and Duke went after Ralphie when he smelled them. Ralphie just runs away, luckily. It kind of sucks. I really wanted them to get along....but, I guess we have to do what we have to do.


----------



## Aussie27

I took Cali to two pet stores today and the dog park, and she exceeded my expectations of her!

She listened and happily followed me around the store (with multiple breaks to sniff things, of course). She met a few dogs and didn't growl at all, although it might've had to do with the dogs letting her approach them instead of quickly coming at her like many dogs do. She met an Ibizan Hound (the first I've seen anywhere so it was neat to meet one in person) that she was a little timid around but she did warm up to him and was curious. Then she was a love bug to everyone, although that was expected. 

The dog park was a different story, although I think her snarkiness was warranted. We started off in the small dog section which was empty but since the other dogs in the main section seemed tired out and calm, we went over because the owners were fawning over Cali and wanted to say hi to her. The two dogs were both around a year or two old and didn't understand how to properly greet, so Cali was less than thrilled when one of them began jumping around her and I made the decision to just bring her back into the small dogs section because I didn't want to risk her getting stepped on. Hopefully next time we go there'll be a dog or two closer to her size! I just can't seem to be comfortable with her playing with any dog that's over 15 pounds because she's so dainty and I get worried she'll get hurt. 

But all in all, she had a good day and is now sleeping soundly beside me so I think she is tuckered out for the night.


----------



## Kathyy

Bucky got the tennis ball caught in his tail fringe yesterday while we were playing fetch. Maybe he doesn't need 9" of luxurious silky fringe after all.

I'm going to have to have the iphone on me at all times. It took him a minute or so to figure out where the ball went and pull it free. Never panicked and we continued the game once he brought it back.


----------



## Sandakat

We're having the house painted over the next 3 days. This wouldn't be newsworthy except that they're going to have to seal off all of the windows and the glass sliding doors AND we're going to have a heat wave for the next 3 days AND we don't have air conditioning. This is going to suck.


----------



## Laurelin

You ever get that sudden urge to just... You know... Get a baby papillon?


----------



## Crantastic

Only once, and he was the most hyper and troublesome pup out of his litter, so it's probably good that I didn't. Papillons are so little, though. What's one more? 










(He was the cutest)


----------



## Laurelin

Tricolor <3

Gods they are the best. I'm not sure I could manage without one or two


----------



## Laurelin

On that note I'm already on a wait list for a border collie but seriously after the BC is a papillon. I'm almost 100% sure of it. 

In fact I think it's really likely I only have BCs and papillons from here out. We'll see how the first BC goes though. If not back to the drawing board on the bigger breed.


----------



## kafkabeetle

Laurelin said:


> On that note I'm already on a wait list for a border collie but seriously after the BC is a papillon. I'm almost 100% sure of it.
> 
> In fact I think it's really likely I only have BCs and papillons from here out. We'll see how the first BC goes though. If not back to the drawing board on the bigger breed.


You guys have gotten me thinking more and more about them over the years! Not for a long while, though...two dogs and a wild cat are enough for us at the moment.


----------



## Crantastic

My ONLY complaint about papillons is that I worry about their safety on walks because they're so small. That's not really a complaint about the breed, though, more about all the loose dogs that could hurt mine. Everything about the typical papillon works for me.


----------



## kafkabeetle

Crantastic said:


> My ONLY complaint about papillons is that I worry about their safety on walks because they're so small. That's not really a complaint about the breed, though, more about all the loose dogs that could hurt mine. Everything about the typical papillon works for me.


I do prefer a slightly larger dog. At 9 pounds I sometimes wish Buddy was just a little bigger. I've thought about looking for a mix when the time comes, or just a larger than standard individual like Nargle's Basil. I wonder if she still comes around anymore!


----------



## mrsserena

That's my dream breed!


----------



## Aussie27

Laurelin said:


> You ever get that sudden urge to just... You know... Get a baby papillon?


I get the urge whenever I look through Cali's puppy pictures. Papillons seriously make some of the cutest puppies!

Also, BCs and papillons sound like an adorable combo so I can't wait to see pictures of your crew with the next addition.  Cali somehow always somehow got mistaken for a BC puppy when she was younger, funnily enough.


----------



## Laurelin

Crantastic said:


> My ONLY complaint about papillons is that I worry about their safety on walks because they're so small. That's not really a complaint about the breed, though, more about all the loose dogs that could hurt mine. Everything about the typical papillon works for me.


I don't like the fragility but I do like being able to carry them around and the easy snuggles.

And they don't hurt me when they stomp on me. 

If only 30 lb papillons existed.

I love Hank but man he highlights all the wonderful papillon-ness of the girls.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> On that note I'm already on a wait list for a border collie but seriously after the BC is a papillon. I'm almost 100% sure of it.
> 
> In fact I think it's really likely I only have BCs and papillons from here out. We'll see how the first BC goes though. If not back to the drawing board on the bigger breed.


You can become a Border-Pap breeder. And I will have one.


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> You can become a Border-Pap breeder. And I will have one.


Yep, put me on that list.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Oh, and I am pretty sure you will enjoy a BC. They grow on you. It might take a year.. but they grow on you. Seriously.. took me over a year to really love Ember. My gosh is she a confusing jerk., but so interesting.


----------



## Laurelin

We'll find out in about a year! If I can wait that long.

And avoid the local border x pap litter that is being bred at about the same time lol.

There is literally a BC x pap litter with health testing and such being planned about 40 miles from me. I want both but I cannot have.


----------



## gingerkid

I don't even really want a pap (at this point) and I want a baby one.


----------



## Psycho07

Hey i know it might be stupid, but where the puppy will pee and poop? I mean he is home because i dont have a yard but we cant go out for a casual walk yet


----------



## sydneynicole

Leaving for our backpacking trip in the morning! Weather isn't supposed to be too great so we'll see how long we stay out lol. Hoping to do at least 4 days. I'm so excited! Oli will have a blast I'm sure.


----------



## Willowy

Some customer just hung up on me because I said "I think. . .". He said "You _think_? Goodbye" and hung up  . I feel like this is a terrible way to run your life---do you really want people pretending to know everything and then telling the wrong thing, or someone who admits they're not sure and verifies the info first? 

Plus, he wanted to talk about forwarding his mail here. "Minnesota Nice" dictates that you use words like "I think" and "maybe" even if you're absolutely sure, or else you're considered rude. He won't be very popular if he moves here .

Ah customers. I should write that one up for Not Alway Right, lol.


----------



## kafkabeetle

Willowy said:


> Some customer just hung up on me because I said "I think. . .". He said "You _think_? Goodbye" and hung up  . I feel like this is a terrible way to run your life---do you really want people pretending to know everything and then telling the wrong thing, or someone who admits they're not sure and verifies the info first?
> 
> Plus, he wanted to talk about forwarding his mail here. "Minnesota Nice" dictates that you use words like "I think" and "maybe" even if you're absolutely sure, or else you're considered rude. He won't be very popular if he moves here .
> 
> Ah customers. I should write that one up for Not Alway Right, lol.


lol, the store I work at is family owned and has a ton of regulars who are very used to not only getting things exactly the way they want them, but also with our staff anticipating what they will want. This leads to lots of huffiness whenever we get a new cashier who just has to ask them basic questions. 

Example: 

Cashier: "Hello ma'am, I see you're buying a gallon refill of water. Was it from the R/O station or the alkaline water station?"
Customer: "What???? I have been shopping here for 35 years, what do you mean what type of water??? How stupid can you be!! I always get alkaline water [email protected];w%ikbjebkjb"

I was really glad when I made it into management and stopped having to deal so directly with that stuff. And when I do I can usually just hop in and save the day because I know these people. They're grumps, but they're *our* grumps lol.


----------



## DogtorWho15

EEEEEK! I was finally able to join an obedience class with Nova! And I am amazed on how well she's doing! 
Also it looks like we are gonna be joining a dog club. 
And the best news....WE ARE STARTING AGILITY NEXT JANUARY!!!!


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie found a baby bird today. He was wandering through some cattails and suddenly came upon this baby bird and pounced on it. Bird squaked, Ralphie got excited and started pawing at it and nudging it with his nose. He seemed to want it to fly around so he could chase it. When he pounced he injured it, and I knew it was going to die, but the he wouldn't kill it! Instead he laid down and started licking it and nudging it and nibbling at its tail feathers. Then it would squak and he would get all happy and paw it and jump up to play. Oh, Ralphie. It would fly a little ways, and then when it landed he jumped on it. I"m standing there like "Please stop torturing it and kill it, please." I finally just pulled him away. 

Either my dog is a cat and likes to torture prey, or he is a very big puppy that thinks all tiny living creatures are his play toys so ends up accidentally killing them.


----------



## Jen2010

Pepper and Kane figured out how to open our door that leads out to the driveway and into the street. They were "missing" for a few minutes this morning, but found them rooting through the neighbour's garbage.

Sigh.


----------



## Prozax

My 3 day weekend went like this: 
- lots and lots of dog puke, because who knows what Eli found on the ground in some split of a second I wasn't looking
- nice emergency vet bill, because weekend
- traumatized dog, because she is sooo sensitive and those shots really hurt, especially two at a time
- diet food and a muzzled dog that will not pee with the muzzle on
Yey me!


----------



## DogtorWho15

Oh...my gosh
The instructor for Nova and mines rally class is a PRICK!! She is so rude, and makes people feel horrible about how they're doing with their dog. And Nova almost bit her, because despite my warnings of how terrified she is of people, she decided nova wasn't scared of her and went straight to lay her hands on her back. She wouldve left with a gash in her arm if I hadn't pulled her away at the right time. 
She treated one man so horribly about his dog and then she told him he wasn't allowed in her class because his dog has some minor behavorial problems. My dog has major behavorial problems and she can stay??
I felt so bad for the man, she really made him feel like he hasn't done anything with his dog which is entirely untrue, they have made so much progress together from the last obedience class we took. She's just.....GGGAAAAAAHHHH 

And then she is making me and one other girl start completely over with training because we are right handed and trained on the right instead of the left. She told me the dog doesn't care or know the difference. I corrected her and said that I tried the left with Nova, and it was a huge difference, she kept trying to walk to the right side of me and acted like she forgot almost everything. The lady just rolled her eyes and walked away.........


I don't think she's gonna have many students after the impression she gave off tonight while just SHOWING us what rally was. 

On a better note though, NOVA GRADUATWD OBEDIENCE TONIGHT YAY!!!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

DogtoWho15 that is really sad about the instructor.. Congratulations to you and Nova !!!!

Went to the ER with Abhik, she wacked her rear leg early this morning, and just to make sure I wanted it checked out, Called my vet as soon as they open at 9am but my vet doesn't have the ability to do x-rays, so she told me to call a vet that she sends her clients too.. got the answering machine and left a message this is at 9am .. and I called my mobile vet and left a voice message also at 9am and left her a text message.. At noon I called my vet back and asked if bute could be used for dogs to give Abhik something to take the edge off her leg and let her rest a bit more easy while we waiting on the vet to call back.. We decided on a pinch of powder .. Called the x-ray vet again and got the answering machine again.. Mobile vet texted me back at 5pm and said NO dogs can not have bute ????? when I asked her to call me when she had a chance it's 2am now and still mobile vet hasn't called me back.... Called the x-ray vet at 4pm and they answered the phone, couldn't take Abhik at that time, and had no openings for her for the next day.. So we waited until 6pm and called the emergency hospital and they said they would take her.

This was truly a tragic evening for the ER ... after we arrived 4 older dogs came in to to be helped to pass over. 1 dog came in sliced open and stabbed by the owners SO.... Law Enforcement and the Animal Investigator showed up.. Couldn't hold back the tears ... Abhik was so well behaved, it was a small ER waiting room and one of the older dogs was laying on the floor near us when Abhik wanted to investigate I told her to stay still the "baby needs help" and Abhik went still.. (it's code::: to stop poking the chicken in my lap when I am trying to help them with first aid)  Abhik did so well, very quiet for all the sick dogs around her. She only went off with growling when the LE was in talking to the slain dog group and they started arguing in anger.. Everyone got a bit scared of her, but I said it wasn't them it was the arguing in that room.. When it calmed down she calmed down.. Was a long wait due to all the emergency cases but she did so very well to lay their patiently and quietly.

Vet did the exam, decided not to get x rays at time, nothing wrong with ABhik's hip area, nothing broken.. if it was anything it could be a injury or maybe a tear in her knee... at this time that could not be determined to justify putting her under.. Decided on antiflamitory med, and pain med , a week of restricted rest and then proceed from there with an ortho vet if there is no improvement. I thought that was reasonable plan... Abhik did good for the exam,, got her first blood work done and it worked exactly as I had hoped it would that she didn't even notice they were taking her blood... lol lol ... I was holding her eye contact attention talking about food and the vet was holding her leg but stroking it like she was just petting her while she was sticking the needle in to draw blood.. Abhik never realized anything was happening... That was so cool...... we were all laughing over it...  

Both her and Arka really impress me .. they so right there with you able to go with the flow when you need them too... take it one day at a time for Abhik Over all very sad evening at the ER...


----------



## gingerkid

Patricia, I hope Abhik has a speedy recovery.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

gingerkid said:


> Patricia, I hope Abhik has a speedy recovery.


Thanks gingerkid... I hope she will be ok too after some rest.. (she is not happy being confined lol, might be a long week) (can you see a tear with an x ray ?) or do they do special test for them?


----------



## Pasarella

Few days ago I had a "great" experience. We had a puppy fight, biggest boy attacked smallest female and she got very scared, could stop yelling even when I picked her up, she started to have breathing problems so we went to the vet. It was night and storm. Only one clinic near us which is available at night. And there was ether a student or very young doctor. Long story short, the guy didn't know how to operate with an x-ray and told us he has no clue what's wrong with the puppy and that he doesn't understand anything. Charged us way to much for a "consultation" like this. However, he gave her some shots for the vomiting (as she was vomiting and drooling very much) and something to help her breathe and sent us home. Luckily she got better on her own, but this was very scary and unpleasant experience and from now on puppies will be eating meat on the table one by one. They fought over raw meat.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Pasarella said:


> Few days ago I had a "great" experience. We had a puppy fight, biggest boy attacked smallest female and she got very scared, could stop yelling even when I picked her up, she started to have breathing problems so we went to the vet. It was night and storm. Only one clinic near us which is available at night. And there was ether a student or very young doctor. Long story short, the guy didn't know how to operate with an x-ray and told us he has no clue what's wrong with the puppy and that he doesn't understand anything. Charged us way to much for a "consultation" like this. However, he gave her some shots for the vomiting (as she was vomiting and drooling very much) and something to help her breathe and sent us home. Luckily she got better on her own, but this was very scary and unpleasant experience and from now on puppies will be eating meat on the table one by one. They fought over raw meat.


Dachshund's are very powerful and passionate breed of dogs... I rather take my chances breaking up the bigger powerhouse breeds then any of the smaller powerhouse breeds.. am glad everyone is ok to include you.. I have had that with the vet (vet tech) too.. drive all the way for a specialty appointment and the specialty vet not there.. Then have the vet tech try to charge me for the office visit.. That is when I tell them to call the police I'll wait right here for them to arrive... NONSENSE... Glad you were able to get the pup calmed down..


----------



## Remaru

PatriciafromCO said:


> Thanks gingerkid... I hope she will be ok too after some rest.. (she is not happy being confined lol, might be a long week) (can you see a tear with an x ray ?) or do they do special test for them?


Are you looking for a tear in the ligament? You need an MRI for that. Hubby just tore his miniscus (had surgery a couple of months ago) and he put it off for months (close to a year actually) because it would hurt and then not hurt and when he had an X-ray of course nothing came up and he is stubborn and didn't want surgery (he was afraid the doctor would tell him he had to quit derby). His surgery was really minor and he was back on skates in 6weeks. I hope Abhik heals quickly and there is nothing more going on with her. 

Pasarella, That was a traumatic experience. I hate it when vets don't know what to do. I'm glad she is doing better though.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Remaru said:


> Are you looking for a tear in the ligament? You need an MRI for that. Hubby just tore his miniscus (had surgery a couple of months ago) and he put it off for months (close to a year actually) because it would hurt and then not hurt and when he had an X-ray of course nothing came up and he is stubborn and didn't want surgery (he was afraid the doctor would tell him he had to quit derby). His surgery was really minor and he was back on skates in 6weeks. I hope Abhik heals quickly and there is nothing more going on with her.
> 
> Pasarella, That was a traumatic experience. I hate it when vets don't know what to do. I'm glad she is doing better though.


Thank you* Remaru* she is quickly on the mend.. LGD's are pretty sedative normally anyway.. Never in this position before to understand the long term pros and cons will have to do some research on it...

sorry not answering your question... (yes) possible tear in the ligament or just pulled...


----------



## Willowy

I just read all of the Children's Stories Made Horrific on The Toast and now I am filled with existential dread . 

I think now I need to read all of the 2 Monks to make up for it.


----------



## sydneynicole

Oliver picked up a used condom on his walk the other day. All I saw was that he had picked something up, so of course I grabbed it out of his mouth. Yuckkkkk. Of all the things to grab off the sidewalk. My fiance was very entertained, of course. Especially considering we are both women, a tad ironic. 

Went to my parent's house to clip the dog's nails. Maya bit me?? Literally never have had a problem with doing her nails before. She laid down and looked totally sedate, then she bit me. Not hard enough to break skin but hard enough to startle me. I figure she either wasn't feeling good or was upset about losing Tucker, or both.
Same day, I was doing some training with Grace and went to treat her and she chomped down on my finger pretty good.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Noticed spots of blood on my sidewalk and doorstep. Started checking out the dogs and Kris had cut a slice in the big pad on her front foot. Put some Wonder Dust on it and it stopped bleeding but she is feeling sorry for herself and limping around. It looked better after I put the powder on it so should heel up alright.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> Some customer just hung up on me because I said "I think. . .". He said "You _think_? Goodbye" and hung up  . I feel like this is a terrible way to run your life---do you really want people pretending to know everything and then telling the wrong thing, or someone who admits they're not sure and verifies the info first?
> 
> Plus, he wanted to talk about forwarding his mail here. "Minnesota Nice" dictates that you use words like "I think" and "maybe" even if you're absolutely sure, or else you're considered rude. He won't be very popular if he moves here .
> 
> Ah customers. I should write that one up for Not Alway Right, lol.


I hate people sometimes ... like ... come on, it doesnt take that much effort to not be a butthead and rude. I really respect people who work in CS, I couldnt do it, the urge to "school" what I like to call the "free range rude" is so strong, I can't ignore it.

I am a very cordial and polite person, but cordial and polite do NOT mean friendly, I am not a friendly person.

In other news, I woke up with a horrible, horrible sore throat runny nose and an achy body this morning, On the way to NY I was sitting next to someone who I think was sick, gosh I hope i didnt catch whatever he had.


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## PatriciafromCO

OwnedbyACDs (emergen C) that high dose of vitamin C stuff.. I keep it handy.. it nic's these situations in the butt from the onset... I pretty much have 0 contact with people.. Every once in a great while when I do go into town I'll pick something up and you feel it.. take a dose of the Emergen C and then again that night or in the morning and it's over before it even got a hold of me Hope you feel better...

Willowy I say I don't know to clients often, that I will have to look into something and get back with them.. or email them the links for where it's explained... Very seldom do I get anyone that gets angry at me like you had to deal with.. I'm thankful they just hung up on you instead of just keeping you on the phone to vent at you... I'd be happy if they just hang up on me and be done with them.. lol ...


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## Willowy

Lol, the funny thing about that guy is he came in the next day (while I was at lunch thankfully) and talked to my boss about whatever it was he wanted to do. . .and then refused to give her any of his information. He wouldn't even let her write his name down. Dude, if you want something done with your mail we at least need your name and address, in writing. Some people are just super weird.


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## Lillith

Ralphie was kind of weird today. We kind of live in a construction zone, so big machinery and strange people are the norm. On our morning walk he saw a construction worker get out of his car and start putting on a sweatshirt and just getting ready to start his job, whatever. Ralphie WOULD NOT stop staring at him. This guy was across the street and down two houses. Ralphie can walk within 6 ft of most people and do nothing more than maybe move closer because he wants to visit. He completely ignored a couple walking on the path behind our house last night. Seriously. COMPLETELY IGNORED. Did not even give them a second glance. He doesn't care too terribly much about anybody walking back there unless they have a dog. But this morning that construction worker set him off. No idea why.

Dogs are weird.


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## PatriciafromCO

lol Arka pried open the window in the house that the 3 inch air conditioner vent sticks out of .. The water guy teased Arka when he was a puppy and Arka has never forgiven him over it... never seen a grown man move so fast to jump back into his truck   ..


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> OwnedbyACDs (emergen C) that high dose of vitamin C stuff.. I keep it handy.. it nic's these situations in the butt from the onset... I pretty much have 0 contact with people.. Every once in a great while when I do go into town I'll pick something up and you feel it.. take a dose of the Emergen C and then again that night or in the morning and it's over before it even got a hold of me Hope you feel better...
> 
> Willowy I say I don't know to clients often, that I will have to look into something and get back with them.. or email them the links for where it's explained... Very seldom do I get anyone that gets angry at me like you had to deal with.. I'm thankful they just hung up on you instead of just keeping you on the phone to vent at you... I'd be happy if they just hang up on me and be done with them.. lol ...


Hey I got that stuff you said to get and IDK if I was just really run down or it helped but I feel like almost back to 100% now!!!!! Thanks so much!

Random vent: I know there are people here with DA dogs, but I really hate when they allow them in training class, now I am not talking about reactive dogs, I am talking about full on DA. There is this one dog who I fear getting loose (the owner is very diligent but accidents happen), and particularly dislikes Lincoln for some reason, IDK why, he is a bully mix something or other, and everytime I see him coming, I make sure to give him plenty of space, but that is not always possible, as the entry way to this training place is very narrow. This is a dog who has to be crated in a completely separate area from the general crating area because he can't even be crated near other dogs.


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## sydneynicole

Just had the most relaxing night with Mojo and Oliver. So much satisfaction after a long walk, bathing both the dogs, feeding them a home cooked meal, watching them wrestle/play and now they are both passed out while I watch Grey's Anatomy. Happiness.


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## Lillith

Fence is almost finished! We just have gates and one small section left to finish, so Ralphie still has to be on his drag line, but it is already 100x better because I don't have to check the sidewalk all the time to see if people are coming sine that section is done, but missing a gate. We just put some boards over it for now. Only bad thing is now Ralphie barks when he hears people on the other side of the fence. I had it so he mostly ignored passerby, but now he's super interested in them again. I imagine it will take a week or so for him to figure out he doesn't need to make noise every time he hears a noise.


----------



## sydneynicole

We're house sitting/dog-parrot-rabbit sitting for my aunt. 

Oliver, who has been totally non destructive/past the puppy destroys everything stage for months now, ATE A WALL. I thought he was eating his turkey neck I just gave him, but no, he was chewing the wall. 

Ughh. Now I have to fix the wall, and I'm not especially handy.


----------



## Remaru

So the next chapter of "my negligent neighbors". These are the same neighbors who had the lab puppy who constantly got into my yard and then eventually just disappeared. Then they had the Aussie mix last year who I thought they were actually taking care of, until he hit 6months and they dumped him in the yard then he hit about 1year and he also disappeared (to turn up on our local shelter facebook page as being found stray with an embedded collar and no where near our neighborhood....hmmmm....). Well they have another puppy. I haven't seen it yet, hubby saw the kids with it this weekend, he says it is a GSD mix. I woke up to it screaming this morning. I do think they are still keeping it in the house at least part time but it was out in the yard (and had slipped into another neighbor's yard, off to a great start already) and it is only a matter of time before they have abandoned it full time. Why do they keep getting dogs?


----------



## Crantastic

Ugh. They're probably just going to keep trying until they get a magical dog that trains itself. They probably think that's how a dog should be and that they keep ending up with duds.


----------



## Remaru

It is really weird, with the last puppy they brought in a trainer and everything. They kept the puppy in the house for the first 6months, I thought they were actually going to be sort of responsible pet owners, then out he went. I think the mom doesn't actually want a dog (I get the impression she is actually afraid of dogs) but the kids do so the dad keeps bringing home puppies. Then the puppy goes into the yard so she doesn't have to deal with it/be afraid of it (because of course he isn't actually the one at home) and when it starts escaping all of the time (because they don't ever bother fixing their fence or doing much with the dog) he gets rid of it. Then the kids want another dog so he brings another home. That is just the impression I get though. Whenever I return a dog to them she acts very afraid, and she always stays far away from my dogs even if they aren't doing anything. I don't think the puppy has been inside at all today, so things don't look very promising. I told hubby this time I will just take it straight to the shelter the first time I see it out of the yard. Our shelter does a great job getting dogs adopted and puppies go really fast. Better the little guy gets a good home now.


----------



## Lillith

Remaru said:


> It is really weird, with the last puppy they brought in a trainer and everything. They kept the puppy in the house for the first 6months, I thought they were actually going to be sort of responsible pet owners, then out he went. I think the mom doesn't actually want a dog (I get the impression she is actually afraid of dogs) but the kids do so the dad keeps bringing home puppies. Then the puppy goes into the yard so she doesn't have to deal with it/be afraid of it (because of course he isn't actually the one at home) and when it starts escaping all of the time (because they don't ever bother fixing their fence or doing much with the dog) he gets rid of it. Then the kids want another dog so he brings another home. That is just the impression I get though. Whenever I return a dog to them she acts very afraid, and she always stays far away from my dogs even if they aren't doing anything. I don't think the puppy has been inside at all today, so things don't look very promising. I told hubby this time I will just take it straight to the shelter the first time I see it out of the yard. Our shelter does a great job getting dogs adopted and puppies go really fast. Better the little guy gets a good home now.


How sad. My dad was telling me about when he was younger they had a neighbor girl who really wanted a puppy. So her dad brought her a puppy, but when the puppy got older and wasn't as cute anymore the girl wasn't interested, so the dad took the pup out back and shot it. He wasn't even secretive about it and told a neighbor what he did. Small town, so word got around, anyway. Dad got girl another puppy, same thing happened. This apparently went on for a few years with puppies coming home and disappearing. The dad didn't go and tell his neighbor after the story got spread the first time, but everybody knew what was going on when their dog went away one day and a new cute puppy came home the next.


----------



## Crantastic

I don't know who to hate more, the dad or his idiot daughter.


----------



## Lillith

The fence is complete! It's so awesome to see Ralphie galloping around the yard without having to drag his 30 ft. leash! We stained our deck today, too, so we have to wait until Sunday night to walk on it, which means we still have to take him out the garage for potty breaks, but I still love it! When I'm gardening Ralphie can choose wherever he wants to lay instead of having to stay near me and get tangled up in flower pots and whatnot. I was super tired tonight after staining the deck, so it was wonderful to be able to sit in a chair with a glass of water and throw Ralphie's toy for him to tire him out!


----------



## sydneynicole

Annoyed with my vet at the moment and likely will not be back. Going to try a different one in the area that I've heard good things about. 
Basically I don't particularly like any of the vets, haven't been impressed with their ability to diagnose anything, etc. Oliver had a full exam done at the humane society when I got him, so I waited 6 months to bring him in for another check up and heart worm check. The vet basically told me I'm irresponsible because I've opted to do titers verses a zillion vaccinations a year, and that I'm not neutering him just yet. Warned me that male dogs will pee in the house if not neutered and become territorial which just seemed like a very old school, generalized statement. Was also displeased with what we got (didn't get) as a physical exam, but I'll be making a separate thread about that.


----------



## Aussie27

sydneynicole said:


> Annoyed with my vet at the moment and likely will not be back. Going to try a different one in the area that I've heard good things about.
> Basically I don't particularly like any of the vets, haven't been impressed with their ability to diagnose anything, etc. Oliver had a full exam done at the humane society when I got him, so I waited 6 months to bring him in for another check up and heart worm check. The vet basically told me I'm irresponsible because I've opted to do titers verses a zillion vaccinations a year, and that I'm not neutering him just yet. Warned me that male dogs will pee in the house if not neutered and become territorial which just seemed like a very old school, generalized statement. Was also displeased with what we got (didn't get) as a physical exam, but I'll be making a separate thread about that.


I hope you'll like this new vet better! Our old vet was extremely old school, which is why I switched vets when I got Cali. I was nervous at Cali's vet appointment the other day when it came to sharing that I switched her to raw, since I wasn't too sure about the vet's opinion on it. Fortunately, she was thrilled when I mentioned it and was happy to give me some advice on it.

Also have began to realize that Cali isn't as reactive with other dogs as I was beginning to think. I think it's been more to do with the other dog's manners and size. We met up with a toy poodle the other day, who was 11 and very quiet/polite and Cali loved him. She was super friendly towards him and didn't growl at all. She was also super friendly when we ran into her pet sitter's daughter's dog and was excited to say hi. Cali does still need work on not barking when someone yells across the road to me though, so that'll be something for us to work on.


----------



## sydneynicole

Aussie27 said:


> I hope you'll like this new vet better! Our old vet was extremely old school, which is why I switched vets when I got Cali. I was nervous at Cali's vet appointment the other day when it came to sharing that I switched her to raw, since I wasn't too sure about the vet's opinion on it. Fortunately, she was thrilled when I mentioned it and was happy to give me some advice on it.


Thanks! That gives me hope lol. I didn't even bother telling my vet that I feed raw - first because she didn't even ask what I feed him, and second because I'm sure I'd get some speech about how it's dangerous and blah blah. He ended up needing meds and some follow ups after this exam, so I'm going to stay with them to treat this issue, then we'll be heading over to the new vet for his next exam in winter. 


Yet another rant... my fiance signed us up for another dog. Someone where she works needs to rehome a 4 year old Havanese and she apparently agreed to meet the dog today. So we're heading out to meet this dog and see if Oliver gets along with him. I don't really want another dog right now, and it's definitely not a breed I've ever been interested, but we'll see. If anything, I shouldn't have a hard time finding him a home with people I know.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

UPS has decided it will accept items up to 140lbs... UPS People HATE YOU for having to deal with over sized heavy items and take it out on your package... Twice now my 110 purchase has been so completely distroy'd in transit for UPS to make the decision to send it back to the company as undelivered before the package even reaches close to being delivered to me... When i see that it has been turned around i call the company and they are again going to resend another one for the 3rd time.. I wonder how many times they will allow this to go on before someone decides they should do it differently.


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## Aussie27

I figure that other dog people can understand better than my friends can, but I ran into a couple tonight who were travelling from another province and they had not one, but two papillons! I really wish I had Cali with me at the time because she hasn't seen another papillon since she was under a year old. They're a super uncommon breed here and I've only run into a couple of people who even know what they are. I was super excited to see other papillons!


----------



## Crantastic

Come to PEI, haha. Nobody even pays attention to Crystal anymore because there are so many papillons around. Very few people ask what breed she is nowadays. That's what happens when there are several good show breeders on the island, I suppose!


----------



## Pasarella

Miracles happen. Mimi is going to be the only smooth dachshund in the show next weekend. This has never happened before. Hope we return with 2 x BOB and hopefully a place in the Best in group contest. So excited! Want new ribbons and cups


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

BLERGH ... why is it that every time I plan something cool to do with my dog, it freaking RAINS  it literally doesnt rain all week and I schedule a dock diving lesson (because the place in dallas is like 2 hours from where we live one way, and this place is only 40 min away) and it rains all week ... in summer ... which is supposed to be our dry season ... wtf???


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Had a feeling it was about to happen .... My vet is closing practice can't afford to stay in practice.. .. took J in for her dental check up and got the official news. Felt something wasn't right when she kept having reasons not to spay Adele,, and then no longer doing x rays when Abhik got hurt. then giving me a vet webstore address to order from instead of getting it from her? Am sad,, to have to go through looking again... Haven't tried one vet in the next town. And then that's my last option.. that is near by.


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## CptJack

This is why you Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. At least THIS dog.

(Yes. She's pink. It's food coloring. It'll be gone in a couple/few days.)


----------



## Jen2010

Pepper was missing this morning for almost an hour! She must have snuck out the gate when I stepped in the house just for a second and didn't latch the gate. I didn't notice for about 10 minutes until I went back inside and called the dogs to come, but only Kane was there. I checked the neighbour's yard (they leave cat food on their deck) but she wasn't there. I checked the other neighbour's yard that's directly behind our house but couldn't see or hear her. I went up and down the street a couple of times, thinking she would just be close by, eating something or engrossed in sniffing something, but I couldn't find her. Checked both neighbour's yards again, but nothing.

I had taken the dogs for a walk this morning so I retraced our route thinking she would be there somewhere, but no. I got almost all the way back home and a guy who I had asked earlier if he had seen her, was standing on the sidewalk with Pepper! He has spotted her in the neighbour's yard behind our house and managed to get her out onto the sidewalk just as I showed up. She wasn't wearing her collar so I'm sure it wasn't easy. I called her and she came racing over to me as if she hadn't seen me in months! I was so relieved! I thanked the guy several times and he said when he was trying to coax her to him, she actually jumped the fence back into our own yard! I took her home anyway and then had to race around trying to get ready for work; I ended up being only 5 minutes late.

That's the longest one of my dogs has ever been gone before. It's not a nice feeling at all; I'm so glad she was found safe and sound (and right close to home as I suspected she would be).


----------



## elrohwen

That's terrifying! I'm so glad she you found her safe and sound!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Jen am so happy for you and pepper.. awful feeling of trying to hold down that empty pit in your stomach so you can stay focus and not panic in these situations... i know you said it was the gate this time .. since she can jump the fence you might try some simple pvc pipe and cable for a home made coyote roller... especially if there is one area that she is attracted too.. Just glad she is home...


----------



## PatriciafromCO

CptJack said:


> This is why you Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. At least THIS dog.
> 
> (Yes. She's pink. It's food coloring. It'll be gone in a couple/few days.)


 lol lol lol was thinking maybe she not like the pink lol lol lol .. What would Arka look like if I had him dy'ed like a panda bear lol lol lol ...


----------



## Jen2010

> That's terrifying! I'm so glad she you found her safe and sound!


 Thank you!



> Jen am so happy for you and pepper.. awful feeling of trying to hold down that empty pit in your stomach so you can stay focus and not panic in these situations... i know you said it was the gate this time .. since she can jump the fence you might try some simple pvc pipe and cable for a home made coyote roller... especially if there is one area that she is attracted too.. Just glad she is home...


 Thank you! Yes, there is a section of fence that is low enough to jump over. It's going to be replaced next year. We had chicken wire along the top, but it's come down now too. Will have to fix it again.


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## sydneynicole

Just found out my parents are getting two puppies. So many problems with this. Firstly they're from the same litter. They're large breed dogs and they can't even afford the two dogs that they have right now (I take care of the two dogs they have currently). I really don't think my parents should have dogs at all. They don't bring them to the vet unless they are severely ill (no check ups, only brought to a clinic for a rabies shot every 3 years), they feed whatever is the cheapest thing they can find, they don't walk them at all, they use very negative training methods and create dogs that are completely shut down. 

I'll likely have to take a step back and stop caring for Grace and Maya, because I know they will insist of free feeding puppy chow to the puppies (even though I would offer to feed a higher quality puppy food in two meals a day like I do for the other dogs). So Grace and Maya will be back to being free fed Alpo, which they did so poorly on in the past. It's pretty heart breaking because I spent so much time with Grace and Maya, retraining them so that they actually liked to learn and finding a more appropriate food that improved their physical condition and energy levels SO MUCH and now I have to watch them go right back to dull, lifeless, obese dogs. It definitely puts a strain on my already paper thin relationship with my parents. We've been round and round with this before and they know that I don't support them having two more puppies. They're set in stone about it though, there's nothing I can do. I think I would support them having ONE medium sized dog at a time, not 4 large breed dogs - two of which are seniors that they cannot afford to give proper care as they get old-dog ailments in the first place. 

Feeling really frustrated, angry, down, etc. Ugh. Life.


----------



## Lillith

sydneynicole said:


> Just found out my parents are getting two puppies. So many problems with this. Firstly they're from the same litter. They're large breed dogs and they can't even afford the two dogs that they have right now (I take care of the two dogs they have currently). I really don't think my parents should have dogs at all. They don't bring them to the vet unless they are severely ill (no check ups, only brought to a clinic for a rabies shot every 3 years), they feed whatever is the cheapest thing they can find, they don't walk them at all, they use very negative training methods and create dogs that are completely shut down.
> 
> I'll likely have to take a step back and stop caring for Grace and Maya, because I know they will insist of free feeding puppy chow to the puppies (even though I would offer to feed a higher quality puppy food in two meals a day like I do for the other dogs). So Grace and Maya will be back to being free fed Alpo, which they did so poorly on in the past. It's pretty heart breaking because I spent so much time with Grace and Maya, retraining them so that they actually liked to learn and finding a more appropriate food that improved their physical condition and energy levels SO MUCH and now I have to watch them go right back to dull, lifeless, obese dogs. It definitely puts a strain on my already paper thin relationship with my parents. We've been round and round with this before and they know that I don't support them having two more puppies. They're set in stone about it though, there's nothing I can do. I think I would support them having ONE medium sized dog at a time, not 4 large breed dogs - two of which are seniors that they cannot afford to give proper care as they get old-dog ailments in the first place.
> 
> Feeling really frustrated, angry, down, etc. Ugh. Life.


That sucks. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. We can't tell people how to raise their dogs, even if they're doing it badly, and it's even worse when it's a relative.


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## CptJack

I feel like Molly should've come with a warning sticker that said 'No self-preservation: You will spend your life's savings at the vet.'


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## sydneynicole

Lillith said:


> That sucks. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. We can't tell people how to raise their dogs, even if they're doing it badly, and it's even worse when it's a relative.


I know that there are worse dog owners out there - the dogs will be indoor dogs, they have a large yard that they can go out in whenever they ask to be let out, and my parents will occasionally buy chews (albeit some sugar/dye filled rawhides, but whatever) and my father will play with them to an extent. And even though right now I'm mad and frustrated I will still order them chews and buy them cans from time to time as a treat and see if my parents will at least let me buy them Sportsmix. Better than Alpo, at least. So I try and keep it in perspective, but it's still a crappy, frustrating situation. And you're right, definitely worse with it being my parents than say, a coworker or a friend who I don't have to deal with regularly. I can just forget about a coworker's dogs, but I can't forget about these dogs.


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## Aussie27

Sydneynicole, I can relate a bit with my dad's dog. On one hand, he does go to the vet regularly since he has an eye issue, but on the other hand, he has a complete lack of training and poor socialization with strange dogs. I take him for walks when I visit and he's a nightmare... he's easily 80lbs and pulls. I've tried training him out of it, but I only see him once in a blue moon so it hasn't worked. Plus he's also on a low budget food which bothers me. I buy him bully sticks and give him the larger beef bones from Cali's bags.

On a more positive note, Cali had the best interaction with kids today. I always bring her to the tennis court to play fetch, which is right by the pool at which I work, and today I got pestered into bringing her into the pool hut to hangout with the kids. They were all super gentle, and Cali was happy to sit on their laps and give kisses. Then, since they were doing so well with her, I let them all take her around outside on the leash and they ran around with her... being careful not to yank her leash or step on her. After we gave her a rest, we took her to the tennis court and they all threw the ball around for her. So, all in all, a very positive experience that I hope will help us work towards not being scared of kids.


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## MosinMom91

Random story time!

My dogs Mosin (CO) and Bailey (Catahoula) regularly come with me to our friend's riverfront property. It's summertime in Illinois and some days if you aren't in AC or in water the humidity will about kill you. There's a beach, and a few picnic tables right next to the town's boat launch and most of our friends bring their dogs and hang out for the evening. The dogs in attendance are usually great danes and yellow labs. Mosin is socialized very well with all the dogs, and even does okay with strangers coming to the shore as long as I am okay with them. He does not do well with drunks or random people walking up to me when he is further down the beach, but that's his nature and I'm perfectly okay with that. He has never gotten aggressive, just wary.

So the other night we are at the beach and it's getting dark so we are getting ready to pack up when a random boat cuts off the engine and starts drifting toward our shore. No one in attendance knows these people. They're in a wide bottom john boat, like a hunting boat, and have a large lab with them that no one recognizes. Needless to say, Mosin was having none of that. Before I could stop him, as I was about twenty feet away, he took off at a dead sprint and leaped into the river to swim out to the boat. 

CO's are not made for swimming. Mo does plenty of wading, but his fur weighs him down in long distance swims. Luckily we have a good recall and I got him back to me, but I had a good chuckle trying to figure out what in the hell he thought he was going to do when he got to the boat.

The kicker? The guys were guying to sell sweet corn. Out of their boat. At random spots on the river.

Only in central Illinois....


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie decided that he didn't like someone yesterday. He has always been wary of some men, typically tall men with lots of facial hair. One of my husband's friends came over last night and Ralphie just....hated him. I told the man to ignore him and he's usually in fine after a few minutes, but nope. Whole night he hated him. He was find as long as the person stayed seated, but if he got up he just exploded, barking and growling and his hackles went up. This person is very soft-spoken, kind, and was very respectful of Ralphie, never even looking at him most of the time. But Ralphie just did not like him.

I wonder if it has anything to do with Ralphie never actually seeing him walk into the house? Ralphie was outside on a potty break, and when he came back in the man was sitting at our table. He's never had a problem with strangers, no matter what size, shape, or level of hairiness, walking into our house before, or even the yard. Even people we meet on walks who he doesn't trust he usually decides they are ok after a few seconds. But the whole night Ralphie was on edge and stuck to me like glue. He was certainly over-tired that day, because we've had company all weekend (another tall man without facial hair who he is practically obsessed with) and he absolutely would not nap because he wanted to play with his new friend.

I probably could have worked with him and he would have been fine, but I was so sick and tired last night I fell asleep on the couch and was barely woken by Ralphie's explosive barking. Yeah, but anyways, on our walk this morning we encounter all levels of distractions and he barely paid any mind, except for a lady who popped up from behind a car that he got startled by, but he quickly recovered after nothing but a low growl and followed me along.


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## Aussie27

Dogs are the best medicine. Long story short, came home crying and just seeing Cali run down the stairs to greet me forced a little smile on my face. I'll probably take her out to play ball in a bit just to get my mind off of things... and because she needs some playtime.


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## sydneynicole

I was in the McDonalds drive through line today at about 1pm. It's 104 degrees here and not a cloud in the sky. Some guy has his dog outside of the car, standing on the hot pavement while he sat in the cargo area. It was a ridgeback, so I thought well, African dog, MAYBE his paw pads are tough enough that it isn't bothering him. But my gut was right, as I watched I saw the dog shifting his weight from paw to paw and looking antsy, wanting to get back into the car. Which is understandable since they say that asphalt in direct sun can get to 143 degrees when it's only 87 out, and it was nearly 20 degrees hotter today. 

I was so mad, obviously. I felt like telling him to take off his shoes and stand barefoot on the pavement and see how it felt to him, among other things I won't mention here. Luckily my girlfriend was in the car with me because I probably would have gotten myself into trouble if I had said anything to the guy. Considered calling animal control but the chances of getting anyone out there were slim to none on a Sunday afternoon for something non emergent.


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## PatriciafromCO

MosinMom91 said:


> Random story time!
> 
> My dogs Mosin (CO) and Bailey (Catahoula) regularly come with me to our friend's riverfront property. It's summertime in Illinois and some days if you aren't in AC or in water the humidity will about kill you. There's a beach, and a few picnic tables right next to the town's boat launch and most of our friends bring their dogs and hang out for the evening. The dogs in attendance are usually great danes and yellow labs. Mosin is socialized very well with all the dogs, and even does okay with strangers coming to the shore as long as I am okay with them. He does not do well with drunks or random people walking up to me when he is further down the beach, but that's his nature and I'm perfectly okay with that. He has never gotten aggressive, just wary.
> 
> So the other night we are at the beach and it's getting dark so we are getting ready to pack up when a random boat cuts off the engine and starts drifting toward our shore. No one in attendance knows these people. They're in a wide bottom john boat, like a hunting boat, and have a large lab with them that no one recognizes. Needless to say, Mosin was having none of that. Before I could stop him, as I was about twenty feet away, he took off at a dead sprint and leaped into the river to swim out to the boat.
> 
> CO's are not made for swimming. Mo does plenty of wading, but his fur weighs him down in long distance swims. Luckily we have a good recall and I got him back to me, but I had a good chuckle trying to figure out what in the hell he thought he was going to do when he got to the boat.
> 
> The kicker? The guys were guying to sell sweet corn. Out of their boat. At random spots on the river.
> 
> Only in central Illinois....


do hope this was a glimpse of future reality for caution with a CO loose in public.. he is still such a baby right now .. eventually he will mature into himself and being a CO and you may not realize he has. you will never control the innocence and stupidity of others you accidentally and randomly encounter when you don't expect it.


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## MosinMom91

There is nothing I hate more than people who don't understand that dogs don't wear shoes and that heat is HOT on their feet.

On the flip side, I was confronted by a lady the other day whilst traveling with three dogs. I have a large crossover type SUV that I can drop the seats down in, so they all have comfy traveling room. And yes, I realize it is summer and dogs can not handle the heat in a car. That is why they have a rear air conditioner just for them, and a window lock so they can not roll down any windows and let the cool air out. And I stopped at a gas station to run inside and pay for my fuel and by the time I came out a lady was waiting by my car for me to berate me about traveling with dogs in my car in the summer heat. I thought the lady was going to smash my window, she was that mad. There is a difference between neglecting an animal and them being in real danger, and the animals in question traveling with me with zero anxiety or danger in sight. They were listening to Foreigner and patiently waiting for me to return to the ice box that was my car. 

People are dumb, end of story.


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## MosinMom91

PatriciafromCO said:


> do hope this was a glimpse of future reality for caution with a CO loose in public.. he is still such a baby right now .. eventually he will mature into himself and being a CO and you may not realize he has. you will never control the innocence and stupidity of others you accidentally and randomly encounter when you don't expect it.


Yes, because it is an isolated area I usually do not have to worry about it so much. And he is a very well socialized and obedient boy when it comes to those I introduce him to. In the future I will just have to be more diligent with him and meeting strangers. I understand that he is not a "happy go lucky" type of dog that will just accept anyone into his area, and we are adjusting accordingly. That being said, he is also constantly introduced to different types of people and animals, and has learned that when I tell him to leave it, he leaves it. It is a constant work in progress that I am constantly adjusting with.


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## PatriciafromCO

MosinMom91 said:


> Yes, because it is an isolated area I usually do not have to worry about it so much. And he is a very well socialized and obedient boy when it comes to those I introduce him to. In the future I will just have to be more diligent with him and meeting strangers. I understand that he is not a "happy go lucky" type of dog that will just accept anyone into his area, and we are adjusting accordingly. That being said, he is also constantly introduced to different types of people and animals, and has learned that when I tell him to leave it, he leaves it. It is a constant work in progress that I am constantly adjusting with.


agree the puppy bliss stage is perfect to appreciate it, and commend you for being active with him.. Just don't be shocked.. when it means nothing in a split instant that everything is ok until is isn't ok to them.. They are really fast... Arka was clocked at over 50 ft traveled in .02 seconds.. and he had been sleeping sprawled out on the ground for over an hour in the same spot before someone pulled up to my main locked gate at the road to turn around. Really fast.. Arka had known my farrier since he was a wee pup, adored him, happy to see him. I'm hanging out with all my dogs and Arka on the other side of the 5ft barrier in the barn as my Farrier was doing the horses.. Same thing every couple of months.. my farrier gathers up hoof trim to give to all the dogs they happy go lay down and enjoy their treats.. Arka at the back side of the barn .. My one horse wanted to put his back leg down and my farrier wasn't going to let him do it and the horse started to struggle. Thank goodness for a 5ft barrier to break the out come of Arka not happy with anyone hurting his horse..... He was fast and was going over that 5ft barrier ... I don't want you to be shocked... that friends are not family and everything is ok until it isn't to them..


----------



## MosinMom91

PatriciafromCO said:


> agree the puppy bliss stage is perfect to appreciate it, and commend you for being active with him.. Just don't be shocked.. when it means nothing in a split instant that everything is ok until is isn't ok to them..


Wouldn't be shocked at all. I didn't get Mo because I wanted a "big fluffy guard dog" and he happened to pop up. I read a few books and did a lot of research and spoke with the breeder several times before I chose him, and I realize that all the training in the world isn't going to keep him from being what he was bred to be. That being said, because he is young and happier and easier to control I am taking full advantage of him learning that he will meet new people and new dogs and they will come to our house. It's going to happen. We aren't completely isolated, and he is going to run into other people often. So, that's why he gets taken into public a lot NOW. Not that I plan on being lax with him LATER. For the record, I didn't post the story because I was shocked at his behavior. I thought it funny that he immediately jumped into the river and was willing to take on a big old boat, and there was no harm done because he immediately realized the error of jumping into deep water and came back to me when called. And I thought it ridiculous that those weirdos were selling sweet corn on the river out of a boat. It's like selling meat out of the back of a trunk door to door. Just odd.


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## PatriciafromCO

i appreciate it, it's hard to tell if people understand what they truly have, when you have a pup who really loves and enjoys life as much as they do young..


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## MosinMom91

Nope, I understand completely that I have a ticking time bomb on my hands. But I love him anyway, the goofball. And I appreciate being able to hear from someone else with a lot of experience with them. If/when I do run into problems in the future with my big lug, I know who to turn to!


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## CptJack

Kylie went to a... dog thing today. I don't even know what to call it. Vendors, set ups from trainers and clubs and the like, held at a winery. She was remarkably good, even sat in my friends lap and licked her. That was wild. What was more wild was that she did tricks and played some disc with a 6-7 year old kid. Weirdness.


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## MosinMom91

Small Rant. 

I work in an office type setting in the middle of a plant. It's just me in the office, so sometimes on a weekend I will bring my CO with me to hang out for a while. I am not the first person to bring their dog to work here. In fact I can name five or six other people off the top of my head that have brought a dog in in the last month. But I got a complaint and a warning that if I were to bring him with me again I could get in big trouble. Nothing in the handbook against it, and while I can certainly understand if they think it's a safety concern I don't understand why I got singled out. 

Poor Mo is just the subject of discrimination against big breeds, I'm thinking. LOL


----------



## Jen2010

> I work in an office type setting in the middle of a plant. It's just me in the office, so sometimes on a weekend I will bring my CO with me to hang out for a while. I am not the first person to bring their dog to work here. In fact I can name five or six other people off the top of my head that have brought a dog in in the last month. But I got a complaint and a warning that if I were to bring him with me again I could get in big trouble. Nothing in the handbook against it, and while I can certainly understand if they think it's a safety concern I don't understand why I got singled out.
> 
> Poor Mo is just the subject of discrimination against big breeds, I'm thinking. LOL


 That's really too bad you can't bring him in anymore :-( Someone with a chip on their shoulder must have complained.


----------



## Willowy

Finn likes to chew. I've tried all the chewies and he likes rawhide best. It's the only thing he'll gladly chew that isn't all my stuff. (Yes, I'm aware of the possible risks of rawhide. I feel like it's better than eating something entirely non-edible at least). And Suri also loves rawhides. So yay! But Suri is allergic to beef and now her feet are getting red and itchy. So boo . Argh, just can't win.


----------



## Sandakat

Small, pathetic whine.... I am really not enjoying being dogless. There's a whole chunk of my life that's missing now. I went for a hike yesterday in a pretty area by my house but it was like there was something missing. What's a hike without a dog?

feh


----------



## sydneynicole

Sandakat said:


> What's a hike without a dog?


That's sad Sandakat, I'm sorry. I can't imagine that empty feeling - I haven't gone hiking without a dog in... forever. Are you planning to get another dog?


----------



## MosinMom91

Sandakat said:


> Small, pathetic whine.... I am really not enjoying being dogless. There's a whole chunk of my life that's missing now. I went for a hike yesterday in a pretty area by my house but it was like there was something missing. What's a hike without a dog?
> 
> feh


That's very sad, and I'm sorry you're going through this. In my very early twenties I moved into town with a couple of roommates to enjoy the "freedom" of being away from my parents. Unfortunately, the house I moved to did not accept pets and it was a whole year of agony for me. My dogs lived with my parents, and I could still visit, but it wasn't the same as having them with me. As soon as the lease was up I found a home that I could have them in, because everyday activities just weren't the same without the heartbeat at my feet. Do you plan on getting another dog soon?


----------



## Sandakat

sydneynicole said:


> That's sad Sandakat, I'm sorry. I can't imagine that empty feeling - I haven't gone hiking without a dog in... forever. Are you planning to get another dog?


I've got a deposit down for a Beauceron puppy. The breeder is planning a fall breeding and another breeding next summer. I had originally planned for one of the summer pups but I think I'm going to try to talk my wife into getting one of the fall puppies. But that's still a long ways away. I know it will get better with time, but it just kind of sucks right now.


----------



## Wet Beards

Fingers crossed for you Sandakat for a fall puppy. 

What was I thinking, playing hide and seek in the tall grain 
with 3 wolfhounds. 
Stupid, stupid, stupid.


----------



## Sandakat

Wet Beards said:


> Fingers crossed for you Sandakat for a fall puppy.
> 
> What was I thinking, playing hide and seek in the tall grain
> with 3 wolfhounds.
> Stupid, stupid, stupid.


I take it they won. lol

Thanks for the good wishes.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Sandakat said:


> Small, pathetic whine.... I am really not enjoying being dogless. There's a whole chunk of my life that's missing now. I went for a hike yesterday in a pretty area by my house but it was like there was something missing. What's a hike without a dog?
> 
> feh


Sending you a huge huge huge HUG....... There is a whole area of the property I have avoided for years because it was a the fun let loose crazy place to bring all the dogs to just kick loose while sitting with the goats while they grazed.. can't go there with everyone gone... (so right there with you <3)


----------



## Pasarella

So Mimi just stole butter from table. I'm shocked. She just had eaten her dinner, I left her in the kitchen eating bone. Suddenly I hear noise like somebody is in some kind of papers or plastic bags, so I go check out what is happening. And there she is, with 200g butter on the floor and eating it. She looked at me and continued like it was absolutely normal thing she was doing. This is not the first time someone steels butter, but I was thinking it was Moka, because she has been steeling stuff when she was younger. It turns out Moka only gets the paper from the butter (she was licking it). And I was wondering why Mimi is getting fat all the time!


----------



## crysania

Pasarella said:


> So Mimi just stole butter from table. I'm shocked. She just had eaten her dinner, I left her in the kitchen eating bone. Suddenly I hear noise like somebody is in some kind of papers or plastic bags, so I go check out what is happening. And there she is, with 200g butter on the floor and eating it. She looked at me and continued like it was absolutely normal thing she was doing. This is not the first time someone steels butter, but I was thinking it was Moka, because she has been steeling stuff when she was younger. It turns out Moka only gets the paper from the butter (she was licking it). And I was wondering why Mimi is getting fat all the time!


Ha! Dogs and their butter stealing ways. Dahlia was so intent on stealing the butter that her tag says "butter thief." Of course, she rarely ate it. Instead she HID it. Usually under my pillow.


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## Wirehairedvizslalove

arghhh I found a couple hundred ticks on my dog back in May, so I decided to wait a few months to get bloodwork done for bloodborne tick diseases just in case...The good news: It came out negative for all tick diseases, The negative: I just blew $200.00 at the vet...oh well, at least I have an answer and hes NOT SICK!


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## sydneynicole

I get Oliver's raw food from a small company that drives a delivery route from Maryland to Connecticut every other Saturday. Anyways, I've gotten to know the group of people from my area, we all chat and the dogs goof around while we wait for the delivery truck to arrive. Today a new person joined the group - I was in the car with Oliver and she saw us, smiled and waved. It wasn't until I waved back that I realized she was smiling and waving at Oliver, not me. That made me smile lol. I love dog people.


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## Wirehairedvizslalove

sydneynicole said:


> I get Oliver's raw food from a small company that drives a delivery route from Maryland to Connecticut every other Saturday. Anyways, I've gotten to know the group of people from my area, we all chat and the dogs goof around while we wait for the delivery truck to arrive. Today a new person joined the group - I was in the car with Oliver and she saw us, smiled and waved. It wasn't until I waved back that I realized she was smiling and waving at Oliver, not me. That made me smile lol. I love dog people.


Top quality dog food?! If so, that is who I get my meat from! They are great, the selection and prices are amazing.


----------



## sydneynicole

Wirehairedvizslalove said:


> Top quality dog food?! If so, that is who I get my meat from! They are great, the selection and prices are amazing.


Yes! I love them. I'm so thankful I found them. It was a struggle before I learned about them to find a good selection at an affordable price. I just got a whole month's worth of meat for Oli for 30 bucks, and the majority of it was from grass fed animals. They have basically anything you could want in a raw diet and awesome treats as well. That's cool that you use them too!


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## Sandakat

I'm so happy! My wife brought it up on her own that we should get a fall puppy instead of waiting until next summer. I was prepared to go Full Pitiful, but I didn't have to do anything. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that one of the 2 planned breedings takes.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Sandakat said:


> I'm so happy! My wife brought it up on her own that we should get a fall puppy instead of waiting until next summer. I was prepared to go Full Pitiful, but I didn't have to do anything. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that one of the 2 planned breedings takes.


That is awesome !!!!!!!! sending good thoughts...

Whats up here;;;;;;; did my first chicken butcher this morning for the dogs morning meals.. it always disturbs me that my home grown chickens are nice and meaty.. but they will never look like the freaken-stines that you buy in the stores.. i see that you tube video over and over again in my head of all the butchered chickens on the convayer belts and stopping at the injectors what blow the chickens up to those huge sizes. we see in the super market.. Always makes me uncomfortably for how weird our perceptions of food have become.. 

Dogs were happy for their meals.. makes me laugh that 3% of Arka's body weight for daily meals is 5lbs a day, which is a full chicken, which isn't bad and 1,800 lbs a year lol lol lol ... food for thought..


----------



## CptJack

She's so stressed by having her feet handled (I was clipping her fur paws). Clearly.


----------



## Kyllobernese

My big rant for today is why don't people put tags or some sort of ID on their dogs? I was driving home today and saw a Chinese Crested little dog walking along the edge of the road. I stopped as that is not a usual dog to find wandering around here. He had a red martingale collar on him but no ID. I phoned up our local Vet to see if they would recognize the dog as I am sure there are not that many of that breed around. Also, so I could let them know that I had found him in case someone inquired.

I posted it on Facebook and tried to get hold of the SPCA but we don't have a shelter in our area, volunteers will phone back but haven't yet. I am sure someone has to be looking for this dog. He is in good shape, neutered and very friendly. He jumped right into the Van when I stopped. If I don't hear anything by tonight I will see if they can scan him for a microchip but not sure they have a reader at our local Vet.


----------



## Pomom

That's gotta be frustrating. Someone may be crying for him tonight and kicking themselves for not putting tags on him. Maybe try looking to see if someone posted a lost crested on Craigslist? An acquaintance of mine ended up with a dog this way. I am glad you are putting so much effort into finding his people.


----------



## Kyllobernese

They finally saw my Facebook post and phoned me up. I had just spoken to the SPCA before they phoned. They were worried that someone might try and claim the dog when it wasn't theirs. I had just hung up when they phoned that they had lost the dog. They described him and when I carried him down to my gate, he heard their voices before he saw them and you could tell it was his people. They had just moved up here three weeks ago. This was the second time he had gotten out and when I caught him he was heading away from their place. They said they were putting up chicken wire so he couldn't get out but hadn't finished it. You would wonder why they left him loose before they had finished fixing their fence especially with a martingale collar on him that could have gotten hooked up on something quite easily as it was hanging down quite loosely


----------



## Prozax

It's so weird that people constantly ask me if I take Eli hunting. I mean, yes she is a hunting dog, and yes she gets to roam free and find pheasants but you know, without shooting them. Why are they so disappointed when I tell them that and say that it's a shame? 
I wonder if I had a pitbull would people ask me if I organize dog fights because that is what they were bred to do? 
Just a rant I guess, but it's irritating when strangers try to shame me for keeping her in the city and not taking her hunting..


----------



## MosinMom91

Prozax said:


> It's so weird that people constantly ask me if I take Eli hunting. I mean, yes she is a hunting dog, and yes she gets to roam free and find pheasants but you know, without shooting them. Why are they so disappointed when I tell them that and say that it's a shame?
> I wonder if I had a pitbull would people ask me if I organize dog fights because that is what they were bred to do?
> Just a rant I guess, but it's irritating when strangers try to shame me for keeping her in the city and not taking her hunting..


People always ask this about my Catahoulas. Neither one of them have a high prey drive and are actually pretty timid, so they "hunt" on our property as far as digging up ground squirrels and chasing rabbits and raccoons, but we don't hunt with them. And THAT'S OKAY. How many people own Labradors that have never taken them pheasant hunting? So many. But because people consider them a good family pet and not a hunting dog they don't get the question. 

I definitely work with my two as far as some nose work goes so they don't get out of practice, but that's enough "work" for them.


----------



## Kathyy

Ginger came to us with zero prey drive.
yesterday after 3 years with us she caught and ate her very first kill, a small lizard.
Now she's doing the Lassy thing and telling us there's something important outside we need to take care of right away.
Move something so she can get to a lizard.


----------



## BellaBallerina

Random story:

So, this morning at about five AM the hubs was getting a shower to go meet friends for golf a few hours away. I was sleeping like the rock I've always been, until I hear this squealing sound. 

I leapt from bed, heart racing in a full out panic thinking our dog had somehow managed to hurt himself in his crate... Then as I passed through the bedroom door in a sprint, it dawned on me that what I was hearing was the shower squeegee!!! :joy::joy:

I was relieved and totally embarrassed at the same time. I think that was the moment I also realized my days of sleeping like a rock are over. Ha.

Just wondering if anyone else has had moments like this with their first dog or even their third dog? (Please say yes lol)


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie has decided that the pillows on my outdoor furniture are giant toys. He doesn't chew them, just drags them around the yard and gives them the death shake, like he does his other stuffed toys. I will randomly find pillows in the middle of the yard after letting Ralphie hang out outside, I check on him every 10 minutes, yet he still finds a way to sneak them off the couch, so I started pretty much watching him like a hawk, but then he sees me watching and then just watches me back like "Gonna come play with me?" So this morning I was outside with him while I was cleaning the furniture. I had the pillows on the ground while I vacuumed the cushions. I thought Ralphie was chewing on his own toys in the grass, and I had my back to him. I stopped the vacuum, look up, and there is Ralphie galloping around the yard with a stolen pillow in his mouth, shaking it and having a grand old time. 

Dog. Why?


----------



## CptJack

...Get him a horse jolly ball. >.>


----------



## Lillith

CptJack said:


> ...Get him a horse jolly ball. >.>


He has one. He is not impressed because he cannot pick it up in shake it. He just gets angry and pounces on it until he backs it up against a fence or wall and then attempts to chew on it until he gets bored and then wanders off to steal my pillows. This takes about 5 minutes, lol.


----------



## CptJack

Lillith said:


> He has one. He is not impressed because he cannot pick it up in shake it. He just gets angry and pounces on it until he backs it up against a fence or wall and then attempts to chew on it until he gets bored and then wanders off to steal my pillows. This takes about 5 minutes, lol.


http://www.jefferspet.com/products/...all?sku=H7S1&gclid=CMTq6MXr5M4CFcNahgodqDoDVQ

I meant this kind. With a handle.

An okay, not necessarily scented though Molly really enjoyed that part


----------



## Lillith

CptJack said:


> http://www.jefferspet.com/products/...all?sku=H7S1&gclid=CMTq6MXr5M4CFcNahgodqDoDVQ
> 
> I meant this kind. With a handle.
> 
> An okay, not necessarily scented though Molly really enjoyed that part


Oh, he might like that! He has an Egg shaped one that one of our class instructors recommended.


----------



## Jen2010

Pepper lost her tags. AGAIN. She scratches at her collar and I guess the ring just pops off (or the tag breaks and comes off). Tag-less dog once again. Sigh.


----------



## gingerkid

When people say that dogs don't know the difference between treats and kibble, I want to yell at them that no everyone has a lab.


----------



## Lillith

Jen2010 said:


> Pepper lost her tags. AGAIN. She scratches at her collar and I guess the ring just pops off (or the tag breaks and comes off). Tag-less dog once again. Sigh.


Maybe its time for collar with a nameplate instead of dangling tags?


----------



## MosinMom91

Jen2010 said:


> Pepper lost her tags. AGAIN. She scratches at her collar and I guess the ring just pops off (or the tag breaks and comes off). Tag-less dog once again. Sigh.


I got these AWESOME Lord of the Rings based tags that said "Not all who wander are lost....except me". And within the first two weeks both dogs had lost them. Luckily, I found them after scoping the yard out, but I ended up having to switch to a collar that had the info on the side of the collar rather than the tags. They're fond of grabbing at tags when they are play fighting.


----------



## Jen2010

> I got these AWESOME Lord of the Rings based tags that said "Not all who wander are lost....except me". And within the first two weeks both dogs had lost them. Luckily, I found them after scoping the yard out, but I ended up having to switch to a collar that had the info on the side of the collar rather than the tags. They're fond of grabbing at tags when they are play fighting.


 I've seen that quote on tags online too, I like it


----------



## MosinMom91

Small rant:

I don't mind the questions I get about my CO when we go places or I post a picture of him on FB or something, but LORD do I hate it when people argue with me about the breed. I get that they are a little known breed in the US, but most people that have heard of them only know of them because of a stupid meme they've seen online or something. Biggest misconceptions I have had to argue with people about:

NO, they are not large enough to "ride into battle". They aren't even the biggest dog out there. They don't average 200 lbs or more. 200 is on the incredibly high end.
NO, they are not used to "hunt bears". They aren't a hunting dog. They have zero prey drive. Mo will certainly give chase on a coyote when it comes onto our property, but he is a guardian breed not a hunter. He defends, he doesn't seek out. I had an argument with one man who claimed to have watched a heavily edited video where they used a team of 3 to hunt a bear. I had a Rottweiler that used to chase and tree raccoons for us. It didn't make her a hunting dog and that wasn't her breed's purpose.
NO, they are not for everyone. I hate when people insist they want to get one because he's "just so fuzzy". People in general just don't seem to realize everything that goes into choosing the right breed for your lifestyle. My best friend's fiancee kept telling his brother in law that he needed to get one to protect his family. They had only ever owned a Golden Retriever before. But he insisted because Mosin was so well behaved that that's how the breed must all be. NO. Mosin is 8 months old and hasn't fully come into himself yet. 

Okay, rant over. I'll go back to cuddling with my bear hunting, saddle wearing family dog.


----------



## Kathyy

Just did a play/train session for pizza bones with the dogs. I was going for snappy simultaneous downs then tossing bits of crust in opposite directions so there was no doubt which bit was for which dog. They were embellishing. Bucky was doing a backwards crawl and Ginger was hopping backwards while in a down position. Did know backwards crawl is possible, did not know about backwards prone hopping. 

I mixed in a few sits without any hand movements and they did fine. Surprised me, I thought they quickly alternated between sit and down and were just guessing at what I wanted.


----------



## Miss Bugs

It occures to me that I have never introduced Molly Mae here yet lol. This is Molly Mae, she is an 8 year old blind Yorkie x JRT..though really she just looks like a really big Yorkie lol. Her situation is basically that a client of mine had a friend who had taken 2 dogs from a neglect situation, but didn't know anything about dogs, had never had any before etc.. It was a mom and daughter that took the dogs, but the mom is a busy person always out and involved in things and the daughter does contract work and is away for days at a time. They opted to keep the one dof because she was super chill, no interest in walks or anything, but Molly Mae is energetic and neefs walks and attention, and she is blind so needs a little extra help simetimes. We had recently lost 2 dogs in our home, so whrn my client mentioned it I asked for more info and said I was interested, my client enthusastically reccomended me to her friend, so I took her for a trial and she never left lol


----------



## Willowy

Aww, Molly Mae is cute! 

I just got my Wisdom panel for Finn's MDR1 testing. I was reading about all the tests, etc., and now I'm pretty sure Willow had Exercise-induced Collapse. She frequently collapsed when she played too hard. We always just thought it was heat exhaustion and that she played harder than the other dogs. But it's an actual Thing. Huh. That poor dog was a genetic train wreck.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

The """"" Industrial "Green House " """" people???? One of the workers has been using the front of my homestead property on the road to let loose his dog to follow his truck to the end of my property area and then pick the dog back up to leave the Colorado Buffalo Ranch area... My dogs aren't in the front of the property from the last time they went after the dogs.. Was unloading bird feed from my truck that is behind a roll off dumpster in the front property up by the house with Adele running loose. I paused because I heard the truck like it was just sitting in front of my horse barn in the blind spot on the road for a longer time then just driving pass.. It was the truck letting his dog loose on the road like he had been.. Guess he thought Adele was alone in the front yard with no one watching that he slowed down , close to a stop yelling at his dog to get around to the other side to see Adele. Nice to know my Dog is good dog bait opportunity to instigate a dog fight at the fence line.. start to stop his truck, pulling in to my drive way so they could fight it out at at my gate. Not seeing me walk out from behind the dumpster .. Then drove off to the Green House facility across the road after seeing me..

spent the last couple of months scaping enough money together to pay for another section of back property line fencing to get done. Fence people went down to see if was dry enough to get the strings and some post set. Found out the Green house people have been driving through the center of my property to get to their facility because the road is under water and not drying out from all the rains. My fence people barely made it through and were waiting hoping the road would dry so they could get back out. Green House guy came out and had some few choice words about me and the fence people putting up a fence cutting them off from driving through my land to get to their facility .. ????? Disturbed my fence people enough that they decided not only were they going to put up the back property line that I had the money for, but they were going to put up the fence along the road as well to the front property corner to stop them from driving though my land and I could pay what I could as I could for it.. So the fence people put up the new fence and started on the side fence and left for the day.. Next morning when they came back.. The fence had been cut right in the middle of that side a 30 / 40ft section cut out and thrown into the pasture.. Red tip barbwire is not cheap.. right in the center to compromise the fence... 

Thats my rant. waiting to hear back from the Brand inspector....


----------



## sydneynicole

Willowy said:


> Aww, Molly Mae is cute!
> 
> I just got my Wisdom panel for Finn's MDR1 testing. I was reading about all the tests, etc., and now I'm pretty sure Willow had Exercise-induced Collapse. She frequently collapsed when she played too hard. We always just thought it was heat exhaustion and that she played harder than the other dogs. But it's an actual Thing. Huh. That poor dog was a genetic train wreck.


EIC is actually pretty scary to witness in dogs, in my opinion. Have you watched videos on youtube of dogs that have it? If my dog did that I would be rushing him straight to the vet lol. Of course, maybe there are less severe cases where it isn't so scary looking. I actually was wondering if my dog might have it, but after researching I think he just gets hot and tired and waits until he literally can't go any more to drop to the ground and catch his breath.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Patricia, I hope you can somehow get them to pay for the fence they cut as obviously it is them as they have been driving through your property. You could have had animals out in that section for all they knew.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Kyllobernese said:


> Patricia, I hope you can somehow get them to pay for the fence they cut as obviously it is them as they have been driving through your property. You could have had animals out in that section for all they knew.


Thanks, I reviewed my video tapes and have a list of times and vehicles after my my fence people left and through the next day when the fence people arrived. only 4 vehicles and they belong to the Green house.... (it's a dead end road) Not that it is gong to be any help.. For Colorado its a felony for cutting pasture fence. and they were suppose to prove they had upgraded the road prior to the commissioners giving them their Conditional Use permit to even have a business in a residential area.. Was told before he got started, that the roads were bad and was told there was no water out here (that wasn't salty well wise).. They need the water hauled in every few days for the plants.. Yip having the fence up to cut him off from access,, and I will be bringing my huge rock boulders down to that corner so they can't drive on my easement on that corner. In the mud they would loosen the corner post and cause it to fall inward. lol think I am going to need some more dogs lol ... and more cameras... 2 million dollar facility no water, no road to get it there.. Not my fault.... and that I own all 3 properties next to each other that are completely fenced on the back side.. can't drive through from any side.. there is also a 20ft ravine that they can't drive behind all my land and reach that property.. I saw them out there scouting it out.. Send good thoughts our way..


----------



## Willowy

sydneynicole said:


> EIC is actually pretty scary to witness in dogs, in my opinion. Have you watched videos on youtube of dogs that have it? If my dog did that I would be rushing him straight to the vet lol. Of course, maybe there are less severe cases where it isn't so scary looking. I actually was wondering if my dog might have it, but after researching I think he just gets hot and tired and waits until he literally can't go any more to drop to the ground and catch his breath.


Oh, yeah, the first time she did it we went to the vet. He was like "eh, dunno, probably heatstroke. Put cold water on her paws and ears" so that's what we did after that. I haven't looked at YouTube videos though, I'll see if they look familiar.

ETA: yup that was definitely it. It would have been nice to know it was a Thing at the time and not just a weird dog who didn't know when to stop, but we dealt with it anyway.


----------



## Aussie27

So proud of Cali!

We went on a nature walk tonight, once it cooled down, and Cali really amazed me with her behaviour. It started out when I noticed a little girl, probably three, who was freaking out over Cali and she kept excitedly gesturing towards her and dancing. So, naturally, I told her parents that she could come over and pet her. Even though the little girl very excitedly ran over, Cali remained calm and stayed perfectly still while the little girl loved on her. Months ago, she would've been tugging at her leash to get away... so I was really excited to see her handle the situation so calmly. 

Then, we met some friendly dogs who were off leash (I had Cali in my arms until I felt confident that the dogs were calm and friendly) and Cali was happy to greet them. Normally she gets a little snappy with dogs who are bigger than her but tonight she was able to sniff them and not show any negative reaction.

I think that this move was one of the best things to happen to her. So many more opportunities to socialize. She's also getting along awesomely with my housemates, maybe too much so; she's been ditching me to lay in bed with one of them each evening.


----------



## Murre

Nice to read that your companion thrives in your new home. Our dog reacted the same way when we moved to our new home. Before the move he was a little aggressive towards other dogs but that has despaired completely. Moving from the apartment to a big house has been the best thing ever for all of us.


----------



## Lillith

PatriciafromCO said:


> The """"" Industrial "Green House " """" people???? One of the workers has been using the front of my homestead property on the road to let loose his dog to follow his truck to the end of my property area and then pick the dog back up to leave the Colorado Buffalo Ranch area... My dogs aren't in the front of the property from the last time they went after the dogs.. Was unloading bird feed from my truck that is behind a roll off dumpster in the front property up by the house with Adele running loose. I paused because I heard the truck like it was just sitting in front of my horse barn in the blind spot on the road for a longer time then just driving pass.. It was the truck letting his dog loose on the road like he had been.. Guess he thought Adele was alone in the front yard with no one watching that he slowed down , close to a stop yelling at his dog to get around to the other side to see Adele. Nice to know my Dog is good dog bait opportunity to instigate a dog fight at the fence line.. start to stop his truck, pulling in to my drive way so they could fight it out at at my gate. Not seeing me walk out from behind the dumpster .. Then drove off to the Green House facility across the road after seeing me..
> 
> spent the last couple of months scaping enough money together to pay for another section of back property line fencing to get done. Fence people went down to see if was dry enough to get the strings and some post set. Found out the Green house people have been driving through the center of my property to get to their facility because the road is under water and not drying out from all the rains. My fence people barely made it through and were waiting hoping the road would dry so they could get back out. Green House guy came out and had some few choice words about me and the fence people putting up a fence cutting them off from driving through my land to get to their facility .. ????? Disturbed my fence people enough that they decided not only were they going to put up the back property line that I had the money for, but they were going to put up the fence along the road as well to the front property corner to stop them from driving though my land and I could pay what I could as I could for it.. So the fence people put up the new fence and started on the side fence and left for the day.. Next morning when they came back.. The fence had been cut right in the middle of that side a 30 / 40ft section cut out and thrown into the pasture.. Red tip barbwire is not cheap.. right in the center to compromise the fence...
> 
> Thats my rant. waiting to hear back from the Brand inspector....


How irritating. I hope you can catch them and collect the money for the damages.


----------



## Jen2010

> Thanks, I reviewed my video tapes and have a list of times and vehicles after my my fence people left and through the next day when the fence people arrived. only 4 vehicles and they belong to the Green house.... (it's a dead end road) Not that it is gong to be any help.. For Colorado its a felony for cutting pasture fence. and they were suppose to prove they had upgraded the road prior to the commissioners giving them their Conditional Use permit to even have a business in a residential area.. Was told before he got started, that the roads were bad and was told there was no water out here (that wasn't salty well wise).. They need the water hauled in every few days for the plants.. Yip having the fence up to cut him off from access,, and I will be bringing my huge rock boulders down to that corner so they can't drive on my easement on that corner. In the mud they would loosen the corner post and cause it to fall inward. lol think I am going to need some more dogs lol ... and more cameras... 2 million dollar facility no water, no road to get it there.. Not my fault.... and that I own all 3 properties next to each other that are completely fenced on the back side.. can't drive through from any side.. there is also a 20ft ravine that they can't drive behind all my land and reach that property.. I saw them out there scouting it out.. Send good thoughts our way..


 Good thing you have the cameras! Maybe just send them a copy of the video


----------



## Willowy

If I ever get to the point where I go yell at the Post Office employee because I didn't get my free weekly advertiser (which most people don't want anyway), just shoot me. That is all.


----------



## Kyllobernese

Is this rain never going to stop? I am certainly not looking forward to running Agility this weekend in the pouring rain. We get a few moments of sunshine, then more rain. Haven't been able to cut my grass and it is getting long but does not dry up enough to mow it.

The temperature is not that bad but because it is so wet out, feels a lot colder so have turned on my furnace for a short while in the mornings to get rid of the dampness. Would like a few weeks of sunshine before the frosty mornings, then snow, comes along.


----------



## Miss Bugs

Molly Mae with her new hair! its been like this for a while but for some reason the forum refused to allow me to upload pics from the phone, the previous pic was the only one that would work lol


----------



## Jen2010

> Is this rain never going to stop? I am certainly not looking forward to running Agility this weekend in the pouring rain.


 Yes! It's supposed to be nice this weekend and next week!


----------



## Lillith

I was walking Ralphie this morning through a neighborhood to the park. Ralphie suddenly stops (which isn't unusual he always finds something that he MUST sniff) and then this dog growls and jumps out at us from behind a parked vehicle, barking and making a ruckus. I never saw him until we were right on him. He was tied up, so he couldn't reach us when we moved away, but he scared the crap out of both of us. Ralphie was fine after a treat, though, for handling the distraction quite well.

But who leaves their not-very-friendly dog tied up outside in their front yard without supervision, on a line that can reach well beyond the public sidewalk? He stood in the middle of the sidewalk barking at us as we walked away. Sounds like a good way to get sued because your dog attacked some innocent person walking by, or get your dog killed because a DA dog walks by and the owner can't see the dog lurking behind the car. People baffle me.


----------



## MosinMom91

Just got in an argument on Facebook with a guy who insisted that some dogs just needed to be spanked. This in reference to a girl that was asking for help about a Yorkie chewing on underwear. 

Sometimes it's not worth the argument. I will never understand why people argue in FAVOR of hitting a dog. 

His last argument was I must not have kids and that's why I could spend all my time with my dogs.

Yeah, okay. I totally don't hit my dogs because I don't have kids. 

Ugh...


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Not a rant but thanks to all the good thoughts ((((((( ))))))) met with the lawyer this morning and it's good news... They can not make me move my fence line back.


----------



## Sandakat

PatriciafromCO said:


> Not a rant but thanks to all the good thoughts ((((((( ))))))) met with the lawyer this morning and it's good news... They can not make me move my fence line back.


That's great news! Do you have any recourse for them cutting down your fences?


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Sandakat said:


> That's great news! Do you have any recourse for them cutting down your fences?


Filled out a police report with a statement from my fence guy. No one saw who cut the fence. So it will go no where as far as investigation. Still an official report. Its the start.. And that may be enough for a group of people with a lot of money invested in the millions and still haven't produced a crop and MJ prices have already dropped to half of what they were worth when they started.. Not a group that wants negative attention. They may own the land, but the ability to use it for MJ is on conditional use permit, and a few levels of different licensing county and state, so that can be challenged and revoked under the right circumstances. Met with a land attorney who recommended a criminal attorney to speak with who laid everything out for me. 

I always have hope.. lol lol lol lol ...


----------



## stoatfan

Quick rant about something that happened a few weeks ago, actually, but I'm still dumbfounded. Willow doesn't like people getting up in her face, like a great many dogs. Newt is fine with it. We were at the beach on a Saturday and a woman comes up to see the dogs. I tell her that Willow is shy and gesture to her, but Newton would be happy to say 'hi'. Before I know it she's trying to pet Willow, who tolerates it, then not 2 seconds later she's trying to kiss Willow's face!? Of course Willow growls at her and the woman moves away... then says "Oh I just wanted to kiss her little face." The entire situation was just so ridiculous. I'm not sure what I even said after that.

Willow has never bit anyone but I'm especially grateful that she restrained herself on that day, in the literal face of such stupidity. Now I use stronger wording than 'shy' (unless it's a kid--and the parents always understand as I pull Willow behind me that that means "keep your kid away from this dog but I'm not going to scare your child right now by saying this dog is going to be scary") and just don't let people get near her. People in this city love dogs, which is great, but not all dogs want to have a face to face cuddle with you!


----------



## Prozax

stoatfan said:


> Quick rant about something that happened a few weeks ago, actually, but I'm still dumbfounded. Willow doesn't like people getting up in her face, like a great many dogs. Newt is fine with it. We were at the beach on a Saturday and a woman comes up to see the dogs. I tell her that Willow is shy and gesture to her, but Newton would be happy to say 'hi'. Before I know it she's trying to pet Willow, who tolerates it, then not 2 seconds later she's trying to kiss Willow's face!? Of course Willow growls at her and the woman moves away... then says "Oh I just wanted to kiss her little face." The entire situation was just so ridiculous. I'm not sure what I even said after that.
> 
> Willow has never bit anyone but I'm especially grateful that she restrained herself on that day, in the literal face of such stupidity. Now I use stronger wording than 'shy' (unless it's a kid--and the parents always understand as I pull Willow behind me that that means "keep your kid away from this dog but I'm not going to scare your child right now by saying this dog is going to be scary") and just don't let people get near her. People in this city love dogs, which is great, but not all dogs want to have a face to face cuddle with you!


Some people seem offended if dogs they've never met before don't immediately shower them with kisses and tail wags. A couple of weeks ago some lady came up to us and wanted to pet Eli. I told she can let Eli sniff her hand and if she's comfortable try and pet her, but she's not the friendliest dog with strangers. Instead what did this lady do? She grabbed Eli's muzzle, held it and forcibly kissed her. Eli even yelped while I was yelling at the lady to leave my dog alone. What the hell, man?! Who does that to a strange dog? She was so offended, like " Dogs usually love me, what is wrong with her?" Yeah, there's nothing wrong with my dog, lady! Thanks for making her cry, you were lucky she has more common sense than you and she didn't bite your face..


----------



## Pasarella

WTH is wrong with people? Who does do that? That lady was lucky, any other dog could have bitten her face off.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Pasarella said:


> WTH is wrong with people? Who does do that? That lady was lucky, any other dog could have bitten her face off.


Oh yes ... Lincoln TOTALLY would have, for sure!!!!! Then it's the DOG who always gets blamed, UGH.


----------



## gingerkid

Totally inconsequential rant, but I'm getting really sick of the "My 3-5 month old puppy wont stop barking in its crate what do I do" posts on my local dog FB group.


----------



## sydneynicole

gingerkid said:


> Totally inconsequential rant, but I'm getting really sick of the "My 3-5 month old puppy wont stop barking in its crate what do I do" posts on my local dog FB group.


If people around you are anything like people around me, any advice given will quickly be answered with "but I don't have time for crate games" or "my last puppy never did this, I don't know what's wrong with him/her" or "but I can't stand the barking/the neighbors are complaining so I can't just wait it out".

I feel your pain.


----------



## gingerkid

sydneynicole said:


> If people around you are anything like people around me, any advice given will quickly be answered with "but I don't have time for crate games" or "my last puppy never did this, I don't know what's wrong with him/her" or "but I can't stand the barking/the neighbors are complaining so I can't just wait it out".
> 
> I feel your pain.


That about sums it up!

Never mind that about half of the people complaining have had their pup for less than a week.


----------



## Aussie27

I cringe nearly every time I see that someone on my facebook has gotten a new puppy or dog. I see so many people getting puppies or dogs and after the first few posts, you never hear what happened with them... and knowing these people and seeing what else they post, I can't imagine them being decent dog owners. 

On a different note, Cali has met her match with one of my roommate's cats. All the cats at home were submissive with her, so this is quite a change. I walked out from my shower yesterday to find Cali on my bed chewing a RMB, with the cat staring longingly at it. Earlier in the day, he actually picked it up and began carrying it down the hallway... to which all Cali could do was stare and occasionally bark. I don't think the thought of stealing the RMB would've even crossed the minds of my cats back home versus this cat who nonchalantly snatched it from her. I've also found him in her food, so I'm hoping they'll never get into a massive squabble over it.


----------



## Aussie27

I never thought of Cali as being super playful with other dogs, but we ran into a chihuahua mix puppy tonight who she absolutely _loved_. I think a lot, if not all of it, was due to the fact that the puppy was smaller than she was and so she wasn't intimidated. I would say it's probably the first time since my sister's friend first got her dog a few years ago that she's seen a dog smaller than her. She was bouncing around the puppy and was being extra friendly... it makes me wish that small dogs were more common around here because I would love nothing more than to find her a dog friend who she can romp around with.


----------



## Prozax

There's a lady at our park, not a dog park, that walks her rott female off leash. Nevermind that the law in this country states that all rottweilers should be muzzled and leashed in public places, but this rott is highly aggressive to other females and some people. However, she especially hates Eli. So this lady finds that it's totally fine to leave this dog offleash, unmuzzled right beside the dog pen, near the children's playground. Eli being in the pen, offleash, reacts when the rott starts fence fighting and running along the fence. The woman won't take the dog away, but will threaten me to take my dog and go home because somebody might call the police and she will get in trouble, because, again SHE WASN'T OBEYING THE LAW.

Anyhow, I've decided I won't take any chances of that dog getting Eli in one of it's offleash walks so we'll probably try to avoid the park. But if it's not possible I'll just call the police every time I see them out. I hate to be that person, but you can't reason with this woman. The dog has attacked dogs up to the point where they needed stitches. She even attacked a girl, who knows why.. I'm surprised other people are not bothered by this, they just try to ignore and avoid her.

Oh and the best part was that she proposed I let Eli offleash too, so the dogs can work it out among themselves, but you know, muzzled so they can't bite each other. What?!?! This is so that Eli won't bark at her dog, because she is indeed the louder one with her houndish bark, and people won't notice her dog is offleash.


----------



## gingerkid

Prozax said:


> There's a lady at our park, not a dog park, that walks her rott female off leash. Nevermind that the law in this country states that all rottweilers should be muzzled and leashed in public places, but this rott is highly aggressive to other females and some people. However, she especially hates Eli. So this lady finds that it's totally fine to leave this dog offleash, unmuzzled right beside the dog pen, near the children's playground. Eli being in the pen, offleash, reacts when the rott starts fence fighting and running along the fence. The woman won't take the dog away, but will threaten me to take my dog and go home because somebody might call the police and she will get in trouble, because, again SHE WASN'T OBEYING THE LAW.
> 
> Anyhow, I've decided I won't take any chances of that dog getting Eli in one of it's offleash walks so we'll probably try to avoid the park. But if it's not possible I'll just call the police every time I see them out. I hate to be that person, but you can't reason with this woman. The dog has attacked dogs up to the point where they needed stitches. She even attacked a girl, who knows why.. I'm surprised other people are not bothered by this, they just try to ignore and avoid her.
> 
> Oh and the best part was that she proposed I let Eli offleash too, so the dogs can work it out among themselves, but you know, muzzled so they can't bite each other. What?!?! This is so that Eli won't bark at her dog, because she is indeed the louder one with her houndish bark, and people won't notice her dog is offleash.


You're doing the right thing. No one should be forced to avoid a park because someone else isn't following the law - especially if people (or dogs) are getting hurt because of it.


----------



## Lillith

Prozax said:


> There's a lady at our park, not a dog park, that walks her rott female off leash. Nevermind that the law in this country states that all rottweilers should be muzzled and leashed in public places, but this rott is highly aggressive to other females and some people. However, she especially hates Eli. So this lady finds that it's totally fine to leave this dog offleash, unmuzzled right beside the dog pen, near the children's playground. Eli being in the pen, offleash, reacts when the rott starts fence fighting and running along the fence. The woman won't take the dog away, but will threaten me to take my dog and go home because somebody might call the police and she will get in trouble, because, again SHE WASN'T OBEYING THE LAW.
> 
> Anyhow, I've decided I won't take any chances of that dog getting Eli in one of it's offleash walks so we'll probably try to avoid the park. But if it's not possible I'll just call the police every time I see them out. I hate to be that person, but you can't reason with this woman. The dog has attacked dogs up to the point where they needed stitches. She even attacked a girl, who knows why.. I'm surprised other people are not bothered by this, they just try to ignore and avoid her.
> 
> Oh and the best part was that she proposed I let Eli offleash too, so the dogs can work it out among themselves, but you know, muzzled so they can't bite each other. What?!?! This is so that Eli won't bark at her dog, because she is indeed the louder one with her houndish bark, and people won't notice her dog is offleash.


Yeah, keep calling the police. That's dangerous, especially if it is attacking dogs and children unprovoked. Take a video or something if you have to.


----------



## sydneynicole

I have been helping one of my coworkers/friends out with her leash reactive dog. She really takes my advice and appreciates the help and she even found a positive reinforcement trainer and is now taking classes. Anyways, she was talking with another coworker of ours who is supposedly a dog trainer about how she is trying to teach her dog to pee/poop on command, because she wants to work towards a Trail Dog title as they work on the reactivity. This coworkers advice was to shove a stick up the dogs butt because it makes them poop, and use a command word each time before you stick the stick up their butt so they associate the word with going. Ummmmmm. I was basically horrified, and so was my friend. She claims it's totally safe and doesn't hurt. She also scoffed when my friend told her how she was learning how to give her dog a relaxing massage in her classes and said "we call that babying". My friend's class is for reactive dogs, so they have them all sectioned off away from each other so it isn't just a room full of dogs over threshold and freaking out, and the coworker said that she "would want all of them to be together so she could correct the behavior right there and then". 

I've met people who don't believe in positive reinforcement, but never a 'dog trainer' who will go around basically calling you an idiot and forcing 'the right way' down your throat - and never thought that this person would be that kind of 'dog trainer'. Just stunned by it!


----------



## Aussie27

sydneynicole said:


> I've met people who don't believe in positive reinforcement, but never a 'dog trainer' who will go around basically calling you an idiot and forcing 'the right way' down your throat - and never thought that this person would be that kind of 'dog trainer'. Just stunned by it!


It's horrible to think that the amount of dog owners that have possibly taken their advice. 

I took Cali on a walk today and ended up discovering a 30 acre park full of trails. I'm not sure how I didn't know about it earlier, but she had a blast and we might go back tomorrow to check out more of the trails.


----------



## Lillith

I've really been noticing lately that Ralphie's "alerts" are becoming more appropriate and less over-the-top-freak-out. With winter approaching and the days getting shorter, pretty much all of Ralphie's outdoor time is spent in the dark. He is more reactive in the dark, but by the time I get home from work its dark and I really have no choice. Last night a lady kind of snuck up on me in a very dark spot. We were in a field bordered by some townhouses. Ralphie barked and gave a low growl at something behind me, so I turned around and there was a lady kind of lurking in the line of trees behind the townhouses and bordering the field we were using. I don't know what she was doing, but I said "hi" and called Ralphie. He relaxed and came over for a treat, and then we moved on. I was very impressed and praised him for a very appropriate alert and the ability to leave off when I told him it was alright.

We saw a few more people on our walk, which Ralphie watched for a moment but decided were non-threatening, lol. If he looked for too long I whistled for him, and he responded instantly and came running for his reward. Then were in another darker area, and clouds had covered the moon so I couldn't really see, and Ralphie started growling at something, hackles raised, and slowly advanced forward. I didn't see anything, so I let him move forward (he was on his long line) until he came upon the thing he was worried about. It was an electrical box in someone's yard. Those plastic eyesores for utilities. He got this sheepish expression on his face and suddenly was greatly interested in sniffing a tangle of weeds. All I could do was stand there and laugh. Such mature behavior for the entire walk, and then that darn box!

In other news, Ralphie now knows the phrase "I have to pick up your poop!" He will run up on the deck and watch me until I'm done cleaning up his business, a very concerned expression on his face. Then when I saw "all done" he runs down to play some more, haha.


----------



## Remaru

Well, I guess it is time I made it official. I know I posted previously that I would be washing Lad as he would be too small for mobility work. The initial plan had been for him to go to a puppy raiser to finish out training and be placed with another handler as a PSD or light mobility dog. However my best friend was looking for a new dog, he couldn't really take on a puppy (he is a teacher) but he wanted a dog he felt he could trust as he is a foster parent. He also was hoping to do therapy work. Well, it was a perfect fit and Lad is loving his new job, honestly probably more than he would have liked working as a SD. He gets to hang out on the couches (they all belong to him now), play with kids when they are in the house, go to school at least every other week to "read" with the kids, and visit at the therapy center. He also has a ranch to run around on, and an "on call vet". He's kind of spoiled. Plus I obviously get to see him all of the time. I worked out well for us. 

As for me. I was supposed to be waiting for my friend to choose a dog for me. She even sent me a mastiff to try out. He was awesome, and huge (he came to above my waist) and drooly. Unfortunately it took less than two hours for my eyes to start swelling and my skin to start rashing up. So he went to another raiser and has since been matched with a wonderfully lucky handler. I was planning to wait for something hypoallergenic. That isn't exactly what happened. 


This is Yarrow. 

She was supposed to be a foster. I took her in because I was told she was going to be dumped in a field if someone didn't take her. I thought I would train her a bit and find her a home. Then I got attached. She is almost 10months now and not going anywhere. Doing very well with her training and large enough for mobility work, though it doesn't hurt that I have lost a good bit of weight and am now in a wheelchair part time. She will be going away to board and train soon to hopefully work out some of her adolescent crazy, and because I am having major surgery and can't work with her while in the hospital and recovering (and she likes to lay on my stomach and can't do that after I've been cut open). Things have been pretty turned upside down here. I am hopeful though.


----------



## Prozax

Gah, Im tired of people calling my dog thin. I get it, she's not obese like 90% of the dogs you see so it's difficult for you to grasp the concept of a healthy dog, but please keep these opinions to yourself. I don't go around telling people their dog is obese or overweight even though it hurts me to seem them struggling to move or run. So frustrated right now.


----------



## khennessy

Last week I found a note on my door from the dog warden. Apparently my (brand new) neighbors called the warden because my dog was "digging up their yard." When I called the warden back (I was at work when he came by my house), he asked me if I regularly tie my dog to the tree in our front yard (it's a shared front yard--we live in a townhouse). I laughed and explained--I sometimes tether my dog to the tree when I'm outside playing with my kids, but she is always supervised (and it's never more than 20 mins). So a few days after they had moved in, we were outside playing soccer, Rosie, the beagle was tethered to the tree. She started to dig, and as it happened, the new neighbors were getting in their car and saw it. I stopped her immediately and took her inside, filled in the hole (which was less than an inch deep, bc she was only digging for about 30 seconds), and that was the end of it. Well, apparently not. So I had to explain all of this to the warden. After my story he asked which veterinarian I take my dogs to, and if they were current on vaccines, etc.  It just majorly annoyed me, because my dogs are up to date on vaccines, they're always leashed and cleaned up after, and I'm a responsible dog owner! I can't believe she called the dog warden over a 30 second misstep and accused my dogs of digging up "her" yard. End rant.


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## PatriciafromCO

checked the delivery status of my dog food order and saw that it was delivered this morning and I was there to accept it ???????? it's not at the gate, check the security footage and nope no delivery... This always happens with FedX they don't seem to care and really hate having to come all the way out here to deliver.. Called the company and let them know, grateful not to get any hassle over it and they are reshipping a replacement order today. Now how can anyone accept a large order of several boxes with another name on it and not say anything...


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## sandgrubber

PatriciafromCO said:


> checked the delivery status of my dog food order and saw that it was delivered this morning and I was there to accept it ???????? it's not at the gate, check the security footage and nope no delivery... This always happens with FedX they don't seem to care and really hate having to come all the way out here to deliver.. Called the company and let them know, grateful not to get any hassle over it and they are reshipping a replacement order today. Now how can anyone accept a large order of several boxes with another name on it and not say anything...


I've never had a problem with dog food delivery. Both FedEx and UPS have been good. They will leave it at the gate if I'm not home, or if they think I'm not home. Maybe it got swiped after being left at the gate? Does your security footage catch everything?


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## PatriciafromCO

sandgrubber said:


> I've never had a problem with dog food delivery. Both FedEx and UPS have been good. They will leave it at the gate if I'm not home, or if they think I'm not home. Maybe it got swiped after being left at the gate? Does your security footage catch everything?


yes the security cameras coverage is complete of the full frontal property and the length of road in both directions of everything coming and going. Was confident before I called. I work with both Fedx and UPS since their delivery area is so spread over several back road rural areas that they don't have to deliver if (time wise for that day) if they not going to make it. just hold it over per my request as they need to. And not to even bother any attempts on this road during bad weather times.


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## Lillith

We had our first snow of the season last night. 4 inches. Ralphie was absolutely fascinated with it even though he's seen it before. It was a tad too windy and cold to walk, but we ran around in the backyard and Ralphie zoomed through the snow until he decided it was time for breakfast, then spent the rest of the morning curled up at my husband's feet on the bed while I got ready for work, lol.


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## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> checked the delivery status of my dog food order and saw that it was delivered this morning and I was there to accept it ???????? it's not at the gate, check the security footage and nope no delivery... This always happens with FedX they don't seem to care and really hate having to come all the way out here to deliver.. Called the company and let them know, grateful not to get any hassle over it and they are reshipping a replacement order today. Now how can anyone accept a large order of several boxes with another name on it and not say anything...


this always happens to my parents too, usually they just pitch it over their gate, like THROW it, and not even always on the road, we have found packages in the grass in the pasture like 10 ft from the road, all dented up like they just did a drive by with it ... UGH.

we had to TELL them to put it in a plastic bag and hang it on our gate (which is locked). when UPS delivers, they always hang it on the gate WITHOUT having to be asked


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## PatriciafromCO

OwnedbyACDs said:


> this always happens to my parents too, usually they just pitch it over their gate, like THROW it, and not even always on the road, we have found packages in the grass in the pasture like 10 ft from the road, all dented up like they just did a drive by with it ... UGH.
> 
> we had to TELL them to put it in a plastic bag and hang it on our gate (which is locked). when UPS delivers, they always hang it on the gate WITHOUT having to be asked


this is my favorite one .. The first one was turned around in transit after continues delays in transit because of too much damage. it never made it to me.. So I re order it instead of a refund from Amazon.. This is the second attempt which did get delivered after a week or more of delay'd in transit... I can only imagine what the first one looked like.. I truly thought the treadmill would come via freight shipping for it's size.. but the carriers have a 150 lbs weight acceptance that I didn't realize which the drivers are just not equipt to handle on their own ... This box was left in the rain during transit to become completely soaked and then dried out which is not acceptable handling. Amazing that the treadmill works fine. it was so bad I had to use the tractor to help get it off the carrier truck and back up to the house.


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## Kyllobernese

It always surprises me how big a package Amazon will deliver to our Post Office. It is from Amazon.ca so maybe different delivery system than in the States. When I bought Kris' big crate, I had to get someone to help me get it from the Post Office and into my Van. As my mail does not come to our door but I have to pick it up at the mailboxes not at the Post Office, they just leave a card when I have something come in and I stop in at the Post Office and pick it up.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

PatriciafromCO said:


> this is my favorite one .. The first one was turned around in transit after continues delays in transit because of too much damage. it never made it to me.. So I re order it instead of a refund from Amazon.. This is the second attempt which did get delivered after a week or more of delay'd in transit... I can only imagine what the first one looked like.. I truly thought the treadmill would come via freight shipping for it's size.. but the carriers have a 150 lbs weight acceptance that I didn't realize which the drivers are just not equipt to handle on their own ... This box was left in the rain during transit to become completely soaked and then dried out which is not acceptable handling. Amazing that the treadmill works fine. it was so bad I had to use the tractor to help get it off the carrier truck and back up to the house.


Yikes!!! yep I have gotten chewy packages that looked like that and even had to call Chewy and tell them the food had been damaged (the bags had HUGE rips in them and half the food, which was freeze dried was in the shipping box), it sucks that Chewy ... which is a decent comppany, had to eat it for the mistake their shipper made.



Kyllobernese said:


> It always surprises me how big a package Amazon will deliver to our Post Office. It is from Amazon.ca so maybe different delivery system than in the States. When I bought Kris' big crate, I had to get someone to help me get it from the Post Office and into my Van. As my mail does not come to our door but I have to pick it up at the mailboxes not at the Post Office, they just leave a card when I have something come in and I stop in at the Post Office and pick it up.


yeah when I got my crates from chewy (the ones I use for my car) they just left and didnt even ask me if I needed help getting them up my stairs LOL ... luckily they had like handle holes and were more awkward than heavy.

My random vent for the day: UP channel is playing this huge gilmore girls marathon until thanksgiving, and they actually BLEEP out some "curse" words, and actually put "parental advisories" in front of some of the episodes??? they know that gilmore girls is a family type show, right?


----------



## Willowy

I don't get UP but I googled it. . .and apparently it's run by a bunch of super-Christian types. All their partners and affiliates are faith-based. So some content must have been deemed "naughty" from a super-Christian viewpoint. I've never watched Gilmore Girls either so I don't know what content they may have objected to .

I find most of the really beat-up boxes I get are from UPS. When I used to order from petfooddirect, they used UPS and the boxes were always broken and the cans were always dented. Chewy uses FedEx and I haven't had a beat-up box since the switch. It might have something to do with differences in packing, or distance. . .idk. 

Also, the FedEx driver for my rural house drives his own pickup truck, not a branded vehicle. He doesn't even have brand magnets on his truck like the rural mail carriers do. I sort of freaked out the first time an unknown unmarked pickup truck pulled into my driveway, lol. I had no idea that FedEx employees ever used their privately owned vehicles.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Just posting about the small fact that I'm going to OWN A HOUSE NEXT SUMMER (partially...) ALSLDKFKFJ

Basically, my family and I are moving to a house that has a guest building that you enter through the courtyard that's really completely separate from the main house, so that's where I'll be living with my next dog (to separate properly from Lancer!), so everything will be perfect!! It's basically the size of a one bedroom apartment, with a small "family room", bedroom, and kind of a pantry area, but on our own land. My dad randomly came up with this brilliant plan LOL. 

To put it simply, my dog and I will be living in a giant dog house. The guests will have to sleep in another guest house.

Okay, might be excited too early because we didn't even put down the deposit on the lot yet, but 95% chance it's gonna roll like this.

HOME OWNER (because of dog) AT 23 BRUH


----------



## Kyllobernese

I basically bought my first house ever where I am because of having a horse and wanting a dog as I could not have one when I was living in an apartment and had to board my horse. Never once have I regretted it and I have now lived here 12 years.


----------



## khennessy

Dogsignalfire said:


> Just posting about the small fact that I'm going to OWN A HOUSE NEXT SUMMER (partially...) ALSLDKFKFJ
> 
> Basically, my family and I are moving to a house that has a guest building that you enter through the courtyard that's really completely separate from the main house, so that's where I'll be living with my next dog (to separate properly from Lancer!), so everything will be perfect!! It's basically the size of a one bedroom apartment, with a small "family room", bedroom, and kind of a pantry area, but on our own land. My dad randomly came up with this brilliant plan LOL.
> 
> To put it simply, my dog and I will be living in a giant dog house. The guests will have to sleep in another guest house.
> 
> Okay, might be excited too early because we didn't even put down the deposit on the lot yet, but 95% chance it's gonna roll like this.
> 
> HOME OWNER (because of dog) AT 23 BRUH


grats! Doesn't sound like a bad arrangement!
I'm working on buying a house, also. One of my main motivators? a fenced yard/a yard that I can fence without worrying that I'm putting out money I'll never get back (as in, fencing a rental). Also, can't wait to have a house with non-carpeted floors. gah.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Willowy said:


> I don't get UP but I googled it. . .and apparently it's run by a bunch of super-Christian types. All their partners and affiliates are faith-based. So some content must have been deemed "naughty" from a super-Christian viewpoint. I've never watched Gilmore Girls either so I don't know what content they may have objected to .


Yet they allow things like "bringing up bates" and that is okay? such a weird world we live in where the alternates to "darn" and "heck" are bleeped out and "parental advisories" are put in front of shows because there is excessive kissing.



> I find most of the really beat-up boxes I get are from UPS. When I used to order from petfooddirect, they used UPS and the boxes were always broken and the cans were always dented. Chewy uses FedEx and I haven't had a beat-up box since the switch. It might have something to do with differences in packing, or distance. . .idk.
> 
> Also, the FedEx driver for my rural house drives his own pickup truck, not a branded vehicle. He doesn't even have brand magnets on his truck like the rural mail carriers do. I sort of freaked out the first time an unknown unmarked pickup truck pulled into my driveway, lol. I had no idea that FedEx employees ever used their privately owned vehicles.


I have never gotten a beat up package from UPS, I have gotten many from FEDex.


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## Sandakat

I used to allow the UPS guy to put packages in the garbage enclosure at the end of my driveway during the winter. The driveway is 350 feet long with an "S" turn in the middle. Even in the summer it's a trick for the big trucks to get down it. I put a stop to that when I found a package, that I thought had been lost, under the enclosure when the snow melted in the spring. He'd gotten lazy and threw it underneath and the snow buried it. After that he had to drive to my door and I didn't care how many times he had to back up and go forward to turn around.

FedEx around here has nice, little vans that make it anywhere, so there's no issue. It's the snow that limits the deliveries around here.


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## Dogsignalfire

Kyllobernese said:


> I basically bought my first house ever where I am because of having a horse and wanting a dog as I could not have one when I was living in an apartment and had to board my horse. Never once have I regretted it and I have now lived here 12 years.


This is my same reason! I was looking to buying or renting JUST to get my 3rd dog. But I couldn't have bought a house by myself until 10 years later or even more. I have to combine with my parents to buy a bigger house that has the separate guest house, and it'll work so well!



khennessy said:


> grats! Doesn't sound like a bad arrangement!
> I'm working on buying a house, also. One of my main motivators? a fenced yard/a yard that I can fence without worrying that I'm putting out money I'll never get back (as in, fencing a rental). Also, can't wait to have a house with non-carpeted floors. gah.


Thanks! It's such a good arrangement and the house is perfect, I'm so excited! ;; 

Same same, I'm exactly the same LOL! I was previously browsing houses where either the rooms or the yard is a good layout for the dogs as a first priority. and yeah, definitely not with carpet. My dogs have a weird thing with soft carpets and higher-chance-of-peeing.


----------



## khennessy

Dogsignalfire said:


> Same same, I'm exactly the same LOL! I was previously browsing houses where either the rooms or the yard is a good layout for the dogs as a first priority. and yeah, definitely not with carpet. *My dogs have a weird thing with soft carpets and higher-chance-of-peeing*.


UGH. yes. The beagle has been the hardest dog to potty train, and I'm sure the carpet is adding to it.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

khennessy said:


> UGH. yes. The beagle has been the hardest dog to potty train, and I'm sure the carpet is adding to it.


Argh LOL. It's like, hard carpet is okay, but if the carpet is very plush and soft... Wow, pee arrives.


----------



## Wet Beards

I was in Service Canada (a less than cheerful place) last week to renew my passport.
Waiting along with me in a room that was too warm and stuffy, were about 35 other
people. (also less than cheerful)

My phone started to howl. I have the volume turned on maximum because, well, I'm old.
My ring tone is three of my wolfhounds in full, joyous chorus of howling. By the time I fumbled
and found my phone in the bottom of my bag, their melodious singing drew everyone's attention. 

Embarrassed, I looked up to see people smiling. More than a few chuckling. 

Proof: Singing dogs make people happy.


----------



## Sandakat

Wet Beards said:


> I was in Service Canada (a less than cheerful place) last week to renew my passport.
> Waiting along with me in a room that was too warm and stuffy, were about 35 other
> people. (also less than cheerful)
> 
> My phone started to howl. I have the volume turned on maximum because, well, I'm old.
> My ring tone is three of my wolfhounds in full, joyous chorus of howling. By the time I fumbled
> and found my phone in the bottom of my bag, their melodious singing drew everyone's attention.
> 
> Embarrassed, I looked up to see people smiling. More than a few chuckling.
> 
> Proof: Singing dogs make people happy.


Will you come with me the next time I have to go to the DMV? lol


----------



## Dogsignalfire

The arguments of "Why don't you adopt? It's ALL ABOUT how you raise them" and "ANY dog can be a highly competitive working dog, as long as you're a good trainer/owner"

no

stop

These arguments will never not frustrate me to the end of time. I get them sometimes in response to the fact that I'm getting a working shepherd from a breeder.

Yeah, sure, lemme just get my pomeranian and I'm gonna be off to make him into a police k9! Or maybe I'll take that cocker spaniel and start him in french ring.


----------



## gingerkid

Dogsignalfire said:


> The arguments of "Why don't you adopt? It's ALL ABOUT how you raise them" and "ANY dog can be a highly competitive working dog, as long as you're a good trainer/owner"
> 
> no
> 
> stop
> 
> These arguments will never not frustrate me to the end of time. I get them sometimes in response to the fact that I'm getting a working shepherd from a breeder.


The "All about how you raise them" thing especially.... I hate how people pretend like genetics doesn't exist at all.

I DO think that it is possible to find a dog to be successful with in a specific sport in a shelter/as a rehome, although it depends a bit on what your definition of "success" is, and I think a lot of people just think "success" is being able to participate. A dog to go to worlds with is obviously going to be MUCH harder to find as a rescue (I think they definitely do exist in shelters, albeit rarely), and require a lot more patience and dedication to searching than getting a puppy from a decent breeder with dogs who are already successful in whatever activity you want to compete in.



> Or maybe I'll take that cocker spaniel and start him in french ring.


You laugh, but I took Snowball to a Shutzhund practice.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

gingerkid said:


> The "All about how you raise them" thing especially.... I hate how people pretend like genetics doesn't exist at all.
> 
> I DO think that it is possible to find a dog to be successful with in a specific sport in a shelter/as a rehome, although it depends a bit on what your definition of "success" is, and I think a lot of people just think "success" is being able to participate. A dog to go to worlds with is obviously going to be MUCH harder to find as a rescue (I think they definitely do exist in shelters, albeit rarely), and require a lot more patience and dedication to searching than getting a puppy from a decent breeder with dogs who are already successful in whatever activity you want to compete in.
> 
> 
> 
> You laugh, but I took Snowball to a Shutzhund practice.


I don't even know if they're just pretending genetics doesn't exist or they legit don't realize genetics exist and are just... uninformed LOL. But when they get told facts, they cover their ears and la la la.

Oh yeah, definitely possible to find a good sports dog in shelter/rescue. The rare police k9 even comes from adoption... But yeah, it's a lot of guess work, and there's no actual guarantees on what you're going to get, even if the dog seems super perfect in the shelter and even the first few weeks at home. ._____. With a random foster dog, I had the experience of the dog being completely nonchalant and relaxed about everything and other dogs for the first 2~3 weeks after adoption from a shelter, and then she decided to develop fear aggression towards other dogs and new people after a month... there was some bad exposure, meeting a barking/snapping dog and temporarily rehomed to a poor owner, but really nothing that would affect a genetically stable dog. She's now been going through training on her multitude of temperament issues with her new family who has had her for almost a year so far. So especially when looking in shelters for something as specific as a stable sports dog who can compete at high levels, it really is a combination of hunting REALLY hard + possibly still a crapshoot after having the dog for a month.

LOL omg, but I bet that was fun though.  She did well with the aptitude assessment?


----------



## gingerkid

Dogsignalfire said:


> LOL omg, but I bet that was fun though.  She did well with the aptitude assessment?


lol, no, he is actually terrible at it, he has less than zero toy drive and the only thing that he willingly puts in his mouth is food. I knew that going in though; we were there for the obedience portion, because there are no R+ ob. trainers in my area accepting new students, and the lead trainer of the schutzhund club is (more or less) R+ and invited us out to train with them instead. Although the trainer was nice enough and her dog (extremely high drive GSD) was certainly well trained, her theoretical knowledge of was kind of lacking, leading to a poor fit for us. She kept telling me to push on Snowball's butt to "remind" him to sit instead of using a verbal cue, as though pushing on his butt was not also a cue that would have to be faded out....


----------



## Wet Beards

Sandakat said:


> Will you come with me the next time I have to go to the DMV? lol


I can go with you now.  I have my passport. 
But you should know, the sound my phone makes when I get a text
message is of my cat Fatz, hissing. lol


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Wet Beards said:


> I can go with you now.  I have my passport.
> But* you should know, the sound my phone makes when I get a text
> message is of my cat Fatz, hissing.* lol


lol lol lol lol excellent !!! I want to be standing next to you in a crowd of people when your text goes off just to watch their reactions lol lol ...


----------



## Sandakat

Wet Beards said:


> I can go with you now.  I have my passport.
> But you should know, the sound my phone makes when I get a text
> message is of my cat Fatz, hissing. lol


That's GREAT! Now I really want you to come with me!


----------



## gingerkid

I guess Ida was having problems sleeping yesterday, because at 3 am she decided to start playing a game of solo-fetch with a tennis ball she found somewhere in our room. She'd throw the ball against the wall beside her bed, and then get up and get it, lay down on her bed, repeat.

At least she didn't realize it was one of the squeaky ones. (I did end up taking it away, regardless).


----------



## PatriciafromCO

gingerkid said:


> I guess Ida was having problems sleeping yesterday, because at 3 am she decided to start playing a game of solo-fetch with a tennis ball she found somewhere in our room. She'd throw the ball against the wall beside her bed, and then get up and get it, lay down on her bed, repeat.
> 
> At least she didn't realize it was one of the squeaky ones. (I did end up taking it away, regardless).


 lol  my DH always saids he can call my name a 100 times to try to wake me with not even a flinch, but let one of the dogs stir out of the norm and I am wide awake lol lol ..


----------



## gingerkid

Haha, same. I have slept through fire alarms before (thankfully I was living with roommates at the time, who were able to wake me up). But any abnormal sound from either of the dogs and I'm instantly awake.


----------



## Jen2010

Pepper's being a pain this Christmas season (already). She was left home alone and I was a bit later than normal getting home from work so she decided to open her Christmas present under the tree! And part of Kane's. Luckily she didn't really destroy anything, just took all the wrapping off and shredded it.

Then my husband went out and bought some good expensive chocolates for my stocking and made the BIG mistake of leaving Pepper in the vehicle with the bag while he ran into another store. $30 worth of chocolate, not a sliver left. Don't worry - she's fine.

We're clearly going to have to be more careful. Especially now that she's had "success" a couple times.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

just a funny, Abhik is going through her heat cycle Have a double door system End of hallway where I can reach all the doors to open and close and block direction and access from the one spot. Bring Abhik in put her behind a door the half Bathroom, then let Arka out spare bedroom.. and he is happy to rush out the laundry room door to go outside and hunt and pee on everything.. Shut that door that leads to outside and move Abhik over to the spare bedroom. Then we have the 3 days of strong standing heat were Arka is in his own head... So I used a decoy bitch from my office.. lol ... right as I opened Arka's bedroom door I sent Adele from the office out the laundry room door. It worked like a charm for him to be so tunnel vision to rush out after Adele before he realized it was the wrong bitch lol ... sorry.. Arka .. It's been fun.. and he is a good boy about it needs a little extra help on the 3 days unless I fake him out before he realizes it.....


----------



## gingerkid

Jen2010 said:


> Pepper's being a pain this Christmas season (already). She was left home alone and I was a bit later than normal getting home from work so she decided to open her Christmas present under the tree! And part of Kane's. Luckily she didn't really destroy anything, just took all the wrapping off and shredded it.
> 
> Then my husband went out and bought some good expensive chocolates for my stocking and made the BIG mistake of leaving Pepper in the vehicle with the bag while he ran into another store. $30 worth of chocolate, not a sliver left. Don't worry - she's fine.
> 
> We're clearly going to have to be more careful. Especially now that she's had "success" a couple times.


Oh man. I'm glad Pepper's okay. If that had been my husband/dog, he would've driven straight to the e-vet.... he wanted to take Ida to the e-vet when she got a single halloween sized coffee crisp... all 12 grams of it.


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Dying because I met a wonderful working terv named Dasher today and he was super social (in my opinion) and wonderful. And listens to anyone who plays with him. We played tug for 20 seconds and he would do a run with me if I wanted to. I love the cute dog.

It was at agility trial and he was trying for his master title. I went to the trial JUST to meet him and his owner LOL. He is of mighty importance to the litter I will be getting the puppy from. ;;

I have a mighty need

I failed to take even a single pic, because I was distracted by the world


----------



## Prozax

Training win today! When we first got Eli, almost a year ago, she barked at other dogs and pulled towards them on the street. We worked on this and slowly she started to ignore them if they were at a reasonable distance, at least 2-3m. Today however, there was a lady with an older Bernese puppy on leash, who really wanted to come and meet Eli. He was pulling towards her and whining, so his owner pulled him on the side on the sidewalk which was kinda narrow too. Since we had to pass right by them, I asked Eli to watch me and we kept on walking.

We walked right past the dog and she never broke eye contact, not even when the lady lost control of the leash a for a little bit and the Bernese actually managed to touch Eli with his snout. She didn't even acknowledge him. Clever girl!


----------



## gingerkid

Prozax said:


> Training win today! When we first got Eli, almost a year ago, she barked at other dogs and pulled towards them on the street. We worked on this and slowly she started to ignore them if they were at a reasonable distance, at least 2-3m. Today however, there was a lady with an older Bernese puppy on leash, who really wanted to come and meet Eli. He was pulling towards her and whining, so his owner pulled him on the side on the sidewalk which was kinda narrow too. Since we had to pass right by them, I asked Eli to watch me and we kept on walking.
> 
> We walked right past the dog and she never broke eye contact, not even when the lady lost control of the leash a for a little bit and the Bernese actually managed to touch Eli with his snout. She didn't even acknowledge him. Clever girl!


That is awesome! Good job!


----------



## gingerkid

Sigh. Two weeks ago, a local rescue brought over an injured dog from a poorer country... the dog had been seriously injured somehow and completely lost the back use of his legs. Now they've discovered that he has severe infections in both of his legs and his tail, and they all have to be completely amputated.

I can't imagine what kind of agony this poor dog has been since being injured, found, "rescued", transported halfway around the world. And now he'll undergo the amputation of all three of his rear appendages, all the struggle and pain that comes with that. And the rescue doesn't have the funds to cover his surgeries, either.


----------



## PatriciafromCO

so .... I go out of my way to a sure the UPS drivers that when the weather is bad not to attempt delivery on my road. Get a phone call asking about the road and tell him , no for trying to drive down the road, that by Wednesday there will be enough of the snow melted away and enough road that it will be fine to drive down this way with no worry of ditching that big truck. Are people driving on your road, yes they have been driving in and out all day, but you have that big truck with city tires on it.. Well I think I can make it I'm coming down... Me it's really ok to wait, Oh I can make it.. OK.. if you feel it's getting bad your more then welcome to stop turn around and wait. ... Ring Ring Ring... I'm stuck do you have a truck to come pull me out... Nope if the roads are wet and freezing over there is no traction for me to make it to you to pull you out... well guess I'll have to call a tow truck.. OK click ..... 


Never fails... I tell them not to do it.... and it ends the same way every time... and then want me to feel guilty about not putting my own truck in danger of sliding off the road trying to get to them... but it's 100% guarantee they will never do it again... always wonder why go through it.......


----------



## PatriciafromCO

just went out to lock the horses and llamas in the corral. UPS got himself out and left a while back... but someone else came flying over the hill and landed in the same place. I can't tell if they took the pasture fence out or not. Feel better that the animals are safe in the corral until I can go out in the morning to see if the fence is up or down....


----------



## Lillith

So, Ralphie probably has at least $50 worth of toys that we play with in the yard (through Amazon, this amounts to about 10 toys). Yesterday on our walk we came across one of those 5 gallon water jugs (empty) that you see at offices. Well, I kicked it, and Ralphie went after it. Instantly his new favorite toy. So I picked it up and carried it all the way home for him. Note, I am dressed in full snow gear. You can barely tell I'm a person. I'm holding a long leash attached to a bouncy dog with a backpack on, and I'm carrying a giant 5 gallon jug. What a sight.

So we get in the yard, and Ralphie just chases this thing all over as it slides across the snow making these horrendous growling noises that sounds like he's killing something. Hits the fence, the house, snow drifts, everything. I run around waving my arms and "chasing" him and squealing with laughter. I have no idea what my neighbors think of me at this point. Finally, so tired, he just drops his new stupid toy, and walks to the gate so we can go inside for his supper, lol.


----------



## gingerkid

Lillith said:


> So, Ralphie probably has at least $50 worth of toys that we play with in the yard (through Amazon, this amounts to about 10 toys). Yesterday on our walk we came across one of those 5 gallon water jugs (empty) that you see at offices. Well, I kicked it, and Ralphie went after it. Instantly his new favorite toy. So I picked it up and carried it all the way home for him. Note, I am dressed in full snow gear. You can barely tell I'm a person. I'm holding a long leash attached to a bouncy dog with a backpack on, and I'm carrying a giant 5 gallon jug. What a sight.
> 
> So we get in the yard, and Ralphie just chases this thing all over as it slides across the snow making these horrendous growling noises that sounds like he's killing something. Hits the fence, the house, snow drifts, everything. I run around waving my arms and "chasing" him and squealing with laughter. I have no idea what my neighbors think of me at this point. Finally, so tired, he just drops his new stupid toy, and walks to the gate so we can go inside for his supper, lol.


Sometimes it's the simple things that bring the most joy! Thanks for sharing this story, it really brightened my day.


----------



## Lillith

gingerkid said:


> Sometimes it's the simple things that bring the most joy! Thanks for sharing this story, it really brightened my day.


I'm glad! It's even better when I tie his snake toy to it or shove tennis balls in there!


----------



## Laurelin

Oh hey guys. I'm alive.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Laurelin said:


> Oh hey guys. I'm alive.


Holy crap. Haha. In all serious I think a lot of us kinda fell off the face of the earth for awhile. Welcome back. How are the paps and Hank?


----------



## Sandakat

Laurelin said:


> Oh hey guys. I'm alive.


Hey! Welcome back!


----------



## Laurelin

Everyone is good! Same old same old. 

IMG_5214 by Lauren, on Flickr

Summer's had some health issues up and down all year. Right now doing good though.


----------



## CptJack

I just want to hike with my dogs and have them be decent pets. I said that. Here. I remember that. 

I'm not sure what happened, but I have agility Saturday, Lure Coursing Sunday, and am visiting a flyball practice on Monday. ...What happened to my life?


----------



## CptJack

CptJack said:


> ...What happened to my life?


Never mind. Kylie. Kylie happened to my life.


----------



## CptJack

Spent the day lure coursing. Come home, Jack's got a lump the size of my hand on the size of his neck. E-vet time, plus some. Abscess, not the most suddenly growing cancer ever (thank god). Already had surgery to open and drain it, and the vet has no idea what caused it, except it was DEEP in the muscle bed (as the point of origin), and that it had probably been there for a while and then blown up enough to be visible. How deep it was resulted in a lot of bleeding. He should be home tomorrow evening. I hope he's home tomorrow evening.

Super, duper relieved. Still worried, but when husband was heading out the door with him I legitimately did not know if Jack was coming back. Vet said Jack, because of size/location of the thing probably would have either suffocated or had the abscess burst and release INTERNALLY over night. Thank god for my vet's willingness to come in for emergencies, is what I'm saying.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs

CptJack said:


> Spent the day lure coursing. Come home, Jack's got a lump the size of my hand on the size of his neck. E-vet time, plus some. Abscess, not the most suddenly growing cancer ever (thank god). Already had surgery to open and drain it, and the vet has no idea what caused it, except it was DEEP in the muscle bed (as the point of origin), and that it had probably been there for a while and then blown up enough to be visible. How deep it was resulted in a lot of bleeding. He should be home tomorrow evening. I hope he's home tomorrow evening.
> 
> Super, duper relieved. Still worried, but when husband was heading out the door with him I legitimately did not know if Jack was coming back. Vet said Jack, because of size/location of the thing probably would have either suffocated or had the abscess burst and release INTERNALLY over night. Thank god for my vet's willingness to come in for emergencies, is what I'm saying.


How scary and sudden. I'm glad that it seems to be fixable and I hope that everything turns out just fine for Jack. Poor guy!


----------



## CptJack

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> How scary and sudden. I'm glad that it seems to be fixable and I hope that everything turns out just fine for Jack. Poor guy!


That dog's going to give me more gray hair than HE has and lately he has old dog eyes and a danged near white face.


----------



## Lillith

CptJack said:


> Spent the day lure coursing. Come home, Jack's got a lump the size of my hand on the size of his neck. E-vet time, plus some. Abscess, not the most suddenly growing cancer ever (thank god). Already had surgery to open and drain it, and the vet has no idea what caused it, except it was DEEP in the muscle bed (as the point of origin), and that it had probably been there for a while and then blown up enough to be visible. How deep it was resulted in a lot of bleeding. He should be home tomorrow evening.  I hope he's home tomorrow evening.
> 
> Super, duper relieved. Still worried, but when husband was heading out the door with him I legitimately did not know if Jack was coming back. Vet said Jack, because of size/location of the thing probably would have either suffocated or had the abscess burst and release INTERNALLY over night. Thank god for my vet's willingness to come in for emergencies, is what I'm saying.


Oh no, how scary! Lumps that show up suddenly are horrible, whether its on a person or a dog!


----------



## Lillith

Ralphie and I were returning from a walk this afternoon. We were walking past a group of apartment buildings. On the other side of the street a man in a ground floor apartment was letting his dog out for what I assume was a potty break, off leash, very close to a street and a parking lot. I could hear him from down the street calling his dog to him after the dog finished its business, and the dog was not paying him any mind. As I get closer I notice the dog is probably 1 year or less old, so a puppy, really, and a Lab or mix thereof.

So, then the dog notices Ralphie and I. Starts trotting closer, reaches the sidewalk, but isn't crossing the street. Owner is calling for him, dog isn't listening. Ralphie and I just keep walking, but I notice the dog is following us on his side of the street. I stop and wait, hoping the dog will stop, too. It works, and the owner comes and collects his dog, giving him a few collar pops and screaming for good measure.

Ralphie and I continue on, and then I hear yelling behind us again and here the pup has somehow escaped his owner (I'm guessing the owner let go of his collar because who has every heard of a leash?) and had started following us again. I keep walking this time, but eventually we reach the end of the street and a field so I let Ralphie go on his long line, and then he promptly finds a tumbleweed and proceeds to dismantle it. Anyways, I watch as the guy catches up to his dog, and then grabs it by its collar and alpha rolls it into a snowbank, then drags it back to his apartment, screaming at it.

Ugh, I don't get people sometimes. They sell 100ft leashes if you are really too lazy to take 2 steps past your porch to let your dog potty and your dog does not recall yet.


----------



## stephy

I just bought a really nice dog door for my dogs and they wont use it... well there goes $400.... any advice?


----------



## CptJack

He's home! With an open, gaping, giant, draining wound, but home!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

Hugs sending good thoughts ((( )))


----------



## Wet Beards

He's home with loving hands to care for him. 
Sending good thoughts for a quick recovery.


----------



## Sandakat

I'm so happy it wasn't cancer! Get well soon, Jack!


----------



## TGKvr

I have a "what would you do?" situation. My neighbors are the absolute worst. I live in a rural area, on 20 acres, which is mostly fenced but the fence is broken down in multiple places. We have no livestock currently, so it has not been a high priority for us to fix. So my nearest neighbors, who I can't see from my house, have several dogs. One is a cattle dog mix, another is some type of hound dog mix (new), and several smaller dogs. I don't see the small dogs often - I assume they keep them inside. The other two are outside 100% of the time. But here's the problem. They just roam loose all the time. When I go to unlock the gate on my driveway, which is at the bottom of the mountain near their house, the hound will come close and growl at me. The cattle dog chases every car that comes down the driveway, and darts out in front of the tires out of the trees causing people to stop short and spray gravel (which cost me a lot of money by the way). It's incredibly annoying and frustrating. I've seen both dogs in my actual yard, and recently I've been seeing dog poop in the strangest of places: on the kerosene can (1 gallon) kept out by our fire pit... literally ON the can, by the handle. So weird. I've also seen it on the crash pads beneath our climbing wall. And on the stone flagging just below our porch. I've had it with these neighbors and their dogs. 

A little background: a few years ago, a friend was visiting with his intact male pit. The neighbors had a different dog then, and she had come up to our yard that day. Well.. turns out she was in heat. My friend's dog followed her back down the mountain to the neighbor's house. The neighbor gut-shot him as he was mounting the bitch. It was devastating for my friend and he has never been able to get over that "murder" as he calls it - in fact, it really did a number on him psychologically (I won't go into all the details of that but the short of it is that it was really bad and he was borderline suicidal after that - he was homeless at the time, living in his van, and his dog was his life). Now while my friend is obviously not without fault in that situation, his dog WAS just being a dog and following a bitch in heat that should never been allowed to roam free. Needless to say, relations are strained with these neighbors as a result of that and other things.

I've taken to carrying the BB gun in my car because the hound is NOT friendly. He has gotten close enough to me in an aggressive enough demeanor that I popped off a few shots on his rump (it's just a little Red Ryder) but it didn't even faze him. The other day, we were shooting skeet in our pasture and the cattle dog came running full tilt up through the field where we were shooting, and up into the yard until I ran her off. I've had to run them off time and time again.

I've really had it up to here with the neighbors and their unruly dogs. I'm not sure how to approach this situation. I don't want to necessarily make things worse than they are with us, but at the same time, I can't live like this. I can't enjoy my time outside with my own dog - who never strays beyond our own yard and will guard the perimeter - without worrying about these other dogs being where they shouldn't. Not to mention they scare people driving up the driveway because they chase and dart.

How would you handle this? Occasionally they'll tie up the dogs which is great for us but still not ideal for the dogs. There is no leash law to speak of, though legally I know they are required to maintain their animals within their own property. They are just awful owners, which is ironic since their son (a former co-worker of mine) worked for years at the animal shelter here. They don't seem to care that their dogs may get run over or accidentally shot, or that they are aggressive. I've mentioned it twice now via phone with the wife, but nothing has changed. I'm at my wits' end and not sure what to do about it. But I know it's simply unacceptable that I can't go where I want or do what I want on MY OWN PROPERTY without being accosted by their dogs. And the dog crap in weird places was really the thing that put me over the edge. Thoughts? Suggestions?

**ETA: I have ordered some pepper spray to carry with me in place of the BB gun (which is just what I happened to have handy at the time) but I still need to figure out how to address the overall issue.


----------



## Jen2010

> I have a "what would you do?" situation. My neighbors are the absolute worst. I live in a rural area, on 20 acres, which is mostly fenced but the fence is broken down in multiple places. We have no livestock currently, so it has not been a high priority for us to fix. So my nearest neighbors, who I can't see from my house, have several dogs. One is a cattle dog mix, another is some type of hound dog mix (new), and several smaller dogs. I don't see the small dogs often - I assume they keep them inside. The other two are outside 100% of the time. But here's the problem. They just roam loose all the time. When I go to unlock the gate on my driveway, which is at the bottom of the mountain near their house, the hound will come close and growl at me. The cattle dog chases every car that comes down the driveway, and darts out in front of the tires out of the trees causing people to stop short and spray gravel (which cost me a lot of money by the way). It's incredibly annoying and frustrating. I've seen both dogs in my actual yard, and recently I've been seeing dog poop in the strangest of places: on the kerosene can (1 gallon) kept out by our fire pit... literally ON the can, by the handle. So weird. I've also seen it on the crash pads beneath our climbing wall. And on the stone flagging just below our porch. I've had it with these neighbors and their dogs.
> 
> A little background: a few years ago, a friend was visiting with his intact male pit. The neighbors had a different dog then, and she had come up to our yard that day. Well.. turns out she was in heat. My friend's dog followed her back down the mountain to the neighbor's house. The neighbor gut-shot him as he was mounting the bitch. It was devastating for my friend and he has never been able to get over that "murder" as he calls it - in fact, it really did a number on him psychologically (I won't go into all the details of that but the short of it is that it was really bad and he was borderline suicidal after that - he was homeless at the time, living in his van, and his dog was his life). Now while my friend is obviously not without fault in that situation, his dog WAS just being a dog and following a bitch in heat that should never been allowed to roam free. Needless to say, relations are strained with these neighbors as a result of that and other things.
> 
> I've taken to carrying the BB gun in my car because the hound is NOT friendly. He has gotten close enough to me in an aggressive enough demeanor that I popped off a few shots on his rump (it's just a little Red Ryder) but it didn't even faze him. The other day, we were shooting skeet in our pasture and the cattle dog came running full tilt up through the field where we were shooting, and up into the yard until I ran her off. I've had to run them off time and time again.
> 
> I've really had it up to here with the neighbors and their unruly dogs. I'm not sure how to approach this situation. I don't want to necessarily make things worse than they are with us, but at the same time, I can't live like this. I can't enjoy my time outside with my own dog - who never strays beyond our own yard and will guard the perimeter - without worrying about these other dogs being where they shouldn't. Not to mention they scare people driving up the driveway because they chase and dart.
> 
> How would you handle this? Occasionally they'll tie up the dogs which is great for us but still not ideal for the dogs. There is no leash law to speak of, though legally I know they are required to maintain their animals within their own property. They are just awful owners, which is ironic since their son (a former co-worker of mine) worked for years at the animal shelter here. They don't seem to care that their dogs may get run over or accidentally shot, or that they are aggressive. I've mentioned it twice now via phone with the wife, but nothing has changed. I'm at my wits' end and not sure what to do about it. But I know it's simply unacceptable that I can't go where I want or do what I want on MY OWN PROPERTY without being accosted by their dogs. And the dog crap in weird places was really the thing that put me over the edge. Thoughts? Suggestions?
> 
> **ETA: I have ordered some pepper spray to carry with me in place of the BB gun (which is just what I happened to have handy at the time) but I still need to figure out how to address the overall issue.


 Since you've already spoken with your neighbours several times I would suggest calling the city bylaws office (if there is one for rural areas) or animal control. You're probably opening yourself up for issues though since your fence is not secure and technically your dog is roaming free as well (even though he stays in your yard).


----------



## TGKvr

No, my dog doesn't roam free. She is off-leash most of the time while we're home, but I'm always outside WITH her. I don't just let her out unsupervised. I might be working around the property while she is meandering around the yard, but she is always within sight and voice distance. I can't help but feel that the status of my fence should have nothing to do with it though. If had no fence at all, they still shouldn't be allowed to range free on my property. I've never heard of a "city bylaws" office here, but I'll look into it. I'm not within city limits in any case. I've considered calling animal control but I feel like that's a last resort since it will be the dogs that suffer as a result (as much as I dislike those particular dogs, they just don't know any better).


----------



## Lillith

First off (since you're already tried speaking with the owners), I would call Animal Control or the Sheriff's office. It was the Sheriff's office for our farm out in the country, no animal control. Take video evidence if you can so you can prove these animals are on your property. Take video of the hound acting aggressively. Take as many videos as you can so you have plenty of evidence!

I know you don't want to call animal control, but in reality you are at the last resort. Where I grew up, if a dog ran at anybody on their own property aggressively, that dog was shot on the next sighting. I feel like if you do not call animal control or a similar authority, someone who is far less forgiving than you will take the "real last resort" and kill these dogs. They will get hit by a car, shot, or killed by another dog or wild animal. Worse, the hound may bite you, your dog, or another human and be euthanized anyway. Dogs that run don't last long. 

Other things that have been done in our area is catching the dogs in a live trap, calling the Sheriff, and the sheriff takes them to the pound or other facility. Owners have to pay to have their dog released. After a few of these, most owners try a little harder to keep their dogs contained. Or they don't come looking and the dogs get new owners.


----------



## Crantastic

I like the live trap/report them as strays idea. The neighbors never have to know you took the dogs in.


----------



## stephy

Lillith said:


> So, Ralphie probably has at least $50 worth of toys that we play with in the yard (through Amazon, this amounts to about 10 toys). Yesterday on our walk we came across one of those 5 gallon water jugs (empty) that you see at offices. Well, I kicked it, and Ralphie went after it. Instantly his new favorite toy. So I picked it up and carried it all the way home for him. Note, I am dressed in full snow gear. You can barely tell I'm a person. I'm holding a long leash attached to a bouncy dog with a backpack on, and I'm carrying a giant 5 gallon jug. What a sight.
> 
> So we get in the yard, and Ralphie just chases this thing all over as it slides across the snow making these horrendous growling noises that sounds like he's killing something. Hits the fence, the house, snow drifts, everything. I run around waving my arms and "chasing" him and squealing with laughter. I have no idea what my neighbors think of me at this point. Finally, so tired, he just drops his new stupid toy, and walks to the gate so we can go inside for his supper, lol.


My dogs are the same way! Thanos would rather chase after a laser pointer or steal paper balls than play with his chew toys


----------



## TGKvr

Hmm... good suggestions to take video and pictures... I hadn't even thought of that. I will do so. I might consider the live trap though I feel like that's a lot of trouble to go through (the largest trap I have is for raccoons...). These people already had two of their dogs shot a few years ago because they were killing another neighbor's calves. They were given a warning first, but ignored that, so the next time a calf was killed the dogs were shot (and video evidence produced - totally forgot about that). You'd think they would have learned a lesson then. I'm certainly not going to shoot their dogs, though I'd be justified to do so especially considering he shot my friend's dog, but I definitely feel like it's at the point where I need to do *something*.

I suppose if reporting the situation to the Sherriff could be done anonymously that would be for the best.


----------



## Lillith

TGKvr said:


> Hmm... good suggestions to take video and pictures... I hadn't even thought of that. I will do so. I might consider the live trap though I feel like that's a lot of trouble to go through (the largest trap I have is for raccoons...). These people already had two of their dogs shot a few years ago because they were killing another neighbor's calves. They were given a warning first, but ignored that, so the next time a calf was killed the dogs were shot (and video evidence produced - totally forgot about that). You'd think they would have learned a lesson then. I'm certainly not going to shoot their dogs, though I'd be justified to do so especially considering he shot my friend's dog, but I definitely feel like it's at the point where I need to do *something*.
> 
> I suppose if reporting the situation to the Sherriff could be done anonymously that would be for the best.


I'm sure the Sheriff would keep your name out of any conversation he had with the owners. Have you talked to other neighbors? Are they having issues with these dogs, too? If you can get multiple parties to file complaints that is even better.

You could also set up those motion activated sprayers, noise makers, and other repellants if you need a quick fix or just want to keep them away from your house. I know you have 20 acres so this is not a great solution in the long term, but perhaps it will keep them from nosing immediately around your house. You just have to remember to deactivate them when you take your own dog out.

But, yeah, at this point those dogs are well on their way to getting killed, so I would not feel guilty at all calling in the Sheriff/animal control or capturing them myself to have taken to the pound.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Lillith said:


> First off (since you're already tried speaking with the owners), I would call Animal Control or the Sheriff's office. It was the Sheriff's office for our farm out in the country, no animal control. Take video evidence if you can so you can prove these animals are on your property. Take video of the hound acting aggressively. Take as many videos as you can so you have plenty of evidence!
> 
> I know you don't want to call animal control, but in reality you are at the last resort. Where I grew up, if a dog ran at anybody on their own property aggressively, that dog was shot on the next sighting. I feel like if you do not call animal control or a similar authority, someone who is far less forgiving than you will take the "real last resort" and kill these dogs. They will get hit by a car, shot, or killed by another dog or wild animal. Worse, the hound may bite you, your dog, or another human and be euthanized anyway. Dogs that run don't last long.
> 
> Other things that have been done in our area is catching the dogs in a live trap, calling the Sheriff, and the sheriff takes them to the pound or other facility. Owners have to pay to have their dog released. After a few of these, most owners try a little harder to keep their dogs contained. Or they don't come looking and the dogs get new owners.


I still do this, in my area it is legal to shoot a marauding animal on site. If I just see then meandering around and not bothering my stock, I'll just run them off, but if they are bothering my stock, they're dead, #sorrynotsorry


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## Lillith

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I still do this, in my area it is legal to shoot a marauding animal on site. If I just see then meandering around and not bothering my stock, I'll just run them off, but if they are bothering my stock, they're dead, #sorrynotsorry


My father had to shoot dogs harassing his sheep, his cows. It's farmers/ranchers livelihood! If he knew the owner he always called them to come get them, and if they were friendly we contained them, and typically those people would take better containment measurements afterwards. But once a pack of dogs were roaming the countryside and bothering livestock all over. Sheriff couldn't catch them. We only had one to cover an entire county at the time. They were not friendly. I was outside in our yard and this pack of dogs wandered through, 3 or 4 I think, started running at me in a not very nice way. I was probably 6 or 7. I had to jump up on to the cab of a pickup to get away from them. I had rocks in my pocket (I don't know why, lol) so I threw those and they eventually ran off when my dad came through the yard with his tractor.

Yeah, but after that the dogs got shot at every time they came near anybody's yard or livestock. Word got around they chased a kid. They either left the area or were killed.

So, yeah, never feel sorry for calling animal control on loose dogs because their life will end far sooner than it has to, or a person will get hurt. For some reason packs of loose, bored dogs can get up to some dangerous mischief.


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## OwnedbyACDs

Lillith said:


> My father had to shoot dogs harassing his sheep, his cows. It's farmers/ranchers livelihood! If he knew the owner he always called them to come get them, and if they were friendly we contained them, and typically those people would take better containment measurements afterwards. But once a pack of dogs were roaming the countryside and bothering livestock all over. Sheriff couldn't catch them. We only had one to cover an entire county at the time. They were not friendly. I was outside in our yard and this pack of dogs wandered through, 3 or 4 I think, started running at me in a not very nice way. I was probably 6 or 7. I had to jump up on to the cab of a pickup to get away from them. I had rocks in my pocket (I don't know why, lol) so I threw those and they eventually ran off when my dad came through the yard with his tractor.
> 
> Yeah, but after that the dogs got shot at every time they came near anybody's yard or livestock. Word got around they chased a kid. They either left the area or were killed.
> 
> So, yeah, never feel sorry for calling animal control on loose dogs because their life will end far sooner than it has to, or a person will get hurt. For some reason packs of loose, bored dogs can get up to some dangerous mischief.


Yes, I agree 100%, it's my job to make sure my dogs, and the other animals under my care are safe FIRST. The welfare of any marauding animals comes second, I am sorry, but that is the way it has to be.

Would I feel bad if I killed someone's dog? yes, but they should have been more responsible and not let it run all over god and creation.


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## CptJack

On the mend. 

Still has that open incision but it's closed up a LOT.









Swelling is down, too.

Bonus pic from his breeder of 2 year old him doing Weight Pull


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## lauren17

Quick rant.. someone my mom knows posted on Facebook the puppy they brought home for Christmas awhile back. My mom was upset and sent me a picture asking how old I thought the aussie pup was, I guessed 3 maybe 4 weeks! My mom asked them how old it was and was told 6 weeks. Then about 3 weeks later they had a post about the puppy turning 7 weeks old. My mom, knowing that these ppl are a very busy family and new to dog ownership tried giving them some advice on aussies and puppies and recommended going to a puppy class that I am currently taking my aussie pup to. She even offered to set up a time for me to help them with socializing the pup. They of course weren't interested in any of that. Many people were commenting about how crazy and how much work aussies are and they responded with they wanted a smart dog with blue eyes..Then they are asking on Facebook for advice because this puppy is chewing. Someone actually told them to put foil on the things the puppy liked to chew on... Ugh the whole thing makes me mad especially since it's my breed.


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## nseo

Hey guys,

I also have a quick vent I have to get out of my system. I was watching a Korean dog training show and I was just in disbelief the whole time while watching it. The format of the show is like Cesar Milan-an introduction of a doggy issue and a trainer helps solve the issue. However, I feel this trainer is way more appropriate for watchers (which I am hugely thankful for) compared to Cesar Milan because he seems to use effective positive reinforcement techniques that the average viewer can adopt, rather than basing it off of alpha/beta dynamics and forcing the dog to submit or whatnot.

So anyways, the lady has two Afghan hounds-a 10 month old and a 3 month old in a tiny apartment (which I dont have a problem with, as long as the dogs are given proper exercise you know?) and they completely rip the apartment apart and the 10month dog seems to have severe SA. As the episode progresses, she states that she hasn't taken the dogs out in a month (!!!), when she got the 3 month puppy a month ago. I'm just really flabbergasted, like how can you not take a dog-and an active breed no less-out on a walk at least once in two days???? My dog has 3-4 hours of walk daily (which may be too much for some people), but really even a 20 min walk daily will do at the minimum. And she wonders why the dogs are causing havoc inside.... Oh and get this, she also got the debarking surgery for the dog-she said some excuse about how the dog was howling and barking too much because of SA and her mom forced her to do the surgery or something...I can't imagine doing unless the circumstances are extremely dire. Even the trainer was in slight disbelief, and I'm sure he wouldve been more harsh if he wasn't on TV. 

And I saw the last parts of an episode before this where this couple had an aggressive sharpei that didn't like his owners. Apparently the owners punished him constantly-didn't see why. And they had this scene where they were walking the dog, and it becomes clear this owner also never walked his dog a lot. He literally asked, "oh I have to walk this dog daily?" Seriously..

Although Korea is not quite as dog friendly as other countries, there's definitely a gradual change for the better and I'm glad that there are shows like this to educate people on how to raise their dogs. But people should really do their research on dog breeds instead of just getting one for a random reason and can't provide adequate exercise requirements for the dog...


----------



## Dogsignalfire

nseo said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I also have a quick vent I have to get out of my system. I was watching a Korean dog training show and I was just in disbelief the whole time while watching it. The format of the show is like Cesar Milan-an introduction of a doggy issue and a trainer helps solve the issue. However, I feel this trainer is way more appropriate for watchers (which I am hugely thankful for) compared to Cesar Milan because he seems to use effective positive reinforcement techniques that the average viewer can adopt, rather than basing it off of alpha/beta dynamics and forcing the dog to submit or whatnot.
> 
> So anyways, the lady has two Afghan hounds-a 10 month old and a 3 month old in a tiny apartment (which I dont have a problem with, as long as the dogs are given proper exercise you know?) and they completely rip the apartment apart and the 10month dog seems to have severe SA. As the episode progresses, she states that she hasn't taken the dogs out in a month (!!!), when she got the 3 month puppy a month ago. I'm just really flabbergasted, like how can you not take a dog-and an active breed no less-out on a walk at least once in two days???? My dog has 3-4 hours of walk daily (which may be too much for some people), but really even a 20 min walk daily will do at the minimum. And she wonders why the dogs are causing havoc inside.... Oh and get this, she also got the debarking surgery for the dog-she said some excuse about how the dog was howling and barking too much because of SA and her mom forced her to do the surgery or something...I can't imagine doing unless the circumstances are extremely dire. Even the trainer was in slight disbelief, and I'm sure he wouldve been more harsh if he wasn't on TV.
> 
> And I saw the last parts of an episode before this where this couple had an aggressive sharpei that didn't like his owners. Apparently the owners punished him constantly-didn't see why. And they had this scene where they were walking the dog, and it becomes clear this owner also never walked his dog a lot. He literally asked, "oh I have to walk this dog daily?" Seriously..
> 
> Although Korea is not quite as dog friendly as other countries, there's definitely a gradual change for the better and I'm glad that there are shows like this to educate people on how to raise their dogs. But people should really do their research on dog breeds instead of just getting one for a random reason and can't provide adequate exercise requirements for the dog...


Darn, that stinks!  I feel the issue is even less just "getting exercise", but the owners not having any idea how to raise an average dog. I'm sure the trainer on the show didn't even know where to start.

Korea, China, Taiwan really have been getting better over the years with how dogs are treated/viewed in general, especially with groups (mostly younger people) out there now pushing for animal welfare in their own country. I think it is kinda an old culture to view dogs as objects and possessions, and not seeing them as creatures of intelligence and emotion.


----------



## CptJack

Does anyone else here that has a dog who chatters their teeth in response to intense arousal (besides a male dog in response to a female in heat, which I hear is fairly common)?


----------



## Dogsignalfire

CptJack said:


> Does anyone else here that has a dog who chatters their teeth in response to intense arousal (besides a male dog in response to a female in heat, which I hear is fairly common)?


Yeah somewhat, even just from waiting for a toy, which is how I get photos of him "smiling".


----------



## CptJack

Dogsignalfire said:


> Yeah somewhat, even just from waiting for a toy, which is how I get photos of him "smiling".


That's adorable and reminds me I should try to get a picture of Molly doing the happy submissive grin thing, though it looks ferocious to those who can't look at the whole dog. 

Molly only really chatters when we're at agility or lure coursing - like the drive up to the destination, but it's the WEIRDEST THING. Makes me laugh, now that I've figured it out. Was pretty sure she was having some kind of seizure the first time (With the combination to vibrating and screaming, you know).


----------



## Sandakat

CptJack said:


> Does anyone else here that has a dog who chatters their teeth in response to intense arousal (besides a male dog in response to a female in heat, which I hear is fairly common)?


Cameron used to do it. Or he would nibble on one of us with just the tips of his front teeth.


----------



## stephy

nseo said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I also have a quick vent I have to get out of my system. I was watching a Korean dog training show and I was just in disbelief the whole time while watching it. The format of the show is like Cesar Milan-an introduction of a doggy issue and a trainer helps solve the issue. However, I feel this trainer is way more appropriate for watchers (which I am hugely thankful for) compared to Cesar Milan because he seems to use effective positive reinforcement techniques that the average viewer can adopt, rather than basing it off of alpha/beta dynamics and forcing the dog to submit or whatnot.
> 
> So anyways, the lady has two Afghan hounds-a 10 month old and a 3 month old in a tiny apartment (which I dont have a problem with, as long as the dogs are given proper exercise you know?) and they completely rip the apartment apart and the 10month dog seems to have severe SA. As the episode progresses, she states that she hasn't taken the dogs out in a month (!!!), when she got the 3 month puppy a month ago. I'm just really flabbergasted, like how can you not take a dog-and an active breed no less-out on a walk at least once in two days???? My dog has 3-4 hours of walk daily (which may be too much for some people), but really even a 20 min walk daily will do at the minimum. And she wonders why the dogs are causing havoc inside.... Oh and get this, she also got the debarking surgery for the dog-she said some excuse about how the dog was howling and barking too much because of SA and her mom forced her to do the surgery or something...I can't imagine doing unless the circumstances are extremely dire. Even the trainer was in slight disbelief, and I'm sure he wouldve been more harsh if he wasn't on TV.
> 
> And I saw the last parts of an episode before this where this couple had an aggressive sharpei that didn't like his owners. Apparently the owners punished him constantly-didn't see why. And they had this scene where they were walking the dog, and it becomes clear this owner also never walked his dog a lot. He literally asked, "oh I have to walk this dog daily?" Seriously..
> 
> Although Korea is not quite as dog friendly as other countries, there's definitely a gradual change for the better and I'm glad that there are shows like this to educate people on how to raise their dogs. But people should really do their research on dog breeds instead of just getting one for a random reason and can't provide adequate exercise requirements for the dog...


I just don't understand why those types of people would get a dog, let alone two! Maybe she got the second dog for the first dog to play with? But how are the people filming not doing something to help the dogs???


----------



## CptJack

I would like to take back everything I have ever said about vet care not being 'that' expensive, since I live in a fairly inexpensive area. 

Jack went BACK to the e-vet tonight, for another and more extensive surgery, since he has another abscess, likely caused by some foreign body (tiny one) traveling around his neck, another overnight stay, and more meds and bloodwork. Also, his thyroid is slightly low (but bloodwork is otherwise okay). First and foremost I want my dog to be okay and I'm worried about him.

Secondarily, Jesus, two emergency surgeries within a month is a little much, dog.


----------



## TGKvr

Oh no! Poor Jack! Hope he gets better soon... that is indeed scary stuff.


----------



## CptJack

And now he's having lymph tissue sent to pathology. Gonna be a long damned wait.


----------



## TGKvr

That moment when you know it has been too long since you've given your dog a bath, but keep putting it off anyway (simultaneous pro/con for having a non-stinky dog), then your dog goes and covers herself in poo somewhere, forcing your hand. Then after the bath you realize, wow... there was WHITE under there! And she's so soft...


----------



## Wet Beards

CptJack said:


> And now he's having lymph tissue sent to pathology. Gonna be a long damned wait.


Results in? 
Sending good thoughts.


----------



## CptJack

Wet Beards said:


> Results in?
> Sending good thoughts.


Oops, forgot I posted here.

Yeah, results are in. Showing mostly really extensive, really old, hematoma/blood in the area. Going theory is that the hematoma actually is the source of the abscess and that both happened at the same time - probably when Thud grabbed him - and the second was just deeper and took longer to show symptoms. It's not unheard of for that to happen, though it IS strange. Could recur, still, but frankly at this point - well, he's had all the blood work and Dx stuff, and come up with absolutely nothing except borderline low thyroid, so. 

DUNNO.


----------



## stephy

CptJack said:


> Oops, forgot I posted here.
> 
> Yeah, results are in. Showing mostly really extensive, really old, hematoma/blood in the area. Going theory is that the hematoma actually is the source of the abscess and that both happened at the same time - probably when Thud grabbed him - and the second was just deeper and took longer to show symptoms. It's not unheard of for that to happen, though it IS strange. Could recur, still, but frankly at this point - well, he's had all the blood work and Dx stuff, and come up with absolutely nothing except borderline low thyroid, so.
> 
> DUNNO.


That is frustrating... keep us updated? Hoping for the best!


----------



## Dogsignalfire

Well, it's the time of year again where people people all over the nation need to be informed that a GSD's stack is very often what makes them look "angled", and that is not part of their structure... LOL.

I was talking about Rumor, and then a friend sends me a photo of this random GSD (clearly not from any line) and tell me she prefers "this structure", basically because the photo was of the dog standing normally and thus had a horizontal back. The dog had weak pasterns and thin hocks and was pretty short bodied, and had dull patchy fur. I don't know man lol.

*OK RANT DONE*


----------



## DaySleepers

Samwise will be five this summer. He's _just_ figured out that if he scratches on the front door we'll let him out to potty. Like, in the past couple days. Before this he'd sometimes act a bit restless but not have any really solid 'tells' for having to go.

I swear he's a smart dog. Sometimes.


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## TGKvr

Not a question or a rant, more of a ha-ha. Someone on a breed group FB page posted this: "OMG I'm so thick! Drove all the way to the vet's which is a 40 minute drive to get <dog> weighed, got here to realize.... I forgot to bring the dog!"


Bahahahaaa!!! So funny! I could see that happening sometimes.


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## Sandakat

TGKvr said:


> Not a question or a rant, more of a ha-ha. Someone on a breed group FB page posted this: "OMG I'm so thick! Drove all the way to the vet's which is a 40 minute drive to get <dog> weighed, got here to realize.... I forgot to bring the dog!"
> 
> 
> Bahahahaaa!!! So funny! I could see that happening sometimes.


I could so easily do that if it were a busy morning or I got distracted.


----------



## Sandakat

How much snow do we have? I'll tell you how much snow we have...

We have a storage room behind the garage (the garage and this room make up the first floor of the house) that has a window that's about 2 feet off the ground. Every winter I cover it with a piece of plywood because a few years ago some icicles shed off of the roof and broke the window. Yesterday I was in the house and heard the roof shed and then a crash from the storage room. When I went down I found that the weight of the snow, which is now over the TOP of the window, had stressed the board so much that it had bowed in and broken the window and bent the frame. Luckily the board held so I only have glass and not tons of snow in the room. I cut a new board to fit inside the frame and nailed it up but it won't hold if the outside board gives out.

I would go shovel some of the snow away from the window but I can't get to it. The snow is literally 8 feet deep around the house.

And it's still only February!! Aaaarrrrrggghhhh!!!


----------



## TGKvr

Recently went on vacation, and my dog stayed with my cousin while we were gone. She has a sweet pittie that my dog adores. We got home and I swear that dog was depressed to leave her friend! Both dogs just slept on their beds for two days and didn't eat a thing after we took her home. She was happy to see us of course, but sad to leave her buddy. I guess it's a good thing that she enjoys staying there so much, but I'll admit to being a TAD bummed about her lack of excitement being home! Dogs. 

(She's totally back to normal now but not eating for two days was weird!) Makes me want to get her a friend. :|


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## LennyandRogue

TGKvr, I know the feeling. I really like keeping dogs in pairs and only having one dog makes me sad. He does come to my parent's house to play with the husky every now and again. That's something!


----------



## TGKvr

Yeah my other half is not so keen on a second dog. I really want one, but I'm holding out for the long play. She is not quite three yet, we're still training, and I would like to wait until she is around 6 or 7. I mean, I could happily come home with another dog tomorrow but there would be mutiny! (Incidentally, we got engaged on vacation! After 18 years together.....I'm inclined to keep the peace right now...)


----------



## Sandakat

TGKvr said:


> Yeah my other half is not so keen on a second dog. I really want one, but I'm holding out for the long play. She is not quite three yet, we're still training, and I would like to wait until she is around 6 or 7. I mean, I could happily come home with another dog tomorrow but there would be mutiny! (Incidentally, we got engaged on vacation! After 18 years together.....I'm inclined to keep the peace right now...)


I'm with you on keeping the peace and staying with one dog right now. The only way I could get this dog was to promise my wife that we'd only have one.

Congrats on the engagement!


----------



## PatriciafromCO

TGKvr said:


> Yeah my other half is not so keen on a second dog. I really want one, but I'm holding out for the long play. She is not quite three yet, we're still training, and I would like to wait until she is around 6 or 7. I mean, I could happily come home with another dog tomorrow but there would be mutiny! (Incidentally, we got engaged on vacation! After 18 years together.....I'm inclined to keep the peace right now...)


Have always enjoyed the transition of waiting in ages before adding another puppy especially if you are doubling on same sex's.. Get to have the older bomb proof dog either be that perfect leader dog for the pup to mimic and follow in tone and pace. Or get a out of control obnoxious handful of a pup that your bomb proof older dog that knows how to help you and knows when to patiently stays out of the way while your working with the pup. Abhik is 2.5 now and just perfect bringing in a new pup and helping her to be gentle and not to get too excited and knock the pup down.. I found her taking one intense beating from Tasman having the time of his life chewing jumping and attacking her in fun, but Abhik was laying down still playing right along with him.. 

just think of this time as a good omen that your not at the right place for the right new pup to fall into your lap...


----------



## giddyupdoggy

I have 6 Jack Russell Terriers. They all do fine together except my Jessi, the middle child so to speak. She does great with the dogs that were here before she came into the picture, but is aggressive toward the 2 that have come after her. It is so frustrating because I have to keep them separate or deal with fights. Thankfully I have two separate yards and am able to partition off part of the house but it is still frustrating. I wish I knew how to convince Jessi to be nice to and tolerant of Sadie and Willy.


----------



## Sandakat

PatriciafromCO said:


> Have always enjoyed the transition of waiting in ages before adding another puppy especially if you are doubling on same sex's.. Get to have the older bomb proof dog either be that perfect leader dog for the pup to mimic and follow in tone and pace. Or get a out of control obnoxious handful of a pup that your bomb proof older dog that knows how to help you and knows when to patiently stays out of the way while your working with the pup. Abhik is 2.5 now and just perfect bringing in a new pup and helping her to be gentle and not to get too excited and knock the pup down.. I found her taking one intense beating from Tasman having the time of his life chewing jumping and attacking her in fun, but Abhik was laying down still playing right along with him..
> 
> just think of this time as a good omen that your not at the right place for the right new pup to fall into your lap...


You are very right. We got Cameron, at 5 months, when Toby was around 2 yo, and that worked perfectly.


----------



## Lillith

So...Ralphie somehow got out of the house tonight. Don't worry, a nice neighbor got ahold of my husband and he is safe. Lured in by food, lol.

But, he had to go through TWO doors in order to get out. One door that leads to the garage that I'm pretty sure was closed, and then a second door that leads from the garage to outside that I'm also pretty sure was closed, but not sure if it was locked, because I heard it slam when my husband left. I was in the shower when he apparently escaped, which is also super unusual because he lays outside the door when I'm in there and moves for nothing except someone coming in the door....CREEPY. People tried to call me, but I was in the shower, and then they got ahold of my husband who came home and told me the dog got out. I didn't hear him bark or anything, but I felt the vibration when he jumped off of the bed (the bedroom is attached to the bathroom, so he lays up there sometimes to wait for me), but nothing else.

I mean, seriously, what are the chances that two doors leading to outside were open so that the dog could just wander out? I'm creeped out, to say the least, and I've heard the door downstairs slam before and the dog runs down there barking, but nobody was there.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs

Dogsignalfire said:


> Well, it's the time of year again where people people all over the nation need to be informed that a GSD's stack is very often what makes them look "angled", and that is not part of their structure... LOL.
> 
> I was talking about Rumor, and then a friend sends me a photo of this random GSD (clearly not from any line) and tell me she prefers "this structure", basically because the photo was of the dog standing normally and thus had a horizontal back. The dog had weak pasterns and thin hocks and was pretty short bodied, and had dull patchy fur. I don't know man lol.
> 
> *OK RANT DONE*


I am sorry but her win was political as all get out, sure, there would have been MORE politics if he had picked the mini poodle or the elkhound (I think it was the elkhound) in BOS. But how Rumor GOT there was political. I have talked to people who have shown under this judge and every one of them have said he is a total jerk, my breeder's pumi got into group, and when he walked up to her he goosed her (on purpose I think) just so he could eliminate her.


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## Lillith

So if anybody is struggling with a the puppy teenage phase, here is a video of Ralphie at around 9 or 10 months old (I think) being afraid of a peculiar weed. I added sound effects because it made it that much funnier.


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## giddyupdoggy

:clap2: Too funny! Ralphie is adorable.


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## lilywolf

Just want to share that I just adopted the most charming shiba in the world!!


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